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In defense of Carnival Cruise Line and its 'Fun Ships'
By Daniel Kline,
20 days ago
Videos of planes that don't crash don't make the news or go viral.
But the ones that crash get so much attention that it makes it feel like something that's incredibly rare happens all the time. Being afraid of your plane crashing is statistically a waste of brainpower because your odds of that happening are roughly one in 11 million.
Your odds of getting struck by lightning are actually better than 1 in a million, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Most people spend very little time worrying about lightning strikes while a lot are afraid of flying at least partially because they fear crashing.
Just because it's almost certainly not going to happen doesn't mean people don't worry about it.
Fights on Carnival Cruise Line ( CCL ) ships are the same type of phenomenon, except it's very rare for someone to get seriously hurt when one does happen. On the few times a year, a fight does break out on a Carnival ship, the video goes viral and it hurts the cruise line's reputation.
Yes, Carnival does seem to have more fights than its rivals, but they're not common, and despite what you might think you know about the brand, it offers a compelling cruise experience as long as you go into it knowing what you're getting.
Carnival has built its business around delivering fun.
Image source&colon Carnival Cruise Line
What to expect on a Carnival cruise
Carnival calls its ships the "Fun Ships," and the cruise line seeks to deliver a good time for all ages. Its ships have parties, as do rivals Royal Caribbean ( RCL ) , MSC Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line ( NCLH ) , but they largely are not party ships.
Exactly how young, wild, and out to get drunk the crowds are on Carnival's ships varies based on a few factors:
When the cruise is : If you sail during college spring breaks or over the summer, crowds will include more people in their early 20s.
Length of the cruise : A 3-day weekend cruise will often have more of a party atmosphere than a 7-day or a 4-day that's Monday through Friday.
Cost of the cruise/age of the cruise ship : Carnival's newest ships, the Excel-class ships cost more than sailing on smaller, older ships. They also have more family-friendly activities so they may be full of younger kids
Carnival ships generally have a very active pool deck with innocent fun events like cannonball contests, volleyball, and other games. The pools tend to be crowded, and the pool bars are active.
The cruise line's ships have adults-only areas which generally over chairs, a pool, a nearby bar, and sometimes a hot tub. Inside the ship, during the day, there are lot of activities including trivia, name-that-tune-style contests, live music, and more.
At night, Carnival offers production shows (think musical reviews), headliner acts — everything from, singers to jugglers, magicians, or other novelty acts, dedicated space for comedians, and a ton of live music.
Bars are a big feature, but the cruise line does cap each passenger's alcoholic drinks at 15 per day. It will also shut off any passenger who seems inebriated.
Food is subjective, but I would rate Carnival's main dining room as a small step below Royal Caribbean, which is a half step below its sister company Celebrity Cruises. I have not sailed Carnival since it changed its dinner menus with help from Emeril Lagasse.
You should not board a Carnival ship expecting gourmet meals, at least in the MDR, but you should find dishes you truly enjoy, and a few favorites you will be excited to have again. The cruise line excels at dessert, and its free casual Mexican eatery and an also-free Guy's Burger Bar by Guy Fieri, are arguably as good as any free casual options on any of its key rivals.
Carnival also has better free pizza than Royal Caribbean, but maybe a little worse than Celebrity's and MSC Cruise's. The Lido Buffet is a little bit below all of its key rivals and not offering to-order omelets on the buffet at breakfast is a disappointment. But there are enough choices that should find something you like.
Entertainment options are varied and it's hard to imagine that most people could not find some music, a show, a movie, or something else they enjoy doing each night.
Carnival isn't a high-end cruise, but it was never intended to be. I've only sailed the cruise line a couple of times, on older ships, both sailings were full of the fun the cruise line promises, free of fights, and filled with families, and other people just looking to have a good time.
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