love rci and x -- how will we enjoy carnival?

[sanjay]

the title says it all, really...

 

we love rci and x - really enjoy the atmosphere on the ships (less rowdiness being the biggest attraction) along with great food & service.

 

my spouse and i are 30s, but don't enjoy the party scene at all - much prefer chatting on the deck with a cup of coffee or reading on the balcony.

 

the thing is - the carnival cruises are priced so ridiculously (inexpensive) - are 2 carnival cruises worth one X?

 

i have sailed carnival, just once, in 2002 - it wasnt really luxury that rci and x offer, but i realized things have probably changed over the last 5 years. really did not enjoy it - the food wasnt my style, service was okay, but certainly not luxurious, and the passengers were mostly teenagers -- loud, party atmosphere, etc. i respect that different things are for different people -- just being honest about my preferences here! :)

 

thoughts?

[If only]

the title says it all, really...

 

we love rci and x - really enjoy the atmosphere on the ships (less rowdiness being the biggest attraction) along with great food & service.

 

my spouse and i are 30s, but don't enjoy the party scene at all - much prefer chatting on the deck with a cup of coffee or reading on the balcony.

 

the thing is - the carnival cruises are priced so ridiculously (inexpensive) - are 2 carnival cruises worth one X?

 

i have sailed carnival, just once, in 2002 - it wasnt really luxury that rci and x offer, but i realized things have probably changed over the last 5 years. really did not enjoy it - the food wasnt my style, service was okay, but certainly not luxurious, and the passengers were mostly teenagers -- loud, party atmosphere, etc. i respect that different things are for different people -- just being honest about my preferences here! :)

 

thoughts?

If you love RCI & X then stcik with that, we went on Carnival last summer

& nothing has changed there always seems to be tons of people everywhere. The TV Screen is in your face 24/7. Now the cabin was fine, so was the balcony & the staff but if you really like the other 2 then save up for them.

[nps001]

I've actually heard great things about Carnival food lately. However, it isn't enough to persuade me to go back.

 

About your comment regarding price.....sometimes things that sound too good to be true, really are. We did an NCL cruise because the price was so ridiculously low. We probably should have saved our money for a down payment on an X cruise. It wasn't bad but we didn't enjoy it either.

[jelbssj]

If you like RCI and X, I would stay with them. You probably won't be happy on Carnival.

[KikiKruiser]

I agree with all the previous posts. And let's not overlook the difference in general ambiance/decor between Carnival and RCI/Celebrity. IMHO, the decor on the Carnival ships practically scream their themes in your face :eek: and are really over the top. I never found they lent themselves to a relaxing atmosphere. I also find the cabins are rather spartan, and my theory is that Carnival would rather have you out on the decks whooping it up, buying drinks, gambling, and spending $$. It's not for everybody, so I would suggest really thinking twice about your priorities in cruising. Not trying to be snobby or anything, but I always say that if you look around at your fellow passengers and they're not the people you would hang around with in "real life" then think twice about booking that cruise line again! :) Just my two cents...

[hubofhockey]

The newer Carnival ships are nice but are like Las Vegas hotels. There are the bright lights in the public areas. The food in the MDRs is good. Breakfast and lunch buffets leave much to be desired. Specialty restaurant is as good as it gets. All sea days activities are centered around one very large pool area (two pools, hot tubs, several decks) which is incredibly congested. The newer ships have the nice jumbotrons. Unfortunately, that means an obnoxious cruise director will be doing trivia or something else obnoxious on that big screen during the AM or PM "shows". Cabins are huge on Carnival. Balconys have good size too. Prices are low and kids clubs are great. Gym is nice. There is enough to do at nights as well. If you are going on vacation to get away from it all and get some peace and quiet, Carnival might not be the best choice. But you can have a lot of fun on Carnival and that line provides value.

[ECCruise]

the thing is - the carnival cruises are priced so ridiculously (inexpensive) - are 2 carnival cruises worth one X?

 

Not in a million years. We've done a dozen =X= (and leave a week from tomorrow for 30 days on Constellation) and 5 Carnival. Is there a difference? Sure. Is it worth double? Not a chance. Unless your are looking at a 3-5 day Carnival vs. a 10+ day =X=, the difference will not be as much as you might think. Plus, if you are considering a newer Carnival ship, that tilts the difference even further. If that is the case, go on Carnival, save a bundle and take another cruise.

[H2OH!]

The newer Carnival ships are nice but are like Las Vegas hotels. There are the bright lights in the public areas. The food in the MDRs is good. Breakfast and lunch buffets leave much to be desired. Specialty restaurant is as good as it gets. All sea days activities are centered around one very large pool area (two pools, hot tubs, several decks) which is incredibly congested. The newer ships have the nice jumbotrons. Unfortunately, that means an obnoxious cruise director will be doing trivia or something else obnoxious on that big screen during the AM or PM "shows". Cabins are huge on Carnival. Balconys have good size too. Prices are low and kids clubs are great. Gym is nice. There is enough to do at nights as well. If you are going on vacation to get away from it all and get some peace and quiet, Carnival might not be the best choice. But you can have a lot of fun on Carnival and that line provides value.

 

This sums it up! We have loved ALL of our cruises. Celebrity is #1 in our book. We have only been on one of Carnival's newer ships, Freedom, and the decor was gaudy, very Las Vegas...More Tropicana Las Vegas than Mandalay Bay. The pizza on carnival is the best we have had at Sea...no joke.

 

If you want to be pampered, stick with X.

[drfun48]

If you like RCI and X, I would stay with them. You probably won't be happy on Carnival.

Who knows?

 

While I enjoy Lobster or Filet Mignon ,sometimes having a "dirty water hot dog" from a roadside pushcart is fun, too.

I enjoy a luxury hotel,but it's fun to rough it and go camping.

Carnival is 'different' but it depends on your mindset.

[South Palm Cruiser]

After 15 RCI & X cruises, we tried the Carnival Liberty, with much apprehension, I might add. We have all heard bad things about Carnival from various loyalists, most of which have never even set foot on a CCL ship. The timing and the price was right, so with fingers crossed, we gave it a shot. It was awesome, based on our priorities, and everyone's are different - our's are: cabin, cleanliness, and food. Cabin was spacious, ship was immaculate, food the best we ever had on a ship - whether it was buffet, MDR, or specialty. Sure, there was noise at the pool, etc. Retreated to our balcony with a book and a glass of wine - now that's what I'm talkin' about !!!

[Bridge Maven]

Carnival, RCCL, and Celebrity are mass market cruise lines, but Celebrity is more formal than the other cruise lines in its category.

 

If you love the formality of Celebrity, you will probably be disappointed with Carnival.

 

If you love good food, without the formality, and enjoy sailing with nice people in an energetic ambiance, you will love Carnival.

[teajak]

If you like RCI and X, I would stay with them. You probably won't be happy on Carnival.

My sentiments exactly!!!!!!

[Bev]

Hi

 

DH Peter and I have cruised many times with Celebrity and Royal Caribbean – we enjoy their cruises very much. In April 2007 we sailed on the Carnival Freedom on a Cruise Critic cruise, a couple of months after its maiden voyage. During our cruises we email friends and family our thoughts about what we’re seeing and doing. Here’s what we wrote about the cruise:

 

The Carnival Freedom is a large ship - 110,000 tons, 3000 or so passengers. Since this was our fist time cruising with Carnival, we weren’t sure what to expect. We have been pleasantly surprised with several aspects of the cruise.

 

First, our cabin. We booked a basic ocean view cabin, no balcony. Carnival cabins offer a generous 210 sq. ft, or 20-30 sq. ft more than most other lines. We chose not to take the balcony because the area for the balcony is subtracted from the cabin space, not added to it. Not having the balcony gives us more room. The layout is good too in that, you’re not always getting in the other person’s way as you move about the room. Final note, the beds were comfortable too.

 

Second, the dining room. Monica and Karem, our dining room serving team, far exceeded our expectations. They know their jobs well and offer relaxed service as a result. They absolutely blew us away early in the cruise- we had asked them to bring a platter of vegetables for everyone at the table to enjoy. Now we were thinking of something small, not much larger than a dinner plate. Karem showed up with a platter two feet long filled with steamed carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, beans, peas, zucchini and asparagus. There was enough both for our table of eight and for us to share with our friends at the next table of eight! And he brought the same platter every night!

 

The dining room service wasn’t the only thing that exceeded our expectations. The variety of dishes offered and the quality of food was extremely good. Every dinner would feature 6 or 7 starters ranging from fruit cocktail to hot and cold soups and seafood appetizers such as Baked Oysters Rockefeller. There were always a couple of salads with more than just lettuce. Then there were 6 or 7 entrees to choose from - usually a fish and another seafood dish, a fowl, a beef dish, another meat dish and one or two pasta dishes. One night the choices were Fillet of Perch, Soft Shell Crab, Duck a l’orange, Pork Chops, Rib Eye Steak and Lentil Timbale.

 

The best part, of course, is dessert. Carnival has some chocolate desserts that would make you swoon. One in particular, the Warm Chocolate Melting Cake, is to die for. It’s a warm pudding cake that is presented in a small round ramekin, and when you dip your spoon into it, you get a combination of chocolate cake and the sweetest, richest, most chocolaty sauce ever. It is so rich and so yummy. We haven’t been able to resist it - we had it several times, especially if the other dessert choices didn’t look like they would be as sinful.

 

Third, Carnival far exceeded our expectations with the shows produced by its on board singers and dancers. Two shows, ‘A Ticket to Ride’ (a tribute to the Beatles) and ‘The Big Easy’ (a tribute to New Orleans) were nothing short of spectacular and probably the best cruise production shows we’ve ever seen.

 

Another feature that has come in handy are self-serve laundries throughout the ship. Lucky for us, there’s one just down the hall from our cabin. Knowing we’d be able to do laundry allowed us to cut back on the amount of stuff we brought with us.

 

We’ve managed to find our way around - a little tricky at times because only deck 5 goes all the way from bow to stern . We’ve found that it seems to take a long time to get anywhere. We haven’t had too many problems with crowds although there have been a couple of times where the Lido Buffet area was busier than a shopping mall in December, so we started eating more meals in the sit-down dining room. As big as the ship is, there seem to be far more bars than places to get together with friends, or to go read a book.

 

Deck 5 has a promenade featuring a number of sofas, but it’s dimly lit even in daytime and it’s not welcoming in appearance. Many in our group felt the ship was not home-y. We’ve decided that our preference is for ships somewhat smaller with 1500-2000 passengers. We know we may have to re-think that at some point because all cruise lines are introducing ever-larger ships, but hopefully that’s still far down the road.

 

The Carnival Freedom has ‘interesting’ décor. Some of our group have said it’s very “Vegas” and others have said it’s far more subdued than the décor on earlier Carnival ships. Whatever the case, it clashes with itself. The cabins are ok with neutral beiges and soft peach shades, red maple veneer of the cupboards and the red/peach carpet. But the Millennium Lobby and the two main dining rooms are studies in seeing how many different color and design combinations can be used in one area. The Lido Buffet is garish at best with a huge Statue of Liberty and blue plastic Statue of Liberty faces on the walls throughout the Lido. To complete ’the look’, the Lido ceiling features hundreds of small bright lights which flash on and off at intervals And on each deck, Carnival has chosen to post signage that also is made up of brightly colored bulbs, which also flash on and off. We soon learned to tune all this out.

 

While Carnival pleasantly surprised us in many ways, it also fell short in others and many of us wonder if it’s Carnival’s way to economize.

- there is a very limited activity program on board. Cruise activities consist of various trivia games only. There are no dancing classes, exercise classes, Walk-a-Mile, organized bridge and other card games, or tours of various parts of the ship as we‘ve seen on other lines. On days when the ship is in a port, there are NO activities scheduled at all until close to the time the ship would be setting sail. That meant, for anyone not taking a tour, there was no organized activity to take part in. If there are no scheduled activities, Carnival obviously doesn’t have to staff them.

- As excellent as the Carnival production shows were, the rest of the entertainment was poor or non-existent. While Carnival wins hands down on production shows, we feel other lines do better at providing overall entertainment. On this 12-night cruise, there were 3 production shows and 5 shows with other entertainers. Of the other entertainers, only two were entertaining, two were passable and one shouldn’t be hired again. The entertainment on the remaining nights was a passenger talent show, the Cruise Director’s show and two nights with nothing planned. Again, there are savings in not booking quality entertainers.

- And little niceties we’ve come to expect on other lines are not here, for instance: staff do not escort you to your cabin when you first embark, and there was no “welcome aboard” glass of champagne!

 

Bev

[Kristi Williamson]

I've sailed all three lines and honestly, there isn't 2 cents worth of difference in them. I'd say X probably wins the service award, but other than that, anyone who touts RCI as being...more "refined" must have a new definition of the word, or simply hasn't ever stepped foot on a Carnival ship and doesn't know what they're talking about. Or, simply likes being one of the "crowd" in bashing a line that's been, falsely, given the "wal-mart" misnomer.

 

If you've been on RCI, you've seen the Quest show, right? How can anyone call THAT refined? It's hilarious and certainly entertaining, but refined? LOL I don't think so. If you liked Quest, you'll enjoy Carnival activities. The hairy leg contest is replaced with the hairy chest contest, but really, what's the difference?

 

RCI has the most beautiful ships on the ocean. I'd say that's pretty indisputable. However, do you really cruise to look at the ship? If the only reason you cruise is to look at art lithographs and fake "wood", then Carnival wouldn't work for you. I would also suggest avoiding their older ships and trying a newer ship. (I would say the same about X, though!!)

 

RCI may have the rock climbing wall and flo-rider, but how often do you use those? The ice skating rink is only open at VERY limited times. It's useless to have it, in our opinion, if it can't be used when YOU want to use it.

 

Celebrity does have the cheap champagne they hand out when you board, but who cares? (so does NCL) I'm not swayed by cheap hand-outs. I LOVE X's service, though. They do tend to be a little more attentive and their staff does go out of their way to please you. Not so much more than RCI or Carnival that I wouldn't sail with either again, though.

 

We also find X to be a little boring in the evenings. We enjoy a great live band after the shows and we love to dance. Celebrity tends to pretty much die at 11pm and we like to have fun until 12 or 12:30. We're also early risers (around 6:30 or so) and we've found that each line does well at this time.

 

Carnival's food has ALWAYS exceeded either of the other two lines for us. RCI is on the bottom of the food list, by far. We like RCI's shows better, but not their entertainment throughout the ship at other times. I'd say Carnival wins that, as well.

 

Carnival's rooms and bedding are the best on the ocean. The only downside are the suite perks, because they only include VIP embarkation and debarkation. But, do you get a suite for "perks"? If so, you're wasting money. If you get it for extra room, then Carnival still wins, hands down.

 

Each line has pluses and minuses. You'll have to determine which ones work for you, but don't be swayed by people who've never even stepped foot on a Carnival ship. They are short sighted and judging a cruise line they've never even experienced. How sad for them and how unfortunate they feel the need to give an opinion on something they know nothing about. Would you take the advice of someone who's never experienced what you're asking about? I'd certainly hope not.

[Duanerice1]

We've been on Carnival a couple of times, although only the weekend cruises (older ships). A cruise is enjoyable no matter what ship. Just go in knowing that it will be different and you won't be disappointed.

 

The crowd will be a little different but if you know that, you are prepared. For example, rarely on Celebrity do I see gangs of people taking over the hot tubs with buckets of beer on Celebrity. On Carnival, from my experience, that is the norm. Nothing wrong with it, just know what to expect.

 

Is it Celebrity? No but that is OK. Would I take a week long Carnival cruise? Of course if the price was right.

 

enjoy,

Duane

[toothfary7]

We just recently came back from our first Celebrity cruise. We have previously sailed with RCI, Carnival, and NCL. Previous posts have summed up the good and bad of each. Celebrity is top notch service, beautiful ships, but a down side for me was the attitudes brought aboard. We frequently cruise with Carnival when our girls (20 somethings) join us because it is so much fun. When I mentioned this to fellow passengers, they looked at me like I had the plague!! I'm sorry for them of the fun they're missing out on. I definetly would do 2 Carnival cruises over 1 Celebrity. By the way, Carnival has the dining room food beat on all of them.

[Solstice23]

Ummm Carnival food sucks....there ship design sucks....And everyone I know that goes comes back pissed off!!!!

 

Celebrity wins food every year!

We went on Carnival and the parties were no good, I like Celebrity food but all food is subjective. That being said Carnival food is not all made fresh and there ships are not clean either.

 

Stick to

Celebrity

Regent

RCCL ( new ships)

Princess ( new ships)

 

Carnival before NCL of course though, Even if we won a Carnival cruise my wife and I would not go, we don't enjoy the ship design or service level, we would not waste valuable vacation time on there ships

 

Ohh and Celebrity is working on changing to new food ideas....it takes a while to get the hang of changing all menus...But still better menu selection for foodies....

Carnival is as good as Apple bees......LOL

[Kristi Williamson]

Ummm Carnival food sucks....there ship design sucks....And everyone I know that goes comes back pissed off!!!!

 

Celebrity wins food every year!

We went on Carnival and the parties were no good, I like Celebrity food but all food is subjective. That being said Carnival food is not all made fresh and there ships are not clean either.

 

Stick to

Celebrity

Regent

RCCL ( new ships)

Princess ( new ships)

 

Carnival before NCL of course though, Even if we won a Carnival cruise my wife and I would not go, we don't enjoy the ship design or service level, we would not waste valuable vacation time on there ships

 

Ohh and Celebrity is working on changing to new food ideas....it takes a while to get the hang of changing all menus...But still better menu selection for foodies....

Carnival is as good as Apple bees......LOL

 

 

 

You've been on one Carnival ship that is as old as dirt, and you're a connoisseur? Again, I wouldn't take anyone's opinion who has no background on which to base that opinion. (this uppity comment is from someone who can't separate the nuances of "there" vs "their")

 

We've sailed all three lines, on both newer and older ships of each, and there's not a pennies worth of difference in these lines. Anyone who tells you differently is more interested in how they "appear" than the reality of the situation.

 

Unless you want to sail Oceania, Silversea, etc...no mass market line will ever be considered high class. They are designed to attract all aspects of society and they ALL attract the exact same type of people, regardless of those that think they're special if they stick to lines who love to be touted as "unique", even if they're not. If they were unique, they wouldn't all carry such similar price tags, similar products, similar cruisers, etc... This is from someone who's stayed in Cat. 12, Owner's suites, inside cabins, balcony cabins, and aft balconies. They're just bigger and smaller versions of the EXACT same thing.

 

Enjoy your cruise and don't worry about what someone who hasn't stepped foot on the newest vessels that Carnival carries has to say.

[irishgirl]

I was on the Solstice in February and I found that RCCL, Celebrity and Carnival are more similar than not.

 

I thought the food was the same on all 3 lines. I couldn't much difference at all. Food is food and most is really good. I will say, I ordered the Trout & Pasta on Solstice...YUCK!!!!

 

Rooms on Carnival are very good. Large, lots of room to put things away and large closets with shelves. Bedding is wonderful, mattresses are thick and plush and the sheets are extremely soft. Pillows were very good also.

 

I was in a suite on the Voyager, and never seen a standard room so I don't know what they're like.

 

The only drawback I seen to Celebrity is the sedate crowd. The shows were not very good, more for an older crowd. The bars were empty, most went to bed after the shows. The music was horrible (Barbershop quartet, good at first, got old fast). Much older crowd than I expected and I'm 55. Many gave me the cold shoulder in the elevators when I wasn't dressed for formal night 3 hours before my dining time.

 

The ship was beautiful and someday they'll get it right for the demographic they're shooting for. Just a little tweaking and they should have it.

 

Service on all 3 lines are about the same. Celebrity would probably get the nod for the friendliest crew.

 

Chair hogs were the worst I've ever seen on the Solstice. NO deck chairs to be found and I walked the entire ship front to back on 2 decks I ended up in the Solarium and couldn't get any sun. Came home without a tan.

 

I cruise any line that our group decides to go on. It really doesn't matter to me, we make our own fun if we can't find it on board.

 

Judy

[Solstice23]

Actually,

 

My family has sailed n Carnival Many times, I have not, But my Aunt is an agent and has sailed many Carnival ships. The design of these ships does appeal to certain people. I am sorry if I had a typo but if you would to insult me more then go ahead, I Fell that there are lines for every type of taste.

 

If before you stood the following stores what one would you walk into if they all had the same Sweater on sale as the other??? You would walk into one that appeals to you correct? based on design and service level and interaction you feel comfortable with.

Macys

Sears

Saks Fifth

Holt renfrew

 

there is a ship for everyone, Based on Marketing and design alone Carnival does not appeal to my wife and I, and we do not think less of anyone else regardless of what line they sail on. So to imply that we care how we appear then the reality is not fare.

 

I had the dover sole on Solstice it was great, the lady at the table beside us was complaining about it??? Chair hogs are everywhere on every ship, Id rather have a smaller more tasteful Stateroom then and orange and pink one with tacky art, But thats just my taste! Its how I feel comfortable. Every line has its ups and downs, I would just pick one you feel comfortable with overall.

 

Happy Cruising