review comparison of rccl v carnival

Ok I am not by any means an experienced cruiser we have only cruised 3 times 2 with carnival and this recent cruise with rccl

Now some may have read about our problem on the recent cruise but they were customer service issues and do not reflect the whole cruise so to try and do a fair comparison I will not include that area here.

All three cruises have been on comparable sized ships - Carnival Valour & Legend and Royal Rhapsody. We do not fancy the large ships.

Boarding - not sure why this is a big issue and discussed so much but Carnival did seem more organised but this may be a US embarkation thing versus EU rome

Initial impressions- we loved them all - but I did think that Royal seemed a little classier.

Pool - defiantly Royal was best here they are bigger and the adult one was very nice, but would have been better if the roof went back earlier than 10.30 ish - It was like a greenhouse in there.

Sun bed availability - No doubt Carnival wins here - Our 1st sea day we did not expect there to be a issue we went to breakfast and then the pool at 9.45 - no beds all day - bearing in mind I have Lupus and MS so walk with sticks and my youngest daughter was on crutches - we had to sit on towels on the ground - getting back up was interesting for both of us.

Some people had smallish kids on beds (when they where even about) near us but did not offer for them to share one- I could not have done that and my kids would have had their bums pulled out of a seat if elderly or disabled people were standing (no I take that back I would just have given them the look and they would have got their own bums out!). -but this is not Royals fault

Cabins- Carnival without any doubt our royal sea view room would have fitted into my last carnival one more than twice - Carnival Valour sea view had 2 large picture windows bed facing one and a table and chairs at the other to sit/ eat and look out. But for the color scheme and age of furniture royal has it.

Room Service breakfast - Carnival best

Room service Menu - Royal best looked- I didn't use it on either cruiseline but my eldest said the steak sandwich was great.

Dining MTD- We had MYD- Carnival has this working like a dream - even on NYE - Royal should send a scouting party to see how carnival do this and you don't even book a time slot with carnival.

Dinng food- Carnival hands down better quality food with more adventurous choices -ie the have you ever range. We even fond the MDR breakfast in Royal not very good - we only went once and went the buffet for the other day - and we don't like buffets lol. On carnival we tried to go to the MDR for breakfast as much as our schedule allowed - this was especially relevant for me for gluten free option - almost none in MDR- but I could get pancakes and french toast and bacon in buffet not MDR.

Service in MDR- Again Carnival way way better

Entertainment

Pool stuff - we hate all the game show stuff so didn't watch on either.

Dancing poolside - Our girls love this and enjoyed both carnival and Royal - but found a lot less of this on Royal - only 2 sailaways had any stuff going on (probably a blessing in disguise as youngest cant resist dancing but due to a dancing injury the week before was on crutches).

Music Pool side - Royal here for us more live bands - less DJ stuff and a nice quiter adult pool.

Theater- Carnival here without doubt- live band for shows (girls play in wind bands so we like this)- More shows on carnival 2 a night where as Royal quite often had only 1 on. Brought in act on Royal was awful - he was doing balloon animals as part of it - HONEST

The atrium stuff was fun - a bit like haven/siblu/ butlins standard but good fun for teens all the same. - so Royal wins here

Night life- can't comment but after 12 the ship on Royal was dead - no issue for me and DH but girls thought the nightclub would have been better- but not able to compare with carnival as they were too young to go when we where on it. But what I did notice was there was very little poolside stuff at night time- shame really as was nice and warm out there- On carnival there were poolside dances on at about 9/10pm at night. This may be a med versus Caribbean thing and not royal versus carnival.

Over all customer services issues aside we enjoyed the cruise on Royal but for us Carnival provided better food and entertainment (except their awful DJ poolside).

If anyone is going on a Royal cruise soon - make sure and take all docs with you so you can prove what you have booked re dining OBC ect. Also I would advise to book mtd dining at the same time as the earlier sitting as any later and you may not be able to go to the show if they are only doing one (twice our only show was at 8ish). Check your balance regularly as they seem to like to add things lol. If you like Sushi then treat yourself to Izumi - it was fab the highlight of our cruise.

Many of the things you mention could be based on a Mediterranean cruise (lots of ports and excursions) vs. Caribbean (days at sea and beaches).

Thanks for your thoughts but you really should try one of the newer RCCL ships

I think the OP posted further down the forum regarding lots of problems with their past cruise which was RCI..

So no offence intended, but this is maybe why this review is swinging towards carnival.. although I dont think I could of kept my cool at guest relations :mad:

I have never had items added to my sea pass account and as far as going to shows..I choose the show times I want to go and eat in the windjammer ..

maybe next time go for a bigger ship like Independence? my girls are 17 and 14 when we sail next year and again will use the adventure ocean facilities where things go on until past midnight :) infact i have had to collect my youngest at 12.30 so I can go to bed lol..

I can definitely agree with the OP on nightlife differences. CCL does tend to have a livelier atmosphere into the late hours.

I have tried very hard not to let the issues cloud our judgement , both in this brief review and also while on the cruise (except for the one day when I had had enough). With the last few years of health problems as a family we are usually very level headed and know what is really important in life. Thus we still managed to enjoy most of the cruise, but may be you are correct perhaps as nothing went wrong in the previous carnival ones, there may be a slight case of rose tinted glasses- but honestly I was really trying to give a balanced review for those unsure how they compare.

Also as someone else mentioned some of the differences may be due med versus Caribbean although our last Caribbean cruise Valour from Puerto Rico had in fact less sea days (1) and was much more port intensive (longer port days than this med cruise which had 2 sea days and 2 full day port and 2 half day in port).

If it wasn't for the other issues we had we would not hesitate to have booked another Royal cruise based on our experience on this one - but after our customer service issues that will now not be the case.

I've been on Rhapsody in June from Istanbul.

Dining MTD- We had MYD- Carnival has this working like a dream - even on NYE - Royal should send a scouting party to see how carnival do this and you don't even book a time slot with carnival.

 

Dinng food- Carnival hands down better quality food with more adventurous choices -ie the have you ever range. We even fond the MDR breakfast in Royal not very good - we only went once and went the buffet for the other day - and we don't like buffets lol. On carnival we tried to go to the MDR for breakfast as much as our schedule allowed - this was especially relevant for me for gluten free option - almost none in MDR- but I could get pancakes and french toast and bacon in buffet not MDR.

 

Service in MDR- Again Carnival way way better

I agree the MDR was just OK, but speciality restaurants were excellent.

 

Entertainment

 

Theater- Carnival here without doubt- live band for shows (girls play in wind bands so we like this)- More shows on carnival 2 a night where as Royal quite often had only 1 on. Brought in act on Royal was awful - he was doing balloon animals as part of it - HONEST

 

Night shows were fantastic on my cruise. An amazing musical singer from West End, ballroom world champions, an all-girls Beatles cover band and even a BMX (bike) champion, not to mention CD Graham Seymour who his a great comedian himself. Headliners change every cruise, so you probably had bad luck.

Night life- can't comment but after 12 the ship on Royal was dead - no issue for me and DH but girls thought the nightclub would have been better- but not able to compare with carnival as they were too young to go when we where on it. But what I did notice was there was very little poolside stuff at night time- shame really as was nice and warm out there- On carnival there were poolside dances on at about 9/10pm at night. This may be a med versus Caribbean thing and not royal versus carnival.

Yes Med cruises tend to be quiet at night because they are very port intensive.

Also as someone else mentioned some of the differences may be due med versus Caribbean although our last Caribbean cruise Valour from Puerto Rico had in fact less sea days (1) and was much more port intensive (longer port days than this med cruise which had 2 sea days and 2 full day port and 2 half day in port).

I think it's not just the number of ports, but what people do on shore. People go to Europe to visit as much as possible, while in the Caribbean they can just relax on the beach during the day and have fun in the evening. Maybe they also attract younger people.

I have sailed on both Carnival and Royal. And given the chance (me personally) I would take Royal over carnival, I simply like the ships ( the new ones) much much better. That being said. Here is something I was wondering about.

My older brother has been on 10 carnival cruises, I am the one that got him started cruising about 10 years ago. I have tried to get him to try Royal, but he seems happy where he is... I do wonder, no matter what the differences might be, if you get so used to "the way things are" that you might not have as good of an experience because it is NOT what you are used to? I have heard a lot of complaints from the "older crowd" on Royal saying "oh my well on princess they do it this way, or on Holland they would never do this" so I guess While the general things remain the same, the "creature comforts" must be different with each cruise line.

I guess it's like this. Almost all cars have an air conditioning in them, but every different manufacturer has a different way of adjusting it, turning it on, changing the temperature... And although it does what it is supposed to do, if you are used to turning a knob instead of pushing a button, maybe it's just not as enjoyable?

This is a Royal Caribbean board so many of us are bias but I have to give my 2 cents about our one AND ONLY Carnival cruise.

We found a somewhat last minute, dirt cheap 6 day cruise out of Boston to Canada a few years ago and decided to book it. Embarkation was quick and easy but that could have been the port. Our balcony room was very spacious. At this point, we were excited, thinking that overlooking this line in the past may have been a mistake. We went to the floor with the dining room and couldn't figure out how to get there since we couldn't go any further. We asked someone and they told us that the floor doesn't go all the way through and that you have to go up or down a floor, walk ahead, and then go back up or down to the desired floor. We then went to dinner and it was inedible - actually inedible. I ended up eating bread. We tried it again the next night and it was exactly the same thing. At this point, we gave up and for the next 4 nights, paid the extra money and ate in the steakhouse (it was excellent). We also enjoy breakfast in the MDR and were very unhappy to see that on sea days, they just offer "brunch" vs breakfast and lunch. On one of the days, we had to wait at least 45 minutes for a table.

We like Royal Caribbean for their evening activities and Carnival had nothing. There was a couple of comedians that were ok but other than that, there was nothing to do. I just spent my evenings in the casino while my DH walked around with nothing to do.

The funniest part of the trip was when we went to play bingo. There were 3 or 4 games but I was only given 1 paper card. When I asked where my other cards were, they said that they gave it to me. After being very confused and asking again, they told me that I use the same card for each game which meant that if I punched out a number during the 1st game, I had to "unfold it" for the next game. It did make for a lot of laughs. (Let me add that I am not a fan of the computer they now use on RCI and no longer play bingo.)

We did enjoy the ports but not the cruise experience. We learned our lesson and will stay with RCI unless something comes up that we can't pass up on Celebrity or Princess. We will not however, ever cruise on Carnival again.

If you went on the Carnival cruise where it drifted for several days without working toilets your opinion might be different. Out RCI shows were first rate. Due to safety concerns my wife will not even consider Carnival.

If you went on the Carnival cruise where it drifted for several days without working toilets your opinion might be different. Out RCI shows were first rate. Due to safety concerns my wife will not even consider Carnival.

I'm sure it would- however, I am not sure that my comparison was anti Royal - they were better at some things (pools, decor, live bands, Atrium entertainment and Isumi was amazing) but worse at others ( theater entertainment and MDR and in our case service - but I tried to avoid that in my comparison) That's our judgement versus our only other 2 cruises which where on carnival ships, so I am hardly loyal to any brand with only 3 cruises lol.

fragilek:

Thank you for your review. I enjoyed reading it because it came across like you had solid insight into both cruise lines.

I am a huge Royal Caribbean fan who went on only one Carnival cruise years ago. The new Carnival ships look interesting and if there were an itinerary that Royal did not have I certainly would consider booking it.

Again, thank you for a balanced review especially after the difficulties that you encountered before and during your cruise.

I like your attitude. Here's wishing you the best for you and your family.

If you went on the Carnival cruise where it drifted for several days without working toilets your opinion might be different. Out RCI shows were first rate. Due to safety concerns my wife will not even consider Carnival.

Of course, but if you were on Grandeur when it caught fire, or Monarch when it ran aground, or Freedom when it lost propulsion and limped around the Caribbean for two months while they waited for parts or when it caught fire two weeks ago, you might feel the same way about Royal. Stuff happens to every cruise line. I'm sure the passengers who were considering HAL when Prinzendam sank off the coast of Alaska felt the same way about HAL at the time.

I sure it would- however, I am not sure that my comparison was anti Royal - they were better at some things (pools, decor, live bands, Atrium entertainment and Isumi was amazing) but worse at others ( theater entertainment and MDR and in our case service - but I tried to avoid that in my comparison) That's our judgement versus our only other 2 cruises which where on carnival ships, so I am hardly loyal to any brand with only 3 cruises lol.

Thank you for sharing your comparison from your experiences. :) I agree with many points in your assessment, and most of our cruises have been in the Caribbean. Embarkation on Royal has never been a problem for us, so I think you are correct to imply that it may have been the European port. One thing though, Royal entertainment to us is MUCH better than Carnival. Once again, it may have been the European itinerary that impacted the theater entertainment.

I found Carnival MDR food varied much from ship to ship. Some of our "worst" cruise meals (which were still good enough for us) were on Carnival Dream, while some of our best cruise meals were on Carnival Legend, Norwegian Dawn, and Oasis of the Seas...

Royal has been our favorite cruiseline for a while, but the new pricing is outside of our cruise budget, so we are happily returning to Carnival next year - we are thankful to still be able to cruise! :D There is a difference in how classy the Royal cruises are, but not enough for us personally to pay the current price difference.

Of course, but if you were on Grandeur when it caught fire, or Monarch when it ran aground, or Freedom when it lost propulsion and limped around the Caribbean for two months while they waited for parts or when it caught fire two weeks ago, you might feel the same way about Royal. Stuff happens to every cruise line. I'm sure the passengers who were considering HAL when Prinzendam sank off the coast of Alaska felt the same way about HAL at the time.

Excellent comeback. Of course all cruise lines have issues at some time. Sure, Carnival did have some issues a few years back but it seems like they have taken action to correct these issues. At this time I don't see Carnival as having anymore safety issues than any other line.

Carnival has about half the cruise business but accounts for about 75 percent of marine incidents. The recent fire on Freedom shows how to properly handle an accident. The captain did not jump ship or override his fire officers. The government has investigated Carnival with respect to the disproportionately large number of safety incidents.

OP, thank you for the comparison. Many of your observations match my own. I agree that Royal Caribbean is better at some things, but what matters is which line is better at those things that matter best to you.

If you went on the Carnival cruise where it drifted for several days without working toilets your opinion might be different. Out RCI shows were first rate. Due to safety concerns my wife will not even consider Carnival.

LOL, thanks for your contribution to this thread. :)

Carnival has about half the cruise business but accounts for about 75 percent of marine incidents. The recent fire on Freedom shows how to properly handle an accident. The captain did not jump ship or override his fire officers. The government has investigated Carnival with respect to the disproportionately large number of safety incidents.

Mind quoting where you got your statistics? The data I've seen doesn't support those numbers.

Human error is just that - human error. To castigate an entire cruise line (any cruise line) because of the actions of a single individual is a bit presumptuous. If that were the standard by which cruise lines were judged, you'd also have to write RCL off your to-do list after the captain of the Navigator ran over and drowned two dock workers last year.

To the OP: Thanks for the balanced and well-articulated review.:)

I think "The truth can hurt" Automobile analogy hits the nail on the head. Dan PS I sat here for a couple minutes just thinking about the lack of toilets and power..... That would suck!!

Thanks for your thoughts but you really should try one of the newer RCCL ships

The OP specified they were not fond of large ships, so the newer RCL ships would not be their preference.

I'm sure it would- however, I am not sure that my comparison was anti Royal - they were better at some things (pools, decor, live bands, Atrium entertainment and Isumi was amazing) but worse at others ( theater entertainment and MDR and in our case service - but I tried to avoid that in my comparison) That's our judgement versus our only other 2 cruises which where on carnival ships, so I am hardly loyal to any brand with only 3 cruises lol.

That's a pretty fair comparison IMO, thanks for sharing. I agree with you, I give Carnival the edge in food quality, especially in the MDR. I don't go too many shows, so entertainment isn't a big deal for me on either line.

The biggest thing that keeps me (mainly) sailing with RCI is their past guest program, which is greatly superior to CCL in my opinion.