I just returned from a Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Liberty where I spent the week being continuously amazed by Carnival. My expectations for this cruise were low as I considered Carnival a party cruise line with so-so service and average food. I was not overly concerned as I was cruising with a group of girlfriends and we planned to spend the week either lying on a tropical beach or shopping and, seriously? How can you wrong with that plan?
I’m here to tell you that I was completely wrong about Carnival. I had some of the best food, service and experiences I have ever had on a cruise. And here’s precisely why.
Wifi. Even though I had been assured that Carnival had stem-to-stern wifi, I didn’t believe it. I just knew I would be toting my trusty iPad to an Internet cafe somewhere or possibly finding a place to perch that was close to a connection area as passengers walked by, rolling their eyes at the nerd who was on the Internet instead of enjoying the cruise. Whenever I needed to access the Internet, I turned on my Ipad, lolled on my bed in the stateroom and surfed away. No problems, other than those you always experience using a satellite connection. It was the best wifi experience on a ship, hotel or on land I have ever had while traveling.
The food. At some point during the last few years of travel, I have inexplicably turned into a food snob. The food is not perfectly arranged in my plate with a drizzle of sauce saucily decorating the entrée? Take it away! This was absolutely not a problem on the Liberty. Our only quandary at dinner was deciding which of the delicious and fabulously prepared meals to choose and then to decide on which of the rich and luscious desserts to order. I still think fondly of the Melting Chocolate Cake. Very fondly. Every night, our waiter described the dishes on offer lovingly and in great detail and recommended his favorites. Which leads me to #3.
The service. I know good service on a cruise. I have had a room steward who lazily left our beds unmade all day and neglected to vacuum and I have had a waiter who, when told the food was inedible, just shrugged negligently. On the Carnival Liberty, our room was immaculate at all times, our ice bucket was kept filled and any small request was instantly granted. Our wait staff was especially attentive. After the first night, they knew all six of our names and our preferences for drinks. Even something as small as a bowl of extra sliced lemons for our beverages was remembered and quietly provided every single night.
The pools. I was proven right about the party aspect of Carnival at the main pool which rock and rolled all day with games, loud music and passengers consuming mass quantities of adult beverages. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But the really nice thing is that, on the Carnival Liberty, there is another pool which is just as nice and just as conveniently located near the restaurant but is quiet. Blissfully quiet. We could perch in our chairs with a book or magazine and never be disturbed at all. Fabulous.
The shopping talks. This was a girlfriends/beaching/shopping kind of trip so we attended several of the shopping talks and I was very impressed with the knowledge and experience of the shopping expert. Not only did she give the shopping talks, she also strolled the streets and shops of each port and helped individuals with their shopping choices and getting the best possibly price. I saw her help lots of different people and she was never annoyed by their questions and seemed to be as honestly excited about their purchases as they were.
KentuckyGal Jan Ross retired as a library media specialist in 2009 and launched her dream career as a travel writer and blogger. She has written for numerous magazines and newspapers and maintains a travel blog at Wanderlust Wonder. Carnival did not provide her with a hosted cruise, but she was given some nice gifts and free Internet time.
Good for you. I was on another Carnival cruise ship two years ago and was not pleased. Three fat men in the pool and it was full to overflowing. Hairy chest competiton as entertainment? No, thank you. Food aplenty, yes, but tons and tons of fattening junk.It was clean though, that’s the best I can say.
I’m really glad you had a great time–I wish my one experience with Carnival wasn’t so awful. I had previously been on a cruise with Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean, and Louis Hellenic, so I was not new to cruising. I believe our ship was the Splendor. Yes, the WiFi worked well, but it was TERRIBLY expensive–almost prohibitively so. I was there for a conference on a cruise and they gave us 100 free minutes, but even with that, I still had to spend a ton of money on WiFi so that I could keep up with work and my blog. Overall, the food was pretty awful. The food wasn’t too bad in the fine dining room for dinner–I agree that the chocolate melting cake was delicious. But the breakfasts and lunches were extremely mediocre, and sometimes just bad. The service was fine. I went to the spa and they tried to upsell me and bait-and-switch me to the point where it was obnoxious. The ship also just had a lot of drunk, trashy people that made trying to get in the pool very annoying. I am never going on Carnival again. I really wish I had your type of experience with them, as I truly wanted to like it and have my preconceived judgment proved wrong, but my experience sadly put a bad taste in my mouth.
I absolutely love Carnival! Always had a wonderful time, the food has always been fabulous, and if it wasn’t to your liking, well they would take it away and bring you more until you were happy! I have sailed RCC and it was nice but the people were not the friendly type that you meet on Carnival, they seemed more, well uppity. I have since stuck with Carnival. We are going on our 8th Carnival cruise in July 2011 and I can not wait to be pampered and spoiled by all of the wonderful staff!!!
You had me at good wi-fi.
Nothing like an article about cruises to generate diverse opinions. I’ve never been on a cruise, but recently toured the Celebrity Millennium while it was at port. I’m keeping a very open mind about trying out a cruise, so interested in hearing about the experiences of others. It seems that there are so many different options available that it’s really a matter of researching the specific cruise that is right for you.
I have been on several Carnival cruises and I completely agree with this post. I couldn’t really find anything to complain about but a number of things to rave about: the food, the service and all of the amenities. Sure, the cabins are small but one could learn some serious lessons about space management from the cabin designers! You have everything you need and then some. What I love about Carnival (other than the above mentioned features) is the fact that the focus is on fun for people of all ages. There really is something for everyone (Camp Carnival for the tiny tots, disco dancing for the party animals and early morning bingo for the old foks). But when it comes down to it, the reason why I select Carnival every time is because they offer the best itineraries at the most economical prices.
Hi Doris, I would love to attend the Lunch Bunch and Harbor Cruise (I asmuse this is the right way to reply? If not, let me know!). Many thanks to our wonderful webmaster for this gorgeous website! See you all soon, Sara Rex