Carnival Platinum cruiser thinking of trying RCI for the first time.....

[wasiii]

.....Hello all you RCI cruisers. I'm thinking about going on the Monarch of the Seas on December 14, 2009 and traveling solo.

My past 10 cruises have only been exclusively on Carnival. I usually travel on Carnival with my 12 yo son, because he loves the activities on the ship and he wants to be a Platinum cruiser too (he's got 2 more to go).

I know the ship is an older ship (1991) and recently been refurbished (2008). For those of you that have cruised on both lines, in your opinion, what makes RCI stand out from Carnival? Are there things I will miss not being on Carnival? What are things that RCI does better.

I realize this is all subjective but I'd like to get some feedback as quick as possible because I would like to book it before the weekend.

Thanks in advance for your input.

wasiii (future RCI cruiser)

[dixieva]

I've been on 3 Carnival cruises and had a wonderful time. Most of my cruise history is with RCCL. I don't have small children so can't speak to the kid's program.

I thought the food was slightly better on Carnival and the pizza is much better on Carnival. Service has been great for me on both cruise lines.

The Monarch is an older ship and I haven't been on her in years but Royal usually does a pretty good job keeping things in good shape. I myself like a smaller ship and don't care about the bells and whistles of the bigger newer ships.

I think you should give it a try and see what you think! IMHO the biggest difference is in the decor of the ships. Carnival is more "showy" Las Vegas style and Royal is more elegant.

[April-in-NC]

I agree with the previous poster about the comparison between Carnival and RCI.

I was on the Monarch back in May and had a great time. I found the food to be "okay" at best but it was priced great and I loved the itinerary (we had the 4-night cruise).

The major drawback we had on the Monarch were that the rooms are SMALL and the bathrooms are TINY (we had a oceanview on deck 8). Since this is an older ship there isn't a lot of of extra activities and ammenities that the newer ships have (they do have a rock wall).

If you want a true RCI experience I would try one of the bigger ships, I hear those are a lot more typical of the line than Monarch (I'm researching a cruise on a bigger ship right now).

[MrPete]

We ventured out to RCCL when we found the Explorer of the Seas would take us to our favorite place (Bermuda), and I always wanted to try a Voyager Class ship after seeing it in VR at a balloon festival.

We were pleasantly surprised, except for one thing. I got the impression I was stepping up in cruiselines based on word of mouth and Cruise Critic.

I found it the same type of cruise with the same type of people on a magnificent ship. Each line knows the business, and I enjoyed myself immensely. I found RCCL quite on par with Carnival.

I also believed in what I read in the food being bad. It's not as good as Carnival, but is by no means bad.

The only thing "missing" was the Carnival FUN factor. Other than that, I never gave it a second thought.

THE BIGGEST PLUS was the unknown. After cruising one line so long, you can recite almost everything. Trying a new line made everything fresh again.

And once you're sold, you have a longer list of ships and itineraries from which to choose!

[amybeth4]

Are you SUUUUUURE the Monarch was the one that was refurbished in 2008 and not the Majesty? One of the reasons I went on the Majesty (identical ship) last Feb is because that's the one that I KNOW was recently refurbished.

I haven't been on Carnie, so I can't really say what will be different, but I do know RCCL ships are MUCH prettier. I don't know how important that is to you but there's a huge difference. One's elegant, one's gaudy. And I'm not knocking Carnie there because I'm certainly willing to try a Carnie ship.

But I wouldn't leave the ship thinking i had a true RCCL experience. For that you need a Freedom class ship, or, at the VERY least, a Voyager class ship. No comparison to Monarch and Majesty.

[gtalum]

I haven't seen gaudy on Carnival. I'd say the decor on Carnival tends toward Las Vegas splashy, whereas the decor on NCL (and I presume similarly on RCCL) is more elegant.

To the OP: I think you'd have plenty of fun on RCCL. We sure enjoyed the change of pace on a recent NCL cruise. We'll likely be going back to Carnival, but primarily because of Camp Carnival for our daughter.

[micro yaya]

we are platinium on carnival too, having cruised on her 15 times, we recently did the mos, on the four day. the price was just too good to pass up, and it gets us 1 closer to platinium on rcl. her is what we found.
we booked an inside room.........very smalll
no safe
no frig
but here's the good part, we had the time of our lives, we stayed up and partied at their deck party. their 70's party was too much fun, there is so much energy going on here you won't get bored. small ship, not too much shopping to do, great casino, great shows, and the best kept secret is the very best crew on any of the ships we've been on and we've done 27 cruises. we hear the four day is for an older group, the people we met were any where from 30's to 50's.... we are in our 60's.. they..... say the 3 day gets a much much younger group..... i hope i helped... would i do this again you bet the stops were terrific, and long we loved nassau for the first time...go figure

[clarea]

Originally Posted by micro yaya

...the best kept secret is the very best crew on any of the ships we've been on ...

We just got off Monarch this past Monday, and I agree with this 100%. You will not find a better crew than the one on Monarch. They are outstanding.

[uksimonusa]

Originally Posted by amybeth4

Are you SUUUUUURE the Monarch was the one that was refurbished in 2008 and not the Majesty? One of the reasons I went on the Majesty (identical ship) last Feb is because that's the one that I KNOW was recently refurbished.

I haven't been on Carnie, so I can't really say what will be different, but I do know RCCL ships are MUCH prettier. I don't know how important that is to you but there's a huge difference. One's elegant, one's gaudy. And I'm not knocking Carnie there because I'm certainly willing to try a Carnie ship.

But I wouldn't leave the ship thinking i had a true RCCL experience. For that you need a Freedom class ship, or, at the VERY least, a Voyager class ship. No comparison to Monarch and Majesty.

Monarch went through a drydock just before her transfer to PC, she was not refurbished like the majesty was in early 2007

[klingoncruiser]

Always try other cruise line. I have been on several and find that RCL just suits me better. I find the food better than Carnival and the ships much nicer. Past that they tend to be similar. Each has strong points and weak points. Go ahead and experiment with other cruise lines so you can truly pick the one you like most.

[jonbgd]

Originally Posted by wasiii

.....Hello all you RCI cruisers. I'm thinking about going on the Monarch of the Seas on December 14, 2009 and traveling solo.

My past 10 cruises have only been exclusively on Carnival. I usually travel on Carnival with my 12 yo son, because he loves the activities on the ship and he wants to be a Platinum cruiser too (he's got 2 more to go).

I know the ship is an older ship (1991) and recently been refurbished (2008). For those of you that have cruised on both lines, in your opinion, what makes RCI stand out from Carnival? Are there things I will miss not being on Carnival? What are things that RCI does better.

I realize this is all subjective but I'd like to get some feedback as quick as possible because I would like to book it before the weekend.

Thanks in advance for your input.

wasiii (future RCI cruiser)

From one Carnival Platinum cruiser to another GO FOR IT Im doing my first RCCL cruise next week
Im Platinum on Carnival and Princess
Ive heard great things about RCCL from freinds and were doing it

[silentbob007]

The biggest shock will be cabin size if you choose a standard inside or oceanview. You will also find that Monarch doesn't have quite the food options that most Carnival ships do in a 24 pizza place, deli, etc. Besides that, though, I definitely don't have too many bad things to say about the ship.

[Chigirlcruzin]

I'm Carnival Platinum as well, and I just did my first Royal cruise last week. I loved it! However, aside from the ship itself, I saw very few differences. I feel Carnival's food is better (I missed the warm chocolate melting cake...desserts especially were week), I enjoyed Carnival's entertainment more with the exception of the ice show, and I feel Carnival's rooms are laid out better with more closet space (I was in a D1 balcony). I liked the flow of the Windjammer area better, but I missed having the option of eating outside. For the first time ever, I saw somebody turned away from the dining room for wearing shorts. I missed the water slide, but your son should enoy the rock climbing, in-line skating, etc. The ship was GORGEOUS. I thought the demographics/classiness was almost exactly the same. I slightly prefer Carnival, but will gladly sail Royal again. I say go and enjoy!

[cherylcorwin]

Originally Posted by gtalum

I haven't seen gaudy on Carnival. I'd say the decor on Carnival tends toward Las Vegas splashy, whereas the decor on NCL (and I presume similarly on RCCL) is more elegant.

You haven't seen gaudy til you've seen the pepto bismal pink leopard polka dots on the Splendor!

[Chigirlcruzin]

Originally Posted by Chigirlcruzin

desserts especially were week

Too late to edit...correcting my own spelling. Should be "weak"

[silentbob007]

Originally Posted by Chigirlcruzin

Too late to edit...correcting my own spelling. Should be "weak"

Actually, from my experience, desserts are weak from week to week.

[wasiii]

.....I'm going to book the December 14 sailing today on the Monarch.

My son won't be going with me, this will just be an exploratory cruise by myself.

I'll let you all know what I thought when I get back.

Having had some really active roll calls for my Carnival cruises in the past (and yes, a couple not too active), the one for this sailing seems to be pretty nonexistent, there has been only seven posts so far. I'll see what I can do to bring that tally up after I book.



wasiii

[clarea]

Originally Posted by wasiii

.....I'm going to book the December 14 sailing today on the Monarch.

My son won't be going with me, this will just be an exploratory cruise by myself.

I'll let you all know what I thought when I get back.

Having had some really active roll calls for my Carnival cruises in the past (and yes, a couple not too active), the one for this sailing seems to be pretty nonexistent, there has been only seven posts so far. I'll see what I can do to bring that tally up after I book.



wasiii

On the last few cruises I've done on Monarch, I've seen the same slow roll call activity. I think it's hit or miss. You may get an active bunch, but judging from how it's been lately, I would not expect much activity. I see much more activity on the 7 day cruises I have booked.

[printingchick]

Originally Posted by wasiii

.....Hello all you RCI cruisers. I'm thinking about going on the Monarch of the Seas on December 14, 2009 and traveling solo.

My past 10 cruises have only been exclusively on Carnival. I usually travel on Carnival with my 12 yo son, because he loves the activities on the ship and he wants to be a Platinum cruiser too (he's got 2 more to go).

I know the ship is an older ship (1991) and recently been refurbished (2008). For those of you that have cruised on both lines, in your opinion, what makes RCI stand out from Carnival? Are there things I will miss not being on Carnival? What are things that RCI does better.

I realize this is all subjective but I'd like to get some feedback as quick as possible because I would like to book it before the weekend.

Thanks in advance for your input.

wasiii (future RCI cruiser)

As you can see from my signature, I was a loyal Carnival cruiser before testing the waters on Royal Caribbean. I've never looked back. Sure, I'd take a cruise with Carnival again. But I have to admit that I really do prefer RCCL.

My observations:

• As a lot of people will tell you, they are very similar. Carnival has the Hairy Chest Contest. Royal has the Sexy Legs Contest. The bot have belly flop contests.
• Carnival's buffet area is more casual than Royal's and people frequently take their food out to the pool area. Royal's Windjammer is laid out much better for avoiding lines, breaking up the area into stations, thus splitting the crowd into smaller groups. They also have servers assigned to each table who will get your drinks and clear your dirty plates.
• I found myself sometimes bored on Carnival, as the activities didn't really appeal to me. I know this is totally subjective. Carnival and RCCL both offer Bingo and Love & Marriage Game, but I like more active activities. RCCL offers on all or some of its ships: the rock climbing wall, ice rink, mini-golf, in-line skating, crew-versus-passenger dodge ball competition, crew-versus-passenger water volleyball, the FlowRider, the audience participation game - Quest. I just found lots more to do and enjoy on Royal.
• Carnival has water slides. Royal doesn't (except in the kids' pools). Carnival wins on that one!! I do miss the slides!
• Royal maintains its fleet better. You're sailing on an older vessel. It will feel new. You won't see torn up carpet on the mini-golf greens or flaking paint anywhere.
• On my first RCCL cruise, our captain was a young (30s?) Scandanavian gentleman who played in the crew versus passenger dodge ball game. When have you ever experienced a young and social captain on Carnival? I never did.
• I've found the cruise directors on Royal to be more social than those on Carnival. While both lines have their share of really entertaining cruise directors, the CD's I've had on my RCCL cruises have been more passenger focused. They TALK to you, rather than simply tell you jokes.
• MDR food is about equal for dinner. RCCL tends to offer the same menu for breakfast every day in the MDR, so you're better off eating breakfast in the Windjammer.

You're going on an older, smaller ship, but I found RCCL suplemented its cruise income with more cost-extra options than Carnival. Both have specialty restaruants and specialty coffee/pastrie shops, and stores. RCCL also has specailty ice cream (Ben & Jerry's) in addition to the free soft-serve and Johnny Rocket's Retro Burger Parlor ($4.95 cover charge). I felt a little more nickel-&-dimed on RCCL. Now that I'm used to it, I just don't bother with stuff that costs more. I didn't miss having Ben & Jerry's on Carnival so I have no need to pay extra for it on Royal.

The first think you'll notice when you board the ship is that Royal has a lot more classy decor. I love visiting Vegas, but on my week long, relaxing Caribbean vacation, the screaming chrome and neon and burnt-orange upholstery grows quickly tacky. I prefer the LOOK and FEEL of the Royal ships. Wait until you see the adult pool area. TOTALLY different than the main pool area. It's like a fantasy escape.

Have fun. Come back and let us know your opinions!

[monkeyinhat]

I only have 1 Carnival to compare to.
I think food and entertainment is subjective. Personally did not like food on Carnival except pizza and melting cake. I felt more "served" on royal.
Royal has a hot breakfast room service menu and you can get dining room food at dinner with room service .
Loved the outdoor movie theater on Carnival
Carnival felt like fun was being shoved down my throat.


but to me any cruise I am not sick on is a good cruise.

Have fun