Carnival vs Royal Carribbean

I am looking from some assistance/advice. So I am a newbie when it comes to cruising. My very first cruise was last year May 2014 on the Carnival Spelndor and we LOVED IT!!! I had zero complaints. Now we have been invited by family to join them on an upcoming cruise sailing on Royal Carribeans Adventure of the seas. I am torn because I have seen similar sailings offered by Carnival for a better price and I am a sucker for a great deal. Please help!! Is it worth it or should I stick to Carnival. As always thanks in advance.

I also posted this question on the Carnival board, but I want to get a variety of suggestions.

But you will be with FAMILY I think family trumps all brand loyalties. I am Cheap and yes i understand saving coin but you cant put a price on memories with Family.

You won't know if it's worth it to you unless you try it. Everyone has their own preferences. It's been worth it to us to cruise Royal and Celebrity over Carnival but how would anyone know if it's worth it to you? I would sail Princess again over Carnival but that's our preference.

Sorry for being no help at all. :(

But you will be with FAMILY I think family trumps all brand loyalties. I am Cheap and yes i understand saving coin but you cant put a price on memories with Family.

Agree with TXBBQ if it was just the itinerary and ship I would definitely consider pricing as THE biggest motivator but to go with family means a whole different level.

I would go with Royal. My signature says it for me.

We have always sailed RC but last year, we found a great deal on a Carnival cruise. We wanted to experience a different cruise line to have our own opinions. We had a wonderful time on Carnival and would cruise with them again. There were some differences with the two, some pros and cons on each one all minor in my opinion. With that being said, if I had a choice between the two, I personally would choose Royal. Especially with your family cruising Royal, it will give you an opportunity to experience the two and decide what you prefer. I also love a bargain but this would be a good opportunity to spend time with family while trying something new, even with it costing a little more.

Karen

I say go for it! If you are having a hard time getting past the price, think about if you'll have another chance to cruise with your family. For me, knowing that I may not get another opportunity to cruise with my grandfather, I put the cost of the cruise behind me. I had only sailed with Carnival and was also having a hard time with bigger price tag. A year earlier, I was suppose to cruise with my grandparents but my grandmother past away 3 weeks before the cruise. For me, a cruise with family is more important than the price.

I will say though, I really enjoyed the Royal Promenade compared to the atrium on Carnival. Also, in the theater, they have seats like you'll find in a movie theater. Colors are more toned down on Royal. I prefer the sliding glass doors on Royal's balconies than the door and window on Carnival.

I've sailed with Carnival once (Sensation) and RCCL twice (Radiance and Serenade) and have another RCCL cruise booked for later this year (Oasis).

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Carnival had excellent service and food. My cousin has Celiac's (gluten allergy) and they went above and beyond to meet her needs in the dining room. The ship was a bit older and "cheap" looking, but I would use Carnival again if the itinerary and price were right.

RCCL seems a more upscale choice to me, I enjoyed both cruises I took with them, and they also had excellent service and food. The ships are gorgeous, very well-appointed. Looking forward to our third cruise with RCCL on the Oasis, which to me is just an engineering marvel.

If your family is choosing RCCL, I say go with them and try it out! If you wind up not liking it, then you'll know for next time. And if you wind up liking it, then you have another cruise line to use! :)

OP, you definitely have to try and decide for yourself. We've cruised RCCL 4 times, NCL 2 times, Carnival 2 times, and Disney once. I think. Lost count somewhere. We personally keep coming back to RCCL as it meets our needs the best. My now teen boys (15 & 17) have done Disney, RCCL 2 times, and Carnival 2 times. We've been cruising since 1992.

We cruised with my sister-in-law on our first Carnival cruise, choosing price and wanting to be with family over our preferred choice of RCCL then Disney. My in laws LOVE Carnival and don't want to cruise anything else. It was eh. But we were willing to try it again a few years later, and once again, for us, it was eh. Our experience with RCCL was always better. After our last Carnival cruise, we said we would go again, but only for a specific itinerary. For us we are willing to pay a bit more.

You have to try out different cruise lines and find the one that makes you happy. We all have such varying opinions, as we all have different things important to us. You'll find so many varying opinions on everything from the cleanliness of the ship to the food and service to the balcony doors. LOL

Give RCCL a shot, then decide! Good luck, and have fun with your family!

I am looking from some assistance/advice. So I am a newbie when it comes to cruising. My very first cruise was last year May 2014 on the Carnival Spelndor and we LOVED IT!!! I had zero complaints. Now we have been invited by family to join them on an upcoming cruise sailing on Royal Carribeans Adventure of the seas. I am torn because I have seen similar sailings offered by Carnival for a better price and I am a sucker for a great deal. Please help!! Is it worth it or should I stick to Carnival. As always thanks in advance.

I also posted this question on the Carnival board, but I want to get a variety of suggestions.

I have sailed both Carnival and RC Adventure out of San Juan. I will be on the Jewel sailing tomorrow.

What is the cost difference? What room class? What date? Are going on the cruise for the ship or to enjoy time on shore with your family? There are advantages to both lines. RC prices are at an all time high - so you may see a price drop.

So if I'm understanding you correctly, you are deciding between taking a cruise on Adventure of the Seas with your family or going yourself on Carnival? I'm with the others and say go for it (i.e. join your family). Such precious family time and RCL is a fantastic line. You won't be disappointed. Is it a huge price difference? If so, then it's a matter of determining yourself if you can afford it. If you're also concerned about something missing from RCL, then what?

So if I'm understanding you correctly, you are deciding between taking a cruise on Adventure of the Seas with your family or going yourself on Carnival? I'm with the others and say go for it (i.e. join your family). Such precious family time and RCL is a fantastic line. You won't be disappointed. Is it a huge price difference? If so, then it's a matter of determining yourself if you can afford it. If you're also concerned about something missing from RCL, then what?

That's a good point. I think that is what my boyfriend and I need to decide is if we can really afford this. Thanks

Royal Caribbean is better.