Royal compared to Carnival

[jsswish]

I was curiously poking around today during some down time, and couldn't help but notice a pretty huge price difference between Royal and Carnival. I've only cruised 1 time and just very recently, have another booked with Royal on the Anthem next year. The price we're paying for our upcoming cruise seemed a little steep, but close to fair enough, but then I saw the price of an option with Carnival.

 

I was just wondering, from the perspective of someone who has experienced both, what is so different that would explain such a cost difference? I understand Carnival is a more casual style with more of a party vibe, but is there a noticeable difference in quality of ships/service/amenities/food/etc that makes the expenses so different?

 

I'm pretty intrigued, largely because of the cost, to give Carnival a try in the future if time/money permits.

[Deatsch]

As one who has cruised both, and will NEVER go back to Carnival, only YOU can make that call.

 

You might enjoy the Carnival experience. We did not.

 

We won't go back to Carnival. We're staying with RCCL.

 

hth,

[Ladysilver]

As one who has cruised both, and will NEVER go back to Carnival, only YOU can make that call.

 

You might enjoy the Carnival experience. We did not.

 

We won't go back to Carnival. We're staying with RCCL.

 

hth,

 

 

 

Ditto.

[MNfamilycruiser]

I was curiously poking around today during some down time, and couldn't help but notice a pretty huge price difference between Royal and Carnival. I've only cruised 1 time and just very recently, have another booked with Royal on the Anthem next year. The price we're paying for our upcoming cruise seemed a little steep, but close to fair enough, but then I saw the price of an option with Carnival.

 

I was just wondering, from the perspective of someone who has experienced both, what is so different that would explain such a cost difference? I understand Carnival is a more casual style with more of a party vibe, but is there a noticeable difference in quality of ships/service/amenities/food/etc that makes the expenses so different?

 

I'm pretty intrigued, largely because of the cost, to give Carnival a try in the future if time/money permits.

 

How new was the Carnival ship you looked at? That makes a big difference I believe. We have never done any of the newest RC ships and will likely wait until they aren't "new" anymore. ;)

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

From someone who has been on Carnival once... I like to say that "you get what you pay for". Keep in mind that I was not on one of their newer ships. What Carnival ship are you looking at?

 

My biggest caveat is the ships... IMO, Royal's ships are amazing. Carnival's are poorly designed and the oh-so ugly! I found Royal's food to be better, but that's subjective.

 

No one can make this decision for you, but I know I won't be going back to Carnival...

[Mar56]

Our favorite cruise line is Holland America but we have taken two wonderful cruises on Carnival. We cruised when school was in session. We were on the Carnival Pride and the Carnival Legend and enjoyed every minute of it.

[Blondynka]

Our first cruise ever was a 4 night New Year's Eve cruise on carnival imagination. We loved it, and having nothing to compare it to didn't see what all the fuss was about with RC. Then we went on Oasis. We are RC cruisers for life now. We have our 4th RC cruise coming up this winter on Anthem, we've been on oasis, allure and quantum. Loved it every time. The food is gourmet, the decor is modern and classy, and the service is outstanding. Carnival is fun, but if you are looking for a well rounded 5 star vacation on all counts, RC won't let you down.

[pamrose228]

Have any of you seen the plans for the Vista.? She looks beautiful.

[jsswish]

The ship was the Pride, and we only really look at our local ports to keep air travel out of the equation. Baltimore is about 2 hours away, Cape Liberty 2.5.

 

Curious, was there anything in particular that you didn't like about Carnival that turned you away? Or more than one thing?

 

I'm not planning on actually booking anything, was just bored and browsing around out of curiosity when I realized the price gap. Right now we're too invested in Royal with the cruise we just completed, and loved, and the cruise we booked. We also both signed up for the Royal Visa cards to rack up some bonus on board credit.

 

Somewhat off subject, I was very weary of cruising, only ever did all inclusive, but Iabsolutely loved my first cruise and can't wait for the next. I was worried it'd feel to busy, or I'd get seasick, but neither happened. It was busier for sure, but it just made everything more exciting and wasn't a negative.

[jsswish]

Our first cruise ever was a 4 night New Year's Eve cruise on carnival imagination. We loved it, and having nothing to compare it to didn't see what all the fuss was about with RC. Then we went on Oasis. We are RC cruisers for life now. We have our 4th RC cruise coming up this winter on Anthem, we've been on oasis, allure and quantum. Loved it every time. The food is gourmet, the decor is modern and classy, and the service is outstanding. Carnival is fun, but if you are looking for a well rounded 5 star vacation on all counts, RC won't let you down.

 

Thanks, I was interested to see it from the perspective of someone who started on Carnival and is now primarily going with Royal.

 

Also look forward to hearing how the Anthem is, can't wait for March 27th.

[Blondynka]

Thanks, I was interested to see it from the perspective of someone who started on Carnival and is now primarily going with Royal.

 

 

 

Also look forward to hearing how the Anthem is, can't wait for March 27th.

 

 

You will LOVE it! Quantum is a sister ship and was spectacular, the technology and features will blow you away. Have fun!

[harlekuin]

From someone that has 15 Carnival cruises and 2 RCL, I can say we had fun on every one. The "over the top" decor on some of the CCL ships makes no difference to us. And when people say the design is bad, they have obviously never been on a Spirit class ship. Dining rooms on 2 levels in the very back. You can go front to back without going up and down.

 

The food has been quite good. There are always some things you don't like but it's just not to our taste, not poorly prepared. Service, very good except one 3 day boozy cruise. (We're just a bit too old for those).

 

RCL has been very nice as well. Good food, good service. Those are the only things we really ask for and have gotten that.

 

We changed to RCL just for something different, not because we didn't enjoy CCL. We have already booked a Princess cruise too.

 

I know I haven't helped much but I guess the point is, try everything and don't go with a preconceived idea. If I were to do that based on comments here, everyone on CCL is a bumpkin and RCL they are snobs. Neither of those statements is true.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Have any of you seen the plans for the Vista.? She looks beautiful.

 

I will agree with you that the Vista looks beautiful. (However, that's not going to get me on Carnival again. I just prefer the overall RCI experience.)

 

Another thing that I forgot to mention in my first post: I really noticed a difference in the atmosphere on my Carnival cruise, compared to my Royal cruises. On Royal, I always find that there is a sort of classy/elegant feel on the ships (no matter how many people are around me in shorts and t-shirts!), and I didn't find that "feel" on Carnival. I have nothing against a party crowd, but it just wasn't for me. There were too many loud, obnoxious people, acting in ways that I don't prefer to see on my cruises. Not to say that those kinds of things won't happen on Royal, but I just seemed to notice a trend on Carnival. YMMV.

[OCruisers]

So much depends on comparing which Carnival ship to which Royal Caribbean ship.

[dcgrumpy]

The ship was the Pride, and we only really look at our local ports to keep air travel out of the equation. Baltimore is about 2 hours away, Cape Liberty 2.5.

 

Curious, was there anything in particular that you didn't like about Carnival that turned you away? Or more than one thing?

 

I'm not planning on actually booking anything, was just bored and browsing around out of curiosity when I realized the price gap. Right now we're too invested in Royal with the cruise we just completed, and loved, and the cruise we booked. We also both signed up for the Royal Visa cards to rack up some bonus on board credit.

 

Somewhat off subject, I was very weary of cruising, only ever did all inclusive, but Iabsolutely loved my first cruise and can't wait for the next. I was worried it'd feel to busy, or I'd get seasick, but neither happened. It was busier for sure, but it just made everything more exciting and wasn't a negative.

 

 

You're comparing a brand new ship with a 13 year-old ship.

[welldone60]

We have cruised both RCL and Carnival (along with NCL and Princess). Which ship you pick has a lot to do with the price. Carnival does not have a ship to compare with the big RCL ships but they do have some nice ships that we really enjoy cruising on. Our experience has been that all the mass market cruise lines are more alike then not. Service, food, entertainment etc can vary from one ship to another in the same line. Some people are happy cruising one line and do not find a need to change. Nothing wrong with that, just like a brand of car, if you are happy with the product and enjoy your cruise, stay with the line you like.

[jsswish]

You're comparing a brand new ship with a 13 year-old ship.

 

Not comparing ships, just asking in general what the differences and consequent preferences are between the two lines. The only comparison I consciously made was to see what the cost difference might be on similar itineraries from nearby ports between the two lines.

 

Regardless we're booked for the Anthem and not changing, I was just asking to satisfy curiosity more than anything.

 

Edit** I wanted to add that I'd be very hesitant to try anything different at the moment as the standard has been set, and going with a different line would leave me worrying if there will be any disappointment. But you also never know if you never give it a shot, hence the thread.

Edited September 24, 2015 by jsswish

[NOSaints1]

I have nothing against Carnival or RC, this topic just seems stupid, it's a cruise not everyone can afford to go on one. Whether it's Carnival or RC it's time off work. It's like comparing Coke to Pepsi, but Coke is better.

[time4u2go]

I was curiously poking around today during some down time, and couldn't help but notice a pretty huge price difference between Royal and Carnival. I've only cruised 1 time and just very recently, have another booked with Royal on the Anthem next year. The price we're paying for our upcoming cruise seemed a little steep, but close to fair enough, but then I saw the price of an option with Carnival.

 

I was just wondering, from the perspective of someone who has experienced both, what is so different that would explain such a cost difference? I understand Carnival is a more casual style with more of a party vibe, but is there a noticeable difference in quality of ships/service/amenities/food/etc that makes the expenses so different?

 

I'm pretty intrigued, largely because of the cost, to give Carnival a try in the future if time/money permits.

Answer: A brand new ship versus a 13 year old ship.

 

You might want to also post your questions on the Carnival board so you can get informed opinions from people loyal to both lines.

Edited September 24, 2015 by time4u2go

[Oak Hill Cruisers]

We keep our expectations low for all cruises, so most of them turn out well for us. For us, RCI has a pretty big edge over CCL with diamond, diamond+ & pinnacle class perks -- especially access to diamond & concierge lounges.

 

We do most of our cruises on RCI, but will cruise CCL again without hesitation when a good itinerary is offered.

[Sailor_Sally]

I have been on both lines several times . The food in the Mdr was better on RCL but the desserts were better on Carnival . I do not notice decor so to me they were equal . I like the service on RCL buffets . They deliver the omelets to your table & re fill your drinks . I love the mongolian Wok & the deli on Carnival plus Guy's burgers make them win the buffet competition . Carnival has more activities in the afternoon inside & outside . RCL has activities starting in the early evening but they lack activities during the day .Carnival's room are larger . Carnival has a dedicated comedy club . RCL has some comedy . Every thing else is equal . We have had fun on both lines . Depending on price or ports is who we cruise with .

[luvsmike]

We just booked with RCI for April 2016. We were considering a Carnival ship because the price seemed much lower. (We have cruised both lines) There are a lot of hidden costs when actually booking Carnival.

 

There was a 7 day Carnival cruise listed at $390 for April 2016. Upon investigating, we found that price was for rooms on deck 1 only. There was a $10 per day per person charge to have the ability to pick a different room. Then another up charge for the actual room.

 

I know RCIl now charges extra for you to pick your own room, but not as much as Carnival. When all was said and done, we ended up paying about $100 more per person for an 8 day cruise on RCI than a similar 7 day Carnival.

 

Bottom line...Carnival might not be as inexpensive as you think. We have enjoyed our 3 Carnival cruises but RCI is a step above in our humble opinion.

[amma15]

I was curiously poking around today during some down time, and couldn't help but notice a pretty huge price difference between Royal and Carnival. I've only cruised 1 time and just very recently, have another booked with Royal on the Anthem next year. The price we're paying for our upcoming cruise seemed a little steep, but close to fair enough, but then I saw the price of an option with Carnival.

 

 

 

I was just wondering, from the perspective of someone who has experienced both, what is so different that would explain such a cost difference? I understand Carnival is a more casual style with more of a party vibe, but is there a noticeable difference in quality of ships/service/amenities/food/etc that makes the expenses so different?

 

 

 

I'm pretty intrigued, largely because of the cost, to give Carnival a try in the future if time/money permits.

 

 

I recently booked my very first cruise and I noticed the same thing, RC was significantly pricier for equivalent times and itineraries. One of my best friends took her first cruise with her significant other recently (both busy 30-something professionals) and she said although they had fun they probably won't choose carnival again. mainly because there were too many less-than-sophisticated fellow passengers (her own narration). Since I'm taking my mom and we've convinced other family members to join us, I decided we should go with RC even though it was almost double the price.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I was curiously poking around today during some down time, and couldn't help but notice a pretty huge price difference between Royal and Carnival. I've only cruised 1 time and just very recently, have another booked with Royal on the Anthem next year. The price we're paying for our upcoming cruise seemed a little steep, but close to fair enough, but then I saw the price of an option with Carnival.

 

I was just wondering, from the perspective of someone who has experienced both, what is so different that would explain such a cost difference? I understand Carnival is a more casual style with more of a party vibe, but is there a noticeable difference in quality of ships/service/amenities/food/etc that makes the expenses so different?

 

I'm pretty intrigued, largely because of the cost, to give Carnival a try in the future if time/money permits.

 

I have cruised quite a bit with Carnival and always had good cruises. I stopped cruising with them because they cut way back on the entertainment and now your fellow passengers are the entertainment about 3 or 4 nights of the week.

 

Since we don't drink that much or gamble that much if there is no entertainment we are bored.

 

So until they upgrade the entertainment we won't be cruising with carnival very often in the future.

 

Their newest ship Breeze is not designed by the guy who designed most of the other ships in the fleet and the ship is very appealing.

 

Still not as glamorous as RCI ships are but the variety of food and the cabins are nice.

 

The new ship coming the Vista is going to have private lanais where you have exclusive access to your own pool area during the day.

 

This intrigues me.:)

 

Bill

Edited September 24, 2015 by S.S.Oceanlover
spelling

[Ren1216]

I haven't read ALL the replies (just skimmed), so my apologies if this only seems to echo what's already been said.

 

First, as has been mentioned, the main reason for the difference in price that you are seeing is Anthem is brand new (advanced technology & design, etc) where Spirit is older. Also, CCL is generally a bit cheaper than RC, at least it has been when I've investigated options for myself. My guess is that RC's ships cost more to build.

 

We have sailed RC 4 times, CCL 1 time. Personally, I liked our CCL cruise just fine. The Carnival Legend wasn't as nice as the Radiance or Mariner (our experience to that point), but the service and food were great. Though the rest of my group, probably 6-7 others on that sailing, would agree with me about the food and service... in the end, they ALL disliked CCL. I admit, they let us down in one fairly significant way, which was in regard to wheelchair access (had a really tough time one day getting my grandmother off the ship in port, long story, not tender-related). We eventually managed, but it really bothered the rest of my group. They hold a grudge, I'll never get them on a CCL ship again. But I'd take another go if the price and itinerary were right.

 

Obviously, you'll mostly hear praise for RC here on the RC board. But CCL remains in business for a reason.