The Points Guy rates Carnival Food as excellent.

[jimbo5544]

8 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Overall? MSC (Non-Yacht Club). Where Carnival falls down is their buffet and MDR. It's inconceivable that anyone would rate Carnival's buffet over Celebrity. If you do then you're not being objective. Where Carnival excels is their fare included lunchtime offerings, especially on the Excel Class. I'll be on a new Royal ship (Odyssey) next month, the first Royal since 2020 literally a week before the shutdown and it will be right after a 12 night Celebrity Apex to Iceland so I'll be able to compare the latest Royal offerings. The next Carnival will be 30 nights on the Luminosa on the TP from Seattle to Brisbane.Then in December I'll be on NCL's newest flagship the Viva after my last cruise on them since 2017. 

thanks for the answer.

[Illbcruzn4life]

4 hours ago, LatinaInTexas said:

That's surprising. Out of the 4 lines I have sailed I have consistently rated Carnival last on food in the MDR. On my last Carnival cruise I was not looking forward to MDR dinners so I booked specialty dining for all but one night out of 7. Really hoping we have the new menus for Sept cruise.

Not only was the food on MSC and NCL better tasting it actually looked good. When I read trip reviews and see the food pics it doesn't look good or appealing. I don't do the buffet but other food venues on Carnival are great.

On MSC right now and the mdr food is quite good. Pizza is excellent. Pretty sure we won’t be sailing with them again but it’s not because of the food.

[ldubs]

We have been on Carnival, RCI and Princess over the past year.  Sea day brunch on Carnival was very good.   Better than what we had on recent RCI and Princess cruises.  Otherwise, the MDR dinner offerings on Carnival were nothing special.   I think the points guy's credibility took a hit on this one. 

Edited June 29, 2023 by ldubs

[icft]

9 hours ago, Joebucks said:

 

Nearly half of that doesn't look that special. The other half could be bought on just about any cruise line. I'm sure it's good. However, I'm sure a leading attribute is FREEEEEEE (with a larger fare). 

 

I don't think anyone is saying Carnival's strength is dish for dish comparisons. The elitists can have their 2-4x more expensive cruise because their fish looks a little better. I think Carnival shines because of the combination of quality and quantity.

 

Personally, I don't think I can name anywhere where I look more forward to lunch than on a Carnival ship. Is Guy's the BEST burger I've ever had? No. Is BlueIguana the BEST taco I've ever had? No. However, the quality and quantity is just enjoyable and fun. Honestly, for the price of the cruise, the food quality is better than you'd expect.

Actually I think all those dishes look much better than Carnival dishes. But I have never let looks influence me when it comes to food. In this case the multiple live reviews for Virgin from folks who have sailed both Carnival and Virgin all say Virgin blows Carnival out of the water when it comes to included food. 

 

Since the question is who has the best food, price and class envy really have no bearing.

[crewsweeper]

9 hours ago, Joebucks said:

 

The cheapest cruise on Virgin now through 2024 is $666 pp (before taxes and fees) for a 2 night cruise. It unequivocally is more expensive. I don't care how many things you think you're getting for free. 

There are no "freebies".🙃  High fares cover these.

[Eli_6]

Maybe the points guy is used to airline food. In comparison to that, it seems pretty good. 

[kwokpot]

1 hour ago, Eli_6 said:

Maybe the points guy is used to airline food. In comparison to that, it seems pretty good. 

This comment isn't aimed at you but people should note that The Points Guy is no longer being just written by it's founder and it sources it's travel information and articles from multiple reviewers and article writers with various levels of travel expertise.

[kwokpot]

11 hours ago, icft said:

Actually I think all those dishes look much better than Carnival dishes. But I have never let looks influence me when it comes to food. In this case the multiple live reviews for Virgin from folks who have sailed both Carnival and Virgin all say Virgin blows Carnival out of the water when it comes to included food. 

 

Since the question is who has the best food, price and class envy really have no bearing.

The baked goods and sweets is specialty bakery quality and is superior to anything Carnival, Royal, Celebrity, MSC, NCL, and Princess puts out. 

[Kermarkim]

I think there are no wrong or right rankings.  Whatever you like, you like.  Whatever you prefer, you prefer.  For my part, my order goes like this for food preference:  Disney/MSC are neck in neck.  With MSC having the best pizza on the seas.  Next is Carnival (2nd best pizza on the seas) then lastly NCL. I can't remember Princess because it was so long ago.   With that being said, I found Disney to be the most boring cruise I've ever gone on.  MSC is getting better but has a far way to go.  Carnival is the most fun cruises for my taste and the food is great for me. 

[rolloman]

21 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Just for sake of discussion, which cruise line would you rate Carnivals food better than?  Inquiring minds want to know.  

MSC

[lasvegascruising]

Many people ask me why I sail with Carnival and I tell them that Carnival has the best lunch choices and evenings are filled with so much stuff to do.  I have only sailed on Royal, NCL and Carnival for comparison.  

[bguppies]

So apparently from what I'm reading in this thread, the food on the newest Excell ships is top shelf, while the rest of the line has been left to fall to "Meh" levels at its best?!?!?!?

 

And seemingly everybody is OK with that?

 

I know watching some you tube videos of the Mardi Gras and Celebration, the new added free lunch venues and specialty restaurants do look great.

But having sailed two older ships last fall, I was shocked at how far the food quality (cuts, etc.) and taste and presentation had fallen from our pre-covid cruises.

Hopefuuly these magical new menus I've been reading about in here do turn around the food quality FLEETWIDE, noit just improving offerings on your two newest ships.

 

Because I used to enjoy the food on my Carnival cruises. Wasn't the best food I'd ever eaten, but was very good tasting with quality cuts of meat and ingredients.

My last couple of cruises was food that tasted OK at best and for the most part looked terrible. (Especially on the Sunshine)

[mz-s]

The obvious question is who sponsored this article. Everything on the web is paid for by somebody, my guess is Carnival paid for this article. Follow the money and you'll be led to the truth every time.

[DCDragonfly]

On 6/28/2023 at 10:16 PM, Joebucks said:

 

The cheapest cruise on Virgin now through 2024 is $666 pp (before taxes and fees) for a 2 night cruise.

As a metalhead, I was all set to jump on that fare--but 2 nights?  YIKES!

[kwokpot]

12 hours ago, DCDragonfly said:

As a metalhead, I was all set to jump on that fare--but 2 nights?  YIKES!

Hyperbole. Do your own research. Here's the true cost of a few Virgin cruises. Those are 5 night cruises and the prices are the for 2 persons. 

 

Edited July 1, 2023 by kwokpot

[Joebucks]

6 hours ago, kwokpot said:

Hyperbole. Do your own research. Here's the true cost of a few Virgin cruises. Those are 5 night cruises and the prices are the for 2 persons. 

 

 

Thanks for the additional context. I agree it was probably a little deceptive to only post the 2 day one, but it was literally the cheapest option available. 

 

However, let's also remember that this is the cheapest Virgin 5 day cruise through 2024. Where the original comparison to the Excel class has options starting at $479pp for a 6 day and $529 for a 7 day. Not to mention, more itinerary options. 

 

With that said, there is a small chance I book one of the Virgin cruises you posted.