I think the photo says it all....

I think that Cahill is wanting to take Carnival into a new direction thus Farcus out the door. I think you will see more space dedicated to "for fee" venues on board the next new design. We have already seen the addition of a pub and Italian eatery with surcharges plus the Cherry On Top candy/bakery store with charges on the Magic. Seems that Carnival will finally catch up with the other cruise lines in this area.

[ 05-05-2011: Message edited by: Atlcruiser ]

In the thread that Ernie provided, the Carnival Blurb states:

"Carnival Breeze will also introduce colorful Caribbean-inspired interiors that take their cue from the region’s cool island breezes and warm tropical sunsets. Created by Germany-based Partner Ship Design, this striking new tropical design theme will be carried out in the ship’s public spaces, as well as staterooms which will offer a combination of bright colors and soothing pastel hues, with iconic images of palm trees and other island-inspired elements adorning hallway corridors."

IMO, you simply can't have tropical island-inspired decor without the gaudiness that comes with it.

More and more we see other mass market lines (meaning RCI and NCL) coming out with over-the-top decor; their interiors are becoming more like Carnival all the time.

I think the biggest difference will be the lack of the repetitive use of light fixtures and patterns that has made Farcus' interiors look like Carnival shops at overstock.com

quote:

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Originally posted by LeBarryboat:
I just talked with some passengers who are on the Carnival Magic and they all said the ship is great the proprietary beer and pub is a big hit. They were on a shore excursion at Pompeii where I was today. Perfect weather here today in Sorrento.

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Barry, in my old stomping grounds, huh? I lived in Naples for two years and we would go to Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Sorrento all the time! It was a cheap ticket on the CircumVesuviano Line. I miss living in Italy.

As for the Carnival Magic, I saw a picture of some balcony cabins located just over the outdoor seating area for the pub. This will not set well for those who don't do research and get booked into those.

quote:

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Originally posted by linerguy:
I have a feeling that, even without the Farcus touch, we're going to continue to see decor similar to this. Carnival has built their business on outlandish interiors and I can't see them doing a total about face. It might be toned down a bit, but you can certainly dismiss the idea that, all of a sudden, we're going to see bland, Princess-style interiors.

More and more we see other mass market lines (meaning RCI and NCL) coming out with over-the-top decor; their interiors are becoming more like Carnival all the time.
-Russ

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To my eye RCI ships are nothing like the Carnival ones for decor, and I'm curious as to what you think the over the top ship they've introduced is. I certainly wouldn't have used that description for Allure or Oasis, the most recent additions.

quote:

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Originally posted by linerguy:
More and more we see other mass market lines (meaning RCI and NCL) coming out with over-the-top decor; their interiors are becoming more like Carnival all the time.

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Well Costa are! However Norwegian Epic is quite understated in parts compared to the classing primary colours of the Jewel Class, although there are many hints of Las Vegas.

RCI have always had a mixture of 'tasteful' decor and 'glitz' in my opinion. Oasis is certainly no more glitzy than previous RCI ships.

I can see Carnival's decor being toned-down in the future. There's nowhere else to go. They can't make it any louder! On the other hand they are unlikely to completely throw away their unique style.

[ 05-14-2011: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

Yeah, you're right...none of these RCI and NCL interiors are even remotely close to something you'd see on Carnival.

It's amazing how some people say that CCL's interiors are ghastly, but just change the name to RCI or NCL and they're suddenly cool.

He says sarcastically.......

-Russ

[ 05-16-2011: Message edited by: linerguy ]

I'm not sure I'll be writing a full review about the PEARL, but let me just say this recent NCL cruise will be the last until they introduce the new ships. Things were just not up to the standards of other major cruise lines. Nothing stood out as being exceptional. I've found that NCL has great concepts, but is often lacking in execution and attention to detail. That was certainly the case with this cruise. Also it was one of the worst embarkations I've ever experienced and our cabin reeked of smoke upon arrival. To NCL's credit, they quickly did a deep clean to remove most of the smoke smell, but the fact they allow smoking in the cabins and balconies is a turn-off to me.