I've now been on Carnival and RCI....

[Sargent_Schultz]

I'm sure Tom's Suite Perks Comparison thread is still around, if anyone wanted to see how others cater to suite guests.

[Phlybice]

The nicest thing about a suite on Carnival is keeping everyone else that doesn't have one, OUT.

[crusinpsychRN]

it's actually brilliant, like it or not. It keeps costs down.

 

 

o r a n g e ! ? ! ?

[crosscruiser]

You may want to look at a cruise line that doesn't have suites, balconies or oceanviews. Just inside cabins so that everybody is "the same".

 

You may also want to look at a cruise line that doesn't provide private access to those who pay extra for a spa pass or a spa stateroom..

 

You may also want to look at a cruise line that doesn't provide any type of perks for their frequent cruisers that differentiate them from first time cruisers.

 

You may also want to look at a cruise line with no specialty "for a fee" restaurants. You don't want someone who spends more money to be eating better than you.

 

Carnival's suite perks may be limited, but that doesn't mean that they treat everybody the same. The more you spend, the more they'll reward you, one way or another.

 

I am not sure why you are so upset. It is just an observation...:confused:

[djwood24]

I'm sure Tom's Suite Perks Comparison thread is still around, if anyone wanted to see how others cater to suite guests.

 

 

all of my cruises except 1 were in CCL suites...and the only thing I got was vip status to get on the ship early

wow not that is a perk

 

Other lines reward people who book a suite...CCL not so much

[Phlybice]

[quote name='djwood24']all of my cruises except 1 were in CCL suites...and the only thing I got was vip status to get on the ship early
wow not that is a perk

Other lines reward people who book a suite...CCL not so much[/quote]

How hard is it to list or compare "NOTHING", to even one of the many perks the other lines offer.

And then CCL cuts them back.

[richstowe]

[quote name='Want2Cruise 701'] Royal Caribbean has increased their prices significantly lately making them more comparable pricewise to celebrity and i dont think they are in celebritys league. If I had the money I would definitely pick celebrity.

I will not sail RC again until their prices come down. I will sail carnival if I have a certain budget to stick with. They are a good value in terms of what you're getting. I think RC should price themselves where they belong which is in between carnival and celebrity.

They are all good just in different ways.[/quote][SIZE=3]100% Agree. If finances allow, it's Celebrity all the way and for so many reasons.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]If not , then we would allow only a small premium for Royal over Carnival. A [/SIZE][SIZE=2][SIZE=1]very[/SIZE] [/SIZE][SIZE=1]small [/SIZE][SIZE=3]premium.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Sargent_Schultz']All that really means is that RCCL is overpriced to begin with.

In any event, there is no free lunch. Someone is paying for those benefits, and those people will figure out that Carnival is the better value. :D[/quote][SIZE=3]Agree with the first sentence and the first half of the second.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Your dead wrong about the figuring out part. People "need" to feel their decisions are correct.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]They don't want to figure out nothing.:p[/SIZE]

[MargieWY]

[quote name='crosscruiser']I am not sure why you are so upset. It is just an observation...:confused:[/quote]

Not upset. Just pointing out the obvious. Even on Carnival, people get treated differently based on how much they spend. It's not only Carnival, but life in general.

Why should I choose a different cruise line because my next door neighbor is getting more perks than me??? :confused: Good for them if they make more money than I make and they are choosing to spend it on a better cabin with more goodies! I'm not going to get an inferiority complex and run to another cruise line because of it.

[poptart]

[quote name='restlessmysteries']Same situation for me! My first with Carnival will be next month, and my last was with Royal on the Navigator. Price won out this time. I'm still nervous about how I will enjoy it versus Royal.
Please let us know your experience/comparison! And have a great cruise![/QUOTE]


[B][COLOR="DarkOrchid"]The CCL Ecstasy is way better than the Monarch and they are probably close to the same size.

But no comparison to the Navigator because the Navigator is much larger ship.

I've been on the Monarch :mad: and Mariner of the Seas :) had a good time on both ships but Carnival suits my pocketbook and my fun level better! :D

[/COLOR][/B]

[swodog94]

This is based on my limited cruising experiences, listed here:

RCCL: Enchantment of the Seas - Bermuda (Junior Suite)
CCL: Carnival Pride - CTN (Balcony) and Bahamas (Ocean Suite)

So based on that, here is the breakdown:

Overall ship condition: RCCL
Stateroom: RCCL
Interior decor: RCCL
Adults-only area: CCL
Buffet: RCCL
MDR: RCCL
Steak house: CCL
Entertainment: RCCL
Price: CCL
Value: RCCL

Overall winner: RCCL

[cynt]

I love me some RCCL. I just wish they had more cruises out of Galveston year round. For quick get aways I usually go with Carnival. They're cheap and comparable to RCCL and a quick 4 or 5 nighter is better then not cruising at all.

I specifically like the Royal Promenade on the RCCL ships. I also enjoy the Promenade Cafe which is open 24-7. After a late night of dancing, shows, drinking, etc I always need a snack. CCL offers pizza or room service. On RCCL I can swing by Promenade Cafe and get COOKIES or small sandwiches and a salad. LOVE IT! RCCL just feels right to me! I like the product and don't mind spending a little more for what I enjoy.

[cjknox]

[quote name='Phlybice']The nicest thing about a suite on Carnival is keeping everyone else that doesn't have one, OUT.[/QUOTE]

You sound elitist...........

[crosscruiser]

[quote name='MargieWY']Not upset. Just pointing out the obvious. Even on Carnival, people get treated differently based on how much they spend. It's not only Carnival, but life in general.

Why should I choose a different cruise line because my next door neighbor is getting more perks than me??? :confused: Good for them if they make more money than I make and they are choosing to spend it on a better cabin with more goodies! I'm not going to get an inferiority complex and run to another cruise line because of it.[/quote]
He.. he... just 4 the record...I don't feel inferior and I'm not running...but thanks for clearing that up;) By the way...Aft wrap 9C!

[missabbi]

I have sailed both, and I just do not think Royal's price is warranted. I just don't see enough difference in the two to pay twice the amount for a cruise.

My DH loves Carnival.

[Sargent_Schultz]

[quote name='Phlybice']How hard is it to list or compare "NOTHING", to even one of the many perks the other lines offer.

And then CCL cuts them back.[/quote]

What suite perk did CCL cut?

[Georgiagolfer]

[quote name='Sargent_Schultz']What suite perk did CCL cut?[/QUOTE]

There is no "perk" to booking a suite on CCL. All you get is a larger room and priority embarkation. So, as you say, nothing to cut. BTW, nothing to worry about.

[silvercrikhix]

I can only compare CCL's Legend & Spirit to RCCL's Explorer of the Seas.
RCCL wins hands down, but it comes at a big price difference.
Honestly, I don't think they are comparable.....definitely 2 totally different products....yeah, they are both cruise ships with cabins & food, other than that trying to compare apples to oranges IMHO....both are fruit.

[Kristi Williamson]

[quote name='silvercrikhix']I can only compare CCL's Legend & Spirit to RCCL's Explorer of the Seas.
RCCL wins hands down, but it comes at a big price difference.
Honestly, I don't think they are comparable.....definitely 2 totally different products....yeah, they are both cruise ships with cabins & food, other than that trying to compare apples to oranges IMHO....both are fruit.[/quote]


What did you feel was so much better on RCCL? Just curious...


We've been on both and other than the ship decor we didn't really see the big difference in the two lines and I'm always curious what other people saw/felt that we missed. I'll admit that RCCL has some of the most beautiful ships at sea...they're works of art. For the price tag to build one of their mega ships, they darn well better scrub the CEO's back, IMO. However, as far as the actual product, we didn't see it. After day two, we don't notice the ship, so decor only goes so far for us.

I do like that RCCL doesn't dance in the dining room. That gets on my nerves and completely interferes with my meal and intimate time with my family, however, not enough to warrant paying twice as much to miss the dancing waiters. Just sayin...

We prefer the size of Carnival's room and certainly their bedding. Other than NCL's Garden Villa, we've yet to see a bedding that compares to CCL. We like CCL's food MUCH better than RCCL. It's like the chef on RC lost his salt shaker or something. I could see if the cruise was European, but cruising out of Florida/SC/ect...you need to salt it up and sugar it up, buddy. Hated....HATED...RCCL's food on the Mariner. I lost 5lbs that week. It was gross. Cruised the Monarch later that year and the food was excellent. Go figure. (Mariner is a much newer and nicer ship...the year we sailed her, she was only one year old)

Seriously, I'd love to hear what you saw differently and why you don't think they're comparable. :)

[Trizzy]

I've only cruised once on RCL but the one thing that stood out to me was that on RCL room service offered the complete menu from the dining room. That came in handy when one in our group became seasick and couldn't make it to the dining room. We all just hung out for the night watched movies had dinner in the cabin..

[cjknox]

[quote name='Trizzy']I've only cruised once on RCL but the one thing that stood out to me was that on RCL room service offered the complete menu from the dining room. That came in handy when one in our group became seasick and couldn't make it to the dining room. We all just hung out for the night watched movies had dinner in the cabin..[/QUOTE]

This is one thing I wish Carnival would implement.

[Sargent_Schultz]

[quote name='Trizzy']I've only cruised once on RCL but the one thing that stood out to me was that on RCL room service offered the complete menu from the dining room. That came in handy when one in our group became seasick and couldn't make it to the dining room. We all just hung out for the night watched movies had dinner in the cabin..[/quote]

Even the sea sick person? :eek:

On Carnival, if ill or otherwise confined to cabin, arrangements can be made. Not sure about for a stateroom party.

[arkjeweler]

I've been on Mariner twice...once out of Orlando in 2008 and once out of Los Angeles in 2010. It is by far my favorite ship of all time. I thought everything about the ship was by far the best of any ship we've ever been on. The food was outstanding, as was the entertainment. However, as I said in the original post, that is strictly a personal opinion. Though I prefer RCI, I will probably sail Carnival most of the time from now on because of cost. We had a blast on the Elation, and want to try the Dream. Thanks everyone for the conversation and the civility.

[JerseyshoreBruce]

[B]My friend is on the Breakaway right now and said she loves it but still said Carnivals service is better and a bunch of others things she likes about Carnival too....she did say the shows blow Carnivals away! She had some unfriendly crappy waiters on the Breakaway![/B]