RCCL vs Carnival

[i guide the sky]

I was thinking of doing the C Magic this coming summer in Europe and was wondering what people over on the CCL boards thought of CCL compared to RCCL. I have been on Carnival before but thats when C Destiny was a twinkle in the dry docks eyes! have been on mostly RCCL or Celebrity since.

 

Thanks

[glrounds]

The last 18 of my 20 cruises have been with Carnival so I wouldn't be able to make a very good comparison. However, there are many CCL cruisers who also cruise RCCL and will give you excellent comparisons.:)

I only post to pre-warn you, this is a Carnival forum and there will probably be a host of "cheerleaders" that, with experience on RCCL or not, will probably not give you the most objective comparison.:rolleyes:

[CptSticky]

The last 18 of my 20 cruises have been with Carnival so I wouldn't be able to make a very good comparison. However, there are many CCL cruisers who also cruise RCCL and will give you excellent comparisons.:)

 

I only post to pre-warn you, this is a Carnival forum and there will probably be a host of "cheerleaders" that, with experience on RCCL or not, will probably not give you the most objective comparison.:rolleyes:

Have cruised both. Both are good. Have priviledges on RCI, so that tends to bias my outlook. It is true, you will hear from the cheerleaders. Just remember, there is no such thing as a bad cruise.

[i guide the sky]

The last 18 of my 20 cruises have been with Carnival so I wouldn't be able to make a very good comparison. However, there are many CCL cruisers who also cruise RCCL and will give you excellent comparisons.:)

I only post to pre-warn you, this is a Carnival forum and there will probably be a host of "cheerleaders" that, with experience on RCCL or not, will probably not give you the most objective comparison.:rolleyes:

 

I'm counting on it. I already know what the people on RCCL board think of CCL so now i would like to see how the people over here on this board make the comparison.

[nytraveller53]

Hi! I recently returned from the Carnival Valor, before that I took the FOS. Both were very similar, and I think you'd love the Magic (Everything great about the dream - the mistakes + extra fun stuff!) Don't listen to some of the Loyal Royals saying that Carnival is "low class". I fell into that trap, and I ended up really enjoying myself on the cruise! Enjoy!

[MrPete]

Both are great lines, but the thing that sets the two apart to me is that RCCL cocuses on the ships, while CCL focuses on the people.

 

And at the end, it's how I was made to feel, as opposed to what the ship looked like.

 

And each line can bump each othe in terms of what they excel at, which some will list here, I,m sure, but most things are pretty much the same.

[Loves_Dogs]

The two lines really are more alike than different. Have had a blast on all of my cruises and would not hesitate to cruise either line. The few differences we noticed between them are:

 

Beds - The beds on Carnival are unbelievably comfortable. I could not believe how good I slept on my Carnival cruises. Beds on RCI just could not compare.

 

Main Dining Room - The MDR food on RCI could not compare to Carnival. I didnt go hungry on RCI but the MDR food was not as tasty and I didnt think had as good of a variety as Carnival.

 

Room Service - We use room service a lot. Here is where Carnival sucked. Our orders were wrong more often than not, took forever to be delivered and the food was usually awful. RCI room service was quick, hot food was hot, cold food was cold and we always got what we ordered.

 

Things like food and comfort are taste specific so every one will have their own thoughts but those are the main differences I noticed. Give Carnival a try and have a GREAT cruise!

[ArthurIhde]

i will choose the first one

[graphicguy]

Kind of limited in my experiences. But, most recently, I was on the RCCL Liberty of the Seas for it's inaugural year of cruising. Did the same for CCL Conquest in its inaugural year before that.

 

Like others said, more similar than different. I agree that Carnival focuses more on the passenger and RCCL on the ship.

 

RCCL-It depends on what you think of having a mall as one of the main attractions of the ship (as RCCL does). Personally, I can shop at a mall while at home. So, that wasn't much of an attraction to me. Flo-Rider....fun. But, you wait in line for 30 minutes (or longer) for a 5 minute ride. Rock wall....didn't really care one way or the other because I didn't use it. Some may like it, though. I could be wrong because it was my perception, but it seemed RCCL nickled and dimed me on the cruise much more than CCL. Beautiful ship, though.

 

CCL-lots of things to do for the passenger. Pretty wild looking ships compared to RCCL ships. You either like that, or you don't. Big, bold colors, plenty of over the top lighting, etc on a CCL ship. More of a party atmosphere on a CCL ship in comparison. Liked the food, service and the cabins better on the Conquest over the Liberty of the Seas, too.

 

All-in-all, liked the Conquest better than the Liberty of the Seas. Both are relatively new ships. Both are big. You'll have fun on both.

 

Overall, Carnival as a corp is much bigger than RC. As such, they have larger economics of scale. So, most of the time you'll find you pay more and get less (or the same) cruising on RC vs CCL (compare prices of suites between the two as one example).

 

Either one you choose, you'll have fun. So, go and enjoy. Don't worry about what name is on the ship.

[nbsjcruiser]

We've cruised both and have enjoyed both although our favorite line is RCI.

 

RCI ships tend to be nicer looking ships IMHO. They are tastefully decorated whereas Carnival ships tend to be a little Vegas like. Food is equally nice on both lines but I do give the nod to RCI because of the buffet. I like their buffets better. They tend to be laid out better and the quality of the buffet food is a little better I think. The service is equally as good on both lines. Value for your money goes to Carnival as the RCI cruises tend to be a bit more expensive. Itinerary choices are better on Carnival. RCI is leaning more to 3 days at sea on their 7 day cruises which I don't like.

 

Having said all that, I do prefer RCI slightly over Carnival and probably the key reason is the design and look of their ships. This doesn't mean Carnival is a bad line. We've cruised twice on Carnival and have 2 booked on Carnival before we head back to RCI again.

 

Long story short - can't really go too far wrong on either line.

[Cruzaholic41]

I was thinking of doing the C Magic this coming summer in Europe and was wondering what people over on the CCL boards thought of CCL compared to RCCL. I have been on Carnival before but thats when C Destiny was a twinkle in the dry docks eyes! have been on mostly RCCL or Celebrity since.

 

I notice your signature includes RCI's Grandeur and Radiance and Celebrity Solstice. That, along with your other ship choices listed, tells me you are interested in a certain type of ship and experience. You and I both know the "mall" experience is only on certain ship classes, not across the board with RCI, and not on the RCI ships you have chosen.

 

Given your history, I really do not think you will like C. Magic. It is a very crowded and boisterous ship, and it makes for uncomfortable situations, especially on sea days. I really think you should stick with Celebrity or an RCI Vision or Radiance Class ship for Europe.

[valancy1]

Given your history, I really do not think you will like C. Magic. It is a very crowded and boisterous ship, and it makes for uncomfortable situations, especially on sea days. I really think you should stick with Celebrity or an RCI Vision or Radiance Class ship for Europe.

 

Um, Carnival Magic isn't even finished being built yet. So how do you know that it IS a boisterous ship??

 

Sorry, but geez.

[Cruzaholic41]

Um, Carnival Magic isn't even finished being built yet. So how do you know that it IS a boisterous ship??

 

Sorry, but geez.

 

 

Seriously? Do you really not know the answer to that?

[waykaylincruz]

My family are RCCL fans and just got back from the Carnival Liberty to the eastern Caribbean. I was a bit leary as I had taken a CCL cruise (short 4 day jaunt to the Bahamas on the Fantasy)back several years ago and it wasn't all that great. From the moment I boarded the ship, I naturally started "comparing" RCCL and CCL. Later on that first evening, I realized that I had somewhere stopped the comparisons because everything was wonderful on the Liberty....ship, staff, food, etc.. Before I knew it, I had quickly became a fan of Carnival and that cruise turned out to be one of the best we have ever taken. Now, we still love RCCL and it is still our favorite cruiseline by a narrow margin and this is simply because the decor is such a turnoff for me on some of the CCL ships. Everything about our cruise on the Liberty matched anything we had ever had on our RCCL cruise vacations. In the future, we will still look at RCCL, NCL and Carnival when in the market for a cruise vacation but CCL will definitely get more attention than in the past. We had an AWESOME cruise and have reservations in recommending them to our friends and family.

[nothomeonacruise]

The last 18 of my 20 cruises have been with Carnival so I wouldn't be able to make a very good comparison. However, there are many CCL cruisers who also cruise RCCL and will give you excellent comparisons.:)

 

I only post to pre-warn you, this is a Carnival forum and there will probably be a host of "cheerleaders" that, with experience on RCCL or not, will probably not give you the most objective comparison.:rolleyes:

 

You had to warn them..:rolleyes:

 

 

I'll say that Carnival is the better deal. I've been on RCCL (Radiance) and saw no difference in people or ships. It seems that RCCL charges for more things.

[Hotelfixer]

I also have sailed both. Many times. In past three years I have sailed RCCL 12 times and CCL 5. I am looking forward to earning platnuim status on Carnival one day.

 

Like many have said, They are more alike than different. I think the food in the MDR on CCL is slightly better but I would give the nod to RCCL on specialty dinning.

 

I would agree with other that CCL ships are more flashy or vegas like than those of Royal but that is a matter of choice. I do cringe when people say things about the malls of the seas. The freedom class ships of Royal do have a Royal Promanade where all the shops are located and many have said it's like a mall. I would say that all ships have on both lines have numerous shops for you to spend your money in. These promanades also have several restaurants and very fun bars. I enjoy people watching and it tends to be a common area on the ship where everyone goes daily.

 

Carnival has similar areas, usually on deck five. I agree that they are IMHO most active on those ships. (passenger activities) I am no longer wowed by rock climbing walls or water slides at my age so that could go either way.

 

I am a biased with the diamond lounge benefits on RCCL. I mean come on, a private lounge where you can drink free and have snacks? Not to sound like a cheerleader either but I enjoy the more options of longer sailings that leave from the states.

 

As another poster has said, Carnival does to me have better beds. They also have I am told more kids activities (camp Carnival). Mine are grown-ish. They also have Chocolate Melting cake:). I do honestly believe that avoiding smoke is more of an issue on CCL but thats my opinion only. I have really grown tired of the Bingo games and Art Auctions on Royal. Not so much of the activity because I don't attend them but the non stop in your face announcements.

 

I do believe IMHO that the carnival ships can be difficult to navigate. I have sailed the Glory twice. Wonderful ship but walking from back to front can only be done on the top. To get to most places you walk on one deck then down then across then back up ....

 

Either way, it is a cruise and everyone is going to go out of the way to try to make your vacation perfect. Enjoy!

[auburn77]

Seriously? Do you really not know the answer to that?

 

They are asking about a Med Cruise.

Boisterous? Have you ever been on a Med Cruise?

Older crowd, few kids, tiring shore excursions, etc.

[lady_cruiser]

I'm counting on it. I already know what the people on RCCL board think of CCL so now i would like to see how the people over here on this board make the comparison.

 

I am not sure what you mean by that statement. More people on the RCL boards will tell you that they cruise both lines and each line has their pors and cons. I don't want to start anything but I find that the CCL Cheerleaders will bash RCL without ever having stepped on a RCL ship.

 

I have cruised on both lines and while RCL is my favorite I have to say that CCL has bigger cabins and better prices but I find that RCL carters to the older generation, in which group I fall. And in my opinion I find that RCL has better entertainment that changes quite often. To prove my point - we sailed on Carnival in 2005 then five years later in 2010 (this year.). Both cruises were on the same ship and we saw the exact same show on both cruises - 5 years apart. When I asked why it hasn't changed (during a behind the scene tour) I was told that it costs over a million dollars to produce a show so Carnival keeps them as long as they can. This includes the back drops, costumes, training new entertainers when they come on board, etc.

 

Please don't flame me, I am not a cheer leader of Carnival or Royal Caribbean but I just have to have my say especially when someone says one group bashes any other group and I think they were mislead.

[Cruzaholic41]

They are asking about a Med Cruise.

Boisterous? Have you ever been on a Med Cruise?

Older crowd, few kids, tiring shore excursions, etc.

 

Yes. I have been on 3 Med cruises. Please go back and read my entire post instead of nitpicking certain words. I was comparing the Magic to the previous ships the Op was on.

[madgally]

I was thinking of doing the C Magic this coming summer in Europe and was wondering what people over on the CCL boards thought of CCL compared to RCCL. I have been on Carnival before but thats when C Destiny was a twinkle in the dry docks eyes! have been on mostly RCCL or Celebrity since.

 

Thanks

 

RCCL would be my choice but you probably shouldn't ask this question in a "Carnival Section" as it will be swayed. LOL good luck, go with fun people so you will have a good time no matter what. I think you will be disapointed in the Magic (I know people who regretted taking the Dream this summer due to the decline in quality) and with it being the first runs it will be overpriced.

[wantocruisemore]

RCCL would be my choice but you probably shouldn't ask this question in a "Carnival Section" as it will be swayed. LOL good luck, go with fun people so you will have a good time no matter what. I think you will be disapointed in the Magic (I know people who regretted taking the Dream this summer due to the decline in quality) and with it being the first runs it will be overpriced.

 

 

Actually I have to disagree with you regarding price. Yes, we're booked on RCCL for next summer, 2011 Med cruise. But, the reason we booked with them was intinerary. Magic for the same week was cheaper, and if we had gotten it earlier in the summer, Magic was more than $200 p/p cheaper. We just didn't like Magic's ports and prefer to cruise out of Rome's port (Civitavecchia).

 

Now if Breeze goes out of Rome in 2012, hopefully I'll be on.

[Upandadam]

Having only been on one RCI cruise I'm no expert but in our experience we found that RCI has a real "wow" factor to the ship while Carnival is a finer tuned machine that provides more fun overall.

[valancy1]

They are asking about a Med Cruise.

Boisterous? Have you ever been on a Med Cruise?

Older crowd, few kids, tiring shore excursions, etc.

 

No I've not. However, the Carnival Magic isn't even FINISHED yet and this person said it IS a boisterous ship. LOL

[BobbyD]

We have cruised both CCL and RCL but most recently RCL. I have booked the Magic for next summer and cannot wait. RCL's ships are nicer (in our opinion) and in our experience the service on RCL has been just a bit better. CCL's hasn't been bad, by any means. We are hoping that we love the Magic because I would rather cruise more often and CCL tends to be cheaper! Either way, we have never had a bad cruise and I am sure that this coming summer will be great. I am looking forward to a newer, bigger ship!

[MrPete]

No I've not. However, the Carnival Magic isn't even FINISHED yet and this person said it IS a boisterous ship. LOL

 

Isn't Magic a sister to Dream?