Best Carnival Ship for RCCI Loyalist?

[sonvoltken6]

After 25+ cruises on RCCI, I am seriously considering trying out Carnival. I had to cancel a cruise in May of 2015 and am looking to book the end of that month. I am not happy with the pricing I am seeing on RCCI and saw some attractive pricing. We want to drive to a port in Florida but not picky on which one.

 

We are not really partiers. We are basically +/- 50 by a year. We enjoy the shows, trivia, scavenger hunts, etc. We try to eat in the MDR for most meals, including breakfast, but like small tables, and we will usually do the "Steakhouse" one night over the cruise.

 

So if you were a loyalist trying to sell someone on Carnival, what ship would you recommend?

[OnePsychLynne]

Any of the Spirit Class ships. They tend to be the most favored by CCL fans as they have an exceptional layout :)

 

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[OnePsychLynne]

I guess I should have elaborated lol. Those are the Miracle, Legend, Pride (and Spirit which is currently in Australia I believe).

 

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[Denett2005]

The BREEZE

[2Shoes2Go]

Dream class, currently Carnival Breeze, in Miami. The Dream is currently out of NOLA.

The Spirit class ship, Pride, is also nice. Don't take decor too seriously. The steakhouses are wonderful. Daresay, put Royal's to shame.

We feel Carnival's ships don't compare to Royal's Radiance class for beauty and views. Still, we enjoy them all, especially when the price is right.

[t1adams]

Well your preference should have at least some criteria. I'll just pretend it was me in your shoes. I'm in my mid 40's, and my dh is in his early 50's.

 

My first criteria is the ports....they have to be exotic (sorry, but I find it boring to sail to Nassau and back..and I don't see how they can call Key West a "port"). I prefer the Southern Carribean in order to stay away from the almost third world ports.

 

This said, secondly, would be the ship class. I would say not to even look at the Fantasy class at all. These typically sail shorter cruises (i.e., the Nassau, "Key West" destinations). And, if party cruises aren't your thing you won't enjoy that small class of ships. I like the Conquest class. It's not your "city on the ocean" size ship but large enough to keep you busy. It seems from reading comments that most seem to prefer the Liberty in this class. Actually, my family and I will be sailing an 8 nighter next spring on the Liberty going out of Cape Canaveral (6.5 hour car ride!) on the Liberty. It sails to Aruba, Bonaire and Grand Turk. Counting down the days!!!!!:D Hope this helps!!

 

ETA: We always eat at the Steakhouse at least once each cruise (I have read that Carnival's steakhouses have won some sort of culinary award for excellence). We've cruised six times now, all on Carnival. Because I like to cruise to far away places, we have to stick to Carnival due to price. However, this upcoming cruise we could have cruised on Celebrity for much cheaper but it's only a seven day cruise and it doesn't go to Aruba or Bonaire.

Edited June 8, 2014 by t1adams

[thesanders08]

I would say the Breeze

[Oak Hill Cruisers]

You're gonna miss the RCI Diamond/Concierge lounges. ;-)

[cruzmax]

We are age 60 and have cruised in the following order: RCI, Celebrity, Carnival and Princess (26 cruises since 2000). Loved them all (except a Thanksgiving cruise, and it was good, but too crowded). My Carnival suggestions would be Dream, Breeze, Liberty or Valor. We have cruised on Dream (2), Liberty (3), and soon to be 5th time on Valor (like the itinerary).

Good luck in whatever you choose!

Pam in KY

[BettyCruiser]

My first suggestion is the Breeze if you want to try the rope course or a cove balcony. Did the rope course, scared me, don't need to do that again, but .loved our cove balcony.

 

If neither of those interest you then book at least a ship with a steakhouse and 2.0.

 

The steakhouse and chefs table on Carnival is worth a try.

[deborahjo]

Doing the Liberty for the 3rd time in 96 days and the 2nd time within a year. She is a beautiful ship an never felt crowded. Loved the Seaside Theater. Spent 3 night watching such great movies under the stars.

 

Is a beautiful ship and just the right size for us. May be small for you. They also have Guys Burger Joint. Yum...

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[abisha]

Another vote for the Breeze. We loved the Italian restaurant..the lunch there is free (create your own pasta bowl) and it's only $15 pp for dinner..very reasonable and a fabulous meal with generous portions. The decor is contemporary and soothing. The ocean plaza on the promenade deck is lovely and a great place to also chill both inside and outside. The crew is fantastic and very friendly and accommodating.

 

Some added conveniences that weparticularly like on Carnival that you don't see on Royal are:

 

wider staterooms

self serve laundry area on each deck (washers/dryers and ironing board)..this really comes in handy and allows you to pack lighter.

24 hour access to drink stations for filling up a cup or drinkmug for water/iced tea/lemonade and juice in the morning

 

 

 

Enjoy!

[2Shoes2Go]

You're gonna miss the RCI Diamond/Concierge lounges. ;-)

 

Agree! We definitely miss the free drinks every night and free coffees. But, the Cove Balcony almost makes up for it, almost...

[Tapi]

While the Spirit class may be favored by some Carnival loyalists, IMHO the better layout and space to passenger ratio where they excel won't be enough to win a Royal loyalist over. They are nice ships, but they lack many of the amenities and innovations found on the newer classes of Carnival ships.

 

I would definitely recommend the Dream class (Dream, Magic or Breeze). They are the most representative of the best that Carnival has to offer, and they are the (remotely) closest to Royal (in terms of size, dining selections, innovations and entertainment).

 

 

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[pe4all]

Breeze, then Dream, then Liberty or Freedom. All good ships with lots to offer.

[TPFKAH]

After 25+ cruises on RCCI, I am seriously considering trying out Carnival. I had to cancel a cruise in May of 2015 and am looking to book the end of that month. I am not happy with the pricing I am seeing on RCCI and saw some attractive pricing. We want to drive to a port in Florida but not picky on which one.

 

We are not really partiers. We are basically +/- 50 by a year. We enjoy the shows, trivia, scavenger hunts, etc. We try to eat in the MDR for most meals, including breakfast, but like small tables, and we will usually do the "Steakhouse" one night over the cruise.

 

So if you were a loyalist trying to sell someone on Carnival, what ship would you recommend?

 

The ships do not compare, but a Spirit class will at least be the closest to having some personal space. But basically prices are low due to all the people Carnival crams into a ship.

[rok233]

The Breeze 100%. I've been on all classes other than the Fantasy Class and also the Liberty and Voyageur on RCCL. The Breeze would definitely suite you best of all the Carnival ships. I haven't been on the Magic but that ship is very similar to the Breeze also.

[stargate fan]

After 25+ cruises on RCCI, I am seriously considering trying out Carnival. I had to cancel a cruise in May of 2015 and am looking to book the end of that month. I am not happy with the pricing I am seeing on RCCI and saw some attractive pricing. We want to drive to a port in Florida but not picky on which one.

 

We are not really partiers. We are basically +/- 50 by a year. We enjoy the shows, trivia, scavenger hunts, etc. We try to eat in the MDR for most meals, including breakfast, but like small tables, and we will usually do the "Steakhouse" one night over the cruise.

 

So if you were a loyalist trying to sell someone on Carnival, what ship would you recommend?

 

You have a lot of opinions to peruse.

 

My question to you: do you have a favorite class of ships on Royal Caribbean? Are you fans of larger or smaller ships? I think that might make the choice a little easier.

[sonvoltken6]

You have a lot of opinions to peruse.

 

My question to you: do you have a favorite class of ships on Royal Caribbean? Are you fans of larger or smaller ships? I think that might make the choice a little easier.

 

I honestly like all classes of ship though Radiance Class is my favorite. Not sure I have met an RCCL ship I didn't like! Maybe Majesty but I don't count that one.

 

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[stargate fan]

I honestly like all classes of ship though Radiance Class is my favorite. Not sure I have met an RCCL ship I didn't like! Maybe Majesty but I don't count that one.

 

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I would like to recommend Carnival Legend. She is part of the Spirit Class (Spirit, Pride, and Miracle also) and is just about the same size as the Radiance Class.

 

We've sailed Miracle and Pride and are sailing Legend in only 69 short days. :D I love the layout. She is easy to maneuver as one can walk forward to aft on every deck. (Larger ships have the galley in the middle of the ship so, in order to get to the aft main dining room, passengers have to go up or down decks in the center of the ship then go back down or up after the galley area. Not a deal breaker but it can be a pain in the tush.)

 

The best feature of Legend and her sisters is that the entire aft deck is Serenity, which is for those 21 and older only. And they are the only class of ships that have a pool in Serenity. It is wide open so we enjoy the sun, the breeze, and the glorious sound of the wake.

 

I have also found that, though smaller, these ships feel much less crowded than the other, larger classes.

 

I hope that helps a little with the decision process.

Edited June 9, 2014 by stargate fan

[mississauga]

Another vote for the Breeze which ports out of Miami. My favorite ship. The Sunshine out of Port a Canaveral also has lots of the new amenities.

 

The OP has posted that he/she want a cruise out of Florida in late March 2015. For those of you recommending a Spirit class ship, I hope you realize that after March 15, 2015, there will no longer be a Spirit class ship out of Florida. The Legend is leaving this August and the Pride will be gone after Mar 15, 2015.

[Xina143]

Pick one, any one and dive in.

 

You are going to have your fans of the big ships, some will like the smaller ships. Some people cruise for the exotic ports, some people love the sea days. You'll find fans of all the different types of rooms. Some people like loud music, some don't...so it all depends on wht YOU want.

 

That being said-I've been on three CCL cruises (The Dream, Conquest and the Pride) and loved them all.

 

I don't care how big the ship is, and we aren't i port long enough to form a true opinion on the port...I just love being away from it all. I love make those memories with my family, and I love cruising.

 

So my advice to you is...pick a ship, any ship. A cruise is what you make of it.

[Gon2hwe]

We've been on 4 RCCL cruises and just did our first cruise on Carnival Dream. The only thing I really missed was the promenade. The food was better and so many more options. The steakhouse was the best of all. The decore on the Dream was pretty dull but have heard it's better on the Breeze. We actually booked another cruise on the Breeze in August if that tells you anything.

[Midwestgal]

The BREEZE

 

Agree!

[vamartha]

I'd be interested in which RCL ships you prefer. If it is the smaller or mid size ships then I would recommend the Spirit Class.

 

If is the Allure or the Oasis, then the Dream Class.

 

You may or may not like Carnival but I suggest you read Gambee's recent review of the Breeze.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2042692&highlight=gambee