CARNIVAL VS DCL: The discussion and comparison thread!

[StarSeven7]

So the thing with the Southern out of San Juan cruises is that they are port intensive. There is often maybe 1 sea day, so liking or not liking the ship can be limited to where they sleep and the food, all to say the ship means less on these cruises than on a longer cruise with more sea days. Personally, I enjoy the food on Carnival, but of course that is subjective. Fascination does have a serenity deck, and Carnival always has "family rated" comedy shows that seem quite popular. They do have other shows as well but I have never heard them called the best at sea or anything

Not sure what time of year they are looking at? RCL Freedom of the Seas cruises from San Juan as well, and Celebrity does as well, not sure of the ship, And NCL who I believe is moving the Epic there (which is a unique ship with an interesting cabin layout), if they are looking at other options. But Carnival would be the cheapest of those.

We're looking at January 2020. The dates of our cruise are Jan. 26-Feb. 2 so they're looking for the same or similar dates. We saw an RCCL cruise leaving the day before but it looks like the ship is Vision of the Seas. As I said in the message above this, they're not fussy at all so they're really not looking for something fancy. But I definitely want them to enjoy themselves! It seems like Carnival has a reputation as being a "party" cruise line, which is just not them at all. But in January, from San Juan....maybe the clientele is a bit different!

 

[tidefan]

So, a little bit more "toned down" and focused on education?

Sort of. I was thinking more of at Epcot and AK I don't rush around and much and I spend more time enjoying the details of things. I enjoy just being in the park. It's more about experiences than rides...

 

[tidefan]

We're looking at January 2020. The dates of our cruise are Jan. 26-Feb. 2 so they're looking for the same or similar dates. We saw an RCCL cruise leaving the day before but it looks like the ship is Vision of the Seas. As I said in the message above this, they're not fussy at all so they're really not looking for something fancy. But I definitely want them to enjoy themselves! It seems like Carnival has a reputation as being a "party" cruise line, which is just not them at all. But in January, from San Juan....maybe the clientele is a bit different!

It will be different on a 7-night vs. a 3-4 night as well...

 

[hdrolfe]

We're looking at January 2020. The dates of our cruise are Jan. 26-Feb. 2 so they're looking for the same or similar dates. We saw an RCCL cruise leaving the day before but it looks like the ship is Vision of the Seas. As I said in the message above this, they're not fussy at all so they're really not looking for something fancy. But I definitely want them to enjoy themselves! It seems like Carnival has a reputation as being a "party" cruise line, which is just not them at all. But in January, from San Juan....maybe the clientele is a bit different!

I wouldn't be worried about at party cruise in that time frame from San Juan. To be honest I wouldn't be worried about that on any 7-night cruise with Carnival, maybe a bit more during certain school breaks when university kids take over? But I got that on RCL when I did a 4-night cruise so I think it's generally just more of a short cruise thing. My first cruise was Carnival Liberty when it did 7-nights from Port Canaveral... my son and I were some of the youngest folks on the ship time of year we sailed I think. It still hooked us on cruising though!

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/top...-amp-pictorial/?tab=comments#comment-49644901 is a really picture intensive review, she travels with her family (including young daughter) and does a lot of photos of the ship and ports. If the link works lol... I never know what will work on here

I think Vision is a nice ship for "older" folks as well, it lacks the water slides and ropes course my kiddo likes but is a very nice RCL ship, with a lot of glass and views. I think it's built to enjoy the sea views, more than Freedom of the Seas which feels more inward facing to me.

 

[trvlgirlmq]

We're looking at January 2020. The dates of our cruise are Jan. 26-Feb. 2 so they're looking for the same or similar dates. We saw an RCCL cruise leaving the day before but it looks like the ship is Vision of the Seas. As I said in the message above this, they're not fussy at all so they're really not looking for something fancy. But I definitely want them to enjoy themselves! It seems like Carnival has a reputation as being a "party" cruise line, which is just not them at all. But in January, from San Juan....maybe the clientele is a bit different!

That reputation is about 20 years old and people should really stop with it. The cruise will only have 1 sea day and the others they will be busy in port. The Fascination is one of the oldest, smallest ships and I was particularly bored. There is no outdoor movie screen and not much to keep you active. But, if you just want to lay around the pool or watch the water go by it was fine. I also like the food on Carnival and have no issues with the offerings (and I won't pay for up charge stuff because I am thrifty). If they are just getting their feet wet then a small ship could be just fine.

Someone mentioned Vision of the Seas and it is a bit bigger but still doesn't have a lot of stuff to do.

 

[trvlgirlmq]

We're looking at January 2020. The dates of our cruise are Jan. 26-Feb. 2 so they're looking for the same or similar dates. We saw an RCCL cruise leaving the day before but it looks like the ship is Vision of the Seas. As I said in the message above this, they're not fussy at all so they're really not looking for something fancy. But I definitely want them to enjoy themselves! It seems like Carnival has a reputation as being a "party" cruise line, which is just not them at all. But in January, from San Juan....maybe the clientele is a bit different!

Cruises leaving SJ around the same time:
January 25 RCCL Vision of the Seas
January 25 Celebrity Summit
January 26 Carnival Fascination
January 26 NCL Epic (11 days!)

 

[StarSeven7]

Cruises leaving SJ around the same time:
January 25 RCCL Vision of the Seas
January 25 Celebrity Summit
January 26 Carnival Fascination
January 26 NCL Epic (11 days!)

Great info, thanks!!!

 

[StarSeven7]

I wouldn't be worried about at party cruise in that time frame from San Juan. To be honest I wouldn't be worried about that on any 7-night cruise with Carnival, maybe a bit more during certain school breaks when university kids take over? But I got that on RCL when I did a 4-night cruise so I think it's generally just more of a short cruise thing. My first cruise was Carnival Liberty when it did 7-nights from Port Canaveral... my son and I were some of the youngest folks on the ship time of year we sailed I think. It still hooked us on cruising though!

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/top...-amp-pictorial/?tab=comments#comment-49644901 is a really picture intensive review, she travels with her family (including young daughter) and does a lot of photos of the ship and ports. If the link works lol... I never know what will work on here

I think Vision is a nice ship for "older" folks as well, it lacks the water slides and ropes course my kiddo likes but is a very nice RCL ship, with a lot of glass and views. I think it's built to enjoy the sea views, more than Freedom of the Seas which feels more inward facing to me.

Thanks, I'll check out that review!! My parents definitely would not be doing the water slides or ropes courses, lol, so they wouldn't miss it!

 

[mevelandry]

Sort of. I was thinking more of at Epcot and AK I don't rush around and much and I spend more time enjoying the details of things. I enjoy just being in the park. It's more about experiences than rides...

This is pretty much what I meant by "toned down" = less hectic

 

[mevelandry]

We're looking at January 2020. The dates of our cruise are Jan. 26-Feb. 2 so they're looking for the same or similar dates. We saw an RCCL cruise leaving the day before but it looks like the ship is Vision of the Seas. As I said in the message above this, they're not fussy at all so they're really not looking for something fancy. But I definitely want them to enjoy themselves! It seems like Carnival has a reputation as being a "party" cruise line, which is just not them at all. But in January, from San Juan....maybe the clientele is a bit different!

Longer cruises on Carnival tend to be much more quiet.

 

[StarSeven7]

So it looks like my parents are pretty sold on the Southern Caribbean on the Carnival Fascination! Any tips or info about the ship or itinerary would be great! Thanks! And our ships are both docked in St. Maarten on the same day. Could my dad and my DH do an excursion together if booked through a 3rd party tour company?

 

[mevelandry]

So it looks like my parents are pretty sold on the Southern Caribbean on the Carnival Fascination! Any tips or info about the ship or itinerary would be great! Thanks! And our ships are both docked in St. Maarten on the same day. Could my dad and my DH do an excursion together if booked through a 3rd party tour company?

I wish we had a review of the Fascination here but we do not... However, to follow up on my comment regarding "non-family friendly" events here's a copy-paste of the list:

IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR CRUISE AS FAMILY FRIENDLY ("À LA DCL") AS POSSIBLE, WHICH ACTIVITIES SHOULD WE AVOID?

- Stick to Comedy Shows PG and avoid Comedy Shows 18+ (clearly stated in the fun times and they usually happen later in the evening)

- The Quest (it's usually late at night so... Very easy to avoid!)

- The "Hairy Chest Contest" on the main deck is a contest where men sometimes do suggestive dances. It's the only 18+ activity that happens during the day, and it happens only once per cruise

- The Love and Marriage Show is not really hardcore but I would not recommend to conservative families because they ask contestant indiscreet questions

Take note that the schedule for those activities are listed in the Fun Times


If you both book a beach day somewhere, you have strong chances to be there exactly at the same time... but booking through a 3rd party could also be a good idea. This way you can all leave and come back together as well.

 

[trvlgirlmq]

So it looks like my parents are pretty sold on the Southern Caribbean on the Carnival Fascination! Any tips or info about the ship or itinerary would be great! Thanks! And our ships are both docked in St. Maarten on the same day. Could my dad and my DH do an excursion together if booked through a 3rd party tour company?

Yay. OK, I did sail on this ship once so I will try to give some tips.

As it is their first cruise I would try to book a cabin mid-ship in case the motion gets to them.

I would also encourage an ocean view room. I find the inside cabins to be claustrophobic. Some love them though!

If they don't want to be regimented I would select Anytime Dining. This allows them to eat dinner in the MDR at whatever time they choose while it is open.

They must try the Sea Day Brunch. The bananas foster pancakes are to die for!

If you don't want to fight the masses breakfast is served everyday in the MDR.

St. Thomas - Magen's Bay is one of the best beaches I have ever visited. You can also take the cable car up the mountain.

St Maarten - Watching the planes land at Maho Beach is a must! Or head to Marigot for a bit of France in the Caribbean. We did a tour with Bernard's and loved it. Hit all these spots and then some.

St Kitts - I recommend Thenford Grey tours. Had a great day visiting the fort and some other spots.

St Lucia & Barbados - I have not been.

 

[hdrolfe]

So it looks like my parents are pretty sold on the Southern Caribbean on the Carnival Fascination! Any tips or info about the ship or itinerary would be great! Thanks! And our ships are both docked in St. Maarten on the same day. Could my dad and my DH do an excursion together if booked through a 3rd party tour company?

For sure you should be able to do an excursion together through a third party if you are docked together! Provided the times are similar of course. I have heard good things about Bernard's in St Maarten. I am sure they will enjoy it! I would love to do a Southern out of San Juan, the number of ports is awesome, I prefer ports to too many sea days The sea day brunch on Carnival is great, I love the steak and eggs.

 

[belle032]

So it looks like my parents are pretty sold on the Southern Caribbean on the Carnival Fascination! Any tips or info about the ship or itinerary would be great! Thanks! And our ships are both docked in St. Maarten on the same day. Could my dad and my DH do an excursion together if booked through a 3rd party tour company?

I believe they will be OK on the Fascination. My mom, aunt, grandmother and I sailed on the Fantasy (which I believe is the same class) from Charleston on a last minute trip and we had a great time. And considering it rained a lot of the time and did not have great itinerary, it could have gone downhill fast. But it's also what you make of it. I would not choose to sail that class of ship again with my DH, but I think for what your parents are looking for, it will be a great time. The ship will not have all the bells & whistles, but that could actually work in their favor. Smaller ships are the great for just taking in the ocean and enjoying being at sea. And the itinerary sounds really nice!

I also recommend Thenford Grey Tours in St. Kitts if you're looking for a 3rd party tour company. They are HIGHLY recommended and we had an amazing snorkeling tour with them. I've heard their other tours are great as well.

I remember St. Maarten still being a little beat down due to the hurricane (we were there this past September, so it may be totally different when you visit), and I wish we would have done some kind of excursion. Unfortunately, we didn't plan well that day.

If you want some AMAZING snorkeling and one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever been on, take an excursion to St. John from St. Thomas. Specifically Trunk Bay, which I believe is where they would take you. My family spent 3 weeks on St. John and the beaches are just picture perfect. You know when you see beach calendars at the store? Trunk Bay is that beach. The island is small, like 9 square miles I believe, and about 75% of it is a nature preserve. So worth visiting.

 

[StarSeven7]

I believe they will be OK on the Fascination. My mom, aunt, grandmother and I sailed on the Fantasy (which I believe is the same class) from Charleston on a last minute trip and we had a great time. And considering it rained a lot of the time and did not have great itinerary, it could have gone downhill fast. But it's also what you make of it. I would not choose to sail that class of ship again with my DH, but I think for what your parents are looking for, it will be a great time. The ship will not have all the bells & whistles, but that could actually work in their favor. Smaller ships are the great for just taking in the ocean and enjoying being at sea. And the itinerary sounds really nice!

I also recommend Thenford Grey Tours in St. Kitts if you're looking for a 3rd party tour company. They are HIGHLY recommended and we had an amazing snorkeling tour with them. I've heard their other tours are great as well.

I remember St. Maarten still being a little beat down due to the hurricane (we were there this past September, so it may be totally different when you visit), and I wish we would have done some kind of excursion. Unfortunately, we didn't plan well that day.

If you want some AMAZING snorkeling and one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever been on, take an excursion to St. John from St. Thomas. Specifically Trunk Bay, which I believe is where they would take you. My family spent 3 weeks on St. John and the beaches are just picture perfect. You know when you see beach calendars at the store? Trunk Bay is that beach. The island is small, like 9 square miles I believe, and about 75% of it is a nature preserve. So worth visiting.

Thanks for the info, I will pass that along to them! They've booked now! I think they will be fine to just find a quiet spot on the deck and hang out - that's probably what they would enjoy the most!

My dad really wants to do the America's cup sailing excursion in St. Maarten's - in fact that's what convinced him to do the cruise at all! I think my DH and dad would try to do that while my mom and I just hung out at the beach with the kids!

 

[mevelandry]

Oh yeah, I agree. The Sea Day brunch is great (and included!) ...

Anytime dining is awesome is you wanna go with your own schedule.

Assigned seating is good if you wanna keep the same team of server each night.

I agree they could go for an ocean view just in case (they have small port holes or windows). Sometimes, they are not much more expensive than an inside cabin.

There is always one show (musical revue) that is not to be missed. I would encourage them to go. The shows are not that long anyway (more or less 50 min)...

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Yes, that would be interesting to see how they do the Mythbuster stuff, however my dd would LOVE seeing stuff being blown up, lol!

Well I'm extremely sad right now. I decided to check out the Carnival Mardi Gras ship. I found a cruise for March 2021 that looks really fun. And the ship, wow!! It looks AMAZING!! My dd would love that roller coaster. I like that it has some fun things like that, but it doesn't look like a floating amusement park. The March cruise has a really great sale going on that sadly ends today. My dd will be starting jr high next year. We've taken her out of school for our previous cruises, but don't want to take her out now that she won't be in elementary school anymore. She's a great student, so taking her out wouldn't be a problem for her, but I don't know yet how the new school will be about her missing school. Sadly we won't know when her Spring break for 2021 will be until Jan/Feb 2020. What makes me really, really sad is that I could book this cruise today, get an Ocean Suite for A LOT less than I am paying for an ocean view next Jan on the Fantasy. And a Havana Cabana would only be slightly more than the OV!! We don't drink pop and wouldn't need to do the specialty dining because what's included looks really good. Do you think there will still be cabins available when we could book next Jan/Feb? I know they would cost more than they do now, but Disney will probably still be a lot more for their 2021 cruises. I wasn't sure if this ship will probably fill up quickly since it's newer.

I would say there will be cabins available at that point but probably not suites or Havana, and definitely at a higher price. Could you book it now and have the deposit money tied up until you find out her spring break schedule? If that’s a possibility, don’t book under the early saver fare, that doesn’t have a completely refundable deposit. We always book the past guest rate, it’s a little more $ per person but has a completely refundable deposit as long as you cancel in the proper amount of time.

I can hardly wait until they release summer 2021 for Mardi Gras, that ship looks so amazing!

 

[tidefan]

Thanks for the info, I will pass that along to them! They've booked now! I think they will be fine to just find a quiet spot on the deck and hang out - that's probably what they would enjoy the most!

My dad really wants to do the America's cup sailing excursion in St. Maarten's - in fact that's what convinced him to do the cruise at all! I think my DH and dad would try to do that while my mom and I just hung out at the beach with the kids!

Our favorite thing to do on St Maarten was to go to the French side and spend the day at Ilet Pinel (Pinel Island). You can take a cooler with drinks and food with you or there are (or at least were before the hurricane) restaurants out there.

 

[tidefan]

I would say there will be cabins available at that point but probably not suites or Havana, and definitely at a higher price. Could you book it now and have the deposit money tied up until you find out her spring break schedule? If that’s a possibility, don’t book under the early saver fare, that doesn’t have a completely refundable deposit. We always book the past guest rate, it’s a little more $ per person but has a completely refundable deposit as long as you cancel in the proper amount of time.

I can hardly wait until they release summer 2021 for Mardi Gras, that ship looks so amazing!

Mardi Gras does look really fun. My only gripe about the Mardi Gras is that inside cabins are going to shrink to 158 sq. ft. However, OV's and Balconies will be about the same as before. However, if I cruise Carnival, I am definitely booking at least an OV...