RCI V Carnival

[octagonmike]

Hi

 

I have sailed RC once before and I am due on Explorer next month.

 

I have seen a cruise that I like on Carnival Victory and was wondering if anyone here had cruised both lines and could tell me how they compare.

 

Thanks

 

Mike

[Sugar*Magnolia]

This is my Comparitive Review (link below). Going CCL from RCI.

Remember still, time of year you sail, pax, etc has a lot to do with the individual cruise. Any questions, feel free to email!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=898081&highlight=

[octagonmike]

Thanks for that it was a very interesting and from what I can tell a fair and unbiased review. Carnival certainly sounds comparative to RCI from what you say.

[DonnaK]

We found a huge different in level of service between RCI and Carnival. Our wait team on the Miracle was responsible for nearly 48 diners, so service was very slow, insufficient, and impersonal. Our cabin steward was responsible for 27 cabins, so again, service was spread way too thin. The ship itself had a very awkward layout (for example, sunbathers in various states of undress walked through the buffet restaurant in order to get to/from the pool and the aft set of elevators). The kids club was in a strange location, so it was underutilized, resulting in lots of unsupervised kids running amuk about the ship. The ship was dark, dank and smoky. And, the ship seemed extremely crowded - we were packed like sardines into the dining room - because the space to passenger ratio was much smaller than on RCI.

 

On the positive side, food and entertainment were excellent.

 

For even more detailed comparisons, you can click on the link in my signature to my review of Carnival Miracle.

[Candleonwater]

I'm a buffet person, and during this last cruise, I was told that on Carnival the buffet is only available during lunch. Is this true? Or maybe only on specific ships?

[JohnGaltny]

If you like, there's a Carnival review and several RCI reviews in my sig.

 

If you don't feel like reading, basically my experience is as follows:

 

The BIGGEST, HUGEST difference is in crowd control and traffic patterns. From embarkation, to buffet, to muster, to on/off at the ports, RCI handles crowds really well while Carnival is a disaster. (see my review)

 

MDR food and service is comparable.

RCI buffet is good quality if a bit same from day to day. Could never get to the Carnival buffet.

Mid rats are substantially better on Carnival. RCI pizza is very "meh" while Carnival offers better variety and an overnight grill.

I don't really care about decor but RCI is somewhat understated while Carnival looks like it stole from Las Vegas.

Can't comment on kids.

We're not hang in the pool people but RCI seems to police the Solarium better. Carnival was pretty tight and an absolute madhouse (at least on Victory)

 

I'm not saying we'd never sail Carnival BUT I would never get on a BIG Carnival ship. I'd be scared to death of the muster drill.

 

Enjoy whatever you do.

[Sugar*Magnolia]

From some of the experiences I just read, I think we're lucky that our CCL cruise was so opposite. Miracle wasnt crowded, MDR service was impeccable and food quality superior to RCI. Altho I agree that decor on Miracle is gaudy and Vegas style, quite cheesy and ship layout isnt the best. Notice in my signature though who we still sail with! lol

[April-in-NC]

My first cruise was on the Victory and we had a FABULOUS time! My RCI cruise was on the Monarch, so it isn't really fair to compare the two ships.

 

The service was great on both ships, I like Carnival's food better but the Monarch was "prettier".

 

The itinerary is the top priority for me, so I would go with the Victory if it caught your eye.

[dixieva]

I've done cruises both lines and find them very similar. I thought the food was better on Carnival, the decor better on RCI, service was great on both.

 

Can't comment on kids since I don't book cruises during spring break or summer when school is out.

 

Try it!

[spencercoop]

I'm a buffet person, and during this last cruise, I was told that on Carnival the buffet is only available during lunch. Is this true? Or maybe only on specific ships?

 

The Carnival buffet is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Pizza is open 24 hours, the deli is open from 11am-11pm and I think the grill is open from 11am-6pm.

[yogimax]

Go for the warm chocolate melting cake on Carnival. Nuf said.

[Dave85]

I like Carnival's food and bedding better but like everything else on RCI better. Better ships, better crowd control, better entertainment, etc.

[Sugar*Magnolia]

dave85, So true about the Entertainment on RCI!! It was really more "laugh at" entertainment on CCL. Ohhh, now really looking forward to good entertainment in June on Explorer!

[CanuckMO4]

Hi

 

I have sailed RC once before and I am due on Explorer next month.

 

I have seen a cruise that I like on Carnival Victory and was wondering if anyone here had cruised both lines and could tell me how they compare.

 

Thanks

 

Mike

Questions like yours are tough because there is no clear cut answer.My first 2 cruises were on the Victory ,we had a good time but found to many younger people and a little rough around the edges. {SORRY}We had a good time because we had nothing to compare that cruise to untill we went to other cruise lines.Then we realized what we had been missing.I am reallly not a snob and I know how bad this will sound but our circle of friends call Canival { K-Mart Cruising} Sorry again but that is our opinion.

[NavarreCruiser]

Questions like yours are tough because there is no clear cut answer.My first 2 cruises were on the Victory ,we had a good time but found to many younger people and a little rough around the edges. {SORRY}We had a good time because we had nothing to compare that cruise to untill we went to other cruise lines.Then we realized what we had been missing.I am reallly not a snob and I know how bad this will sound but our circle of friends call Canival { K-Mart Cruising} Sorry again but that is our opinion.

20 CCl cruises and 14 RCI cruises and I too say they are more alike than different. Of course each cruise is different. We've been on the same ship one month apart and things were different. I never listen to anyone that says everything or almost everything was better on one than the other. And calling lines names is just childish and wrong. They are so much the same it's funny. Down to the same jokes. Lynda

[Cruising89143]

For me it's the ships and service. RCI is light years ahead of Carnival in the ship department. The best ship that Carnival has in it's fleet is the Spirit class. They can have the rest. Poor passenger flows and crowded ships. I also found that Carnival was not as good at keeping their ships maintained.

 

I have cruised on the Victory and would not do it again. After cruising on the Voyager class ships, the Victory just does not compare. If you have never cruised Carnival, try it for yourself and see how they compare. That is really they only way you will know for yourself.

[jmom5]

we decided last year to decide for ourselves and sailed carnival after being on 8 rccl cruises. we will never sail them again. did i hate it? no, it's a cruise afterall, but in the middle of it our entire family was unanimous and wished we had spent a little extra and went on rccl.

 

our final thought was, maybe if we had never been on a royal caribbean cruise before we would have liked it.

 

if you are on a cruise only to sleep and get to the next port, it probably won't matter which one you go on. if you are into the ship and activities on the ship, that's where i think royal and carnival are not even close to being the same.

[MrPete]

Hi

 

I have sailed RC once before and I am due on Explorer next month.

 

I have seen a cruise that I like on Carnival Victory and was wondering if anyone here had cruised both lines and could tell me how they compare.

 

Thanks

 

Mike

 

Been on both ships. Not a fan of the Destiny class. The slide isn't even decent enough to make up for the small pools.

 

But, we do find the Carnival overall experience to be better, as it sets a community atmosphere. We also like the food better, but the buffet area, as well as the entire lido deck, fails miserably. The Victory does have a covered pool. You will probably find the Victory cruise to be significantly cheaper.

 

But comparing the two ships, I would still choose the ExOS, unless there was a prohibitive price difference.