Carnival or RC to Mexico

[cf2404]

I am weighing up two cruises to Mexico, both departing 27th June x 7 nights, Carnival Splendor at $869 for balcony and Mariner of the Seas at $1133 for balcony.

 

What would be the main reasons for the big price difference - is it ship facilities / overall standard, quality of food, entertainment?

 

Any comments gratefully received to help me decide between the two.

 

I have sailed before on Celebrity Century 2004 and Diamond Princess 2006 so if you could grade Carnival and RC against what I know that would be most helpful.

 

Thank You in advance.

[Tammylyne]

This is my personal opinion, as my family and I have sailed both cruise line

RCL ice show and the game quest was the best show ever seen as for there other shows we left before the end

 

Carnivals food surpassed RCL's in our opinion.

 

The supper club on Carnival was a wee bit better

 

On board activities, we preffered Carnivals for our particular interest..it seemed to us carnival had more activities we enjoyed

 

Carnivals rooms were much bigger for our family of three, where as we felt a little tight in RCL cabin

 

The service on Carnival was more attentative (gasp) My daughter wanted fruit punch on RC and we were told 3 different times they didnt have any until the manager heard someone telling us this and went and got her some..we later found out they kept the juice in the back and just didnt want to walk to get it..after that day when we were told no we told them to please walk into the back and get some or we could have a manager do it LOL

 

 

I am a huge soda drinker and honestly getting soda in the morning was a hassle on Carnival where as it was easy as pie on RC

 

These are just my side by side opinions and hope they helped :)

[cf2404]

Thank you very much for your comments, much appreciated!

[firefly333]

Actually on Mariner the actual balconys are larger and the cabins only 5 s.f. different as I remember. Its only insides and OVS where there is a bigger difference in size. So, it depends on which category you are looking at ... balconys s.f. on newer ships is overall larger on RCL (despite rumors to the contrary).

 

RCL has the promenade which I loved. Its much prettier than anything Carnival has for shopping areas and I love the free cafe. Also the dining room is wow compared to Carnivals.

 

Iv had spotty service on both cruiselines, so to me its hard to say one over the other. Iv had more issues on Carnival.

 

RCL has more active things for teens, but if your children are younger than either cruiseline probably has equal appeal.

 

Carnival has a big screen on their larger newer ships, RCL has a movie room where they show the movies inside.

 

Im never bored on either. I think its easier to find more food choices on Carnival late at night. At least one cruise the grill area closed early due to high winds on RCL which I didnt like since I was still hungry.

[sleuthslayer]

I have sailed the Mariner and will be doing the Splendor this July. I beleive Carnival and RCI are very similar overall but as you can see in my singature, my last several cruises have bern on Carnival mostly due to proce and food. That being sais I will most likely also be back on RCI in the future, their ships are beautiful.

[cf2404]

We are couple late 30s, no children so kids activities don't matter. We are not big party people and I have always assumed Carnival to be aimed at a party crowd who are up for fun whereas we probably prefer something a little bit quieter "higher end" - would that alter things?

 

Don't get me wrong, we're not totally boring, we do like to drink in the bars etc. just not too keen on wild poolside activities and disco/nightclubs!

[firefly333]

I dont think it alters things. One has belly flop contest, the other has hairy chest contest. Both have night clubs at night. Drinking seems about the same on both. The decor is more wow on RCL and Mariner is a beauty.

 

But Id pick the one that has the best price and wait until you find a better deal on Mariner. You might have to go with a guarantee on RCL, those seem the best deals, whereas on Carnival the early saver rate is better. Iv done great 2 out of 3 guarantees on RCL so I love those, but if ES is better, now Im picking my cabin on Carnival.

[jules815]

We sailed the Mexican Riv on Mariner last July.

 

It was our 4th time on Mariner, and we were actually going to book Splendor to try something different, and then RC slashed their fares and were able to book a balcony (center hump) for $665pp! Go figure, this time RC had the lower price; combination of swine flu scare+economy+people afraid of going to Mexico. For that price we couldn't turn it down.

 

Mariner's a beautiful ship and we've always enjoyed our cruises. The itinerary is identical, but I think Splendor did the route in reverse (Mariner started in Cabo, and Splendor ended there)

[yogi2929]

The service on Carnival was more attentative (gasp) My daughter wanted fruit punch on RC and we were told 3 different times they didnt have any until the manager heard someone telling us this and went and got her some..we later found out they kept the juice in the back and just didnt want to walk to get it..after that day when we were told no we told them to please walk into the back and get some or we could have a manager do it LOL

 

 

I am a huge soda drinker and honestly getting soda in the morning was a hassle on Carnival where as it was easy as pie on RC

 

:)

 

Fruit Punch is no longer served to the passengers on Carnival. I have seen it at the bars for mixers, so I guess you could get it.

 

I have always found an open bar. Usually the Atrium Bar is open 24/7, also one one the lido deck early morning.

[Cindy]

We were very pleased with our first Carnival cruise on the Splendor after 9 on Princess and Royal Caribbean. Here's a link to the review I wrote after our cruise in July...lots of cruiseline/ship comparisons!:)

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=56641

[candigirl41]

Nice revierw Cindy. I have been on 14 Carnival and 3 RCCL. I agree there isn't a lot of difference. I have only been on the Vision and Radiance class. I loved my Radiance cruise last December. I was looking at the Mariner and Splendor for next January and opted for Splendor because the price is just so much better. I love balconies too, but I am getting a 4A guarantee for myself and granddaughter. My daughter and her DH are getting a 6A guarantee. I don't want to do early saver this time just in case.

 

Candi

[spencercoop]

We were very pleased with our first Carnival cruise on the Splendor after 9 on Princess and Royal Caribbean. Here's a link to the review I wrote after our cruise in July...lots of cruiseline/ship comparisons!:)

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=56641

 

 

WOW Great Review!!!!

[Cindy]

WOW Great Review!!!!

 

Thanks!:)

[zqvol]

I am weighing up two cruises to Mexico, both departing 27th June x 7 nights, Carnival Splendor at $869 for balcony and Mariner of the Seas at $1133 for balcony.

 

What would be the main reasons for the big price difference - is it ship facilities / overall standard, quality of food, entertainment?

 

Any comments gratefully received to help me decide between the two.

 

I have sailed before on Celebrity Century 2004 and Diamond Princess 2006 so if you could grade Carnival and RC against what I know that would be most helpful.

 

Thank You in advance.

 

The differences cannot be rationally explained other than possibly underlying corporate debt loads. RCCL has better food, but other than that there is not enough difference in them that it matters which you choose. Neither line is really a party all night long kind of place. Just like in a large hotel on land you can stay out as late as you want on both lines.

[Kurbanfan]

If you like balcony cabins the Mariner's are soo much better IMO....balconies are larger and have sliding glass doors...........

The Mariner is a beautiful ship and I love their lido deck setup better then any Carnival ship.......2 good size pools together and first and second floor bars overlooking the pool area.....and plenty of loungers all around........the service was top notch!!!

Now if you are considering anytime dining this is where I would caution you.......nothing like Carnivals or Princess anytime........more like reservation dining......we had a horrible experience and horrible service......but....they had just implemented it when we sailed sooo hopefully they have the kinks worked out now:confused:

As others have said the Mariner is a teenagers dream......so much more to do......

I also like the fact that the Mariner stays in Cabo longer then the Splendor........

Other then that they are pretty comparable.........

But either way.......you can't loose on either one.......good luck!

[cf2404]

Thanks for all replies, very helpful, seems there is not much in it so I will probably go with price, looks like it's Carnival.

[toledo_cruiser]

We were very pleased with our first Carnival cruise on the Splendor after 9 on Princess and Royal Caribbean. Here's a link to the review I wrote after our cruise in July...lots of cruiseline/ship comparisons!:)

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=56641

 

I loved your review. Not because I've booked the Splendor, but because I thought your rankings were reasoned, and reasonable.

 

I normally cruise with a small group from Toledo. We booked the Mexican Riviera after several Caribbean cruises. From your review, I don't think they'll be disappointed in the Splendor. They do want to try RC now after seeing all the media coverage of the Oasis. They'll just have to wait a year.

Jim

[ChaylaT]

LOVED the Splendor. If you have younger kids (4-9) they will love the waterslide. Food was superior! But any cruise is great! Enjoy!

[bmccarthy]

We are planning a cruise in June with my husbands family. We are taking our daughter who will be 2 in September. We are going with my husbands parents and his brothers and girlfriends. We have cruised on RC, my in-laws have been on RC and Carnival, and my brother-in-laws are cruise virgins.

 

We are looking at the Carnival Splendor or Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas. My husband and I went on the Mariner in 2008. The Splendor is $150 cheaper than the Mariner. The Mariner stays in Cabo San Lucas longer which is where my one brother-in-law really wants to go.

 

We tried to convince them to go for the Liberty or Freedom of the Seas because of the H20 zone, but they want to go to Mexico and be able to drive to the port, so it will be either the Mariner or Splendor.

 

 

We are taking our daughter who will be 2 in September. She's really tall, so do you think we can get her into the kids club on Carnival? Also if she wears a swim diaper can she go into the splash park?

 

Thanks,

Beth

[wework2play]

Fruit Punch is no longer served to the passengers on Carnival. I have seen it at the bars for mixers, so I guess you could get it.

 

I have always found an open bar. Usually the Atrium Bar is open 24/7, also one one the lido deck early morning.

 

 

They don't serve fruit punch anymore?! My DH will be so disappointed. So that means tea and lemonade are the only free drinks?:eek:

[wework2play]

To the OP - If you are looking for an elegant classy cruise I would choose RC. The beauty of their ships is worth seeing at least once. We prefer Carnival now simply because we have four children and it's more bang for the buck. Both have pros and cons. Here's my opinion:

RCL gorgeous ship, less gaudy, rooms are smaller but space is well utilized.

RCL dining room is superior in design. No booths (that I know of).

CCL 24 hour pizza!!!

CCL better food overall

CCL more activities.

Lastly, quality of service just depends on the cruise.

 

Oh and how could I forget: Carnival does this stupid singing/dancing thing at dinner. Kids like it, but it's just wierd IMO.

[candigirl41]

We are planning a cruise in June with my husbands family. We are taking our daughter who will be 2 in September. We are going with my husbands parents and his brothers and girlfriends. We have cruised on RC, my in-laws have been on RC and Carnival, and my brother-in-laws are cruise virgins.

 

We are looking at the Carnival Splendor or Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas. My husband and I went on the Mariner in 2008. The Splendor is $150 cheaper than the Mariner. The Mariner stays in Cabo San Lucas longer which is where my one brother-in-law really wants to go.

 

We tried to convince them to go for the Liberty or Freedom of the Seas because of the H20 zone, but they want to go to Mexico and be able to drive to the port, so it will be either the Mariner or Splendor.

 

 

We are taking our daughter who will be 2 in September. She's really tall, so do you think we can get her into the kids club on Carnival? Also if she wears a swim diaper can she go into the splash park?

 

Thanks,

Beth

 

Carnival knows the ages of the kids. You will not get her in based on how old she looks. Swim diapers are not allowed. They must be potty trained to particpate in pool activities. If she was 2 at time of sailing Carnival will change diapers.

 

Candi