Haven't cruised in almost 15 years -- will I be disappointed?

[MujerIsla]

Disclaimer: I completely believe any experience is mostly what you make it. That being said, I've taken 1 and only one cruise: a May 2009 Carnival Ecstasy (God rest her soul) swine flu re-route from Mexico to Jamaica and Grand Cayman for my honeymoon. We loved everything about that cruise! But this was back in the days of free sushi happy hour, adequate staffing, free room service, and dress code enforcement in the MDR. Seasoned cruisers, knowing how Carnival cruising was back then vs. what it is now, do you think we'll have a vastly more negative experience?

 

1. Are there still fun things like free tea time?
2. Is there really a dearth of food options like I keep reading about in reviews (ie, not enough lines or restaurants open, empty coffee/ice cream/whatever dispensers)
3. Are there gangs of unruly kids running around the ships terrorizing 40-something people like me? 
4. Is there anywhere to go on the ships to avoid the crowds? (For reference, we'll be sailing the Breeze over Thanksgiving --yikes!)

 

Thanks for any tips and reassurance you can give me. I realize it's still vacation and will be great, but I want to meter my expectations if necessary. 

[mz-s]

Carnival is far more "laid back" now than it was in 2009. Some good some bad. You won't feel underdressed if you forgot your necktie on elegant night, so that's good to me. Tea time is still there on sea days. Food has been cheapened (they cut a chicken thigh into thirds and serve that with dry nasty rice on the buffet now and the sea day brunch menu is laughable compared to before) and hours for some cut back (pizza isn't 24/7 anymore).

 

Carnival has a huge behavioral issue right now that they seem unprepared to deal with. Kids running around, fights (some so bad the coast guard has to escort the ship into bay), smoking marijuana all over the ship, you name it. This varies from ship to ship so you may not experience it.

 

You shouldn't cruise on a modern megaship over a holiday if you're worried about crowds. But there are always quiet places on the ships - library, serenity (if you can find a chair), your cabin, etc. You won't be able to avoid the crowds when eating because Carnival has been trying to funnel everyone to the Lido for meal times lately, that's their cheapest way to feed their guests. So Lido is busier than ever.

[MujerIsla]

3 minutes ago, mz-s said:

You shouldn't cruise on a modern megaship over a holiday if you're worried about crowds. 

Thanks for all the info! Yep, Thanksgiving is probably a terrible time to cruise, but 15 years after our honeymoon, we find ourselves with 2 kids who have to go to school other times. 🤷‍♀️😄 Early May was probably the absolute best time to cruise: few kids, perfect weather, calm seas. We were spoiled!

[mz-s]

Just now, MujerIsla said:

Thanks for all the info! Yep, Thanksgiving is probably a terrible time to cruise, but 15 years after our honeymoon, we find ourselves with 2 kids who have to go to school other times. 🤷‍♀️😄 Early May was probably the absolute best time to cruise: few kids, perfect weather, calm seas. We were spoiled!

 

For what it's worth I've often cruised over Thanksgiving and found it a great time to cruise. It's not my first choice (holiday cruises are often more expensive so that's the main reason why). It is busier than May obviously, more families, but not as bad as a month later over Christmas! The weather is usually good, provided you're sailing out of somewhere south. It can be chilly that first and last day if you're sailing out of Baltimore! Brrr

[spleenstomper]

Drug dogs sniffed all of our carry ons at the port of Nola, so I think they are cracking down on drugs, at least in some places. 

 

Don’t bring anything dressy for the dining room like a tux or suit unless you want to. Hawaiian type shirt and slacks will be overdressed. 
 

They only have bacon on certain days for breakfast on the Lido deck, and you can’t get it for room service. 

Edited January 26, 2023 by spleenstomper

[ObstructedView2]

1 hour ago, MujerIsla said:

 

we'll be sailing the Breeze over Thanksgiving --yikes!)

 

 

Hi @MujerIsla🙂

 

Yikes is right, that's a 5-night sailing. In regards to Carnival, my best advice is to choose a voyage that is 7 to 8 nights or longer. The difference is night & day..

 

 

✌

[MujerIsla]

13 minutes ago, ObstructedView2 said:

 

Hi @MujerIsla🙂

 

Yikes is right, that's a 5-night sailing. In regards to Carnival, my best advice is to choose a voyage that is 7 to 8 nights or longer. The difference is night & day..

 

 

✌

Again, that whole "kids have school" thing. #retirementgoals 😄

[staceyglow]

Just now, MujerIsla said:

Again, that whole "kids have school" thing. #retirementgoals 😄

Kudos! We were "mean" parents too, who never took our kids out of school for vacations. We were lucky that when they were in middle school, they changed the school calendar so they got all of Thanksgiving week. off.. We took an 8 day cruise out of San Juan that week and even ran into some other families from the school district on the ship! 

[csm5986142]

We have been on the Breeze twice since cruising has resumed and it was a good experience both times.  Yes, Thanksgiving is going to ensure a full ship and lots of kids, but it will be a bunch of families like your own (your kids will likely have a great time). 

I found the food to be fine (but will admit I'm not a foodie).  I certainly never had trouble finding something good to eat.  Yes, the lines for pizza will be long later in the evening when a show gets out and it's the only place to eat.  The other place I remember seeing a really long line was Guys Burgers on embarkation day (but again, it's usually just timing).

I think the cruise lines are doing well considering what they went through with the pandemic, but things won't be exactly the same.  We have been on 12 cruises since the pandemic (all Carnival) and some ships are struggling more than others.  On the Celebration recently, they just couldn't seem to get it together.  Confusion/slow service, etc, but it is a new ship and the crew likely wasn't in sync yet.

 

[d12j28]

1 hour ago, MujerIsla said:

Disclaimer: I completely believe any experience is mostly what you make it. That being said, I've taken 1 and only one cruise: a May 2009 Carnival Ecstasy (God rest her soul) swine flu re-route from Mexico to Jamaica and Grand Cayman for my honeymoon. We loved everything about that cruise! But this was back in the days of free sushi happy hour, adequate staffing, free room service, and dress code enforcement in the MDR. Seasoned cruisers, knowing how Carnival cruising was back then vs. what it is now, do you think we'll have a vastly more negative experience?

 

1. Are there still fun things like free tea time?
2. Is there really a dearth of food options like I keep reading about in reviews (ie, not enough lines or restaurants open, empty coffee/ice cream/whatever dispensers)
3. Are there gangs of unruly kids running around the ships terrorizing 40-something people like me? 
4. Is there anywhere to go on the ships to avoid the crowds? (For reference, we'll be sailing the Breeze over Thanksgiving --yikes!)

 

Thanks for any tips and reassurance you can give me. I realize it's still vacation and will be great, but I want to meter my expectations if necessary. 

1 - Tea time is fun??? LOL! Plenty of stuff to do. Trivia, comedy, shows, casino, etc. Just depends what you like.

2 - Breeze has plenty of places to eat.

3- You are going over a holiday so could be a lot of kids.

4 - Hang out at the back pool (most kids will be at lido pool). Also, outside on deck 5 is a great place to relax. 

[MujerIsla]

7 minutes ago, csm5986142 said:

We have been on the Breeze twice since cruising has resumed and it was a good experience both times. 

 

Glad to hear! I never can tell when bad reviews are just from uptight people who can't roll with the changes. This was a very level-headed realistic comment. Thank you!

[MujerIsla]

5 minutes ago, d12j28 said:

1 - Tea time is fun??? LOL! Plenty of stuff to do. Trivia, comedy, shows, casino, etc. Just depends what you like.

 

Ha! I thought it was fun because of the novelty of it. Who in the world even sits down to have a quiet tea and desserts?? My kids will think it's rad. 

[d12j28]

2 minutes ago, MujerIsla said:

Ha! I thought it was fun because of the novelty of it. Who in the world even sits down to have a quiet tea and desserts?? My kids will think it's rad. 

The Breeze is a good ship (all the dream class are IMO). It's going to be quite different from what you did the first time (fantasy class). I'm sure you will all have a great time!

[rockwall_cruiser]

We have been on the Breeze 3 times since cruising restarted.  Had a great time on each one.  Some things have changed, but it seems the world has changed.  We found several quiet places around the ship where we could relax.  We never saw unruly kids running around.   

[Mic101680]

24 minutes ago, MujerIsla said:

Ha! I thought it was fun because of the novelty of it. Who in the world even sits down to have a quiet tea and desserts?? My kids will think it's rad. 

 

Tea will cost - I think it was $2.95 (including the auto-gratuity) because it was a premium tea served on the Paradise. Neat experience, but I did feel a little rushed with it - we were one of the first seated, got 1 of each tea sandwich and 1 cookie, but the lady serving the cakes and fruit skipped us even though we waved her down twice. And then when we asked for seconds on a couple of things and asked again about the cakes, they said they ran out - I guess a small crowd of 30ish people was too much for them. We were able to get additional hot water to make more cups of tea with out 1 tea bag, so we sat there and enjoyed it as long as we could. Some of the people coming in later only got tea and maybe 1 cookie or sandwich. It was scheduled from 3-4pm, and by 3:30, they were rushing people out to get ready for dinner service, which was nuts to me. Hopefully that's not the case on your ship though!

[Mic101680]

As far as being disappointed - I think it's more what you make of it. If you're going to expect a high level of service and mind blowing food experiences, you probably will be highly disappointed. If you look at it as an inexpensive vacation and can roll with whatever happens, you'll likely enjoy yourself.

 

Yes, the food quality has gone way down compared to "the old days", but you definitely won't starve and you'll find that it's also a much more relaxed atmosphere. The specialty dining, and dining outside the buffet and main dining rooms are going to be your better bets for quality and taste.

 

The longer the cruise, the less likely you'll run into rowdy party crowds, but like others have said, with yours being over a holiday you'll likely see a lot more kids than you would at other times (awesome for the kids though as they'll have more company in the kids' clubs). I've found that the younger adults (20s-early 30s) are more annoying than the packs of kids running around, but that's been more of an issue on 4 days or less cruises in my experience.

 

There are lots of activities scheduled throughout the day - mostly I've seen trivia, live music, and scheduled but not organized meet ups for different demographics. The larger ships will have more to do (mini golf, movies, more games, etc) than the smaller ships will.

 

And yes, you'll find quiet areas of the ship (mainly the adult only areas), but not necessarily less crowded.

 

[staceyglow]

35 minutes ago, Mic101680 said:

 

Tea will cost - I think it was $2.95 (including the auto-gratuity) because it was a premium tea served on the Paradise. Neat experience, but I did feel a little rushed with it - we were one of the first seated, got 1 of each tea sandwich and 1 cookie, but the lady serving the cakes and fruit skipped us even though we waved her down twice. And then when we asked for seconds on a couple of things and asked again about the cakes, they said they ran out - I guess a small crowd of 30ish people was too much for them. We were able to get additional hot water to make more cups of tea with out 1 tea bag, so we sat there and enjoyed it as long as we could. Some of the people coming in later only got tea and maybe 1 cookie or sandwich. It was scheduled from 3-4pm, and by 3:30, they were rushing people out to get ready for dinner service, which was nuts to me. Hopefully that's not the case on your ship though!

I just went to tea time last week on the Dream and regular tea was free, as was green tea. I got all the little sandwiches and pastries I wanted.

 

I wouldn't assume Mic's experience is typical. 

[mz-s]

48 minutes ago, Mic101680 said:

 

Tea will cost - I think it was $2.95 (including the auto-gratuity) because it was a premium tea served on the Paradise. Neat experience, but I did feel a little rushed with it - we were one of the first seated, got 1 of each tea sandwich and 1 cookie, but the lady serving the cakes and fruit skipped us even though we waved her down twice. And then when we asked for seconds on a couple of things and asked again about the cakes, they said they ran out - I guess a small crowd of 30ish people was too much for them. We were able to get additional hot water to make more cups of tea with out 1 tea bag, so we sat there and enjoyed it as long as we could. Some of the people coming in later only got tea and maybe 1 cookie or sandwich. It was scheduled from 3-4pm, and by 3:30, they were rushing people out to get ready for dinner service, which was nuts to me. Hopefully that's not the case on your ship though!

 

They should have Lipton tea bags, same as what is on Lido, included. Is tea time on Paradise not in the piano bar? The last time I was on a Fantasy class ship, which granted was long before COVID, tea was served in the piano bar and not the dining room.

[Mic101680]

45 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

They should have Lipton tea bags, same as what is on Lido, included. Is tea time on Paradise not in the piano bar? The last time I was on a Fantasy class ship, which granted was long before COVID, tea was served in the piano bar and not the dining room.

 

We were not given an option for the Lipton bags, which I only use at home to make iced tea anyway, and the cost was minimal so I didn't mind that. They had our tea times in a corner of the MDR. I really do hope that the running out of food and the rushed feeling we experienced are not typical across the fleet.

[icft]

Haven't cruised in almost 15 years -- will I be disappointed?

 

Yes

[MujerIsla]

2 hours ago, rockwall_cruiser said:

 Some things have changed, but it seems the world has changed.  

Excellent assessment!

[mz-s]

13 minutes ago, Mic101680 said:

 

We were not given an option for the Lipton bags, which I only use at home to make iced tea anyway, and the cost was minimal so I didn't mind that. They had our tea times in a corner of the MDR. I really do hope that the running out of food and the rushed feeling we experienced are not typical across the fleet.

 

It wasn't how tea was done last year on Sunshine. It was fairly nice. They offered the Art of Tea teabags but also offered Lipton for free. The sweets and other snacks were readily available as well. Disappointing that your experience was so much worse. I would encourage you to attend tea on your next cruise.

[mz-s]

16 minutes ago, icft said:

Haven't cruised in almost 15 years -- will I be disappointed?

 

Yes

 

Everyone who knows what Carnival is capable of is disappointed by their current product at some level I think.

[crazy4themouse]

6 hours ago, mz-s said:

Carnival is far more "laid back" now than it was in 2009. Some good some bad. You won't feel underdressed if you forgot your necktie on elegant night, so that's good to me.

 

Sorry, I had to laugh at that... Not at you, just the idea of it. You won't feel underdressed if you forgot your pants these days on Carnival, lol.

 

OP, the Breeze is a wonderful ship, our 2nd favorite. If she had a Havana area, she would be The Perfect Ship.❤️ We've always enjoyed tea time. While the offerings have gotten slimmer, along with everything else, it's still a nice respite for a little bit with some goodies they don't have any other time. And if you have Cheers, all the fancy teas are included.

 

We cruise mostly to just relax and unwind... We definitely cruise for the ship, not the ports, and there are plenty of quiet, out of the way spots on Breeze to do just that. Those spots might change day to day depending on crowd flow, but you'll find them! While we have definitely seen a downturn in food quality on our Breeze cruises since the restart, it's not inedible or anything. We love love love Cucina del Capitano and Bonsai Sushi!! They do cost extra, but it's really reasonable.

 

Like most things, it's all what you make it, and I think you have a great handle on things by metering your expectations ahead of time. The best parts of cruising -- the sea air, the vistas, sunsets over the water, quality time with family -- haven't gone anywhere, and feel even more valuable after the past few years. Have a wonderful cruise!!

 

[mz-s]

4 minutes ago, crazy4themouse said:

 

Sorry, I had to laugh at that... Not at you, just the idea of it. You won't feel underdressed if you forgot your pants these days on Carnival, lol.

 

No shirt, no shoes, no problem! 🤣