Overall it was a good cruise...but I am probably done with Carnival.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Galveston is by far the slowest, most unorganized port ever. They should visit other ports to see how to do it better. Having said that, the staff were all very friendly.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Food was good in the main dining room. Service the first night was a disaster, but they fixed it for the rest of the week. The buffets were okay at best. The specialty restaurants - especially Bonsai Sushi - are great.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Lots of activities available...but I really don’t care about art auctions and Friends of Bill W. meetings.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Comedians were okay, but the shows were over crowded. At the end, they moved the comedians to the larger venue to accommodate the crowds. Stage shows were really good. Avoid the Carnival Quest “adult” scavenger hunt. You risk seeing testicles with tattoos on them and women mimicking masturbating makes (not joking here). This show alone has probably made this my last Carnival cruise after 33 days of cruising with them. There is a difference between adult humor and pure filth/trash.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The staff is always hardworking and amazing. Our cabin steward Wayan was the best!
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Very clean, new ship. It’s a little more cut up than older ships - making it harder to get around - but I liked that. We found areas where fewer people went because it was too difficult to navigate. And the Serenity adult only deck was the best!
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
This was a last minute cruise for us, so we chose an inside cabin. It was large, well designed, and very clean. What a nice surprise!
Ship tip
Avoid the buffet at all costs. It makes you feel like you’re living in the Disney movie Wall-E. (Look it up if you’ve never seen it - large, soft humans unable to move around without their scooters).
Pretty beaches, nice people. We visited Mr. Sancho’s for all-inclusive food, drinks, and activities on the beach. There were also pools with swim-up bars. It was great!
Galveston strikes again. They really need to revisit their procedures. We couldn’t even get off the boat until after 11am - not due to any fault by Carnival.
I too have experienced chaotic embarkation/disembarkation in Galveston. Fortunately, it was only one cruise out of 3. We have a cruise on the Vista in July and are pretty excited! I appreciate your honest review. We’ve only cruised Carnival so far, but I would like to try Princess and Royal next.
PS - I hate the buffets too, but in all honesty, the food reviews for other lines (except Disney) appear to be similar to Carnival.
I feel the same way about Galveston port. I live in Houston and we try to avoid Galveston port. We'll fly anywhere to avoid this port. Of course we will be doing a family cruise on the Vista, because everyone can't afford the flight to Florida. We went on the Vista when it was brand new and experienced the same things you have. Obviously the Vista hasn't gotten any better. My wife and I have decided that we will make Royal Caribbean our go to cruise company, after we had a wonderful time on the Symphony of the Seas.
We do not do any adult shows after being disgusted in the Comedy club. It went beyond what I am willing to sit through. We tried it again, and walked out again. I know not all go that far. I also found it got out of hand once during a contest on the lido deck with families all around.
We still enjoy Carnival without the adult shows. I never know what I will get, so just avoid them. Lots of clean enough fun to be had.
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