Carnival Cruise Line was my cruise line of choice for low cost and partying. I highly recommend Carnival for young beginner cruisers or family cruisers looking to cruise on a budget ,
My Carnival Cruise Experience?
While Carnival Cruise Line is not my preferred cruise line today, I have certainly cruised with Carnival more that any other cruise line
My Carnival Cruise History
- 2 Solo Cruises to the Bahamas
- 1 Girls Cruise to Bahamas
- 1 Group Cruise to Bahamas
- 1 Girls Cruise to Grand Cayman Island/Belize
- 1 Solo Cruises to Puerto Rico, Aruba, Curacao
- 1 Solo Cruise to Aruba, St Marten, St Thomas
- 1 Girls Cruise to Barbados, St Lucia, St Marten
- 1 Girls Cruise to Montego Bay Jamaica
Why has my cruise line preference changed from Carnival:
One of the things that I think Carnival did well early on was provide a cruise vacation experience for those of us with moderate budgets. In my twenties I did not make a lot of money so I was looking for an affordable cruise experience that fit my budget and Carnival provided me that option. I also had gone of my very first cruise with a different cruise line and while the other ship was much nicer that Carnival in terms of esthetics. ,Carnival had in my opinion the most high energy experience for partying cruisers like my self back them.
When I was younger and traveling on Carnival, deck plans, room décor and ship décor was of no mind to me. You could have given me and my crew a room in the bottom of the ship with the employees and we would have still had the time of our lives. I did not even need a window. As long as a room had a bed, shower and a mirror I was good to go. Back in those days low cost and fun was the only thing it took for me to have an amazing cruise experience.
had the nightlife and fun high energy day and not
People who I think Carnival Cruise Line is best suited for:
Disclaimer: I do not ever want to talk down on the Carnival Cruise experience because like most business, Carnival has its own niche in the market with a specific traveling demographic . When I needed a short duration cruise with low cost affordable option Carnival Cruise line served me well for over a decade
- I tell young people I know, if you are in your 20-30’s looking for a cruise ship to party on at an affordable cost, Carnival Cruise Line for you
- If you are a SOLO cruiser, Carnival cruise line was the only cruise line that didn’t charge more for a room when it was for single occupancy
- As a SOLO cruiser Carnival matched my dinner dining room seating with other SOLO cruisers and I have met some great people during those dinners
- Families traveling with children in need of a moderate more affordable price point, Carnival is also my recommendation for you
First thing I learned as a new Travel Advisor: Older Ships versus Newer Ships Lesson
I spent the last 5 to 10 years becoming annoyed with what I thought to be Carnival only having old ships. During my travel agent training I learned that in the Cruise Line industry most cruise lines use their older ships for short duration cruises. As I was always short of vacation days my cruise duration was normally 5 days or less. I also don’t think I realized that if you go to the same location for the same duration you will likely be on the same ship that you cruised on previously. For those of us looking for short duration cruises with cheaper prices we were destined by design to not be as impressed by the older ships.
- Older ships are typically used for less than 5 day cruises
- Newer ships are typically used for longer cruises
The Truth is, if you go on a 7 day or more cruise you will likely start seeing the better cruise ships if the look and age of the ship décor matters to you. Carnival in my opinion is still a viable option for a great more modern cruise ship experience if you are willing to travel for a longer duration which of course will cost a bit more.
