I was told Carnival was kinda like the Walmart of the world-cheap but fun. I’ve never been on any other cruises so I don’t really know but based on this experience, it could be true. The cruise had a lot of activities that were fun though People smoking weed in their rooms despite being told not to was disappointing. Also, having attire rules for the main dining for elegant and the other nights but nobody following them was disappointing too.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We were priority so it was fast and easy!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Food was excellent! Having gratuity on every drink order was surprising but understood. Didn’t attend the elegant night because my husband forgot to bring something other than jeans (wasn’t aware of certain attire until we boarded). We learned we probably could have attended because the cruise had “rules” on attire for the other nights but nobody followed those (for example: no gym shorts, bathing suits).
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Enjoyed playing bingo and the trivia games
Entertainment
2 out of 5
The performances were outstanding! The costumes on one or two of the shows made me feel a little uncomfortable though.
Children's Programs
I did not bring my child.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our room steward-Budi was amazing!
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Very nice and staff was on point in cleaning up things quickly. Smelt like weed down several room hallways though despite it being said it was NOT permitted, people did it anyways.
Cabin / Stateroom
1 out of 5
The pillows were hard to sleep on and our bathtub jets did not work. Size was awesome. Cleanliness-Budi was great!
Ship tip
Have open communication about priority disembarkation. We ended up disembarking with everyone else because we were never told priority guests were at 7:30AM. Also, it would have been nice to know about elegant attire.
I think this may be owned by Carnival. We were able to use our ship and sail card for everything. If you have the drink package, you can not use it on this island. Drinks are sold separately with gratuity for every order.
We rented snorkeling equipment but we were limited on the places we could snorkel, therefore, did not see anything good.
Elegant night to me isn’t something I want to do so I don’t my vacation I do it my way. I am not offended by your tux and gown all though I think it is a bit ridiculous but hey it’s your vacation dress how you want
Any cruise is what you make it. You cannot let other people's choices and behavior control your experience. We always wear gowns and tuxedos with matching accessories for formal nights. We are usually seated within a table or two of several folks in Jean's and tshirts. If they are happy and enjoying themselves, I'm thrilled. I hope our choices don't bother them. Actually I hope I get some of the other husbands in trouble for not dressing for their wives :). If you use spa areas, the specialty restaurants, and serenity decks strategically. You can have an experience better than much more expensive lines. It's what you make it.
The elegant night attire is on the Carnival website. It’s suggested but not necessary to enjoy the dining room. Some people choose to go all out in cocktail dresses and tuxedos while others choose a more casual approach since lugging all that stuff on vacation can be annoying. Tank tops and flip flops are generally not accepted but your husband could have worn jeans and a golf shirt and been fine. Carnival is like any other cruise line. I’ve smelled marijuana on RC and NCL too so that is not a specific Carnival issue. As for debarkation, the cruise director ALWAYS runs a “what you need to know about debarkation” chat or PowerPoint presentation either live in the theater or via your stateroom TV (which is shown on repeat the entire last day of your cruise). All of the times and info are provided there. You could have also called Guest Services and they would’ve been happy to provide this info to you. Carnival is a great, budget friendly cruise line but isn’t for everyone. Any cruise is going to be what you choose to make of it. Very rarely will you ever have a “perfect” sailing as there are always going to be little things that annoy you and every cruise will be different even if it’s on the same ship! I highly recommend a longer sailing with Carnival and also experimenting with other lines too to find out what suits you best!
I wouldn't compare them to Walmart maybe more like K Mart . Your review sounds like you had a real good time , you are lucky they are usually a lot worse .
I agree on the dress code rules. Ive been asked to change on a non formal night because of flip flops and tank top... when on formal night others were dressed in flip flops and tanks and it was ok....
Carnival cruises brand ships are the entry level bargain brand for Carnival Corp. They also own Holland and Princess cruises. They also are part owner of cruise line that lost Costa Concordia a few years ago. They did quietly get rid of it's sister ship last year that sailed under Carnival brand.
I wouldn’t judge an entire cruise line by one cruise on an older ship on a short itinerary primarily aimed at first-time and budget conscious cruisers. Those tend to be more of a party crowd atmosphere. Try a 7 or more day itinerary on a newer ship for a better experience.
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