Are the brand new (fancy?) ships really worth the extra money?

[Palm_trees]

On a recent cruise, our ship was parked right next to a older Carnival ship built in the early 1990s. It looked fine to me and the people seemed to be having a nice time. I looked it up and determined I could have gone on that ship for about one half the cost of the newer (and fancier?) boat we were on. The length of the cruise was the same and the ports of call nearly identical. Because we were in an interior cabin, it did not seem like our rooms would be all that different.

 

Are the newer ships really all that much nicer to make it worth twice as much?

[silentbob007]

It really depends on what you cruise for ... the ship, the itinerary, or both. You also have to examine what your favorite thing to do on board is. If it is drink, gamble, and eat ... then you can do that on almost any ship. If you want to a a pint at the pub while watching people walk through the mall ... well, that would be a specific set of ships. It is also worth noting that when you cruise the "cheapest" cruise, you are cruising with others who are also cruising the cheapest ... sometimes that makes a difference, and sometimes not.

 

For what it's worth, I think that Carnival puts out a great product for the price, but I know it is not for everyone (thought it is sure trying to be).

[RetireeWannabee]

As pp said, depends on what you're there for.

 

We don't care about bowling alleys, flow riders, golf simulators, ice skating, speciality restaurants, etc., but some people care A LOT about these things.

 

For us it's about the itinerary so age of ship matters little to us.

 

Determine your priorities and find the cruise that fits best.

[Spikesgirl]

As with Retiree, our cruising is all about the itineraries, not climbing rock walls or all the other stuff. We decide where we want to go and then check out the ships making the journey. Then we talk to our TA about the cruise and see what she can do for us - we don't expect to pay bottom dollar or begrudge the money spent along the way - we book a nice cabin and look at the money spent on the cruise as an investment to our memories.

 

We don't need to be on the biggest and/or the newest. We don't care when the ship went into dry dock last, we don't worry about missing ports , paying deviation fees or paying fuel surcharges. That's just part of cruising for us.

 

Charlie

[sea_u_onboard]

I don't care about the fluff. If I want to ice skate or go wake baording I'll do that at home. I hope Carnival doesn't get carried away with their ships and make the prices go up. We enjoy the pricing we get with Carnival under the military dsicount program.

[raytownlady]

While all of the extra amenties are nice, they are only worth the extra cost if you are going to use them.

[JoshGrrrr]

As pp said, depends on what you're there for.

 

We don't care about bowling alleys, flow riders, golf simulators, ice skating, speciality restaurants, etc., but some people care A LOT about these things.

 

For us it's about the itinerary so age of ship matters little to us.

 

Determine your priorities and find the cruise that fits best.

 

In my experience, the new popular additions like that are always to crowded to enjoy anyway. I never let that sway me when deciding what cruise to take. At this point, I'm more into itinerary and trying different lines/ships. So far, Costa is my favorite but I'm definately going to try others. The age of the ship matters only a little. I went on a cruise on the Holiday a few years back and it was pretty bad. The ship looked old and worn out, it had a bad smell in many places, and there were horrible noises all throughout the night coming from below us.

[cruiserbryce]

different people look for different things in a cruise ship. We went on Liberty of the seas and loved that there was so much to do and see...the rate was a little higher b/c it was the Maiden Voyage, but overall you can get a cruise on a new or old ship for rates that are quite comparable...

[Go-Bucks!]

One of the reasons that I'm glad there are so many different types of cruiselines and ships is that there's something for everybody.

 

Lots of people love the "all-inclusive" ships that include gratuities, alcohol, soft drinks, and specialty dining into the basic cruise price. But I prefer not having it included because I don't drink alcohol or soft drinks; might want to try a specialty dining room just once; and prefer to leave my own tips (according to service). That way I don't have to pay for others to get the things that I won't use.

 

I usually look for itinerary first, but am also trying to sail on different cruiselines so I can get an idea of which I like best.

[chasetf]

On a recent cruise, our ship was parked right next to a older Carnival ship built in the early 1990s. It looked fine to me and the people seemed to be having a nice time. I looked it up and determined I could have gone on that ship for about one half the cost of the newer (and fancier?) boat we were on. The length of the cruise was the same and the ports of call nearly identical. Because we were in an interior cabin, it did not seem like our rooms would be all that different.

 

Are the newer ships really all that much nicer to make it worth twice as much?

People tend to want to sail a newer ship so given a higher demand you would expect a higher price. But 2 -to- 1 seems excessive. The lines we sail you might find a 10-20% difference given same line, same itinerary, and same time of the year.

 

If you were comparing what you paid during a top season verses what the Carnival (which is usually the cheapest) off season, then you could get a 2 -for - 1 difference.

[momofmeg]

While all of the extra amenties are nice, they are only worth the extra cost if you are going to use them.

 

Exactly and I did not use them! and so it was a waste of money to me. I was all excited about seeing an iceshow on ship-until I saw one and realized it was nothing like seeing one in Philip's arena in Atlanta-how could it be when it was only maybe one fourth of the size.

 

I figured out also- on a voyager class ship I only get an inside stateroom for the price of a balcony on Princess or an oceanview on Celebrity and I like those two lines MUCH better!

[BruceMuzz]

Are the brand new (fancy?) ships really worth the extra money?

 

Are the brand new (fancy?) autos really worth the extra money?

 

Are the brand new (fancy?) stereo systems really worth the extra money?

 

Are the brand new (fancy?) mobile telephones really worth the extra money?

 

Are the brand new (fancy?) flat screen TVs really worth the extra money?

 

Are the brand new (fancy?) computers really worth the extra money?

 

The simple answer to these questions - and many more similar ones - can come only from you. You ask a very subjective question. Answers from some one else - especially those you do now know - will not be very helpful.

[geoherb]

We went on the Emerald Princess for Christmas. It was brand new last spring. The year before, we were on the Sun Princess for Christmas. It was launched in 1995.

 

My questions when booking our last cruise was not so much about the age of the ship as about the size. The Emerald is huge. I think we had 3,200 passengers on our cruise. The Sun Princess is smaller, around 2,000 passengers.

 

Overall, our cruise on the Emerald Princess was better than our cruise on the Sun Princess--but it was more due to the staff and not about the size of newness of the ship.

[zqvol]

On a recent cruise, our ship was parked right next to a older Carnival ship built in the early 1990s. It looked fine to me and the people seemed to be having a nice time. I looked it up and determined I could have gone on that ship for about one half the cost of the newer (and fancier?) boat we were on. The length of the cruise was the same and the ports of call nearly identical. Because we were in an interior cabin, it did not seem like our rooms would be all that different.

 

Are the newer ships really all that much nicer to make it worth twice as much?

 

If you cruise for the ship, yes, if you cruise for the ports and excursions then no.

[firefly333]

Im not sure which ship on Carnival is that old, built in the early 1990s??? The Ecstasy I think was 1997 and the Spirit class is newer than that.

 

So you can get a much newer carnival ship for less a day, but most of the older ships only do 5 days or less. You would need to book a newer ship to do a 7 day cruise.

 

So, yes I do the older cheaper ships AND the newer ships because the 7 days or longer ships go to ports I want to also visit.

 

I was not aware Carnival had any ships still in service that old, just curious, which ship was it? The Holiday is one of the oldest and its coming out of service soon.

 

I do think the newer ships are a lot more expensive per day too!!!! Wish they were cheaper lol. hard to say if they are worth it or not.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

We are retirees and, no, we don't use the Flow Rider, but both think it is great fun to watch the antics there. We don't rock climb, but it is so much fun to watch kids climbing and are amazed that a tiny six year old girl can beat an older man up to the bell because she is so much more flexible and agile. We don't box or spar in the boxing ring, but do enjoy the most well equiped gyms at sea.

 

We have sailed on Freedom and Liberty of the Seas and are booked on Independence next Novemeber. I think one thing we like about those big ships is that the passengers tend to be livelier, more "get out there" sorts and they liven up the cruise.

 

When the behemoth Genesis luanches we will be on it too. Will it be worth the price? Not for everyone--not by a long shot. It just depends on your idea of fun, who you like to be around and what you want on a cruise.

[tkdtami]

Yes, all of our opinions are just that, opinions. You have to decide what you want out of a cruise.

 

I myself enjoy the larger newer ships, even though I have been on some smaller and older ones and had a great time. I use the gym, track, putt-putt and hubby LOVES the rock climbing wall. We enjoy having many places to hang out, people watch...the adult pool area, the crazy kid pool area is fun, too, and the larger ships give me a sense of freedom, not being so closed-in. The cabins are generally a little larger too. Not that I spend any time in them! lol

 

We are wanting to try Celebrity soon, but may do another RC cruise with my teenage son. I'm sure he will live at Johnny Rockets and the sports deck! (yeah, the pool, too)

[Kudos2Fly]

Like most people have said it depends on what you are looking for. When we do 4 or 5 day cruise we normally get the order ships. Thats because most of the older ships do those schedules..

 

But when doing a 7 day cruise now. I want a newer ship, so we can have a balcony with out it costing a lot... But as far as which cruise, we prefer Carnival for the price and they have every thing I would want.

 

I look at what I would use on a ship versus the price.. Most of the stuff on Royal Caribbean I wouldn't use. So I'm paying for stuff that I don't use.

 

My husband and I aren't boring people or dead headed.. But I looked one time at Royal Caribbean and Carnival and compared the prices for one the newer and bigger ships from both lines. And by going with Carnival I would save $400. On Carnival I wouldn't feel bad about not using stuff and waisting our money....