A few months ago I wrote about a Carnival cruise we had booked that was so cheap it was Too Cheap To Be True. I meant to come right home and tell you about it but my cold/flu and bum knee made me forget about it...til now. Here is my honest opinion of our Carnival Venezia cruise that cost a grand total, including gratuities, $1402.
First off we had an interior stateroom which I didn't think I would like. Wrong! What a perfect sleep you can get with only a teeny amount of red light coming off the exit light. Enough to get to the bathroom safely but not enough to keep you awake. The room was small but with only two of us, it seemed spacious. Lots of hangars, drawers, and hooks. Even though the TV hung on the wall, the console table with open shelves was a nice bonus as was the built-in fridge. A makeup table with seat was well-lit and equipped with enough plugins for an entire family. The two bedside tables had USB ports but no outlets. With so many people using CPAP machines that seems to be a huge oversight. Like all cruise ship bathrooms storage is not an issue. There are more than enough shelves and countertop space for everything.
Okay let's discuss food. I always say if I don't have to cook it I'm happy. The app allows you to book a table for dinner in the main dining room and it works amazing! My only complaint is that there are two entrances on different floors and when your table is ready it doesn't say which floor to go to. It never failed we were on the wrong floor. Some food I didn't like. That's a matter of personal taste. But it all looked delicious and was presented perfectly. Sometimes the service wasn't the greatest but I think there were quite a few "newbies".
The late-night pizza place was a hit if the lineups were any indication. We only got it once and it was good. The after-hours buffet had quite a few choices but again we didn't sample it often as we ate our dinners later than most. I never saw a chicken wing except on the room service menu and one late night after several margaritas we splurged. They were really good! And cheap...$6 I think. Only once did I send a meal back and that was my lobster tail. I'm from the east coast and I know when a lobster needs a few more minutes on the grill.
We went to the piano bar, comedy club, sports bar, and the main theater. The shows were very good and I liked that there were several comedians during our 9 days. I spent a bit of time at the art auction but everything I liked was crazy expensive. The outdoor movies were a hit. As were the dance parties. There was always trivia which I love. You could always be doing something if that's how you spend your vacay.
Ours was a casino deal which is why it was so cheap. I always play the slots on every cruise however even though we have been on two other cruise lines with casinos only Carnival has ever offered me discounts. Interesting considering this deal was offered after we had only traveled with them once. Norwegian we've done 7 or 8 with you and nothing...what's up with that? The deal also included free drinks for both of us while in the casino. Nice perk since the drink package was very, very expensive. I know people complained on other blogs that they rarely got served but we had a totally different experience. We had excellent service and always brought some cash with us to tip which I'm sure helped.
Like every single cruise we have been on you cannot get a deck chair by the pool. Too many people stay in the hot tubs for too long drinking too much. You know what some of them are doing in there. Your fellow travelers will push you out of the way, forget their manners, and be rude. There are always kids running around with no regard for anyone else and parents who couldn't care less. A few drunks will misbehave and several couples will have huge fights right in the middle of your enjoyment. With 4K plus in a small space how can it not be a little chaotic?
Overall the cruise was fantastic. The staff was always wonderful. We never saw our stateroom attendant though the room was always spotless and any midnight snack dishes were removed before we had a chance to put them out. The cruise director MarQ Anthony was so energetic, and fun and always had time to chat. He knew who needed a little nudge to let loose and how to keep the party going.
I would give the staff, service, entertainment, food, and cleanliness all a 9 out of 10. We really had few complaints. I wasn't a fan of the Italian theme and thought it looked a little tacky though hubby disagreed on that. The shopping wasn't great but it never is and the constant photographers at dinner were annoying. Those factors dropped it down to an overall 8 out of 10.
The big question "Was it too cheap to be true" is answered simply with not by a long shot. In fact, had this been a $2500 or even $3000 costing vacation it still would have been great! It was 9 days after all. There are real deals to be had and we got one.
Thanks Carnival Venezia! Ciao!
Ang
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