Carnival Cruise Reviews 2024 UPDATED: Ratings of Carnival Cruise Line

Table Of Content

• Relive your cruise vacation
• *LIVE* Norwegian Encore – 7-Night Eastern Caribbean March 31, 2024 – April 7, 2024
• Best Service
• Carnival Mardi Gras Dining Guide to All 22 Restaurants
• 10 of 104,655 Caribbean Cruise Reviews
• Card Type
• Norwegian Bliss Dining Guide to All 19 Specialty and Free Restaurants
• What We Love About Norwegian Cruise Line Prima Class Ships

My own cabin was one of these all-new Sapphire Veranda Suites on Deck 9, and it was among the most lovely cruise ship suites I have stayed in in recent years. In addition to being wonderfully spacious, it had a sophisticated, contemporary vibe with soothing light gray and beige furnishings, fabrics and wall coverings sprinkled with ocean-inspired blue velvet accents. Examine the ship’s layout to see where your cabin is in relation to key areas like the lido deck, dining rooms, and entertainment venues. Consider potential noise from above or below your cabin, especially if it’s immediately above or below a dance floor, crew area, or near the pool. This main pool deck was completely redone during the overhaul of the ship in 2023, with its classic teak flooring resanded, and its pool refurbished with new mosaic tile work.

Avalon Waterways Avalon Passion Cruise Reviews (2023 UPDATED): Ratings of Avalon Waterways Avalon Passion - Cruise Critic

Avalon Waterways Avalon Passion Cruise Reviews (2023 UPDATED): Ratings of Avalon Waterways Avalon Passion.

Posted: Fri, 15 Sep 2023 20:24:06 GMT [source]

Relive your cruise vacation

For U.S. residents, that would mean either a U.S. passport or a U.S.-issued Permanent Resident Card (also known as an Alien Registration Card). You'll also need visas for any country you'll be visiting that requires one. For the late-night crowd, there's a small nightclub with a semi-circular bar tucked back behind the Stardust Club. Called Pulse, it doesn't get going until around midnight, assuming anyone on board is still up for it. For a bar with a view, you'll want to head up to the faux palm tree-filled Palm Court & Sunset Bar, which is at the top of the ship on Deck 12 overlooking the bow.

*LIVE* Norwegian Encore – 7-Night Eastern Caribbean March 31, 2024 – April 7, 2024

When you're up top on Crystal Serenity, as at so many other areas of the ship, you'll feel like you're on an all-new vessel. Notably, Lefebvre d'Ovidio already has a series of restaurants on ships named after him, but not on Crystal or Silversea ships. Lefebvre d'Ovidio's friend Torstein Hagen, chairman of upscale cruise line Viking, has named the high-end Italian eateries on all of Viking's ocean ships Manfredi's in honor of him.

Best Service

The entertainment hubs on Crystal Serenity include Galaxy Pavilion, a full-blown theater at the front of the ship on Deck 6 that offers all sorts of relatively big entertainment productions in the evening. During my sailing, for instance, it was the site of a Billy Joel tribute concert and a show by a comedian who flew in for the performance. Home to one of the ship's biggest dance floors, the Palm Court often has live entertainment and dancing at night. One night on my sailing, an old-timey crooner sang Sinatra tunes for a half hour, accompanied by a pianist. Designed as a casual alternative to the more formal dining spots on the ship, Tastes offers a dinner menu of elevated, globally inspired dishes in a relaxed, top-of-the-ship setting.

Additionally, on select nights, Stardust opens its doors as a reservations-only Supper Club that offers an evening show with both dining and dancing. Open from late morning until the wee hours, it offers live music for much of the day, starting as early as lunchtime and continuing through midnight. The entertainment is low-key enough that you can maintain a conversation with your companions. The final cabin category on Crystal Serenity is its 14 Classic Staterooms, which are sold as solo cabins. At 215 square feet, they're essentially the same layout as the Double Occupancy Suites without balconies but only meant for one passenger.

It features just nine categories of rooms, with just two of those categories accounting for the vast majority of accommodations. That isn't to say that there isn't a good amount of storage in these rooms. There's enough for a typical seven-night cruise, but this is a ship that will often sail longer cruises where you will want extra storage. Crystal Serenity used to have a modest casino area just outside the main theater on Deck 6. Theatergoers would spill out of the theater into the casino on their way to the ship's other entertainment venues on the opposite side of the deck, with some lingering for a game or two. It's a little thing, but the promenade on Crystal Serenity is gorgeous.

It wraps all the way around the ship — something that is increasingly rare on cruise vessels. It's lined with beautiful teak boards that have been refinished to look almost brand new. For longtime Crystal fans, one of the great joys in returning to the brand's ships, again and again, is to see the same crew members they have come to know and love over the years. I experienced this myself upon boarding Crystal Serenity in July as I bumped into one crew member after another with whom I had sailed before and, at times, developed deep bonds. And yet the new owners of Crystal Serenity and the rights to the Crystal Cruises brand are creating a new cruise line that is about as close to the old Crystal Cruises as can be. Its name is just slightly different (note it's just Crystal, not Crystal Cruises), and it's operating the same two main ships that once sailed for Crystal Cruises.

Norwegian Bliss Dining Guide to All 19 Specialty and Free Restaurants

In fact, two of Crystal Serenity's four main cabin decks — decks 8 and 9 — were essentially gutted and rebuilt, with nearly all their smaller cabins ripped out and replaced with the much larger Sapphire Verandah Suites. For starters, two whole cabin decks were completely gutted to rip out relatively small cabins and replace them with much bigger suites. As a result, the ship now has far fewer but far bigger cabins than it once did. Like most mass-market cruise ships, Icon of the Seas' 18 bars aren't free.

Expert Review of Villa Vie Odyssey - Cruise Critic

Expert Review of Villa Vie Odyssey.

Posted: Fri, 08 Mar 2024 02:50:45 GMT [source]

What We Love About Norwegian Cruise Line Prima Class Ships

The newest, largest cruise ships such as Royal Caribbean's 'Icon of the Seas' offer a huge range of ... Some ships offer cabins with direct access to the promenade deck, while the largest ships, including MSC World Europa, offer balconies overlooking an internal courtyard or promenade. (Bridge is big on Crystal ships.) The ship's entertainment staff also offers dance classes at times.

Instead, what you get atop Crystal Serenity is a stylish, refined pool deck experience. If you're the kind of person who likes to lounge next to a Four Seasons hotel pool, you know what I'm talking about. But what Crystal Serenity lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality. The vessel has one main dining room and two main specialty restaurants that each are about as classy and upscale as you'll find at sea — all included in the fare. There are also several casual eateries in the vicinity of the main pool on the Lido Deck.

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I also appreciated the tidy cluster of electrical outlets (both U.S.- and European-style) and USB ports on both sides of the beds. Whatever happens, my take is that the casino's removal was one of the rare misses of the ship's overhaul. Crystal executives say they still are figuring out what to do with the space, and it could become something different over time. One proposal called for it to become a cooking classroom, though executives said that would be hard to do properly in the space. One Crystal executive mentioned to me there was talk of using the space for an onboard distillery.

Your cruise itinerary might also influence your choice of accommodation. For scenic cruises, such as those in Alaska or the Norwegian fjords, a balcony might be worth the splurge to enjoy the magnificent views in relative peace. A balcony breakfast while sailing along a fjord will be an experience to remember. Before booking, read reviews of the ship and specific cabins on websites such as Cruise Critic or watching YouTube reviews. Previous travelers can offer invaluable insight into noise levels, views, and overall satisfaction. If you have more flexibility in your budget, consider what’s important to you in accommodation.

If you want alcohol and sodas, be prepared to pay for a beverage package. However, depending on the size of the ship, they could be farther from entertainment and dining areas. On big ships, there may be 10 or even more flights of stairs between your cabin and the pool, sun deck, buffet, and other amenities found at the top of the ship. There will be elevators, of course, but you should expect queues at busy times. Pioneered by Norwegian Cruise Line, solo traveler cabins are becoming more common across the industry. Whereas for many years solo cabins were usually interior grade, there are now oceanview and even balcony cabins available for solo travelers on some lines.

The company that bought Crystal Serenity and the rights to the Crystal brand name from the liquidators of the former company has relaunched the vessel. But not before it poured millions of dollars into a massive overhaul of the ship that has left it sparkling — almost as if it were new. Island Princess is one of the cruise lines’ older, smaller ships, but still shines with a lot of character and an amazing staff. I am invited to a two-night sailing aboard SH Vega for media and travel professionals. Travelers who want to pick their own stateroom must pay an additional $128 per person.