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Wedding Carnival cruise lines? Quality?

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glueck

glueck

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FI and I were only on a cruise as kids, but we are considering a Mediterranean cruise for our honeymoon. We found the right dates and the itinerary that we would like. From what I understand, this is a new boat for carnival (not even a year old- Carnival Freedom)but i dont know anything about the quality of the cruise line for our honeymoon.

Anyone have experience with Carnival?
 
This is only my personal opinion, but...I went on a Carnival cruise a few years ago and HATED it. The only good thing was that we stopped at a different island every day, so we weren''t on the boat very much. Carnival aims mostly at families, so take this into consideration when you book your honeymoon -- there will probably be a lot of kids on board. Unfortunately, on the cruise I was on, the "catering to families" was basically lip service. It was geared toward young (under 12) kids and their parents, and twenty-somethings who spent most of their time at the bars and casino. I was 19, so too old for the kid activities and not allowed to drink or gamble, and there was literally nothing for me to do on the boat. They even closed the dance club to us, since there was a bar in it, and when I asked the staff member what we were supposed to do, he told me to "go back to your cabin and read a book or something." Um...I could have done that at home. I just found most of the staff (except our dinner waiter, who was great) to be rude, condescending, and dismissive.

If it''s a new boat, they might have more for you to do, since ours was a smaller, older boat. But based on their target market and advertising ("the fun ships"), I wouldn''t hold my breath for a luxurious, romantic honeymoon. Also, I''m pretty sure that they still assign you to a dinner table with other people they think you''ll have something in common with -- so I would check on this if I were you.

All in all, my recommendation would be to look into another cruise line. But I''m admittedly bitter, so take my words with a grain of salt.
 
I have never cruised with Carnival, but have done so on Royal Caribbean and Princess. We are going on Royal Caribbean for our short honeymoon this year, but Princess would have been my number one choice if only because of the open seating option. You will be assigned a specific table with other guests (6 total per table) and you must elect an early or late seating on Royal Caribbean (I always go with late) and I would assume this is also the case on Carnival. However, on Princess, you just show up whenever, and you can request to be seated alone as a couple. I would have thought that would be a more romantic option and also would require less scheduling if you want to just have a truly relaxed time.

I do know that a lot of families cruise on Carnival, but they also do on Royal Caribbean and Princess, just perhaps to a lesser degree. This will also depend on when you are planning to go on your honeymoon - obviously the summer months are going to be more crowded. To my mind, Royal Caribbean and Carnival seem to be more "loud, fun, party oriented" if that makes sense, whereas Princess is a bit more mellow.

That said, we have chosen Royal Caribbean because of the itinerary (we can only get away for 5 nights) and because we were able to get an owner''s suite, which is quite large for a cruise ship, has a larger private balcony, and comes with 24 hour room service if we decide once in a while to dine alone or not at our pre-scheduled time!!
 
I have actually heard from numerous sources to stay away from the Carnival line. I believe it is considered more of a "party" line and not as sophisticated as other lines. In other words, lots of college aged people getting drunk. We went on a Princess cruise at the beginning of March and LOVED it! There were very few children (although, most were probably in school), it was very relaxing and pretty inexpensive.
 
Oh, I can''t wait to see what everyone says, we, too, are considering a Med cruise! Possibly Celebrity, though. Have you checked Cruise Critic? They have lots of reviews, of the ships and the specific cruise you might be looking at.

What part of the Med are you considering? We would like to go to the eastern portion, and I have my heart on one of the stops being Istanbul.
 
Ooh, Amandine, have you been to Istanbul before? It''s a really interesting city! If you have the chance to go to Istanbul and then stop further south on the Aegean/Mediterranean coast, it''s soooo worth it to see the difference. The southern Aegean coast of Turkey is one of my very favorite places in the world!
 
Thanks ladies for your thorough responses. FI and I really want to have "fun" but teenage hangovers are not really my idea of a good time. SIGH... that being said it is exactly the tour we want to take.... It includes Rome, Naples (incl. capri and amalfi coast, Dubrovnik, Croatia, Venice, Sicily, Barcelona Monaco and Livorno. DREAMY. Perhaps I can find an alternative that offers this itinerary. FI has his heart SET on it.

Thanks for the recommendation about the late dinner.... well noted!Great for a night owl like me!

Has anyone had a good experience with carnival. FI and I love kids, so its not a problem if there are a lot of families. Its college frat parties that I hate! :)
 
We went on a Carnival cruise to the Caribbean for our honeymoon and we loved it. In fact, I''m going on another next month with a friend of mine. The only thing we were truly unhappy with was the dinner they served (it was pretty bland most of the time). I really have no other complaints. I really didn''t notice an unusual amount of kids on the cruise, I actually noticed that it was mostly couples. We met a few really nice couples at our dinner table and hung out with them at night. I''m sure some of the other cruise lines have more of an "upscale" feel to them but this was our first cruise and we really enjoyed ourselves.
 
Thanks xapora..... that makes me breathe a little easier.except for the full days at sea, we really want to have our dinner in cities that we visit. Being foodies and fans of good local cuisines, we hope that chowhound.com can lead us to yummy restaurants. Upscale is good, but with as much as the wedding is going to cost, the trade from upscale to fun and easy is just fine...as longas there are not drunk teenagers everywhere, I am okay!
 
Date: 4/16/2008 5:27:04 PM
Author: glueck
Thanks xapora..... that makes me breathe a little easier.except for the full days at sea, we really want to have our dinner in cities that we visit. Being foodies and fans of good local cuisines, we hope that chowhound.com can lead us to yummy restaurants. Upscale is good, but with as much as the wedding is going to cost, the trade from upscale to fun and easy is just fine...as longas there are not drunk teenagers everywhere, I am okay!
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Have you checked what time your ship will depart those cities? I ask, because you usually have to be on board at least 30 minutes'' before sail away, and most ships I''ve ever been on have left each port by 5 pm. It might be different on European cruises, but I have never been able to have dinner off the ship.
 
Thanks Krissie... I just looked and they seem to go between 5 and 8pm depending on the day..... I guess it will be yummy lunches or early dinners in the cities! Good thinking!
 
Date: 4/16/2008 5:27:04 PM
Author: glueck
Thanks xapora..... that makes me breathe a little easier.except for the full days at sea, we really want to have our dinner in cities that we visit. Being foodies and fans of good local cuisines, we hope that chowhound.com can lead us to yummy restaurants. Upscale is good, but with as much as the wedding is going to cost, the trade from upscale to fun and easy is just fine...as longas there are not drunk teenagers everywhere, I am okay!
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It definitely was more of a fun atmosphere than upscale, but I didn''t see anything get out of hand or any drunk teenagers. It was a very relaxing vacation.
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I think you''ll have a great time.
 
Kinda late here...but I also went on a Carnival cruise a few years ago. I had never been on a cruise before so I had nothing to compare it to. What I realized is that I am just not one for cruises. :-) There were just too many people for me and I found the ship a little raggedy. So unfortunately I cannot offer a good experience.

But what I really wanted to say is that since you are planning to cruise to the Mediterranean on a new ship, perhaps your experience will be different than if you were going on the standard Caribbean cruise. Cruising to the Mediterranean wouldn''t seem to attract a lot of teenagers and couples with young kids, therefore a different atmosphere on the ship. In any case, I hope you decide to go and have a great time! Taking a Mediterranean cruise is a goal of mine, so I you come back with a report and some awesome pictures!
 
Glueck, what onedrop said about Med cruises being different from Caribbean ones is probably true. And it''s not drunk teenagers you need to look out for on the ships -- Carnival is VERY strict about enforcing the 21-year-old drinking age -- but the late- and post-college age crowds. The ship I was on never got rowdy, per se, but it just wasn''t any fun. It was mostly the attitude of the staff that really p.o.''d me, because it seemed like as a kid who wasn''t dropping loads of cash at the bar (not that I could anyway) I just didn''t count. And that very well might be different on the ship you''re looking at. If you love that itinerary and can''t find it elsewhere, you''ll probably be fine, and I''m sure that if they know you''re on your honeymoon they''ll be specially nice to you
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Carnival Cruise?

One word: Bleccchhhhhh!

I would say it''s not right for a honeymoon. Crowded with young partiers and a zillion kids.

Tons of food...all really bad.

I wouldn''t ever choose them for a vacation again, much less a honeymoon.

It''s really just one big cheesy floating 2-star hotel.

There are much, much better choices.

Honest review here. Good Luck!


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I am going to go against the grain here...

I went on a Carnival cruise 2 years ago and actually leave for another one in about 3 weeks and I LOVED IT! I went to the Caribbean and had a fantastic time. Unlike some here, I did not see lots of kids on the trip. I do agree, though, that it was not as ritzy as some of the other lines (like Celebrity Cruise lines) seem to be. Dinners are with others at you table, which can be a bummer sometimes, but it is actually a good way to share the day if you are a people person. But if you want romantic dinners with just the two of you, it probably won''t happen in the dining room unless they make special arrangements since it will be your honeymoon. We definitely did some partying, too, but it wasn''t like if you weren''t into that scene there was nothing for you to do. You kind of surrounded yourself with whatever scene you wanted to be in. Plus, on they days when you are at a port the boat is just a place to eat and sleep. You are going to see the city during the day. Also, if this is a newer ship, I bet it is very nice.

So, I would say go for it! I don''t have another cruise line to compare it to, but I don''t think it is unpleasant by any means. Also, I have a FANTASTIC travel agent with Carnival if you want his name. He can answer any question you have, will send you TONS of info and will check for cheaper rates for you until the day you sail. Good Luck with your decision and let me know if you want his name!
 
Date: 4/16/2008 2:26:09 PM
Author: Amandine
Oh, I can''t wait to see what everyone says, we, too, are considering a Med cruise! Possibly Celebrity, though. Have you checked Cruise Critic? They have lots of reviews, of the ships and the specific cruise you might be looking at.

What part of the Med are you considering? We would like to go to the eastern portion, and I have my heart on one of the stops being Istanbul.
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I agreed with Amandine that you should definitly check out cruisecritic. My boyfriend and I went on a cruise last year and found that forum very valuble for finding out what the pros and cons of the ship were. You can actually look up reviews of your perticular itinerary and ship so you can find out what other people thought about the trip.

And on the younger/family crowd issue: I think because you are going to be taking a med. cruise you will find that it actually will be an older crowd rather then a younger crowd. If the ship is new I think you wont have any problem with carnival. If you were going to the bahamas or the like, I think you wouldn''t like it as much for a honeymoon...

Good luck and check out the site. I''m sure you will get some great input over there!
 
Thank you all for your honest advice. We have lots to think about! I am off now to check off the cruise critic site. Thanks for the recommendation!
 
I went on one (Destiny) about 4 years ago (wow time flies) and really didn''t like it. There were a million small children, most unattended, and not really much to do but drink (which I''m not keen on). We spent two days at sea and all I really did was sleep! I get sea sick so I''m not sure I''d go on a cruise again because I spent a lot of the time on the boat uncomfortable, but if I did I probably wouldn''t use Carnival. Our room in particular was pretty clean, but the people we traveled with didn''t seem pleased about theirs. It''s kind of like a floating Days Inn.

...heh.
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Glueck, are you set on cruising? It might be more romantic and relaxing to just drive or take the train if you want to visit those places. That way you can go at your own pace, and you're not trapped if you don't like the atmosphere.

Another shout out for Istanbul. Both DH and I love that city.
 
I went on a Carnival cruise for my honeymoon after my first marriage. I was young...21 and had a good time from what I can remember. I enjoyed the all inclusive food...which I remember to taste pretty good. There were kids around, but I don''t remember feeling annoyed with number of them. I did get a little sea sick and the medicine made me tired. The excursions we went on were amazing! Until we got to Cozumel and the ex left me behind while he went back to the boat. I cried for a whole day. Bad memories. Sorry...it all came back to me.

Anyways, I would say go for it if you want to experience more than one place, but personally I wouldn''t go again unless it was a big group or family thing. I would rather pick a beautiful spot and stay there for 5 or more days and just relax.
 
this summer i am going on my 12th cruise... (i feel very spoiled!!!) my family and i have cruised on princess, carnival, royal caribbean, and norwegian cruise line. by far the most beautiful is princess, but your bank account will definitely take a hit!! i found that the princess cruise line, although breath-takingly beautiful, it is definitely more classy, slower paced and proper. i also noticed that it was mostly senior citizens on this particular one (it was an alaskan cruise). the carnival is a big hit with me because it is younger and more lively. there is something for everyone! it is definitely geared towards the family though, which is probably why i enjoy it! it is very casual during the day but for the dinners many many many people dress up in these beautiful gowns, some girls wear homecoming and prom dresses, and definitely many suits and tuxes. the royal caribbean is beautiful as well, i believe this is similar to the carnival except there are not as many little ones running around. BUT you will always see little ones no matter which cruiseline you are on. royal caribbean is probably my favorite because although it has something for everyone it seems more geared towards the young lively couple. the norwegian cruise line in my opinion is terrible. they have the freestyle menu, which is you can eat whenever, they have different restaurants on the ship and you can just come in whenever. you are limited to which restaurants you can eat at leisurely because some you need reservations, and some you have to pay for on top of your cruise ticket (which is ridiculous!) i found myself bored with the restaurants that we could go to because most have the same food every day. whereas the other cruiselines have a seated dinner split into two seating times (to accommodate all guests) and have a different menu every night full of at least 5 or 6 different entres to choose from.

just my two cents... i would go with the royal Caribbean. (if that''s your style)

write me back with anymore questions. id be happy to help you out!
 
Lots of good insight here.

Indygal, we are a little stuck on the idea of a cruise. I hate long train rides, and airports are exhausting. We have to fly to and from america right after.... a possible WP2! Still deciding. Anyway cruise for us, i think.

That being said, we are trying to balance all the wedding expenses, our trip to america which will be anything but relaxing, and a fun honeymoon. Carnival is cheaper, but we are trying to balance dollars and cents with having a blowout good time. The stops are more important than the decor to us. Cruise critic offered a lot of advice and insight.

I will look into royal carribean, and see if they have anything interesting. Sounds like a good balance!

I am off to Heidelberg (our wedding destination) in about an hour. I will give a full report when I return.

Thanks for sharing your cruise experiences with me, ladies. I have a lot to consider!
 
I was one of those crazy teenagers a few years ago running around on a Carnival Ship....so, after seeing how crazy it was for myself and my friends, I would steer clear of a Carnival Fun Ship for a honeymoon....I''d hate my "younger self" running around while on my honeymoon....lol

But the others make a good point, I do believe that Med. cruises are very different from those in the Caribbean.
 
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