Why do you prefer Carnival?

[MamaParrotHead]

We honestly chose Carnival on price for our first cruise. And had such a wonderful time, and so rarely GET to cruise (about once every other year) that we don't want to gamble on an unknown and try another line. Plus the fact I'd like to get to Platinum someday.

 

Carnival has the food, service, atmosphere, amenities that we enjoy. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

[Ga-Fl Peach]

I have cruised 4 different cruise lines and I am always glad to get back on Carnival.

 

The food is consistant and better than what I have had on other ships - certainly not the Four Season's but better than I can cook - and I am a good cook. To provide food for that many people delivered so beautifully is a feat in itself. If it's offered, you should tour the Galley.

 

The staff is so professional - they remember names and your favorites. How many of us could pull that off every few days on another cruise?

 

The ships are kept up better. Like ALL cruise lines, Carnival have some older ships, but they are clean and in good repair.

 

There seems to be more diverse entertainment on Carnival ships.

 

For the money a Carnival cruise delivers more.

[BlueC5Kitten]

So far, I haven't had the opportunity to sail anyone else; however, I am very glad that my friends opted for Carnival for our group cruise 5 years ago, and I have simply been continuing the tradition.

 

I like the laid-back feel of being on vacation, not having to dress up (if I don't want to), and being able to enjoy my time on the ship, regardless of the time on the ship. :D

[Traveler353]

Location, location, location. I live half way between Mobile and NOLA. No long driving, flights or expensive hotel bills. Best bang for the buck that I have found for a vacation. Food, service, comfort, Carnival has it all. If someone was to bring other ships to either Mobile or NOLA I might try them out if the prices was right.

[poobears]

For us port location is a big one. With RC when we can cruise, we'd have to drive from MO to FL. With Carnival we just hit NO or Mobile to port out.

 

Price is of course a major factor but good deals can be had on other lines also, although with added transportation costs they aren't such good deals.

 

Cabin size is a big one. I didn't realize how much smaller RC cabins were until we were about to book one last week. Not going to work for us so we are sticking with Carnival.

 

For me the food is ok, nothing great so it's really not a deciding factor. The ports are the same no matter what line I'm one (not including private islands) so again not a factor in our decision.

[dan40]

Are cabins really that much bigger on Carnival?

 

I'm going to be interested to taste the food on Carnival when I set sail on Monday. I'm a bit of a food snob, as a trained chef, so it should be interesting.

 

Don't the other cruiselines have similar ports of call?

 

 

Keep in mind that it is banquet food not star rated food. A mass market cruise ship serves TWENTY THOUSAND meals DAILY, 20,000!! That's 600,000 a month. I doubt any Michelin rated restaurant on the planet serves that many meals a year. Do the STEAKHOUSE one night.

 

There are many similarities in itineraries. But you will find that a cruise that stops at 3 ports in 7 days is a vastly different cruise than one that stops at 5 ports in 7 days. Even if 3 of the 5 are the same. Then each line seems to have a port where others seldom go.

[Guest TropicOne]

I am a casual type person so Carnival is a good fit.

[BonnieVA]

NCL's newer ships are beautiful. The cabins are smaller than carnival but well designed. While I prefer Carnival's larger cabins, over-all I would consider newer ships on either line as being similar in comfort. They are both great experiences. I would avoid any NCL ship built before 2002 like the plague. (or the noro-virus)

 

That's good to know because we also like NCL & would like to try the Pearl or Jewel. We were on the Spirit (built pre-2002) in April & had no complaints ... the ship is nice but the cabins are small! Ironically, the bathrooms were pretty nice - the shower was larger & had a glass door instead of those nasty wrap-around curtains.

[mytfrog]

Hello, this is my first reply to a thread but after my second and FINAL cruise on Carnival I felt inspired to share my thoughts. Since I just returned from Alaska on the Spirit, I will address that one. The scenary of Alaska and the ports we stopped at were totally awsome so be sure you go there! I'm not a foodie, but the food on the Spirit was not served or kept hot enough to ward off food born illnesses. Several times a day an announcement was made to encourage you to make reservations at the new Nouvuea Dinner Club for $30. each while the food in the Empire Dining Room was little more than fast food type entrees which were not very tastee. Food quality was very bad. Even the dishes recommended by our waiter weren't good. Granted he was very nice and asks if I wanted anything else each time I just took a taste and pushed the plate away. I also ordered more than one selection of the menu items hoping to at least end up with a decent dinner, but it never happened. My saving grace was the hot grilled sandwiches, prepared while I watched on the Lido Deck. On my previous Carnival Inspiration cruise (another food nightmare plus hot tubs and common restrooms filthy!) I survived on pizza. However, I was served cold pizza on the Spirit! Sure they could have heated it . . .but how long had it been cold?! The staff was not as friendly as I was accustomed too. The room service messed up my orders that were called into the desk several times. How hard should it be to have 4 mixed drinks delivered for my visiting friends (on a cruise all day kind of day at that)? I even had a penthouse suite, always tipped well, but that obviously had no effect on getting good service. I have cruised with Royal Caribbean 3 times and after I recover from this last cruise experience, they will be my choice. I have contacted my Carnival agent and will be writing about all this and more in hopes they will improve or they will definately see more of these comments. My friends share my views and said they would also write to them.

[Kurbanfan]

Are cabins really that much bigger on Carnival?

 

 

If you are looking at inside or oceanview yes.......balcony and above, no.........

 

 

It seems the consensus according to all the posts is "price".........

[Traveler353]

Hello, this is my first reply to a thread but after my second and FINAL cruise on Carnival I felt inspired to share my thoughts. Since I just returned from Alaska on the Spirit, I will address that one. The scenary of Alaska and the ports we stopped at were totally awsome so be sure you go there! I'm not a foodie, but the food on the Spirit was not served or kept hot enough to ward off food born illnesses. Several times a day an announcement was made to encourage you to make reservations at the new Nouvuea Dinner Club for $30. each while the food in the Empire Dining Room was little more than fast food type entrees which were not very tastee. Food quality was very bad. Even the dishes recommended by our waiter weren't good. Granted he was very nice and asks if I wanted anything else each time I just took a taste and pushed the plate away. I also ordered more than one selection of the menu items hoping to at least end up with a decent dinner, but it never happened. My saving grace was the hot grilled sandwiches, prepared while I watched on the Lido Deck. On my previous Carnival Inspiration cruise (another food nightmare plus hot tubs and common restrooms filthy!) I survived on pizza. However, I was served cold pizza on the Spirit! Sure they could have heated it . . .but how long had it been cold?! The staff was not as friendly as I was accustomed too. The room service messed up my orders that were called into the desk several times. How hard should it be to have 4 mixed drinks delivered for my visiting friends (on a cruise all day kind of day at that)? I even had a penthouse suite, always tipped well, but that obviously had no effect on getting good service. I have cruised with Royal Caribbean 3 times and after I recover from this last cruise experience, they will be my choice. I have contacted my Carnival agent and will be writing about all this and more in hopes they will improve or they will definately see more of these comments. My friends share my views and said they would also write to them.

 

Please submit a full review in the review section. I am sorry that there was nothing that you liked about your past cruises on Carnival.

[Steamboatin]

Carnival has the best military rates in the cruise industry.

[tedjazz]

Please submit a full review in the review section. I am sorry that there was nothing that you liked about your past cruises on Carnival.

 

It happens more than you know.

 

I like Warm Chocolate Melting cake on Carnival. I think the service provided by RCI and Princess is far superior to Carnival. That is from my experience only, others opinions may be different.

[katiel53]

We have sailed many, many times and are once again sailing Carnival. For us, the cabin size isn't much different than it is on Royal Caribbean. The food though is far better on Carnival than it is on RCI.

 

We love the steakhouse on Carnival and on Royal Caribbean, Chops is ok, nothing great and to me, not worth the extra up charge. My favorite restaurant on RCI is Portofino and there is nothing like that on Carnival.

 

On Carnival it is easy to get a sandwich. On RCI, it is almost impossible because sandwiches are made into subs and cut in minuscule pieces.

 

Both have great omelet stations. Carnival had the bacon police on our last cruise, but we could still get all the bacon my husband wanted.

 

The casinos on Carnival are larger than those of RCI, but I think a bit smaller than our cruise on NCL Pearl. I don't win in any of them, so I can't say that anyone is better at paying off on the slots.

 

Carnival does have military rates as does RCI. Unfortunately, the rates never have extended to balcony cabins on our cruises.

 

Carnival has a far better western Caribbean itinerary than RCI. I have been to Grand Cayman a lot of times and Ocho Rios no longer holds any interest for me. Although Belize might not be that great a port, Roatan is a new one for me and I can't wait until I get there next year.

 

Price is now a factor in my determination. Because we are Diamond Plus on RCI, I felt loyal to them. My sister and her husband and my father are Diamond and now that RCI has taken away privileges for them (I know if on a Freedom class ship they are still the same) I feel I no longer have the need to spend more money to sail their ships. I can buy a whooooooooooooooolllllllleeee lot of drinks for the difference in price.

 

I do have to say that I absolutely love the Promenade on RCI and the ships themselves are far more beautiful than the Las Vegas style of Carnival. I love the Promenade café for when we have been out at port and missed lunch. Having a small sandwich there is wonderful.

 

Each person has his/her own reason to sail on any line. I love being Platinum on Carnival and am totally looking forward to our next 2 cruises. I probably will sail on RCI and NCL again, but at this time I don't have anything booked.

 

Enjoy!

[SKeighley]

Sailed 4 Carnival, 1 RCL and 1 NCL. Carnival all the way. Better food, friendly crew and guests. Just the relax, laid back mood I look for in cruising.