What makes crusing with Carnival so great?

[disneypinman]

My family and I have only ever crusied with DCL. With that said we have high expectations when it comes to our sailing with any other cruise line.

 

We are considering a 7 day sailing in August with Carnival (out of Miami).

 

Would some of you that have sailed with Carnival could you please share some of the "finer" points of sailing with Carnival that we might find better/different than our experiences with DCL?

 

We are a family of 3. Wife and I are 47 and we have a 15 yr. old daughter.

 

My family really wants me to book with DCL again but I would like to see what the experience is like with another cruise line.

[beachbrat]

The price makes Carnival great.

 

All of my cruisemates onboard Carnival have been unpretentious which makes it great.

[cruise_pirate]

Price of course and Carnival has more choices of boats, ports, destinations also Carnival has a casino which I belive Disney does not:p

[habby]

I agree with beachbrat. We have chosen Carnival for the price and because we have cruised with people just like us. I have never gotten the impression from a fellow cruiser that they thought they were better than us, and I have never looked at anyone on our cruises and thought they did not belong.

 

Have never sailed anything but Carnival. There will be plenty for your 15yo DD to do.

[berryberry]

Would some of you that have sailed with Carnival could you please share some of the "finer" points of sailing with Carnival that we might find better/different than our experiences with DCL?

 

 

What is it you like / dislike about DCL? I can better answer your question knowing that and what is most important to you to give you an accurate comparison. BTW - wife and I are in your age range and our daughter is 12

 

I just posted this review of our first Carnival cruise:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=323399

 

We have also been on DCL, HAL, NCL and the Big Red Boat (long ago). Hands down, DCL is our favorite - but they are also the most expensive. All lines have their good and bad points - you just need to determine what is most important for you in choosing

[caribbean dreams]

I agree with beachbrat. We have chosen Carnival for the price and because we have cruised with people just like us. I have never gotten the impression from a fellow cruiser that they thought they were better than us, and I have never looked at anyone on our cruises and thought they did not belong.

 

Have never sailed anything but Carnival. There will be plenty for your 15yo DD to do.

 

i couldn't have said it better!

[disneypinman]

Berryberry,

 

We love almost everything about DCL but the price (main reason that we are choosing Carnival). My wife also loves to play the slots at the casino (I play a fair game of blackjack as well) so we both would appreciate the on-board casino. On DCL we love Castaway Cay and the very attentive service we received from the crew! We really could want for nothing.

 

I am looking for the "not-so obvious" aspects to crusinng with Carnival...things that someone that has sailed with Carnival and DCL might be able to point out.

 

So far you have all pointed out the things that we are expecting from sailing with Carnival (thank you all for your insight).

 

We also have a 15 yr old Daughter that is moaning already that she will be bored for the entire voyage (other than the stops at the various locations). I am hoping she will find some activities to keep her very busy.

[CRUISEMAMMA]

EVERYTHING!:)

[crazidude1400]

Price, and overall value.

 

I feel Carnival lacks however in choice of ships, and itinerary. Itineary, for the winter months however are limited, so there is nothing I can do there... I just wish they didn't have classes of ships, and they had 21 different ships.

[GottaLuvCruising]

The fun, light-hearted, casual atmosphere. We cruise to get away from life's pressure and we aren't out to impress anyone...we enjoy cruising with people who feel the same way.

 

I'd prefer that you dress to a reasonable degree of modesty, but otherwise don't give a rat's a** what you wear. I'm so weary of people (on this board) who have nothing better to do than moan and groan about how what other people wear (or don't wear) affects their cruise.

[LHP]

hence why they are so much more expensive.

 

However:

 

I would suggest you sail on a Carnival cruise that goes to Coco Cay - I believe that is the name (the private Princess island that Carnival now uses because Carnival owns Princess).

 

At the age of 15, your daughter will be with the Teens (15-17) and they have a good time. However, if she has already decided she will be bored (or will constantly be comparing it to the much more expensive Disney) you need to stay with Disney.

 

We are a family of four. I am 51, hubby is 45 and 2 sons 17 and 14. We have 13 Carnival cruises under our belts on 12 different ships and have never been disappointed. We have stayed at many 5 star resorts, so yes, we do know the difference...but there isn't anything about cruising that Carnival doesn't take care of as far as we are concerned. I love karaoke and I get to sing every night in a smoke free, safe environment with folks that are there to have a good time. period.

 

I will warn you that the casinos will be smoke filled. That is probably the smokiest place on the entire ship. Carnival does not have a non- smoking section of the casino like some other cruise lines. If that will be a problem for you, I just wanted you to be forewarned.

 

As with everyone I talk to, I want to be as honest as possible so that individuals can make an informed decision. Every cruiseline offers a different product and the key is to match the product to the person's needs. Money (IMHO) has nothing to do with it. Because if you don't have a good time (ie matched properly) it doesn't matter how cheap the cruise was!

[Ehpride]

I would suggest you sail on a Carnival cruise that goes to Coco Cay - I believe that is the name (the private Princess island that Carnival now uses because Carnival owns Princess).

 

Coco Cay is RCCL's private island. Do any Carnival ships go to a private island?

[CruiseFever]

They're the Funships and thats way more than some slogan?...yeah, I think that's it.

[dznymom]

Okay, I expect to take a beating for this, but if you guys really like DCL, you might want to consider Royal Caribbean's Radiance Class, especially one that stops at Coco Cay. I love DCL, but we wanted to try some new itineraries and decided to try out some other lines. I love Private Islands (Castaway Cay is probably the best ever) and I don't think Carnival has any newer ships that offer one. If you love the way Disney's ships look, and the type of service they provide, Radiance class is very similar. Carnival offers a great product, but I think the other guys compare more favorably to DCL.

 

Oh, and my kids grew up cruising, and they always have a blast on any ship, so don't worry about your daughter keeping busy as long as she likes to make new friends. Royal Caribbean also has a curfew for kids, which I like very much.

[TennisLover]

Your daughter should know that, even though there are planned activities for her age group, there are LOTS of teens around and I'm sure they are not all going to organized activities. I've been on four Carnival cruises (all over school vacations) and there are always lots of kids/teens of every age.

 

If she wants to meet other teens, it will be no problem. If she decides she doesn't want to meet anyone, she won't.

 

My daughter (13 on this year's cruise) was with her friend at bingo all the time, hung out at the pool and arcade and liked the shows.

[Wennfred]

My family and I have only ever crusied with DCL. With that said we have high expectations when it comes to our sailing with any other cruise line.

 

We are considering a 7 day sailing in August with Carnival (out of Miami).

 

Would some of you that have sailed with Carnival could you please share some of the "finer" points of sailing with Carnival that we might find better/different than our experiences with DCL?

 

We are a family of 3. Wife and I are 47 and we have a 15 yr. old daughter.

 

My family really wants me to book with DCL again but I would like to see what the experience is like with another cruise line.

 

Surely alot less kids onboard then on DCL. They have a great program for Teens on Carnival, and the food and ports are great.

[Kudos2Fly]

Price and being laid back is good for us. Service on Carnival is good. But if you are looking for QE2 service on a Carnival price you may get a surprise.

 

I never have been on DCL. But did checked out the prices and thought it was to exspensive.

 

We just got back from Destiny and we loved it. I'm thinking of going on Freedom next!!! Just checked out prices and so far they are a winner for me.. But will see how we like Royal Caribbean in Dec.

 

I'm sure your daughter will have fun either way.

 

Kim

[beachbrat]

Coco Cay is RCCL's private island. Do any Carnival ships go to a private island?

 

 

I believe when we cruised on the Pride, we stopped at Half Moon Cay....it was simply beautiful.

 

My then 15 year old daughter had the time of her life with all of her new friends.

[gfsmith]

My family and I have only ever crusied with DCL. With that said we have high expectations when it comes to our sailing with any other cruise line.

 

We are considering a 7 day sailing in August with Carnival (out of Miami).

 

Would some of you that have sailed with Carnival could you please share some of the "finer" points of sailing with Carnival that we might find better/different than our experiences with DCL?

 

We are a family of 3. Wife and I are 47 and we have a 15 yr. old daughter.

 

My family really wants me to book with DCL again but I would like to see what the experience is like with another cruise line.

 

 

Our first cruise was with DCL and we had a fantastic time. Besides the obvious (the price) we enjoyed the carnival cruise better because the get more adult involvment in thier activities and thats what we like to participate in. The only thing we missed was the childrens activities are not up to par with Disney, but our children are older now and like more freedom so we don't use the kids programs like we used to.

 

Allthough we loved the Disney thing we would never travel again with them because frankly there was just to much time with nothing going on.

 

here are some comparisons (from my experience)

 

Cost... Carnival's better

 

food... Disney's better

 

Activities... Carnival's better

 

Casino... Carnival better , disney has none

 

Rooms... Carnival's better and bigger

 

Service... they both offer great service

 

Passengers... Carnival better in my opinion. Disney is very family orrientated with little to no night activity. Thats not a bad thing just not for us.

 

Carnival was much more layed back and relaxing for us. We have made alot of really good friends over the years. I am a huge Carnival fan, and probably will never go with Disney again. These are just my opinions hope it helps!

 

Becca

[pppiglet]

One thing I noticed...if your daughter likes video games and things, the game room on the CArnival Pride cruise we went on was lots bigger then the one on DCL.

 

Our room was the exact same size on each ship. (deck 7, midship, w/balcony)

 

We have a 21yr old son that went with us on DCL and we all had a great time. Me and DH went on Valentines by ourselves with Carnival and had a great time. I myself preferred the Carnival Pride cruise. We went to Mex Riviera on both cruises. Our next trip is DCL's western so we will get to their private island and maybe that would make a difference.

[berryberry]

Berryberry,

 

We love almost everything about DCL but the price (main reason that we are choosing Carnival). My wife also loves to play the slots at the casino (I play a fair game of blackjack as well) so we both would appreciate the on-board casino. On DCL we love Castaway Cay and the very attentive service we received from the crew! We really could want for nothing.

 

I am looking for the "not-so obvious" aspects to crusinng with Carnival...things that someone that has sailed with Carnival and DCL might be able to point out.

 

So far you have all pointed out the things that we are expecting from sailing with Carnival (thank you all for your insight).

 

We also have a 15 yr old Daughter that is moaning already that she will be bored for the entire voyage (other than the stops at the various locations). I am hoping she will find some activities to keep her very busy.

 

Disneypinman - ok, with that background plus your handle (I assume you are Disney fans in general) here are my thoughts.

 

If price were equal, Carnival would not come close to comparing to Disney. That said, Carnival is much less expensive which is a positive and the high cost of DCL is why we have tried HAL, NCL and Carnival.

 

IMO, service on Disney can't be beat - they were the best all around of any line we have sailed on.

 

And you mentioned the private island. If this is important to you, see if any of the Carnival ships go to HAL's private island, Half Moon Cay. I know a few used to. While not as nice as Castaway Cay, HAL's private Island is pretty nice. The biggest drawback to it is you have to tender in and sometimes weather can be a factor on whether the ship can do this

 

I think the food overall is comparable - except for Palo's on DCL which is top notch and better than other alternative high end dining we have tried on various ships, including Carnival

 

With Carnival - you will be at the same dining location the whole week - unless you choose to eat at the Lido in the evening - whereas as you know, DCL rotates among several locations

 

Our daughter has enjoyed herself on any of the ships we have been on and made friends on each. On DCL, there are obviously going to be more kids, and for younger kids, their program is superior. But since your daughter is 15, that may not be an issue as I think the older they get, the more they just want to hang out with their crowd and make their own fun. I would say that if I had to compare childrens activities among all the lines we have been on, DCL would be first followed by Carnival second.

 

On the plus side, depending on the ship, you may find more adult late evening activities on Carnival than on DCL and it probably will be a late night crowd.

 

on the negative side, Carnival's daytime activities pale in comparison to DCL

 

In terms of general atmosphere, DCL is obviously family oriented whereas Carnival is more adult focused (for instance, the running joke from the CD all week was about Willy Bangher - and how mary rode the CD during his bedtime story) - but with teenagers, this likely is not an issue

 

Carnival is definitely way more laid back in terms of dress than any cruise I have been on (not saying thats a bad thing - personally I really don't like getting dressed up - but for some folks, this is important to them)

 

Room sizes are basically the same - actually we have had bigger, better laid out rooms on HAL than any of the others

 

Finally, the ship will obviously play a big part in it - Carnival has many vessels - so your cruise will be impacted by the ship you choose. We sailed on the Liberty, their newest which is less than a year old and found it to be very nice. How older Carnival ships would stack up, I am not sure

 

hope this helps - good luck with your choice

[GoinCruisin]

With Carnival - you will be at the same dining location the whole week - unless you choose to eat at the Lido in the evening - whereas as you know, DCL rotates among several locations

 

Berry, not necessarily... on the Spirit and Conquest class ships, you have the Supper Clubs, which are $30pp, but WELL worth every penny and then some!!!!. Plus fish and chips, sushi bar, etc. There are plenty of options on the newer ships... Just wanted to point that out since some may not be aware that there are other options beside the dining room and lido deck.

[VentureMan_2000]

I take a different perspective regarding the OP's question... what is there not to like about cruising with Carnival...?

[GoodAsGold]

With a 15 year old daughter who might be bored, have you considered trying the HUGE Royal Caribbean Voyager class ships? I wish they had one out here in the West. I would sail on one in a heartbeat if the price was decent. I hear for kids and teens and even the parents, they can't be beat for activity. A skating rink, climbing wall, casino, Johnny Rockets, etc. I would love to try one just for all of those things.

 

 

Berryberry,

 

We love almost everything about DCL but the price (main reason that we are choosing Carnival). My wife also loves to play the slots at the casino (I play a fair game of blackjack as well) so we both would appreciate the on-board casino. On DCL we love Castaway Cay and the very attentive service we received from the crew! We really could want for nothing.

 

I am looking for the "not-so obvious" aspects to crusinng with Carnival...things that someone that has sailed with Carnival and DCL might be able to point out.

 

So far you have all pointed out the things that we are expecting from sailing with Carnival (thank you all for your insight).

 

We also have a 15 yr old Daughter that is moaning already that she will be bored for the entire voyage (other than the stops at the various locations). I am hoping she will find some activities to keep her very busy.

[GoodAsGold]

Now THIS I would like! What time is their curfew?

 

Royal Caribbean also has a curfew for kids, which I like very much.