Loyal Royal Checking out Carnival

[hotsauce126]

Now if they delve into the popular music of the 2000's and 2010's...then I'll start complaining :)

As a younger cruiser I would be thrilled if they delved into more modern popular music

 

Don't miss JiJi's restaurant - try it one evening. Amazing food - the crispy duck is lovely.

 

I forgot about the duck at JiJis. That's one of my favorite things that I've ever eaten

[Luke Dawg]

DW and I really enjoy RCI but thinking of changing things up by going on an 8 day, Carnival Sunshine cruise out of Orlando, Grand Turk, San Juan, St Kitts and St Maarten in Nov 18. Looking to hear from die hard Carnival cruisers, did we make a good choice? Thx!

 

Hi, I guess you can say I am a loyal Carnival cruiser since most of my 17 cruises were on Carnival. With that said I have been on two RCL cruises and found that the experience is similar. Food, buffets, restaurants, shows are similar but different but not enought to say one is better than the other. RCL desing is like a nice hotel built on or around a bunch of shops and restaurants. CCL is more like a Beaches resort, lots of pastel colors.

[cmukid87]

You won't know you like something until you try it.

 

I haven't tried other lines yet because I have yet to find a cruise that matches my families time, location, etc that is cheaper on another line. At my age it's all about cost. Years down the road it may be more about amenities.

[JTBCruiser]

You won't know you like something until you try it.

 

I haven't tried other lines yet because I have yet to find a cruise that matches my families time, location, etc that is cheaper on another line. At my age it's all about cost. Years down the road it may be more about amenities.

 

We've been able to get really good deals on RCI so far but I'll be retired/retired in Oct 18 so cost will be a significant factor. Looking to do Alaska in 2019, on our bucket list.

[Jamericannn]

I wouldn't say you made "a" good choice. I would say you made "the" best choice. Enjoy your cruise :)

[meatloafsfan]

Trisha, hoping to be your new friend here. Wow! Nice to have these kind of choices. RCI only has the Windjammer depending on the size of the ship, so this is a pleasant surprise. I also note on this forum people seem to complain about it being over crowded, to me it may be subjective as food. DW and I have never experienced what we would call a crowd on RCI outside of right after the main show let out. We always found space and even on sea days, we could usually find a place to sit. We love hot tubs so I'm wondering how full they get on sea days on the adults only location. I know, lots of questions but I help out on the RCI board and am very grateful to the fellow posters here on the Carnival forum.

 

I think all cruise lines suffer from the same crowd malady - whenever you have a large portion of the ship all doing the same thing, in the same place, - there's a crowd (after shows, first day in the buffet, debarking at a port where the ship docks at 10am or later, etc.).

 

On the Sunshine, I would also expect a few line ups - like to get into the comedy show. They are very popular and because they are held in a secondary entertainment lounge (not the main show lounge), you'll find that you want to get there 20-30 minutes before the show to get a decent seat.

 

The adult only hot tub can get crowded - it's placed at the very top level of the 3 level serenity area. The hot tub is at the top of the waterfall that goes into the adult only pool (google search Carnival Sunshine hot tub and look at images). The Serenity area on the Sunshine is big but it's also very popular.

[SNJCruisers]

Trisha, hoping to be your new friend here. Wow! Nice to have these kind of choices. RCI only has the Windjammer depending on the size of the ship, so this is a pleasant surprise.

There are three main things that Carnival excels over RCI. Cooked to order options at lunch time is one of them. On the newer renovated Carnival ships like the Sunshine, there are 6 different cooked to order options as outlined in a previous post, whereas on RCI, you have Johnny Rockets for a fee (versus Guys which is free) or the salad bar in the MDR on sea days.

The other areas that Carnival excels are the comedy club and the piano bar. For future reference, look into the Havana area cabins on the Vista and Horizon, which come in inside, balcony, lanai and suite versions. Check out this video.

[JTBCruiser]

You all have been great, thx for the feedback! :cool:

[mnh]

33 cruises on Royal...12 on Carnival....pluses and minuses on both..wish Royal had Guys and Carnival had the promenande. I think they are both great options.

[BNBR]

There are three main things that Carnival excels over RCI. Cooked to order options at lunch time is one of them. On the newer renovated Carnival ships like the Sunshine, there are 6 different cooked to order options as outlined in a previous post, whereas on RCI, you have Johnny Rockets for a fee (versus Guys which is free) or the salad bar in the MDR on sea days.

The other areas that Carnival excels are the comedy club and the piano bar. For future reference, look into the Havana area cabins on the Vista and Horizon, which come in inside, balcony, lanai and suite versions. Check out this video.

 

This is kind of misleading and not really true. Assembling a burrito with items in trays at Blue Iguana is not "cooked to order" any more than a buffet. And when I was on Glory, Guys also had trays of meat that they were slinging on a bun. A far cry from "cooked to order". You can get the same thing on RCI. RCI has a walk up burger spot, so comparing Johnny Rockets (a sit down spot) with Guys (glorified buffet but pretty good burgers) isn't accurate.... You can get pizza made to order on RCI, burgers, Sabor (Mexican), etc. etc.

 

If you are talking quality of the quick serve items, I'd say Carnival is better. Though I think Royal's buffet quality was better... the specialty spots like Guys, Pizza Pirate, and Blue Iguana certainly made better food (though the wait was longer for it).

[moonvine]

If you haven't booked yet, consider booking Carnival Vista out of Miami on the 8-day Southern Caribbean itinerary on the same date.

 

Sunshine is a refurbished older ship, and tends to be very crowded. Vista is much newer and will be much nicer and less crowded.

 

Either way, you'll have a great time! Be open-minded and don't go into it thinking Carnival is going to be just like Royal and you'll enjoy yourself.

 

Not to hijack the thread, but I've been considering booking the Sunshine for its Serenity area, which is supposed to be awesome. Does the Vista have a similar Serenity area (I know all ships have them, but the one on Sunshine is supposed to be fantastic).

[Pellaz]

I'm not up with the current pricing, but with Faster to the Fun you can board immediately after the Platinum and Diamond guests.

Yep.

You also get to wait in the priority lounge with them until boarding begins, if you arrive early.

Nope. Certainly it's not the case at either PortMiami or Port Everglades.

 

FttF guests also get priority tendering TO tender ports (but not back), a priority line at Guest Services, a special phone line to call Guest Services, immediate access to your stateroom upon boarding (instead of having to wait 'til 1:30 or so), priority luggage delivery, priority dining reservations where applicable, and priority debark (luggage zone 1 or 2).

 

Pricing is per STATEROOM (not per-person) and starts at $50 for shorter cruises and tops out at $80 for the longest cruises. You can find it under excursions for your departure port.

 

IMHO it's totally worth it if you plan to arrive early. If you will arrive later (say, after 1 pm), it's probably not worth it.

For quick access to Guest Services and bypassing the line, and for a tender-heavy itinerary, it could still be worth it...but early arrivals certainly reap the most benefits. I've had it on every Carnival cruise so far and will again on Vista in October. Can't wait!

[KPfromCT]

For an 8 night cruise, FTTF would be $79.95 for the cabin.

Well worth it, IMO.

We get it for every cruise.

It's really nice to be able to get right on the ship ( after weddings, Diamond, and Platinum ) and be able to go directly to your cabin to drop off your bags before grabbing lunch on the Lido.

 

Also, if you have any tender ports, you get priority tendering.

And priority debarkation.

 

Let us know what you decide.

 

Enjoy! You will LOVE Carnival.:')

[SNJCruisers]

This is kind of misleading and not really true. Assembling a burrito with items in trays at Blue Iguana is not "cooked to order" any more than a buffet. And when I was on Glory, Guys also had trays of meat that they were slinging on a bun. A far cry from "cooked to order". You can get the same thing on RCI. RCI has a walk up burger spot, so comparing Johnny Rockets (a sit down spot) with Guys (glorified buffet but pretty good burgers) isn't accurate.... You can get pizza made to order on RCI, burgers, Sabor (Mexican), etc. etc.

 

If you are talking quality of the quick serve items, I'd say Carnival is better. Though I think Royal's buffet quality was better... the specialty spots like Guys, Pizza Pirate, and Blue Iguana certainly made better food (though the wait was longer for it).

I'll take a burrito from the Blue Iguana for lunch or for breakfast over anything that the buffet has, and that's on either Carnival or RCI. And if you're implying that any burger that you can get on RCI is better than Guy's, you're sadly mistaken and there will be many on these boards that will support that statement. And Guy's is included, whereas JR's is an up charge on RCI for an inferior product. Also forgot to mention Mongolian Wok....which is made to order, you can't dispute that.

I personally hate buffets, so that is one of the main reasons I enjoy Carnival over RCI at lunch because of the cooked to order, or "assembled to order" options. RCI is only better with their salad bar in the MDR on sea days, but I'll get to see what salad creations is like in the Serenity area next year on the Horizon to make a comparison.

[SNJCruisers]

Not to hijack the thread, but I've been considering booking the Sunshine for its Serenity area, which is supposed to be awesome. Does the Vista have a similar Serenity area (I know all ships have them, but the one on Sunshine is supposed to be fantastic).

The three tiered Serenity area on the Sunshine is unique in the fleet. But, the Vista and the new Horizon both have Havana cabins. They come in inside, balcony, lanai, and suite versions. Check out this video.

[meatloafsfan]

This is kind of misleading and not really true. Assembling a burrito with items in trays at Blue Iguana is not "cooked to order" any more than a buffet. And when I was on Glory, Guys also had trays of meat that they were slinging on a bun. A far cry from "cooked to order". You can get the same thing on RCI. RCI has a walk up burger spot, so comparing Johnny Rockets (a sit down spot) with Guys (glorified buffet but pretty good burgers) isn't accurate.... You can get pizza made to order on RCI, burgers, Sabor (Mexican), etc. etc.

 

If you are talking quality of the quick serve items, I'd say Carnival is better. Though I think Royal's buffet quality was better... the specialty spots like Guys, Pizza Pirate, and Blue Iguana certainly made better food (though the wait was longer for it).

 

The pizza, pasta and the Mongolian wok are cooked to order; the Deli, Guys and Blue Iguana are made to order.

 

Calling what they serve at Sorrento's pizza is a crime against humanity. And made to order? That was never offered on the Freedom of the Seas. It was a production just to get served "pizza" there. And nobody made my burger on the Freedom - they had the buns sitting there, the patties sitting there and a small selection of toppings - I had to put it together myself (and it wasn't worth it).

 

The only hot food I found edible in the Windjammer was the mashed potatoes.

 

Based on my experience on Royal last month - Carnival blows them away when it comes to included food offerings.

[bUU]

Latching onto this thread to help us make a decision tonight. We're currently booked on the 6-day Western Caribbean on FOS the first week in November. We would like to go one week later, however that itinerary isn't available one week later. That has me looking around. The Carnival Magic 7-day Western Caribbean ("Cozumel Plus") would get us to the "important" ports from our FOS itinerary, plus Belize which would be neat. (And Mahogany Bay seems more promising than George Town.) I'm loyal to my spouse, not a cruise line, :) so I have no concern about Carnival as long as what it offers fits our needs. One extra day at sea, two extra ports, better ports... I'm interested.

 

One thing that I've seen said is that FOS beats Carnival Magic in terms of entertainment. Could someone please elaborate on that?

 

And more overall comments from folks who have experience on both would be appreciated.

[manmtnmike]

Absolutely would choose fos over any ccl product

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[timeinthesand]

DW and I really enjoy RCI but thinking of changing things up by going on an 8 day, Carnival Sunshine cruise out of Orlando, Grand Turk, San Juan, St Kitts and St Maarten in Nov 18. Looking to hear from die hard Carnival cruisers, did we make a good choice? Thx!

 

Yes!

[SNJCruisers]

Latching onto this thread to help us make a decision tonight. We're currently booked on the 6-day Western Caribbean on FOS the first week in November. We would like to go one week later, however that itinerary isn't available one week later. That has me looking around. The Carnival Magic 7-day Western Caribbean ("Cozumel Plus") would get us to the "important" ports from our FOS itinerary, plus Belize which would be neat. (And Mahogany Bay seems more promising than George Town.) I'm loyal to my spouse, not a cruise line, :) so I have no concern about Carnival as long as what it offers fits our needs. One extra day at sea, two extra ports, better ports... I'm interested.

 

One thing that I've seen said is that FOS beats Carnival Magic in terms of entertainment. Could someone please elaborate on that?

 

And more overall comments from folks who have experience on both would be appreciated.

If you're just comparing 11/11 sailings of Magic versus FOS, the FOS wins hands down because you're comparing an eight day cruise versus a 7 day cruise. The Magic was refurbished in 2016, is 130,000 tons and is a 4.5/6 rated ship. The FOS was refurbished in 2015, is 160,000 tons and is a 5.0/6 rated ship. The FOS is also larger, higher rated and has better entertainment.

But......if you're drinkers, neither of those ships have included drinks packages, whereas the 2015 built, 164,600 ton NCL Escape does include their drinks package as a perk with any cabin, including an inside one. All you need to do is pay 99.54 in gratuities for the week.

This September I will be lucky enough to have 30 cruises under my belt and the Escape will be the first ship I have sailed three times, going on 3 different itineraries. For overall value, it's a great deal.

[bUU]

If you're just comparing 11/11 sailings of Magic versus FOS, the FOS wins hands down because you're comparing an eight day cruise versus a 7 day cruise.,

No. We are comparing the six-day November 5 cruise on Freedom to the seven-day November 11th cruise on Magic. Specifically, we are comparing a cruise with Cozumel, Costa Maya, and George Town, to a cruise with Cozumel, Costa Maya, Belize, and Mahogany Bay. Also, there's a difference between the two cruises in terms of the fact that we can drive home from Port Canaveral directly but we have to spend an over night driving from Port Everglades or Miami.

 

After reading replies to our questions here and on other forums we decided to go ahead with the switch last night mainly on the strength of how much better the itinerary is on the Magic, and also a little bit I think based on difference between how we felt like we mesh with the people on the respective roll calls.

[SNJCruisers]

Good choice....as long as you're on somewhat comparable ships, a seven day cruise will always trump a six day one. Since you're going to Costa Maya, check out this video about Maya Chan. It's well reviewed in the ports of call section on here.

[bUU]

Thanks!

 

Although, our plan is to a little Mayan civilization immersion - basically crafting our own little themed Cruise - so at Cozumel and Costa Maya and Belize we'll be doing excursions focused in that direction.