Carnival Cruisers First Royal Caribbean Experience

[Guest LoveMyBoxer]

Out of the 17 cruises I’ve been on 15 of those were with Carnival. After so many Carnival cruises I decided it was time to try other lines. I cruised Princess for the first time last year and I’ll be taking my first Celebrity cruise next year. My best friend loves Royal Caribbean and thought I might enjoy them as well. She organized a girls cruise on the Explorer and I must say I loved it. The cruise director Jimmy Rhodes was one of the best cruise directors I’ve seen.

 

I’ve read many posts on the Carnival boards stating RCCL Promenade has a shopping mall feel as well as comments asking who needs an ice skating rink and rock climbing wall on a ship. In spite of many comments that can be taken as not so positive, I chose to go on the ship with an open mind about the things on RCCL that are not on Carnival. From my experience it wasn’t a shopping mall feel. I thought the Promenade was a wonderful place to have a drink and people watch. The parades on the Promenade were quite entertaining.

 

I made a point to see the rock climbing wall but had absolutely no desire to try it. Although I didn’t want to attempt ice skating I must admit the ice show was very good. Especially considering the amount of space the skaters have to work with.

 

Base on my observations there are more similarities than differences among the 2 lines. For example, Carnival has the hairy chest contest; RCCL has a sexiest man contest. Although I’ve read negative comments on the RCCL boards about Carnivals pool activities, in my opinion these two activities are basically the same. RCCL also had a belly flop contest which was hilarious.

 

I’ve always had great service on Carnival and I also had great service on RCCL. The dining room meals were equally good on both lines however I enjoyed the buffet on RCCL more than Carnival mainly due to the layout of the buffet area. Even when we went at peak times there was very little to no wait at all. The layout of the multiple food stations makes getting through the lines much quicker than on Carnival.

 

To RCCL’s advantage they offer hot items on the room service menu. It was nice to have a hot breakfast on our balcony as well as hot items for a mid afternoon snack a couple of times.

 

One of the obvious differences between Carnival and RCCL is the décor. The Explorer is prettier than any of the Carnival ships I’ve been on. I’m not one who cares much about décor though. As long as the ship is clean décor doesn’t really matter to me. It’s just something that’s easily noticeable.

 

Bottom line…I enjoyed my RCCL cruise very much and I’m sure I’ll cruise RCCL again. I absolutely will continue to cruise Carnival and Princess as well. I hope to be able to say I’ll cruise Celebrity again after I experience that cruise line next year. I’ll go on Celebrity the same way I went on the Explorer; with an open mind and expectations of having a great cruise.

 

Thank you for this review. We will be sailing on the Explorer in February. Have not sailed RCCL since 1994 when we sailed on the Song of America and did not like anything about it. Are there any tips or things that should not be missed on the Explorer? Also, how do the drink prices compare to Carnival? Thanks

[LHP]

Glad you had a great cruise...

 

thanks for giving us your feedback.

 

The only thing I can think of that would deter me from RCCL (or any other cruise line) is the fact that they use an Ipod in karaoke...and I can't use my custom CDGs.

 

And since I cruise to karaoke...this would greatly impact my cruise.

 

Other than that....any ship I am on would be a good one!!! :D

[halos]

Having sailed back to back on these two lines' respective largest and newest class of ships, I believe that each one shines for very different reasons and offerings. The ships, activities, decoration, food offerings and overall feel are FAR from being alike.

 

I agree!! I have sailed CCl, NCL, Celebrity and RCI and I found each to be unique in more ways than alike. Each line has it's own personality for sure!!

[cruisinfanatic]

Haven't tried RCCL yet. Heard it was nice. When compared to price I always go for more bang for the buck.

how do you know you're getting that?

[cruisinfanatic]

I sailed RCCL once after many carnival cruises. my friend and her hubby went for their anniversary and were nice enough to invite myself (she felt bad about me cruising alone,)so i also invited my mom. first of all the ship with out a doubt was beautiful and clean. i just found more fun on carnival. we heard the same 5 songs out by the pool over and over again, became really annoying. the food wasn't as good, but was ok. the rooms were nice but the closet space was a joke (worked for 2 people, but for 4 would become a joke). the balcony for the room was outstanding. i have to give it to RCL for that. SO much space on a standard balcony. the promanade was a nice place to people watch but when they had a "taste of the nation" type thing, it was impossible to walk around, so my mom and i left. they always did the parades either during the early dining time (which is what i had) or extremly late at night, which then we heard from our room. We had a good time. i just found my style is with carnival. glad i tried with royal. but next time i'll spend my $2700 on a 7 day cruise with a suite on carnival and not a regular (cheapest rate) balcony room on rcl. just my opinion

I'm the reverse. I would rather take in inside on RCL than a balcony on Carnival. As far a the same song being played on the pool deck? Possible, but would rather that than the big screen tv blasting all day

[halos]

I'm the reverse. I would rather take in inside on RCL than a balcony on Carnival. As far a the same song being played on the pool deck? Possible, but would rather that than the big screen tv blasting all day

 

I also hate those big screens.

[Vanessa L]

Thank you for posting this. It strengthens my belief that little has changed since I last sailed RCI (mid 90s or so). I recall that RCI was a tad more "formal" than CCL but essentially, it was the same cruise on a different ship. I've been reading here over the years that RCI and CCL are more similar than different. I am going to give them another try after we reach Platinum with CCL next year. Assuming of course, CCL doesn't change their program prior to October 2012 meaning I'd have to do 3 more cruises to reach Platinum rather than 2. Regardless, I'm planning on doing 2 CCL cruises next year and let the cards fall where they will. That means we'll try RCI in early 2013. Assuming of course, that the world doesn't end on 12/21/12 as predicted, LOL! :p

[yj2cute]

I also hate those big screens.

 

Im not fond of the big screens either. I experienced them for the first on the CP last year. I liked the evening movies but the day time sports or concerts, etc. Were just too much. I was disappointed to see RCCL begin to add them to their ships.

[GloriaF]

Thanks for the review. I agree about Carnival seeming to be the best cruise value.

 

We are going on our first Carnival cruise (Ecstasy out of Port Canaveral on 11/26/11) and we are all very excited about it! Can't wait to try another line! We have done several Princess cruises and one Holland America -- RCCL and X left to do after the Ecstasy.

[firefly333]

i don't agree.

 

i still read it as the royals trying to justify paying more on rccl, saying you get more..

 

Since its me you dont agree with, let me try and explain what I meant. RCL and Carnival and probably NCL all try to aim to cater to families more than other lines. They all do things different to draw in families. Carnival has unveiled its new 2.0 to appeal to the younger generation.

 

Demand drives prices and of these three, obviously there is more demand for RCL cruises, or the prices could not be held at higher levels than the other family cruises.. NCL has been giving OBC out the kazoo to attrack people rather than drop prices. Its not uncommon for someone to tell me they got $550 OBC on a NCL cruise .. and if you book while onboard on NCL you get OBC toward the cruise you are on??!!

 

I do feel Voyager, Freedom and Oasis are classes above Carnival in what they offer .. and prices reflect that Im not the only one who thinks this. Many on Carnival brag about how expensive RCL ships were to build compared to Carnival's. .. but to many the extra beauty is worth paying something extra. Building cheaper to build ships is Carnival's forte, cookie cutter cabins, that are alike from one ship to the next, but RCL makes each ship more special. I own more Carnival stock than RCL, because I know Carnival is all about the bottom line.

[chasinraynbowz]

Thanks for your review. We are going on our first RCCL cruise in less than a week.

[Waterloomarc]

I've been wanting to try an RCCL cruise but for me I can't stand their website. Just being on it for more than a couple of minutes infuriates me. I find it extremely ironic that a cruise line with such (from what I've read) beautifully decorated/designed ships could have such a poor grasp of web design. Hopefully they'll redo their site enough to where I can be there long enough to do enough research that I feel comfortable parting with $2500...

[dprg644]

Thanks for an honest opinion and keeping an open mind when comparing the different lines. Enjoyed reading it.

[additivecruiser]

Im a diehard Carnival person as you can see below (platnuim milestone @ age 41) but i got to say !!!! I was very impressed with the 2 RCCL sailings i did last year......I chose to sail rccl mainly because theyre alot cheaper for a single cruiser ,where carnival charges 2 full fares..... Walking on the ship with a biased opinion i was shocked how elegant the ship was....very classy ,but besides that and the enormous variety of stuff in the buffet ,they were very similiar except one main thing .....THE PASSENGERS......so after doing a 5 day ,i said let me be fair and do the 4 day weekend sailing......again the same response..... A very tamed ,unfriendly, non outgoing bunch and older......NOT UR CARNIVAL CROWD... but thats my opinion.... I love meeting new people ,im outgoing, love PARTYING...so Carnival definately gives u that fun,outgoing,partying type of cruise ,but if i was going on a couples or family cruise ,i would sail rccl again, just not with my friends or myself.... Hope i didnt offend anyone ! Just my opinion ............

[s407o]

I also just got off of Explorer, I have been mostly CCL with one other RCCL cruise were I didnt have a good experience. I decided to have an open mind when doing this girls cruise. The ship was fabulous no doubt about it. I did try the rock wall, saw the ice show (awesome), however many times we all said we were missing the fun. We made our own fun but I like to stay up late and it seemed we were closing bars down at 1am. The casino was about the only thing that stayed open. We of course enjoyed the cruise but I dont think for this point in my life I would like to go back. I wanted party I got sedate. I also found the food hit or miss. Which I guess I do on Carnival too just not as often. lol

[cruisinfanatic]

I also just got off of Explorer, I have been mostly CCL with one other RCCL cruise were I didnt have a good experience. I decided to have an open mind when doing this girls cruise. The ship was fabulous no doubt about it. I did try the rock wall, saw the ice show (awesome), however many times we all said we were missing the fun. We made our own fun but I like to stay up late and it seemed we were closing bars down at 1am. The casino was about the only thing that stayed open. We of course enjoyed the cruise but I dont think for this point in my life I would like to go back. I wanted party I got sedate. I also found the food hit or miss. Which I guess I do on Carnival too just not as often. lol

You sure didn't pick the right cruise if you expected a young crowd. You need to try one out of Florida

[s407o]

Although I didnt choose that one, I am the only floridian out of the bunch everyone else is upstate NY so I had to fly there. I kinda thought it would be a good NYC, NJ bunch. I thought if they are coming from the city that never sleeps we would be ok. I thought wrong! lol dont get me wrong I enjoyed the cruise it just wasnt my cup of tea.

[mavis2222]

I was on the Independance back in 2008 when it was still "new". That was my First RC cruise. The gym and adult area pool was superior to carnival. FRESH water in pool, comfortalby heated. large enough and deep enough to actually swim in. 2 very large hot tubs that "hung" over the side. Allot of nice plush lounge chairs to choose from. Even at sea days, there were plenty of chairs to choose from. I didnt go ashore, I cruised for the ship on that trip.

[Pookie718]

I am just the opposite. I am taking my FIRST Carnival cruise in November on the Victory. I am an avid RCCL fan, and have cruised with them 5 times with the last one being on the Oasis. Yes, I do believe it is probably a bit more "sedate" than Carnival, but time will tell. I always thought of Carnival as the "rowdy" ship rather than the "fun" ship, so am looking forward to having that impression changed.

I am also going with an open mind, and to me there is nothing better than being at sea on a cruise ship...it really doesn't matter what line I'm on. I've also done Holland America, and Princess. I have a Celebrity coming up in May 2012. Bring it on Carnival, and hopefully I will love my cruise so much, I'll want to come back for more!;)

 

Penny

[Tapi]

I've been reading here over the years that RCI and CCL are more similar than different.

 

I've personally found that this statement is as inaccurate and outdated as the "Carnival is a party cruise line" statement.

 

Maybe when comparing some of the older ships RCI and CCL are more similar, but not when comparing anything newer than a Voyager class.

 

I think that this statement was created by people trying to convince themselves that there's no reason to pay extra on RCI when they are "similar to CCL". As I found out a few months ago, they are not! The product is vastly different now, specially when comparing these two lines newest ships

[Moz]

Such an interesting and refreshing thread. We have cruised Carnival many times (well over 16) due to logistics, price etc. but did have the experience of one RCCL cruise which was wonderful. It was great to see on this board that people can realize that the RCCL cruise is a great experience as is the Carnival one. What I do resent is the Carnival cheerleaders here and especially on another Carnival blog who constantly call RCCL unsavory names and make fun of that line. It has destroyed the Carnival experience for us as ship bashing,no matter what line, should not occur the same being with this CC site. We are at the point where we can no longer cruise but I would welcome cruising on the many lines and enjoy them all without negatively mentioning them. You are all very lucky you can still cruise and enjoy many cruises a year.

[s407o]

I've personally found that this statement is as inaccurate and outdated as the "Carnival is a party cruise line" statement.

 

Maybe when comparing some of the older ships RCI and CCL are more similar, but not when comparing anything newer than a Voyager class.

 

I think that this statement was created by people trying to convince themselves that there's no reason to pay extra on RCI when they are "similar to CCL". As I found out a few months ago, they are not! The product is vastly different now, specially when comparing these two lines newest ships

 

I agree if you are just looking at ships, RCCL wins hands down, but as far as overall experience, ie.. food, games, bingo, lido deck on sea days I think they are very similar. RCCL is by far the leader in quality ships. The promenade was beautiful.

[OCruisers]

Thanks so much for your review!

 

We also like to cruise on different cruise lines from time to time. So agree, keeping an open mind is important! We always do our best to enjoy the one we are cruising at the time! :)

[additivecruiser]

I also just got off of Explorer, I have been mostly CCL with one other RCCL cruise were I didnt have a good experience. I decided to have an open mind when doing this girls cruise. The ship was fabulous no doubt about it. I did try the rock wall, saw the ice show (awesome), however many times we all said we were missing the fun. We made our own fun but I like to stay up late and it seemed we were closing bars down at 1am. The casino was about the only thing that stayed open. We of course enjoyed the cruise but I dont think for this point in my life I would like to go back. I wanted party I got sedate. I also found the food hit or miss. Which I guess I do on Carnival too just not as often. lol

 

Thank you !!! atleast Im not alone....I see ur sailing for thanksgiving week on the Freedom.....I did that same one in 08....... Have a great time !!!!

[cruzccl]

Glad you had a great time on RCCL. I enjoyed my time with them as well. I feel each cruise line offers something different for each of us. I love CCL and when I want the high energy excitement of Carnival, I sail on her. When I want something else, well I have choices. I have just booked a 14 day Celebrity and can't wait.