Royal compared to Carnival

[Summerknight]

We have only sailed on the Carnival Freedom. The cabin was fine. Our waiter was horrible. Never talked or smiled. He walked up to the table each night with his pen and paper and stood there waiting for us to order. The pool area servers were also never smiling or happy. On day 2 I was trying to figure out what was different, something was very odd, then it hit me. No one (crew) looked as if they from the islands. I never saw so many sad faces on a cruise. They say never say never, but for now I don't think we will return to Carnival.

[kruise runner]

Hi

We have cruised Carnival for at least 6 cruises also , NCL , and RCI. Carnival gave us everything we looked for in a cruise. Then they made the changes . Some where good and other were not so good. NCL well we just didn't really find in them what we were looking Cruises were good just not for us. Next we tried RCI and so far they fit our cruise experience. It's kind of "what you are looking for at time in your life". It's really your choice. Just go explore and enjoy. That's cruising for us.:D

Goodtimes are Cruisetimes

kruise runner:cool:

[rafinmd]

Have you looked at prices on the Grandeur of the Seas. I'm not sure how the pricing would compare with the Pride but it would certainly be worth a look. The Pride is a nice ship although the service and atmosphere are a notch behind the Grandeur. The primary reason I would be unlikely to return to the Pride would be the limited selection of itineraries. If you are happy with the Pride's itinerary than I'd say see for yourself. You really don't have a lot to lose.

 

Roy

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

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.

 

Where did you get that information?

 

Have not heard of RCI charging to pick rooms...They do sometimes offer guarantee staterooms, which are cheaper, and they assign you the room, but those aren't on every sailing.

[KeywestK]

I have a lot of RCI cruises under my belt, and will continue to sail with them. Ships are gorgeous, classy, elegant, very good food in the MDR, wonderful service, and good entertainment.

 

I did one Carnival cruise, granted on an older ship, Pride, and I would not be able to say anything like I did above. The ship was beyond ugly, nothing classy or elegant about it, the food in the MDR was barely edible (and the service was awful too,) and we walked out of most shows. The best thing I can say about that cruise was it WAS a cruise, and we certainly made the best of it. And, in all fairness, there were aspects of that cruise that we really enjoyed. But my husband's final words to me when we got off the ship were "Don't ever put me on a Carnival ship again."

 

We are now living in Florida and will have easy access to many cruise lines. If I found a great deal on a NEWER Carnival ship, I might be swayed to try it again. DH? Not so sure;)

Edited September 24, 2015 by KeywestK

[MommaBear55]

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.

 

If offered Pepsi, I choose to drink water. I do find that Royal' s prices are rising rapidly, so I have been doing more land trips recently instead of going on cheaper cruise lines. If cruising, it is still going to be Royal. However, with the recent drink price increases I won't be drinking much and now with the steep Labadee cabana price increase I won't be reserving one of those either.

[LuCruise]

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.

 

Never been on Carnival, but also feel that with Royal...mostly from the decor. It's just all so beautiful with the marble, lighting, details and everything. They are beautiful ships. I also love the entertainment. It's first class.

 

i do wonder sometime though about trying another line...mostly for the water area for our kids with the slides and stuff.

Edited September 24, 2015 by LuCruise

[Havingfun2010]

I sailed on several Carnival ships, and as they started their downward spiral in customer service, entertainment, and overall quality i went to RCCL, and let's just say I never looked back. RCCL is not perfect but the old saying of you get what you pay for, applies here.

 

The Anthem, which I have not yet been on, as well as the Oasis Class ships, are so far out of Carnivals league, that you can't compare, so justifying a price difference is not fair. They are very obviously worth more money. We all know that you can get a $0.89 hamburger at McDonald's, but it is not the same as a bison hamburger at a fancy restaurant for $11.99. You just can't compare RCCL top ships to a Carnival cruise.

 

I think that RCCL spends more money on "one" show than CCL spends on their entire entertainment staff. It might be a stretch to say that, but between diving shows, ice shows, full production broadway shows, entertainers in several spots as well as all the other little shows they do.

 

Any ship can have things or people to complain about, but the bottom line is RCCL produces a better and more complete vacation package, and they present it to the customer in a much more better way.

[vlynn]

Ok, I will throw in my .02 as well. As you can see from my signature I have recently sailed on the Grandeur and the Pride.

 

The Pride went through an upgrade just a few months ago, the changes are great! We really enjoy the Pride. As mentioned by others it is a Spirit class ship and very easy to navigate with a fantastic crew. We have had the best service of any cruise on this ship!

 

While the Grandeur was good, we found the crew to be less friendly and there was often dirty dishes left laying around by the pool area for hours. We were very surprised by this, overall the service was lacking in comparision. We also experienced this when we sailed on the Enchantment.

 

Other than that we really feel the two lines are more alike than different. We enjoyed every cruise we have been on and will sail any line for the right price/itinerary.

 

We didn't see a difference in passengers. We saw as many drunk passengers on RCI as Carnival. Of course we only do 7+ day cruises during the school year so that may account for this.

 

I say, you have to try it for yourself. Go with an open mind and make your own decisions.

[luvsmike]

Where did you get that information?

 

Have not heard of RCI charging to pick rooms...They do sometimes offer guarantee staterooms, which are cheaper, and they assign you the room, but those aren't on every sailing.

 

I think it is a new upcharge for RCI. We sailed last November and did not have to pay more to choose our room. The booking we did yesterday required an upchage for deck 9. I don't know how much more - DH did the booking. You could "fake book" one and see for yourself. BTW - this is the Navigator out of Ft. Lauderdale in April

[WendyVF]

We started cruising with about 16 years ago , started with Royal and have done 6 with RCL, 1 NCL, 1 Princess and 18 Carnival. We choose based on itinerary, ship and price. Initially I felt RCL was worth the price difference from Carnival but over time I didn't feel we were getting anything that we enjoy for the additional money. In fact, had one of the worst dining room experiences on Indy (for the entire week). We enjoy the atmosphere and fellow cruisers on Carnival. I love the RCL ships but don't like the obvious class distinctions (Diamond, Diamond Plus, etc.). A lot of people put down those who cruise on Carnival, but the most outrageous behavior I've seen on a ship was by senior citizens on Princess...80 year old men almost coming to blows over a breakfast table and several other incidents. I'll take college kids enjoying their vacation anytime over that!

We are going back to RCL in October on Adventure as it was a better overall deal than Carnival for the Southern itinerary. I'm excited for something different but have 2 others booked on Carnival.

[vlynn]

I think it is a new upcharge for RCI. We sailed last November and did not have to pay more to choose our room. The booking we did yesterday required an upchage for deck 9. I don't know how much more - DH did the booking. You could "fake book" one and see for yourself. BTW - this is the Navigator out of Ft. Lauderdale in April

 

Just to clarify about Carnival having an upcharge to select your room. This is only true if they are offering a guarantee rate for the cabin type you have selected. Then if you don't want a guarantee it is more expensive for you to pick your own room. The guarantee rate is the 'deal' if they choose your cabin. This isn't a hidden fee. The price quoted is what you will pay for a guarantee cabin in this category.

 

It's like RCI the first price you see is the lowest price offered for that cabin type if you don't want the lowest category you will pay more than that low advertised price. RCI may show 499$ for an inside cabin but if the cabin you want is on a higher deck you will have to pay more to choose that cabin. Is this a hidden fee? No. You can get a cabin for 499 but only in the lowest category.

[Big_G]

I'll probably get slammed or even deleted for this but until Carnival figures out how to stop their engine room fires on older ships, we won't be returning. They just had another on Liberty two weeks ago that shutdown another cruise. Vista has peaked my interest because it will be brand new but after that I can't see us doing any others.

[denatravels]

Just to clarify about Carnival having an upcharge to select your room. This is only true if they are offering a guarantee rate for the cabin type you have selected. Then if you don't want a guarantee it is more expensive for you to pick your own room. The guarantee rate is the 'deal' if they choose your cabin. This isn't a hidden fee. The price quoted is what you will pay for a guarantee cabin in this category.

 

It's like RCI the first price you see is the lowest price offered for that cabin type if you don't want the lowest category you will pay more than that low advertised price. RCI may show 499$ for an inside cabin but if the cabin you want is on a higher deck you will have to pay more to choose that cabin. Is this a hidden fee? No. You can get a cabin for 499 but only in the lowest category.

 

 

Carnival charges different amounts for different decks.

 

I think it is a new upcharge for RCI. We sailed last November and did not have to pay more to choose our room. The booking we did yesterday required an upchage for deck 9. I don't know how much more - DH did the booking. You could "fake book" one and see for yourself. BTW - this is the Navigator out of Ft. Lauderdale in April

 

 

I tried this and I did not see an up charge for deck 9.

[broberts]

Have sailed both. The experiences are different. I found both appealing. I have come to conclusion that one must really decide on a ship by ship basis, regardless of cruise line. Some crews simply do the same things better than other crews.

Edited September 24, 2015 by broberts

[davy jones]

I have sailed both on multiple occasions, and will sail either again based on ship, itinerary, and price. Random thoughts and opinions on this oft discussed topic. (Note: I tend to sail in "off" seasons to avoid the large crowds)

 

1. You need to compare apples to apples. Comparing Anthem to the Pride is like comparing watermelons to apples.

 

2. Royal does seem to have higher prices than Carnival on the ships and itineraries that I look at. Some may have differing experiences.

 

3. While they are more alike than different, there are some differences that may or may not matter to you. Some of my opinions on these differences will follow.

 

4. Carnival has a more relaxed atmosphere. Royal is more formal (some might say stuffy)

 

5. Dining: Carnival wins hands down for casual dining options (Oasis/Anthem may differ). MDR dining is about equal at dinner with Royal better at breakfast and lunch.

 

6. Entertainment: Royal wins easily here because of better evening entertainment.

 

7. Service: Equal: This can vary a little cruise to cruise (good to exceptional) because of its individual nature. I have never had bad service on either line.

 

8. Decor: Personal taste. The Joe Farcus glitz on older Carnival ships doesn't bother me. It's like being in Vegas. IMO: You can find examples of over the top decor on any ship on either line.

 

9. Cabins: Standard cabins are generally a bit larger on Carnival.

 

10. Perks: Since I spread the wealth across many lines, I am a relative minion in all loyalty programs. If you cruise enough to move up the food chain, Royal perks are notably better. Royal also has better perks for suite passengers.

[Midwestgal]

Here's an idea ...try it for yourself ! I've only cruised Royal in 2000 on Majesty and hated it but loves Carnival Fantasy two years prior so we stuck with Carnival. We now have tired of Carnival and are going on Allure in February however you can't make a comparison from a older ship of Carnivals to a new ship of Royal as I see some doing here.

 

Preparing for my Allure cruise I see a few thing that Royal doesn't have that Carnival does and I'm bummed, 1) Afternoon Tea, 2) Robes...ever cabin on Carnival gets a robe 3) self serve laundry and ironing , now I need to overpack:p

 

Royal however has better entertainment, I don't think anyone will argue that. Food that seems to be a 50/50 with Carnival having the slight edge from all the data I've gathered.

 

I do believe the two line are more alike than not so why don't you book Carnival and decide for yourself . Carnival Breeze is a nice ship ,,very pleasing to the eyes.

Edited September 24, 2015 by Midwestgal

[m32446]

We've done two Carnival (Triumph, so not a new ship) and our second RC is coming up (17 days! Navigator). Quite honestly, there aren't any huge differences. We found the entertainment on Carnival to be better (we actually had to leave one of the RC shows, they were THAT bad), the food about the same. Room service on RC was a hair better. I'd choose either of them, mostly dependent on price and ports. Maybe there's a generational difference? Professional late 20's us, versus cruisers in their 40s, or beyond. We didn't notice any hardcore party nonsense on our Carnival trips, but we weren't cruising during a child/young people heavy period.

[FloatMe]

Anthem vs any carnival cruise is not a fair comparison, price wise. For a more applicable carparison I would compare any freedom class ship to carnivals larger ships with similar itineraries. I think you would find carnival will still be 10% to 20% cheaper. Nothing g to sneeze at, however for our money, well worth it. We like the Royal's ships better, staff much better, and usually the domographic of the passengers better.

[BigMikefromTexas]

Tossing out the older ships from any comparison (family 4 day reunion cruises on Carnival) and just comparing main line ships and new ships (Carnival Magic versus Quantum), there is no comparison. RCCL. It just isn't fair.

 

It sounds like you are cruising out of Bayonne. Comparing one of the World's Best Cruise Ships (Quantum Class) with smaller more crowded ship. Even though it is 130,000 tons, most of the RCCL ships (Voyager/Freedom/Oasis/Quantum classes) are 138,000-223,000 tons.

 

Notes on Selection Criteria:

Older ships are in less demand so their prices are lower. So a brand New ship will always be top rate, regardless of line.

Size Matters. - Elbow Room, Cabin Selection, Entertainment Options, Dining Options, Activities, Seclusion, Spa Size. You pay for all of these.

Look at the common space ratio. A couple of websites have this.

Activities.......What do you like or what would you like.

German built ships are of the finest design and safety.

Finally what is your cruising lifestyle. Are you a loner or do you want to meet people your age and interests on the ship to drink and dine with. Frequent cruiser program?/Cruise/Critic) Is the family a good fit for the line.

 

But if you plan to be doing this cruising thing for a couple of years, it makes sense to put most, if not all, of your eggs in one basket and reap the benefits. You should be considering the frequent cruiser program.

 

Consider that our tastes will evolve as we grow older. Look for reciprocal benefits.

 

Normally I would say try them both, changing from a Quantum Class will be disappointing.

Edited September 24, 2015 by BigMikefromTexas

[cloud_nine]

My very first cruise was with Carnival so at the time I had nothing to compare it with. However, having sailed with RCI since, I would never go back to Carnival. RCI is in an entirely different class to Carnival. I did enjoy my cruise on Carnival but this was mainly because of the company. We were lucky enough to meet a lot of really nice people but had this not been the case it wouldn't have been a great cruise at all. The main issue: the food. The buffet was awful. Every time we tried eating there, the food was almost cold and the variety was terrible. MDR was a bit better but there was only one vegetarian option (for both main and starter - Royal has more choice) and occasionally none at all! Whilst our waiter was nice he never offered to have something veggie made for me when there was nothing available, and even when I asked if something on the menu could be made without the meat/fish I was told no it can't be done. Royal Caribbean is an entirely different story. I was just on the Explorer in August and our Head Waiter was a star. She always gave me the next night's menu to look at at the end of dinner and if there was nothing I liked the look of I could have something made for me. The entertainment on Royal is better than I remember it being on Carnival and as others have said the ships are much prettier on Royal. The only thing I thought Carnival did better on was desserts. Their chocolate melting pot thing was to die for - had it every night I think! My biggest bugbear with it was the food so this probably won't apply to you but it really is all down to personal preference. Personally if anyone asked me which cruise line to go with my answer would always be RCI but that's just me. Others will have completely different ideas.

[MNfamilycruiser]

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.

 

When you pointed out the big price gap - comparing the RC cruise you have booked with the Carnival cruise you priced - we were trying to say that it might not be so much a difference between lines as is a difference between newness of ships and itinerary (Alaska, Europe vs. Caribbean etc.).

 

I would go ahead and try the cheaper Carnival cruise some time - there might be a point when that works best for you. We are doing a quick 3 day cruise on an older ship - something many people avoid - just as they avoid Carnival. But that is all the time my husband can get away - so we are going to enjoy it for what it is and NOT compare it to our cruises.

[jsswish]

When you pointed out the big price gap - comparing the RC cruise you have booked with the Carnival cruise you priced - we were trying to say that it might not be so much a difference between lines as is a difference between newness of ships and itinerary (Alaska, Europe vs. Caribbean etc.).

 

I would go ahead and try the cheaper Carnival cruise some time - there might be a point when that works best for you. We are doing a quick 3 day cruise on an older ship - something many people avoid - just as they avoid Carnival. But that is all the time my husband can get away - so we are going to enjoy it for what it is and NOT compare it to our cruises.

 

Understood, pointing that out wasn't intended to be only a ship comparison, mainly just an observation, and wondering overall what the differences were.

 

Appreciate all input and different perspectives.

Edited September 24, 2015 by jsswish

[meatloafsfan]

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 .

 

This.

 

I've sailed Carnival a couple more times than RC but have sailed a few lines. There are plusses on each (and minuses). I'm not loyal to anyone but myself, my pocketbook, and my desire to travel.

[koolkat327]

I started with Carnival when my parents took me on a cruise when I was in the 9th grade. That ship caught on fire and we were stranded for two days at sea. I have since sailed several more times with Carnival but mostly do their 3-5 day cruises (I like cruising for a long weekend getaway vs. my weeklong vacation).

 

Last year, we decided we wanted to do a weeklong vacation and booked the Allure of the Seas - my first Royal Caribbean. It was an amazing ship, but you can't compare that ship to the little fantasy class of ships I usually take on Carnival that's like apples to oranges.

 

I then did a four day on the Enchantment of the Seas in January. I must say that I thought that was very comparable to the Carnival ships I usually do. I really didn't see anything that would make me drop Carnival like a hot potato over Royal.

 

I actually think I like Carnival's MDR food more...they definitely beat RC on desserts. RC seems to have food available throughout the day and night more. I actually have noticed a step up in Carnival's customer service - from them calling me by name and always knowing when I'm out and sneak and clean my room. They actually surpassed RC on that.

 

I do think RC ships are nicer (looking at 3-5 day cruises). Yes, Carnival has some cheesy décor, but I'm not booking a cruise or décor. I want to eat, drink, sit by the pool, and sleep and both lines do that for me. I will continue to choose whichever line has the best deal in a port I can drive to for 3-5 days. Right now that RC - I've got two cruises in October booked.

 

We are looking at doing another big vacation in 2017 and are looking at Carnival Vista so hopefully I can get a better comparison of big ships.