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Cruise line coming to port of Baltimore...

micmacmissy

By micmacmissy,
in Celebrity Cruises

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cruzmaven

cruzmaven

Posted
Posted

Carnival gets a bad rap. If you stay away from their older ships and shorter itineraries its fine. Maybe not the same overall quality as X or HAL but very do-able. The Pride, which is the ship that will be in Baltimore is a beautiful ship (or at least it was when I sailed on her several years ago.)

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beamteam

beamteam

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I'm willing to give Carnival a try. Our travel agent says they have come along way. We live in Southern Maryland and our first Celebrity cruise was out of Norfolk. Also, took the Holland American Masdam out of Norfolk.

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madelinerose

madelinerose

Posted
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Our first cruise in October, 2004 was on the Miracle from Baltimore. We had a great time and never once saw a "falling down drunk whacked out of his/her mind".

 

Our 2006 RCI Grandeur cruise, IMO, was light years behind our experience on Carnival. Also, without a reservations-only restaurant, we had a choice of the inadequate diningroom or the Windjammer. Yes, the ship is 12 years old.

 

The one and only thing we disliked about Carnival was the dinner time "hoopla". Our waitstaff learned very quickly to get us our free decaf cappuccinos quickly, so we could bolt before the "festivities" began. Needless to say, we had dinner in the specialty restaurant 3 times and it was on par with some of the restaurants we've visited in NYC.

 

A deposit was made for the Equinox in 2010, however by then airfare to Ft. Lauderdale may be close to $1M! ;)

 

We have no specific cruiseline loyalty. If we ever find our "perfect fit", we may, although I doubt it, because we prefer to mix it up when it comes to any vacation, land or sea. ;)

 

 

We're about 15 minutes away too...Howard County...I don't think I'm the Carnival type though, so I doubt we'll try it, no matter how convenient it is. Oh well!
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madelinerose

madelinerose

Posted
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micmacmissy...

 

What I wanted to say and forgot. I don't know what your definition of the "Carnival type" is, but perhaps it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. After all, the rates are reasonable and with no airline expense and hassle, it's almost a no-brainer. No, I don't know if we'll sail the Pride, but there's always a possibility. We only sail every 2 years or so. I probably shouldn't even be a member here, but I've definitely done my research. :)

 

DH and I thought we were in for a "better" experience on RCI and found that our theories did a 180 very quickly. No, we didn't have a "bad" cruise. There is nothing on Carnival that even comes close to resembling Quest on RCI. As a matter of fact, I distinctly remember several nights where the ship was so quiet, the piano bar had closed at 10PM and the disco had an empty dance floor. Of course, this was in October, but we never vacation when school's out.

 

It's probably not fair to "compare" the Miracle with the Grandeur, but those are my experiences. DH was in the restaurant business for years and found the diningroom experience on the Grandeur totally unsatisfactory. There was another couple from Baltimore who had sailed the Galaxy from Baltimore and said they thought the cruise would be in the same genre - not. They booked another Celebrity cruise onboard.

 

We participate in fine dining on a regular basis, have symphony and show subscriptions, do charity events, etc. etc. etc., and had a good time on Carnival. Are we the "Carnival type"? I prefer not to pigeonhole myself. ;)

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CaroleSP

CaroleSP

Posted
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In 1999 we sailed on the Paradise in order to enjoy a smoke free ship. As we all agree, it is not Celebrity, but we decided that we would sail Carnival again if the conditions were right. MOving a ship to Baltimore may just tip the scales.

 

I am going to see what they are offering and we may just give it a shot. Sure hope they are longer cruises!

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mmp13

mmp13

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We really enjoyed our Carnival experience. while our # 1 Cruiseline is Celebrity, we will be looking into Carnival out of Maryland as it means we don't have to fly. Just as an aside, We would much rather sail carnival than HAL. and many think Hal is comparable to Celebrity.

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madelinerose

madelinerose

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I toyed with booking HAL on the Noordam or Eurodam, but for now I've changed my mind. We are booked on the Equinox, our first Celebrity ship.

 

Care to elaborate?

 

 

Just as an aside, We would much rather sail carnival than HAL. and many think Hal is comparable to Celebrity.
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mmp13

mmp13

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We sailed on the Noordam. We loved the cabins..Great beds etc. We felt the service was spotty at best. Really terrible in the restaurant. We had heard how great Hal service was so maybe we expected too much, but we found it lacking in all areas. food was just OK. Drinks were cheaper on Hal. the public rooms were pretty on HAL but very chopped up. Public spaces all seemed small or maybe it was just a poor use of space. Library was much better on HAl if you are into libraries and there was always a librairian on duty. We did not care for the entertainment on HAL and the casino was quite small. As an aside, Carnival actually offered the best varied entertainment. There seemed to be something for everyone on Carnival. Specialty reastaurant on Celebrity and Carnival way above Hal in both food and service. I would not say I would never sail on HAL again but it sure would not be at the top of my list.

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madelinerose

madelinerose

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Thanks, I've read many posts with very similar info.

 

We sailed on the Noordam. We loved the cabins..Great beds etc. We felt the service was spotty at best. Really terrible in the restaurant. We had heard how great Hal service was so maybe we expected too much, but we found it lacking in all areas. food was just OK. Drinks were cheaper on Hal. the public rooms were pretty on HAL but very chopped up. Public spaces all seemed small or maybe it was just a poor use of space. Library was much better on HAl if you are into libraries and there was always a librairian on duty. We did not care for the entertainment on HAL and the casino was quite small. As an aside, Carnival actually offered the best varied entertainment. There seemed to be something for everyone on Carnival. Specialty reastaurant on Celebrity and Carnival way above Hal in both food and service. I would not say I would never sail on HAL again but it sure would not be at the top of my list.
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johnjen

johnjen

Posted
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We loved our first cruise from Baltimore. We live just three hours south and we booked a hotel the night before.

 

Only thing to watch out for is "private" taxis, where we noticed one guy tried charging us over $50 to take the two of us back to the hotel, which was just minutes away, whereas a simple cab ride would've been $10.

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signman

signman

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[quote

 

Only thing to watch out for is "private" taxis, where we noticed one guy tried charging us over $50 to take the two of us back to the hotel, which was just minutes away, whereas a simple cab ride would've been $10.

 

Don't think this could happen at the new terminal. All taxis must use their meters, except for flat rate to airport.

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beamteam

beamteam

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We sailed on the Nordam in Febraury and it was the nicest ship I was ever on and we've been on quite a few. The beds were awesome the food was excellent. the lounges and entertainment were first rate. Have never had a bad experience with Holland America. Hope the Summitt can live up to the Nordam.

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micmacmissy

micmacmissy

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The one and only thing we disliked about Carnival was the dinner time "hoopla". Our waitstaff learned very quickly to get us our free decaf cappuccinos quickly, so we could bolt before the "festivities" began.

 

Okay...I have to know...what is the dinnertime hoopla on Carnival???

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madelinerose

madelinerose

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Not sure if it's still done, but someone (restaurant manager/maitre d'?) gets on a microphone and announces who won some contest on board and they play music and the waiters dance. Some people love it....not us. That's it, nothing earth shattering. ;)

 

Okay...I have to know...what is the dinnertime hoopla on Carnival???
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