Carnival VS Rccl?

[wdwhuckster]

looking to book cruise for B day May 2010 kinda worried about switching to carnival??

[patrickmoran]

We have done 9 Carnival, 2 Princess, 1 RCI, 1 HAL, and 1 Celebrity cruises. Carnival is my favorite cruise line though I have found the various lines more similar than different.

[ChrissyBTX]

I'm not sure what your concerns are. What are you looking for in a cruise? There are alot of factors to consider when choosing a cruise or even a cruise line. Patrick is right. They are all similar but they all have their differences. I've done 7 or 8 Carnival, 1 Princess, 2 NCL and 1 RCCL.

My least favorite cruises were RCCL and Carnival Destiny. My other Carnival cruises have been very nice tho. I'm willing to give RCCL another chance tho, on a newer ship. I just haven't booked it yet. I like the variety of the different cruise lines. Still want to try Celebrity, too.

[js]

looking to book cruise for B day May 2010 kinda worried about switching to carnival??

 

If you are worried, why are you looking to switch? Is it price?

 

If so, I can tell you that is why my family will be trying the Dream next August 7 (isince the kids were born, we tried DCL once and now always sail only on RCCL (have sailed RCCL over 10 times...Love Disney but the kids really love the clubs (and so do I), much better than DCL.

 

We were originally booked on Oasis in a triple balcony and triple inside but when the Dream came out, I priced it and it was less than half the price of Oasis. Yes, I know they are VERY different ships but we are going away for my dd's birthday and know the kids will have fun whatever ship they are on (although they really do enjoy RCCLs Kids clubs...I'll have 2 16 year old girls and a 12 year old son when we sail, we originally had an extra person booked when on RCCL).

 

I'm hoping we enjoy CCL since their prices are so much better than RCCL but if not, I guess we will just have to pay the extra price to enjoy our vacation.

 

I can also tell you, I was VERY amazed at the pricing for RCCL for next year and we always booked when prices first come out. Before we originally booked the Oasis, I also looked at Explorer out of Bayonne. We have sailed it twice from Miami and once from NJ and thought if the price was right would do again. I know it is a 9 night cruise but thought if it wasn't crazy, I could justify the price by not having to pay the 5 airfares since we can drive to the port, but it was VERY high for a much older ship.

 

So, do some research, see what is important (we wanted a new ship so that was important to us) and good luck with your search.

 

I hope to see you more on here than the RCCL board, that would mean we ended up loving our Dream cruise :) If we like the Dream, I really want to try Miracle out of New York. It always seems to get great reviews.

[steveaaaaa]

looking to book cruise for B day May 2010 kinda worried about switching to carnival??

 

Considering you have been on the Mariner, CCL dosen't compare to that at all.They offer a decent cruise at a decent price that is why they are the Walmart:) of the sea's cruiseline.

 

Steve

Welcome to Walmart:)

[ChrissyBTX]

The Miracles is my favorite Carnival ship so far.:)

[js]

Considering you have been on the Mariner, CCL dosen't compare to that at all.They offer a decent cruise at a decent price that is why they are the Walmart:) of the sea's cruiseline.

 

Steve

Welcome to Walmart:)

 

OMG, please tell me you are kidding. I've been on Mariner, Explorer, Serenade, Navigator and Majesty. Will Dream not measure up to the larger of the RCCL ships (yes, I know there will not be a promanade).

We use to be Loyal Royals but pricing for 2010 made me think twice.

When I booked the Oasis, I had three other cabins booked in addition to mine (my inlaws, sister in law and my mother) and once they found out we booked CCL, they all decided not to join us for our Dream cruise.

My dh also just wanted to pay the extra cost and sail Oasis but it was very, very high for the cabins we wanted and really had to convince him to make the switch.

Please tell me what exactly you mean with this remark? Thank you.

[ChrissyBTX]

I think he's kidding. You can see that he sails on Carnival alot & has another one booked.

 

BTW, the dream does have a promenade deck.

[CARIBBEAN01]

WE cruise both as a family and have always had great cruises on both but all agree that Royal have nicer ship designs and Carnival has better food...they both market to the same kind of cruisers so we have seen it all on both believe me...thanks

[jonbgd]

You have cruised on Disney and RCCL their decor is a little more elegant than Carnival Carnivals decor is more vibrant

If you have been on the Mariner Carnival hasnt had a ship that size till Dream and doesnt have a ice rink either

But what Carnival IMHO does offer is better food larger cabins and more comfortable beds and good product for the price

if you can get one of the Spirit class Carnival ships I highly recommend theyt are the Legend, Miracle,Pride and Spirit The perfect size ship with the perfect amount of passenger

Now these are my opinions but I have been on 5 major cruise lines and have a very large sample size to gather my opinions from

[forecruiser]

I can honestly say we have not had a bad experience on RCCL yet, and as a family, we feel that RCCL is awesome. Having said that, we are going on the Dream in July! Only reason is price. I am certainly hoping I am not disappointed!

[js]

I think he's kidding. You can see that he sails on Carnival alot & has another one booked.

 

BTW, the dream does have a promenade deck.

 

Thanks but I REALLY can't "see" that he sails CCL a lot.

Does he have cruises listed at the bottom of his posts?

For some darn reason, I cannot view when people have this listed when I am on my computer at home. When I am at work, I can see people's countdown clocks, but I cannot see them when I am at home (like now).

Thank you VERY VERY much for answering me LOL

I really appreciate it.

[js]

I can honestly say we have not had a bad experience on RCCL yet, and as a family, we feel that RCCL is awesome. Having said that, we are going on the Dream in July! Only reason is price. I am certainly hoping I am not disappointed!

 

Us too! We are sailing on Dream August 7 for the exact same reason! Although I am sure it doesn't matter, after I canceled the Oasis, I sent RCCL and e-mail, informing them I jumped ship to CCL due to price and my canceling my 2 cabins also had my family cancel three additional cabins.

 

Never got an e-mail back but my dh asked me to do it so I did.

[JaniceW]

I have sailed both RCCL and Carnival quite a few times. Carnival has bigger cabins and better food. When I sail with my family, I always go Carnival for the latter reasons plus Carnival is a friendlier on the budget and that is certainly a consideration when I have to pay a family of six. RCCL ships may be a bit better designed and a bit more upscale but not so much that I would pay a whole lot more to sail on RCCL. In fact, I was a bit disappointed with my last RCCL cruise. Food and service was just mediocre at best. I know Carnival has the reputation for being a budget line but my family and I have always had a fine time on Carnival.

[jules815]

OMG, please tell me you are kidding. I've been on Mariner, Explorer, Serenade, Navigator and Majesty. Will Dream not measure up to the larger of the RCCL ships (yes, I know there will not be a promanade).

We use to be Loyal Royals but pricing for 2010 made me think twice.

When I booked the Oasis, I had three other cabins booked in addition to mine (my inlaws, sister in law and my mother) and once they found out we booked CCL, they all decided not to join us for our Dream cruise.

My dh also just wanted to pay the extra cost and sail Oasis but it was very, very high for the cabins we wanted and really had to convince him to make the switch.

Please tell me what exactly you mean with this remark? Thank you.

 

I wouldn't pay any attention to the "Wal Mart" remark.

 

We've also only sailed RC so far, but were looking for something different (especially new ports) and the Carnival Dream looked too good to pass up to us too. How can you not be excited about a brand new ship, new ports and menus?

 

I have quite a few friends who have sailed Carnival and have always had a great time, and a lot of the people who post here who sail both lines seem to agree that they're more similar than different. Carnival is often given the edge on food here on cc, and cabins are supposed to be a little larger. Our children are older and don't use Adventure Ocean anymore, but it seems like the children's programs are well liked on both lines. RC's decor is more elegant, while Carnival's "fun ship" decor is more colorful.

 

We've had a great time on all of our RC cruises, but honestly, some people here talk about it like it's Silversea or something.

[js]

We've had a great time on all of our RC cruises, but honestly, some people here talk about it like it's Silversea or something.

 

Thank you for your post.

 

I actually LOL, I have thought the same exact thing sometimes when reading posts on CCL about RCCL. They are usually, though, from those that didn't sound like they ever sailed on RCCL.

 

Enjoy and have a great cruise!

[jules815]

I have sailed both RCCL and Carnival quite a few times. Carnival has bigger cabins and better food. When I sail with my family, I always go Carnival for the latter reasons plus Carnival is a friendlier on the budget and that is certainly a consideration when I have to pay a family of six. RCCL ships may be a bit better designed and a bit more upscale but not so much that I would pay a whole lot more to sail on RCCL. In fact, I was a bit disappointed with my last RCCL cruise. Food and service was just mediocre at best. I know Carnival has the reputation for being a budget line but my family and I have always had a fine time on Carnival.

 

This is exactly what I've been reading here over the years. Better food, larger cabins.

 

Our last RC cruise we had exceptional service in the dining room, but our 2008 cruise it was mediocre at best. We've always enjoyed the food, but getting a little bored with the menus. If we could get a good deal, we'd go again, but I'm really looking forward to our upcoming Carnival cruises.

[STPETE1]

We sailed on the Carnival Freedom for 6 days in November and sailed on the RCCL Liberty of the seas for 7 days in December. Since these 2 cruises were only 3 weeks apart we were able to compare these 2 cruise lines completely. RCCL has beautiful ships. Sometimes on Carnival I look around and I wonder just what were they thinking!! The food was better on Carnival. The staff was nice on both ships. The beds were better on Carnival and the rooms were bigger. RCCL has more sports such as the rock climbing wall, basketball court, flowrider and ice skating rink(depending on the ship) and miniature golf. We thought there were more activities on Carnival. I liked the shows better on RCCL, my dh liked the shows better on Carnival. We have done 5 cruises on Carnival and 5 cruises on RCCL and 1 on Princess. We choose by the itinerary, date and price. It doesn't matter which line, either line is a wonderful vacation.

[ChrissyBTX]

Thanks but I REALLY can't "see" that he sails CCL a lot.

Does he have cruises listed at the bottom of his posts?

For some darn reason, I cannot view when people have this listed when I am on my computer at home. When I am at work, I can see people's countdown clocks, but I cannot see them when I am at home (like now).

Thank you VERY VERY much for answering me LOL

I really appreciate it.

 

Here is Steveaaaa's cruise history. You might check your settings on CC.

You can have it set to show "posts only". If you do, it will delete the signatures, cruise history and countdowns, etc. The coundown clocks haven't been working lately here, but you should still be able to see anyone's signature and cruise history. Check the settings. I'm actually thinking of changing mine. Some of the signatures are way too long and take up alot of space.

See Steveaaaaa's cruises below:

 

1980 CCL Carnivale,1981 CCL Holiday,1983 CCL Festival,1988 Big Red Boat, Oceanic,1993 RCCL Nordic Empress,1994 CCL Ecstasy,1996 CCL Inspiration,1997 CCL Destiny,1998 CCL Fantasy,1999 Princess ,Grand Princess,1999 NCL Norway,2000 CCL Imagination,2001 CCL Victory,2002 CCL Jubilee,2002 RCCL Voyager of the sea's,2003 CCL Pride,2003 RCCL Explorer of the seas,2004 CCL Conquest,2004 CCL Destiny,2005 CCL Miracle,2006 RCCL Majesty of the seas,2006 NCL Jewel,2007 CCL Imagination,2008 CCL Glory,2009 NCL Jewel

 

Next up! CCL Freedom 5/2010

[Scootch]

looking to book cruise for B day May 2010 kinda worried about switching to carnival??

 

 

Sailed on RCCL last year and going back to Carnival....mostly due to the cost of RCCL. RCCL is about $1500 more for family of three. (balcony room)

 

Let's face it, they both provide us w/ the opportunity to do what we love; cruising! I would try RCCL again if the price was right, but until then CCL absolutely meets our needs for service, food, activities, and entertainment.

 

I don't think there is a bad cruise line out there. It's just our preference or budget that keeps us going back to one line vs another.

[Nekochan]

I too found Carnival and RCCL to be more similiar than different. Here's my take on it:

 

Kids programs: For the younger kids, Carnival might have the edge. For teens, RCCL wins definitely.

 

Food: Carnival's warm chocolate cake is to die for. Other than that, I like the food on RCCl better BUT.... that's because I'm not a meat eater. RCCLs vegetarian options and salads are much better than Carnival. The Carnival buffet is definitely more for meat eaters, and it seems that if you're a meat eater you find Carnival's food better. I have to say that even though I couldn't eat them (I'm allergic to beef and pork) the baby back ribs on Carnival looked really yummy. Pizza is better on Carnival, but it's ok on RCCL too, and available 24 hours if you get a ship with a promenade cafe. Sushi was terrible on Carnival. Plus, RCCL has better room service menu (when you travel with a teen, room service pizza is a big plus). RCCL had grits available in the buffet every morning, on Carnival you had to go to the dining room. Also, I felt that the buffet was easier to navigate on RCCL than on Carnival, but Carnival had trays which was nice.

 

Service: about the same, maybe a little better on RCCl than on carnival. I had a bad experience in CCLs dining room at dinner (I was stuck in a corner and our waiter kept forgetting about us), but the other meals and service crew were fine.

 

Entertainment: Bands and shows were better on Carnival (except for the ice show). . I can't really speak for the late night dancing - I'm more of a 'get up at the crack of dawn' kind of person. I thought the cruise director and his crew were definitely more fun and lively on RCCL than on Carnival.

 

Activities - I feel that RCCL activities were more varied - they had wine tastings and lectures, parades, more pool games etc. Carnival was VERY heavy on trivia games, and just not as, well, lively.

 

Wine and booze - wine list and service were much better on RCCL. Carnival, however, made the best margarita I have ever had hands down. Carnival’s drink prices were cheaper.

 

In short, Carnival is a good product, but I just like RCCL better. Decor on RCCL is also a lot tamer and to my taste. I looked at both a Carnival and RCCL cruise leaving from NYC – almost identical itineraries, with RCCL being one more day. Although I could get a suite on Carnival for the same price as an inside on RCCL, I decided I’d rather go for the RCCl cruise, because it’s a better ‘fit’ for me and my teenage son.

[Cindy]

looking to book cruise for B day May 2010 kinda worried about switching to carnival??

 

If you are worried, why are you looking to switch? Is it price?

 

If so, I can tell you that is why my family will be trying the Dream next August 7 (isince the kids were born, we tried DCL once and now always sail only on RCCL (have sailed RCCL over 10 times...Love Disney but the kids really love the clubs (and so do I), much better than DCL.

 

We were originally booked on Oasis in a triple balcony and triple inside but when the Dream came out, I priced it and it was less than half the price of Oasis. Yes, I know they are VERY different ships but we are going away for my dd's birthday and know the kids will have fun whatever ship they are on (although they really do enjoy RCCLs Kids clubs...I'll have 2 16 year old girls and a 12 year old son when we sail, we originally had an extra person booked when on RCCL).

 

I'm hoping we enjoy CCL since their prices are so much better than RCCL but if not, I guess we will just have to pay the extra price to enjoy our vacation.

 

I can also tell you, I was VERY amazed at the pricing for RCCL for next year and we always booked when prices first come out. Before we originally booked the Oasis, I also looked at Explorer out of Bayonne. We have sailed it twice from Miami and once from NJ and thought if the price was right would do again. I know it is a 9 night cruise but thought if it wasn't crazy, I could justify the price by not having to pay the 5 airfares since we can drive to the port, but it was VERY high for a much older ship.

 

So, do some research, see what is important (we wanted a new ship so that was important to us) and good luck with your search.

 

I hope to see you more on here than the RCCL board, that would mean we ended up loving our Dream cruise :) If we like the Dream, I really want to try Miracle out of New York. It always seems to get great reviews.

 

I wouldn't pay any attention to the "Wal Mart" remark.

 

We've also only sailed RC so far, but were looking for something different (especially new ports) and the Carnival Dream looked too good to pass up to us too. How can you not be excited about a brand new ship, new ports and menus?

 

I have quite a few friends who have sailed Carnival and have always had a great time, and a lot of the people who post here who sail both lines seem to agree that they're more similar than different. Carnival is often given the edge on food here on cc, and cabins are supposed to be a little larger. Our children are older and don't use Adventure Ocean anymore, but it seems like the children's programs are well liked on both lines. RC's decor is more elegant, while Carnival's "fun ship" decor is more colorful.

 

We've had a great time on all of our RC cruises, but honestly, some people here talk about it like it's Silversea or something.

 

We took our first Carnival cruise last summer after 9 on Princess & Royal Caribbean, and we were very pleased. So pleased, in fact, that we chose the Carnival Conquest over the Voyager of the Seas for our upcoming Spring Break Cruise. I think you'll find more similarities than differences, with each line having some things they do better than the other. My $o.o2...

We thought the food on Carnival was MUCH, MUCH better than the RCCL food in both taste and selection. My husband and I both thought the beef and seafood was of a higher quality than we're used to getting.

We liked being able to take a couple bottles of wine with us without being treated like juvenile delinquents. For the nights we purchased wine, we thought the wine list was adequate...pretty similar to Royal Caribbean's. We had wine/bar service in the dining room at dinner, which RCCL has done away with.

Our cabin (a Cat. 11) wasn't the largest we've had, but we thought it had the best layout and the nicest finishes of any of our cabins...we've also had Mini Suites on Princess and Junior Suites on Royal Caribbean. Things we really liked were the full bar set-up, the dressing area/vanity with electricity, and the bathroom with a whirlpool tub and two sinks.

I preferred the layout and public area decor on Royal Caribbean. Despite their size, I find the Voyager class ships easy to get around. Both the Princess ships I've been on and the Splendor had dead ends and places where you had to change decks to move the length of the ship. I also thought the theater on RCCL had better sight lines, and I like the Royal Promenade and having all the shops in one location. The dining room on RCCL ships is much more dramatic than you'll see on Carnival. I thought the decor on the Splendor ranged from baffling to brilliant. For the most part I definitely prefer the more understated decor on Royal Caribbean and Princess, but the decor on the Splendor didn't impact my enjoyment of the cruise at all.

About price...I couldn't find anything that in my opinion justifies the sometimes astronomical price difference. For our upcoming cruise, we saved almost $1,500 for the 2 of us at the time we made the reservation. RCCL did eventually run a residency discount that would have cut that in half, but it's still quite a difference for 2 ships that leave from the same port and have the same itinerary.

Your mileage may vary...My husband and I cruise mostly to relax and get away from the daily grind. We both turn off our cell phones and try not to think about work at all. Things like ice rinks, water slides, and rock walls aren't important to us. Food, entertainment, and a balcony are. Quiet places where we can read and nap are important. We tend to like activities such as trivia, exercise classes, and wine tasting, but don't have too much interest in hairy chest contests.

I can tell you my nieces & nephews who were with us last summer LOVED the Carnival Splendor. They spent countless hours on the waterslide, which was open constantly. Even though they skated & tried the rock wall on the Explorer and the Mariner, those attractions had very limited hours. They enjoyed the kids' clubs on all their cruises, regardless of cruiseline. Our waitstaff on the Splendor was phenomenal...the kids raced to dinner each night because they couldn't wait to see them.

If you have questions, feel free to ask. I'm certainly not an expert since I've only been on Carnival once, but I thought it was very enjoyable.

P.S. I detest Wal Mart!!!:D

[steveaaaaa]

OMG, please tell me you are kidding. I've been on Mariner, Explorer, Serenade, Navigator and Majesty. Will Dream not measure up to the larger of the RCCL ships (yes, I know there will not be a promanade).

We use to be Loyal Royals but pricing for 2010 made me think twice.

When I booked the Oasis, I had three other cabins booked in addition to mine (my inlaws, sister in law and my mother) and once they found out we booked CCL, they all decided not to join us for our Dream cruise.

My dh also just wanted to pay the extra cost and sail Oasis but it was very, very high for the cabins we wanted and really had to convince him to make the switch.

Please tell me what exactly you mean with this remark? Thank you.

 

CCL offers a decent cruise at a decent price and it is designed for the masses just like Walmart:).I book 2 cabins as a rule.I get a free cabin from points and I pay for the kids.

I have been on 25 mainstream cruises and I prefer RCCL (Voyager class especially)but the pricing is too high.

The cruiseline should fit you.What did you like at RCCL? If you like the Voyager class as far as design and activities I think CCL is a step down.

I enjoyed the Promenade and its activities.The full court sports,rock climbing,golf,pools and pool games,and skating. I am not a fan of trivia all the time but thats me.I also liked the wine tastings and talks on RCCL.

I also think the ships are beautifull and elegant compared to neon-ish

 

BUT!!!! that fits me.I do sail CCL the most because of price.I also like NCL freestyle concept and their itineraries.

 

I would compare the Majesty that you have sailed on to most of the CCL ships.I cannot comment of the Dream....yet.:)

 

Steve

Welcome to Walmart:)

[MrPete]

looking to book cruise for B day May 2010 kinda worried about switching to carnival??

 

Which are you more worried about?

 

More money in your pocket?

Better food and the availability of it?

The bigger staterooms?

The FUN atmosphere?

The fantastic slide?

The pizza?

The free ice cream?

The Supper Club?

The entertainment?

Something fresh and new?

[Schplinky]

We typically sail RCL and just got off the Dream. We had a great time and would do it again tomorrow. We also like RCL and would do that again tomorrow. The thing is, I think people compare lines too much and should compare the actual ships that they're considering. For instance, the Carnival Dream vs one of the older RCL ships? No competition. Freedom of the Seas vs. Ecstasy? No competition. I think comparing lines is difficult because there are a lot of things that make a particular cruise great beyond whose logo is on the smokestack.

 

We've sailed 6 lines now, including two that are suposssedly premium and we still find that all the mass lines we have sailed so far are WAY more alike than different.