Interesting CC Article Regarding Carnival's New Dining

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Came across this article on Cruise Critic about new menus and portion sizes on Carnival.  Maybe it isn't so bad that Celebrity is trying to position themselves with the competitors.

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/carnival-dishes-new-main-dining-room-menu-enhancements?

 

[kruzerci]

I can’t believe we are in a position now of considering Carnival a competitor 😒

[Texed]

6 minutes ago, kruzerci said:

I can’t believe we are in a position now of considering Carnival a competitor 😒

 

Some of us do not consider Carnival a competitor.  😎

[cw2go]

11 minutes ago, kruzerci said:

I can’t believe we are in a position now of considering Carnival a competitor 😒

Only speaking for myself:  I'm in the "Never Again Camp"

 

One and Done!  

Patty 

[RichYak]

1 hour ago, kruzerci said:

I can’t believe we are in a position now of considering Carnival a competitor 😒

 

58 minutes ago, Texed said:

 

Some of us do not consider Carnival a competitor.  😎

For perspective, my last 3 Celebrity cruises were all in Retreat and my next Celebrity cruise is also. In between I sailed once on Carnival. They are absolutely a competitor.

[alyssamma]

So, I'll preface this by saying X is my favorite cruise line. That being said, Carnival, when done correctly, is a lot of fun. The newer Excel class ships are amazing and the food there is great. The alchemy bar on most (all?) ships really has no equal. And if you want to party, it's the place to go.

 

Note, I'm not in ANY way promoting CCL, just saying I feel it gets a lot of hate because people don't understand what it's for. 

 

It would be like a family with teenagers going on X and complaining because there are no water slides or activities they might like. Royal (or even Carnival) would be a much better choice.

 

But it seems like what they are doing is a good thing.

[cw2go]

2 minutes ago, alyssamma said:

So, I'll preface this by saying X is my favorite cruise line. That being said, Carnival, when done correctly, is a lot of fun. The newer Excel class ships are amazing and the food there is great. The alchemy bar on most (all?) ships really has no equal. And if you want to party, it's the place to go.

 

Note, I'm not in ANY way promoting CCL, just saying I feel it gets a lot of hate because people don't understand what it's for. 

 

It would be like a family with teenagers going on X and complaining because there are no water slides or activities they might like. Royal (or even Carnival) would be a much better choice.

 

But it seems like what they are doing is a good thing.

 

Agree... And this is why I will never sail them again. I'm not a prude and I totally enjoy a night out with a few adult bevi's but Carnival is NOT my VIBE! 

 

Patty 

[alyssamma]

1 minute ago, cw2go said:

 

Agree... And this is why I will never sail them again. I'm not a prude and I totally enjoy a night out with a few adult bevi's but Carnival is NOT my VIBE! 

 

Patty 

That's fine...but that's different than just saying one and done which gives the impression it's bad instead of it's bad *for you*

 

There's a cruise line for everyone...sometimes two or three 🙂 Pick what you like and spend your money there. I'm 95% in your camp. I won't say I'll *never* sail CCL again, but it would have to be an amazing deal/itinerary for me to do it.

[prmssk]

For those of you saying Carnival is a competitor, why aren’t you booking Carnival instead of Celebrity?  You would save a ton of money!

 

(I say this as someone who occasionally sails Carnival and thinks Carnival has an important place in the cruising industry.  I just don’t think the experience is so comparable to Celebrity that I think it competes for the same general group of customers.)

[cw2go]

11 minutes ago, alyssamma said:

That's fine...but that's different than just saying one and done which gives the impression it's bad instead of it's bad *for you*

 

There's a cruise line for everyone...sometimes two or three 🙂 Pick what you like and spend your money there. I'm 95% in your camp. I won't say I'll *never* sail CCL again, but it would have to be an amazing deal/itinerary for me to do it.

I wasn't trying to come across rude. That's why I said Only Speaking For Myself and that I'm in the never again camp.

Like you, lets all do what makes us happy! It's travel which is a splurge no matter the budget. I have friends who love Carnival and NCL and they are not fans of Cel. No rules and no one is right, just different takes on vacay styles. 

 

 

Patty 

Edited June 21, 2023 by cw2go

[RichYak]

14 minutes ago, prmssk said:

For those of you saying Carnival is a competitor, why aren’t you booking Carnival instead of Celebrity?  You would save a ton of money!

I did all 3 of those things--said Carnival is a competitor, booked with them, and saved a ton of money vs Celebrity's standard product. In 2024 I'll be trying MSC YC and Azamara, saving a ton of money vs Retreat with both of those as well.

[prmssk]

7 minutes ago, RichYak said:

I did all 3 of those things--said Carnival is a competitor, booked with them, and saved a ton of money vs Celebrity's standard product. In 2024 I'll be trying MSC YC and Azamara, saving a ton of money vs Retreat with both of those as well.

Yet are still cruising Celebrity (with no more Carnival booked) according to your signature.

[alyssamma]

30 minutes ago, cw2go said:

I wasn't trying to come across rude. That's why I said Only Speaking For Myself and that I'm in the never again camp.

Like you, lets all do what makes us happy! It's travel which is a splurge no matter the budget. I have friends who love Carnival and NCL and they are not fans of Cel. No rules and no one is right, just different takes on vacay styles. 

 

 

Patty 

LOL, oh the joys of text where you can't judge tone. I didn't take it as you being rude at all...sorry if *my* response came across like that 🙂

 

I just was trying to clarify for others reading the thread...

[alyssamma]

45 minutes ago, prmssk said:

For those of you saying Carnival is a competitor, why aren’t you booking Carnival instead of Celebrity?  You would save a ton of money!

 

(I say this as someone who occasionally sails Carnival and thinks Carnival has an important place in the cruising industry.  I just don’t think the experience is so comparable to Celebrity that I think it competes for the same general group of customers.)

I sail X because now, at my age, it better suits what I'm looking for, Also, the price of CCL when you add in wifi, drinks, etc. the price for the 2 lines is very similar. Note, I'm talking the newer CCL ships.

 

But that doesn't mean I don't sail CCL...sailing on the Celebration in Sept

 

Edited June 21, 2023 by alyssamma

[CHEZMARYLOU]

5 hours ago, prmssk said:

For those of you saying Carnival is a competitor, why aren’t you booking Carnival instead of Celebrity?  You would save a ton of money!

 

(I say this as someone who occasionally sails Carnival and thinks Carnival has an important place in the cruising industry.  I just don’t think the experience is so comparable to Celebrity that I think it competes for the same general group of customers.)

Because we don't want to sail on Carnival. It's not always about saving money.

[alyssamma]

14 minutes ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

Because we don't want to sail on Carnival. It's not always about saving money.

I think they were asking *why* you don't want to sail on Carnival...e.g., too many kids, too loud, don't like the food, etc...

 

What are your reasons?

[prmssk]

22 minutes ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

Because we don't want to sail on Carnival. It's not always about saving money.

I'm not trying to say it is all about saving money.  When someone calls something a competitor, I assume they are talking about a fairly comparable product or service that overall competes for the same passengers.  That's not to say there can't be any overlap in passengers.  I'm talking about overall.

 

I'm not sure they are that comparable.  They market to different demographics.  They provide a bit different of an experience.  Those things alone separate them enough that I don't see them as competitors.

 

Furthermore, based on my own experience, I don't think the service and food in general are comparable.  And since I don't think they are competitors based on demographics and the experience/vibe, I don't think they have to compete with Celebrity on food and service.

 

And so my question to those who think they are competitors (assuming we are defining competitor the same way), why would you spend so much more money for Celebrity (and Celebrity generally, with some exceptions is quite a bit more expensive than Carnival), if you think the product is comparable?  There must be something about Celebrity that makes Celebrity stand out or I assume you would go book a Carnival cruise.

[NutsAboutGolf]

6 hours ago, prmssk said:

For those of you saying Carnival is a competitor, why aren’t you booking Carnival instead of Celebrity?  You would save a ton of money!

 

(I say this as someone who occasionally sails Carnival and thinks Carnival has an important place in the cruising industry.  I just don’t think the experience is so comparable to Celebrity that I think it competes for the same general group of customers.)

 

Done!  For the non-suite peasants, like myself, if you get a newer carnival ship the complimentary offering are far better on Carnival.  This is in part due to them making two specialty restaurant free (dinner at Guy's BBQ, Italian and the Mexican/Asian)...However, any ship with Guy's BBQ which may only offer lunch will provide a much better lunch than any complimentary lunch on X.  You also get more entertainment choices and I hear from a lot of cruising regulars on X that "we no longer go to (X) shows".  On carnival, in addition to the main show, you generally have a rock band in the atrium, sing along piano bar, karaoke and multiple comedians every night

[alyssamma]

28 minutes ago, prmssk said:

I'm not sure they are that comparable.  They market to different demographics.  They provide a bit different of an experience.  Those things alone separate them enough that I don't see them as competitors.

By this definition I agree they aren't competitors. However, they *do* compete in that there is a segment of the population that sails both...I'm in that demo, although (now) I'm heavily skewed to X.

 

Now, how large that overlap is...no clue 🙂

 

[cyntil8ing]

I’ve done about 15 cruises on each Carnival and Celebrity. I am a fan of both, and they definitely compete for my bookings. I have upcoming cruises on both.

 

I am excited about the new menu options and delighted by the new entree salads. I have always been a big fan of the Indian vegetarian option available each night, often choosing it once or twice per cruise.

 

I’ve looked forward to the daily menu reveals this week. Lots of old favorites, plus some new things I am looking forward to trying. The new menus won’t be in place before our August cruise to Bermuda, but the will by next year’s cruise to Canada and Greenland. 
 

We have done Summit to Bermuda four times over the past 12 years. Unfortunately they switch to Canada in August, when we can cruise, so we will be doing it on Carnival Magic from Norfolk this year. 
 

I am not all that unusual in liking both lines. While there are a lot of Carnival-only diehards, I’ve met lots of folks on Carnival cruises that also enjoy Celebrity, but not as many the other way, or at least who will admit it. 😀

[SPacificbound]

Carnival has never been a consideration for us, I don't feel we fit the demographics.

[RichYak]

6 hours ago, prmssk said:

Yet are still cruising Celebrity (with no more Carnival booked) according to your signature.

Whatever seemingly spiteful point you’re trying to make is missing the mark by a wide margin.
 

I’m sailing X in August for a very specific itinerary. I didn’t choose it because of the brand. In fact, I would have preferred Oceania but their similar itinerary fell short of my desires.
 

Also in my signature is an MSC YC cruise sailing practically out of my backyard to try the product. What’s not yet in my signature is an Azamara cruise, again chosen for a very specific itinerary that I will be booking shortly. In the future, if Carnival offers an itinerary that I desire, I won’t hesitate to book it. 

[prmssk]

13 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Whatever seemingly spiteful point you’re trying to make is missing the mark by a wide margin.
 

I’m sailing X in August for a very specific itinerary. I didn’t choose it because of the brand. In fact, I would have preferred Oceania but their similar itinerary fell short of my desires.
 

Also in my signature is an MSC YC cruise sailing practically out of my backyard to try the product. What’s not yet in my signature is an Azamara cruise, again chosen for a very specific itinerary that I will be booking shortly. In the future, if Carnival offers an itinerary that I desire, I won’t hesitate to book it. 

I’m not trying to be spiteful. I’m trying to understand why you and a couple others think Carnival is comparable to Celebrity and what it is about Celebrity that keeps bringing you back. It sounds like itinerary is what drives your decisions. 

[RichYak]

2 minutes ago, prmssk said:

I’m not trying to be spiteful. I’m trying to understand why you and a couple others think Carnival is comparable to Celebrity and what it is about Celebrity that keeps bringing you back. It sounds like itinerary is what drives your decisions. 

Carnival in the Med had a demographic that was no different from Celebrity. There are definitely things I missed about Celebrity on that cruise. On the contrary, I sailed in a Royal Suite on X in March and there were still things I missed about Carnival. All this to say that neither is perfect, but both are comparable to be sure. 

[alyssamma]

24 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Whatever seemingly spiteful point you’re trying to make is missing the mark by a wide margin.
 

I’m sailing X in August for a very specific itinerary. I didn’t choose it because of the brand. In fact, I would have preferred Oceania but their similar itinerary fell short of my desires.
 

Also in my signature is an MSC YC cruise sailing practically out of my backyard to try the product. What’s not yet in my signature is an Azamara cruise, again chosen for a very specific itinerary that I will be booking shortly. In the future, if Carnival offers an itinerary that I desire, I won’t hesitate to book it. 

This.

 

I have 2 MSC cruises coming up *only* because no other line has the itinerary (well, unless I was to pay 5x for some niche line). I'm so over MSC, but since no one else can sail to these places, I'm cruising them.

 

Similarly, there are a bunch of X cruises I'd like to take, but the price is too much so I'm not booking. On the other hand, there are many that fit my price point. I have 4 upcoming X cruises.

 

I'm done cruising just to be on a cruise...I cruise now to go to specific places...whoever can get me there I'll sail (lol, except RCCL  hate dynamic pricing and NCL).

 

All thing equal I'm on X, but if not, I'll sail whoever.