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Royal Caribbean vs Carnival


2McCormicks
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So the hubs and I decided to veer from RCCI and try Carnival. I mean, how can I have an opinion without trying both! We decided to cruise out of NOLA (New Orleans for you newbies:) ) and forgo the airfare and make the 12 hour drive. It was the hubs, my mother and her sister, my aunt all going together (sep. rooms). This time we got a balcony as well which was a first for us. We drove down the night before sailing (which was Sept 16, 2012) and we stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn by the Louis Armstrong airport. They had a park and fly package where we could leave the car for a week. Now, we took two cars. My car was left at the hotel and my aunts van went to the cruise port where she parked it for a week. The fee for parking in the parking garage was $112 for the week which you pay for BEFORE you park (cash money). I suggest parking in the parking garage. You will be able to disembark and get to your vehicle SOOO much faster!

 

For you first timers, this is my opinion, get a balcony! We will NEVER, EVER go back to an inside cabin. The price is so worth it. We did spend a lot of time out on our balcony. The hubs does smoke so it was much easier to head back to our room (7225) for a smoke. Our room had the captains deck obstructing part of our view but that didn't bother us a bit. WORD OF WARNING!! YOU CAN SEE YOUR NEIGHBORS IN THE REFLECTION OF THE GLASS!! So no monkey business unless you want an audience. Yes I saw the neighbor naked. I'm blind in one eye now. :eek:

 

We went out on the Conquest. I've read that this ship is due for an overhaul. THANK GOD! I was not impressed with this ship in the least. I went into this with a complete open mind and I really wanted to LOVE Carnival. I was hoping for the same food as Royal Caribbean. We ate both in the dining room and the buffet, also the grill and sandwich shop. The buffet....every single day no matter when you ate there the food was at best warm. The eggs are powdered eggs. They did have an omelette station where you could get an omelette or eggs done your way. The lines were crazy long. I did look forward to drinking iced tea on board too. NO WAY!!! The tea is very, very, very strong. The coffee was very strong as well. The dinner buffet rolled up the carpets at 8:30 so you had to search for food if you are late nom, nommers like us. I read where Carnival did listen to their reviews and they have more comedians. They have 2 comedians the first part of the week and then they fly in 2 more which I thought was pretty cool. Until I hit the comedy show on the second leg. There are 6 female comedians and I think we got the worst one. People were actually getting up and walking out. I was so embarrassed FOR her. To add, that is the coldest ship I have ever been on. You could hang meat in there! The casino, the auditoriums, the dining room, everywhere including our room. There were a couple of nights we turned off the air conditioning and left the balcony door open all night.

 

RCCI is MILES and MILES ahead of Carnival. The entertainment, the food, everything! You definitely get what you pay for. We will not cruise Carnival again. If you like staying at the Motel 6 on your vacation then please, go on Carnival and enjoy your vacation. If you like staying at the Hilton, choose Royal Caribbean.

 

Again....this is MY opinion and my views. There are people out there that are die hard Carnival fans and the same for Royal Caribbean. I'm glad I did try both so that I could form an honest opinion.

 

Shameless plug for Soto Cruises at Grand Caymans. $35/pp smaller boat to stingray city with one snorkel stop on the way. I've used these guys 3 times. Much love!

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I have cruised both, and enjoy both equally. I personally would not describe Carnival as Motel 6 as it ways above the status of Motel 6 in every detail. The accommodations, food, etc. are about equal in my opinion on both lines. Royal gets an edge up in my opinion but only due to the ice shows, and the features and activities of the Royal Promenade. I was just on Carnival this summer, and am looking forward to sailing Royal or Carnival next summer. It will be our third cruise on Carnival, and the first for other family members who are looking forward to trying another cruise line sine most have just completed their first or second cruise on Carnival. Happy Sailing!!!

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IMO...Carnival = neon lights; RCI = chandeliers

Shows and live music are much better on RCI.

Food to me was about the same.

We'll stick with RCI.

You might want to try the Navigator of the Seas from NOLA before next April.

Then it goes to Galveston, and NOLA gets a smaller RCI ship (which can and will go to Key West).

I really like the RCI voyager class ships.

Edited by Jimnbigd
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Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy Carnival. It is all I have sailed so I cannot compare to RCL, but from what I have heard and read, they are pretty comparable. You should've tried eating breakfast in the dining room to get it made your way and hot. No buffet is ever spot on-it is impossible. Also, even though the buffet shuts down, there is 24 hour room service to get food. Happy sails!

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While it's unfortunate that you had a less than favorable experience on your first Carnival cruise, I don't think you can judge an entire fleet (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, etc.) based on your experiences on one ship. Every ship has its' pluses and minuses. It's a bit like renting one car for a week, and then judging the entire company's various models based on that one car. Before you dismiss Carnival (or any other cruise line) entirely, try cruising on a different ship. Your next experience may be a wonderful, memorable cruise. We've cruised on both Carnival and Royal Caribbean, and there certain things we like and don't like about each of them. The things we dislike are minor and would not stop us from choosing either of them. At the very least, try to keep an open mind when choosing your next cruise, and don't expect your next cruise to be exactly like any previous cruise you've been on, regardless of which ship it was.

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Hello all,

I am (or better we - my two older teens and I) are happily planning our first cruise but I get stunned when reading about the giantical difference in opinions regarding the two cruiselines discussed in this (and so many other) threads on the net.

 

We are cruising from Tampa sometime after easter next year, the options are either an RCL or a Carnival cruise (5 days) - both are within our dates in mind.

As I am on a fixed budget, would you recommend Royal or Carnival, my youngsters are in the late teens!

What would you recommend?

During 5 days I assume there will be some time spent in the cabin hence $ spent on cabin upgrade might be wise.

Please advise.

(in my case it's Carnival's "Paradise" vs RCL "Jewel of the seas")

Edited by steffo101
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Hello all,

I am (or better we - my two older teens and I) are happily planning our first cruise but I get stunned when reading about the giantical difference in opinions regarding the two cruiselines discussed in this (and so many other) threads on the net.

 

We are cruising from Tampa sometime after easter next year, the options are either an RCL or a Carnival cruise (5 days) - both are within our dates in mind.

As I am on a fixed budget, would you recommend Royal or Carnival, my youngsters are in the late teens!

What would you recommend?

During 5 days I assume there will be some time spent in the cabin hence $ spent on cabin upgrade might be wise.

Please advise.

(in my case it's Carnival's "Paradise" vs RCL "Jewel of the seas")

 

You will no doubt get a variety of opinions from people here about both Carnival and Royal Caribbean. Are both of the ships doing the same or similar itinerary on the date(s) you have in mind? ? Typically, at least on a seven day cruise, Carnival has more ports of call and fewer "at sea" days, whereas Royal Caribbean is just the opposite, but on a five day it might be different. Also, if you've already compared prices, you've probably noticed that RCL costs more than Carnival. Both are good cruise lines, and both have their pluses and minuses. If you haven't already done so, talk to a cruise specialist in your area, and tell him/her the two ships you are considering. With any luck, you'll find someone that has been on both ships and will give you an unbiased review about both.

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I've enjoyed both lines, and have cruised from Bayonne and Miami on Royal. The entertainment is a step up from Carnival, especially with the ice show.

 

IMO...Carnival = neon lights; RCI = dim lights (lol) chandeliers, I don't think so.

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While I wouldn't go so far as to call Carnival "motel 6" I would probably compare them more to Holiday Inn Express versus Royal Caribbean which was more of a Hilton feel to me (I am a Hilton lover at this point). I've been on Carnival twice and Royal once. My husband and I felt the food was better and more sophisticated on Carnival. Our choices of places to eat (now granted we were on the Oasis) was far superior and the pizza was also better. We checked out the buffet to see what it had to offer and felt it had better organization and choices than Carnival had. The customer service was higher quality (not that Carnivals was bad) in all areas with Royal.

 

I would probably sail Carnival again for the right price and itinerary, but I would look at and consider Royal first.

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My first cruise was on Royal Caribbean Voyager of the seas - amazing ship! The last 2 cruises I've been on have been Carnival - the Triumph and the Splendor. My opinion is Royal Caribbean is a notch above carnival - however I loved both . I am one who enjoys going on diff ships/ diff itineraries. I think every ship has it's charm. On all 3 cruises we received amazing service, i always found food @ every meal that I loved. It's all a matter of personal preference. I loved that the hot tubs on the RC stayed open 24 hours a day. I don't know if it's like that on any carnival ships - not the 2 i went on (which I was bummed about). I don't have to cook, clean, etc so I'm one happy camper. I think there's those people that will always find something to complain about..... and I think with cruising you have to be very flexible - sometimes you may not make your port of call, you may meet rude guests, etc.... things happen but if you are flexible, no matter what the ship, you'll enjoy your time. I would cruise on either gladly again! We are going on Carnival in Nov and RC in March and I am just as excited about both. Just enjoy your vacation! :)

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I think the choice should be made depending on what you are cruising for...that being said, we have chosen to cruise only Carnival. Our first cruise was RCCL and we had an amazing time. Then we went on Carnival and it blew the RCCL out of the water! It was a party from the minute we got on the ship, loud music and dancing until 4am! Thats the vacation we were looking for so we were thrilled, but if you are looking for a nice quiet relaxing vacation, and food and shows are important to you, than maybe you would not be as happy with Carnival.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've had a great time on both lines, especially in the clubs, piano bars, lounges, etc., where all the lively action and people are. The only exception was my Thanksgiving cruise on the Explorer. Most of the action seemed to be in the piano bar (our first time participating in the piano scene, and we loved it). The club during this cruise was not as lively as our other cruises, maybe because there were alot of older European's on the cruise, but either way we enjoyed ourselves. I like Royal because after most of the nights activities you can go to the Promenade, get some coffee, a drink, pizza, or a snack, and people watch, wind down the night, or sit and talk to fellow passengers before heading to bed.

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I met several people on our Carnival Cruise who said they had sailed Royal Caribbean and would never go back, they were completely partial to Carnival now. But I am sure there were as many people on a RC cruise saying the exact same thing in reverse. Like others said, it's probably just a personal preference and the experience of each individual cruise.

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Hello all,

I am (or better we - my two older teens and I) are happily planning our first cruise but I get stunned when reading about the giantical difference in opinions regarding the two cruiselines discussed in this (and so many other) threads on the net.

 

We are cruising from Tampa sometime after easter next year, the options are either an RCL or a Carnival cruise (5 days) - both are within our dates in mind.

As I am on a fixed budget, would you recommend Royal or Carnival, my youngsters are in the late teens!

What would you recommend?

During 5 days I assume there will be some time spent in the cabin hence $ spent on cabin upgrade might be wise.

Please advise.

(in my case it's Carnival's "Paradise" vs RCL "Jewel of the seas")

I have sailed both lines also. Actually, I was on the Conquest on Sept 16 and have very different opinions then listed. The food is not the fine dining at the buffets but not exactly horrible either. There is an omelette station on board and we had it every morning..... We had a great time and would so not hestitate to go on the Conquest again (it was my 2 time on her). Cruising is what you make your time! Relax, do not be judgemental, expect lines, and talk to your neighbors waiting in line also. I always have interesting and fun conversations!!!!!

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We have cruised on Carnival, Princess, and Royal Caribbean. Our first priority is the itinerary. But in their order of cruise line preference for us it's

 

1. Princess

2. Royal Caribbean

3. Carnival

 

Same here... I would squeeze Celebrity somewhere near Princess and NCL near Royal.

 

Princess beats all others if you look at all aspects, the only thing is regular cabins seems to be a bit smaller due to design.

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  • 2 weeks later...

This is a no brainer, IMO:

 

Royal Caribbean is in a class by itself.

 

I have cruised with Carnival, Celebrity, and RCCL. There ARE radical differences between them. The cruise experience is not the same.

 

IMO, RCCL provides the best OVERALL experience, than others. May not have the cuisine

of Celebrity. May not have the "party ship" image of Carnival.

 

It has its own identity: the best.

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I agree with the poster that said ports of call first and then everything else after. Personally we just happened to go on Royal Caribbean for our first cruise (our honeymoon) and enjoyed them so much we have stuck with them. I am open to trying other lines so who knows.

 

Another thing to consider since you have teens is what onboard activities do they have and what do your teens like. Some ships have ice rinks, others have mini golf, some have basketball courts, other have surf machines, ice bars, rock walls, etc. I could go on.

 

So for us it is usually

1) Ports of Call

2) Price

3) On board activities

4) Past experience and reviews from others.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Few cruisers have actually done as many of both lines (with a sprinkling of NCL) as I have; although it's been a while since I've done Carnival; my last and next will be on Royal Caribbean; but then I would like to try one of Carnival's newer ones like the Breeze, sounds like a great ship (and a real evolutionary step forward for CCL).

 

In my view, both lines are for more the same than different, no matter how much each line's cheerleaders argue to the contrary.

 

Decor/ship design: Royal Caribbean (but Carnival's new ships are catching up)

Food: very much the same..with different strengths and weaknesses for both

Service: the same. I know RCCL enthusiasts try to argue that Royal is much better, but I think

both lines do a very good job considering how many they are serving on the ship.

Loyalty Programs: Not even close. RCCL invests a lot to make their returning customers feel special. Obviously Carnival feels it's best not to; and maybe they have a point because?????

 

Cost: Close, but Carnival is usually less expensive while still delivering a nice cruise experience. We love em both...

Edited by mtchg
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Hello all,

I am (or better we - my two older teens and I) are happily planning our first cruise but I get stunned when reading about the giantical difference in opinions regarding the two cruiselines discussed in this (and so many other) threads on the net.

 

We are cruising from Tampa sometime after easter next year, the options are either an RCL or a Carnival cruise (5 days) - both are within our dates in mind.

As I am on a fixed budget, would you recommend Royal or Carnival, my youngsters are in the late teens!

What would you recommend?

During 5 days I assume there will be some time spent in the cabin hence $ spent on cabin upgrade might be wise.

Please advise.

(in my case it's Carnival's "Paradise" vs RCL "Jewel of the seas")

 

I have not read any other response to your question: First, of the many Carnival ship's we've sailed upon, I least liked the Conquest. That being said, I've never had a bad cruise. The OP may have chosen a ship that was too old for her to compare with her RCI experiences.

 

As far as the Paradise vs the Jewel of the Seas, IMHO I would pick the Jewel. It has the Ice Rink, and RCI does a great Teen program 17 under, I believe. Urge the teens to attend the Teen Meet & Mingle if held on the 1st night. Their experience will grow from then on.

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