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Carnival has been our only source of cruising over the last 12 years, and we just keep coming back. The accommodations are just right in terms of luxury, which may be comparable to other cruise lines that you may be familiar with, for Ilana and other cruisers. Sleeping out at sea on a floating city, food varieties at our leisure 24/7, drinks of all sorts of distillations, and plenty of vacation vibes is luxurious in my opinion. No work, no cleaning, no cooking and no driving! It is great to be a VIFP (Carnival terminology) onboard Carnival, with the level of attention from crew and staff that is more than adequate for our needs, as we especially do not like be waited on every moment. Still, Carnival takes us by surprise every time, when our staff recognizes us and call us by name from embarkation day.
We enjoy the 10-11 day cruises. Enough time to kick back, get to know the ship and get into a vacation routine. Agree that if you are flying in, you need the time to decompress.
I have cruised with Carnival 4 times, soon to be 5 and you really were spot on with this review.. the buffet needs a good bit of work. The dining room is good always had great staff. The steak house really is amazing! Can't go wrong with Guy's burgers. I"ve done the seaday brunch and the breakfast burger is really good. The 80's party is alot of fun and yes Carnival does have some very good comedians.
I have sailed with Carnival and Royal. I like them both for different reasons. For a more relaxing and zen like vibe, Royal for the win. For a more festive and lively vibe, Carnival all day. When selecting between the 2, I look for itinerary and price. I am loyal to my wallet. Lately, it has been Carnival offering the best deals.
We (my 12 year old son and I) are pretty new to cruising, our first one was over Spring break this year and we were on the Carnival Dream. It is a wonderful midsize ship, in the Dream class. It was a 6 day Western Caribbean cruise to Costa Maya, Belize and Cozumel…..we had an amazing time and are hooked. Our next cruise is next June on the Mardi Gras, Eastern Caribbean to Bahamas, Grand Turk and Dominican Republic. I am so excited I can’t stand it. Every video and review I have seen on the Excel class ships has talked about how beautiful they are, and how it isn’t that traditional “loud” Carnival decor, but toned down some. We were in an oceanview cabin on the Dream which was lovely, and are booked in a cove balcony in Mardi Gras, my son doesn’t know about that part…..I cannot wait to experience this, and surprise him with the balcony cabin! We have steakhouse reservations booked as well, we didn’t go our first cruise, but I have heard great things about it. We had some hits and misses on the Dream with food as well, but I feel like you have that at land restaurants as well. Overall the food was pretty good. I hope that you give Carnival another go, I do agree that they are working to do better and be better. Great video! I love your reviews and tips!
Just for added information on the Steakhouse. The Free bottle of house wine is embarkation and the next day. You can also upgrade to a different wine for, I believe, 50% off. The Amari bar is the equivalent to the regular ships called Alchemy. The Amari has new drinks and they brought the favorites from Alchemy. They can make you any drink you like, if you ask them for a recommendation, they will ask you certain questions about likes/dislikes and will come up with a drink for you.
Looks like a great ship. We are set to sail on the Jubilee, in January. We just returned from a cruise on the Dream. I spent way too much money in the casino. But it was a fun time. I'm glad you finally decided to review Carnival. I've been wondering why that was missing. We love Carnival.
I have honestly been waiting for your review on pins and needles. I sail with Carnival more than any line, so I assumed I would be satisfied with Venezia (sailing in November on a 10-day cruise), but the fact that you had so many positive things to say - especially since you did a 4-day in the Summer - makes me even more excited! I’m rarely excited about the buffet itself, but I love being able to make a salad to accompany my pizza, burrito, or deli sandwich…
We’ve sailed on all the major lines and Princess is our favorite but we have sailed many times on Carnival as well. I laugh more on their cruises than any other line. Recently did the Mardi Gras and loved it. Would certainly do the Venezia if the opportunity arises.
I was just on the Venezia last month for my first crise and I hate to say I was a bit disappointed, many people we spoke with said not to judge cruising on this trip, that usually they are much better. They seemed (the staff) very disorganized and perhaps short staffed for the amount of guests onboard. Long lines for everything, hard to find a chair and to be honest, most of the bar staff we met seemed to want to be anywhere else. I agree with you on the food, the main dining was fine, the buffet not so much.
I can understand. Truthfully not every ship or cruise line is for everyone. It could have been in part that the crew was new to working on the ship, & they we’re getting the kinks out
We’ve been on 3 different cruise lines this year and they all seem short staffed. The Royal Was probably the best one as far as staff but still not great. The other two were Virgin Voyages and we just got done last week on an Alaskan cruise on the Royal Princess.
Just to clarify, Carnival didn't purchase the ship from Costa. Carnival owns Costa, so they just transferred the ship to the Carnival Fleet after a major US focused refit.
I would really suggest you sail on Mardi Gras! We sailed on it Oct. 2022 and we are booked again Jan. 2024 because we enjoyed it so much. Some Carnival ships can feel a bit run down and I totally agree with the offensive lighting sometimes, lol, but Mardi Gras is simply amazing. The food options are also amazing. Hope you get to sail on her! Thanks for another great video!
We just got back from cruising the Mardi Gras, and we absolutely loved it. The staff was so nice and the shows were top notch. I usually like smaller ships, but I would cruise the Marsi Gras again :) we ate at the steak house as well and would recommend it to anyone.
Just came back from a Carnival 10 day San Francisco to Alaska cruise where I took my mom and daughter. Had a great time, and came back to see a sweetheart VIFP deal for the Venezla on a 7-day Mexican Riviera cruise, booked! The comedians are top notch, their live entertainment is generally pretty good. I love that they now have the family feud!! They had Deal or No Deal on the cruise we just took which was good too.
Thank you for the awesome review! I'm a long time Carnival cruiser and have to say, I agree with 99.9% of everything you addressed!! Very informative 😃
We love cruising. 10 -50 times between us. We often just use the ship as our holiday destination. We just get off for fun or exceptional destinations based on past experience. Our holiday is based on our family of 3. Enjoying our own company. Fun fun fun.
Just did the 10 night on Jan 23. Had a great time and was not crowded at all. Great fun and entertainment all the time. Beautiful ship with lots of outdoor chill spots. Marco Polo dining room had great service and food. Highly recommend this ship.
We had a horrible experience with the sea day brunch because we waited to go later. We had to wait for 45 minutes, the food was COLD, and the service was beyond disappointing (dropped the food and ran). I definitely agree with your breakfast buffet review as well. I only did it once. Thankfully, we had a Blue Iguana with FANTASTIC breakfast burritos!
Best thing to do when you have bad service in a sit down restaurant; either the brunch or main dining room is to speak to the head waiter, the Maitre De, the Maitre De is essentially the waiters' supervisor and will immediately address problems.
I am not a buffet person at all. I don’t trust the public and their lack of sanitation so I do not eat from the buffet. The food doesn’t always look appetizing. I enjoy the MDR and specialty dining. ❤
Holland America has the buffet crew serving guests at the buffet. I wish all cruise lines did this, it would make me feel better about cleanliness. I know what you mean, the buffets are not my thing.
We sailed on the same cruise with you and agree with you 100%. We overall had a great time, a great ship for families. The food could have been better. But we generally found something we liked. The fruit and vegetables were overall disappointing, and often the dishes in the main dinning room lacked seasoning. The entertainment was good, comedians were great, music and vibe in the Limelight was awesome and the 80s and White party was a blast. MarQ did a great job keeping everyone pumped up, I’m sure you saw my husband win the 80s dance contest. Lol😂 Overall we were happy with the cruise and will definitely cruise again on the Venezia.
Agree with so many of your points. Found the buffet missing the flavor and had very unappealing foods. Don’t think we’d ever do another 4 day though. 😂
So glad to see your opinion! We sailed exclusively on Carnival from 2006 until this year when we tried a four day Celebrity cruise. After many Carnival cruises I decided that Journeys cruises are the best way to sail with them as it’s mostly adults - so less people. I also find that our experiences weren’t consistent. But we have had some WONDERFUL cruises with them. We did a four day at Christmas with extended family and it was so crowded - because it was more than two occupancy on most of the ship. We don’t have children so we normally cruise when school is in session. And we normally don’t take cruises less than 7 days. Ideally 14 days lol. Anyway, thanks for your review!
We have cruised Carnival many times and enjoy the longer cruises versus the 4 day cruises. And we don’t usually cruise during the summer months when the kids are out of school as it gets very crowded
We almost never eat at the buffet on cruises. If we aren't in the MDR, we are visiting the quick service spots for lunch. No complaints from us, we love Guy's burgers and can eat one for lunch everyday on a cruise!!
If it’s kid season on any of the major larger ships $CCL $RCL $NCLH you are going to have a crowded buffet & pool area. But at least with Carnival they have additional casual food sources that are good, Burger, Mexican, Deli, plus Pizza. In my opinion an option to avoid the crowd issue in peak kid season would be to consider Holland America where it’s less of an issue.
I cruise about once a month on the Carnival Glory out of New Orleans. I have gotten used to the fact that the “Italian” dishes prepared by the chefs primarily from India bare little resemblance to authentic Italian cuisine. Base this on the fact that I grew up in an Italian-American neighborhood with an Italian nonna and innumerable Italian relatives etc. I can’t believe that the Italian Captain and senior officers, the vast majority whom are Italian, eat the same dishes!! No way!!
My Italian family and I just came back from Carnival Venezia. The food was disappointing, and does not really resemble Italian food. It left a lot to be desired. We did speak to some of the Italian officers of the ship and even they complained about the food. One claimed we didn't know how he suffered. Therefore, I believe they eat the same food.
I appreciate this review. I was surprised with your overall review. My Sister in law booked a cruise for all of us on this ship in April. I was pretty nervous because of their reputation. Now I am looking forward to it.
Carnival has ALWAYS been like this with much of its food. Also known in my circle as the "Krappy Kruise". We personally didn't have issues in the dining room, but the one we went on was newer at the time, but the buffet... ick. If you could see the prime rib photo...looked gross. This has been much of the consensus for many many years over many people. Some are loyal, but makes me wonder if they have tried others.
We will be Cruising on the Venezia in Oct and I have watched multiple Videos on this Ship with mixed Reviews, but Most were at the beginning of its Sailings and since We are going in October I hope the Suggestions made by Past Cruisers were taken to Heart and Carnival made the Improvements. Also We are on a 10 day Cruise, and We are Looking forward To it. Enjoy Your Videos.
My husband and I just got back from a Bahamas Carnival cruise in the Glory. We enjoyed Guys Burger Joint as well but had to go back a few times because the lines were very long! I suggest you should try and go there at off times. The Glory is an old ship and was refurbished. This was a real mix of people! Some very young others very senior. Pools were crowded. The serenity area was far from serene.
I'm so glad you enjoyed your cruise. We love Carnival and I'm glad were able to understand why people love this brand. I think you would really like one of the newest ships they offer. I really appreciate your honest opinion. Thank you for trying this brand again. We are taking the Venezia on an Alaskan cruise in 2024 and look forward to experiencing this ship after your review.
Great review Ilana. Yes you get what you get with the buffet with Carnival. Always so crowded. That class of ship does seem overcrowded to me (I went on Horizon) I’m glad you enjoyed your experience overall, especially since you went during summer, on a 4-day and out of NY. I would absolutely love for you to go on Mardi Gras or Celebration to get your feedback. ❤🎉I wrote this before the end when you mentioned those ships!😂
Good review. Comprehensive. Fair. I almost passed it by when I saw what seemed to be a Karen look promoting it, but then you won me over. I am Platinum on Carnival, looking forward to Venezia when it gets to L.A. next year, so I had a special interest in hearing your comments. The typical L.A. crowd is as diverse as the one in New York, making this even more relevant. Thanks.
Sailing this at the end of this year on the Venezia, super excited. Thank you for all the tips and tricks to keep an eye out. Luckily most families will be back at school so, I can edit if there are any differences in the crowds and lines :D
I’ve cruised so many different cruise lines. By far, the soups have always been the best of all cruise ships. I love the comedy shows and the entertainment crew make the deck dances and gatherings the most fun of all. The cruise directors are usually very engaged with the passengers. The storage on most carnival ships is well designed. I’m not a fan of the curtains on the older ships. Carnival is definitely the Fun Ships! Thanks for your videos. They’ve been very helpful.
I'm going on a 10-day cruise on the carnival Venezia. in a few weeks April 26 to May 6. I am going solo to the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic. Thanks for the review I've seen many others. People have their likes and dislikes, but I guess I will have to make up my own mind. I hope I will enjoy my trip. I am a senior and I see there are a lot of places to go that are quiet and I can relax If I want. I booked a cove balcony to save money and I'm a little worried about that but I've heard many good reviews. I am sure I'll have a good time. One thing is I do like Princess cruises so I think I may go on another sometime.
Venezia is the only Carnival Ship sailing out of New York City. Since I live in Boston with family in the Greater New York City, TriState area, I have been looking for comprehensive reviews and ship tours.
Thanks for this video. As a newbie to cruising I have been definitely second guessing this ship since I booked based on what I’ve heard and read about demographic.
I really appreciate your review. It seems very fair. I understand the issues you had but none of them seemed to ruin your trip or be deal breakers for me personally. I’m sailing on Venezia in October and I like knowing her flaws ahead of time.
Recently cruised for the first time on Liberty of the Seas from NJ to Bermuda. Everything was awesome except for the crowds! Someone I met onboard who cruises often said she’s never been on such a crowded ship. I think everyone has a YOLO mindset since covid. That’s how we felt when we booked it last Fall. We will definitely be more careful about time of year when we book certain itineraries in the future and will default to a travel agent to help us figure it out. ( booked ourselves this time). Your videos were SO helpful!
Heads up, if you sail on any of the new carnival ships, Mardi Gras. Celebration or the Jubilee , the average room is very small. Maybe in a suite they are a little bigger, but below that, just keep that in mind. I have been on Mardi Gras twice last year and really enjoyed it. Just the cabins are smaller. Can't wait for your review when you do decide to go. Thanks for your review on this ship. I am still on the fence about it.
I am so glad you had a wonderful experience on Carnival and they surprised you with how good they are. I try to tell people and they think of Carnival as being the party ship of their college years.
I’m glad you enjoyed the cruise and I appreciate your review. I agree with so many points, and I love Carnival. ( But I have to say that I LOVE the 12 hour French toast). The buffet was a disappointment on my cruise last week as well.
Appreciate your honest review. I was actually on the same sailing because I saw a few members of our group. Carnival Venezia is a beautiful ship and I enjoyed my cruise.
I went on Venezia June 19 for 8 days I loved the ship I remember first walking onto the ship looking like a fancy hotel. I loved the ship and the activities and I also hated the lines especially at guys burger joint and those other places. Another thing was on debarkation day it took way too long to get off people were getting off when their muster station wasn’t called yet and it was frustrating
We are sailing on the Firenze next year, which I'd imagine is quite similar. Our only other Carnival sailing was on the Inspiration and I'll say she was pretty long in the tooth at that time. The decor was also very bright and busy, and kind of gawdy. We had a great time but found Carnival (at that point) was definitely not even close to the same level of service and food as the premium lines. The one thing I will say is that cruise may have been the most fun we've ever had and the drinks were quite good. So they definitely live up to the "fun ship" claim. With that said we are very excited to try a newer ship and enjoyed your review and perspective.
Love this review! We are cruising 8/14-8/19 on the Venezia (with a Terrazza balcony room!) and I cannot wait! Your videos have been really helpful with the planning process!
We are going on our first Carnival cruise, a 4 day out of Charleston in Oct. We've been on other lines, NCL, Royal, Princess, Celebrity & Disney. We always try to go in with an open mind because even if you've been on one Royal ship it may have a different vibe from another depending on port and time of year. The ship looked gorgeous & kind of what I'd expect crowd-wise from NYC in the summer. Thanks for the tips, as I'm going to book the steakhosue for the first night of our cruise.
A five day is pushing it for me, unless I do a B2B. However, we are leaving on a 5 day Monday. We picked a 5 day because our grandkids are going with us on their first ever cruise. We don't know how they will like it, or if they will get motion sickness....so we figured we'd start with a short cruise to see if cruising is their cup of tea.
Just got off today and absolutely loved the Terraza area. It made our trip even more enjoyable. You're absolutely right about the buffet. On sea days they had a small sandwich and some other items available for lunch on 5 which was really good and not crowded.
We did our first Carnival cruise in 2002 on the then non-smoking Paradise. It was our 3rd cruise and there wasn't anything really wrong with it. Our only other cruise experience was 2 nighter (a nice cruise intro) on Majesty and an 7day Alaska cruise on HAL. A few cruises later, my father in law wants to do Bermuda. It was kinda last minute for a cruise but we made things work - even needing to get a 2 day or less covid test for Bermuda. Again, nothing really wrong with it. A 4 nighter is kinda nice for an intro cruise. But for a veteran-why 4 nights and WHY Carnival. Carnival IS what it IS. And it's kinda confusing that they own HAL (the best of the lot so far). They are a budget conscious, family friendly line. But I have NO desire to do them again. But, on the Bermuda cruise (and probably on all the others) they had an adult only pool area - no not in THAT way; no children under 18. I am looking forward to HAL again in October, but I think their version of it is an add-on of some kind. Buffets are hit or miss and when they miss, it's usually something that doesn't belong sitting under heat lamps or in steam trays - ie eggs Benedict. If you want eggs, I suggest the omelet station. If one bar is overcrowded, there is usually another one close by.
We are cruising on Carnival Magic in January 24. It is a group cruise. This is our 4th cruise but our 1st on Carnival. We have been on Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas. I hope we will not be too disappointed as we hear this is a party ship!!
Costa Crociere belongs to the Carneval Corporation and they moved Venezia and now costa Firenze in '24 over to the US fleet, reasons can be many, but I think mostly finacial. These ships are beautiful made in Italian style kind all in the same at Costa but the interior design on all costa ships is fabulous, in different themes. Now that Firenze is there try that one as well 🚢
It’s not rowdy on most of the cruises I’ve been on with Carnival - sometimes the fun squad has fun contests on the Lido but not rowdy. We also always love the GROOVE FOR ST JUDE!! So cool
As a European i have to say it's really nice to see that Carnival has kept that Mediterranean feeling of the ship! I know she differs from regular carnival ships but to me this just brings a bit of elegance to the ship. - And yes she heavily based on the arkitekturen style and feeling of Venice. Question - did you feel that the Buffé was American or Mediterranean in terms of style of the food?
Enjoyed your review - many of your assessments were spot on. But I get the impression this was not a typical Carnival ship in many ways. The passengers, time of year, itinerary, and port of embarkation seem to have a much greater effect on a cruise than many first-time cruisers would ever imagine, along with the design and atmosphere of the ship, and in many ways this ship seems a bit classier than most Carnivals, as you pointed out. In fact, most cruise lines now are making an effort to segregate those who prefer to be with their “own kind” by adding their extra cost exclusive areas, which are more like the luxury ships of earlier days where tuxedos and elegant gowns, along with filet mignons and lobsters were expected for the high class lifestyles of only the rich and famous. And outlandish behaviors such as fighting and language of today’s culture wasn’t even imagined, much less expected!
So some pointers for either 1st timers or if you haven't been in a long time. For dinner serving sizes are extremely small, but you can order doubles or triples for every dish
You did not make a mistake booking a Carnival cruise. My first cruise was a four day cruise to Halifax round trip out of NYC. On our tenth anniversary we were walking around in Halifax, a place neither of us had been to before. We had a great time on what was then the largest cruise ship in the world. On that trip it would be decades before Guy Fieri came to Carnival. Carnival has really good food. Carnival Cruise Line was an innovator in many things that most cruise lines do today. My late wife didn't like the serenity area of the ship. The Upper Deck. On our first cruise we had an aft stateroom too. My wife liked Aft staterooms after that. Carnival has good comics. First cruise line to have a dedicated comedy club with the Dream Class ships. Prime Rib is very good as is Carnival's Mushroom Soup. Sea Day Brunch starting at 0900 hours? Are the employees on vacation? On Sea Days they used to start the Brunch at 0700 hours. Not a big fan of buffett's either. Did you go to the Italian Restaurant? The Steakhouse on Carnival is very good. Have the Chocolate Melting Cake. Not a bar person. Like to play in the casino. Most content providers do not mention the casino at all. If I ask a question about the casino often they don't know.
I sailed on the inaugural sailing of the Venezia when she was being delivered to Carnival from Barcelona to NYC for 15 days and Emeril Lagasse and Christine Duffy (President of Carnival Cruise Line) actually sailed for the first few days with us. Not sure what you mean about no crew members being around for guidance because when we boarded and disembarked there were crew members EVERYWHERE!! Especially because they want you to report to your muster station ASAP when boarding, plus the cruise director can only be in one place at a time. At this time for the Venezia the cruise director is Mar Q and he spends much of his time running all over the place talking to everyone and then to the bridge or wherever he needs to go to make announcements on the disembarkation process. All the times I sailed with Carnival there is staff everywhere.
Thanks for the review. I haven’t sailed with Carnival since 2019. My mom and I used to go all the time. Both of us are platinum. My mom is now into her 80s and wants to go on another cruise. But we want to do a three or four day cruise. We are a little apprehensive about that. Carnival is always getting bad reviews. In the past, we’ve never run into any problems, but I seem to see a lot of bad things going on lately, which makes us a little nervous to go on these shorter Carnival cruises. Watching your video has eased our feelings a bit. Thank you.
Thanks again for another awesome review!! Again, I appreciate your candor and diplomatic explanations about the various aspects of your experience! I will be sailing on Carnival Magic in several months. I have been on the Legend to the Caribbean and the Miracle to Alaska. The Caribbean is pretty basic but I would like to cruise Alaska again on a different cruise line. The Miracle was okay but I would like to experience that itinerary again via another company. Lately I have been Loyal to Royal. Thanks again for sharing your awesome insights!
We were on Carnival Venezia 8 days, 6/25/23-7/5/23 (one with several fights, though we fortunately didn't see them). Your review reflects our experience onboard. Boarding in NYC was a nightmare; we waited for over 2 hours to get on the ship. I'm not sure whether that was the port's issue or Carnival's. The staff were all so friendly, especially our cabin steward. Agree the buffet was underwhelming, but for breakfast at the deli station area they make fresh eggs and omelets to order which helped. The comedians were great. I don't know whether we'd choose this ship again (we originally booked on Magic but Carnival changed it). If we do, we would definitely book a Terrazza suite. We have a Carnival Pride cruise out of Baltimore next year for a friend's wedding and are curious to see the difference with a smaller, older ship that was original to Carnival. Thanks so much for all your videos - they helped us be prepared for our first cruise in many years!!
Would love to see you do a Disney review! I’m not a Disney fanatic but I LOVE DCL for their service, cleanliness and food. It would be interesting to hear your opinion in comparison to other ships.
@@LifeWellCruisedI saw your vid on not doing disney. I'm not a Disney fan either. I just don't care for their movies and vibe, but I discovered that you didn't have to be one to enjoy their cruise. The service, cleanliness, and food quality, to date, is still the best I have ever gotten on any boat in any cruise line. Going on celebrity and oceania soon though, so I'm hoping to match the experience.
I agree with you about the food. I preferred the dining room food. I was so not into the buffet, the pizza was not good at all. I was on Carnival Magic. The food disappointed me that was the only I can complain about
I can always count on you for a thorough review. We are sailing this ship in 2 weeks up to Canada and I feel better prepared now. Thanks for all the info! 😁🙏🏻
Planning a cruise? Get The Ultimate Cruise Planner. It's a 47 page cruise travel planner with packing checklists, shore excursion planning forms and much more! ($10 off for a limted time). Details here: lifewellcruised.com/ultimate-cruise-planner/
You mentioned the comedians... Were they family-friendly shows?
Carnival has been our only source of cruising over the last 12 years, and we just keep coming back. The accommodations are just right in terms of luxury, which may be comparable to other cruise lines that you may be familiar with, for Ilana and other cruisers. Sleeping out at sea on a floating city, food varieties at our leisure 24/7, drinks of all sorts of distillations, and plenty of vacation vibes is luxurious in my opinion. No work, no cleaning, no cooking and no driving! It is great to be a VIFP (Carnival terminology) onboard Carnival, with the level of attention from crew and staff that is more than adequate for our needs, as we especially do not like be waited on every moment. Still, Carnival takes us by surprise every time, when our staff recognizes us and call us by name from embarkation day.
I absolutely love cruising on carnival. We are a family of 8 and carnival never disappoints.
Glad to hear your experience :)
Why don’t you give Royal Caribbean a try? I think you will like them better.
@arosenweig I have and I didn't.
There’s nothing luxury about Carnival 😂
I don’t do 4-day cruises because they don’t give me time to relax, especially if I have to fly in to the port.
I fly and I prefer 7 days.
I agree. It would be great if it were only a couple hour drive.
Absolute minimum for me is 10 days.
We enjoy the 10-11 day cruises. Enough time to kick back, get to know the ship and get into a vacation routine. Agree that if you are flying in, you need the time to decompress.
@@druegillis1744who remembers when flying was fun and exciting?! Or is that only how the young feel ? 🤔
I have cruised with Carnival 4 times, soon to be 5 and you really were spot on with this review.. the buffet needs a good bit of work. The dining room is good always had great staff. The steak house really is amazing! Can't go wrong with Guy's burgers. I"ve done the seaday brunch and the breakfast burger is really good. The 80's party is alot of fun and yes Carnival does have some very good comedians.
Thanks for watching!
I have sailed with Carnival and Royal. I like them both for different reasons. For a more relaxing and zen like vibe, Royal for the win. For a more festive and lively vibe, Carnival all day. When selecting between the 2, I look for itinerary and price. I am loyal to my wallet. Lately, it has been Carnival offering the best deals.
I love Carnival ❤️ never had a bad cruise with them.
We (my 12 year old son and I) are pretty new to cruising, our first one was over Spring break this year and we were on the Carnival Dream. It is a wonderful midsize ship, in the Dream class. It was a 6 day Western Caribbean cruise to Costa Maya, Belize and Cozumel…..we had an amazing time and are hooked. Our next cruise is next June on the Mardi Gras, Eastern Caribbean to Bahamas, Grand Turk and Dominican Republic. I am so excited I can’t stand it. Every video and review I have seen on the Excel class ships has talked about how beautiful they are, and how it isn’t that traditional “loud” Carnival decor, but toned down some. We were in an oceanview cabin on the Dream which was lovely, and are booked in a cove balcony in Mardi Gras, my son doesn’t know about that part…..I cannot wait to experience this, and surprise him with the balcony cabin!
We have steakhouse reservations booked as well, we didn’t go our first cruise, but I have heard great things about it. We had some hits and misses on the Dream with food as well, but I feel like you have that at land restaurants as well. Overall the food was pretty good.
I hope that you give Carnival another go, I do agree that they are working to do better and be better. Great video! I love your reviews and tips!
That sounds awesome!!
What lovely memories you are making with your son. You and he will cherish them forever!
Just for added information on the Steakhouse. The Free bottle of house wine is embarkation and the next day. You can also upgrade to a different wine for, I believe, 50% off. The Amari bar is the equivalent to the regular ships called Alchemy. The Amari has new drinks and they brought the favorites from Alchemy. They can make you any drink you like, if you ask them for a recommendation, they will ask you certain questions about likes/dislikes and will come up with a drink for you.
Thanks for sharing these tips
We love the Alchemy Bar. Thank you for the heads up on the Amari Bar. Cheers!
Looks like a great ship. We are set to sail on the Jubilee, in January. We just returned from a cruise on the Dream. I spent way too much money in the casino. But it was a fun time. I'm glad you finally decided to review Carnival. I've been wondering why that was missing. We love Carnival.
Me too..
I love your videos and reviews. They are so insightful! I'm ready for another one!
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed it
I have honestly been waiting for your review on pins and needles. I sail with Carnival more than any line, so I assumed I would be satisfied with Venezia (sailing in November on a 10-day cruise), but the fact that you had so many positive things to say - especially since you did a 4-day in the Summer - makes me even more excited!
I’m rarely excited about the buffet itself, but I love being able to make a salad to accompany my pizza, burrito, or deli sandwich…
Have an amazing cruise! So glad you enjoyed the video 😊
We are on this cruise
We’ve sailed on all the major lines and Princess is our favorite but we have sailed many times on Carnival as well. I laugh more on their cruises than any other line. Recently did the Mardi Gras and loved it. Would certainly do the Venezia if the opportunity arises.
I enjoy Carnival and especially the teppenyaki! It is the best
I was just on the Venezia last month for my first crise and I hate to say I was a bit disappointed, many people we spoke with said not to judge cruising on this trip, that usually they are much better. They seemed (the staff) very disorganized and perhaps short staffed for the amount of guests onboard. Long lines for everything, hard to find a chair and to be honest, most of the bar staff we met seemed to want to be anywhere else. I agree with you on the food, the main dining was fine, the buffet not so much.
I can understand. Truthfully not every ship or cruise line is for everyone. It could have been in part that the crew was new to working on the ship, & they we’re getting the kinks out
We’ve been on 3 different cruise lines this year and they all seem short staffed. The Royal Was probably the best one as far as staff but still not great. The other two were Virgin Voyages and we just got done last week on an Alaskan cruise on the Royal Princess.
A very fair and balanced review. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
I loved Venezia! ❤❤🎉🎉 Took the 8 day cruise to the Caribbean! MarQ, the cruise director, was awesome. I can't wait to see it again.
Wow! The buffet area on the magic is fabulous. Lots of different stations. Lots of choices
Just to clarify, Carnival didn't purchase the ship from Costa. Carnival owns Costa, so they just transferred the ship to the Carnival Fleet after a major US focused refit.
I would really suggest you sail on Mardi Gras! We sailed on it Oct. 2022 and we are booked again Jan. 2024 because we enjoyed it so much. Some Carnival ships can feel a bit run down and I totally agree with the offensive lighting sometimes, lol, but Mardi Gras is simply amazing. The food options are also amazing. Hope you get to sail on her! Thanks for another great video!
That’s our new favorite ship!!
We sailed on Mardi Gras in April 2022! It is amazing!
We just got back from Carnival Mardi Gras loved it
We just got back from cruising the Mardi Gras, and we absolutely loved it. The staff was so nice and the shows were top notch. I usually like smaller ships, but I would cruise the Marsi Gras again :) we ate at the steak house as well and would recommend it to anyone.
Wow. MARDI Gras was my very first cruise to Bermuda in the early '70s
Nice presenting - relaxed, informed, with a lovely smile.
Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it & thank you 😊
Just came back from a Carnival 10 day San Francisco to Alaska cruise where I took my mom and daughter. Had a great time, and came back to see a sweetheart VIFP deal for the Venezla on a 7-day Mexican Riviera cruise, booked! The comedians are top notch, their live entertainment is generally pretty good. I love that they now have the family feud!! They had Deal or No Deal on the cruise we just took which was good too.
Thank you for the awesome review! I'm a long time Carnival cruiser and have to say, I agree with 99.9% of everything you addressed!! Very informative 😃
Thank you for your honest review. We are sailing on this ship in September to Canada. You gave us a lot of good info.
We love cruising. 10 -50 times between us. We often just use the ship as our holiday destination. We just get off for fun or exceptional destinations based on past experience. Our holiday is based on our family of 3. Enjoying our own company. Fun fun fun.
Just did the 10 night on Jan 23. Had a great time and was not crowded at all. Great fun and entertainment all the time. Beautiful ship with lots of outdoor chill spots. Marco Polo dining room had great service and food. Highly recommend this ship.
We had a horrible experience with the sea day brunch because we waited to go later. We had to wait for 45 minutes, the food was COLD, and the service was beyond disappointing (dropped the food and ran). I definitely agree with your breakfast buffet review as well. I only did it once. Thankfully, we had a Blue Iguana with FANTASTIC breakfast burritos!
Best thing to do when you have bad service in a sit down restaurant; either the brunch or main dining room is to speak to the head waiter, the Maitre De, the Maitre De is essentially the waiters' supervisor and will immediately address problems.
I am not a buffet person at all. I don’t trust the public and their lack of sanitation so I do not eat from the buffet. The food doesn’t always look appetizing. I enjoy the MDR and specialty dining. ❤
Holland America has the buffet crew serving guests at the buffet. I wish all cruise lines did this, it would make me feel better about cleanliness. I know what you mean, the buffets are not my thing.
We sailed on the same cruise with you and agree with you 100%. We overall had a great time, a great ship for families. The food could have been better. But we generally found something we liked. The fruit and vegetables were overall disappointing, and often the dishes in the main dinning room lacked seasoning. The entertainment was good, comedians were great, music and vibe in the Limelight was awesome and the 80s and White party was a blast. MarQ did a great job keeping everyone pumped up, I’m sure you saw my husband win the 80s dance contest. Lol😂 Overall we were happy with the cruise and will definitely cruise again on the Venezia.
Thanks for sharing your experience! Sounds like you both had a fun time 🎉
Thanks for being honest and telling us that the cruise line gave you free interest. I wish all the bloggers would tell us this
We sail mostly Carnival and looking forward to our Sept Venezia Cruise. Love watching your videos and the great information 😊
Agree with so many of your points. Found the buffet missing the flavor and had very unappealing foods. Don’t think we’d ever do another 4 day though. 😂
Lol, glad our experiences were similar. I agree a 4 d isn’t quite long enough
So glad to see your opinion! We sailed exclusively on Carnival from 2006 until this year when we tried a four day Celebrity cruise. After many Carnival cruises I decided that Journeys cruises are the best way to sail with them as it’s mostly adults - so less people. I also find that our experiences weren’t consistent. But we have had some WONDERFUL cruises with them. We did a four day at Christmas with extended family and it was so crowded - because it was more than two occupancy on most of the ship. We don’t have children so we normally cruise when school is in session. And we normally don’t take cruises less than 7 days. Ideally 14 days lol. Anyway, thanks for your review!
We have cruised Carnival many times and enjoy the longer cruises versus the 4 day cruises. And we don’t usually cruise during the summer months when the kids are out of school as it gets very crowded
We almost never eat at the buffet on cruises. If we aren't in the MDR, we are visiting the quick service spots for lunch. No complaints from us, we love Guy's burgers and can eat one for lunch everyday on a cruise!!
If it’s kid season on any of the major larger ships $CCL $RCL $NCLH you are going to have a crowded buffet & pool area.
But at least with Carnival they have additional casual food sources that are good, Burger, Mexican, Deli, plus Pizza.
In my opinion an option to avoid the crowd issue in peak kid season would be to consider Holland America where it’s less of an issue.
Wow!! The Venezia is beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing. The end of September, we go on the Venezia on a 3 day in Bermuda. I like The Celebration. Hope you get to experience it.
The ship looks like the same design as the Horizon, which I love. Been on Horizon 3 times.
I cruise about once a month on the Carnival Glory out of New Orleans. I have gotten used to the fact that the “Italian” dishes prepared by the chefs primarily from India bare little resemblance to authentic Italian cuisine. Base this on the fact that I grew up in an Italian-American neighborhood with an Italian nonna and innumerable Italian relatives etc. I can’t believe that the Italian Captain and senior officers, the vast majority whom are Italian, eat the same dishes!! No way!!
You are so lucky to be able to cruise once a month. I'm jealous. These are life goals. ⚓❤️
My Italian family and I just came back from Carnival Venezia. The food was disappointing, and does not really resemble Italian food. It left a lot to be desired. We did speak to some of the Italian officers of the ship and even they complained about the food. One claimed we didn't know how he suffered. Therefore, I believe they eat the same food.
Thank you for a very balanced review!!! 🚢
I appreciate this review. I was surprised with your overall review. My Sister in law booked a cruise for all of us on this ship in April. I was pretty nervous because of their reputation. Now I am looking forward to it.
Carnival has ALWAYS been like this with much of its food. Also known in my circle as the "Krappy Kruise". We personally didn't have issues in the dining room, but the one we went on was newer at the time, but the buffet... ick. If you could see the prime rib photo...looked gross. This has been much of the consensus for many many years over many people. Some are loyal, but makes me wonder if they have tried others.
Love your videos! Sailing on Venezia on a Journeys cruise in 2024. I’m very excited to see this ship.
We will be Cruising on the Venezia in Oct and I have watched multiple Videos on this Ship with mixed Reviews, but Most were at the beginning of its Sailings and since We are going in October I hope the Suggestions made by Past Cruisers were taken to Heart and Carnival made the Improvements. Also We are on a 10 day Cruise, and We are Looking forward To it. Enjoy Your Videos.
My husband and I just got back from a Bahamas Carnival cruise in the Glory.
We enjoyed Guys Burger Joint as well but had to go back a few times because the lines were very long! I suggest you should try and go there at off times.
The Glory is an old ship and was refurbished.
This was a real mix of people! Some very young others very senior.
Pools were crowded. The serenity area was far from serene.
We are going on her in a few weeks. Can’t wait. Thanks for the Canadian perspective.
I'm so glad you enjoyed your cruise. We love Carnival and I'm glad were able to understand why people love this brand. I think you would really like one of the newest ships they offer. I really appreciate your honest opinion. Thank you for trying this brand again. We are taking the Venezia on an Alaskan cruise in 2024 and look forward to experiencing this ship after your review.
Great report on your Carnival cruise! I think we’ll take it next year!
Great review Ilana. Yes you get what you get with the buffet with Carnival. Always so crowded. That class of ship does seem overcrowded to me (I went on Horizon) I’m glad you enjoyed your experience overall, especially since you went during summer, on a 4-day and out of NY. I would absolutely love for you to go on Mardi Gras or Celebration to get your feedback. ❤🎉I wrote this before the end when you mentioned those ships!😂
Haha they’re definitely on my list
Good review. Comprehensive. Fair. I almost passed it by when I saw what seemed to be a Karen look promoting it, but then you won me over. I am Platinum on Carnival, looking forward to Venezia when it gets to L.A. next year, so I had a special interest in hearing your comments. The typical L.A. crowd is as diverse as the one in New York, making this even more relevant. Thanks.
Lol, glad I won you over (I try hard on my thumbnails but admittedly some might miss the mark) 😂
Sailing this at the end of this year on the Venezia, super excited. Thank you for all the tips and tricks to keep an eye out. Luckily most families will be back at school so, I can edit if there are any differences in the crowds and lines :D
I’ve cruised so many different cruise lines. By far, the soups have always been the best of all cruise ships. I love the comedy shows and the entertainment crew make the deck dances and gatherings the most fun of all. The cruise directors are usually very engaged with the passengers. The storage on most carnival ships is well designed. I’m not a fan of the curtains on the older ships. Carnival is definitely the Fun Ships! Thanks for your videos. They’ve been very helpful.
YES, I always get the soup. If there is 2 or 3 hot soups on the menu that evening, I order them all.
But I'm not a fan of cold soups. Just me. 😉
I'm going on a 10-day cruise on the carnival Venezia. in a few weeks April 26 to May 6. I am going solo to the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic. Thanks for the review I've seen many others. People have their likes and dislikes, but I guess I will have to make up my own mind. I hope I will enjoy my trip. I am a senior and I see there are a lot of places to go that are quiet and I can relax If I want. I booked a cove balcony to save money and I'm a little worried about that but I've heard many good reviews. I am sure I'll have a good time. One thing is I do like Princess cruises so I think I may go on another sometime.
That was the most polite Canadian way of saying "I'm still not a Carnival girl." 🍁🇨🇦
😂
Venezia is the only Carnival Ship sailing out of New York City. Since I live in Boston with family in the Greater New York City, TriState area, I have been looking for comprehensive reviews and ship tours.
We loved our cruise. I watched your review prior to traveling. Not sure what you expected, but we had a great time.
Did 8 days on Venezia in 2023 had a great time with family
Thanks for this video. As a newbie to cruising I have been definitely second guessing this ship since I booked based on what I’ve heard and read about demographic.
I really appreciate your review. It seems very fair. I understand the issues you had but none of them seemed to ruin your trip or be deal breakers for me personally. I’m sailing on Venezia in October and I like knowing her flaws ahead of time.
Recently cruised for the first time on Liberty of the Seas from NJ to Bermuda. Everything was awesome except for the crowds! Someone I met onboard who cruises often said she’s never been on such a crowded ship. I think everyone has a YOLO mindset since covid. That’s how we felt when we booked it last Fall. We will definitely be more careful about time of year when we book certain itineraries in the future and will default to a travel agent to help us figure it out. ( booked ourselves this time). Your videos were SO helpful!
Your right, I also heard this ship was very crowded when we were in Bermuda. We all want to travel 😂
Heads up, if you sail on any of the new carnival ships, Mardi Gras. Celebration or the Jubilee , the average room is very small. Maybe in a suite they are a little bigger, but below that, just keep that in mind. I have been on Mardi Gras twice last year and really enjoyed it. Just the cabins are smaller. Can't wait for your review when you do decide to go. Thanks for your review on this ship. I am still on the fence about it.
Thanks for the tips!
I am so glad you had a wonderful experience on Carnival and they surprised you with how good they are. I try to tell people and they think of Carnival as being the party ship of their college years.
what really gets me is that the fruit always looks so beautiful, but then it’s flavorless when eaten. 😢
Same thing with some of the fancy desserts at the buffet
Because pesticides are used to grow these fruits
@@lorigrimaldi194all I can say about the chocolate was it was brown.
Ugh never been on a cruise and this sounds so disappointing
@lorigrimaldi194 is not sweet at all. I was like, Americans didn't make this
Carnival is the spirit of cruising
I’m glad you enjoyed the cruise and I appreciate your review. I agree with so many points, and I love Carnival. ( But I have to say that I LOVE the 12 hour French toast). The buffet was a disappointment on my cruise last week as well.
Carnival's mushroom soup is yummy! I loved the roasted tomato soup they had at sea day brunch, but that was taken off the menu a few years ago. 😢
Re: buffet lines, check out all the lines. I found that there were long lines in some areas and almost non-existing on another side.
Appreciate your honest review. I was actually on the same sailing because I saw a few members of our group. Carnival Venezia is a beautiful ship and I enjoyed my cruise.
Awesome to hear!!
I went on Venezia June 19 for 8 days I loved the ship I remember first walking onto the ship looking like a fancy hotel. I loved the ship and the activities and I also hated the lines especially at guys burger joint and those other places. Another thing was on debarkation day it took way too long to get off people were getting off when their muster station wasn’t called yet and it was frustrating
Great video, thanks for sharing. Beautiful ship! 🚢
We are sailing on the Firenze next year, which I'd imagine is quite similar. Our only other Carnival sailing was on the Inspiration and I'll say she was pretty long in the tooth at that time. The decor was also very bright and busy, and kind of gawdy.
We had a great time but found Carnival (at that point) was definitely not even close to the same level of service and food as the premium lines. The one thing I will say is that cruise may have been the most fun we've ever had and the drinks were quite good. So they definitely live up to the "fun ship" claim. With that said we are very excited to try a newer ship and enjoyed your review and perspective.
Love this review! We are cruising 8/14-8/19 on the Venezia (with a Terrazza balcony room!) and I cannot wait! Your videos have been really helpful with the planning process!
Have fun!!!
My family loves the Royal Caribbean ship's. I've been cruising since 2004, trying carnival celebration next year. Love your reviews.
Thanks for watching 😊
We are going on our first Carnival cruise, a 4 day out of Charleston in Oct. We've been on other lines, NCL, Royal, Princess, Celebrity & Disney. We always try to go in with an open mind because even if you've been on one Royal ship it may have a different vibe from another depending on port and time of year. The ship looked gorgeous & kind of what I'd expect crowd-wise from NYC in the summer. Thanks for the tips, as I'm going to book the steakhosue for the first night of our cruise.
Oh I love that mushroom soup it’s amazing❤
A five day is pushing it for me, unless I do a B2B. However, we are leaving on a 5 day Monday. We picked a 5 day because our grandkids are going with us on their first ever cruise. We don't know how they will like it, or if they will get motion sickness....so we figured we'd start with a short cruise to see if cruising is their cup of tea.
On sea days they have a great sit-down pasta lunch at Marco Polo Restaurant in the atrium.
Just got off today and absolutely loved the Terraza area. It made our trip even more enjoyable. You're absolutely right about the buffet. On sea days they had a small sandwich and some other items available for lunch on 5 which was really good and not crowded.
We did our first Carnival cruise in 2002 on the then non-smoking Paradise. It was our 3rd cruise and there wasn't anything really wrong with it. Our only other cruise experience was 2 nighter (a nice cruise intro) on Majesty and an 7day Alaska cruise on HAL. A few cruises later, my father in law wants to do Bermuda. It was kinda last minute for a cruise but we made things work - even needing to get a 2 day or less covid test for Bermuda. Again, nothing really wrong with it. A 4 nighter is kinda nice for an intro cruise. But for a veteran-why 4 nights and WHY Carnival. Carnival IS what it IS. And it's kinda confusing that they own HAL (the best of the lot so far). They are a budget conscious, family friendly line. But I have NO desire to do them again. But, on the Bermuda cruise (and probably on all the others) they had an adult only pool area - no not in THAT way; no children under 18. I am looking forward to HAL again in October, but I think their version of it is an add-on of some kind.
Buffets are hit or miss and when they miss, it's usually something that doesn't belong sitting under heat lamps or in steam trays - ie eggs Benedict. If you want eggs, I suggest the omelet station.
If one bar is overcrowded, there is usually another one close by.
We are cruising on Carnival Magic in January 24. It is a group cruise. This is our 4th cruise but our 1st on Carnival. We have been on Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas. I hope we will not be too disappointed as we hear this is a party ship!!
We booked an 11 days Venezia cruise in November 9th. We’re so excited 😁🛳️🌞🌊👙🏖️
LISTENING... 😊I WAS ON FOR THE DEBUT WITH JAY LENO ON JUNE THE 14TH AND WILL DO AN ACTUAL CRUISE WITH MY GROUP ON 12.28.23-1.6.24
That must have been so cool 😎
Costa Crociere belongs to the Carneval Corporation and they moved Venezia and now costa Firenze in '24 over to the US fleet, reasons can be many, but I think mostly finacial. These ships are beautiful made in Italian style kind all in the same at Costa but the interior design on all costa ships is fabulous, in different themes. Now that Firenze is there try that one as well 🚢
It’s not rowdy on most of the cruises I’ve been on with Carnival - sometimes the fun squad has fun contests on the Lido but not rowdy. We also always love the GROOVE FOR ST JUDE!! So cool
As a European i have to say it's really nice to see that Carnival has kept that Mediterranean feeling of the ship! I know she differs from regular carnival ships but to me this just brings a bit of elegance to the ship. - And yes she heavily based on the arkitekturen style and feeling of Venice.
Question - did you feel that the Buffé was American or Mediterranean in terms of style of the food?
Very American :)
Architecture and buffet
Enjoyed your review - many of your assessments were spot on. But I get the impression this was not a typical Carnival ship in many ways. The passengers, time of year, itinerary, and port of embarkation seem to have a much greater effect on a cruise than many first-time cruisers would ever imagine, along with the design and atmosphere of the ship, and in many ways this ship seems a bit classier than most Carnivals, as you pointed out. In fact, most cruise lines now are making an effort to segregate those who prefer to be with their “own kind” by adding their extra cost exclusive areas, which are more like the luxury ships of earlier days where tuxedos and elegant gowns, along with filet mignons and lobsters were expected for the high class lifestyles of only the rich and famous. And outlandish behaviors such as fighting and language of today’s culture wasn’t even imagined, much less expected!
So some pointers for either 1st timers or if you haven't been in a long time. For dinner serving sizes are extremely small, but you can order doubles or triples for every dish
You did not make a mistake booking a Carnival cruise. My first cruise was a four day cruise to Halifax round trip out of NYC. On our tenth anniversary we were walking around in Halifax, a place neither of us had been to before. We had a great time on what was then the largest cruise ship in the world. On that trip it would be decades before Guy Fieri came to Carnival. Carnival has really good food. Carnival Cruise Line was an innovator in many things that most cruise lines do today. My late wife didn't like the serenity area of the ship. The Upper Deck. On our first cruise we had an aft stateroom too. My wife liked Aft staterooms after that. Carnival has good comics. First cruise line to have a dedicated comedy club with the Dream Class ships. Prime Rib is very good as is Carnival's Mushroom Soup. Sea Day Brunch starting at 0900 hours? Are the employees on vacation? On Sea Days they used to start the Brunch at 0700 hours. Not a big fan of buffett's either. Did you go to the Italian Restaurant? The Steakhouse on Carnival is very good. Have the Chocolate Melting Cake. Not a bar person. Like to play in the casino. Most content providers do not mention the casino at all. If I ask a question about the casino often they don't know.
Thanks for sharing. I’m honestly not a casino player - wish I could say more
Venezia looks beautiful! Love Serenity area on all Carnival ships I’ve been on.
I sailed on the inaugural sailing of the Venezia when she was being delivered to Carnival from Barcelona to NYC for 15 days and Emeril Lagasse and Christine Duffy (President of Carnival Cruise Line) actually sailed for the first few days with us. Not sure what you mean about no crew members being around for guidance because when we boarded and disembarked there were crew members EVERYWHERE!! Especially because they want you to report to your muster station ASAP when boarding, plus the cruise director can only be in one place at a time. At this time for the Venezia the cruise director is Mar Q and he spends much of his time running all over the place talking to everyone and then to the bridge or wherever he needs to go to make announcements on the disembarkation process. All the times I sailed with Carnival there is staff everywhere.
Thanks for the review. I haven’t sailed with Carnival since 2019. My mom and I used to go all the time. Both of us are platinum. My mom is now into her 80s and wants to go on another cruise. But we want to do a three or four day cruise. We are a little apprehensive about that. Carnival is always getting bad reviews. In the past, we’ve never run into any problems, but I seem to see a lot of bad things going on lately, which makes us a little nervous to go on these shorter Carnival cruises. Watching your video has eased our feelings a bit. Thank you.
Never tried carnival but will try them out some day. Feel like there is so much hate against them
Sure wish you would sail on Jubilee with us during the last week of February.
My wife and I watch a lot of your videos 😊
Thanks again for another awesome review!! Again, I appreciate your candor and diplomatic explanations about the various aspects of your experience! I will be sailing on Carnival Magic in several months. I have been on the Legend to the Caribbean and the Miracle to Alaska. The Caribbean is pretty basic but I would like to cruise Alaska again on a different cruise line. The Miracle was okay but I would like to experience that itinerary again via another company. Lately I have been Loyal to Royal. Thanks again for sharing your awesome insights!
Thanks so much for your comments! Have a great upcoming cruise
@@LifeWellCruised ♥
We were on Carnival Venezia 8 days, 6/25/23-7/5/23 (one with several fights, though we fortunately didn't see them). Your review reflects our experience onboard. Boarding in NYC was a nightmare; we waited for over 2 hours to get on the ship. I'm not sure whether that was the port's issue or Carnival's. The staff were all so friendly, especially our cabin steward. Agree the buffet was underwhelming, but for breakfast at the deli station area they make fresh eggs and omelets to order which helped. The comedians were great. I don't know whether we'd choose this ship again (we originally booked on Magic but Carnival changed it). If we do, we would definitely book a Terrazza suite. We have a Carnival Pride cruise out of Baltimore next year for a friend's wedding and are curious to see the difference with a smaller, older ship that was original to Carnival. Thanks so much for all your videos - they helped us be prepared for our first cruise in many years!!
Thanks for sharing your experience:)
Love your review thank you--We have been on 4 Carnival cruises--Booked on the Celebration Feb. '24 for our 5th---out of Miami my favorite port.
Love Carnival!
Would love to see you do a Disney review! I’m not a Disney fanatic but I LOVE DCL for their service, cleanliness and food. It would be interesting to hear your opinion in comparison to other ships.
Maybe one day 😊
@@LifeWellCruisedI saw your vid on not doing disney. I'm not a Disney fan either. I just don't care for their movies and vibe, but I discovered that you didn't have to be one to enjoy their cruise. The service, cleanliness, and food quality, to date, is still the best I have ever gotten on any boat in any cruise line. Going on celebrity and oceania soon though, so I'm hoping to match the experience.
@@pullcarsmelly8051 great to know
I agree with you about the food. I preferred the dining room food. I was so not into the buffet, the pizza was not good at all. I was on Carnival Magic. The food disappointed me that was the only I can complain about
Sailed on the magic twice. Enjoyed it and we also stuck with the dining room.
I can always count on you for a thorough review. We are sailing this ship in 2 weeks up to Canada and I feel better prepared now. Thanks for all the info! 😁🙏🏻