Thinking of a change..convince me why RCCL over Carnival

[Cruising89143]

The Freedom is a nice ship. I have cruised twice on this ship. The Dream is actually a smaller but carries as many passengers. The entertainment on this ship was good including the ice skating show. I have photos of the Freedom in my photo link below. For a $100.00 more than Carnival, I highly suggest giving RCI a try.

[akcruz]

Looking at the Freedom of the Seas out of Port Canaveral. I've found it for only $100 more than the Carnival Dream out of the same port. THinking will give it a try, but I am going to see if my Carnival PVP can get me a better deal first.....but something about RCCL just is very appealing.

 

The Freedom is a nice ship. I have cruised twice on this ship. The Dream is actually a smaller but carries as many passengers. The entertainment on this ship was good including the ice skating show. I have photos of the Freedom in my photo link below. For a $100.00 more than Carnival, I highly suggest giving RCI a try.

 

Agree, in that case, definitely give it a try. Freedom is one of our favorite ships. We sailed on a sold out cruise and often wondered where everyone was. The entertainment is top notch and the amenities provided on that ship are great.

[3dog]

For me, it really has been the ships. To me they are laid out better, have features that are more interesting and available, and I don't get any feeling of being confined (with the exception of the below). The latter is aided by a larger space ratio (fewer people per interior space), so there isn't usually the feeling of crowds, and in the scenarios where there are (when shows end), it disperses quickly and easily.

 

Overall, the cabins on Carnival are usually larger

 

On this note, this isn't necessarily true. Inside cabins on Carnival are definitely larger, balconies are close to the same (some RCI ships are a little larger, some are a little smaller), but suites are definitely larger on RCI. So if you travel strictly in inside cabins, you may feel more confined. But will have more space in suites. However, as I hear from some pax who regularly book insides "we don't spend much time in the room", the smaller inside staterooms quickly becomes the large expanse of the ship.

[silygirl77]

Royal's ships will get you back to the port on time and won't break down

 

Sorry, I just had to :D

 

Lol I was think that too. I've been on Carnival, but won't go back, because of their "string of bad luck" as another poster put it.

[rrodriquez2]

First off, let me say thank you to those who have responded. Although I've sailed five times with Carnival and am sailing the Celebration Cruise Line "cheapo" cruise this summer, I'm by no means brand loyal. It's just always worked out that way that it's been Carnival.

 

Secondly, I'm 48 and the first two Carnival cruises were fun because I was in my 20's...last time fiance' and I went on the Elation there were a lot of kids and we spent most of our time on the adults only Serenity deck.

 

Obviously during Fall Break for schools there will be more kids on any line.

 

I am not a "typical" Carnival cruiser as referred to. I'm actually wanting to know and have learned from several responses that each line does one or the other thing better. But, I do tend to think we want to be more "pampered" and have a bit more laid back cruise rather than the party type atmosphere and perhaps a more age appropriate crowd as well.

 

Looking at the Freedom of the Seas out of Port Canaveral. I've found it for only $100 more than the Carnival Dream out of the same port. THinking will give it a try, but I am going to see if my Carnival PVP can get me a better deal first.....but something about RCCL just is very appealing.

 

Unlike many posting here I've done the Dream class and the Freedom class in the very recent past. Think months.

 

I found the lines for food on the Freedom class (Independence) to be cafeteria like. Breakfast and lunch always seemed to involve having to walk around for 5-10 minutes just to find a table at the busy times. Contrast that with the Dream class where you can get your food and go sit out on a table in the open air. Much harder to do on the IoS. We never rated real hash browns on the Royal cruise. We got the same potato puffs the kids get in school all week long at breakfast which was kind of funny. You won't find the same lines on the Oasis class as they've moved to multiple dining options as well.

 

The food. There's no difference. Both lines spend the same amount of money about $9.50 per diem. I've never had food I had to go to the bathroom to spit out in any prior cruise like I did the steak on the IoS last week. The fish was literally less than or equal the size of a credit card as the entrée - that's not a joke, it was that small most meals. The steak was equivalent to what you'd get at your chain restaurant but the chain would have at least cut the inedible portions prior to serving. The only thing memorable I ate all week was the seafood ceviche. Everything else was very forgettable but I think you know that going in. This isn't 1990s cruise line food. This is average restaurant food in a much nicer setting on both lines.

 

Entertainment. I saw no difference. The Once Upon A Time show was well done on the IoS. Everything else was forgettable. The ice show was nice and unique. But at the same time let's not forget it's a tiny ice surface and you're not seeing a performance anywhere near on par with what you'd see at your major show. Every female performer save one fell at least once at the show we were at, not complaining just saying. Disney on Ice this was not.

 

Noise. The steel drum band someone complained about I could do without. Play the DJ. The steel drum band was so loud you couldn't hold a conversation anywhere on the pool deck and they seemed incapable of turning it down. Music before was great, music after great. For some reason the band was 30-40% louder and it literally drove people off the deck.

 

The kids area was okay on Royal. I liked the hot tubs for kids. But they were often occupied by people that clearly had no kids which was creepy. Obviously they were escaping the college kids but really? You have dedicated adult areas, don't climb in and crowd out a bunch of 6 year olds.

 

MDR ambiance and overall ambiance. Let's be honest aside of the new Carnival Sunshine layout, Carnival was one step away from purple neon lights under their boats. I mean seriously, who thought bright red and green were good colors on the Dream class? IMO the one thing I really did like about Royal is I felt like I was in a nice hotel, not on an episode of **** My Cruise Ship. That said it doesn't bother me on Carnival because I think they do handle the masses better than Royal.

 

Surfing vs water slides. The water slides are up over the kids park not wasting much space. I was really surprised by how little the surfing thing was used. Normally just 5-8 people in line. It takes up a huge amount of space. To be honest we'd have used it more if it was another large pool, bar, hot tub area like on the Dream class. Yes we did both. The rock wall is a nice addition and in a good space.

 

Crowds. I get it, we were on a spring break booze cruise that RCL said they were no longer doing after last years TV expose. I kind of get that they cannot control who books a cruise. But the more I think about how little they did to quell the party atmosphere on deck, the more angry I get. I've NEVER had that experience on a Carnival ship including during break periods with up to 1600 "kids" on the boat. The more we talk with new friends on the ship and hear their stories the more we realize part of the problem here is you had to toss stuff off the ship to get in trouble. Otherwise abhorrent behavior was fine. That stinks. I saw the pool people yell at a woman because her kid had on a swim diaper just in case. They tossed her from an empty kids pool. Yet 100 feet away they're doing funnels and have 3 or 4 times the stated capacity in a hot tub and that is okay? Be consistent.

 

I like the layout better in terms of the promenade that is cool. Having to go down 6 decks to get food (or more) at times from the pool. Put a buffet of something out at the pool deck. The bars were redundant and often closed anyway. Turn one into a pizza buffet or something. I really felt like Royal wanted you OFF the pool decks at 6pm. First the bars started to close and then the ropes come out to keep you out of the pools that were finally empty out as the college kids drank themselves to sleep. Carnival they're serving food and drink until you leave pretty much. I like that. I felt like on Royal we were being herded all the time. On the last night you could not get out onto the pool deck to take in your last night under the stars. They'd stopped the rotating door on deck 11. If you really wanted to go on deck you had to go all the way downstairs out onto deck 4 or 5, I forget which. Really? I get it they were pressure washing for the next cruise but we weren't even at dinner yet!

 

Service: MDR main service was good to great. First night terrible that's the same on any cruise I've ever been on. Bar service was initially terrible. The bartenders were shellshocked from day 1 by the kids. Room stewards? We got animals for the kids 1 or 2 nights. On Carnival every single night. Maybe they spoiled us but I also think they did a better job picking up. We had no issues with things in the room not working on Carnival. Our safe never worked, doors were broken etc. The mattress was college quality with an egg crate on it in a suite. The room itself was I thought nicer than Carnival but not by much. I did like the balcony better on Royal but it was less private. The plastic sliders between are both opaque (people can see thru) and do nothing to cut down the noise.

 

 

Carnival is a little cheaper. Not much. We're pricing out our next cruise for April. I see about a $500-1k difference between the two lines for a larger suite. Based on my recent experience for what we do, there's no justification for it.

 

If you're thinking Oasis class, Carnival has nothing to compare. I'd find the volume of people to be overwhelming but some love it. They're great ships. The Freedom class to me left much to be desired compared to the Dream class and there was certainly nothing to justify the cost increase.

 

They're both very good lines. It's personal preference. I spent two hours the other day listening to a friend tell me how much better Volvo was than Ford. I hated to tell him at the end Volvo is owned by Ford. Same deal with the cruise ships. Individual preferences and individual experiences (our cruise was full of drunk college kids and had a crew going into dry dock in a few weeks..IMO that played a factor too) will vary. But there's not much difference between the two. The discussion back and forth here is basically the same as the people that will say Mercedes is better than Lexus or BMW than Audi. All personal preference really.

[ryano]

.

 

Looking at the Freedom of the Seas out of Port Canaveral. I've found it for only $100 more than the Carnival Dream out of the same port. THinking will give it a try, but I am going to see if my Carnival PVP can get me a better deal first.....but something about RCCL just is very appealing.

 

Freedom of the Seas is a WONDERFUL ship. From what I have seen and read the Carnival Dream cannot even come close to comparing. Plus, with the current stigma surrounding the Dream right now would make Freedom Of the Seas a no brainer at least for me. Especially for on a few hundred dollars more.

[cjdixon4]

We shouldn't be the ones to convince you. No one can make your mind up for you about what's best for YOU. Regardless of Carnival's recent difficulties, I like them. I also like Royal. Both are mass market cruise lines with a multitude of great amenities and prices, but for the most part there are more similarities than differences. You'll simply need to book a cruise, and decide for yourself. After you've tried them both, come back and tell us what YOU think.

[davy jones]

I have cruised with Carnival five times and have not been disappointed. I am taking my daughters on a Celebration cruise this summer to the Bahamas and know to go with no expectations.

 

Now I am looking for a fall cruise with my fiance' and am really considering going with RCCL and would like to know what to expect in relation to what I've experienced on Carnival. I know that RCCL costs a couple hundred dollars more on most 7 day cruises compared to Carnival. I'd appreciate honest opinions and observations from those who have cruised both lines and can tell me distinct differences in everything from food, to service, to entertainment, to cabins, to ships themselves.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Asking that question on this board is like throwing raw meat into a pack of starved lions. :)

 

However, if you liked Carnival, you will like Royal. Beyond that, it is a matter of personal preferences about decor, food, entertainment, etc. Just be aware that large cruise lines like Carnival and Royal can have significant variation from ship to ship.

[Cthy651]

Why would you want us to convince you - go with your own instinct - try it, you might like it!

[golfer1966]

I have cruised with Carnival five times and have not been disappointed. I am taking my daughters on a Celebration cruise this summer to the Bahamas and know to go with no expectations.

 

Now I am looking for a fall cruise with my fiance' and am really considering going with RCCL and would like to know what to expect in relation to what I've experienced on Carnival. I know that RCCL costs a couple hundred dollars more on most 7 day cruises compared to Carnival. I'd appreciate honest opinions and observations from those who have cruised both lines and can tell me distinct differences in everything from food, to service, to entertainment, to cabins, to ships themselves.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Read the newspapers or watch the news.... this should be enough evidence for you....:rolleyes:

[ShakyBeef]

I have been a loyal Royal cruiser out of Baltimore in fact I have my 5th booked for November on the Grandeur but must say the price difference between the Carnival Pride and the Grandeur for cruises out of Baltimore makes it tempting to try Carnival. The Pride suites are larger and considerably cheaper to the tune of around $500 per person out of Baltimore on most of their cruises.

 

 

Which suites are you comparing? The Ocean Suites I have stayed in on Carnival Pride are (all measurements in sq. feet) 275, with a 65 balcony. And the Grand Suite I will staying in on Grandeur is listed as 353.1, with a 107.6 balcony. So at least in the case of these 2, which are the lowest end "real" suite on each ship, Grandeur's are considerably larger. But, you are correct in pointing out they are also considerably more expensive.;)

 

BTW, I'm jumping ship from Carnival to RCI, but I would suggest you go ahead and give the Pride a try. You might like it. And even if you don't, it didn't cost that much.;) Check out their January cruises to the Bahamas - you can't beat that price, sailing from home.

[MissKIA]

No, don't suggest it !!!

 

Loyal Royal Caribbean cruisers don't need to be infected by Carnival cruisers. That would be the beginning of the end of Royal Caribbean as we know it today.

 

Before you know it, Royal Caribbean will be offering triple points to Carnival cruisers just to try out the cruise line.

 

Say it ain't so............lol. :D:D:D

 

Are you serious? Infected with Carnival Cruisers?

 

You sure think highly of yourself don't you. :rolleyes: Wow...

 

If this is the mentality of RCCL cruisers, you just might get your wish. I think I'll stick with Carnival (or other cruise lines) where we can all infect each other with... well with whatever disease it is we have.

[Cruising89143]

Are you serious? Infected with Carnival Cruisers?

 

You sure think highly of yourself don't you. :rolleyes: Wow...

 

If this is the mentality of RCCL cruisers, you just might get your wish. I think I'll stick with Carnival (or other cruise lines) where we can all infect each other with... well with whatever disease it is we have.

 

I think that he was joking thus the :D:D:D

[TigerLady]

I agree with this, though it doesn't hurt to branch out. My first cruise was Carnival and I thought I'd never want to try another line. I tried Royal for our honeymoon and now I definitely prefer it over Carnival. The entertainment is so much better on Royal. Other than that though, it's pretty comparable.

 

We did a couple of Royal cruises, talked into going on a couple Carnival Cruises, and to us the difference was huge.. And it wasn't large things that made the difference. It was all the little things that added up to make it a better choice for us. Each person has their likes and dislikes of cruise lines. It never hurts to try something new. Either you like it or don't but have a baseline for comparison the next time to want to book a cruise. On either line, ENJOY!!!

[KG1924]

We were on the Freedom in 2011 and the Dream earlier this year. Hands down, the Freedom is worth $100 more....and I actually just paid more for the Dream!! Don't get me wrong, the Dream was good-we had an aft wrap balcony that we really enjoyed and the itinerary was great. But if you are looking for more of a "pampered" feel, I personally think Royal just does that better. I actually had a couple instances of poor service on the Dream (I don't think this is the norm...just bad luck) I don't know what it is that they do differently, but I feel like there's an extra touch w/ Royal.

 

For us, the ship itself is most important on a cruise, and we like the layouts on Voyager class and larger on RC over the 3 Carnival ones we've been on. Decor is more subdued (which I like, but doesn't make or break a cruise) The ceiling height seems higher on RC, thus feeling more open and less crowded.

 

I also disagree w/ "party" references on Carnival. 2 of the 3 Carnival cruises we've been on were 2 of the most boring cruises as far as night life. I don't know if you're looking for that, but I feel entertainment and music/dancing venues are more spacious and more plentiful on the Royal cruises we've been on. We are looking at doing Royal from now on and I'm trying to convince my husband to try Celebrity-he thinks we are too young still....I'm not sure how much longer we can consider ourselves "young" tho!!! Have fun either way!!!

[MissKIA]

I think that he was joking thus the :D:D:D

 

 

I hope so! Geeze! :(

 

I really want to try other lines too. Not because I don't like Carnival, but just because I want to try out other lines. Every time I look at the price though I can't help but think I can get a way better price with Carnival. RCCL seems to be the next logical choice for whatever reason. Maybe next time. (I'll be sure to get my shots up to date first though just so I don't infect any of you :p )

[rrodriquez2]

We were on the Freedom in 2011 and the Dream earlier this year. Hands down, the Freedom is worth $100 more....and I actually just paid more for the Dream!! Don't get me wrong, the Dream was good-we had an aft wrap balcony that we really enjoyed and the itinerary was great. But if you are looking for more of a "pampered" feel, I personally think Royal just does that better. I actually had a couple instances of poor service on the Dream (I don't think this is the norm...just bad luck) I don't know what it is that they do differently, but I feel like there's an extra touch w/ Royal.

 

For us, the ship itself is most important on a cruise, and we like the layouts on Voyager class and larger on RC over the 3 Carnival ones we've been on. Decor is more subdued (which I like, but doesn't make or break a cruise) The ceiling height seems higher on RC, thus feeling more open and less crowded.

 

I also disagree w/ "party" references on Carnival. 2 of the 3 Carnival cruises we've been on were 2 of the most boring cruises as far as night life. I don't know if you're looking for that, but I feel entertainment and music/dancing venues are more spacious and more plentiful on the Royal cruises we've been on. We are looking at doing Royal from now on and I'm trying to convince my husband to try Celebrity-he thinks we are too young still....I'm not sure how much longer we can consider ourselves "young" tho!!! Have fun either way!!!

 

I'm curious by what you mean when you say pampered? Having done both classes I really felt Carnival did a better job with the suites. What am I missing?

 

Totally agree on the party ship reputation. Royal was the one on national TV for being too rowdy last spring (which I saw that before we booked this year) and based on my experiences it's taken over as the party ship.

 

The funny part of all the comments about Carnival...by the time they're through upgrading all of the Carnival ships will have redundant power while only the 3 newest RCCL ships will. As the Allure fire showed last year, they're not immune either. IMO they've just been luckier so far.

[Cruising89143]

I'm curious by what you mean when you say pampered? Having done both classes I really felt Carnival did a better job with the suites. What am I missing?

 

Totally agree on the party ship reputation. Royal was the one on national TV for being too rowdy last spring (which I saw that before we booked this year) and based on my experiences it's taken over as the party ship.

 

The funny part of all the comments about Carnival...by the time they're through upgrading all of the Carnival ships will have redundant power while only the 3 newest RCCL ships will. As the Allure fire showed last year, they're not immune either. IMO they've just been luckier so far.

 

Suites are what we book and RCI blows Carnival away with their suite choices. Carnival has the worst suite perks of any cruise line out there. Past guest too when talking about perks.

[KentuckyTam]

The Freedom class to me left much to be desired compared to the Dream class and there was certainly nothing to justify the cost increase.

 

I think you will find this opinion to be in the minority. Do a search for "Dream vs Freedom of the Seas" on both boards and you will see what I mean. Freedom is a great ship! The only 2 things I would give an edge to Carnival on are:

1. stateroom size seems to be a little larger.

2. food availability near the pool.

 

 

In my opinion, those 2 things aren't worth giving up what RCCL offers, even if the cost is considerably more on RCCL.

[bencruzN]

We too are old Carnival heads. Came over to RCL, and have not looked back.

The entertainment on RCL is wonderful, and there is always something for everyone.

 

Try it out, see how you will like it.

[Cruising89143]

We were on the Freedom in 2011 and the Dream earlier this year. Hands down, the Freedom is worth $100 more....and I actually just paid more for the Dream!! Don't get me wrong, the Dream was good-we had an aft wrap balcony that we really enjoyed and the itinerary was great. But if you are looking for more of a "pampered" feel, I personally think Royal just does that better. I actually had a couple instances of poor service on the Dream (I don't think this is the norm...just bad luck) I don't know what it is that they do differently, but I feel like there's an extra touch w/ Royal.

 

For us, the ship itself is most important on a cruise, and we like the layouts on Voyager class and larger on RC over the 3 Carnival ones we've been on. Decor is more subdued (which I like, but doesn't make or break a cruise) The ceiling height seems higher on RC, thus feeling more open and less crowded.

 

I also disagree w/ "party" references on Carnival. 2 of the 3 Carnival cruises we've been on were 2 of the most boring cruises as far as night life. I don't know if you're looking for that, but I feel entertainment and music/dancing venues are more spacious and more plentiful on the Royal cruises we've been on. We are looking at doing Royal from now on and I'm trying to convince my husband to try Celebrity-he thinks we are too young still....I'm not sure how much longer we can consider ourselves "young" tho!!! Have fun either way!!!

 

Do yourself a favor and try Celebrity. We just returned from our first cruise on Celebrity. It was the Reflection. It was one of the best cruises that I have taken. It has a slightly different feel than Royal but not in a bad way. It was not stuffy in the least. I noticed that guests adhere to the dress code more on Celebrity.

 

The crew and service was outstanding which is one area that I have found RCI to lead over some of the other lines. The ship was lively even in the evening. Something always going on. Of course just like every other cruise line, time of year and length of cruise will determine the passenger mix but we did not have an older crowd at all.

 

Even though it's highly subjective, I found the food to be overall better than RCI in every category. Entertainment was good but not as good as we have experienced on the Oasis or Allure but I don't think any other cruise line can live up to those two ships.

 

We decided to do another Celebrity cruise next year. We now have two cruise lines that meet our needs with Celebrity edging out RCI slightly due to less kids on board.:)

[akcruz]

I'm curious by what you mean when you say pampered? Having done both classes I really felt Carnival did a better job with the suites. What am I missing?

 

Totally agree on the party ship reputation. Royal was the one on national TV for being too rowdy last spring (which I saw that before we booked this year) and based on my experiences it's taken over as the party ship.

 

The funny part of all the comments about Carnival...by the time they're through upgrading all of the Carnival ships will have redundant power while only the 3 newest RCCL ships will. As the Allure fire showed last year, they're not immune either. IMO they've just been luckier so far.

 

From your posts it sounds like you prefer Carnival, which is perfectly fine. You tried Royal and decided it is not what you were looking for.

 

All that most of on this thread are trying to tell the OP is the only way to find out if it is a fit for you is to try it out themselves.

 

Fortunately there are many cruise lines out there and various ships within each making it possibly for just about everyone to find the ship and line that works for them.

[rrodriquez2]

I think you will find this opinion to be in the minority. Do a search for "Dream vs Freedom of the Seas" on both boards and you will see what I mean. Freedom is a great ship! The only 2 things I would give an edge to Carnival on are:

1. stateroom size seems to be a little larger.

2. food availability near the pool.

 

 

In my opinion, those 2 things aren't worth giving up what RCCL offers, even if the cost is considerably more on RCCL.

 

Well we're talking classes I think, not just particular ships.

 

We were in a suite. Our beds had egg crates on them the mattresses were so badly shot. The safe was broken and the doors on the dresser were stuck/the fronts were pulling off the front. That was in a suite. The pools were often closed by 6ish (usually they roped them off as soon as the college kids left), bars on deck were closed early too unless it was a deck party night. Maybe it was because of the college kids but I really got the impression RCL wanted us inside on this cruise right down to locking us out of the pool deck on the last night.

 

I've done both more recently than most. Maybe the Freedom of the Seas is vastly different than the IOS. Having done the dream classes there are differences between the ships there. But, JMHO, the IOS looked tired to me. One thing I noticed is that every other cruise ship I've ever been on had clean glass. At ports the lines are always cleaning windows with pressure washers etc. I noticed in many areas on the Indy right from the start the windows were dirty looking out. I remember in Jamaica the Allure crew was busy washing windows the entire time we were there. The Indy? No. I've never been on a cruise ship from any line and gone an entire week unapproached by a server for a drink. Not one time did anyone RCCL approach us or any of the friends we met on the ship for a drink. Weird week, again maybe the college kids?

 

The food is the same, the entertainment the same, the bars are the same. I'm pretty much convinced most of the talk is about equivalent to the Lexus vs Mercedes type talk. both are fine vehicles but with different preferences. Maybe I'm missing something but there was no part of our Royal experience that screamed "wow" compared to the Dream class. Obviously the Oasis class is different but so are the prices.

 

I probably wouldn't go back on the IoS at any price. I'd do the Oasis classes again. I just feel like there's no real comparison between what you get on the "new" ships vs the older ones. Better staff, better stuff, happier crew = happier cruisers.

 

JMHO, there was nothing on the particular Freedom class ship we were on that would make me book a Royal cruise next time, and several things that would make me not book it. Some were ship related, some were staff related. But I don't see what the great bonus is of the Royal Freedom class in the basics of food, entertainment etc. We thought the performers in the lounges were mostly local bar quality.

[ryano]

. The pools were often closed by 6ish

 

I have never seen this on any of the RCI cruises I have been on. At least ONE of the pools have always been opened 24 hours a day. The pool bars always open pretty late into the night.

 

Its obvious you are letting one Spring Break cruise on RCI cloud your judgement of the entire cruise line.

 

Enjoy your Carnival cruises :)

[ryano]

I just feel like there's no real comparison between what you get on the "new" ships vs the older ones.

\

 

:confused:

 

LOL, the Independence is less than two years older than Oasis.

 

Yep, shes a real old rusty bucket of bolts that ol gal is! :D