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I have sailed with Carnival and Royal. I like them both for different reasons. For a more relaxing and zen like vibe, Royal for the win. For a more festive and lively vibe, Carnival all day. When selecting between the 2, I look for itinerary and price. I am loyal to my wallet. Lately, it has been Carnival offering the best deals.
I have cruised with Carnival 4 times, soon to be 5 and you really were spot on with this review.. the buffet needs a good bit of work. The dining room is good always had great staff. The steak house really is amazing! Can't go wrong with Guy's burgers. I"ve done the seaday brunch and the breakfast burger is really good. The 80's party is alot of fun and yes Carnival does have some very good comedians.
Carnival has been our only source of cruising over the last 12 years, and we just keep coming back. The accommodations are just right in terms of luxury, which may be comparable to other cruise lines that you may be familiar with, for Ilana and other cruisers. Sleeping out at sea on a floating city, food varieties at our leisure 24/7, drinks of all sorts of distillations, and plenty of vacation vibes is luxurious in my opinion. No work, no cleaning, no cooking and no driving! It is great to be a VIFP (Carnival terminology) onboard Carnival, with the level of attention from crew and staff that is more than adequate for our needs, as we especially do not like be waited on every moment. Still, Carnival takes us by surprise every time, when our staff recognizes us and call us by name from embarkation day.
We enjoy the 10-11 day cruises. Enough time to kick back, get to know the ship and get into a vacation routine. Agree that if you are flying in, you need the time to decompress.
This is the ship im going on with my daughter im a single mom and this is our very first cruise and i just wanted to do 4days in case i get sick i won't be miserable for 7 days thank you so much for this
We sailed on Venezia for 9 days. We LOVE this ship. Our first Carnival cruise was Dec 2022 on Celebration. We did 14 days and had a good time. However we like Venezia much better. The vibe, and honestly less people.
We (my 12 year old son and I) are pretty new to cruising, our first one was over Spring break this year and we were on the Carnival Dream. It is a wonderful midsize ship, in the Dream class. It was a 6 day Western Caribbean cruise to Costa Maya, Belize and Cozumel…..we had an amazing time and are hooked. Our next cruise is next June on the Mardi Gras, Eastern Caribbean to Bahamas, Grand Turk and Dominican Republic. I am so excited I can’t stand it. Every video and review I have seen on the Excel class ships has talked about how beautiful they are, and how it isn’t that traditional “loud” Carnival decor, but toned down some. We were in an oceanview cabin on the Dream which was lovely, and are booked in a cove balcony in Mardi Gras, my son doesn’t know about that part…..I cannot wait to experience this, and surprise him with the balcony cabin! We have steakhouse reservations booked as well, we didn’t go our first cruise, but I have heard great things about it. We had some hits and misses on the Dream with food as well, but I feel like you have that at land restaurants as well. Overall the food was pretty good. I hope that you give Carnival another go, I do agree that they are working to do better and be better. Great video! I love your reviews and tips!
That was a very nice post! We have 4 kids with the youngest being 22 next month and they all love cruising! Now they are adults and starting to plan their own cruises with their friends, but we still take a big family cruise every couple of years. It just warms my heart!
We’ve sailed on all the major lines and Princess is our favorite but we have sailed many times on Carnival as well. I laugh more on their cruises than any other line. Recently did the Mardi Gras and loved it. Would certainly do the Venezia if the opportunity arises.
Looks like a great ship. We are set to sail on the Jubilee, in January. We just returned from a cruise on the Dream. I spent way too much money in the casino. But it was a fun time. I'm glad you finally decided to review Carnival. I've been wondering why that was missing. We love Carnival.
I have honestly been waiting for your review on pins and needles. I sail with Carnival more than any line, so I assumed I would be satisfied with Venezia (sailing in November on a 10-day cruise), but the fact that you had so many positive things to say - especially since you did a 4-day in the Summer - makes me even more excited! I’m rarely excited about the buffet itself, but I love being able to make a salad to accompany my pizza, burrito, or deli sandwich…
Ilana, I just want to say you did an outstanding job on this Cruise review and personal experience onboard the Carnival Venezia!! You touched on all the various categories including the ambience of the ship, the included and specialty dinning, the entertainment and comedy shows, the balcony Cabin, the vibe and room available .... crowd vs space, the bars, the Buffet and the crowded atmosphere due to the limited space for the amount of people, and the outstanding crew that Carnival is known for. Thank you so much for this outstanding and comprehensive review. 😎⛹️♀️🚴♂️🤸♂️
Just for added information on the Steakhouse. The Free bottle of house wine is embarkation and the next day. You can also upgrade to a different wine for, I believe, 50% off. The Amari bar is the equivalent to the regular ships called Alchemy. The Amari has new drinks and they brought the favorites from Alchemy. They can make you any drink you like, if you ask them for a recommendation, they will ask you certain questions about likes/dislikes and will come up with a drink for you.
I have sailed on the carnival Mardi Gras recently. I would definitely recommend that ship to you and your family yet. So many different food options for free. It was a beautiful ship and the crew was absolutely amazing❤
I would really suggest you sail on Mardi Gras! We sailed on it Oct. 2022 and we are booked again Jan. 2024 because we enjoyed it so much. Some Carnival ships can feel a bit run down and I totally agree with the offensive lighting sometimes, lol, but Mardi Gras is simply amazing. The food options are also amazing. Hope you get to sail on her! Thanks for another great video!
Ship looks beautiful! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the cruise. Sailing out of NYC is always special. With luck they’ll improve the buffet and organizational issues.
I was just on the Venezia last month for my first crise and I hate to say I was a bit disappointed, many people we spoke with said not to judge cruising on this trip, that usually they are much better. They seemed (the staff) very disorganized and perhaps short staffed for the amount of guests onboard. Long lines for everything, hard to find a chair and to be honest, most of the bar staff we met seemed to want to be anywhere else. I agree with you on the food, the main dining was fine, the buffet not so much.
I can understand. Truthfully not every ship or cruise line is for everyone. It could have been in part that the crew was new to working on the ship, & they we’re getting the kinks out
We’ve been on 3 different cruise lines this year and they all seem short staffed. The Royal Was probably the best one as far as staff but still not great. The other two were Virgin Voyages and we just got done last week on an Alaskan cruise on the Royal Princess.
Thanks so much! I am a travel advisor from the south and have family and friends wanting to try a variety of cruise lines and ships. The first cruise line is Carnival I have booked but want to experience more of the ships on the east coast. This was a great review and so very helpful. Thanks for your honest positive video!
Just came back from a Carnival 10 day San Francisco to Alaska cruise where I took my mom and daughter. Had a great time, and came back to see a sweetheart VIFP deal for the Venezla on a 7-day Mexican Riviera cruise, booked! The comedians are top notch, their live entertainment is generally pretty good. I love that they now have the family feud!! They had Deal or No Deal on the cruise we just took which was good too.
OK, you talked me into a cruise onboard this ship. A very fair and balanced review...thank you! BTW, to avoid the fights on Carnival, never take a cruise with them less than 7 days. We have at least 10 cruises with them (never less than 7 days) and have never seen fights or rowdy behavior.
Just did the 10 night on Jan 23. Had a great time and was not crowded at all. Great fun and entertainment all the time. Beautiful ship with lots of outdoor chill spots. Marco Polo dining room had great service and food. Highly recommend this ship.
We have cruised Carnival many times and enjoy the longer cruises versus the 4 day cruises. And we don’t usually cruise during the summer months when the kids are out of school as it gets very crowded
We just got back from cruising the Mardi Gras, and we absolutely loved it. The staff was so nice and the shows were top notch. I usually like smaller ships, but I would cruise the Marsi Gras again :) we ate at the steak house as well and would recommend it to anyone.
We are sailing on this ship in October...we have ever only sailed on Carnival and have had great cruises. I agree with your assessment of the buffet and pool being crowded. We just do work arounds that suit us. Looking forward to sailing from New York...a first for us.
We had a horrible experience with the sea day brunch because we waited to go later. We had to wait for 45 minutes, the food was COLD, and the service was beyond disappointing (dropped the food and ran). I definitely agree with your breakfast buffet review as well. I only did it once. Thankfully, we had a Blue Iguana with FANTASTIC breakfast burritos!
Best thing to do when you have bad service in a sit down restaurant; either the brunch or main dining room is to speak to the head waiter, the Maitre De, the Maitre De is essentially the waiters' supervisor and will immediately address problems.
I have only sailed on Carnival so I have nothing to compare it to, but, I think your cruise is always what you make it. I choose to eat in the dining room when I can and not the buffet unless it's to grab some fruit or dessert while walking through the Lido. I love the sushi on Carnival. Its always spot on. I never hang out on Lido and always try to find a good spot to relax and read on Serenity, away from the crowds and kids. I think the Celebration and Mardi Gras are wonderful as they have added a small swimming pool to the Serenity decks. I also get a week long pass for the thermalspa for more relaxation time on the heated loungers (and again, no kids). I am not a family traveler, so don't want to be around a lot of children, but I do find there are lots of spots to enjoy kid free on Carnival. Book at the right time of year and it's even more child free (Just got off Carnival Celebration Sept 17 and of 5600 passengers, only 300 were under 21! due to school having just started) Okay, guess I like my cruises to be kinda kid free lol. That's just me. I don't hate kids, by no means, but I do think Carnival has a rep for family and party. And I am really neither and very much love Carnival. Also, getting a balcony room and having coffee and fruit delivered in the morning to take out on the balcony is pure bliss....Also, I don't know if other cruise lines do this, but the Celebration and Mardi Gras have the "Carnival Kitchen" where you can take a cooking course. I took the sushi course and I absolutely loved it! I can't wait to make some sushi at home and feel I can do it no problem now. I will be doing the bar-b-que course on Mardi Gras in March 2024. So much to do on a Carnival Cruise. I am glad you tried it again and enjoyed it!
We've cruised on Carnival many times (most recently Mardi Gras and Jubilee), plus we have one booked on the Celebration for next year. We love Carnival! Are they perfect, of course not, but we've always had good cruises. We've only tried another line once - Princess Discovery to Alaska - and to be honest, we thought it was boring! (And we are not rowdy partiers either.) I'd like to try Norwegian and Celebrity some day.
If it’s kid season on any of the major larger ships $CCL $RCL $NCLH you are going to have a crowded buffet & pool area. But at least with Carnival they have additional casual food sources that are good, Burger, Mexican, Deli, plus Pizza. In my opinion an option to avoid the crowd issue in peak kid season would be to consider Holland America where it’s less of an issue.
First time cruiser on the Venezia next March... 11 nights to the Caribbean..sea days before and after visiting 5 ports. So the ship ambiance and food is very important...your review was so helpful!
I'm so glad you enjoyed your cruise. We love Carnival and I'm glad were able to understand why people love this brand. I think you would really like one of the newest ships they offer. I really appreciate your honest opinion. Thank you for trying this brand again. We are taking the Venezia on an Alaskan cruise in 2024 and look forward to experiencing this ship after your review.
Thank you for the awesome review! I'm a long time Carnival cruiser and have to say, I agree with 99.9% of everything you addressed!! Very informative 😃
Good review. Comprehensive. Fair. I almost passed it by when I saw what seemed to be a Karen look promoting it, but then you won me over. I am Platinum on Carnival, looking forward to Venezia when it gets to L.A. next year, so I had a special interest in hearing your comments. The typical L.A. crowd is as diverse as the one in New York, making this even more relevant. Thanks.
We will be Cruising on the Venezia in Oct and I have watched multiple Videos on this Ship with mixed Reviews, but Most were at the beginning of its Sailings and since We are going in October I hope the Suggestions made by Past Cruisers were taken to Heart and Carnival made the Improvements. Also We are on a 10 day Cruise, and We are Looking forward To it. Enjoy Your Videos.
Heads up, if you sail on any of the new carnival ships, Mardi Gras. Celebration or the Jubilee , the average room is very small. Maybe in a suite they are a little bigger, but below that, just keep that in mind. I have been on Mardi Gras twice last year and really enjoyed it. Just the cabins are smaller. Can't wait for your review when you do decide to go. Thanks for your review on this ship. I am still on the fence about it.
I went on Venezia June 19 for 8 days I loved the ship I remember first walking onto the ship looking like a fancy hotel. I loved the ship and the activities and I also hated the lines especially at guys burger joint and those other places. Another thing was on debarkation day it took way too long to get off people were getting off when their muster station wasn’t called yet and it was frustrating
I’m glad you enjoyed the cruise and I appreciate your review. I agree with so many points, and I love Carnival. ( But I have to say that I LOVE the 12 hour French toast). The buffet was a disappointment on my cruise last week as well.
So glad to see your opinion! We sailed exclusively on Carnival from 2006 until this year when we tried a four day Celebrity cruise. After many Carnival cruises I decided that Journeys cruises are the best way to sail with them as it’s mostly adults - so less people. I also find that our experiences weren’t consistent. But we have had some WONDERFUL cruises with them. We did a four day at Christmas with extended family and it was so crowded - because it was more than two occupancy on most of the ship. We don’t have children so we normally cruise when school is in session. And we normally don’t take cruises less than 7 days. Ideally 14 days lol. Anyway, thanks for your review!
I love your videos! My husband and I are going on our first cruise next month😊 a 6 day cruise on carnival dream to take time for our marriage after having one late miscarriage and then two healthy beautiful babies👼❤💙
We are going on our first Carnival cruise, a 4 day out of Charleston in Oct. We've been on other lines, NCL, Royal, Princess, Celebrity & Disney. We always try to go in with an open mind because even if you've been on one Royal ship it may have a different vibe from another depending on port and time of year. The ship looked gorgeous & kind of what I'd expect crowd-wise from NYC in the summer. Thanks for the tips, as I'm going to book the steakhosue for the first night of our cruise.
We sailed on the same cruise with you and agree with you 100%. We overall had a great time, a great ship for families. The food could have been better. But we generally found something we liked. The fruit and vegetables were overall disappointing, and often the dishes in the main dinning room lacked seasoning. The entertainment was good, comedians were great, music and vibe in the Limelight was awesome and the 80s and White party was a blast. MarQ did a great job keeping everyone pumped up, I’m sure you saw my husband win the 80s dance contest. Lol😂 Overall we were happy with the cruise and will definitely cruise again on the Venezia.
Great review Ilana. Yes you get what you get with the buffet with Carnival. Always so crowded. That class of ship does seem overcrowded to me (I went on Horizon) I’m glad you enjoyed your experience overall, especially since you went during summer, on a 4-day and out of NY. I would absolutely love for you to go on Mardi Gras or Celebration to get your feedback. ❤🎉I wrote this before the end when you mentioned those ships!😂
Love this review! We are cruising 8/14-8/19 on the Venezia (with a Terrazza balcony room!) and I cannot wait! Your videos have been really helpful with the planning process!
I really appreciate your review. It seems very fair. I understand the issues you had but none of them seemed to ruin your trip or be deal breakers for me personally. I’m sailing on Venezia in October and I like knowing her flaws ahead of time.
Just got off today and absolutely loved the Terraza area. It made our trip even more enjoyable. You're absolutely right about the buffet. On sea days they had a small sandwich and some other items available for lunch on 5 which was really good and not crowded.
Recently cruised for the first time on Liberty of the Seas from NJ to Bermuda. Everything was awesome except for the crowds! Someone I met onboard who cruises often said she’s never been on such a crowded ship. I think everyone has a YOLO mindset since covid. That’s how we felt when we booked it last Fall. We will definitely be more careful about time of year when we book certain itineraries in the future and will default to a travel agent to help us figure it out. ( booked ourselves this time). Your videos were SO helpful!
I appreciate this review. I was surprised with your overall review. My Sister in law booked a cruise for all of us on this ship in April. I was pretty nervous because of their reputation. Now I am looking forward to it.
We are sailing on the Firenze next year, which I'd imagine is quite similar. Our only other Carnival sailing was on the Inspiration and I'll say she was pretty long in the tooth at that time. The decor was also very bright and busy, and kind of gawdy. We had a great time but found Carnival (at that point) was definitely not even close to the same level of service and food as the premium lines. The one thing I will say is that cruise may have been the most fun we've ever had and the drinks were quite good. So they definitely live up to the "fun ship" claim. With that said we are very excited to try a newer ship and enjoyed your review and perspective.
We love cruising. 10 -50 times between us. We often just use the ship as our holiday destination. We just get off for fun or exceptional destinations based on past experience. Our holiday is based on our family of 3. Enjoying our own company. Fun fun fun.
The ship looks beautiful! I love that it's different in style compared to their other ships. The NY/Bermuda itinerary is on my list to do. What a fun trip - a few days in NYC then a cruise to Bermuda! Even though we love Carnival and have cruised with them many times (including the Mardi Gras, Jubliee, and on Celebration next May), I do agree their buffets could use improvement. I've never seen such a long line like you showed in the video. I might eat in the buffet once or twice max. Too many other choices!
My family and I were on this cruise with you! My son and I are actually in your footage of the sail away party. :) I saw you and recognized you on day 1, but didn’t want to intrude. This was our first cruise and I had been watching your videos for months! I totally agree, the buffet was disappointing. My son also was not impressed with the kids club. We will try another cruise, but this one was mediocre.
That’s fun! I would have been happy to say hello, but I understand. All cruises are different so if this wasn’t the right fit, you’ll likely find another that will be :)
We just got back from a 7 day Carnival Vista trip out of Galveston. A family of 4. It was great no complaints. The cruise director TJ was awesome.Great energy and very friendly.
My husband and I just got back from a Bahamas Carnival cruise in the Glory. We enjoyed Guys Burger Joint as well but had to go back a few times because the lines were very long! I suggest you should try and go there at off times. The Glory is an old ship and was refurbished. This was a real mix of people! Some very young others very senior. Pools were crowded. The serenity area was far from serene.
It’s not rowdy on most of the cruises I’ve been on with Carnival - sometimes the fun squad has fun contests on the Lido but not rowdy. We also always love the GROOVE FOR ST JUDE!! So cool
Would love to see you do a Disney review! I’m not a Disney fanatic but I LOVE DCL for their service, cleanliness and food. It would be interesting to hear your opinion in comparison to other ships.
@@LifeWellCruisedI saw your vid on not doing disney. I'm not a Disney fan either. I just don't care for their movies and vibe, but I discovered that you didn't have to be one to enjoy their cruise. The service, cleanliness, and food quality, to date, is still the best I have ever gotten on any boat in any cruise line. Going on celebrity and oceania soon though, so I'm hoping to match the experience.
Thanks for the information. I did learn from you that the Teraza area is open to everyone after 7 PM. I am sailing on 15 day Journeys cruise the end of September going into October. Really looking forward to going.
Thanks again for another awesome review!! Again, I appreciate your candor and diplomatic explanations about the various aspects of your experience! I will be sailing on Carnival Magic in several months. I have been on the Legend to the Caribbean and the Miracle to Alaska. The Caribbean is pretty basic but I would like to cruise Alaska again on a different cruise line. The Miracle was okay but I would like to experience that itinerary again via another company. Lately I have been Loyal to Royal. Thanks again for sharing your awesome insights!
Appreciate your honest review. I was actually on the same sailing because I saw a few members of our group. Carnival Venezia is a beautiful ship and I enjoyed my cruise.
Agree with so many of your points. Found the buffet missing the flavor and had very unappealing foods. Don’t think we’d ever do another 4 day though. 😂
Thanks for the video. I was very curious about Venezia and this in-depth review will help me decide whether to book her or not. I'm sailing on Carnival Celebration in August and will post my impression. I haven't sailed on Carnival since my kids were young so this will be a different experience for us! Looking forward to it.
I enjoyed your video. It was very thorough. I've been thinking of booking a 4 day cruise on this ship. I was on the Sunrise Carnival in 2019, also a 4 day cruise. I enjoyed the shows and the food on that ship, but the Venezia sounds BEAUTIFUL! according to your review amd videos of the ship. I find that Carnival does offer great service. 😀
Thanks so much for this review! We’re sailing on the Venezia in December with a group of 12! We are so excited! We couldn’t decide on getting the Cheers package or not, but I think we’ll pay for our individual drinks. Now, we are getting the bubbles package so we can still enjoy soda and such. We’ll bring along a good insulated tumbler to have water handy. On our last cruise with Carnival in 2021 we found the food ok, and it could have been better. We felt the same about the buffet. Our friends have sailed with different cruise lines and have said that the buffets on RC are much better than Carnival. I’m just excited to sail again and to see a little Italian flair 😊
I’ve cruised so many different cruise lines. By far, the soups have always been the best of all cruise ships. I love the comedy shows and the entertainment crew make the deck dances and gatherings the most fun of all. The cruise directors are usually very engaged with the passengers. The storage on most carnival ships is well designed. I’m not a fan of the curtains on the older ships. Carnival is definitely the Fun Ships! Thanks for your videos. They’ve been very helpful.
Love your review! It’s nice to see that some things have improved from what I saw in a review a few weeks ago from a blogger’s time on the inaugural cruise from New York.
Sailing this at the end of this year on the Venezia, super excited. Thank you for all the tips and tricks to keep an eye out. Luckily most families will be back at school so, I can edit if there are any differences in the crowds and lines :D
We almost never eat at the buffet on cruises. If we aren't in the MDR, we are visiting the quick service spots for lunch. No complaints from us, we love Guy's burgers and can eat one for lunch everyday on a cruise!!
Thank you for another honest review! I was a bit put off my Carnival. However, I might be mistaken? I always say, itinerary is important but, make sure the ship has what you prefer. We did not care for the NCL Joy as it was wayyyyy too crowded. We love the Gem class ships though. While this ship maybe a bit too large for us, There was much I did like. This might work for us in the off season. We will go to Bermuda again on NCL as we like being there 3 days. We will try to find a smaller ship, and go in February or March next time! I think our bidest mistake was going in July lol. Too hot for this Mainer and too many people! I think this would be great for New England like you mentioned. We live in Maine so driving to NY isn't bad for us. We spend the night in Manhattan or CT. Then it's just an hour to the port. Even though Boston is closest, we have not sailed out of that part yet. Maybe repositioning cruise would be nice on this ship too! Again thank you so much. You have shown us so many ships, and what to expect etc. It is so very helpful.
we were on the Joy in June and completely agree with you that it was WAY to crowded for us! And we are night owls, so we thought we'd catch a break at 1 am for a night cap at the Local......WRONG! it was so crowded even then. We ended up taking our night cap back to our cabin and sitting on our balcony. We did like being in Bermuda for 3 days though
@@kathyhayes5578 That area was so poorly designed! If you wanted to eat there, you had to try to move through 1000 people even late at night! The area was too small for that bar and the 24 hr restaurant! I think they dropped the ball in designing it. They are going to add more cabins on her! Lol. The last thing that ship needs is people aboard. They are expanding the Haven suites, too. We have a Southern Carribean cruise on the Jade in February. I'm really looking forward to it!
I'm so glad you sailed on the Venezia. I was just checking out an offer for a 10 day on Venezia and was so glad to see your video. I appreciate all you do!
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You mentioned the comedians... Were they family-friendly shows?
I have sailed with Carnival and Royal. I like them both for different reasons. For a more relaxing and zen like vibe, Royal for the win. For a more festive and lively vibe, Carnival all day. When selecting between the 2, I look for itinerary and price. I am loyal to my wallet. Lately, it has been Carnival offering the best deals.
I have cruised with Carnival 4 times, soon to be 5 and you really were spot on with this review.. the buffet needs a good bit of work. The dining room is good always had great staff. The steak house really is amazing! Can't go wrong with Guy's burgers. I"ve done the seaday brunch and the breakfast burger is really good. The 80's party is alot of fun and yes Carnival does have some very good comedians.
Thanks for watching!
Carnival has been our only source of cruising over the last 12 years, and we just keep coming back. The accommodations are just right in terms of luxury, which may be comparable to other cruise lines that you may be familiar with, for Ilana and other cruisers. Sleeping out at sea on a floating city, food varieties at our leisure 24/7, drinks of all sorts of distillations, and plenty of vacation vibes is luxurious in my opinion. No work, no cleaning, no cooking and no driving! It is great to be a VIFP (Carnival terminology) onboard Carnival, with the level of attention from crew and staff that is more than adequate for our needs, as we especially do not like be waited on every moment. Still, Carnival takes us by surprise every time, when our staff recognizes us and call us by name from embarkation day.
I absolutely love cruising on carnival. We are a family of 8 and carnival never disappoints.
Glad to hear your experience :)
Why don’t you give Royal Caribbean a try? I think you will like them better.
@arosenweig I have and I didn't.
There’s nothing luxury about Carnival 😂
That was the most polite Canadian way of saying "I'm still not a Carnival girl." 🍁🇨🇦
😂
I don’t do 4-day cruises because they don’t give me time to relax, especially if I have to fly in to the port.
I fly and I prefer 7 days.
I agree. It would be great if it were only a couple hour drive.
Absolute minimum for me is 10 days.
We enjoy the 10-11 day cruises. Enough time to kick back, get to know the ship and get into a vacation routine. Agree that if you are flying in, you need the time to decompress.
@@druegillis1744who remembers when flying was fun and exciting?! Or is that only how the young feel ? 🤔
This is the ship im going on with my daughter im a single mom and this is our very first cruise and i just wanted to do 4days in case i get sick i won't be miserable for 7 days thank you so much for this
We are going to try a 4 day cruise as well, likely a Princess cruise tho.
They had the bright yellow umbrellas on the Carnival Conquest and Carnival Elation. I love sitting under them with a good book and an amazing view!
I love Carnival ❤️ never had a bad cruise with them.
We sailed on Venezia for 9 days. We LOVE this ship. Our first Carnival cruise was Dec 2022 on Celebration. We did 14 days and had a good time. However we like Venezia much better. The vibe, and honestly less people.
We (my 12 year old son and I) are pretty new to cruising, our first one was over Spring break this year and we were on the Carnival Dream. It is a wonderful midsize ship, in the Dream class. It was a 6 day Western Caribbean cruise to Costa Maya, Belize and Cozumel…..we had an amazing time and are hooked. Our next cruise is next June on the Mardi Gras, Eastern Caribbean to Bahamas, Grand Turk and Dominican Republic. I am so excited I can’t stand it. Every video and review I have seen on the Excel class ships has talked about how beautiful they are, and how it isn’t that traditional “loud” Carnival decor, but toned down some. We were in an oceanview cabin on the Dream which was lovely, and are booked in a cove balcony in Mardi Gras, my son doesn’t know about that part…..I cannot wait to experience this, and surprise him with the balcony cabin!
We have steakhouse reservations booked as well, we didn’t go our first cruise, but I have heard great things about it. We had some hits and misses on the Dream with food as well, but I feel like you have that at land restaurants as well. Overall the food was pretty good.
I hope that you give Carnival another go, I do agree that they are working to do better and be better. Great video! I love your reviews and tips!
That sounds awesome!!
What lovely memories you are making with your son. You and he will cherish them forever!
That was a very nice post! We have 4 kids with the youngest being 22 next month and they all love cruising! Now they are adults and starting to plan their own cruises with their friends, but we still take a big family cruise every couple of years. It just warms my heart!
We’ve sailed on all the major lines and Princess is our favorite but we have sailed many times on Carnival as well. I laugh more on their cruises than any other line. Recently did the Mardi Gras and loved it. Would certainly do the Venezia if the opportunity arises.
Looks like a great ship. We are set to sail on the Jubilee, in January. We just returned from a cruise on the Dream. I spent way too much money in the casino. But it was a fun time. I'm glad you finally decided to review Carnival. I've been wondering why that was missing. We love Carnival.
Me too..
I have honestly been waiting for your review on pins and needles. I sail with Carnival more than any line, so I assumed I would be satisfied with Venezia (sailing in November on a 10-day cruise), but the fact that you had so many positive things to say - especially since you did a 4-day in the Summer - makes me even more excited!
I’m rarely excited about the buffet itself, but I love being able to make a salad to accompany my pizza, burrito, or deli sandwich…
Have an amazing cruise! So glad you enjoyed the video 😊
We are on this cruise
I love your videos and reviews. They are so insightful! I'm ready for another one!
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed it
Ilana, I just want to say you did an outstanding job on this Cruise review and personal experience onboard the Carnival Venezia!! You touched on all the various categories including the ambience of the ship, the included and specialty dinning, the entertainment and comedy shows, the balcony Cabin, the vibe and room available .... crowd vs space, the bars, the Buffet and the crowded atmosphere due to the limited space for the amount of people, and the outstanding crew that Carnival is known for. Thank you so much for this outstanding and comprehensive review. 😎⛹️♀️🚴♂️🤸♂️
Thanks so much for your lovely comments!
Wow! The buffet area on the magic is fabulous. Lots of different stations. Lots of choices
Just for added information on the Steakhouse. The Free bottle of house wine is embarkation and the next day. You can also upgrade to a different wine for, I believe, 50% off. The Amari bar is the equivalent to the regular ships called Alchemy. The Amari has new drinks and they brought the favorites from Alchemy. They can make you any drink you like, if you ask them for a recommendation, they will ask you certain questions about likes/dislikes and will come up with a drink for you.
Thanks for sharing these tips
We love the Alchemy Bar. Thank you for the heads up on the Amari Bar. Cheers!
Thanks!
Thanks so much! I appreciate it 😊
I have sailed on the carnival Mardi Gras recently. I would definitely recommend that ship to you and your family yet. So many different food options for free. It was a beautiful ship and the crew was absolutely amazing❤
Thanks!
Returned on the Mardi Gras last week and hated that ship
@@coisafofa420 wow hate is a very strong word
@@coisafofa420 all I can say is wow what the heck what was so bad that you hated it
@@coisafofa420 Could you offer some reasons why you did not care for the Mardi Gras?
Thank you for your honest review. We are sailing on this ship in September to Canada. You gave us a lot of good info.
I would really suggest you sail on Mardi Gras! We sailed on it Oct. 2022 and we are booked again Jan. 2024 because we enjoyed it so much. Some Carnival ships can feel a bit run down and I totally agree with the offensive lighting sometimes, lol, but Mardi Gras is simply amazing. The food options are also amazing. Hope you get to sail on her! Thanks for another great video!
That’s our new favorite ship!!
We sailed on Mardi Gras in April 2022! It is amazing!
We just got back from Carnival Mardi Gras loved it
Ship looks beautiful! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the cruise. Sailing out of NYC is always special. With luck they’ll improve the buffet and organizational issues.
I love sailing past the Statue of Liberty 🗽
I was just on the Venezia last month for my first crise and I hate to say I was a bit disappointed, many people we spoke with said not to judge cruising on this trip, that usually they are much better. They seemed (the staff) very disorganized and perhaps short staffed for the amount of guests onboard. Long lines for everything, hard to find a chair and to be honest, most of the bar staff we met seemed to want to be anywhere else. I agree with you on the food, the main dining was fine, the buffet not so much.
I can understand. Truthfully not every ship or cruise line is for everyone. It could have been in part that the crew was new to working on the ship, & they we’re getting the kinks out
We’ve been on 3 different cruise lines this year and they all seem short staffed. The Royal Was probably the best one as far as staff but still not great. The other two were Virgin Voyages and we just got done last week on an Alaskan cruise on the Royal Princess.
Thanks so much! I am a travel advisor from the south and have family and friends wanting to try a variety of cruise lines and ships. The first cruise line is Carnival I have booked but want to experience more of the ships on the east coast. This was a great review and so very helpful. Thanks for your honest positive video!
Just came back from a Carnival 10 day San Francisco to Alaska cruise where I took my mom and daughter. Had a great time, and came back to see a sweetheart VIFP deal for the Venezla on a 7-day Mexican Riviera cruise, booked! The comedians are top notch, their live entertainment is generally pretty good. I love that they now have the family feud!! They had Deal or No Deal on the cruise we just took which was good too.
Nice presenting - relaxed, informed, with a lovely smile.
Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it & thank you 😊
OK, you talked me into a cruise onboard this ship. A very fair and balanced review...thank you! BTW, to avoid the fights on Carnival, never take a cruise with them less than 7 days. We have at least 10 cruises with them (never less than 7 days) and have never seen fights or rowdy behavior.
We sail mostly Carnival and looking forward to our Sept Venezia Cruise. Love watching your videos and the great information 😊
I enjoy Carnival and especially the teppenyaki! It is the best
A very fair and balanced review. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
Just did the 10 night on Jan 23. Had a great time and was not crowded at all. Great fun and entertainment all the time. Beautiful ship with lots of outdoor chill spots. Marco Polo dining room had great service and food. Highly recommend this ship.
We're booked on the Venezia from Manhattan in June. We love Carnival overall, But I've never been on the Venezia, I'm looking forward to it!
Loved Carnival 4-day cruise to Cozumel this March.
I just came off this ship last Friday, and I had a blast! I enjoyed the food, drinks, music etc....
Did they make any improvements as far as the crowding at the buffet lines?
I was hoping you had sailed this ship as we just booked a 10 day Caribbean trip in May 2024 and I only trust your reviews. Thank you!
Love your videos! Sailing on Venezia on a Journeys cruise in 2024. I’m very excited to see this ship.
We have cruised Carnival many times and enjoy the longer cruises versus the 4 day cruises. And we don’t usually cruise during the summer months when the kids are out of school as it gets very crowded
Thanks for being honest and telling us that the cruise line gave you free interest. I wish all the bloggers would tell us this
We just got back from cruising the Mardi Gras, and we absolutely loved it. The staff was so nice and the shows were top notch. I usually like smaller ships, but I would cruise the Marsi Gras again :) we ate at the steak house as well and would recommend it to anyone.
Wow. MARDI Gras was my very first cruise to Bermuda in the early '70s
We are sailing on this ship in October...we have ever only sailed on Carnival and have had great cruises. I agree with your assessment of the buffet and pool being crowded. We just do work arounds that suit us. Looking forward to sailing from New York...a first for us.
We had a horrible experience with the sea day brunch because we waited to go later. We had to wait for 45 minutes, the food was COLD, and the service was beyond disappointing (dropped the food and ran). I definitely agree with your breakfast buffet review as well. I only did it once. Thankfully, we had a Blue Iguana with FANTASTIC breakfast burritos!
Best thing to do when you have bad service in a sit down restaurant; either the brunch or main dining room is to speak to the head waiter, the Maitre De, the Maitre De is essentially the waiters' supervisor and will immediately address problems.
I have only sailed on Carnival so I have nothing to compare it to, but, I think your cruise is always what you make it. I choose to eat in the dining room when I can and not the buffet unless it's to grab some fruit or dessert while walking through the Lido. I love the sushi on Carnival. Its always spot on. I never hang out on Lido and always try to find a good spot to relax and read on Serenity, away from the crowds and kids. I think the Celebration and Mardi Gras are wonderful as they have added a small swimming pool to the Serenity decks. I also get a week long pass for the thermalspa for more relaxation time on the heated loungers (and again, no kids). I am not a family traveler, so don't want to be around a lot of children, but I do find there are lots of spots to enjoy kid free on Carnival. Book at the right time of year and it's even more child free (Just got off Carnival Celebration Sept 17 and of 5600 passengers, only 300 were under 21! due to school having just started) Okay, guess I like my cruises to be kinda kid free lol. That's just me. I don't hate kids, by no means, but I do think Carnival has a rep for family and party. And I am really neither and very much love Carnival. Also, getting a balcony room and having coffee and fruit delivered in the morning to take out on the balcony is pure bliss....Also, I don't know if other cruise lines do this, but the Celebration and Mardi Gras have the "Carnival Kitchen" where you can take a cooking course. I took the sushi course and I absolutely loved it! I can't wait to make some sushi at home and feel I can do it no problem now. I will be doing the bar-b-que course on Mardi Gras in March 2024. So much to do on a Carnival Cruise. I am glad you tried it again and enjoyed it!
We've cruised on Carnival many times (most recently Mardi Gras and Jubilee), plus we have one booked on the Celebration for next year. We love Carnival! Are they perfect, of course not, but we've always had good cruises. We've only tried another line once - Princess Discovery to Alaska - and to be honest, we thought it was boring! (And we are not rowdy partiers either.) I'd like to try Norwegian and Celebrity some day.
If it’s kid season on any of the major larger ships $CCL $RCL $NCLH you are going to have a crowded buffet & pool area.
But at least with Carnival they have additional casual food sources that are good, Burger, Mexican, Deli, plus Pizza.
In my opinion an option to avoid the crowd issue in peak kid season would be to consider Holland America where it’s less of an issue.
First time cruiser on the Venezia next March... 11 nights to the Caribbean..sea days before and after visiting 5 ports. So the ship ambiance and food is very important...your review was so helpful!
I think you’ll enjoy the 11 nights. I don’t think it will be as busy as you’ll have less kids. Have fun!
@@LifeWellCruised And I'm going to be 74 during the cruise... happy birthday to me! 😁
I think you did a outstanding job on your review. Glad you enjoyed your cruise on carnival.
I'm so glad you enjoyed your cruise. We love Carnival and I'm glad were able to understand why people love this brand. I think you would really like one of the newest ships they offer. I really appreciate your honest opinion. Thank you for trying this brand again. We are taking the Venezia on an Alaskan cruise in 2024 and look forward to experiencing this ship after your review.
Thank you for the awesome review! I'm a long time Carnival cruiser and have to say, I agree with 99.9% of everything you addressed!! Very informative 😃
Wow!! The Venezia is beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Good review. Comprehensive. Fair. I almost passed it by when I saw what seemed to be a Karen look promoting it, but then you won me over. I am Platinum on Carnival, looking forward to Venezia when it gets to L.A. next year, so I had a special interest in hearing your comments. The typical L.A. crowd is as diverse as the one in New York, making this even more relevant. Thanks.
Lol, glad I won you over (I try hard on my thumbnails but admittedly some might miss the mark) 😂
Leaving on Monday out of NYC. Thanks for the information, I'm very excited
We will be Cruising on the Venezia in Oct and I have watched multiple Videos on this Ship with mixed Reviews, but Most were at the beginning of its Sailings and since We are going in October I hope the Suggestions made by Past Cruisers were taken to Heart and Carnival made the Improvements. Also We are on a 10 day Cruise, and We are Looking forward To it. Enjoy Your Videos.
Heads up, if you sail on any of the new carnival ships, Mardi Gras. Celebration or the Jubilee , the average room is very small. Maybe in a suite they are a little bigger, but below that, just keep that in mind. I have been on Mardi Gras twice last year and really enjoyed it. Just the cabins are smaller. Can't wait for your review when you do decide to go. Thanks for your review on this ship. I am still on the fence about it.
Thanks for the tips!
I went on Venezia June 19 for 8 days I loved the ship I remember first walking onto the ship looking like a fancy hotel. I loved the ship and the activities and I also hated the lines especially at guys burger joint and those other places. Another thing was on debarkation day it took way too long to get off people were getting off when their muster station wasn’t called yet and it was frustrating
Thank you for sharing. The end of September, we go on the Venezia on a 3 day in Bermuda. I like The Celebration. Hope you get to experience it.
I’m glad you enjoyed the cruise and I appreciate your review. I agree with so many points, and I love Carnival. ( But I have to say that I LOVE the 12 hour French toast). The buffet was a disappointment on my cruise last week as well.
So glad to see your opinion! We sailed exclusively on Carnival from 2006 until this year when we tried a four day Celebrity cruise. After many Carnival cruises I decided that Journeys cruises are the best way to sail with them as it’s mostly adults - so less people. I also find that our experiences weren’t consistent. But we have had some WONDERFUL cruises with them. We did a four day at Christmas with extended family and it was so crowded - because it was more than two occupancy on most of the ship. We don’t have children so we normally cruise when school is in session. And we normally don’t take cruises less than 7 days. Ideally 14 days lol. Anyway, thanks for your review!
I love your videos! My husband and I are going on our first cruise next month😊 a 6 day cruise on carnival dream to take time for our marriage after having one late miscarriage and then two healthy beautiful babies👼❤💙
Have a wonderful cruise!! It sounds like you’ll enjoy the time together
We are going on our first Carnival cruise, a 4 day out of Charleston in Oct. We've been on other lines, NCL, Royal, Princess, Celebrity & Disney. We always try to go in with an open mind because even if you've been on one Royal ship it may have a different vibe from another depending on port and time of year. The ship looked gorgeous & kind of what I'd expect crowd-wise from NYC in the summer. Thanks for the tips, as I'm going to book the steakhosue for the first night of our cruise.
Great report on your Carnival cruise! I think we’ll take it next year!
We sailed on the same cruise with you and agree with you 100%. We overall had a great time, a great ship for families. The food could have been better. But we generally found something we liked. The fruit and vegetables were overall disappointing, and often the dishes in the main dinning room lacked seasoning. The entertainment was good, comedians were great, music and vibe in the Limelight was awesome and the 80s and White party was a blast. MarQ did a great job keeping everyone pumped up, I’m sure you saw my husband win the 80s dance contest. Lol😂 Overall we were happy with the cruise and will definitely cruise again on the Venezia.
Thanks for sharing your experience! Sounds like you both had a fun time 🎉
Great review Ilana. Yes you get what you get with the buffet with Carnival. Always so crowded. That class of ship does seem overcrowded to me (I went on Horizon) I’m glad you enjoyed your experience overall, especially since you went during summer, on a 4-day and out of NY. I would absolutely love for you to go on Mardi Gras or Celebration to get your feedback. ❤🎉I wrote this before the end when you mentioned those ships!😂
Haha they’re definitely on my list
Love your review thank you--We have been on 4 Carnival cruises--Booked on the Celebration Feb. '24 for our 5th---out of Miami my favorite port.
About to go on a nine night cruise on this ship in a few days so your candid opinions were most helpful.
Thank you.
Love this review! We are cruising 8/14-8/19 on the Venezia (with a Terrazza balcony room!) and I cannot wait! Your videos have been really helpful with the planning process!
Have fun!!!
I really appreciate your review. It seems very fair. I understand the issues you had but none of them seemed to ruin your trip or be deal breakers for me personally. I’m sailing on Venezia in October and I like knowing her flaws ahead of time.
Just got off today and absolutely loved the Terraza area. It made our trip even more enjoyable. You're absolutely right about the buffet. On sea days they had a small sandwich and some other items available for lunch on 5 which was really good and not crowded.
Recently cruised for the first time on Liberty of the Seas from NJ to Bermuda. Everything was awesome except for the crowds! Someone I met onboard who cruises often said she’s never been on such a crowded ship. I think everyone has a YOLO mindset since covid. That’s how we felt when we booked it last Fall. We will definitely be more careful about time of year when we book certain itineraries in the future and will default to a travel agent to help us figure it out. ( booked ourselves this time). Your videos were SO helpful!
Your right, I also heard this ship was very crowded when we were in Bermuda. We all want to travel 😂
I appreciate this review. I was surprised with your overall review. My Sister in law booked a cruise for all of us on this ship in April. I was pretty nervous because of their reputation. Now I am looking forward to it.
We are sailing on the Firenze next year, which I'd imagine is quite similar. Our only other Carnival sailing was on the Inspiration and I'll say she was pretty long in the tooth at that time. The decor was also very bright and busy, and kind of gawdy.
We had a great time but found Carnival (at that point) was definitely not even close to the same level of service and food as the premium lines. The one thing I will say is that cruise may have been the most fun we've ever had and the drinks were quite good. So they definitely live up to the "fun ship" claim. With that said we are very excited to try a newer ship and enjoyed your review and perspective.
We are going on her in a few weeks. Can’t wait. Thanks for the Canadian perspective.
I like Carnival, did a cruise on Vista earlier this year, have two more cruises already booked with them.
We love cruising. 10 -50 times between us. We often just use the ship as our holiday destination. We just get off for fun or exceptional destinations based on past experience. Our holiday is based on our family of 3. Enjoying our own company. Fun fun fun.
The ship looks beautiful! I love that it's different in style compared to their other ships. The NY/Bermuda itinerary is on my list to do. What a fun trip - a few days in NYC then a cruise to Bermuda! Even though we love Carnival and have cruised with them many times (including the Mardi Gras, Jubliee, and on Celebration next May), I do agree their buffets could use improvement. I've never seen such a long line like you showed in the video. I might eat in the buffet once or twice max. Too many other choices!
Good review. Very thorough, clear and concise. I do plan to cruise on Carnival Venezia in the near future.
Carnival's mushroom soup is yummy! I loved the roasted tomato soup they had at sea day brunch, but that was taken off the menu a few years ago. 😢
My family and I were on this cruise with you! My son and I are actually in your footage of the sail away party. :) I saw you and recognized you on day 1, but didn’t want to intrude. This was our first cruise and I had been watching your videos for months! I totally agree, the buffet was disappointing. My son also was not impressed with the kids club. We will try another cruise, but this one was mediocre.
That’s fun! I would have been happy to say hello, but I understand. All cruises are different so if this wasn’t the right fit, you’ll likely find another that will be :)
We just got back from a 7 day Carnival Vista trip out of Galveston. A family of 4. It was great no complaints. The cruise director TJ was awesome.Great energy and very friendly.
My husband and I just got back from a Bahamas Carnival cruise in the Glory.
We enjoyed Guys Burger Joint as well but had to go back a few times because the lines were very long! I suggest you should try and go there at off times.
The Glory is an old ship and was refurbished.
This was a real mix of people! Some very young others very senior.
Pools were crowded. The serenity area was far from serene.
It’s not rowdy on most of the cruises I’ve been on with Carnival - sometimes the fun squad has fun contests on the Lido but not rowdy. We also always love the GROOVE FOR ST JUDE!! So cool
Would love to see you do a Disney review! I’m not a Disney fanatic but I LOVE DCL for their service, cleanliness and food. It would be interesting to hear your opinion in comparison to other ships.
Maybe one day 😊
@@LifeWellCruisedI saw your vid on not doing disney. I'm not a Disney fan either. I just don't care for their movies and vibe, but I discovered that you didn't have to be one to enjoy their cruise. The service, cleanliness, and food quality, to date, is still the best I have ever gotten on any boat in any cruise line. Going on celebrity and oceania soon though, so I'm hoping to match the experience.
@@pullcarsmelly8051 great to know
Thanks for the information. I did learn from you that the Teraza area is open to everyone after 7 PM. I am sailing on 15 day Journeys cruise the end of September going into October. Really looking forward to going.
Thanks again for another awesome review!! Again, I appreciate your candor and diplomatic explanations about the various aspects of your experience! I will be sailing on Carnival Magic in several months. I have been on the Legend to the Caribbean and the Miracle to Alaska. The Caribbean is pretty basic but I would like to cruise Alaska again on a different cruise line. The Miracle was okay but I would like to experience that itinerary again via another company. Lately I have been Loyal to Royal. Thanks again for sharing your awesome insights!
Thanks so much for your comments! Have a great upcoming cruise
@@LifeWellCruised ♥
My family loves the Royal Caribbean ship's. I've been cruising since 2004, trying carnival celebration next year. Love your reviews.
Thanks for watching 😊
Appreciate your honest review. I was actually on the same sailing because I saw a few members of our group. Carnival Venezia is a beautiful ship and I enjoyed my cruise.
Awesome to hear!!
Agree with so many of your points. Found the buffet missing the flavor and had very unappealing foods. Don’t think we’d ever do another 4 day though. 😂
Lol, glad our experiences were similar. I agree a 4 d isn’t quite long enough
The ship looks like the same design as the Horizon, which I love. Been on Horizon 3 times.
Thanks for the video. I was very curious about Venezia and this in-depth review will help me decide whether to book her or not. I'm sailing on Carnival Celebration in August and will post my impression. I haven't sailed on Carnival since my kids were young so this will be a different experience for us! Looking forward to it.
Glad it was helpful & have a good cruise! Let me know :)
I enjoyed your video. It was very thorough. I've been thinking of booking a 4 day cruise on this ship. I was on the Sunrise Carnival in 2019, also a 4 day cruise. I enjoyed the shows and the food on that ship, but the Venezia sounds BEAUTIFUL! according to your review amd videos of the ship. I find that Carnival does offer great service. 😀
Thanks so much for this review! We’re sailing on the Venezia in December with a group of 12! We are so excited! We couldn’t decide on getting the Cheers package or not, but I think we’ll pay for our individual drinks. Now, we are getting the bubbles package so we can still enjoy soda and such. We’ll bring along a good insulated tumbler to have water handy. On our last cruise with Carnival in 2021 we found the food ok, and it could have been better. We felt the same about the buffet. Our friends have sailed with different cruise lines and have said that the buffets on RC are much better than Carnival. I’m just excited to sail again and to see a little Italian flair 😊
Love love love this ship . I was on July 13 and can’t wait again . Love cruising from home .
I’ve cruised so many different cruise lines. By far, the soups have always been the best of all cruise ships. I love the comedy shows and the entertainment crew make the deck dances and gatherings the most fun of all. The cruise directors are usually very engaged with the passengers. The storage on most carnival ships is well designed. I’m not a fan of the curtains on the older ships. Carnival is definitely the Fun Ships! Thanks for your videos. They’ve been very helpful.
YES, I always get the soup. If there is 2 or 3 hot soups on the menu that evening, I order them all.
But I'm not a fan of cold soups. Just me. 😉
Love your review! It’s nice to see that some things have improved from what I saw in a review a few weeks ago from a blogger’s time on the inaugural cruise from New York.
Thank you for a very balanced review!!! 🚢
i do 3 and 4 days because sometimes thats the only vacation days we can afford for time off work. but only take them if they r on the weekends
Sailing this at the end of this year on the Venezia, super excited. Thank you for all the tips and tricks to keep an eye out. Luckily most families will be back at school so, I can edit if there are any differences in the crowds and lines :D
We almost never eat at the buffet on cruises. If we aren't in the MDR, we are visiting the quick service spots for lunch. No complaints from us, we love Guy's burgers and can eat one for lunch everyday on a cruise!!
Thank you for another honest review! I was a bit put off my Carnival. However, I might be mistaken? I always say, itinerary is important but, make sure the ship has what you prefer. We did not care for the NCL Joy as it was wayyyyy too crowded. We love the Gem class ships though. While this ship maybe a bit too large for us, There was much I did like. This might work for us in the off season. We will go to Bermuda again on NCL as we like being there 3 days. We will try to find a smaller ship, and go in February or March next time! I think our bidest mistake was going in July lol. Too hot for this Mainer and too many people! I think this would be great for New England like you mentioned. We live in Maine so driving to NY isn't bad for us. We spend the night in Manhattan or CT. Then it's just an hour to the port. Even though Boston is closest, we have not sailed out of that part yet. Maybe repositioning cruise would be nice on this ship too! Again thank you so much. You have shown us so many ships, and what to expect etc. It is so very helpful.
Glad you enjoyed the video! I do like those mid sized ships from NCL :)
we were on the Joy in June and completely agree with you that it was WAY to crowded for us! And we are night owls, so we thought we'd catch a break at 1 am for a night cap at the Local......WRONG! it was so crowded even then. We ended up taking our night cap back to our cabin and sitting on our balcony. We did like being in Bermuda for 3 days though
@@kathyhayes5578 That area was so poorly designed! If you wanted to eat there, you had to try to move through 1000 people even late at night! The area was too small for that bar and the 24 hr restaurant! I think they dropped the ball in designing it. They are going to add more cabins on her! Lol. The last thing that ship needs is people aboard. They are expanding the Haven suites, too. We have a Southern Carribean cruise on the Jade in February. I'm really looking forward to it!
Great video, thanks for sharing. Beautiful ship! 🚢
Thank you for this video. My husband and I will be sailing on the Venezia in May 2024 for 11 day cruise.
I'm so glad you sailed on the Venezia. I was just checking out an offer for a 10 day on Venezia and was so glad to see your video.
I appreciate all you do!
Glad it was helpful!