What is your opinion on Carnival Cruise lines? I know they are very controversial because of the problem they have had in the past few years. Last week I went on my first cruise on the Carnival Ecstasy and I have to say I loved it. I think in general, Carnival cruises are aimed at younger crowds and families with young children. I'm in my 20's, so that may affect my positive view of them.
I have been traveling in foreign countries but mostly in Asia, particularly those in the southeast where they don't require us to have visas. But early this year I was in Beijing and I had to secure a visa. Well, a cruise is one of my dreams in traveling. I have seen in magazines and documentary on tv all about the cruise and I have many friends who had experienced that. What's holding me? My husband wouldn't want to spend much in traveling. Spoiler.
The nice thing about cruises is that all of the food is included, so you won't be spending money for food while on the boat. The amount of alcohol that you drink will really determine how much you spend. But even with that you can buy drink packages of you are a big drinker.
@Dame6089, I don't drink and my husband is just an occasional drinker so there's no need for that budget. We were looking at a Caribbean cruise and I began computing. The cost was equivalent to 4 trips abroad. But that's a week of cruise so I guess it is just fine. But that didn't suit my husband though.
I wish I could say but I've only traveled on Carnival, so all I can say is I love it. I used to work for them and what I got from people that cruised often was that Carnival was a sort of "fun" ship. It was, like you said, for young people and families. That if you wanted to relax then Royal or the Princess (I think that's their names) was your better option. Holland America cruises was the better option for older people.
I have been on a few Carnival cruises. They are fun and can be great as long as you aren't expected luxury. Obviously, based on their price alone, there will be a lot of younger people there, but everyone seems to enjoy themselves and find something to do. The food isn't spectacular, I've heard from many sources that other cruise lines put Carnival to shame...but if you are looking for a less expensive getaway or a cruise to get your feet wet, Carnival may be the way to go. BTW, last year I cruised on the Triumph, the one that had all the problems and was stranded at sea 2 years ago. We had not problems at all; the ship was clean, everything worked as it should. This year I cruised on the Elation and missed some of the amenities of the Triumph (and I thought the Triumph was much cleaner and fresher than the Elation).
You have to factor in that you are stopping at several different ports during a cruise. For example, the cruise I took was only 4 days and we had stops at Key West and Cozumel. A week long cruise will have you stopping at even more ports. It really depends on what you want out of a vacation though.
