CARNIVAL VS DCL: The discussion and comparison thread!

[Club Disney Chandler]

I DID IT! Booked the 6 night cruise on the Carnival Horizon for 6/23/19. Havana Cabana! Got anytime dining and clicked King bed. Now, where do I check every day for FTTF availability? Is it under "manage"?
I'm so excited, I have to refocus on our Fantasy 3 nighter in July of THIS year!

So excited for you, we can hardly wait to try Havana that same year!

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Interesting...

This week, my husband admitted to me that between going on excursions on land and being on the ship... He now likes being on the ship more! He likes that there are pools, hot tubs, included food. He doesn't like buy food during excursions when we have free food on the ship. That being said, he is very intrigued by Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk and Amber Cove because they are right of the ship.

I'm still 50%-50% .... While I have a passion for ships and the sea, I wouldn't be as interested in a cruise to nowhere, the ports are important for me. And when I visit a new country, trying local food in important (as long as it's not fish or sea food). Discovering Taquito de pollo, Cochinita Pibil, chimichungas, eating freshly made tortillas (that are not Tostitos) and freshly made guacamole was an important part of my vacation. I bought rum cakes in Grand Cayman, etc.

Also, I usually don't buy much souvenirs but this time I brought back home a skull (dia de los muertos) because I'm in love with their perspective of death. (And the movie Coco just made me love it x1000. My whole family cried watching the movie...)

I just love visiting new places.

We’re more into the ship as the destination, we spend very little time on the islands or ports. I really enjoy getting off the ship for a little bit, grabbing a couple of useless souvenirs and then enjoying an empty ship. Even at Castaway Cay, we’re back on the ship as soon as we finish lunch on the island.

 

[mevelandry]

Good news!

FIL & MIL liked their Carnival cruise so much that they have decided to come with us in April 2019 to Amber Cove and Grand Turk (Carnival Sunshine). We have booked their cruise an hour ago. We have been able to book them a Cloud 9 spa cabin directly beside ours!

We are going to have a very short WDW pre-cruise stay.

 

[belle032]

Fun thread to read! DH & I are avid cruisers.We just got married on the Carnival Magic this past year and we just booked the Conquest for this September. It's an 8 day going to St. Maarten, San Juan, St. Kitts, & Grand Turk! We've never been to St. Kitts and it's been a lonnnggg time since I've been to San Juan or St. Maarten so we are super excited!

We are also planning our 1st DCL for next September-the 7 Nt. British Isles cruise. I'm happy to give advice on Carnival, but I look forward to learning everything I can about DCL from ya'll!!

 

[mevelandry]

Fun thread to read! DH & I are avid cruisers.We just got married on the Carnival Magic this past year and we just booked the Conquest for this September. It's an 8 day going to St. Maarten, San Juan, St. Kitts, & Grand Turk! We've never been to St. Kitts and it's been a lonnnggg time since I've been to San Juan or St. Maarten so we are super excited!

We are also planning our 1st DCL for next September-the 7 Nt. British Isles cruise. I'm happy to give advice on Carnival, but I look forward to learning everything I can about DCL from ya'll!!

Welcome to the Fun thread!

Advices are always very much appreciated.

If you feel like posting a review of the Conquest when you come back, I would be very interested.

 

[trvlgirlmq]

Fun thread to read! DH & I are avid cruisers.We just got married on the Carnival Magic this past year and we just booked the Conquest for this September. It's an 8 day going to St. Maarten, San Juan, St. Kitts, & Grand Turk! We've never been to St. Kitts and it's been a lonnnggg time since I've been to San Juan or St. Maarten so we are super excited!

We are also planning our 1st DCL for next September-the 7 Nt. British Isles cruise. I'm happy to give advice on Carnival, but I look forward to learning everything I can about DCL from ya'll!!

.

We did that itinerary on Breeze and it was great.

 

[belle032]

Welcome to the Fun thread!

Advices are always very much appreciated.

If you feel like posting a review of the Conquest when you come back, I would be very interested.

I'll make sure to do that. Reading other cruiser's reviews is super helpful so I'd be happy to help if I can. We have been on her sister ship, the Glory, and loved her so I have high hopes for the Conquest.

.

We did that itinerary on Breeze and it was great.

Yay, great to hear! The itinerary was pretty much the deciding factor for us this time. Do you have any excursion recommendations? We've done snorkeling/stingrays on Grand Turk and had a great time, but we're trying to figure out what we want to do at the other ports.

 

[trvlgirlmq]

Yay, great to hear! The itinerary was pretty much the deciding factor for us this time. Do you have any excursion recommendations? We've done snorkeling/stingrays on Grand Turk and had a great time, but we're trying to figure out what we want to do at the other ports.

We are pretty much DIY or local excursion folks. We had been to all the ports except St Kitts when we did this itinerary.

Grand Turk - We like to go to the pool at Margaritaville
San Juan - Walk to one of the forts, wander around and watch the street artists
St Maarten - taxi to Orient Beach
St Kitts - Prearranged an island tour with Thenford Grey Tours. There are several to choose from on his website. It was affordable and very enjoyable.

 

[cruiser21]

I wish Carnival would have had different itinerary's in Europe I would have sailed on the this ship. I'm more about the destination, but I like a nice new..ish type ship. I might consider the Caribbean again for a Havana Cabana if the price was right.

 

[mevelandry]

I wish Carnival would have had different itinerary's in Europe I would have sailed on the this ship. I'm more about the destination, but I like a nice new..ish type ship. I might consider the Caribbean again for a Havana Cabana if the price was right.

You don't like Carnival's itinerary? (in Europe)

 

[trvlgirlmq]

I wish Carnival would have had different itinerary's in Europe I would have sailed on the this ship. I'm more about the destination, but I like a nice new..ish type ship. I might consider the Caribbean again for a Havana Cabana if the price was right.

We had been planning since the announcement of Horizon to sail her in Europe. Then they announced they were only doing like 4 sailings without a full season. So bummed since we can't take the kids out of school anymore. Oh well. We'll be back in Europe next year but on Princess.

 

[cruiser21]

You don't like Carnival's itinerary? (in Europe)

What Europe itinerary's?

 

[cruiser21]

We had been planning since the announcement of Horizon to sail her in Europe. Then they announced they were only doing like 4 sailings without a full season. So bummed since we can't take the kids out of school anymore. Oh well. We'll be back in Europe next year but on Princess.

This was us. The time of year was OK, but I didn't want to repeat the Med.

 

[mevelandry]

What Europe itinerary's?

You said "I wish Carnival would have had different itinerary's in Europe" ...

And I just realized that outside of the transatlantics, Carnival doesn't really sail in Europe.

 

[cruiser21]

You said "I wish Carnival would have had different itinerary's in Europe" ...

And I just realized that outside of the transatlantics, Carnival doesn't really sail in Europe.

I was expecting them to launch their new ships in Europe with different itinerarys. It must not be lucrative for them since they don't have a big European fan base.

 

[mevelandry]

I was expecting them to launch their new ships in Europe with different itinerarys. It must not be lucrative for them since they don't have a big European fan base.

I wish they would offer some sailings from Canada too. Departing from Montreal or Quebec. I would absolutely do a Canada and New England cruise with them!

 

[cruiser21]

I wish they would offer some sailings from Canada too. Departing from Montreal or Quebec. I would absolutely do a Canada and New England cruise with them!

They have New England cruises, but I think they leave out of NYC. I think their bread and butter is the Caribbean. Probably try for most cruiseline that's where they put the new ships. It's nice to see some new ships on the west coast.

 

[mevelandry]

They have New England cruises, but I think they leave out of NYC. I think their bread and butter is the Caribbean. Probably try for most cruiseline that's where they put the new ships. It's nice to see some new ships on the west coast.

Yeah, they do leave out of NYC. I just wish they would do "one way" once in a while that starts or ends near my home town and save on the flights and hotels.

 

[daisyx3]

Hey, check your future cruises if you are looking for FTTF. I looked today for my cruise that is 418 days away and there it was....booked it!

 

[mevelandry]

Hey, check your future cruises if you are looking for FTTF. I looked today for my cruise that is 418 days away and there it was....booked it!

FTTF is sometimes popular, sometimes not... It varies.

I booked FTTF for my past cruise and my next cruise less that 180 days before the cruise... But maybe I got lucky

I enjoy the perks!