CARNIVAL VS DCL: The discussion and comparison thread!

[RedSox68]

I generally buy enough OBC (or in the case of Carnival Cruise Cash Bar) to cover two to three drinks per day. (Three drinks a day would be me saying "let's go nuts!" as I don't drink much and usually stick to water and tea... and orange -passion-guava juice on a cruise)... It generally cost me half the price of a package or less and I don't need to care about the money.

I usually put more money in OBC than I think I really need and I usually get a refund.

This is how we do it (unless the drink package is included). I just pad the OBC account for drinks and extras ahead of time and usually have money left over. We had NCL reward credits from the charge card on the Breakaway last year and we ended up with a $66 refund because we didn't even use it all.

Nice treat for our Cuba cruise on NCL next year -- just found out all drinks are included with no added tax or gratuity. Apparently it is part of that particular cruise package!

 

[mousefan73]

Csn anyone comment on the eastern caribbean on the Carnival magic?? Havent found much here on the magic. We decided with 5 DCL is too much so NCL Getaway and Carnival Magic are the other options. We prefer Port canaveral (magic) to Miami ( ncl). Magic offers more with activities and kids club for ours 12/13. though NCL getaway seems "classier" per youtube videos.

I am just concerned about the typical carnival reputation. Dont want to offend but the youtube videos i found on the magic showed kinda mall food court trashy folks. One guy was swearing and commenting on others rudly in his video.

Also which is better eastbor west end Aug. With huurricane risk? Cozumel / maya vs san juan /turk??

Thanks!

 

[mevelandry]

Csn anyone comment on the eastern caribbean on the Carnival magic?? Havent found much here on the magic. We decided with 5 DCL is too much so NCL Getaway and Carnival Magic are the other options. We prefer Port canaveral (magic) to Miami ( ncl). Magic offers more with activities and kids club for ours 12/13. though NCL getaway seems "classier" per youtube videos.

I am just concerned about the typical carnival reputation. Dont want to offend but the youtube videos i found on the magic showed kinda mall food court trashy folks. One guy was swearing and commenting on others rudly in his video.

Also which is better eastbor west end Aug. With huurricane risk? Cozumel / maya vs san juan /turk??

Thanks!

I wouldn't worry too much about the "typical reputation". In fact when I cruised I found it to be quite the opposite. It's common knowledge among Carnival cruisers that shorter cruises to the Bahamas and Mexico (Baja) tend to attract a little more partying cruisers. But even there, you could be as lucky as I was.

I suscribed to three FB groups about Carnival ships and I hear a lot of good words about the Magic, so much that I added it to my "interesting ships" list (with Vista, Horizon, Breeze and... another one that I can't remember at the moment)...

DH and I are "In bed at 10:00 PM, awaken at 5:00 AM" type of people. We had no problem during our 4 nights on the Victory.

If I am not mistaken, the Magic does longer cruises. I wouldn't worry to much but I would book a room aft or forward: less traffic in the hallways.

Rude passengers can happen anywhere. The most obnoxious I've encountered were on DCL.

About hurricane risks. There are no guarantees. It can happen anywhere at any time. Just prepare yourself for the possibility that a port could be replaced by another or simply cancelled. It happened to us once.

 

[RedSox68]

Csn anyone comment on the eastern caribbean on the Carnival magic?? Havent found much here on the magic. We decided with 5 DCL is too much so NCL Getaway and Carnival Magic are the other options. We prefer Port canaveral (magic) to Miami ( ncl). Magic offers more with activities and kids club for ours 12/13. though NCL getaway seems "classier" per youtube videos.

I am just concerned about the typical carnival reputation. Dont want to offend but the youtube videos i found on the magic showed kinda mall food court trashy folks. One guy was swearing and commenting on others rudly in his video.

Also which is better eastbor west end Aug. With huurricane risk? Cozumel / maya vs san juan /turk??

Thanks!

Can't comment on that particular ship, but can say that we've done 16 cruises and many were in August, September and October. In 17 years of cruising, we've only run into two hurricanes -- Hurricane Frances in 2004 and Hurricane Hillary on the west coast in 2005 (both on Disney ships). Both times we were well taken care of, ports were added to replace cancelled ones and we never felt in danger. I have never worried about booking a cruise anytime between June and November. I'd go for the itinerary you like and are most interested in and the cheapest dates. We have done both east and westbound and both had their good ports and bad. If I did another, I'd do west only because we have done east so many times.

As for the "Carnival reputation", I didn't see any of that on our Carnival Glory cruise in 2013. we are sailing again this September and I'm not worried about it at all. A cruise is what you make it. Heck, I have seen drunk and disorderly conduct more than once on a Disney Cruise - enough to make us move out of the area where it was happening and go somewhere else on the ship. It wouldn't keep me from sailing Disney again. Happy planning!

 

[PrincessTrisha]

Csn anyone comment on the eastern caribbean on the Carnival magic?? Havent found much here on the magic. We decided with 5 DCL is too much so NCL Getaway and Carnival Magic are the other options. We prefer Port canaveral (magic) to Miami ( ncl). Magic offers more with activities and kids club for ours 12/13. though NCL getaway seems "classier" per youtube videos.

I am just concerned about the typical carnival reputation. Dont want to offend but the youtube videos i found on the magic showed kinda mall food court trashy folks. One guy was swearing and commenting on others rudly in his video.

Also which is better eastbor west end Aug. With huurricane risk? Cozumel / maya vs san juan /turk??

Thanks!

The benefit to doing the San Juan/Grand Turk is that Grand Turk isn't some place you can go on Disney or Royal or NCL (it's a Carnival Corp stop - so Carnival, Princess and HAL).

I wouldn't worry too much about the reputation of Carnival - any more than I would say someone should be scared off of sailing DCL due to it's reputation for being the "kids only - all kids stuff all the time" cruise line (it's not).

Carnival Magic was refurbished last year so it has most of the new bells and whistles of Carnival including Camp Ocean, Guy's Burgers AND the new Guy's Pig and Anchor BBQ, Alchemy bar and the Blue Iguana Cantina.

The Carnival Magic also has a few more unique style of cabins that I recommend:

1. Porthole - these are priced as an interior but are the size of an oceanview and feature two small, round portholes so you have day light.
2. Family oceanview - these sleep up to 5 people and have a split bathroom (similar to DCL)
3. Cove Balcony - these are on the second floor so really close to the water; they are more enclosed than a regular balcony and much more private.
4. Spa cabin - they offer interior, ocean view, balconies and suites - these come with special spa perks

 

[mevelandry]

I did not know Carnival Corp was the only one going in Grand Turk. I won't bother checking with other cruise lines when comes the time...

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

I did not know Carnival Corp was the only one going in Grand Turk. I won't bother checking with other cruise lines when comes the time...

Grand Turk is really a great beach day, we loved it. I would also add Curaçao to places to visit. The downtown area is about a 10 minute walk from the port and is so safe and clean, it was beautiful there.

A few more thoughts from our B2B:

We docked this morning and at this point have to say, we are full fledged card carrying Carnies! We'll still continue with DCL as well but man we just have a blast on CCL. This is also coming from someone who does not drink alcohol, so that was not a factor in my enjoyment.

The Cruise Director on CCL, plays a much bigger role than on DCL and really can make or break a cruise. Our first Vista cruise we had Matt Mitchum, who is the number 1 rated CD on Carnival. We were supposed to have him again fir these 2 cruises, but the pulled him for our 2 cruises only and put him on another ship that was hosting a bunch of NFL players. We ended up with Chris Williams, aka The Flying Scotsman. Wow is all I can say about that man, he was fantastic and I actually liked him better than Matt.

Service on the ship actually got better on the 2nd cruise as more crew members recognized us from the 1st cruise.

We were able to sign up for the "Behind the Fun" your which was a 3 hour tour where we actually got to go the kitchen, engine control room, housekeeping, crew galley and lounge, backstage of the theater, and the up on the bridge and were able to meet the Captain. The cost for this was $95/person and was worth every penny. It's hard to come by as they only take 2 groups of 16 on the last sea day, I loved it!!

Cleanliness of the ship was great. I'm a restaurant guy and have managed or owned restaurants for the last 30 years and am hyper critical about cleanliness. I could not believe the amount of deep cleaning going on all around the ship. As I was going through the buffet this morning the Restaurant Captain had a white glove and flashlight checking the wood slatted ceiling over the beverage area for cleanliness. The whole ship looked fantastic, I was so happy to see this going on.

One quick comment on guest service then I need to get some sleep. One of our FB cruise group members posted one of their experiences on the ship. Their daughter became ill with a stomach bug at the beginning of the cruise and was quarantined to the cabin for 3 days. Carnival prorated the cruise fare for her and refunded the 3 days fare to them, they did not ask fir this at all, just something they did. I think they are really trying to up their game and shed their booze cruise reputation.

I'll post more in the next couple days.

 

[mevelandry]

Grand Turk is really a great beach day, we loved it. I would also add Curaçao to places to visit. The downtown area is about a 10 minute walk from the port and is so safe and clean, it was beautiful there.

A few more thoughts from our B2B:

We docked this morning and at this point have to say, we are full fledged card carrying Carnies! We'll still continue with DCL as well but man we just have a blast on CCL. This is also coming from someone who does not drink alcohol, so that was not a factor in my enjoyment.

The Cruise Director on CCL, plays a much bigger role than on DCL and really can make or break a cruise. Our first Vista cruise we had Matt Mitchum, who is the number 1 rated CD on Carnival. We were supposed to have him again fir these 2 cruises, but the pulled him for our 2 cruises only and put him on another ship that was hosting a bunch of NFL players. We ended up with Chris Williams, aka The Flying Scotsman. Wow is all I can say about that man, he was fantastic and I actually liked him better than Matt.

Service on the ship actually got better on the 2nd cruise as more crew members recognized us from the 1st cruise.

We were able to sign up for the "Behind the Fun" your which was a 3 hour tour where we actually got to go the kitchen, engine control room, housekeeping, crew galley and lounge, backstage of the theater, and the up on the bridge and were able to meet the Captain. The cost for this was $95/person and was worth every penny. It's hard to come by as they only take 2 groups of 16 on the last sea day, I loved it!!

Cleanliness of the ship was great. I'm a restaurant guy and have managed or owned restaurants for the last 30 years and am hyper critical about cleanliness. I could not believe the amount of deep cleaning going on all around the ship. As I was going through the buffet this morning the Restaurant Captain had a white glove and flashlight checking the wood slatted ceiling over the beverage area for cleanliness. The whole ship looked fantastic, I was so happy to see this going on.

One quick comment on guest service then I need to get some sleep. One of our FB cruise group members posted one of their experiences on the ship. Their daughter became ill with a stomach bug at the beginning of the cruise and was quarantined to the cabin for 3 days. Carnival prorated the cruise fare for her and refunded the 3 days fare to them, they did not ask fir this at all, just something they did. I think they are really trying to up their game and shed their booze cruise reputation.

I'll post more in the next couple days.

Welcome back! Thanks for your review!!! Yes, Matt Micham is pretty popular but unfortunately he'll be done on the Vista when we go. I forgot the name of the CD we'll get.

And yes, CD on Carnival are everywhere and very involved.

I do want to try the GT, Aruba, Curacao cruise within the next two years if possible.

I think they do it on the Conquest as well...?

 

[mousefan73]

My husband is easy. He does whatever I say. LOL.
Last week his company awarded him two round trip business class tickets to London. Since we have no one to watch our kids for me to go. He and my oldest son have decided to do something this year. I think they've settled on the Oktoberfest in Munich during fall break and then maybe Austria. My plans may change yet again. It will just be me and my youngest son sailing this Fall. I have to say pricing out cruises for two people has been a very enjoyable experience for me. I was just looking at the DCL Alaska cruise in September....hmm not a bad price. The WBTA has had some rooms open up. Not sure I can swing tickets to Barcelona though. I may put my Vista cruise off until March and take advantage of cruising DCL since now I'm only paying for two. I hate to go to the boring Caribbean while there off partying it up in Germany. Yes, I'm a little jealous... Ha Ha. No seriously it's a great opportunity for them to spend some time together. I'm looking forward to my trips with my youngest son. There's something very special about spending one on one time with your kid.
If I could just figure out what I want to do. I think I may have set a record for changing my mind. It's weird to think in 5 years they will both be adults. Time goes so fast.

Met my husband at the Oktoberfest. Now in Germany.

 

[RedSox68]

Grand Turk is really a great beach day, we loved it. I would also add Curaçao to places to visit. The downtown area is about a 10 minute walk from the port and is so safe and clean, it was beautiful there.

A few more thoughts from our B2B:

We docked this morning and at this point have to say, we are full fledged card carrying Carnies! We'll still continue with DCL as well but man we just have a blast on CCL. This is also coming from someone who does not drink alcohol, so that was not a factor in my enjoyment.

The Cruise Director on CCL, plays a much bigger role than on DCL and really can make or break a cruise. Our first Vista cruise we had Matt Mitchum, who is the number 1 rated CD on Carnival. We were supposed to have him again fir these 2 cruises, but the pulled him for our 2 cruises only and put him on another ship that was hosting a bunch of NFL players. We ended up with Chris Williams, aka The Flying Scotsman. Wow is all I can say about that man, he was fantastic and I actually liked him better than Matt.

Service on the ship actually got better on the 2nd cruise as more crew members recognized us from the 1st cruise.

We were able to sign up for the "Behind the Fun" your which was a 3 hour tour where we actually got to go the kitchen, engine control room, housekeeping, crew galley and lounge, backstage of the theater, and the up on the bridge and were able to meet the Captain. The cost for this was $95/person and was worth every penny. It's hard to come by as they only take 2 groups of 16 on the last sea day, I loved it!!

Cleanliness of the ship was great. I'm a restaurant guy and have managed or owned restaurants for the last 30 years and am hyper critical about cleanliness. I could not believe the amount of deep cleaning going on all around the ship. As I was going through the buffet this morning the Restaurant Captain had a white glove and flashlight checking the wood slatted ceiling over the beverage area for cleanliness. The whole ship looked fantastic, I was so happy to see this going on.

One quick comment on guest service then I need to get some sleep. One of our FB cruise group members posted one of their experiences on the ship. Their daughter became ill with a stomach bug at the beginning of the cruise and was quarantined to the cabin for 3 days. Carnival prorated the cruise fare for her and refunded the 3 days fare to them, they did not ask fir this at all, just something they did. I think they are really trying to up their game and shed their booze cruise reputation.

I'll post more in the next couple days.

Wonderful report. I'd love to do that "Behind the Fun" tour. Hope they offer it in September on the Sunshine. Did you book it ahead or once onboard?

The fact that they refunded the family 3 days for their daughter being sick is amazing. I'm not even sure Disney has done that unasked

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Wonderful report. I'd love to do that "Behind the Fun" tour. Hope they offer it in September on the Sunshine. Did you book it ahead or once onboard?

The fact that they refunded the family 3 days for their daughter being sick is amazing. I'm not even sure Disney has done that unasked

As soon as you board the ship, go to the excursion desk to try to book it. They don't let anyone book it before getting in the ship. Im pretty sure it's on all the ships, they usually do the tour on the last sea day. They give all people a few pics that were take of all of us, a backpack, hat and lanyard. We also had a plate of chocolate covered strawberries and cookies waiting for us in the cabin when we returned.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Welcome back! Thanks for your review!!! Yes, Matt Micham is pretty popular but unfortunately he'll be done on the Vista when we go. I forgot the name of the CD we'll get.

And yes, CD on Carnival are everywhere and very involved.

I do want to try the GT, Aruba, Curacao cruise within the next two years if possible.

I think they do it on the Conquest as well...?

When is Matt leaving the Vista?

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Grand Turk is really a great beach day, we loved it. I would also add Curaçao to places to visit. The downtown area is about a 10 minute walk from the port and is so safe and clean, it was beautiful there.

A few more thoughts from our B2B:

We docked this morning and at this point have to say, we are full fledged card carrying Carnies! We'll still continue with DCL as well but man we just have a blast on CCL. This is also coming from someone who does not drink alcohol, so that was not a factor in my enjoyment.

The Cruise Director on CCL, plays a much bigger role than on DCL and really can make or break a cruise. Our first Vista cruise we had Matt Mitchum, who is the number 1 rated CD on Carnival. We were supposed to have him again fir these 2 cruises, but the pulled him for our 2 cruises only and put him on another ship that was hosting a bunch of NFL players. We ended up with Chris Williams, aka The Flying Scotsman. Wow is all I can say about that man, he was fantastic and I actually liked him better than Matt.

Service on the ship actually got better on the 2nd cruise as more crew members recognized us from the 1st cruise.

We were able to sign up for the "Behind the Fun" your which was a 3 hour tour where we actually got to go the kitchen, engine control room, housekeeping, crew galley and lounge, backstage of the theater, and the up on the bridge and were able to meet the Captain. The cost for this was $95/person and was worth every penny. It's hard to come by as they only take 2 groups of 16 on the last sea day, I loved it!!

Cleanliness of the ship was great. I'm a restaurant guy and have managed or owned restaurants for the last 30 years and am hyper critical about cleanliness. I could not believe the amount of deep cleaning going on all around the ship. As I was going through the buffet this morning the Restaurant Captain had a white glove and flashlight checking the wood slatted ceiling over the beverage area for cleanliness. The whole ship looked fantastic, I was so happy to see this going on.

One quick comment on guest service then I need to get some sleep. One of our FB cruise group members posted one of their experiences on the ship. Their daughter became ill with a stomach bug at the beginning of the cruise and was quarantined to the cabin for 3 days. Carnival prorated the cruise fare for her and refunded the 3 days fare to them, they did not ask fir this at all, just something they did. I think they are really trying to up their game and shed their booze cruise reputation.

I'll post more in the next couple days.

Love hearing your experiences! On the Vista next month!

 

[RedSox68]

As soon as you board the ship, go to the excursion desk to try to book it. They don't let anyone book it before getting in the ship. Im pretty sure it's on all the ships, they usually do the tour on the last sea day. They give all people a few pics that were take of all of us, a backpack, hat and lanyard. We also had a plate of chocolate covered strawberries and cookies waiting for us in the cabin when we returned.

Will do -- thanks!

 

[hanscarlet]

Great reviews guys! Keep 'em coming! Wow Curacao looks divine

 

[RedSox68]

JiJi's Asian Restaurant -- Anyone know where I can see a current menu for this specialty restaurant?

 

[mevelandry]

When is Matt leaving the Vista?

My bad. He's just leaving for a few weeks this fall. Here's the schedule:

 

[mevelandry]

JiJi's Asian Restaurant -- Anyone know where I can see a current menu for this specialty restaurant?

Here:

https://www.carnival.com/~/media/Images/explore/dining/menus/ji-ji-asian-kitchen-dinner-menu.pdf

 

[RedSox68]

Here:

https://www.carnival.com/~/media/Images/explore/dining/menus/ji-ji-asian-kitchen-dinner-menu.pdf

Thanks. My computer would not let me click on the menu link -- but it may be because I'm at work and they blocked it.

QUESTION: Is it as spicy as it sounds on the menu?

 

[PrincessTrisha]

Thanks. My computer would not let me click on the menu link -- but it may be because I'm at work and they blocked it.

QUESTION: Is it as spicy as it sounds on the menu?

No, it's easy to eat there and not have spicy at all. JiJi's was by far our favourite restaurant at sea. My mother considers pepper (like salt and pepper) too spicy and she had no issues. They were also very accommodating and offered to adjust any of the spicy dishes to a non-spicy version. Its very flavourful but it doesn't have to be hot.