Carnival
 

Fascination or Inspiration: <BR>I am researching information on these two cruise ships to the Southern Carribean. <BR>These two ships leave from San Juan which is a little unconvenient for us since we live in Maryland. These were the only two Carnival ships that we could find that go to the Sourthern Carib. <BR>Any advise from previous travelers would be appreciated. Many thanks

SKIP CARNIVAL!!!!!!!!!!!!! <BR>

Why in the world would you only choose Carnival Ships when there are so many different lines to choose from? <BR>I also would SKIP CARNIVAL!!!!!!!!!!!

Crystal: the older Carnival ships are good if you like sailing on a mall like ship and disco atmosphere. the newer carnival ships, the Destiny and Triumph are more stylish and less malllish&gt; but they leave out of miami. try the Norwegian DREAM it goes from San juan, ST LUCIA, ST. Johns, St kitt, ST Croix and St. Thomas, or royal caribbean Monarch of the sea. Monarch goes from San Juan, St. Thomas, Martinque, Barbadoes, Antiqua, and ST Martin in 7 days sites are RCCL.com Rccl is the better o

I, too, would skip Carnival. Too glitzy and food and entertainment are marginal. Emphasis seems to be on fun only and many other catagories suffer. I would suggest checking RCCL, Princess or Celebrity. So many other ships that are far superior to Carnival in service, food and entertainment and you'll find their prices to be comparable in most instances. Summer is always higher priced and LOTS of kids, as are holiday periods. Try spring or fall for better prices. <BR>

Hi Crystal! <BR>We have sailed on Carnival before <BR>and never been disappointed! <BR>In fact, we will be booking on the <BR>Inspiration's 14 May 2000 sailing <BR>date-- visiting St. Thomas, St. Lucia, <BR>Aruba and Curacao. We also <BR>plan to spend 2 days post-cruise in <BR>San Juan as well. As a basis of <BR>comparison, we also have sailed on <BR>Norwegian Cruise Lines, and <BR>Holland America and have enjoyed <BR>all 3 cruise lines. Each cruise line <BR>is different and has something to <BR>offer. Carnival is not elegant, but <BR>it is a fun ship and decorated with <BR>a lot of whimsy. Carnival has recently <BR>upgraded their menu-- lobster will <BR>be included at least once during the <BR>cruise; the children's menu is now <BR>presented in a small booklet with <BR>a packet of crayons; fountain fun <BR>card for passengers 21 and under to <BR>purchase unlimited soda for $18 for <BR>7 days; bathrobes included as an <BR>amenity in categories 8, 9, 10, 11 & <BR>12; oversized logo towels placed <BR>nightly for guests to use on deck or <BR>ashore. Another new option is <BR>pre-paid gratuities: gratuities can <BR>be pre-arranged and pre-paid at the <BR>time of booking, or anytime up to 2 <BR>weeks prior to sailing-- for a 7 day <BR>cruise, that would be $66.50 per <BR>guest. You will receive gratuity <BR>coupons with your cruise documents <BR>and distribute those coupons at the <BR>last evening of the cruise--- there <BR>will be a coupon for your waiter, <BR>busboy, room steward, etc. The <BR>dollar amount for the pre-paid <BR>gratuities will appear in the Miscellaneous Charge field of your <BR>cruise documents. <BR>Carnival is a good cruise line-- we <BR>look forward to our cruise in May! <BR>One other thing-- some people like <BR>this feature and Carnival is the only <BR>line that offers---- a topless optional <BR>sundeck. It is located at the very <BR>top sundeck located around the <BR>funnel. Not many people know <BR>about this feature-- some like it, <BR>some don't. <BR>E-Mail me if you have any other <BR>questions about Carnival! I'll be <BR>happy to answer them! <BR>Janice ([email protected]) <BR>

Crystal, <BR> <BR>All the posts have good information. Think you either are misinformed or perhaps a first time cruiser. Many cruise lines as mentioned in this forum, sail the Southern Caribbean. I've never cruised Carnival so I cannot comment. There was a thread posted a short time ago, asking for cruise websites. Think you may want to look there, and access some [or all] of the sites for additional Southern Caribbean cruise suggestions. In addition, have you phoned a travel agent who could give you several different cruise line brochures...this could help decide which is best for you.

Been on lots of cruises and have always had a great time. But if you are looking to have a FUN time, than Carnival is the best!

I sell a lot of carnival and have sailed it a few times, personally for the money I think it is quite good, actually thought I would not like it, and was surprized to find out i did, i did not like the Celebration, but the fantasy class ships like the Fascination and Inspiration were great..Good entertainment and lots to do. I have groups on both the ships you are interested in and can tell you the one on the Fascination is far outselling the Inspiration, since the ships are virtually the same, I personally think the Fascination has the better itinerary, I have been to most of the ports for both and would chose the Fascination. But I think you would like either..have fun on your cruise, whatever you choose!

Are you looking for CCL? Perhaps due to price or the fact that you like the cruise line? <BR> <BR>We're taking our 3rd cruise on CCL, on the Triumph in 5 weeks...recommend CCL in a heartbeat! <BR> <BR>Was on RCI twice in the past year (most recent was VOS) and felt CCL beat them hands down re: food, shows, cabin, staff,etc <BR> <BR>Re: what line, two thumbs up here, for CCL! <BR> <BR>To the folks who said don't take CCL, have you actually cruised on CCL and if so, what were your reasons for debunking CCL, what didn't you like (or heard 2nd hand, or read about?)

We sure have taken CCL and we tried it more than once. I have never had worse food or service. <BR>They might be a great line if you like wet T-Shirt contests and like to stay drunk most of the time, but......I think we could do that sort of stuff if we stayed home. <BR>With CCL now trying to buy Princess, our cruising days might just be about over. Because if Carnival was the only line out there, we'd fly to our destination.

Oh, quit the gloom and doom, Bill!! <BR>Keep in mind that Carnival also <BR>owns Holland America and their <BR>service and reputation hasn't been <BR>tarnished at all. We have sailed on <BR>both Carnival and Holland America <BR>(and NCL) and yes, both lines deliver <BR>a different product to a different <BR>profile of clientle. However, I never <BR>saw or participated in any activities <BR>on Carnival that I would regret. <BR>Yes, there were a few passengers <BR>who were a little boisterous and <BR>there were the usual knobby knees <BR>contest---( I never saw a wet T-Shirt contest) but if you have a sense <BR>of humor and enjoy people-watching, <BR>you will have fun! In recent years, <BR>especially in the past year Carnival <BR>has improved their menus and <BR>upgraded their amenities. If a <BR>potential passenger is a fan of <BR>gourmet dining, high tea, fine cigars, <BR>genteel and elegant atmosphere, <BR>Carnival is not for you. But if you <BR>enjoy fun and laughs then Carnival <BR>is for you. My husband and I are <BR>considered by federal tax guidelines <BR>to be "upper middle class"--- but <BR>we sure don't feel like it and it's <BR>great to find a cruise line that we can <BR>afford and have a good time! By the <BR>way, neither of us drink beer and I <BR>enjoy an occasional glass of wine <BR>or more often a great Pina Colada. <BR>So there! For all those who have <BR>a great sense of humor and fun, no <BR>matter what you do for a living, <BR>Carnival is a great line to go on! And <BR>I don't go on Carnival just for the <BR>food either! <BR>Janice <BR>

Crystal - <BR> <BR>You can experience all the fun others seem to think is only available on Carnival on so many other lines and get much better food, service and entertainment than you could ever hope for on Carnival. We have been on 15 cruises (#16 this coming Saturday!) on all different lines (yes, several on Carnival!) to all different destinations and for the money you spend on a cruise, you can get so much more on other lines than Canrival. Yes, you can have fun on Carnival, but don't go expecting much when it comes to service, quality of food or entertainment. <BR>Do yourself a favor and check on other lines before you settle for Carnival. Fun is not exclusive to Carnival and other lines offer fun and SO MUCH MORE for a comparable price to Carnival. <BR>Let's just hope Princess doesn't get doesn't get bought by Canrival, leaving those of us who want more than just fun from our cruise dollars with one less quality option. <BR>

You summed it up pretty good their Kathy. Why is it that Carnival is the one line that gets so many responses when a question is asked? Where as any other line will not get any where near that amount of pros and cons. To me it tells me that there are as many out there that dislike that line as there are that like it. I have never found that high of ratio with any other line. Why would anyone that had a choice use Carnival except for a cheap first cruise when they don't know any better? I sure don't know.

For Hal: <BR> <BR>Ok first off, have you ever been on a CCL cruise or just speaking from what you've read or heard 2nd hand? <BR> <BR>Just what dis-pleases you about CCL...be specific now? <BR> <BR>BTW, if I had to rate a cruise as the 'worst I've been on', it would have to be a RCI cruise: loud drunken passangers, bad food, bad dining room service, rude waiters, a un-ship shape ship, etc. <BR> <BR>Contrary to popular or mis-guided belief, even HAL, Celebrity, Princess, etc, can offer bad cruise experiences. <BR> <BR>

Yes, I have been on CCL on three seperate occasions in the last 12 years. The first, not too awful bad, but then again it was my very first cruise and it was only three days. The second experience about 6 years ago, not really great after having other lines to compare it to, but again a short cruise, lots of room for improvement in the service and food departments especially. The last and final time was for 10 days and after the first 3 days it just got steadily worse. there were no single areas that needed improvement, the entire cruise needed improvement, from service to food to cruise staff attitude. After a few days, I told my Wife, I WILL NEVER SET FOOT ON ANOTHER CARNIVAL SHIP AS LONG AS I LIVE, and I meant it. That also goes for HAL because it is owned by Carnival. After comparing this line over 12 years, I have seen a steady decline in all aspects of the ships we have sailed on that belong to their fleet. None of my feelings come from second hand information, they are all from experience. And since two of the three cruises over that time span were not good, I think that should tell you something. <BR>P.S. I have been on several different lines besides Carnival and never had one complaint. Things go wrong on every cruise, but CCL is a lawsuit looking for a place to happen.

Here are the facts--- over at <BR>www.cruiseopinion.com I read over <BR>80 reviews of the Inspiration which <BR>had an overall score of 91 based on <BR>the total number of reviews. I <BR>personally found that most of the <BR>reviews were positive and only a <BR>minority were negative. My reading <BR>of all the reviews included the past <BR>archived reviews beginning in 1996 <BR>and ending with the most recent <BR>review dated 16 May 1999. I am <BR>really curious as to why I have read <BR>more postive reviews than negative <BR>reviews --- perhaps those who were <BR>unhappy with Carnival were in the <BR>minority but were more vocal. <BR>Carnival is not a traditional cruise <BR>and those unhappy with any <BR>departure from the traditional were <BR>more visceral in their opposition to <BR>Carnival. Bottom line is that <BR>Carnival has more pleased passengers and is not lacking in <BR>repeat passenger business and <BR>appears to have no problems in <BR>booking all their cabins. So like it <BR>or not, Carnival is very successful <BR>in producing a cruise product that <BR>apparently pleases most people. <BR>Janice <BR>

If you have ever tried to post a review at cruiseopinion.com that is not positive, you would know why most that you read have good comments. <BR>I know of several people that have sent me their reviews that critized CCL, after they had submitted them to cruiseopinion. they were never excepted by cruiseopinion.com. <BR>Imagine that, someone that sells cruises not wanting to post any bad review???? I wonder why not? Think about it. After these were sent to me, I myself tried to post a non-positive review of the ship we were on, they would not include it in their reviews. <BR>They will post reviews with a slight criticism, but nothing that I would call "very critical". <BR>It would be very unbusinesslke of them to post bad reviews of something that they sell. Did you happen to pay close attention to how many cruises these people that had their reviews posted have been on? Take another look. MOST have only sailed CCL or it was their first cruise. Not much to compare there.

Thank you for posting about cruiseopinion.com's bias in posting reviews. I have been reading some of these reviews (for several lines) and have noticed that none of them are terrible reviews. While it seems unlikely that no one would have a terrible review, I never thought that certain reviews were not being posted. It would make sense that the site doesn't want to bite the hand that feeds them.

I know you what you mean about posting bad reviews or opinions on on cruise line. <BR> <BR>Check out the rec.travel.cruise news group. More likely than not, you post something bad about cruising, you get slammed. <BR> <BR>Anyhow, I'd sail on CCL again, before I set foot on RCI! <BR> <BR>Have done two cruises with each line, CCL is better IMHO...price, food, staff, condtion of ship, cabins, etc. <BR> <BR>Hal, when was the last time you tried CCL? <BR> <BR>Anyhow, I respect your option, and you're a CCL basher who actually cruised on CCL, not someone who read something or heard from Aunt Selma that she didn't like CCL. <BR> <BR>Yah, I defend CCL, I like them, don't see the wild parties, the drunks, the wet tee-shirt constests, that people say exitst. <BR> <BR>Yah, a little too much on neon, but the Destiny was toned down a bit, and I understand the Triumph is toned down, even further. <BR> <BR>Ya know, a bad day cruises beats a good day at the office, any time!