I have a Carnival Cruise Line ad from the 1990s stuck in my head, and it’s starting to be a problem. I’m kind of embarrassed to admit all of this, but here goes nothing…
In this post:
I used to be obsessed with cruise ship
When I was a young kid I used to love cruise ships (in addition to airplanes). I always dreamed of the next cruise my parents would take me on. I even remember when I’d go out to dinner with my parents, we’d play a game where I pretended to be a travel agent and would fake “sell” them cruises.
I’d ask them where they wanted to go, and I had memorized all of the cruise schedules, itineraries, destinations, every detail about the ships, etc. I’d even bring a dozen catalogues from Carnival, so I could show them what to expect.
Somewhere around my very early teens my interest in cruises disappeared, and I haven’t been on a cruise since. I’m starting to get back into the concept of cruising, but not on a 5,000 person ship, but rather on a smaller ship to a remote place that otherwise can’t be reached easily (like Antarctica).
Anyway, that brings me to my story, and the song I can’t get out of my head…
Carnival’s EPIC ad from the late 1990s
A few days ago I stumbled upon a Business Insider video about how cruise ships are demolished, which you can find below (and it’s worth watching, in my opinion).
While watching this, I remembered I had been on one of the exact ships shown in the video, and for some reason this reminded me of this ridiculously catchy Carnival ad I saw in the 1990s. At the time I remember having a VHS tape with this ad and watching it over and over (I can’t believe I’m admitting that, but…).
I figured I’d quickly Google to see if I could find that ad, and sure enough, I found it on YouTube within seconds. Of course I watched the whole thing, just for a trip down memory lane. I’m really regretting doing that, because now I can’t get this out of my head.
Since I’m suffering, I’m going to make y’all suffer with me. Check out the below Carnival ad from the late 1990s starring Kathie Lee Gifford (and if you’re in a rush, just start 50 seconds in).
I can’t count the number of times today that I’ve said the following two phases out loud, and I just can’t stop:
- “You wanted more deck, we said what the heck, you got it!”
- “You asked for more cubic feet, you got it! In every stateroom and suite, you got it!”
I don’t know how to stop, so I’ve decided to take drastic measures. The only way to get one catchy jingle out of your head is to replace it with another one. That brings me to Turkish Airlines’ “Globally Yours” hold music, possibly the catchiest tune ever put together by an airline.
I’m hoping that by tomorrow my “you asked for more deck, we said what the heck” will be replaced by “we are Turkish Airlines, we are globally yours.”
Bottom line
You wanted more deck, we said what the heck, you got it!
You want a racist and sexist ad with no diversity, you got it.
The only 2 crew who said you got it is a people of color. Women in bikinis with a pillow fight.
Let's cancel Carnival Cruise Line.
I am cruising Carnival Destiny (now Sunshine) in a few weeks. It is interesting to see how much she has changed. She is now one of the smallest ships in the Carnival fleet.
I've really gotta nominate El Al as a challenger for Turkish's catchiest airline hold music crown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wQNZXE0iBU
Kathy Lee was a great spokesperson for Carnival but this video isn't even close to her best ads for them.
Ben, have you seen the one KLG did in the 80s based on "If My Friends Could See Me Now" from Sweet Charity? It’s an earworm for sure!
https://youtu.be/xS5rUgRAzDc
I recently had the "if they could see you now" jingle in my head. The funny thing is now being on a Carnival cruise is nothing to be proud of. None of your friends would be jealous. They would be laughing at you.
I can’t count the number of times today that I’ve said the following two phases out loud……
Not a good thing to do in your house because it will somehow stuck in Miles's head.Just imagine he say this outloud before he can say Daddy.
Anyway you always show your passion for travel in a cute way.
One mispronunciation of "deck" and the song takes on a whole new meaning...
Lucky: Watch this 90’s Carnival commercial.
Me: You got it!
Punch, Brothers Punch by Mark Twain
Ben, would love to hear your thoughts on why many cruise ships have such low quality accomodations for their price points as compared hotels in equally as nice locations. Carnival reminds me of Bally's Las Vegas, while many suites or larger rooms on Royal Carribean, Norwegian, and Celebrity ships are priced well beyond the price of a nice hotel room and dinner for the same number of people per day. For thousands a day do you think cruises are a good value?
@Cruise1990s, think of Carnival as being aimed at the mass market — inexpensive rates (especially for inside cabins), cramped cabins, and the ambiance of a fraternity party at sea. Royal Caribbean and Norwegian are but a step up.
At the luxury end of the market are cruise lines such as Seabourn, Regent, and Silversea. The cabins are larger because the put less cabins in the same size ship, and you'll never get an inside cabin...
@Cruise1990s, think of Carnival as being aimed at the mass market — inexpensive rates (especially for inside cabins), cramped cabins, and the ambiance of a fraternity party at sea. Royal Caribbean and Norwegian are but a step up.
At the luxury end of the market are cruise lines such as Seabourn, Regent, and Silversea. The cabins are larger because the put less cabins in the same size ship, and you'll never get an inside cabin because they aren't any. And you're getting much closer to "all inclusive" with luxury lines, many of which include alcohol, specialty restaurant dining, and shore excursions in the fares.
You might evaluate the cruise experience by considering the total number of guests. A 3,000 guest ship compares to a Vegas mega hotel floating in the middle of the ocean (yuck!). A 200-300 guest ship compares to a Four Seasons — much more intimate and personal service.
And unless you're just into the cruise experience, look for an itinerary that takes you to interesting places you could never combine into a single land journey. I loved Windstar's itinerary of the Baltic Sea ... and am going on another around Sicily and Malta in October. Think of it as a floating hotel room that takes you to so many interesting places...
One final thought: it's not the price you pay when you buy the cruise; it's the total price you pay after you've finished the cruise. Cheap cruise fares serve as a come-on, but then the mass market ships will nickel and dime you for everything along the way.
Glad to know there's strength in numbers in this support group!
What I was listening to earlier (go forward to 5:10.... that's the masterpiece original):
https://youtu.be/eBIU8ytEl74
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Noooooooooooo.
Baby shark……
Interesting video. I was on the Destiny in 2003 and the Sunshine in 2017. Carnival pretty much stripped that ship down to the hull and rebuilt it, but the video brought back memories (of my first wife because we went on the Destiny for our honeymoon *shudder*).
Thought you were going to say it was Iggy Pop's Lust For Life
Just wait until you get a Wiggles song stuck in your head.
I don’t know Ben, but it sounds to me like you just found a new lullaby to sing to Miles! He will either find it humorous, or it will put him to sleep. Either way you’re golden.
Cruises work well when you have young kids/twins. You might wanna check them. Cheers and congrats