Hilda I’m a lifelong cruiser, but I tend to stay away from Carnival Cruise Line. With a stereotype as the “party cruise line” for having a wild and rowdy crowd onboard, the cruise line didn’t appeal to me for a while.
I tend to prefer cruising with Royal Caribbean or Norwegian Cruise Line. The itineraries and onboard experience align better with my cruising style. I’m someone who wants to relax onboard while exploring new ports of call.
But, I can’t say no to a good deal. After finding a last-minute cruise from a recent port nearby, I set sail on my first Carnival cruise as an adult. Here are the 3 things that surprised me the most about sailing with the “fun” cruise line.
1. The food was better than expected
Cruise food is always a highlight for me. I was eager to try Carnival’s many different eateries onboard. Even though I was sailing on an older ship, I was surprised to find many newer dining options to try. Best of all? They were completely free!
Guy’s Burger Joint was one of the biggest surprises for me. The juicy, freshly-made burgers were made to order and customizable. I tried The Ringer, and it was delectable! I would even argue it was the best burger I’ve ever had at sea.
Although Carnival’s buffet was a letdown, the main dining room was impressive. I anticipated having few options or flavorless entrees, but that was far from true. The menu had an expansive selection of entrees to select from, including some obscure offerings like crispy frog legs. The melting chocolate cake, which is one of Carnival’s signature desserts, is to die for!
The Sea Day Brunch was another pleasant surprise. I appreciated how it was open until the early afternoon. I hate when cruise lines close their breakfast options too early on sea days, especially if I want to sleep in. The 12-hour French toast was divine!
2. The Carnival cruise wasn’t as crazy as I anticipated
On a short weekend sailing, I expected the onboard vibe to be wild and crazy. People warned me about Carnival’s lively atmosphere onboard. I was a little hesitant to cruise with Carnival for this reason!
However, the experience was more casual and laid back than anything. Everyone onboard was especially friendly, so it was easy to mingle with other guests.
There were many opportunities to let loose and have fun at evening parties. But, I never felt like anything got out of hand. If you wanted to relax, you could do so.
In addition, the guests were very engaged and interactive with all of the entertainment and activities. There was no shortage of volunteers to take part in a game show or get on stage for karaoke. It was nice to see everyone comfortable enough to let their hair down!
3. The cabin was outdated and grungy
I’ve never been too picky about my stateroom when cruising. After all, most of your time on a cruise isn’t spent in your stateroom when there’s so much to do onboard.
Because we were sailing on an older and smaller ship, I knew some of the amenities would be outdated. Our cabin decor in particular was very outdated and the stateroom lacked basic functionality. For example, there was only one outlet in the cabin for us to share!
The bathroom was the worst part of the stateroom, though. The floor was almost squishy and the toilet was placed too close to the wall. The shower also caused the bathroom to be flooded after each use because there was only a shower curtain to contain the water.
