Carnival Cruise

[Jeafl]

Our next cruise is going to be on the Carnival Freedom.One thing I will say about the Fantasy, it was an older ship when we sailed on it but in good shape. It's even older now, so I'm not sure what shape it is in by now.

You will get more answers if you go to cruisecritic.com too.

Our next cruise is on the Freedom too! We leave March 24.

This an old reputation. We cruise almost exclusively Carnival (15+ cruises)and we are mid-50's. What you should be most concerned about is the ship itself and the itinerary. Fantasy is older and smaller. It has been renovated of course, but one of the newer ships are really really nice. Everyone has their 'favorites' and the older ships have fond memories for us too, but we really don't care to go on them again. Don't get me wrong, the prices are great for the older ships on shorter itineraries, but look into other options too. If you want a lovely experience, find one of the ships that goes to their private island. We have yet to go to it and it is our goal soon. Any private island is an amazing day. Best of luck deciding.

I totally agree about the private island! Half Moon Cay is one of the most beautiful places on earth!

In answer to the OP's question, I have been on Carnival 5 times, DCL twice, Royal Caribbean twice, and also Princess and NCL a couple of times.

I would rank Princess first, Carnival second, NCL and DCL tied for third and probably Royal Caribbean last.

I think a cruise vacation is very much like a Disney vacation. It takes a lot of research and a lot of planning.

People that are unhappy about their cabins being noisy, or under/over a lounge, etc., probably don't know that it is a very easy thing to check ahead of time. I never book a cabin without checking what is above or below it. The website cruisedeckplans.com can give you a wealth of information. We always choose a deck that has all cabins above and below it, and never have a problem with any kind of noise.

I think for the most part Carnival's party reputation is unfounded. Most of the people I know that say that have never even been on Carnival, but have heard it from "someone else". It is very interesting that the fans of Royal Caribbean are usually the ones that hate Carnival the most. Having sailed on both, I think they both have their advantages and disadvantages. Several years ago I would have said that Royal Caribbean was a better product, but in the last few years Carnival has stepped up their game, and I no longer think that.

I do believe, however, that the older ships like the Fantasy class, are not quite as nice, and tend to attract a somewhat younger crowd. That's not to say that you wouldn't have a wonderful time on them. I can honestly say I have never had a horrible cruise. I make sure I have a good time everywhere I go!

 

[okeydokey]

Great info everyone. Thank you.

I think we may go with a May sailing on the Carnival Fascination. It is a 5 day cruise out of Jacksonville and does stop at their private island. It seems they did a nice refurb on it a couple of years ago.

 

[tvguy]

I think you will be fine on a 5 day.

I think Carnival's party reputation was well earned, but in my experience was always linked to the 3 day cruises, especially the 3 day off season cruises "to nowhere" out of of Southern California. I worked with more than one person who went on those cruises, and in 2 cases, those folks never even ever went to their stateroom!

 

[lovin'fl]

I'm going on my 6th cruise in April...5th with Carnival. My DH and I did a 3 day on the Sensation out of Port Canaveral and a 4 day on the Fascination out of Jacksonville (both ships are identical). We also took the kids on a 5 day on the Fascination out of Jax and it was fantastic. I was also worried about the 3 day and 4 day cruises as they were during college spring break time, but they didn't seem to be big 'party cruises' at all. We had no problems. I love Carnival...you can't beat the rates and you can't go to (fly and stay in hotel) those Caribbean places for less. I love those 2 ships too...very well laid out (recently went on a bigger Carnival ship...the Glory and did not like it as much). My April cruise will be the Pride...another bigger ship, but out of Baltimore (20 minute drive to port instead of 9-14 hours down to FL). I am taking my mom on this cruise and it will be her 1st on Carnival. She was avoiding Carnival because she thinks it's for young partiers. I am convinced she will be very pleasantly surprised.

I do recommend if you port in Nassau or Freeport, take one of the Carnival excursions to avoid getting hassled by all the vendors/tour operators/hair braiders/etc.

 

[Darcy03231]

We're avid cruisers (1-3x per year) and have cruised Carnival, Royal Carribean, Princess, Celebrity, Norwegian and Holland America. The biggest "party" cruise we were on was on Celebrity!

We usually end up cruising mostly on Carnival due to the price. I'd rather spend less and cruise more. While we've seen some drunk people, they are few and far between. Its mostly families.

I've found the food to be good to excellent and I have never had bad service. Never had an issue with the ship being clean either. Entertainment is ok. Some of the comedians are really funny.

Carnival's decor tends to be Las Vegasy. If you like a more upscale look, I would look into Royal Carribean.

 

[Principessa1284]

I wish I could remember the name of the ship, but DH and I did a 5-day out of Miami on Carnival for our honeymoon last year. It was distinctly underwhelming. Nothing spectacular, nothing awful, just.. eh. I know it was one of the older ships, but it really SEEMED old and blah. The food was ok, the service was ok, but man, there were kids running amok EVERYWHERE! The did a pretty good job of keeping them off the adults only deck, but it was always full and crowded - never could get a deck chair anywhere. I think the worst part, though, were our fellow passengers. So many people were sooo rude and constantly drunk - and I just spend quite a bit of time at Epcot during Christmas and New Years and it was like Mr. Rogers Neighborhood compared to people on the ship.

Maybe I've been spoiled by Disney, but I'd rather scrimp and save and keep a hawkeye out for any deals, rather than spend less money to go on Carnival again. To me, it wasn't bad, but it just wasn't worth my money.

 

[2BigKIdz]

We took the Carnival Sensation for 4 days to Bahamas out of Cape Canaveral. I didn't witness any partying and wasn't disturbed at all in my cabin. We went before they did the renovations to the Sensation so it was a bit dated but it was very clean.

The only negative we experienced and I hesitate to call it a negative because it wasn't terrible just not as wonderful as we anticipated was the food. I thought the deli sandwiches and pizza were the best meals on the ship. The buffetts were okay but the "formal" dinners were so disappointing, I wish I would have skipped those entirely. The food wasn't nasty or inedible it was just average, like a golden corral grade food when I was expecting formal dining.

I would cruise Carnival again if I got a great price, but our next cruise will either be Disney or Royal Carribbean.

 

[cassiez76]

hubby and i took the carnival fantasy out of new orleans for our honeymoon and won a cruise playing bingo! we were on that ship 3 times (HM, free and a dirt cheap cruise) in about a years time.

the last time we were on it, it needed some refurb. badly. then it got it with an oil spill in the Miss. river....then it left NOLA.

we still think of the fantasy as a luck ship! and if stephan is in the dining room, tell him i said hi!

 

[crz4mm2]

My husband and I are taking a vacation just for two of us in May for our anniversary. All inclusives in tropical places are a bit pricey for us this year, so I am thinking of a cruise out of Tampa, Jacksonville or Canaveral, as they are easiest for us to drive too.

However, in May our choices are a bit limited, because I am looking at less that a week (my Mom is staying with the kids). There is a 5 night Carnival cruise out of Tampa on the Fantasy that seems affordable, but I am nervous about Carnival because I hear it is a party ship and not so nice.

If you have taken a shorter cruise with Carnival, especially on the Fantasy ships, would you mind sharing your opinions.

I have cruised 4 and 5 day cruises with Carnival (and a week on the Fantasy itself). All were wonderful. Yes, sometimes you see more of a party crowd, but we didn't let any of that bother us. Still slept good, still plenty of food, still able to sit around the pool. Book it I say!

 

[Tony-NJ]

Been on RCCL, NCL and Carnival - they are all comparable - Carnival had the best food IMHO in the main dining room. If you go on the cruise thinking that "YOU are going on vacation to have a good time: attitude, you will have a great time. this applies to most vacations, unless there is something that totally makes you unhappy. Don't go on expecting it to be the Queen Elizabeth and you will have a great time!

the "older" ships are just fine and although they don't have all the bells and whistles that some of the newer ships have, they are clean and well thought out.

Go and have a great time!

 

[kimmar067]

...we're doing a weekend cruise in 2 weeks [check out my siggie!] on NCL....I've heard that same thing about Carnival - to each his own, I guess. Last March/April my DS and his GF sailed on Holland America's Westerdam and they loved, loved, LOVED it! It wasn't too expensive at all and it sailed outta Fla....

 

[Maddies Mama]

I've been on 7 Carnival cruises, 2 on Fantasy class ships and all of those cruises have been enjoyable and fun. I'm not a heavy drinker or a big partier and I've never been bothered by any wild drunken partiers because I don't see them. Maybe because we're usually in bed by 11 at the latest? I don't know. I will say this, I took a girls cruise last summer on the Elation and my friend I was sailing with is a night owl so we were out really late every night. I don't know where this party reputation comes from because the ship was DEAD by 11:30 every night. We would wander aimlessly looking for wherever the party was, but we never found it. A handful of people in the dance club was the best we could find. I find Carnival cruises to be family-oriented fun with great entertainment, food that honestly seems to be hit or miss (when it's good it's GOOD, when it's bad it's BAD), and you can't beat the value for your dollar. Nope, it's not Disney or Royal or Norwegian or whatever but that's because it's Carnival.

 

[mikehn]

Our family of three is cruising the Carnival Magic in April, the height of spring break, and this 47 year old is fully prepared to party with the best of them.

 

[palmtreegirl]

We went on the Sensation out of Port Canaveral this past August for our first cruise, we had a great time! It was the 4 of us ages 10, 15, 40 & 42.

We did go on a 3 night, which is known for being a party cruise, but we were able to avoid most of the madness pretty easily. The only day that got really crazy was the day at sea at the main pool, so we just didn't hang there.

We only ate at the main dining room the first night and it was good, but service was slow. But the waves were crazy, cause we were passing hurricane Irene. We ate at the buffet the rest of the time and really enjoyed it, we thought the food was great! They also had 24 hour pizza, sandwiches and ice cream. We're easy to please when it comes to food though, we're not "fancy" eaters.

The cabins were really nice, we had an inside and it was so quiet, plus the beds were super comfortable.

We would definitely sail with Carnival again though, especially because their cruises are more affordable.

 

[Stacy_C]

We're going on our 5th Carnival cruise in 2 weeks and I cannot wait. We've done 2 cruises with our 3 kids and this will be our 3rd without the kids. We do not drink or party at all and Carnival is still a good fit for us. Obviously, Carnival gets a huge thumbs up from me. Go for it!

 

[okeydokey]

Thanks everyone. I am getting super excited now. Just to be away with just DH for the first time in years is wonderful.

We do enjoy wine and drinks, but I always associated the party ships with the ones that were run down and older. We are pretty easy going though. I just hope we have fun table mates for dinner.

 

[luvavacation]

I have sailed on Carnival 5 times. My DH decided, after 2 cruises, that he detests Carnival, and will only sail on DCL. I am willing to go on Carnival, but I do it for the ports, not the atmosphere on board that draws us to DCL.

About 3.5 years ago, I went on the Fantasy with my daughters. Of all our Carnival cruises, I felt the Fantasy had the friendliest, most helpful and pleasant crew. Cleanliness was the best on the Fantasy, but I will say it was not what we expect on a DCL cruise. Still, compared to our other Carnival cruises, it was a very clean ship.

If you are traveling in a porthole cabin, you may not be able to see out. My main complaint in our room was that on Carnival, I never saw the outside of the ship being washed down. At no point was the porthole window ever cleaned, so the whole cruise was just a film of seawater on a window. This has been standard on all of our Carnival cruises with a porthole window. Other than that, beds were comfy, linens nice, and sleep is important for me so that part was great!

The shows were not to my liking, not even on the Fantasy. Vegas-style shows billed as family shows are just not something my family enjoys. The adult shows, however, are hilarious, and really, really adult, more so than on DCL, which I don't mind as long as my children are not around! Sadly, I have yet to see a Carnival adult show where there weren't children.

I did find that on Carnival, the adults-only venues were not enforced.

As I mentioned, the Fantasy was a great Carnival cruise for me and my daughters. I did find that the 5 day cruise was not as "party" (i.e. drunken young adults acting reckless and stupid as they attempt to drink the ship dry) as the 3 day Carnival I was once on, and the 5 day did afford time to go and check out the great water slides on Carnival! Those slides are something that my whole family wishes Disney had!

I am sure that you will have a great time on the Fantasy, after all, a cruise is better than working!

 

[mrsmom]

I have sailed on carnival 3 times once with just hubby and two times with 4 kids teenagers and and other family members with us and we all have had a great time! Getting ready to be on a carnival cruise for the Superbowl game!! Can't wait.
You will have a great time!

 

[lovin'fl]

Thanks everyone. I am getting super excited now. Just to be away with just DH for the first time in years is wonderful.

We do enjoy wine and drinks, but I always associated the party ships with the ones that were run down and older. We are pretty easy going though. I just hope we have fun table mates for dinner.

You could choose the your-time-dining option where you go whenever you want between 5:45-9:30...you can sit alone or ask to be seated with other guests. We've done this dining option the past several cruises. We never had a wait, when it was just DH and I...but on the last cruise (on the Glory)...we were a party of 6 and had a long wait on elegant night and another wait one other night (we figured out that the easiest times to go were 5:45-6:30 and after 8:00).

Our first CCL cruise, just DH and I on the Sensation for 3 days, we did late dining (did not like it...would be very tired at end of meal and want to hit the hay) and were seated with another couple. They were fine...almost our age...with kids at home too. And they didn't come the 3rd night, so we had the table all to ourselves.

Enjoy!!!

 

[MAD4EEYORE]

Thanks everyone. I am getting super excited now. Just to be away with just DH for the first time in years is wonderful.

We do enjoy wine and drinks, but I always associated the party ships with the ones that were run down and older. We are pretty easy going though. I just hope we have fun table mates for dinner.

My DMom, DD and myself did the 5 day out of JAX. The Fascination is a wonderful ship. Make sure you are out on the top deck or the front of the ship when going under the bridge. It's a sight to see. The private island Half Moon Cay is heaven on earth and by far my favorite. If you can swing it get a private cabana. It came with snacks,soda and water, snorkle gear, floating mats, a private shower and cushioned lounge chairs. My Mom still talks about that day. We have been on 7 cruises. 4 with Carnival. We are looking to book this cruise in Feb. just to go back to HMC.

The cruise also offers Your time dining where you can dine anytime and not be tied down to either late or early seating. You can just show up and be seated.(You need to reserve it when making your cruise booking.) You can either sit by yourselves or with other diners. Also if you have a specific seating time you may see the Matre' D upon boarding and request a table for just the 2 of you.

Have a great cruise! I think you made a great choice. If you have any specific questions I'm here to help. I did a review on Cruise Critic with pictures I'll find it and PM it to you. I have a ton of pictures but not sure if I can post them on here.