Just Back From Carnival Dream Cruise

[Hampton]

Zoo Cruise would be more like it. Our first impressions were not good. We won't do it again. That all being said, there were some really neat aspects. I'll start with the bad and end with the good.

They packed the boat with 600 extra passengers to make it "Better" for families at Christmas - BS. 4550 +1400 crew on a boat designed for less than 4000 pax stole the cruise from my family and I. Lines for lunch. Lines for snacks. Lines for seats at shows. Lines for elevators - people getting on and going wrong way just to get on. YGBSM.

Noisy kids everywhere - running up and down passageways, decks, restaurants... Doors slamming constantly throughout the ship. Diapered babies in every hot tub, every day. Daughter got hit by a golf ball thrown off top deck (5 decks above). Security refused to act.

Pay for cokes - $2. Pay for drinks - $5.75 for a beer and up from there. Auto pay for gratuity - 15% for every purchase plus $10/traveler per day ($280 for us). Pay for photos. Pay for ship tours ($95 each). Pay for cups. Don't pay for food, except in one restaurant. Don't pay for coffee, juice, lemonade or room service (nice).

Can't bring alcohol aboard except for 1 bottle of wine per adult - $14 corking fee each. PM me for details about how to get around these.

Trash, dirt, stains everywhere on a 3 month old ship.

The stabilizing system seemed out of order. It was obvious when it was engaged. The ship "Twitched" aggressively. When turned off (most of cruise), the ship rocked and rolled impressively. I think they left the system off either because it wasn't working or to reduce drag. This cruise was all about collecting cash.

Our cabin was simply awesome. King bed, large balcony, granite tops, mirrors, dimmed indirect lighting, mirrors, sitting area, jacuzzi bath and shower, wood cabinets, doors, walls - much like a big Sea Ray interior - other than the banging, we could "Get Away" in our cabin, and only in our cabin.

Our daughters' cabin was one step down: Two small beds, medium balcony, and no wood anywhere. No bath (shower only). White formica everywhere. The cabin across the hall from us was about 1/3 the size of ours and had 2 pairs of bunk beds on either wall and a tiny head with shower over head (like a small sea ray) - 4 people in a tiny closet.

Watching the ocean was awesome, though we never saw a single fish or mammal after leaving port Canaveral until returning to port can. We cruised to Nassau (S417 hole), St Thomas, and St Martin. On St Thomas, we took a taxi to the other side to a very nice, crowded, commercial beach called Magen's Bay Beach. $32 to get there, $16 to get in, drinks cost too much, then $32 to get back (for 4). 3 well spent hours.

On St Martin, we booked an excursion from the ship. We took the Dream Catamaran Sailing Charter (all 68 of us - my family plus 64 others from the ship). It was great! $80 each to sail for 1 1/2 hours each way to a secluded beach on the East side of St Martin (French part), and about 1 1/2 hours on the beach. We snorkled and kitesurfed. On the way back, there were free sandwiches, free beer, music, and fun dancing for everyone. It was great!

Though we really enjoyed hanging out in our cabin and watching the ocean, we will not be paying premium prices to cram ourselves into a big, metal craft and bang our way across the Caribbean (not the good way) with 6000 of our closest friends. We went with my parents and my sister's family, and that made it all worth while.

 

[VTSeaRay]

I've heard of similar horror stories re: Carnival. We went on RCCL and had a blast, the boat was setup well, and no over-crowding, if anything, it was low on folks. Although the dining rooms were full (we ate late set).

 

[wetpaint]

Each cruise line caters to certain crowds and like being in a hotel on an island or at Disney, this week is a zoo (airports)......I still think SEARAY CRUISE LINES IS THE BEST.........Love my boat and cruising waters and destinations!

 

[Hampton]

Each cruise line caters to certain crowds and like being in a hotel on an island or at Disney, this week is a zoo (airports)......I still think SEARAY CRUISE LINES IS THE BEST.........Love my boat and cruising waters and destinations!

Agreed!

We are cruising to Destin in a couple of days for our standard New Years Eve at Baytowne Wharf. Then, in June, we are going on a cruise of a lifetime for a month on our Sea Ray.

 

[Go Aweigh2452]

Thanks for the feedback... Read it to my Admiral so now I am safer to NOT go...:smt038

 

[Swimparent]

Hey John,
Where are you cruising in June? We have often thought of cruising to our place on Mexico Beach but it would take 5 or 6 days to get there and then that much for the return trip. We have just never figured out a time to do it.

That being said....we did find 2 weeks this summer to spend a week in Alaska (starting in Fairbanks and ending in Anchorage) and then take a Princess Cruise from Anchorage to Vancouver. I would highly recommend. We took our 19 year old and our 10 year old. There were enough kids to keep them company, but it was mostly adults. It is the only cruise that I have been on (other than the Delta Queen down the Tennesse River) so I don't have much to compare it to, but I would think it would be entirely different than a Carribean Cruise. My husband was like you though, if he can't drive it he would just as soon not be on it

 

[HUMPH]

The two things you did wrong were as follows:

1. You went on Carnival... not a good cruise line. Cheap but not very good. (we cruise Princess and love it)
2. Never, never, never cruise when kids are on holiday or summer break! We did make that mistake on our first cruise and the admiral wanted to stay in the cabin most of the time!

Also, research what you want to do before leaving. You can book the same excursions online much cheaper than when you are there or especially what the ship charges you! :smt009

 

[Aloha Friday]

Good review Hampton - I always like reading your posts on CSR...While not nearly as "Sea Ray-experienced" as most others out here, my wife and I have taken close to 30 cruises in our 12 years together. While I understand many of the things that turn people off about cruising, for us its one of the best vacation choices available.

What we love about cruising:
Sea Days (much more than many port days)
Back corner balconies
Watching the connection bars on my Blackberry drop to zero
Great way to see Hawaii / Alaska / Panama Canal
Enjoying assorted whiskeys and cigars on said balcony
Waking up somewhere different
Staying on the ship during popular port days
St. Martin, Curacao and other French beaches
Tuxedos and formel dresses one night, pizza in shorts and flip flops the next
Ability to dive / snorkel 3-4 islands in a week
Comraderie of (most) fellow cruisers
Sitting on the sand and watching the big jets come in at 70 feet (yes 70 feet) over the beach in St. Martin
Royal Caribbean's Diamond Level Concierge Lounge (soon Diamond Plus) and other frequent guest perks
Evening sushi and complimentary cocktails with other frequent cruisers in said Concierge Lounge
Downright inexpensive vacation at around $100 / day +/- per person

What we tolerate about cruising:
Buffett breakfast lines
Long lines to tender boats
People with the "I spent $1500 on this cruise so get out of my way as I damn well am going to eat that much in buffet food
Regimented schedule to some degree
Maniac kids whose parents see cruising as a way to make the kids someone elses' problem, though accidental tripping can become an art form

So sure, its not a quiet, romantic get-away type vacation. We party pretty hard on cruises and while to-each-their-own, we set up a nice stocked bar in our cabin and just chill out, enjoying the sights, sounds, buzz and good company we always find out upon the seas.
While we have cruised with Princess, Celebrity and Carnival, just like with airlines and hotels, to me it makes sense to pick your brand and stick with them. So, we decided on Royal Caribbean and have been very happy with that line. As long as your come into a cruise with realistic expectations, you will rarely be disappointed. You can find better sushi elsewhere, the steaks are not Morton's and you'll get hassled by Jamaican taxi drivers every time. Those things you can bank on. But, I found a good deal on a Breitling in St. Martin, snorkled in Molokini crater, watched Mendenhall glacier calve off huge ice chunks, went under the Golden Gate bridge and past Alcatrez at sunrise, seen lava flow and explode into the Pacific Ocean at midnight, gotten a close up look at Monserrat, seen water spouts while at sea eating a Johnny Rockets cheeseburger, went cave tubing in a jaguar preserve in Belize, sucked down Red Stripes going under the Pan American bridge in the Panama Canal, ah and I almost forgot, got married at Kapalua Beach in Maui and then walked down Front Street in Lahaina drinking champagne from a bottle and finally came back onboard to watch dolphins chasing fish from the balcony.

During the last few years, I have averaged 60 nights a year in hotels with 90-180 flight segments for business trips. While there are many spectacular places in this country and world to visit, what I crave for a vacation is my wife, iPod, some escargot, sand in my docksiders, a good buzz and meeting new friends. The biggest decisions I want to make are things like "Should we get some iced cream or take a nap...Creme brulee or cheesecake...Woodford Reserve or Laphroaig.... ?" We have three more cruises booked in 2010 and while there is no such thing as a perfect, foolproof vacation this is our top choice most of the time. While not ready to quit her day job, this year my wife became a travel agent specializing in cruises. The money is not great, but she gets a kick out of helping others plan their vacations and it keeps her busy when I am travelling.

So, just like I love evey bit of flying and others hate getting onto a plane...Some people just don't dig what cruising is all about. I totally get that. Its easy to be envious seeing people walking along a beach in Lahaina, Hawaii on a beautiful evening when our ship is departing. We're always thrilled to get home from a cruise and out on our Sea Ray running the ICW and rivers of Charleston. But pulling into Hilo, Hawaii after 5 days across the Pacific Ocean or looking at a sunset in Charlotte Amalie.....it sure is hard to beat.

 

[Quint4]

This is a timely post as I just booked a 4 day Bahama cruise on Carnival last night. Leaving out of Port Canaveral in April. I have never been on a cruise ship....sounds like it should be interesting.

 

[Nacho Boat]

Living in Florida, I have been on a few Carnival Cruises. Carnival is definately the "Wal-Mart" of cruises. Cheap, crowded, and not very customer focused. The customer service on Carnival used to be much better years ago (when the customer was always right....but not today).

But if buy it cheap, and know what to expect, it's not a bad way to spend your vacation.

 

[Presentation]

Hey John,

We are Cruise-oholics here. In 4 weeks we will be going on our 10th Disney cruise.

We have also cruised on other lines including Carnival.

Although I don’t argue with your assessment, cruising on Carnival during Christmas school break would have meant your above described experience should have been expected.

Cruising Disney or another premium brand in late January would have resulted in a very different cruising experience.

Just like boat brands, do your shopping and comparing.

Disney is darn expensive. For us, at this point in our lives and with the age of our kids it’s the right vacation for us.

 

[Stray Cat]

Trash, dirt, stains everywhere on a 3 month old ship.

Jeez, I think even Noah ran a tighter ship! People can sure make a hell of a mess of things in short order...that's too bad.

 

[Bridog]

Good review Hampton - I always like reading your posts on CSR...While not nearly as "Sea Ray-experienced" as most others out here, my wife and I have taken close to 30 cruises in our 12 years together. While I understand many of the things that turn people off about cruising, for us its one of the best vacation choices available.

What we love about cruising:
Sea Days (much more than many port days)
Back corner balconies
Watching the connection bars on my Blackberry drop to zero
Great way to see Hawaii / Alaska / Panama Canal
Enjoying assorted whiskeys and cigars on said balcony
Waking up somewhere different
Staying on the ship during popular port days
St. Martin, Curacao and other French beaches
Tuxedos and formel dresses one night, pizza in shorts and flip flops the next
Ability to dive / snorkel 3-4 islands in a week
Comraderie of (most) fellow cruisers
Sitting on the sand and watching the big jets come in at 70 feet (yes 70 feet) over the beach in St. Martin
Royal Caribbean's Diamond Level Concierge Lounge (soon Diamond Plus) and other frequent guest perks
Evening sushi and complimentary cocktails with other frequent cruisers in said Concierge Lounge
Downright inexpensive vacation at around $100 / day +/- per person

What we tolerate about cruising:
Buffett breakfast lines
Long lines to tender boats
People with the "I spent $1500 on this cruise so get out of my way as I damn well am going to eat that much in buffet food
Regimented schedule to some degree
Maniac kids whose parents see cruising as a way to make the kids someone elses' problem, though accidental tripping can become an art form

So sure, its not a quiet, romantic get-away type vacation. We party pretty hard on cruises and while to-each-their-own, we set up a nice stocked bar in our cabin and just chill out, enjoying the sights, sounds, buzz and good company we always find out upon the seas.
While we have cruised with Princess, Celebrity and Carnival, just like with airlines and hotels, to me it makes sense to pick your brand and stick with them. So, we decided on Royal Caribbean and have been very happy with that line. As long as your come into a cruise with realistic expectations, you will rarely be disappointed. You can find better sushi elsewhere, the steaks are not Morton's and you'll get hassled by Jamaican taxi drivers every time. Those things you can bank on. But, I found a good deal on a Breitling in St. Martin, snorkled in Molokini crater, watched Mendenhall glacier calve off huge ice chunks, went under the Golden Gate bridge and past Alcatrez at sunrise, seen lava flow and explode into the Pacific Ocean at midnight, gotten a close up look at Monserrat, seen water spouts while at sea eating a Johnny Rockets cheeseburger, went cave tubing in a jaguar preserve in Belize, sucked down Red Stripes going under the Pan American bridge in the Panama Canal, ah and I almost forgot, got married at Kapalua Beach in Maui and then walked down Front Street in Lahaina drinking champagne from a bottle and finally came back onboard to watch dolphins chasing fish from the balcony.

During the last few years, I have averaged 60 nights a year in hotels with 90-180 flight segments for business trips. While there are many spectacular places in this country and world to visit, what I crave for a vacation is my wife, iPod, some escargot, sand in my docksiders, a good buzz and meeting new friends. The biggest decisions I want to make are things like "Should we get some iced cream or take a nap...Creme brulee or cheesecake...Woodford Reserve or Laphroaig.... ?" We have three more cruises booked in 2010 and while there is no such thing as a perfect, foolproof vacation this is our top choice most of the time. While not ready to quit her day job, this year my wife became a travel agent specializing in cruises. The money is not great, but she gets a kick out of helping others plan their vacations and it keeps her busy when I am travelling.

So, just like I love evey bit of flying and others hate getting onto a plane...Some people just don't dig what cruising is all about. I totally get that. Its easy to be envious seeing people walking along a beach in Lahaina, Hawaii on a beautiful evening when our ship is departing. We're always thrilled to get home from a cruise and out on our Sea Ray running the ICW and rivers of Charleston. But pulling into Hilo, Hawaii after 5 days across the Pacific Ocean or looking at a sunset in Charlotte Amalie.....it sure is hard to beat.

Aloha Friday...
Wow...After reading Johns post I was ready to stop nagging my wife about going on a cruise. I've never been on a real cruise but she had a very bad experience as a young adult on one. But now, after THAT post, I want to reconsider.:smt101 What cruise line is better than the rest? I will do research and do not want a bunch of kids running around so I'm assuming Disney cruise line is out. Thoughts?

 

[JediJD]

We have done a bunch of cruising...on most of the lines and many different times of the year.

Hampton described, accurately, the worst of times (when at its worst, it is still manageable and in some cases downright pleasant). Aloha described, accurately, the best of times (which can simply be magic).

Thanks to both of you for reminding me, but we spent our cruise budget for this year on a cruiser...so y'all will have to break in Dream and the other new ships without us.

 

[Presentation]

.... What cruise line is better than the rest? I will do research and do not want a bunch of kids running around so I'm assuming Disney cruise line is out.

I’d have to know more about you and your goals before I could recommend a line.

If you wish to avoid kids you may want to consider HAL a.k.a Holland America Line. We cruised on the Noordam twice. We had a great, more elegant time.

My comparison:


Carnival:
- Comparatively low cost, it’s the “Bayliner” of cruise lines.
- Some of the Carnival ships have a small waterpark onboard, more than just a single slide and a couple of pools.
- I felt they were pushy to spend more money.
- Shows will have dancing Vegas style show girls – no nudity but a fair amount of skin, jugglers, comedians, ventriloquist.
- Big casino onboard, lots of gambling.
- General atmosphere is neon glitz
- General mood is party
- This is a mass market brand that attracts a diverse clientele.


Disney Cruise Line:
- Very Expensive, about double the cost of Carnival given the same itinerary, time of year and as close to the same style room as you can get. Sure they have promotions from time to time like kids sail free or bounce back offers but Carnival has promotions of their own.
- Way less itinerary alternatives. Disney has two ships with a third and fourth being built now. Carnival has 22 ships.
- Much larger staterooms then Carnival.
- You rotate thru different dining rooms with different themes. Your wait staff rotates with you.
- I wound call the shows “Broadway Express.” All the talent and props but half the time as a broadway show.
- Shows will be Disney like Toy story, Golden Mickey’s (mix of Disney movies inside a award show), Twice Charmed (Cinderella) Disney Dreams (mix of Disney movies inside a bedtime / Peter Pan themed show) or some previous Disney movie theme. On the longer cruises you also get other shows that are jugglers, comedians, & ventriloquist and these same people put on late night shows that are more adult oriented.
- Disney has a private island and you dock, not tender to the island. No one else does this.
- This island has multiple beaches with the main beach open to everyone; a ‘teen’ only beach then off on its own is an adult’s only beach.
- Soda is included (no charge) at the self service station by the kids pool and in the restaurants, even the restaurant on their island.
- Much better kids programs. Although they have age guidelines for their various programs they recently started allowing the parents to choose to put their kids in a program recommended for another age group. No additional fee for programs. Baby sitting (under 3 / in diapers) does have a fee.
- Characters aplenty. From Caption Mickey to Caption Hook to Captain Jack Sparrow, there are a lot of Captions onboard.
- General mood is family
- General atmosphere is elegance
- There are adult only areas including a high end restaurant Palo’s, a pool / hot tub area, as well as a nighttime entertainment area with a variety of bars, each with its own theme.
- Pirate party is THE Pirate party of the cruise industry with the only firework show at sea. During the pirate party Captain Hook and the other villains mutiny and take over but don’t worry, the heroes fight back and with the help of Mickey Mouse who comes flying in from the top of the smoke stack on a zip line, retake control and save the day.
- From a pure entertainment perspective, it’s hard to top Disney.
- No casino
- Tends to attract upper middle class family clientele.


Holland American Line:
- Mid priced.
- In my opinion, the general dining room food vs the general dining room food on the other lines, HAL was superior to the other two lines.
- Shows may include A very entertaining violinist, bango, etc.
- Will have a casino onboard.
- Although kids are allowed, the line simply attracts a more mature clientele.
- General atmosphere is classic
- General mood is “let’s go play bingo” which is fine from my perspective since I’ll have my choice of deck chairs by the nearly empty pool.
- Tends to attract a more mature (older) clientele.

All Brands
- Alcohol is expensive.
- Rates for the same itinerary and cruise length on the same ship vary dramatically depending on the date. For example John went during Christmas, a peak time. This same cruise after Thanksgiving and before Christmas cost half or less.


Of course there are many more lines as well. I just did the above because we have been on several cruises of all of these three lines so I feel I can contribute my opinion.

 

[JediJD]

Adding my $.02 on cruises...ditto to the previous post. NCL is a little less Bayliner and Royal Carribbean is a little further up the food chain...maybe not Sea Ray anymore (they used to be but they have been heading steadily mid-market). Disney tries to go upstream...much better show and more pizazz for the kids, but we wouldn't go on a boat with no casino.

 

[Mystic Dreamer]

My wife and I are also avid cruisers...we have been on over 20 cruises and we have 2 planned this year... February on Celebrity's Solstice in the Caribbean and in June on Oceania's Nautica in Europe.

The other posters have summed up our experiences also... Carnival is just not an upscale line and you get what you pay for. (With that being said, I have had a couple of bachelor parties on Carnival's Sensation out of Port Caniveral and it was perfect for that- a cheap, all inclusive, party that got us to the Bahamas and back- and the clientele )

We have been on 5 or 6 Royal Caribbean cruises and would recommend them for new cruisers looking for a mass market, affordable cruise. (We almost went back on RC this year but prefer the more upscale feel of Celebrity). Although we have not cruised Princess or NCL, we hear good things about both of those lines...

We love cruising for many of the same reasons others do- In chhosing a cruise, do your research, try a few different lines, and enjoy!

Brian

 

[northern]

If you own a boat why would you go on a cruise? We go to Alaska in the summer and into Washington in the fall. Always cheep drinks and the food is good.

 

[Presentation]

If you own a boat why would you go on a cruise? We go to Alaska in the summer and into Washington in the fall. Always cheep drinks and the food is good.

We have a hard water problem in the winter.

We crusie in the winter.

 

[Daddubo]

Hey John,

We are Cruise-oholics here. In 4 weeks we will be going on our 10th Disney cruise.

We have also cruised on other lines including Carnival.

Although I don’t argue with your assessment, cruising on Carnival during Christmas school break would have meant your above described experience should have been expected.

Cruising Disney or another premium brand in late January would have resulted in a very different cruising experience.

Just like boat brands, do your shopping and comparing.

Disney is darn expensive. For us, at this point in our lives and with the age of our kids it’s the right vacation for us.

I have to agree with the Disney Cruise My wife won one through a Home Company she was working for and it was great. The ship was small they had a lot of things for the kids to do an adult only pool and the Disney Island was outrageous the only people on the Island were the people on the ship! A Teen Club for the older kids and all the Disney characters the little ones love.:thumbsup: