Pricing between RCI and Carnival

[tanelicus]

At first glance, it appears that Carnival is cheaper by a margin in comparison to RCI. However, I noticed that at the end, the cheap price only comes about if you agree to Carnival's no refund policy and the rooms they give are in my opinion in not such a great location.

 

At the end of the day, if you want to get a room above sea level (haha) on Carnival, the price in the end is going to be very close to RCI.

 

If that's the case, it makes no sense to not go with RCI. Unless of course you love Carnival.

[lissa42886]

above sea level??? all the rooms are above sea level..

[tanelicus]

above sea level??? all the rooms are above sea level..

 

I was joking, to a point. I mean anywhere below promenage level; 1-5 usually.

 

Not ideal in my opinion. If your okay with that then why not; I guess.

[lissa42886]

oooohhh. my bad. i actualy like the lower rooms. no noise and its peacefull. id only go higher up to get a balcony or suite. no need to spend the extra $$ just to have a higher deck.

[sail2sea]

At first glance, it appears that Carnival is cheaper by a margin in comparison to RCI. However, I noticed that at the end, the cheap price only comes about if you agree to Carnival's no refund policy and the rooms they give are in my opinion in not such a great location.

 

At the end of the day, if you want to get a room above sea level (haha) on Carnival, the price in the end is going to be very close to RCI.

 

If that's the case, it makes no sense to not go with RCI. Unless of course you love Carnival.

 

That's what I have been saying. The pricing difference is not as large as at first glance. Carnival's advertised price is the Early Saver which comes with many restrictions. For those of us who cruise with a group of friends and need a more flexible refund policy we have to go with a more expensive rate. On the other hand, Royal's advertised price is higher but many of us can get certificates and balcony discount. So the difference is not that large.

 

But I disagree that "rooms they give are not in great location" part. You can pick your room with Carnival's ES rate and if you are early enough you can have the best room in the category. :) And if you can live with the ES restrictions, it will give you OBC for price drops after final payment day.

[dacsmom]

It sounds like the OP is trying to start a Carnival bashing thread. I cruise Carnival and RC. I like both and I think both lines offer both good and bad deals. That is why I shop around. Depending on the cruise I will sometimes book a lower inside stateroom. They are cheaper and quieter. If you do not like Carnival's Early Saver Program then do not book it. For me, it works. Between RC and Carnival I am sure to find a ship and itinerary I like. That is the best thing about multiple cruise lines, there is something for everyone.

[gsu_paintballer]

I've been on both lines, and the introduction on Carnival's ES policy provides a nice discount if you're willing to take the risks. We've taken that on our four cruises with them (soon to be five). There's always the option for trip insurance.

 

If I was forced to pay the higher rates, I'd go with RC for the same price or (+5%), but the value in those ES rates is a lot better than you're giving it credit for.

[PSCruiser]

While I like the early pricing that Carnival does, I also think they have an inferior product, so they should be less expensive.

Don't know if Carnival still does it, but on some ships they had a few tiny cabins with bunk beds that they used to advertise a low price. At least with RC you always get a "standard" cabin.

[fast ed]

I have to disagree with the contentions of the original poster. I have been sailing sailing the mass market lines since the early eighties. First cruise was on a ship named the dolphin. In the ninties I used mostly Princess and Celebrity. Since 2000 I have been going with RCCL, NCL, and CCL, as Ive found them to be more exciting. I take pride in finding good deals, and always manage to get at last a regular balcony cabin, or occassionaly a mini suite for anywhere between $100-120 a nte. dbl.occ. Having said this, I must say that Royal is usually at or near the highest rates and therefore much more difficult to do this than the other lines. Of course, Oasis/Allure are the toughest. Carnival is probably the easiest l ine to get a deal on, and Ive never used ES as I like to book 3 mos. out. All three of these lines have many similarities as far as having a "great time", but Carnival excels in "BANG FOR THE BUCK".

[time4u2go]

At first glance, it appears that Carnival is cheaper by a margin in comparison to RCI. However, I noticed that at the end, the cheap price only comes about if you agree to Carnival's no refund policy and the rooms they give are in my opinion in not such a great location.

 

At the end of the day, if you want to get a room above sea level (haha) on Carnival, the price in the end is going to be very close to RCI.

 

If that's the case, it makes no sense to not go with RCI. Unless of course you love Carnival.

Your statements seem overly generalizing.

 

Specifically which Carnival and which RCI ships are you comparing?

[Tapi]

Don't know if Carnival still does it, but on some ships they had a few tiny cabins with bunk beds that they used to advertise a low price. At least with RC you always get a "standard" cabin.

 

Those "tiny" cabins with bunks on CCL are actually larger than the "standard" inside cabins on any RCI ships.

 

To the OP, I personally believe that the RCI product is better than the CCL product but it does come with a higher price tag. In all of my years of cruising, I still haven't paid less for an RCI cruise than what I've paid for a similar CCL cruise, even without the Early Saver rate.

 

In general CCL is still the price leader.

[KellyJean]

My first and only Carnival cruise was on the Paradise back when it was a non-smoking ship - had no problems, have no regrets. On RCI, I have been on the Brilliance, Sovereign and Monarch. I chose the Sovereign class because I loved the "lines" of the ship. I stay with RCI now because, should I end up traveling alone, RCI does not "penalize" me like Carnival does. For example, Carnival charges me 200% of the adult cruise fare because I am a single traveler. I know the whys and wherefores but it still makes me feel like I am being penalized for traveling solo. RCI charges me "extra" for being a solo traveler (although I haven't had to travel solo yet) but not 200% of the fare.

 

Bottom line is that I feel royal when I cruise with Royal!