I Don't Drink Alcohol, Will I Hate Carnival?

[Daruma]

Hiya, folks. 

 

I don't drink alcohol, and as I'm sure you all know, Carnival has a rep as a "Party Boat."

 

My concern is of course, can a none-drinker enjoy Carnival, or am I going to hate it because it's just a bunch of obnoxious, raucous partiers? 

 

I'm not casting aspersions on anyone, you do you Boo... it's just not an environment I'd personally enjoy. 

 

Thank you for any insight you can provide. 

[sparks1093]

I think you'll find a lot of people having a good time, with or without alcohol. It's easy enough to avoid raucous partying if one wishes to.

[sunkey1]

Carnival is not as bad as it used to be since they cracked down on young people traveling without someone at least 25 in the group. The worst offenders now are typically grown adults, but still not as bad as Carnival in past years. I've seen drunks on Carnival, NCL, Royal and Celebrity.

 

[sid_9169]

You'll hate it. May has well transfer your ticket to me...

[JimmyTheSaint]

You don't need to drink alcohol to enjoy a cruise. I'm Platinum level on the Carnival loyalty programme and I don't drink alcohol. If you tell us what you do like and why you're considering a Carnival cruise it will give us a better indication of whether you'd like it or not.

[Daruma]

5 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

You'll hate it. May has well transfer your ticket to me...

 

Haven't bought it yet, but when I do, I will 😂

[lasekeye]

We don’t drink either…preparing for our 10th Carnival cruise.  We also cruise with Celebrity & Royal Caribbean, we really don’t see much of a diff (we don’t hang out at the night club or the bars on the ships & are usually in our room by 11:30).

If you are really worried about any “rowdy party attitude”, don’t do short (3-4 day sailings).

Edited March 5 by lasekeye

[Daruma]

4 minutes ago, JimmyTheSaint said:

You don't need to drink alcohol to enjoy a cruise. I'm Platinum level on the Carnival loyalty programme and I don't drink alcohol. If you tell us what you do like and why you're considering a Carnival cruise it will give us a better indication of whether you'd like it or not.

 

Thank you. 

 

I'm not concerned about my ability to enjoy it per se... but moreso whether or not OTHERS, (raucous partiers), will negativity impact my enjoyment, or is it pretty easy to avoid them.

[Riles34]

The party cruises are the 3-4-5 day cruise from FL to the Bahamas and even those you can enjoy the cruise, just a younger crowd. You will be fine!! So many people are booze free on carnival ships. What ship are you looking at?

[ontheweb]

I hardly drink and DW does not drink at all. We have enjoyed our cruises on Carnival and several other cruise lines.

[Elaine5715]

Still haven't found the party... except for the actual, you know, published parties on the Hub.  

[Daruma]

19 minutes ago, Riles34 said:

The party cruises are the 3-4-5 day cruise from FL to the Bahamas and even those you can enjoy the cruise, just a younger crowd. You will be fine!! So many people are booze free on carnival ships. What ship are you looking at?

 

Thank you. 

 

I'm looking both at a September 2024 4 day cruise, hoping most college kids are in school hoping to cut down on that demographic, and get my feet wet as it were with cruising, and maybe a March/April 7 day cruise.

[BlerkOne]

15 minutes ago, Daruma said:

 

Thank you. 

 

I'm looking both at a September 2024 4 day cruise, hoping most college kids are in school hoping to cut down on that demographic, and get my feet wet as it were with cruising, and maybe a March/April 7 day cruise.

Might be aware of when Spring Break is.

 

Carnival does have a minimum age to book cabins.

[Daruma]

8 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Might be aware of when Spring Break is.

 

Carnival does have a minimum age to book cabins.

 

Thank you. 

 

Most Spring breaks are mid/end of March, (my son graduates this May... and his Spring Breaks have always been mid-March; this year Monday March 11 - Friday March 15), so hoping a late March into April should be safe. 

[abby1257]

1 hour ago, Daruma said:

Hiya, folks. 

 

I don't drink alcohol, and as I'm sure you all know, Carnival has a rep as a "Party Boat."

 

My concern is of course, can a none-drinker enjoy Carnival, or am I going to hate it because it's just a bunch of obnoxious, raucous partiers? 

 

I'm not casting aspersions on anyone, you do you Boo... it's just not an environment I'd personally enjoy. 

 

Thank you for any insight you can provide. 

My brother quite drinking 15 years ago....and he has cruised 15 times on carnival since.  He has a great time......and he is a recovering alcoholic...Just avoid obnoxious drunks...

Edited March 5 by abby1257

[MisterOJ2]

6 minutes ago, Daruma said:

 

Thank you. 

 

Most Spring breaks are mid/end of March, (my son graduates this May... and his Spring Breaks have always been mid-March; this year Monday March 11 - Friday March 15), so hoping a late March into April should be safe. 

 

That time of year is usually spring break for kids in elementary/high school. So if you cruise then, you're going to see a lot more families on board.

[jsglow]

You'll have a fantastic time. And a lower Sign & Sail bill than most. Enjoy.

[nancy1031]

i'm not a big drinker- might have 1-2  drinks during the course of a 7 day cruise- i always have a good time even when i travel solo- have been cruising since 1982- mostly on Carnival- haven't seen many drunks either- i prefer 7 day cruises with 3-4 ports-  

[Daruma]

3 minutes ago, MisterOJ2 said:

 

That time of year is usually spring break for kids in elementary/high school. So if you cruise then, you're going to see a lot more families on board.

 

 

Oohh... hadn't thought about under age Spring Breakers... whike they, (likely, lol), won't be drinking... having a bagillion kids running around could be annoying.

 

Thank you for pointing that out. 

[kctwinmommy]

13 minutes ago, Daruma said:

 

Thank you. 

 

Most Spring breaks are mid/end of March, (my son graduates this May... and his Spring Breaks have always been mid-March; this year Monday March 11 - Friday March 15), so hoping a late March into April should be safe. 

Not around here, a lot of them are in April. A lot of schools don't always go based on Easter these days, like we did when we were kids. When we went on our son's senior year spring break 2 years ago, it was in the middle of April.

 

As far as your question, I don't drink hardly ever and I do just fine. I don't go sit on the deck when they do the big parties, or really hang out in the bars much. But my husband likes a bourbon or something, so sometimes we will. But it hasn't been a big deal.

[Daruma]

6 minutes ago, MisterOJ2 said:

 

That time of year is usually spring break for kids in elementary/high school. So if you cruise then, you're going to see a lot more families on board.

 

The 7 day cruise on which I've put a reservation hold is March 2, 2025... looking up Spring Breaks for Elementary and High School in my area, they are usually the end/last week of March... seems to be the week after college Spring Breaks... so March 2 appears to be safe, lol. 

[sparks1093]

3 minutes ago, Daruma said:

 

The 7 day cruise on which I've put a reservation hold is March 2, 2025... looking up Spring Breaks for Elementary and High School in my area, they are usually the end/last week of March... seems to be the week after college Spring Breaks... so March 2 appears to be safe, lol. 

It may be and a 7 day cruise is less likely to attract many spring breakers but remember, colleges across the country do spring break. 

[Daruma]

6 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

It may be and a 7 day cruise is less likely to attract many spring breakers but remember, colleges across the country do spring break. 

 

Guess I'll have to run for, and win, the Presidency and abolish all Spring Breaks 😂🤣

[Kanyon71]

I would say as long as you aren't doing the really short cruises you'll be just fine. They tend to be the ones in the past that have received that reputation and from what I've heard and seen other lines have the same issue on those length trips.

 

Honestly though I've done a couple 3 & 4 day cruises and never had any issues or seen anything that I haven't seen in every other walk of life. End of the day I'm a firm believer in these trips are all what you choose to make of them. Go in happy and you will enjoy yourself, go in looking for issues and you will find them.

[MistyRo76]

48 minutes ago, Daruma said:

 

Thank you. 

 

Most Spring breaks are mid/end of March, (my son graduates this May... and his Spring Breaks have always been mid-March; this year Monday March 11 - Friday March 15), so hoping a late March into April should be safe. 

Primary school spring break is definitely later than college spring break. This year my daughter's spring break is the week of April 15th!  I would look at booking late April or into May to have lower pricing and less kids around. Also, weather in the Caribbean that time of year is just ideal to me!