As much as I love Carnival it is time to expand to other lines.....

[WhaleTailFlCruiser]

I have recently decided to start booking other lines as I am getting really good deals while Carnival is charging me 2x-4x what other lines are. This isn't to say Carnival is losing my business completely but I refuse to be one of the customers that subsidizes it for the Casino rates. Not to mention other lines are throwing me good deals and it is hard to pass up these sailings.

 

I have booked Grandeur of the Seas out of Tampa in Sept for $800 for a seven-day cruise while that same time frame and port is 2k for me to cruise on Paradise for two fewer days. I truly don't understand the pricing that Carnival is throwing my way. 

 

I also booked a ten-day MSC Cruise out of PC for 1k while a Seven day on MG is again 2k with three fewer days. 

 

And Finally, I have booked an October Alaska sailing on Encore out of Seattle for just under $900. 

 

I still have my NYE Cruise on Vista booked and if I hadn't already paid that off I might have not kept it if these cruises on other lines go well. I also realize the grass isn't always greener on the other side but for the amount of money I am saving I will swallow whatever differences I might dislike compared to Carnival. 

[firefly333]

I booked grandeur last year for the pts to get the solo discount and wasnt that thrilled with grandeur, it is the smallest oldest ship in rcl fleet. But compared to paradise that's fair to compare.

 

I've been saying the same thing, my TA has cheaper rcl group fares I get $250 off a balcony and then 25% overall. It doesnt make sense to pay more for carnival. I agree carnival prices are certainly high. Its nothing against carnival. Princess had 0 to 33% solo supplements out of Galveston last winter. Princess was the cheapest. 

 

Carnival is no longer the least expensive, its msc. 

[WhaleTailFlCruiser]

40 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I booked grandeur last year for the pts to get the solo discount and wasnt that thrilled with grandeur, it is the smallest oldest ship in rcl fleet. But compared to paradise that's fair to compare.

 

I've been saying the same thing, my TA has cheaper rcl group fares I get $250 off a balcony and then 25% overall. It doesnt make sense to pay more for carnival. I agree carnival prices are certainly high. Its nothing against carnival. Princess had 0 to 33% solo supplements out of Galveston last winter. Princess was the cheapest. 

 

Carnival is no longer the least expensive, its msc. 

 

I agree that Grandeur is small and older but for the price point I can't really complain and she is pretty comparative to Paradise. 

[jimbo5544]

3 hours ago, WhaleTailFlCruiser said:

I have recently decided to start booking other lines as I am getting really good deals while Carnival is charging me 2x-4x what other lines are. This isn't to say Carnival is losing my business completely but I refuse to be one of the customers that subsidizes it for the Casino rates. Not to mention other lines are throwing me good deals and it is hard to pass up these sailings.

 

I have booked Grandeur of the Seas out of Tampa in Sept for $800 for a seven-day cruise while that same time frame and port is 2k for me to cruise on Paradise for two fewer days. I truly don't understand the pricing that Carnival is throwing my way. 

 

I also booked a ten-day MSC Cruise out of PC for 1k while a Seven day on MG is again 2k with three fewer days. 

 

And Finally, I have booked an October Alaska sailing on Encore out of Seattle for just under $900. 

 

I still have my NYE Cruise on Vista booked and if I hadn't already paid that off I might have not kept it if these cruises on other lines go well. I also realize the grass isn't always greener on the other side but for the amount of money I am saving I will swallow whatever differences I might dislike compared to Carnival. 

4x what other cruise lines charge?  😱

[Honolulu Blue]

@WhaleTailFlCruiser:  I approve of your decision.  As one of my favorite philosophers once said, "I see nothing wrong spreadin' myself around".  

[LouChamp]

Aloha.  I have been blessed to cruise since 1971. I agree you should try other lines as they each have their own character. I have sailed all the major lines and am top tier on them. I balance ship, line and itinerary and enjoy the variety. Same with hotels and resorts.  While I certainly enjoy the frequent guest perks that does not factor into my decisions. Some lines and ships are more suited for certain parts of the world. Fun in the Caribbean, luxury in the Mediterranean for example. Please keep us posted. All the best!

[kdr69]

28 minutes ago, LouChamp said:

I have sailed all the major lines and am top tier on them.

There arent enough days left in my lifetime for me to get there short of a Powerball win so i can sail weekly lol.  Kudos to you.

[Rudyard]

Price was what got me to book with RC for my next cruise. I wanted an itinerary that included Roatan and Vista was $400 more for the same week. Prices were better on the next two I have booked, so I went back to Carnival. Booking with RC again after 11 years made me think more about trying other lines. With NCL and Princess sailing seasonally out of Galveston I may give them a look. I enjoyed the only NCL cruise I took a few years ago. If things work out we'll also have MSC here in a couple of years. 

[dolphinsfan246]

I read somewhere that MSC will match your loyalty status with other cruise lines. Does anybody know if that’s true? I definitely wouldn’t mind trying them after I turn platinum on Carnival this year. 

[JT1962]

1 hour ago, dolphinsfan246 said:

I read somewhere that MSC will match your loyalty status with other cruise lines. Does anybody know if that’s true? I definitely wouldn’t mind trying them after I turn platinum on Carnival this year. 

Yes, they match to other cruise line and many hotel programs. You only get one match, so make sure it’s your best option. You maintain your status as long as you cruise once every 3 years. 

 

Check the top of the MSC board here for a discussion / chart of the current matches. Note that it can vary as to which match you get and it may take more than one submission to get a reply (Customer Service / website is MSC’s weakest point).
 

Here is a link to to status match request website: 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/manage-booking/msc-voyagers-club/status-match

 

Edited July 8, 2023 by JT1962

[sparks1093]

I've always comparison shopped when it comes to cruising. We decide when we want to go and where, then we search at least the big three. Recently I compared Celebrity to Carnival and after factoring what was included in the Celebrity fare (drink package, gratuities and wifi) they came out hundreds less. Of course we get Cheers all of the time so this wouldn't necessarily work for someone who doesn't. We do love a lot about Carnival but this doesn't tie us down.

[P&PNH]

Read this thread and found the match program very interesting. So, I looked up MSC ships.  Looks like MSC goes for the floating city route with large capacity vessels. That killed my interest in MSC.  Like smaller ships with less people.  Different folks, different stokes.

[Homosassa]

2 minutes ago, P&PNH said:

Read this thread and found the match program very interesting. So, I looked up MSC ships.  Looks like MSC goes for the floating city route with large capacity vessels. That killed my interest in MSC.  Like smaller ships with less people.  Different folks, different stokes.

We also prefer smaller ships.

 

Try the MSC Armonia, Lirica or Opera. They are smaller ships and hold approximately 2,500 - 2600 passengers each.

 

Unfortunately, if you are looking for a US departure port, they are all sailing from either European or Middle East ports for the next year.

 

The Armonia has sailed from Miam and Tampa in years past. I am hoping she will come back over to the US in the future.

 

 

[firefly333]

We could almost also do a thread big vs smaller ships. I'm a big ship fan. Though I loved radiance earlier this year. I booked it twice and 1st time was a no show (broke my wrist and my mom died) but went the 2nd time. Rcl radiance class are beautiful ships.

 

When I cruised pre covid I didnt pay much attention to perks, but now I want to make pinnacle on rcl for the free wifi, though 6 free drinks, ck etc are attractive to me. When I compare to carnival I start to think I'm sure going to miss those 5 free drinks I now get a day and 2 days of wifi. 

 

I did 3 on carnival after restart. First 2 I had cheers included and just dont drink that much. Imo if carnival wants to charge so much to be fair carnival needs to up their perks. I was around 180 pts on carnival, 95 on rcl, 3 on ncl and 3 on princess, 1 celebrity. ..did the 3 on carnival. And was mad at myself because I paid regular pre covid prices, but rcl was offering double pts. I now would have pushed harder on the double pts on rcl. (And solo already gets a extra loyalty pt on rcl). Carnival used to but no longer treats solos well. I get it I'm not their target audience. 

 

I think perks are important. People who cruise carnival keep posting back to me perks dont matter to them. I will probably keep pushing points to hit pinnacle on rcl, then it doesnt matter once I hit the top tier. Already there with carnival. 

[n6uqqq]

1 hour ago, TreyB said:

We cruise exclusively out of the West Coast, usually Long Beach. We have a cruise booked on Panorama in October, then an Alaska cruise out of Seattle on the Spirit next August. Carnival is pulling Panorama out of Long Beach next year and replacing it with Firenze, and we have no desire to cruise on her. I’ve only cruised Carnival and MSC (did not like) so we may look at RCL or Princess out of Long Beach next fall. 
 

Anyone have experience on either of those lines out of the West Coast?

I think the Panorama departure is only for a dry dock across the Pacific in Sept. There are cruises out of LB through April 2025. I think the Firenze is more of a replacement for the Miracle. Looks like Radiance is doing more Hawaii type routes in the future.

[Joebucks]

I don't know if there is such a thing as the "best" of anything to book every time. When you shop around, you're going to find differences. I just compared Carnival and Royal through the rest of the year out of Tampa, I am definitely not seeing a clear price advantage of booking through Royal. However, if you are dead set on a particular week, in a particular (small) market, chances are prices may fluctuate.

[firefly333]

1 minute ago, Joebucks said:

I don't know if there is such a thing as the "best" of anything to book every time. When you shop around, you're going to find differences. I just compared Carnival and Royal through the rest of the year out of Tampa, I am definitely not seeing a clear price advantage of booking through Royal. However, if you are dead set on a particular week, in a particular (small) market, chances are prices may fluctuate.

Which is why I said perks matter. Carnival prices dont change as you get to higher loyalty and my experience with carnival group prices is not the prices were good deals. I used to travel with a group who only did carnival. 

 

Then during covid I discovered rcl group prices. Not only cheaper to lots cheaper, the deposits are refundable.  I wouldnt book so far out except every single rcl cruise my deposit is refundable. Plus with group rates I get my D+ and solo discounts. If you are just comparing booking directly this huge price difference isnt obvious. Wonder is ridiculously high $$ but the group rate was around $1k off the published rate. Plus I get more obc from rcl. 

 

My b2b on allure in sept is the last of the under $100 a day though .. I'm at $666 and $659 I think, allure, inside balcony, includes fees and taxes. I havent been able to book carnival under $100 a day total since pre covid. For comparison .. my b3b on harmony nov and dec 2024 in my signature around $850ish per week. About $400 less than jubilee in a inside, same port.

 

If there is a way to get carnival for less than published I'd sure like to know it. Rcl lots of tas have access to these refundable group rates .. I cant find a way with carnival to bring down the published price. I keep hearing carnival is cheaper from folks just looking at prices on websites. What is the secret. Do people have TAs who have cheaper carnival prices? What is the secret to finding these lower carnival prices? I'm with the op and feel I'm subsidising the gamblers.

[kona_wahine]

We have a group going to Alaska next year and ended up with NCL. When you added in the free drinks at sea it was quite a bit less than the carnival ships. 

[havanadaydreaming]

We have $1000 ofnext cruise credit on ncl and cant find sailing to use it. 

 

CCL has been far and away the best value since pandemic.  

[FastShip24]

Cruises are what you make them.  They are all more similar than different. I've enjoyed new ships and old ones.  Find the best bang for your buck.  At the end of the day, you are still cruising

[Illbcruzn4life]

2 hours ago, kona_wahine said:

We have a group going to Alaska next year and ended up with NCL. When you added in the free drinks at sea it was quite a bit less than the carnival ships. 

final price is what counts but curious how much the free drinks cost?

[tootsiescurly]

6 hours ago, TreyB said:

We cruise exclusively out of the West Coast, usually Long Beach. We have a cruise booked on Panorama in October, then an Alaska cruise out of Seattle on the Spirit next August. Carnival is pulling Panorama out of Long Beach next year and replacing it with Firenze, and we have no desire to cruise on her. I’ve only cruised Carnival and MSC (did not like) so we may look at RCL or Princess out of Long Beach next fall. 
 

Anyone have experience on either of those lines out of the West Coast?

We have cruised Princess several times out of San Pedro. Cruises were great, as was the service and cuisine.

[WhaleTailFlCruiser]

4 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Which is why I said perks matter. Carnival prices dont change as you get to higher loyalty and my experience with carnival group prices is not the prices were good deals. I used to travel with a group who only did carnival. 

 

Then during covid I discovered rcl group prices. Not only cheaper to lots cheaper, the deposits are refundable.  I wouldnt book so far out except every single rcl cruise my deposit is refundable. Plus with group rates I get my D+ and solo discounts. If you are just comparing booking directly this huge price difference isnt obvious. Wonder is ridiculously high $$ but the group rate was around $1k off the published rate. Plus I get more obc from rcl. 

 

My b2b on allure in sept is the last of the under $100 a day though .. I'm at $666 and $659 I think, allure, inside balcony, includes fees and taxes. I havent been able to book carnival under $100 a day total since pre covid. For comparison .. my b3b on harmony nov and dec 2024 in my signature around $850ish per week. About $400 less than jubilee in a inside, same port.

 

If there is a way to get carnival for less than published I'd sure like to know it. Rcl lots of tas have access to these refundable group rates .. I cant find a way with carnival to bring down the published price. I keep hearing carnival is cheaper from folks just looking at prices on websites. What is the secret. Do people have TAs who have cheaper carnival prices? What is the secret to finding these lower carnival prices? I'm with the op and feel I'm subsidising the gamblers.

 

I made Plat on Carnival, Perks don't really get any better from here in all honesty. 

[Drew B 58]

As someone who benefits from the casino deals (typically “free” cabins and DOU in the casino), it doesn’t make a lot of sense for me to sail with anyone other than Carnival.  However, if I WAS able to get a better deal, I wouldn’t hesitate to do it!

[Haljo1935]

3 hours ago, tootsiescurly said:

We have cruised Princess several times out of San Pedro. Cruises were great, as was the service and cuisine.

@Trey bI've done Princess out of San Pedro Mexican Riviera, pre Covid.

Enjoyed it, don't remember any issues embarking, disembarking or on the ship other than a Norovirus outbreak that they handled very well.

Edited July 9, 2023 by Haljo1935