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

[Joebucks]

Depends on you. If you will let your week be ruined because they don't have a specific dish from 14 years ago, then you probably shouldn't go. Believe it or not, there's people that will say a 2023 Breeze cruise has many benefits over a 2009 Ecstasy cruise.

[lazydayz]

Going in with the knowledge that cruising has changed (as have you and your family) in the last 14 years will serve you well.  Some changes were due to COVID, some not.   Some of the changes are good (new muster drill; better Wifi; more options), some are not (staff shortages and supply chain issues). 

 

The good news is you are going on a much bigger (better) ship and your kids will love it.  So I don't think you will be disappointed.  If you want a more upscale atmosphere, and better food, book the specialty restaurants.  This used to be a special occasion treat for us, now we do specialty dining on every cruise.  

 

My guess is you and your family will have a great time.  Two of our three granddaughters much prefer Carnival over RC because of the "fun" atmosphere, and of course, Guy's Burgers.  LOL 

[Eli_6]

9 hours 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. 

FWIW, I have never had a *really* bad experience cruising out of Galveston. Worst experience was just with people cutting in front of others for the elevators.  Most people are fun.  I have been on the Breeze before and it was a super fun crowd.  Galveston is my "home" port and I have never seen a fight or someone who was drunk and obnoxious.  (I have seen people who were obviously drunk, but it was more of a "fun" drunk and not a "get in a fight" drunk.) Been on ships out of Galveston twice at Christmas.  I don't mean to stereotype, but it seems like a lot of the bad behavior comes out of ports or during times that one might expect bad behavior -- i.e. spring break, the "booze" cruises, the short cruises out of New Orleans. And not that I am bashing NOLA because I love NOLA, but if you look at the stats, there have been a lot of problems on the Valor with fights, people jumping/falling off, etc.  I have never personally witnessed any of that out of Galveston.  And I certainly don't think that Thanksgiving is going to attract the party crowd. 

[Rudyard]

9 hours 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..

 

 

✌

It might also depend on where you cruise from. I've found the 5 day cruises out of Galveston to be comparable with the 7 days cruises as far as crowds, behavior, etc. The only drawback is that they are shorter. The 4 day cruises on the other hand... I did one and will never do another. They always leave on Thursday from Galveston so it's essentially a long weekend where everyone seemed to be trying to blow off steam and get frat boy drunk before we even left port. Lots of yelling and hollering in the hallways at night from people who obviously thought everyone trying to sleep would appreciate knowing just how wasted they were. Never again. 

[MujerIsla]

1 hour ago, Eli_6 said:

FWIW, I have never had a *really* bad experience cruising out of Galveston. Worst experience was just with people cutting in front of others for the elevators.  Most people are fun.  I have been on the Breeze before and it was a super fun crowd.  Galveston is my "home" port and I have never seen a fight or someone who was drunk and obnoxious.  (I have seen people who were obviously drunk, but it was more of a "fun" drunk and not a "get in a fight" drunk.) Been on ships out of Galveston twice at Christmas.  I don't mean to stereotype, but it seems like a lot of the bad behavior comes out of ports or during times that one might expect bad behavior -- i.e. spring break, the "booze" cruises, the short cruises out of New Orleans. And not that I am bashing NOLA because I love NOLA, but if you look at the stats, there have been a lot of problems on the Valor with fights, people jumping/falling off, etc.  I have never personally witnessed any of that out of Galveston.  And I certainly don't think that Thanksgiving is going to attract the party crowd. 

Great perspective, thanks! Believe it or not, we live in Galveston and this is only our 2nd cruise. I don't know what's wrong with us.

[MujerIsla]

45 minutes ago, Rudyard said:

It might also depend on where you cruise from. I've found the 5 day cruises out of Galveston to be comparable with the 7 days cruises as far as crowds, behavior, etc. The only drawback is that they are shorter. The 4 day cruises on the other hand... I did one and will never do another. They always leave on Thursday from Galveston so it's essentially a long weekend where everyone seemed to be trying to blow off steam and get frat boy drunk before we even left port. Lots of yelling and hollering in the hallways at night from people who obviously thought everyone trying to sleep would appreciate knowing just how wasted they were. Never again. 

Good points I hadn't considered. Thanks!

[Eli_6]

I have to know: Which cruise ship had fights on it that were so bad that it to be escorted by the coast guard back to port?   I somehow missed this. 

 

I knew of one instance where there was a sexual assault on board and they returned to port and took the perpetrator off, but I had not heard about returning to port due to fights on board. Brawling on board somewhat goes to age/demographic of passengers (i.e. I have never seen senior citizens get in a physical altercation), but SA doesn't really follow those same lines.  I used to work at a DV/Sexual Assault non-profit many years ago and we had victims in their 70s/80s (even of stranger sexual assault--in fact, sometimes elderly women living alone are specifically targeted) and perps of all ages because sexual assault isn't really about sex, but power.  Point being: Sexual assault could occur on a more expensive line as easily as it could on Carnival. 

 

Not meaning to bring a funny conversation down or anything...

Edited January 27, 2023 by Eli_6

[UPNYGuy]

look... my wife and I have been on... RC Freedom (3 day) Carnival Horizon ( 8 day) Carnival Panorama (7 day) Carnival Legend (7 day)  Carnival Miracle (10 day) Carnival Paradise (5 day) since cruising resumed.

 

Legend, Miracle, and Paradise were last year alone, and we are getting ready to board legend again on Sunday. We have not experienced issues as of yet. Cruising is what you make of it. Granted, a $hitty cruise can be a horrible experience, but we havent been having these awful experiences that have been popping up in the media. 

[UPNYGuy]

7 hours ago, Eli_6 said:

I have to know: Which cruise ship had fights on it that were so bad that it to be escorted by the coast guard back to port?   I somehow missed this. 

 

I believe it was Magic returning to NYC over the summer. 

Edited January 27, 2023 by UPNYGuy

[UPNYGuy]

Also, just know that the fights arent exclusive to Carnival. They just get the most publicity because it is Carnival (or so it seems). MSC has had a few big fights on Meraviglia, but they rarely make the news. 

 

NCL also has had them on Breakaway and Getaway.

Edited January 27, 2023 by UPNYGuy

[EngIceDave]

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

 

Depends on you and your attitude.

I'm a pretty high strung guy desperately trying to be better about it....But I know that with my cruise starting Sunday there will be several things that will happen no matter what

Someone will do something incredibly stupid in my presence. Always happens. Many times, it's an employee.

 

Someone will make up some stupid rule that will inconvenience no one but me. They hate me.

 

At least two dishes will be inedible. It happens in mass production kitchens. Shouldn't but it does. Trust me, Chef Flay ain't back there cooking your order from scratch. This is "Chilis at Sea" unless you go to the specialties and that still isn't Joël Robuchon or Guy Savoy. It's good chain steakhouse, think Ruth Chris and I believe I'm being generous.

 

Cabins are fine and they all look the same when your eyes are closed.

 

It's what you make of it, attitude and expectations is everything

 

[icft]

To me the biggest difference in 15 years is that back then we used to occasionally say "how can they do that" in awe. Not anymore. Now when we say "how can they do that" it is in disappointment.

 

Back then surprises were mostly positive surprises and unexpected. Now we know there is going to be a surprise on each cruise, and the surprise is what they have taken away.

 

A steady drumbeat of even small losses makes it harder to look forward to a cruise. But someone who has not cruised in 15 years will not have been subjected to that "trend" and the surprise at the size of newer ships and the pleasure of exploring them may well provide them quite a good time.

[Anyislandwilldo]

If you have a positive attitude, you will have a positive cruise experience ☺️

[hillbillycruisers]

Carnival still gives a fun cruise...however...if you are expecting bacon every morning at the buffet...you may be disappointed. If you are expecting a midnight buffet...you may be disappointed. If you are expecting 24 hour pizza and ice cream...you may be disappointed. If you are expecting free room service...you may be disappointed. All these things you had 15 years ago are long gone. Cutback Carnival strikes again. 

[MujerIsla]

46 minutes ago, hillbillycruisers said:

Carnival still gives a fun cruise...however...if you are expecting bacon every morning at the buffet...you may be disappointed. If you are expecting a midnight buffet...you may be disappointed. If you are expecting 24 hour pizza and ice cream...you may be disappointed. If you are expecting free room service...you may be disappointed. All these things you had 15 years ago are long gone. Cutback Carnival strikes again. 

Luckily, bacon and 24 hr pizza are low on my list. I'm that cruiser that seeks out the salad bar. But, I really enjoy soft serve every day!

[firefly333]

On 1/26/2023 at 10:47 AM, 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 time long gone. I did a b2b on breeze and wasnt happy with the free dinner foods. Vista on,y did lobster night, the rest pay venues. Fewer choices on breeze.

 

That being said I'm booked on dream 14 days, because of the ports. Excursions to new ports might cost a mint, so I'll see how many pay restaurants. The ship is nice enough, just didnt really like dinner choices. It was enough to push me back to rcl. I bounce back and forth. Cant wait for the ports and rcl doesnt offer them out of texas. Must be popular, the price keeps going up. Gty inside now over 3k before taxes. 

 

Pizza is good on carnival. Lobster rolls in the fish place. The big fried fish was only like 10.99. 

[Indytraveler83]

I've had 2 good cruises and 1 bad one with Carnival in the last few years.  My general thoughts:

 

1) The newer ships are well taken care of.  The older ones are being neglected.  I would say the Breeze is likely on the "newer" side of the equation.

 

2) The cruise experience prior to 2020 and after are very, very different.  Lots of people will highlight the negatives (which you have seen)  but there are many positives as well.  They've done a lot to reduce waiting in lines (embarkation, meals, dinner), I think their food quality has mostly improved (subjective I know), and the addition of specialty places to dine, drink and enjoy entertainment has been very welcome for us.

 

3) I'll admit I don't usually cruise during breaks, but this "roving packs of children" thing seems a gross exaggeration.  Our own experiences with bad behavior are almost always with other adults.  

 

4) If you really want time away from kids, don't forget the Serenity deck.  It's adults only, and is usually more peaceful than lido.

 

Be prepared for a different experience, and you should enjoy yourself.  The bones of what you did before are still there, but a lot has changed!

[jjzblla]

Our first cruise was in 2013 and we cruised once or twice a year since then. Comparing the first couple of cruises to the last couple of cruises there have been significant changes and differences.  I don't know that I'd say you'd be disappointed, I guess that's all up to you but I will say we've gone from LOVING the cruises to the last couple of them saying we probably won't cruise again for a while.  We usually come home from cruises eager to book the next one.  We cruised in June and already had a Christmas cruise booked.  After that June cruise we found we weren't nearly as excited about our upcoming cruise.  The Christmas cruise was fine but we got off of that cruise with no desire to book another cruise. 

[ray98]

I speculate you will.  I know I would be if I took a cruise today with my only comparison being what was offered 15 years ago.  There have been years and years of small cuts here and there that are less perceivable to the routine traveler.  I still fight disappointment comparing the current product to that of 2 years ago, 15 years ago is a world away.

[steveknj]

Here's what you will always get when you ask a general question on CC.  You'll get some who love it, some who hate it.  The people who hate it will usually say they hate it and complain about A) Food Quality, B) Crowds C) Service D) All of the above.  Those who love it will say they love the A) Food Quality B) Don't mind the crowds C) The service was excellent) D) All of the above.

 

If you have some specific questions, you'll probably get a better answer 🙂

That said, as many have said here, it is what you make it.  I'd say, you'll probably have a great time despite what everyone says, unless you have a particularly bad experience about some specific thing.  That's generally how it is with any of my cruises on any line I've been on.

[joe/jack]

On 1/26/2023 at 12:29 PM, Mic101680 said:

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.

 

Perfect Assessment for Cruising in todays world

This year we have been on Princess

Royal and Carnival 

So far all Cruise Lines have cut costs to try and absorb their the losses during Covid 

At the end of the day Cruising in 2023 is still a great value for your vacation dollar.

 

[May1cruiser]

Great answers shown above. It is what you make of it. 

 

One thing has not changed. Open ocean views, ability to look of stern of ship and see reality slip off in the wake. And ability to un-plug from normal daily life. Great sunrise and sunsets and dark skies at night to look for shooting stars. 

 

It's still a great value for a vacation and escape from reality. 

 

[UPNYGuy]

On 1/29/2023 at 9:46 AM, Indytraveler83 said:

I've had 2 good cruises and 1 bad one with Carnival in the last few years.  My general thoughts:

 

1) The newer ships are well taken care of.  The older ones are being neglected.  I would say the Breeze is likely on the "newer" side of the equation.

 

generalization, and not an accurate comment. DW and I have gone from Legend to Horizon to Panorama to Paradise to Legend in the same year, and they all look fine. 

[staceyglow]

On 1/28/2023 at 11:04 AM, firefly333 said:

Tea time long gone.

 

 

That being said I'm booked on dream 14 days, because of the ports. 

 

 

I was on the Carnival Dream last week and they had tea time.  It's been on other ships I have been on in the last few months as well.  I am not sure if every single ship has it.

[Indytraveler83]

5 hours ago, UPNYGuy said:

generalization, and not an accurate comment. DW and I have gone from Legend to Horizon to Panorama to Paradise to Legend in the same year, and they all look fine. 

 

Certainly is a generalization, but it's also fairly accurate.  We didn't have working plumbing in our room on the Valor for 2 days, half the gym was closed, and much of the food service equipment appeared to be malfunctioning.  Reviews have been all over this board of many of the older Conquest class ships (and the Sunshined ships) being in various states of disrepair.

 

All the while it seems like the Vista and Mardi Gras class ships have had excellent trip reviews.  Are there exceptions?  Sure.  Would I risk my vacation dollars on that?  Nope.