Will I be disappointed with Carnival?

[George C]

I think you get what you pay for, we had a friend who did 1st cruise on RCCL last year did Carnival this year just to save money and preferred RCCL but said most things were about the same.

[BeeBerry]

We’ve sailed pretty much equally on Carnival and RCI and there are pluses and minuses to both lines and it really does depend on the ship as well. Again, we think there are more similarities than differences, including the passengers (dictated more by itinerary I feel). The food is fairly equal in the MDR’s, maybe with Carnival having a slight edge on desserts.

 

We’ve only sailed on the Breeze and updated Sunshine with Carnival so can only base our opinion on the newer décor, venue options etc. With Royal we’ve sailed on almost every class of ship and there are differences from the smallest to the likes of the Oasis class.

 

On Royal we prefer

 

- General layout of the ships, they flow better and feel less crowded

- The drinks packages

- Pools and Adults Only areas are nicer

- The Shows (on the bigger ships only)

- The buffet restaurants on RCI have more variety and a much better layout.

 

On Carnival we prefer

 

- The extra free dining choices like Guys Burgers, C-Day BBQ, the Taco bar etc.

- Cabin/bathroom space.

- Music options: love the bands in the Ocean Plaza and the guitar soloists in the Red Frog Pub are MILES above RCI’s paltry offerings

- Love the Alchemy Bar and Ji-Ji’s Asian Kitchen was the only speciality restaurant on both cruiselines which we thought was worth the small upcharge

- The Breeze is probably our favourite ship – we love the wrap-around promenade with seating outside the bars and restaurants.

 

In general with us it comes down to Price, Ship & Itinerary. :D

 

Hope that helps!

[cruisinlawn]

We sail them all..whether for the destination or the ship or the price, depends on what our desire is at the time. Stay with a 7/8 day sailing on one of the newer ships and you'll be fine. I think they are more alike then different. The ships are nice but not the Royal WOW. Compare RCCL to X and in my opinion the X ships out do the Royal ships, only in a different way. We've been sailing since '99, CCL, RCCL, Princess and Celebrity. We've found they all have pros/cons, ups/downs. Only you can determine whether it's for you or not so go and try it out. For what you've outlined I think you'll enjoy it. Read the reviews on the Carnival ships when selecting itinerary. Enjoy:)

Edited January 12, 2016 by cruisinlawn

[jules815]

It DEFINITELY is going to depend what ship you are on.

 

I think Carnival did a number of things better than RCI. Food quality was better, IMO. They had a "tea time" and a seaday brunch that Royal doesn't offer. They had late night food on the lido buffet, and you can get burgers and made to order pizzas at night.

 

The standard cabins are large. We had a regular oceanview deck 2 cabin on Carnival Victory and it was 220 square feet. It was HUGE.

 

There were areas that RCI clearly excelled, ship design, ship presentation/cleanliness, pool deck area and buffet on RCI better laid out.

 

But if you want to kick back, people watch (and there WILL be some people to watch on Carnival...), eat good food, and have good overall value, no problem at all with Carnival. I would avoid smaller/older ships though.

 

Not saying Carnival is "worse" per se, just set your expectations properly and you will have a good time, and probably find there are some areas Carnival exceeds Royal, and vice versa.

 

I mean I'm not gonna become a Carnival cheerleader any time soon, but if any of my friends or family asked if they should go I'd kind of size them up and suggest accordingly.

 

 

This post sums it up perfectly. :)

[cruiselvr04]

We have tried Carnival several times, small and large ships. We have been disappointed every time. However others like them. I think it depends on what you like to do on board. And this is one of cases you get what you pay for. We will go again only if we need a short break and Carnivals dates are the only ones that work.

 

On carnival the food slightly wins at dinner but their buffet is lacking because most of the people go for burgers and fries. Entertainment is very lacking unless you like karoke and raunchy comedy. We have been bored some evenings. The entertainment is way below Royal. Decor on Carnival is loud and casino like. The cabins are a bit bigger but one of couches in the room was orange pleather. Really? And then there are your fellow cruisers. It is cheaper and those you cruise with will reflect that. It does make for some interesting people watching.

 

Try it for yourself and see...we have friends and co workers who like Carnival. It's just not for us. We will go less often and pay a little more.

[egh170]

I was just wondering. Is this forum for RCCL or for Carnival? If you want to know what Carnival is like, then book it and find out.

Edited January 12, 2016 by egh170

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

I was just wondering. Is this forum for RCCL or for Carnival?

 

... This is the Royal Caribbean board.

[LMaxwell]

I was just wondering. Is this forum for RCCL or for Carnival? If you want to know what Carnival is like, then book it and find out.

 

... This is the Royal Caribbean board.

 

Yes, but it is always good to get some outside perspective. If you ask on Carnival board you definitely get the highest praises sung and people won't say much bad, or haven't sailed other lines so nothing to compare. Over there you ask if Celebrity is like Carnival and they will say 'Yeah, basically the same'. So not really an unbiased source.

 

Every brand has its loyalists and they sometimes do the worst job painting accurate pictures.

[Beardface]

Both cruise lines are essentially the same, in being essentially the entry level cruise line for their overall brand. They target younger couples and families that are looking to have a great time for a week on the sea, where they can maximize profits by gouging you while booking excursions and through the amount you drink.

 

The main difference between the two is aesthetic. Carnival is more Las Vegas style glitz whereas Royal Caribbean is more traditional glam. Both cruise lines have had incidents in recent years (Carnival Triumph fire, Freedom of the Seas fire) indicating a shift from cost cutting to corner cutting. But you really shouldn't feel unsafe on either.

 

You really can't go wrong on either.

[BillOh]

Hi All,

 

We have been on 11 cruises. 8 with Princess and 3 with Royal. This year we are looking for a cheaper vacation and was looking at Carnival. We just like to people watch and drink beer and eat good food, I am fine if we have to get that in the specialty restaurants. The price seems right. Is it really that much of a "downgrade"???

 

thanks for your input.

 

Matt

 

Given the attitude shown in the highlighted text and your experience I'm guessing you will find a way to have a good time. Which ship/port/time are you looking at?

[BillOh]

I was just wondering. Is this forum for RCCL or for Carnival? If you want to know what Carnival is like, then book it and find out.

 

That's real helpful :rolleyes: It's clear to me he was seeking the opinion of people of like mind and experience.

[klfrodo]

I'm very impressed with the direction a post like this has gone.

I've been a member since the AOL days which would be in the 90's.

 

Up to 5 years ago, a poster asking a question like this would have received some very negative comments. 95% of the comments would have clearly steered the OP away from Carnival on an RCCL forum and the same would have happened on the Carnival forum asking about opinions on Royal.

 

I'm loyal to Carnival and enjoy their product. My last cruise and my next cruise are on Royal.

Some things are great, some things can be improved.

Can't go wrong either way.

[LuCruise]

Carnival lacks in the entertainment in my opinion but never had a bad cruise on Carnival. ...

 

This is what I wonder for any cruise line (outside of Disney). Royal has great entertianment, and we'll be on the Allure so can only imagine that between the Aqau shows and Broadway shows, that I'l lbe dissapointed going elsewhere. How can any line match that?

[MISSSNOOPYGIRL]

I'm very impressed with the direction a post like this has gone.

I've been a member since the AOL days which would be in the 90's.

 

Up to 5 years ago, a poster asking a question like this would have received some very negative comments. 95% of the comments would have clearly steered the OP away from Carnival on an RCCL forum and the same would have happened on the Carnival forum asking about opinions on Royal.

 

QUOTE]

 

I agree people seem a bit more rational, unbiased and nicer lately. Note I said "a bit". People don't appreciate snarky. If you are going to be snarky, keep your thought to yourself.

[jules815]

If you're looking at one of the newer ships, Dream class, the deck 2 Cove Balconies are worth looking at, and a good value (at least when we sailed in them.)

[Mapleleafforever]

We have friends and family members who swear by them. We'll be trying them one day for sure.

[egh170]

Yes, but it is always good to get some outside perspective. If you ask on Carnival board you definitely get the highest praises sung and people won't say much bad, or haven't sailed other lines so nothing to compare. Over there you ask if Celebrity is like Carnival and they will say 'Yeah, basically the same'. So not really an unbiased source.

 

Every brand has its loyalists and they sometimes do the worst job painting accurate pictures.

 

I did not mean to come off as a smart A**m what I meant to say is it is hard to pick a cruise on what people post here because there are so many different observations about cruise lines. The real test is when YOU go on the cruise. I realize that you are trying to get valid info before you commit.

Edited January 13, 2016 by egh170

[TigerLady]

Hi All,

 

We have been on 11 cruises. 8 with Princess and 3 with Royal. This year we are looking for a cheaper vacation and was looking at Carnival. We just like to people watch and drink beer and eat good food, I am fine if we have to get that in the specialty restaurants. The price seems right. Is it really that much of a "downgrade"???

 

thanks for your input.

 

Matt

If you have become accustomed to the "little things" that Royal does, they will become painfully obvious. We have taken two cruises with Carnival, and won't go back.. We like the "extra touches" we get with Royal.

When all is said and done, we'll spend a little more, and stay with Royal Caribbean..

[Mapleleafforever]

If you have become accustomed to the "little things" that Royal does, they will become painfully obvious. We have taken two cruises with Carnival, and won't go back.. We like the "extra touches" we get with Royal.

When all is said and done, we'll spend a little more, and stay with Royal Caribbean..

 

 

Just for comparison's sake can you please give me an example of 1 or 2 "extra touches" we get with Royal that Carnival doesn't provide?

[BillOh]

I too have enjoyed the thread just for the knowledge that perhaps one day I'll put to use. I almost had a Carnival Experience. My Brother in law wanted to do a family cruise. He owned a Heating and AC company and the local gas and electric companies and equipment providers were always giving him cruises so he became the highest level on Carnival pretty quickly.

 

There was a party at his house in 2010 and the subject came up. Since he was put in charge of organizing it, it would have been on Carnival. He didn't wake up the next day so the trip never happened. I occasionally wondered what ship/cruise we would have taken and how I would have felt about it later, actually contributing here. :cool:

 

Cold slow day here, I just felt like sharing.

Edited January 13, 2016 by BillOh
typos

[Luvcruzing2]

We have done one Carnival (on the Splendor) this past July because I couldn't pass up the wonderful price and itinerary. We have previously sailed on DCL Magic, RCCL Freedom, and RCCL Explorer.

 

It does depend on the ship, as all of us missed RCCL's promenade. However, I must admit the ship was spotless. The crew was really nice and helpful.

 

We booked the cruise for the itinerary, and we were not disappointed. RCCL had a similar itinerary, but it was a little over double the price.

 

The one complaint I would have (I don't consider the lack of a promenade a complaint as I had done my research and read reviews, so I knew what to expect) would be the food. Not that the food was bad, just that they had the SAME food EVERY day of the cruise at the buffet. There was definitely something for everyone's tastes, but ever day it was the same menu. We knew we would have a lot of the same things, but we didn't expect it to never change. I don't know if this is the case in all the Carnival ships?....We looked forward to dinner in the MDR for changes.

 

At least RCCL would add a few different items every day to the lunch buffet....

 

But all in all, we had a really good time.

[SC_Floaters]

We have cruised 40 times on Royal, 7 times on Carnival, 6 times on Celebrity and one Norwegian and we have not been disappointed.

 

Each Cruise line has it's pros and cons.

 

Like Golfing and Fishing... There is no bad cruising.

 

Dennis & SUe

[cruzeluver]

It makes far more sense to compare ships in this case, than entire cruise lines.

 

Oasis vs. a Carnival Fantasy class ship (Fantasy, Ecstasy, Fascination etc.) makes no sense as those are Carnival's oldest, least-feature-filled ships.

 

Conversely, I would not put Carnival's Breeze, Magic or Dream up against Royal's Majesty, Vision etc.

[cruisinlawn]

so…big bro…did you book it:)

[ryano]

I cant imagine being disappointed especially if you stick with at least a 7 day cruise on a newer ship. Im very much looking forward to my cruise on Carnival Magic. It will be the newest ship I have ever been on and is getting some really good upgrades before we go on her. I am not loyal to any one cruiseline nor will I ever be. It just happens to be that Royal is the one Ive cruised on the most so far. Will that change? We shall see :)

Edited January 13, 2016 by ryano