A continued thread on Carnival and Disney.

[Kramerica]

A while ago I wrote a pretty long detailed article about my personal comparison between Carnival and Disney. Coming back from my latest trip which combined a couple nights at Disneyland and a Carnival cruise (the only line available out of the west coast), I wanted to share some more thoughts, because this was a particularly eye opening experience. I guess the best way to put it

"You get what you pay for"

My last Carnival cruise, like I said in my past thread, was worth it. A simple, fun experience. Nothing spectacular, but for a booze cruise, it was a fun time for me and my buds, whereas Disney is a once in a lifetime, epic experience. This time was a bit different. Like I said earlier, this Carnival cruise was the only one out of the west coast, where we were. And it was cheap. really cheap. For a three night cruise it cost an average of 150 bucks each give or take. It was on the Carnival Imagination to Ensenada Mexico out of Long Beach.Check in experience was okay, got on just fine. But that's where things started showing their true colors.

Like your typical Carnival ship, the atrium's centerpiece is a bar. The bartender is very grumpy. Intact, so is every employee. They're all mad at you. Soon you realize why. The clientele on the ship isn't exactly to be desired for. They range from drunk college guys who desperately want to fight you, to the obnoxious, unsupervized children who would crowd you in the check out line at the grocery store. Now you notice the atmosphere. It's your typical flamboyant Carnival vibe. Neons lights, gold, copper handrails, abstract patterns on the carpet. This is fine, sometimes that's what people like. But nobody likes the constant musty smell. Especially apparent in the atrium. Like I've said before, I once saw maintenance workers on the still new Disney Dream replacing large sections of carpet in the middle of the night. I don't think the Imaginations carpet has been changed since the late 90s.

Whatever. We're all just a bunch of dudes drinking having a good time. But once we hit the seas we have a hard time doing even this. The seas are so rough that all of us, even one of my buddies who's in the coast guard feels queasy. I don't know what it is. Maybe the boat is small? Maybe the stabilization systems are outdated, I don't know. One friend is stuck in bed for a whole day. Looking out the windows makes it worse, as you see the ocean completely disappear from the porthole and then fill it completely in repetetive motions. Couple this with food that all tastes like the same greasy texture. It reminds me of the Spongebob episode where they start copying crabby patties out of gray gelatin and painting them to look real.

Ensenada was so unappealing we didn't even get off the boat.

At this point, looking for details to write about in this particular thread start coming to mind. Call me the meticulous one with the white glove, but now I start seeing issues everywhere. Rust on the bottom of our doorframe in the bathroom. Window tint peeling off. Holes in chair fabric. Lights being burned out. I feel like I'm sailing on the Jenny from Forest Gump.

Like I said, this is an article about getting what you pay for, rather than judging a cruise line as a whole. Like I've said, I've done Carnival before and actually had a good time. I'm gonna get to sleep. If people are actually interested in reading more let me know and I'll keep going.

 

[Phonedave]

At what amounts to $50 a night, all food included, I would say you got more than your money's worth. You cant even get a motel room for $50 a night. You got a hotel room that sails around and gives you free food as well.

I honestly don't think that you get what you pay for with DCL. Don't get me wrong, the cruises are wonderful, but I don't think they are wonderful enough to justify the price.

While I don't think I would want to go on the Carnival cruise you just described, I think that for $150 per person, that cruise was a better value - dollar paid for what you got - than a DCL cruise.


-dave

 

[ChuckElias]

You lost me at "Ensenada".

I wouldn't mind reading about the rest of your experience, but if it's completely negative, I don't want to ask you to "pile on".

 

[Ralphlaw]

Morbid curiosity makes me want to hear more. Unfortunately, that sounds exactly like what I've heard before. Lack of maintenance. Lack of friendly staff. Lack of imagination. I really want to hear about the debarkation experience when it was all done.

With that being said, was the weather bad enough to cause the seasickness, or was it the lack of decent stabilizers?

 

[Stevek]

We did the same 3 day booze cruise. Our favorite memories:

College kids loudly throwing around F-Bombs like they were everyday words and acceptable in a mixed crowd.
The drunk girl literally being dragged back onto the ship in Ensenda because she was unable to walk
The guy throwing up in line while boarding the ship from Ensenada.

We didn't hate the cruise, we had done only one previous cruise and it was a 7 days Disney to Mexico...which we absolutely loved. Consequently, I set the bar pretty low for this cruise and it pretty much met that. Other things:

The ship feels old...not quite Love Boat old, but very cheesy, too much neon old.
Food in the "food court" like dining room was terrible. Food in the sit down restaurant was ok with the best they had to offer not even matching the worst that we had on the DCL.
Entertainment (the live show and comedy shows) were both very entertaining.
The room was ok, bed was comfortable enough but apparently our room was directly below the galley so we got to hear carts rolling around above us for a good portion of the night. We were able to sleep through it for the most part.
We got a couple massage which was somewhat relaxing...until you realize the massage room is directly below the running track. Picture Forrest Gump running for about an hour, yeah, not so relaxing.
Ensenada was fine as we really just wanted to pick up a few inexpensive souvenirs for the family, and yes, it's very inexpensive and actually some great tacos/mexican food if you go to the right place. But it is kind of a pit.
We had zero problems with the ship rocking much if at all. In fact, the last day of our Disney Cruise was far worse as we came back the first day of a brewing storm.
The biggest downside of all is the clientele. A cheap cruise will attract a less than desireable crowd at times (see Six Flags).

So, would I do it again...tough question. There is no doubt that the value is there as it's not expensive at all. But is it enough value for you to deal with the challenges listed above? The jury is still out for us as while we were very relaxed, it kinda felt like going to Vegas and staying at Circus Circus versus Paris or Mandalay Bay.

 

[Stevek]

Morbid curiosity makes me want to hear more. Unfortunately, that sounds exactly like what I've heard before. Lack of maintenance. Lack of friendly staff. Lack of imagination. I really want to hear about the debarkation experience when it was all done.

With that being said, was the weather bad enough to cause the seasickness, or was it the lack of decent stabilizers?

Our debarkation was easy. We had an assigned time...pretty much got in line awhile before it and were off the ship before our alloted time.

 

[Nossit]

We have taken Carnival twice. Once on the fantasy and once on the Breeze. The Fantasy was our first cruise ever and we loved it. It basically got us hooked on cruises. I would rather look into a bigger ship nowadays though. I have always enjoyed carnival and have never been rude to or anything. I've never seen someone overly drunk or anything. I've read some bad stories on here about them and I simply don't understand them at all.

Royal Caribbean is our favorite cruise line though. We have been on the Oasis of the Season and the Freedom of the Seas. The food is top notch and there is a ton of stuff to do for just a little more than Carnival.

We have never been on a DCL because of the price. It is so outrageously expensive it's almost laughable compared to thesee companies. I'll admit that I may not know how great it is but for almost double the price, I just can't justify the value. My wife and I are both teachers so we spend an entire month vacationing. If we did this, that would be almost our entire vacation in one week.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Looking at Carnival Inc. lines, especially Carnival line, the many accidents, breakdowns, fires, sinking, vessel operation rules, office operation etc,.etc, I will never take my family on a carnival vessel across th harbor never mind to sea. It s just not worth it.

 

[Ralphlaw]

I appreciate the thoughtful responses, but what I'm not seeing is a comment on this short thread from people with kids under 12. I don't believe any cruise line can compare when it comes to this demographic. Disney loves having people on board without kids, I'm sure, but that's not their target market. All of their advertising features kids. It's hard to compare prices and amenities with other cruise lines when Disney clearly makes special efforts to cater to young families. For example, nearly every cabin can accommodate 4 people comfortably. You'd have a hard time finding that on any other cruise line. This also means that Stewards aren't just picking up after adults (which would usually be 2 per cabin, and probably far less mess and clutter), but instead have to tidy up after 3 or 4 people per cabin, often with a truly messy and cluttered child or two in the cabin. Even dealing with the top bunk takes precious steward time.

And just think how big of a money-making casino could be built where the Oceaneer labs and clubs are situated. Disney doesn't "make" money in those areas, which means that they're paid for out of the basic cost of getting onboard. And believe me, those areas are not cheap to run.

Factor in the extra food (much of it wasted because kids are kids), the cost of the characters, fireworks, play zones, etc . . . and you can see that the other cruise lines are running a fundamentally different business model than Disney is.

Let me ask this: If your vacation time was limited to a couple weeks or so per year and you had young kids, would you even consider another cruise line? Saving money is important, but knowing that the entire staff is kid friendly and kid trained, the meals have kid options with fun stuff galore like Mickey ketchup and your own animated drawings, the overall activities are abundant for kids, the drinking is less pronounced, the top deck is not a topless deck, the f-bombs are few and far between, and musical cabins are not on the agenda, there is no comparison. On our 6 Disney cruises, I never heard "I'm bored". That alone, for many parents, is worth the premium price.

I think Disney is perfectly happy having few un-childed guests on board. With marketing and focus, you can't be everything to everyone. Disney clearly has made a more expensive cruise experience that caters to young families with plenty of adults only areas. That's what they're shooting for, and that's exactly what keeps them overwhelmingly busy, with the lowest cabin vacancy rate in the industry.

 

[Phonedave]

I appreciate the thoughtful responses, but what I'm not seeing is a comment on this short thread from people with kids under 12. I don't believe any cruise line can compare when it comes to this demographic. Disney loves having people on board without kids, I'm sure, but that's not their target market. All of their advertising features kids. It's hard to compare prices and amenities with other cruise lines when Disney clearly makes special efforts to cater to young families. For example, nearly every cabin can accommodate 4 people comfortably. You'd have a hard time finding that on any other cruise line. This also means that Stewards aren't just picking up after adults (which would usually be 2 per cabin, and probably far less mess and clutter), but instead have to tidy up after 3 or 4 people per cabin, often with a truly messy and cluttered child or two in the cabin. Even dealing with the top bunk takes precious steward time.

And just think how big of a money-making casino could be built where the Oceaneer labs and clubs are situated. Disney doesn't "make" money in those areas, which means that they're paid for out of the basic cost of getting onboard. And believe me, those areas are not cheap to run.

Factor in the extra food (much of it wasted because kids are kids), the cost of the characters, fireworks, play zones, etc . . . and you can see that the other cruise lines are running a fundamentally different business model than Disney is.

Let me ask this: If your vacation time was limited to a couple weeks or so per year and you had young kids, would you even consider another cruise line? Saving money is important, but knowing that the entire staff is kid friendly and kid trained, the meals have kid options with fun stuff galore like Mickey ketchup and your own animated drawings, the overall activities are abundant for kids, the drinking is less pronounced, the top deck is not a topless deck, the f-bombs are few and far between, and musical cabins are not on the agenda, there is no comparison. On our 6 Disney cruises, I never heard "I'm bored". That alone, for many parents, is worth the premium price.

I think Disney is perfectly happy having few un-childed guests on board. With marketing and focus, you can't be everything to everyone. Disney clearly has made a more expensive cruise experience that caters to young families with plenty of adults only areas. That's what they're shooting for, and that's exactly what keeps them overwhelmingly busy, with the lowest cabin vacancy rate in the industry.

I agree. Having been on both DCL and Celebrity, i prefer Celebrity - both as an adult, and as somone who is paying for the cruise.

However, having three kids, if we do go on an other family cruise, I do think we will try to do DCL again (if they have an NYC sailnig that fits our schedules). But for those cases where it is just my wife and myself, I cannot justify DCL. In fact, there are reasons that I prefer Celebrity for adults only vacations - the entertainment, the food, the beverage packages, and while I dont miss casinos on DCL, I do like to shoot some craps every once in a while

 

[ChuckElias]

I agree. Having been on both DCL and Celebrity, i prefer Celebrity - both as an adult, and as somone who is paying for the cruise.

Well, crap. Now, I have to try Celebrity, too??? I'm already branching out on Norwegian in July. Another non-Disney cruise??? What shall I do?

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Celebrity Silhouette......any one been on her?.........We are doing a Hawaiian trip in Sept. 2017???

 

[EOD K9]

I've cruised DCL twice before my children were born and my wife and I had an absolute blast. It too, got us hooked on cruising. I was a little apprehensive about putting my girls in the nursery for the first time but the nursery staff was great and it gave them time to play. I have a cruise coming up in a few days, it will be our fifth and my daughters' third. While yes it is expensive, I believe it is worth it. You can have fun with or without children.

 

[ScoutN]

You can have fun with or without children.

Bingo! If it weren't possible to enjoy it without kids then Wifey2b and I would not have as many booked as we do with DCL. We have enjoy DCL far more than the competitors.

 

[tk924]

I enjoy reading the cruise line comparisons. We've only been on a cruise once (DCL). Going again this year (DCL). We know it is more expensive, but the one thing that will keep us going back to DCL is the fact that we can get in a hot tub without kids using it as a pool, jumping and splashing hot water all over us. Now, I don't know if other cruise lines have adult only areas or not, but having these "adult only" areas alone is worth it to us. Oh, and then there's Serenity Bay. Need I say more?

.

 

[Phonedave]

Well, crap. Now, I have to try Celebrity, too??? I'm already branching out on Norwegian in July. Another non-Disney cruise??? What shall I do?

I guess you just need to suck it up and go on multiple cruises.

 

[Phonedave]

I enjoy reading the cruise line comparisons. We've only been on a cruise once (DCL). Going again this year (DCL). We know it is more expensive, but the one thing that will keep us going back to DCL is the fact that we can get in a hot tub without kids using it as a pool, jumping and splashing hot water all over us. Now, I don't know if other cruise lines have adult only areas or not, but having these "adult only" areas alone is worth it to us. Oh, and then there's Serenity Bay. Need I say more?

.

Thats one of the reasons I like Celebrity - the whole thalassotherapy area is off limits to kids. That would be two hot tubs, plus a a heated, saltwater pool with two "bubble threapy lounges" and 4 water massagers

Yep - that whole area is adults only - and they enforce it too.

-dave

 

[tk924]

Thats one of the reasons I like Celebrity - the whole thalassotherapy area is off limits to kids. That would be two hot tubs, plus a a heated, saltwater pool with two "bubble threapy lounges" and 4 water massagers

Yep - that whole area is adults only - and they enforce it too.

-dave

Cool. Thanks for sharing.

Did you enjoy the other features of this cruise? Price? Food? Accommodations?

.

 

[Phonedave]

Cool. Thanks for sharing.

Did you enjoy the other features of this cruise? Price? Food? Accommodations?

.

Yes we did.

Price was wonderful. Celebrity does a thing called "perks" - normally you get to pick one of four perks for free - included gratuities, free basic aloholic beverage package, airfair credit, or on board credit. However, every so often you run into a "pick two" promotion (AAA has them quite a bit) so we had gratuities included, and an alcoholic beverage package. The beverage package is something a like a lot. My wife and I dont get hammered, but we like a have a drink or two by the pool during the day, and we order wine with dinner. The fact that we could just order drinks, and not have to pay for them, was very nice. We looked at the price of the beverage package, and even if we did not choose it as a perk, it would have been worth it for us to purchase it.

The food was excellent (one or two dishes were just OK, but the majority of them were great). We ate in the main dining room and also in the "modern" restaruant Qsine (I think thats a $40 upcharge) we did not eat in Normandie, as we could not get a reservation there on nights we wanted.. Qsinet is really cool, you order on ipads (not that that is really cool) but the food is all small plates. You order as much as you want. It is all very interesting. Sushi lollipops, deconstructed make your own Kobe beef sliders, painters filet mignon (you "paint" on the sauces at the table), disco shrimp, all very fun presentations.

The cabins are slightly smaller than DVC cabins, and lack the split bath, but are pretty much the same otherwise. Plenty of underbed storage to stow luggage. The staff were wonderful throughtout the ship. We used to go to this one lounge before dinner, and the lounge had little jars of salty snacks they they would give you. I started taking them from behind the bar before ording a drink, and the server caught on to it. Every night she would hide the snacks in a different spot, and then she would come to our table with our drink order and "gloat" if I had not found the snacks myself. Very friendly staff all throough the ship, and all seemed to enjoy cracking jokes.

The ship itself (Summit) was a little old, but its not as if it was decrepid. It had gone in for refurbs, but somtimes ships just show their age no matter what. It's like a car, you can take a classic car, restore it, load it up with all the most modern thing, but at the end, it is still an old car.

-dave

 

[Ralphlaw]

Sounds great. Were there any kids onboard?