Anonymous wrote:PP here. Here's a list of all of the cruises out of Baltimore. None higher than 4.0 (out of 6.0). http://www.vacationstogo.com/ticker.cfm (I don't know if that link will work but if not, just go and search by departure port.)

yeah, that list is shit. there is not that much difference in the ships. a ship is a ship, and the whole point of a cruise to Bermuda is that once you get there, you spend your time on the island, not on the ship.

We took a RC cruise out of Baltimore to Bermuda and enjoyed it. We prefer sailing Celebrity and Princess out of Florida, but we couldn't beat the price and ease of going out of Baltimore. We loved Bermuda. If our destination had been the Caribbean instead, we still would have liked it as we enjoy days at sea, but I wouldn't recommend that for a first time cruiser. The ocean somewhere around NC was really rough, and I never get seasick!

My husband and I are both non-drinkers and we enjoyed the Carnival cruise we were on. It just totally depends on your outlook. Watching people drink doesn't bother me. It was actually pretty entertaining. We also went on a Princess Cruise- which is pretty much the opposite of the Carnival as far as atmosphere. Enjoyed that too. But we're also the type of people who can stay in a youth hostel in one trip and a 5-star hotel on the next trip.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I posted at 12:03. I think it is silly and uninformed of posters to keep criticizing a cruise line they have never taken before. My first cruise thus far was the recent one on Carnival, and so I do not have any comparisons to describe. Yes, there were people enjoying the bar areas, but there were also many other patrons as well doing other things. Not everyone was "partying" or drinking.

I'm the PP who said I'd never gone on Carnival. I tend to agree with you that you shouldn't comment based on second hand knowledge. However, as a very experienced cruiser who has spoken to *many* people and done a lot of research, I feel comfortable offering what I have learned. I know people who like Carnival but they tend to be the party-hopping type whose ideal vacation is "all-you-can-drink." I've also known a few people who have told me they don't like cruises. I always ask them what cruise they went on an 90% of the time they say a Carnival cruise.

I'm not saying everyone who enjoys a Carnival cruise is a crazy party animal who only wants to drink. However, if you don't enjoy being on a ship that is at least 50% of these kind of folks, then it is something to consider. PP, you may have been on one of their newer (more expensive) ships that draws a slightly different crowed, or maybe you're just more laid back about your fellow cruisers. I'm stuffy (okay, not really) and I like different things than others. Some people think those of us who love Disney are insane.

To each his own...

Hi PP, You responded to my post (at 12:03). I appreciate your response, and do understand what you're mentioning. To describe more, I am conservative and not a drinker/partying type. But I wasn't bothered by seeing people at the bars and so on. Also, like I wrote last, I didn't feel there were so many people aboard who were drinking or partying. There were quite a few kids (teens, younger), and that could get distracting, but that was probably due to the fact that it was sailing during the holiday time. It will be interesting to see what another cruise line is like, if we do go again. But based on this one experience, I don't think I'd rule out taking another chance on a Carnival trip.

Anonymous wrote:I posted at 12:03. I think it is silly and uninformed of posters to keep criticizing a cruise line they have never taken before. My first cruise thus far was the recent one on Carnival, and so I do not have any comparisons to describe. Yes, there were people enjoying the bar areas, but there were also many other patrons as well doing other things. Not everyone was "partying" or drinking.

I'm the PP who said I'd never gone on Carnival. I tend to agree with you that you shouldn't comment based on second hand knowledge. However, as a very experienced cruiser who has spoken to *many* people and done a lot of research, I feel comfortable offering what I have learned. I know people who like Carnival but they tend to be the party-hopping type whose ideal vacation is "all-you-can-drink." I've also known a few people who have told me they don't like cruises. I always ask them what cruise they went on an 90% of the time they say a Carnival cruise.

I'm not saying everyone who enjoys a Carnival cruise is a crazy party animal who only wants to drink. However, if you don't enjoy being on a ship that is at least 50% of these kind of folks, then it is something to consider. PP, you may have been on one of their newer (more expensive) ships that draws a slightly different crowed, or maybe you're just more laid back about your fellow cruisers. I'm stuffy (okay, not really) and I like different things than others. Some people think those of us who love Disney are insane.

To each his own...

My husband and I took a Royal Caribbean cruise out of Baltimore last spring. FWIW, that ended up being the ship that caught on fire en route to the Bahamas--though clearly that had nothing to do with the port location.

On the plus side: since we live in DC, going out of Baltimore was super easy and convenient. We parked at the port (forget how much it cost, but not unreasonable). Also nice to not worry about the luggage fees/limitations of airline travel. If convenience is your number one concern, I think it's a great choice.

On the other hand: for Royal Caribbean at least, the newer and nicer (and yes, more expensive) ships sail primarily out of Florida. I think only the Oasis of the Seas sails from Baltimore and it's one of RC's oldest and smallest ships. It's certainly comfortable with OK dining options, but the newer ships have much more in terms of food and entertainment.

You also generally have fewer destination options from Baltimore because it takes so much longer to get to the Caribbean from that far north--generally just Bahamas and Bermuda, I think, unless you're taking a 10 day cruise.

I would guess that Carnival is similar, but can't speak from experience.

IMHO - I wouldn't spring for a balcony if sailing from Baltimore in cold weather- you can't use it for most of the trip anyway. Also, we've sailed both Royal Caribbean and Carnival out of Baltimore. While we prefer Royal Caribbean, both were fine and acceptable.

I posted at 12:03. I think it is silly and uninformed of posters to keep criticizing a cruise line they have never taken before. My first cruise thus far was the recent one on Carnival, and so I do not have any comparisons to describe. Yes, there were people enjoying the bar areas, but there were also many other patrons as well doing other things. Not everyone was "partying" or drinking.