I Tried a Carnival Cruise and The Reality Was Surprising

[@bdrennon3663]

Cruised Mardi Gras 2x and going again next year. Had a great time. Never saw a fight or argument but did meet some really great people. Never seen a fight on any of Carnivals ship.

[@shellysnodgrass9546]

I’ve never waited like ever ! I’m usually on any carnival ship in 15-20 minutes .

[@Big-O43]

Been on Eight Carnival cruises, never seen a fight, never had a long wait to get on, food has always been good, always have had a great time! Cruising on the Mardi Gras for the second time next May!

[@lummoxx8586]

Ditto on 26 Carnival cruises since 1995.

[@dr.braxygilkeycruises1460]

Same for me. I saw two people argue once (a married couple at dinner), but never saw a fight. Longest I had to wait to get on was an hour, but that was on Royal. On Carnival, it's never taken longer than 30 minutes because they give you the specific boarding time. I love Carnival (and I'm in my 50's).

[@barbarawhitecotton9548]

We have been cruising Carnival since 1982 and love Carnival! Have sailed RCCL, Celebrity and Viking but always go back to Carnival. Btw, we’re in our 80’s.

[@donnapinder9905]

I don't feel like it wouldn't be for people who don't like that vibe. We aren't party people. We don't drink. We don't hang out in places where the party vibe is taking place. There is fun to be had and the people on Carnival are more fun to us. We just hang out on our balcony. Watch some shows. Eat the wonderful plethora of food they offer. Everyone cruises differently and we much prefer Carnival.

[@Trebor0178]

As a loyal Carnival cruiser, I get tired of people putting Carnival down. Such a myth to say Carnival is cheap and so many fights...Boarding has always been pretty easy and quick, so not sure what happened to you....

[@cjhan47]

I’ve only seen one fight on a cruise ship and it was a Royal Caribbean ship. It was on Allure on one of its first sailings out of Galveston.

[@OfficialHeir]

lol it’s just comical. These KZbinrs become travel agents and then feel incentivized to downplay carnival because it’s usually at a better price than NCL and Royal. It just ruins the credibility of this KZbinr when she starts the video 30 seconds in trashing carnival guests as snowflakes and then she claims she’ll be fair with the review but the first thing she talks about is a system going down otherwise a “one off” which can happen on any line but miraculously happens on carnival the one she apparently never liked before lol. Lame creator but she’s kinda hot I’d hit

[@adamwiz2]

I have only cruised with Carnival and I also don't like how Carnival gets such a bad rap. I really enjoy the parties, but at the same time you can easily avoid the parties. It's not like the whole ship is rockin'. That being said, I have had poor and great experiences when it comes to boarding. I had one time where I had to wait for about 60 minutes in the heat of Miami to board, but come to find out that was just because some cruisers were trying to stow away. 5 years ago, Carnival's boarding process was rough unless you were Platinum/DIamond or got Faster to the Fun; however, since Covid, things have been extremely streamlined, and the last cruise I went on (which was the Mardi Gras) was super quick, and we just basically walked on the ship after waiting 20 minutes in line.... so I can't imagine a 90 minute wait is "normal" for Carnival in our current generation!

[@Bespokelasers]

My wife and i sailed on the Pride out of Baltimore. We loved our cruise! We are both retired professionals and normally would choose a more upscale line. We found the entertainment was fun, the crew was extremely friendly and helpful. We booked the Chef’s Table and thought the food was Michelin star quality. The service was impeccable and the comedian who performed at the table was truly a joy. We felt that the Chef’s Table experience on the Pride was one of the best ones we have experienced. We rate it second after the Queen’s Grill on the “Mary”. Overall Carnival has outstanding food quality, we loved it. Our service in the main dining room……..outstanding. This is the only ship where our wait staff kept inquiring to make sure we did not leave the dining room hungry. We give Carnival food five ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟! Overall for the cost and experience we give it four ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️🌟’s.

[@tonylevine2716]

The “Chef’s Table” is outstanding!

[@raisafrancisco7323]

I would recommend you sailing on the Carnival Celebration. It is a completely different type of Carnival cruise. I loved it. The food was delicious, the venues were elegant and spacious. The whole vibe was incredible. You would love it!!

[@margaretatter4743]

When I sailed the Mardi Gras we were on in 20 minutes. It says on line to print luggage tags and boarding passes. They always have checked my boarding pass a few times before boarding.

[@roger25375]

Exactly, and they stamp it too, at least they did again last month in Galveston getting on the Jubilee. And they scanned it again at the muster station.

[@margaretatter4743]

I have been on 17 Carnival cruises. I have never seen a fight.

[@angieb1971]

I been on 12 and I have never seen a fight either.

[@FoodiesVacations]

I have a client that saw one the first time she went on… ( but it was a much cheaper ship) she told me she is only doing Royal and Celebrity after that. I’ve never seen a fight either. But people are even acting out on planes! I think this speaks more to America’s increasingly violent nature. The violence and gun violence is much higher than when I first started traveling 30 years ago.

[@Brewtonsgotpressure]

Just got off this morning. Fight on the lido day 3

[@lummoxx8586]

@@FoodiesVacations People buying tickets with EBT cards.

[@barrybadders6854]

People?​@@lummoxx8586

[@bobbear4437]

Carnival is no more trashy then Royal, or NCL, or MSC. Trashy if its there is the passengers, and they cruise on all those mentioned above! And trashy can be one's perspective! All cruise lines have their pluses and minuses!

[@tonymontana9995]

Yes it is , Carnival is the absolute Worst

[@ashleys4652]

Carnival is the most trashy for sure. There's so many videos out there to support the trash.

[@tonymontana9995]

@@ashleys4652 Trash can of the seas

[@johnrock2022]

than

[@sarahann530]

​@@ashleys4652 Too many Americans on board . European cruise lines are more classy .

[@PingzGuy]

Glad you had a good time. As you stated, Carnival uses printed boarding passes, and tells cruisers to print them up and bring them. I will say that when hundreds of people arrive at the terminal without them, and need an agent to print them, the process slows down. Last Carnival cruise I took (August 2024), we arrived at 10:00 and dropped off our bags in our cabin by 10:40. Carnival certainly isn't the only cruise line that have fights breaking out, but the demographics of clientele is certainly different than say Princess or Celebrity. Again, I'm glad you had a good cruise and provided a good review...

[@stevengolden9009]

Last Carnival cruise we went on was in May and it was wonderful. However the embarkation process was AWFUL. People arriving way too early, port workers allowing it, took over 2 1/2 hours to get on board. In our next sailing, I doing some different things and we also have priority boarding status. I hope it helps.

[@niuhuskieguy]

I would love to see Carnival use Princess' medallion tech to streamline things. I've heard nothing but good things about it for the embarkation process. With that said, we haven't experienced any embarkation issues with Carnival and it seems like this experience was an anomaly with computers being down.

[@LuAnnRoose]

Yes we sailed on the Mardi Gras last year. We're older ship was huge. We all decided we like the smaller ships. But we absolutely love. 13:44 Carnival Carnival cruise line

[@maryjoambrozia4180]

I’m not a cruiser after two weekend cruises to nowhere years ago, but off topic, your daughter is absolutely gorgeous!

[@kirkward3760]

The very short cruises tend to attract folks who never go on 7 day or longer cruises. Maryjo, try a real cruise, not one to nowhere. We went on one years ago and we swear one of the folks we saw panhandling in New Orleans, was on the 2 day cruise with us!

[@dr.braxygilkeycruises1460]

@@kirkward3760 I agree. In 13 years of cruising, I have never seen even one fight on Carnival, but I've never taken a cruise shorter than 5 days. Someone told me the short cruises to nowhere, and 2-4 day cruises are for people with bad attitudes. I thought that was unfair, but then I thought about it. The longer the cruise, the more expensive it is. I wonder if there's a correlation? 🤔

[@nisaj5736]

I have cruised on the Mardi Gras twice. Loved it!

[@denisebrown5121]

I notice you didn’t mention Family Feud, which is very entertaining. I like your review of the Mardi Gras. We’re planning a trip with that ship Transatlantic cruise.

[@cindystauffer3242]

OUR last carnival cruise was on was awful. A young woman got drunk and jumped off the boat. Carnival employees searched for her and found her. She had to be taking to the hospital so our boat had to turn around and take her back to key west. Happy she survived ; however, our trip was ruined. Saw her several months later on 20/20 stating she was suing them for being over-served.. smh!

[@BarbieBee63]

That has nothing to do with Carnival. It's the woman that chose to get blitzed out of her mind & jump off. Hopefully she gets a heavy fine for her stupidity.

[@dr.braxygilkeycruises1460]

What the heck does that have to do with Carnival? So you blame them that a young woman was irresponsible, drank too much, JUMPED off the boat, and they didn't leave her? THAT's what your upset about? I hope not because that would say something very powerfully negative about you and a lack of humanity. The girl who jumped should be banned for life from ALL cruise lines. SHE is the enemy here. Said with love. 🤗🥰

[@cindystauffer3242]

@@dr.braxygilkeycruises1460 She actually put carnival employees lives in danger searching for her in deep waters for 2 1/2 hours over HERSELF getting drunk / jumping like a lunatic. She is damn lucky an employee saw her jump. Then she sued them after they saved her life. Not carnivals fault never said it was. My point, one irresponsibility person puts other people lives a risk and ruins a cruise for others. That is a chance you take cruising. There is a huge difference between an accident and getting drunk and jumping of a cruise boat. So lecture someone else about lack of humanity. I actually praised the employees who had to deal with this woman.

[@ScottLara]

I always recommend people print their boarding passes. Tech glitches must be expected.

[@samquinn6427]

I was on Celebrity Apex and the comedian said to a heckler: "Did you get on the wrong ship, this is not a Carnival cruise."

[@rosemariekarlebach2571]

Just took the Carnival Dream out of Galveston. Had a blast. Room was great, balcony was great, food was great, entertainment was fabulous. Really can’t complain about anything. We are planning on doing another one in a couple of months! I give it five stars! Oh, your baby is gorgeous!

[@benton59]

To each it's own

[@JosephWilson-gc9uw]

I love your honesty! We have not sailed 60 but we have been sailing since 1974. October 15, 2024 is our 50th year Anniversary. Love baby Noah, Griff is a trip and you are wonderful. Joseph & Corine On Deck With CB!

[@alexlevingston]

Congratulations.

[@Michelle-x2t]

every carnival cruise we went on we said never again but its not easy passing on those deals...7+ day cruises is less party people i noticed ..... RC is my favorite

[@bigguy1403]

We've tried carnival a few times and have never seen on flight on board. The food was good staff was extremely nice and it was a great cruise.

[@jaxj8560]

I agree 100 percent.... Emeril is my favorite. Love the shrimp and grits. Met you guys for the first time on Carnival Horizon (2021). Griff and I had a great conversation at the spa on the heated chairs. Love your post !

[@tonylevine2716]

Met who? I thought this was their first Carnival cruise? 🤔

[@rolandanderson2468]

Maybe you guys need to sail on Virgin with your pinky up.

[@jdrew5367]

Everyone has a very different experience. This is their own personal experience. Just like you!

[@deborahhines6794]

I love Carnival. Out of 27 cruises with them, I only remember one fight years ago. My girlfriend sailed recently on Sunrise and said it was so ghetto and she has 26 under her belt. It depends on when you sail. You're right about that bathroom on Mardi Gras. We had a Spa room, and you could barely turn around, I'd rather them remove the sofa and expand the bathroom. Lido deck is small as well as other venues. I prefer the Dream class i.e. Breeze, Magic, and Dream. I like the food choices on Mardi Gras💯💯 The pool area by Guy's Smokehouse is cool. I've sailed 4x on Mardi Gras. I love Carnival the Funship. I agree that Royal has the best shows on the seas.

[@RyanCameron]

I'm more of a Princess fan but I did try a couple Carnival cruises. I enjoyed both of them, one was on the Carnival Panorama, one of the bigger and newer ships, and the second on the older and smaller Carnival Miracle. Disembarkation on the Panorama was a miserable clusterf**k ruining an otherwise wonderful cruise. The decor on the Miracle was hideous but the cruise itself was absolutely amazing. Incredible crew members on both ships. I missed some little touches that Princess does that Carnival didn't do, but also got to experience some things that Carnival does that Princess doesn't. The cruise on the Panorama also afforded me an opportunity to capture an epic sunset photo of the Diamond Princess outside of one of the ports. I later had an opportunity to sail on the Diamond Princess and brought a print of that photo for her captain. I ended up invited to dine with the captain and got a tour of the bridge which was an incredible experience that I wouldn't have had without that Carnival cruise.

[@sharronjohnson6592]

I’m usually unpacking during the sail away party

[@rashadabdulazeem5387]

We love cruising Carnival and have never seen a fight. Their crew is super nice. We sailed Royal Caribbean and MSC. Carnival offers more and better loyalty perks as we are Platinum. We love Royal Caribbean, but Carnival is generally our go-to cruise line, especially for longer cruises

[@ebabtravels3604]

Sorry you had to wait a long time to board, but for future reference, Carnival has a "family with kids" line that can help you avoid long waits in the hot sun. It's common for there to be some conflicts on cruise lines because people tend to be more relaxed on vacation. It's just that other cruise lines are better at handling and concealing these issues. However, Carnival has improved its security measures and is strict about not allowing unsupervised kids after 11 pm. Carnival is definitely a "fun ship" for everyone, but the bathrooms are quite small, which is a downside. The food has improved significantly, and the beignets are delicious. The shows on Mardi Gras, Celebration, and Jubilee are good, but it's best to arrive a little early to avoid obstructed views depending on where you sit. We had an amazing time on the Mardi Gras but it is also what you make it. Awesome video and beautiful family. Have a great day!

[@rickeyjohnson8678]

I WENT ON THE MARDI GRA FOR NEW YEARS. IT WAS FANTASTIC, PLENTY OF FUN BUT ALSO VERY LAID BACK, PLENTY OF PLACES TO CHILL AND READ A BOOK OR JUST VEG OUT.

[@jamesspitzercashout]

We love your family! Appreciate the honest reviews. Be safe happy and healthy❤

[@janiscreatesjohnson6630]

Ty for acknowledging your skepticism and Giving Carnival its kudos. You can’t blame the brand for ignorant trashy people who drink too much and may spoil your experience.

[@joyceconley2996]

I went on the Carnival Mardi Gras in April and it was great. I loved Carnival, and have been sailing on Carnival for over 25 years, they have always been my first choice when going on a cruise because I like to have fun and a good time. All the years that i been sailing i have never experienced fighting or people getting out of control, and Carnival had the best workers and the best food !, I just got back from sailing sailing on the Carnival pride, it was great, no issues at all.

[@davidhoffman8122]

We were on the Mardi Gras last year. As for boarding it took us about 30 minutes from drop off and to be in our room. So the time it took you was VERY long! The food was fantastic on our cruise and we did not get to eat in places 'other than then MDR' more than once. We did "The BOLT" just once since it was $15/person. Your review of this ship is very accurate and quite fair. I have been on 24 Carnival cruises and have seen ONLY ONE minor altercation. That was on our first cruise after COVID and people were doing their best to get back to having fun!

[@gwynethglas-brown9171]

Lovely to see You Alyssa. Hearing your thoughts on this cruise 😊. Hope your all doing well Take care 🥰

[@nylancollins4002]

I love Mardi Gras. I only cruise Carnival larger ships. But like you I’ve cruised Royal, Disney, Norwegian and Celebrity. I’ve cruised a total of 77 cruises to date, will be going back on the Venenzia 10/25 with my best friend.

[@alicialyles7179]

I have been on the Mardi Gras and the Celebration. I enjoyed both. The themes to me were not very different. I would like to try the Jubilee as well.

[@MistySuttle]

The amount of time it takes to get on the ship has a few factors. If the ship is delayed to get cleared by customs, it delays boarding. If you pick an early boarding time, you'll have to wait until after the priority people. And the excel class ships have so many people, so you'll wait longer. We try to pick our boarding time between 12:30-1pm, so after we board and do the muster dill our rooms will be about ready. We've been on 3 carnival cruises. Never seen a fight. And always had a great time. The ropes coarse is fun. But will be closed on windy days. You must wear closed toed shoes and t-shirt (no tank tops or open back shirts).

[@mimikarenbryant7325]

Loved the Mardi Gras in Nov. 2021, sailing at 60% capacity, and with cove balcony. Smooth embarkation and enjoyed great food and thought new design and layout was overall nice. There were lines for comedy club. Mardi Gras celebration and parade is fun touch! No fights or over the top behaviors but definitely a FUN vibe in areas like Lido deck. Would like to try Jubilee and Celebration! By the way, we are seniors ages 64 and 71.

[@katharinerobinson9814]

I love the Mardi Gras. We have been on her 5 times and have always had so much fun. We have been on the Celebration plus other Carnival ships and have always had fun. The food is amazing, rooms have always been clean, entertainment is good. The staff always friendly. We have never seen any problems on any of the ships. We have met many people from all over the world and always have had interesting conversations. This last cruise I had a conversation with another couple and we both enjoy watching your videos and we both agree we are absolutely in love with Noah!! Keep the videos coming!!

[@andream420]

I'M A TA AND WORK AT THE MANHATTAN PIER AND YES, YOU BETTER HAVE YOUR PRINTED BOARDING PASS! 😂😂 I JUST GOT OFF THE MARDI GRAS IN AUGUST AND PLANNING TO GO AGAIN IN 2025, BALCONY ONLY WITH TWO OTHER FRIENDS. YES. THE BATHROOM IS TOOSMALL AND NO AIR ON THE ELEVATORS!! YES. CARNIVAL SAIL AWAY PARTIES ARE ENVY WORTHY AND LIT WITH TJ! HEY!!! I ENJOYED SHACK AND THE PIZZA (ALMOST EVERY NIGHT). BTW, WON SECOND 🏆 PLACE ON NAME THAT TUNE! CAN'T WAIT TIL AUGUST OF 2025 GROUP CRUISE..🎉🎉😂😂

[@fortyfabulouscruising3855]

I truly loved the Mardi Gras. I had a blast 🎉

[@irispowell7050]

13 cruises on Carnival since 1989 and I am a loyal fan. Great review.! My next one is in January on the 14 day from Long Beach to Hawaii for my 70th birthday. I am a Funship girl!

[@LuchysGoodies]

Hi Alyssa, I had the same experience out of Port Canaveral in reference to boarding mine was 3 hours. I promised myself never again would I choose any cruise out of that port. My favorite port is port of Miami for All my cruises.

[@dr.braxygilkeycruises1460]

I really appreciate how fair you were in this review. There are a few other channels that I stopped watching because they speak so negatively about Carnival just because it seems to be the popular thing to do. Thank you for not doing that. For me, Carnival is still my favorite cruise line. I'm 55 years old, but I haven't yet reached the stage of life where I want silence and boring crap all the time. That's my regular life. Legal cases, church, home, repeat. When I go on vacation, I want FUN! I don't necessarily want to dance, but I want to be NEAR dancing, and have loud music. My youngest son and his wife went on Royal and when they returned, he said I would hate it because it's not fun at all. Later, we all went on Royal as a family. He was right. I didn't enjoy it At All. NCL is good, but also boring. So, until I get old enough to need a vacation filled with crocheting and silent bingo, I'm sticking with Carnival. 🤣😅🤣 Thanks again for this awesome video!!!!! 🤗

[@barbarahernandez4713]

I love the Carnival vibe. The Mardi Gras is not my favorite ship, but it was very enjoyable.

[@ScottLara]

Another great video. I agree with you that "some" influencers may not be accurate in their reviews! Scott

[@debbiemartin6714]

We are at almost 60 and like peace and quiet and still enjoyed the Carnival Mardi gras. We would go to the adults only deck and eat in the specialty dining. Always stay away from the buffet and things worked out fine.

[@michaeleubanks5]

we went o the mardi gras in may and loved it and we are booked on it again april/may next year. i was on the 4th floor and the elevator went to that floor for us with no problem on the aft of the boat. hope you had as good of a time as we did.......

[@mycrazylife2go]

We have only sailed Carnival and boarding is a hit & miss. Puerto Rico was the best boarding experience. Now that we’re Platinum even New York boarding was pretty smooth. Though that was the first time I’d ever seen the drug sniffing dogs.

[@charlab.7838]

I was going to say the same thing. I have never seen drug sniffing dogs until I was in line in Galveston. I went with my daughter and two granddaughters. Never again! Way too many people in pools that were small...a sea of humanity. Ugh. I have sailed on Carnival multiple times in the past 15 years but after this trip last year I'm done.

[@DrePierre455]

I’ve only sailed on Carnival but have plans to try other Cruise lines. I think they have people print out their boarding passes versus going mobile is because of cell phone service gets sketchy it would severely delay the boarding process. I’ve never witnessed or even heard of fights on any of the cruises I’ve been on. Glad your family had a good time. We sailed the Mardi Gras and the Jubilee.

[@HOSTARMARINE]

Had to be a glitch at check-in. WE have only sailed Carnival for fifteen years and have never waited more than 15 minutes. Glad there were no fights for sure, and I will add we never saw a fight until post COVID cruising. The cruise lines were offering dirt cheap cabins to get cruising going again, and it brought a whole different clientele into cruising.

[@funjazzlover]

We really enjoyed the Mardi Gras. We have also been on the Celebration and loved it even more. I think that was because it was a Christmas holiday cruise and everyone was in such great spirit. It, by far, was one of the best cruise to date!! We will be on the Jubilee for a holiday cruise! We can’t wait!! We love carnival and we also love Royal Caribbean! Our perks are better on Carnival due to being Platinum and Casino Rates!

[@ElizabethJohnson-qi2bo]

Never have more than 30 minutes embarkation on Carnival. 12 or so cruises. We loved the Mardi Gras

[@Joliboyd]

I’ve been on all three excel ships and loved all three of them. One of the cruises, was the inaugural cruise for the jubilee I was surprised that embarkation ran so smoothly. I feel like carnival does a lot to try to offer a lot of different activities and food options for the guests. I think Carnival gets an harsh reputation It’s partly the guests that make the cruise and the guests behavior. I feel like there’s something for everyone on these excel Ships. Glad you had a fun time your daughter is adorable! I agree some of the shows on Carnival are a little random, but they are very talented performers. I highly recommend the jubilee!

[@Paji76]

My wife and I sailed on the Mardi Gras. We enjoyed it a lot. We were able to board quickly. Most of the food was good. The specialty restaurants were great. The things we didn't like were the elevators and seating for the main stage.

[@ShipToShoreCruiseNews]

Glad to hear you liked the Mardi Gras! I've been on it as well and it is totally different than their other ships. If you sail on others like the Glory, Radiance, or say the Magic, you will have a completely different view of Carnival. Of course saying that, I've sailed on Carnival more than any other cruise line, and I don't know why!

[@jenreed8403]

I luv watching y’all n we sail Carnival so I hated we didn’t hardly get any videos from their ships, except older videos. Glad that u had a great time n that u were happily surprised. I hope u go again. N I hope u try the Costa ships. We’re sailing the Firenze in 43 days n she looks STUNNING!!!!

[@joethecomputerguy1]

Mama looks good in a bikini and dressed up. Very nice! Just got off the Mardi Gras and loved it. This was my second time on it and I've also been on the Celebration. All good times.

[@MRNICK68]

SEVEN @ carnival TWO@ Royal Caribbean and ONE@ Norwegian and CARNIVAL WINS HANDS DOWN. Never seen a fight with only afew dust ups where mainly FAMILY MEMBERS yelling at each other!

[@jamess5154]

Carnival is fine if you want a continuous party ship. We have done more than a few Carnival cruises pre-pandemic that we enjoyed and did one a couple of years ago to check out how much it has changed. What we found is that the ship was noisy all the time and everywhere. Even folks just having a normal conversation in normally quiet areas were VERY loud and in the evenings it was sometimes hard to hear the music over the talking in every venue except the theater.

[@sarahann530]

That's why there are plenty of cruise lines that cater to old people that are just waiting to die .

[@jamess5154]

@@sarahann530 Normally I ignore trolls but I am in the mood to cross the bridge. When a group is playing music in a venue folks should not have to sit in the middle of the group to hear the music over the not so entertaining loud conversations of rude folks who think their discussion is essential to it being a fun ship. Now if you think living requires hearing strangers discussions instead of the music then I am glad you stay on Carnival.

[@sarahann530]

@@jamess5154 There are cruise lines that cater to miserable old cunts , I am sure you will be able to find one to cater to your needs .

[@jameshamm7911]

My wife and I are Carnival Platinum (over halfway to Diamond, and except for a few clunky ships (like the former "Triumph" and "Conquest"), always had fun with little drama (only one "almost fight" where my nephew (a cop) and I stopped and restrained a guy from lurching over a bar b/c the bartender cut him off)). Have sailed MSC, Princess, Celebrity, and Royal and we always return to Carnival. In fact, taking an eleven-day repositioning cruise on the Venezia next May and cannot wait...gorgeous ship! BTW: my wife always prints our boarding passes just in case, which has saved us on more than one occasion when their system went down.

[@michellebiggerstaff6841]

Hate that you had a bad check-in experience. I can say I've never experienced that long of a wait, but everyone has their days. We're leaving Sunday, on another Carnival cruise, and praying that we don't run into any troubles with Hurricane Season. Glad you gave Carnival a try.

[@nicolecorsillo]

Great job Alyssa!! So glad y’all had fun! I’m more of a princess or celebrity person but I love watching all of your videos! ❤

[@HPFKarrie]

We are die hard Carnival cruisers. I've considered the other lines but have shy'd away for the same reasons you liked those lines LOL. I'm not much of a partier, I like the throwback show themes, the food (OH THE FOOD) and typically enjoy people watching at the parties LOL

[@Ddrews-nf4gq]

Cruised with Carnival as a family. I really enjoyed everything the food the music the shows. My only knock was it was super crowded so there were lines at most buffets and lunch spots.

[@regina8994]

I have been on 6 Carnival cruises. No one single fights. Lots of fun. Great food. Super fast bording. My favorite ships so far Carnival Horizon and Carnival Vista. We stayed at an AFT Havana Cabana balcony. Excellent! You have a private area for the people on the Havana Cabana with a private pool, jacuzzy, bar. Very awesome. Pool is not crowded like the main pools, which is a plus. Should try it. We think it was worth the extra money.

[@frederickcurry4443]

We're avid Carnival cruisers and have enjoyed every class of ship and every single cruise. In fact we just did six weeks , beginning in August for 3 weeks on Magic, followed by 3 weeks on Celebration. Awesome time. However, Celebration was a better experience overall. What I hate is when condescending people try to characterize Carnival as subpar or ghetto. Cruising is what you make it. It's okay to pay it a compliment and not say, it was good , "but." There's no perfect cruise line. We go on cruises to have FUN. Name recognition and perceived luxury is a myth. Pick a struggle. Fun or clout. I'll FUN for $200, Alex.

[@candiseaddy8942]

I have cruise the Mardi Gras and I really enjoy that class of ship. I love the options for food now I need to try the Jubilee. Happy you guys had a good time. Now speaking of Royal shows, I LOVE the aqua show.

[@exquisitecakesbylisa1997]

I was on the Carnival Jubilee Sept 14-21 and I absolutely live that ship. I definitely will sail on her again

[@magnoliaalexander9606]

Thanks Alyssa, for your honest review

[@carolynlewis6232]

Just cruised on the Celebration. It sounds a lot like what you experienced on the Mardi Gras. Didn't have the long check-in time. I was on the 4th deck and I agree. The first elevator did not go down to 4 or 3. I finally figured out which elevators to take. A lot of floors did not go through from aft to forward.

[@jillmiller9212]

Been cruising on Carnival since 1980, still enjoy it at 74.

[@denisepatrizio3604]

We were on Mardi Grad in April. It is large but we loved it. We are older so I don't care about the roller coaster and things like that. The only issue was the My Time Dining on elegant nite. The app said 20 minutes but it took 1.5 hours to be sitted. Other nights we had no issue.

[@arlenemaxwellcopeland1644]

We did Mardi Gras for last Thanksgiving, and then again for last Mother's Day. Same ship, different family group, and that made all the difference. Thanksgiving trip, not so much fun. The thanksgiving dinner was blah. The little truck food stands, not so appealing, but the taco bar, yum. The buffet OK. and for entertainment, we stayed at the Central atrium theater on the middle floor right in front of the bar, couldn't beat it. We could run up to the pizza place or the panini stand, grab something and get back down without missing the show. Grab a drink without losing our seat. And yes, we enjoyed Chibang with our cruise companions.

[@brettzsl]

Carnival and Royal are similar to me. Each has its thing that makes it a little better.

[@joeforestandi478]

Going on Mardi gras on the 12th. Doing back to back for 14 days. Mardi will be a new ship, but I've been on Celebration 3 times and I really enjoyed it.

[@johnathanmcfadden8978]

Haven't been on the new ships yet but am definitely a Carnival person because of the food. So far I've been only on Carnival and Royal and 100% agree with you about everything and for me if Royal upped their food game as good as Carnival I would sail more. I just can't though with the food options or sometimes lack of on Royal as my last cruise on Harmony getting back from Port and nothing being open was just bad.

[@stacysmith4350]

You are hit or miss on ALL cruises not just Carnival and I have been cruising since 1988..if ppl are going to complain DONT GO

[@rosshageman951]

"Suck it up , buttercup". I spewed coffee at that one. Great review

[@cbm1776]

Yeah.... I want no parts of it, but you like it I ❤it.

[@Teresa-f5j1c]

i always miss the sail away parties😊

[@paulandrews8817]

Their new ships are definitely worth a try. Enjoyed that ship already once

[@ramonasands962]

Going on Mardi Gras for the 1st time for Halloween cruise. Convinced my grown son to go with me for his 1st cruise, so praying it's a hit. I took Celebration last year, and really enjoyed it. Beautiful ship. This will be my 8th cruise with Carnival & have never seen any drama.

[@supermagicalgamer2573]

I will be there with you, I can't wait!

[@sharjones2633]

I've sailed on Carnival ships twice. I was spoiled because my first cruise was on RCL. The difference was like night and day. RCL was better for me.

[@carmeljackson1271]

My family and I was on the Mardi Gras last year. I've only been on Carnival twice. It is a nice ship. Enjoyed the main entertainment, I think it was about demon. Food was good, wasn't happy with Guy restaurants the greens were not good. My grandson wanted to ride the Bolt, but most of the time, it was closed for repairs.

[@saragill6551]

Been on the Mardi Gras twice. Going again January 2025. Love Big Chicken, Blue Iguana, Cucina de Capitan, Pig and Anchor. So many included food items. We are doing the chef's table again and teppanyaki for the first time. Not sure how I'm going to like the Teppanyaki since we go to them frequently when not traveling. Not sure how it will be compared to what we are used to.

[@jenreed8403]

That’s really pretty wild that you never had to use your boarding pass. We cruise Carnival all the time and we have to show it probably about five different times before we even get onto the ship. And then you use that to get your drinks and stuff before you get your room keys. And also to do muster. But you probably could do that without the paper. But I really do wish that they could just use your phone!

[@lisaadams1249]

I cruised 20 times and 15 are on Carnival. I was on the Celebration last May and the Mardi Gras this past July. I have never, ever experienced a arguement or fight. To each his own, but I'm a Carnival fan hands down. I'm a Mature Women and have funds to cruise many others which are considered more high end. However, my preference is Carnival, sorry folks!! And yes, the fortune teller was amazing

[@PAWS0810-]

96 CRUISES and around the world. life is life. drinking drugging, and mean people, crazy lost souls on vacation. Have been on that ship twice in the last 18 months just to get out of dodge for a week. all ships and most people have crazy shit going on. steer clear. today's travelers are entitled, disrespectful, and full of ager and rage. i have never had an issue with any cruise ever! and rarely and flights coming or going, lots of resorts and hotels in my life, cannot say i have been tested ever!

[@BigE7375]

we so need to be on a cruise with you all. We are local travel agents and love your content

[@rabihahk]

Good review thanks

[@kimjordan3757]

Absolutely right we should not have to print nothing everything should be on the phone but I like Carnival Cruise and a few more other different Cruise Lines.

[@ChrisRomanoDrum-Covers]

Great review, I’ve only sailed with Royal, and love it, but want to give others cruise lines a chance, this definitely opened up my eyes 👀

[@DyTheLady]

Don't do it lol. Just returned from my 1st Carnival cruise in about 20 years after being a loyal RCCL/Celebrity and even a few Princess trips sprinkled in and I'm running back.

[@ChrisRomanoDrum-Covers]

@@DyTheLady Lol 😂

[@jeandalton7108]

Going on Mardi Gras in about a week, with our teenage grandkids! Should be fun! 😊🌴

[@jamessullivan4612]

Never sailed carnival, but being called a snow flake is wild. 😭😂

[@Shameka614]

I love the carnival Mardi gras and I think I'll probably love to celebration as well

[@darnelll2554]

The fortune teller bar was also my favorite bar on mardi gras

[@magnoliaalexander9606]

I am praying for you and your family safety with Hurricane Milton out there.