New to RCCL, looking to compare against Carnival

[TNcruising02]

I like cruising on both lines. I like some things on Carnival better and some things on Royal better.

 

What I liked:

Carnival: They have more comedy shows and the comedians often have several shows that aren't repeats. My husband and I love comedy shows, so being able to watch them nearly the entire cruise is a huge perk for us.

They have Faster to the Fun. We like it and don't mind paying to have a shorter line and our cabin ready as soon as we board.

We really like the lunches served on deck. Guy's Hamburgers is always good and so is the Mexican food.

We like that they have self service washing machines. It makes it easy for us to travel with carry-ons only.

 

Royal:

Their dinner buffet is much better than Carnivals. My husband likes eating in the buffet, so this matter.

Their entertainment, other than comedy shows, is better.

The people are a tad more laid back. The energy level on Carnival ships is high. It's a bit toned down on Royal.

The layout of the ships that I have cruised on has been nice. I like the promenade areas and pool areas.

For kids, the fun area on the top of the ship seems to be better on Royal. However, the Vista had a very nice area.

 

We will continue to cruise on both lines.

[BNBR]

My best "educated guess" and this is based on what I've read on CC and what I've heard from people firsthand is that Royal was once better, in general. But now that is no longer the case. What I've heard on Royal ships and read on CC is that Carnival is kicking butt when it comes to food. Royal kicks butt when it comes to entertainment. Carnival has larger staterooms.

 

The other categories seem to be up to personal preference.

 

Not sure I'd agree with the CC consensus on that. The staterooms are so similar that I wouldn't notice if they were slightly bigger or smaller. The food is virtually identical, too. I mean, Guy's is better than Wipeout/Mini-bites, Pizza Pirate is better than Sorrentos, but beyond pizza and a burger, the food is virtually the same quality. The buffet was horrendous on Glory and I wouldn't eat the food they were serving, so I was thankful they had Blue Iguana for breakfast burritos. Whereas Oasis class has so many more options.

 

I would say Carnival has killer service, everyone swears they are consistently amazing, and though I've only had one recent Carnival cruise (last one was a decade ago), the service really was spot on everywhere on the ship and noticeably consistent.

 

But when pricing is similar, Carnival simply doesn't have anything that can compete with the mega-ships and I see no reason to sail them until they do. Vista has been viewed as a disaster it seems, and that's their latest and greatest!

 

Though maybe we would consider another Carnival cruise with the Grand Turk/HMC itinerary if the price was right. And the previous poster mentioned Faster To The Fun - I wish Royal had this! That's a nice plus with Carnival. You get suite level priority for like $59 for an entire cabin.

[anamanxs]

My best "educated guess" and this is based on what I've read on CC and what I've heard from people firsthand is that Royal was once better, in general. But now that is no longer the case. What I've heard on Royal ships and read on CC is that Carnival is kicking butt when it comes to food. Royal kicks butt when it comes to entertainment. Carnival has larger staterooms.

 

The other categories seem to be up to personal preference.

 

I think you have it right! I am the same level on both lines but have been on much more Carnival than RCCL. I do like the food on Carnival better, I like my perks on Carnival much better than on RCCL. I do not think Carnival can touch RCCL on entertainment. Other than the newest ships, I do find Carnival to be cheaper. The internet is much cheaper on Carnival, I love their social and onboard program.

Edited February 25, 2018 by anamanxs
added

[Jasonmom]

I think you have it right! I am the same level on both lines but have been on much more Carnival than RCCL. I do like the food on Carnival better, I like my perks on Carnival much better than on RCCL. I do not think Carnival can touch RCCL on entertainment. Other than the newest ships, I do find Carnival to be cheaper. The internet is much cheaper on Carnival, I love their social and onboard program.

Have enjoyed all opinions. Going on 1st RC cruise next month on Grandure of the Seas. Been on about 15 on Carnival and some of NCL. Bumping this up in hopes of getting more opinions.

 

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[runawaysoul]

My first 3 cruises were on Carnival (Fantasy x2, Fascination), and my last 3 were on RC (Radiance, AOS, Mariner). My upcoming is on the Symphony. I was 20 on my first cruise on the Fantasy - so that first time cruising experience where everything was fresh, no matter hold the ship was - applied to me. I thought it was the most unbelievable experience in the world. The 2nd time on the Fantasy was my 3rd cruise. It was not a good experience. There was a gentleman at our dinner table who was never sober for any meal. One time he had passed out face first in his food and it splattered onto my plate. I had relief on the last night though, when he passed out at a bar in the Bahamas and missed the boat. Found out later that they were ex-cons and had gotten arrested for traveling beyond their accepted limit right after disembarkation, but a not so good cruise is still better than a good day at work. So, my first and last cruise with Carnival, while on the same ship - provided very different experiences. All 3 of the RC cruises were fantastic. Looking back on my cruise journals, it's interesting to read about my first RC cruise. I had even mentioned early on that Carnival was better, but I knew RC was going to be my cruise of choice from that moment on. My experiences have taught me a few things: 1) For the most part, how your experience is largely depends on you. Attitude makes a difference. It is statistically proven that those who go to bed determined to wake up happy are far more likely to than someone who didn't make that decision. 2) Reviews are too subjective to be used definitive research. I use them for entertainment purposes only when I'm itching for a cruise. 3) Travel agents are still the best way to go. They've been creative over the years in competing with DIY crowd. Utilize them in getting a feel for the personality of the ships. I'm an old soul - I enjoy the quieter side of life. So, even though I enjoyed Carnival, RC was much closer to my personality type. I think you will enjoy RC.

[kingoftheicedragons]

Here’s my thoughts:

 

 

Royal:

 

Better loyalty program

 

Carnival:

 

Way better spa

Better food, Royal completely fails at off dining time food.

 

The clientele is exactly the same between the two cruise lines. You’ll find a ton of people on CC who try to act like there’s a huge difference between the types of people who cruise each line but there’s not. You cruise short cruises during busy times like spring break, you’ll find a bunch of rowdy partiers. You go longer cruises off peak, it’ll be more subdued.

 

I am generally a Carnival cruiser who has now booked RC for the first time.

 

I looked at Royal's loyalty perks, they don't seem that much different from Carnival's. In fact, there was at least one perk on Carnival that I enjoy--the free laundry--that I didn't see listed in Royal's.

 

I am glad you mentioned the clientele. I have been on 12 Carnival cruises of various lengths from 4 days up to 13 days. I am not someone who likes to "party and get drunk" nor have I really noticed this behavior on Carnival cruises. I think this is a stereotype that people who have never sailed on Carnival use for a variety of reasons.

[kingoftheicedragons]

I have not found that to be the case out of the Florida ports. Recently everything I checked that was comparable had Carnival priced the same or higher, which is why I did not try Breeze. Maybe the Florida ports are an exception to the general "Carnival is cheaper" consensus? Or maybe it's really not cheaper at all?

 

I was just looking at cruises out of Florida and trying to find an itinerary that I would be happy with. While I ended up booking on Royal Caribbean, all of their cruises out of Florida were more expensive than Carnival. All of Carnival's cruises were priced at under $600 for a 7-night cruise. Royal was more than that. I went with Royal because I had been on essentially all of Carnival's Caribbean itineraries and wanted something different so was willing to pay a little more.

 

Keep in mind, we always book in the 9-12 month out time frame. If you're looking for something outside of the window that we book in, prices between the two lines may differ and yes, RCI may be cheaper at other times.

[Clarea]

... I looked at Royal's loyalty perks, they don't seem that much different from Carnival's. In fact, there was at least one perk on Carnival that I enjoy--the free laundry--that I didn't see listed in Royal's ...

I'm not familiar with Carnival's loyalty perks either. Does Carnival have the free drinks for 3.5 hours each evening and balcony discounts up to several hundred dollars?

[lazydayz]

I'm not familiar with Carnival's loyalty perks either. Does Carnival have the free drinks for 3.5 hours each evening and balcony discounts up to several hundred dollars?

 

No, but priority boarding AND debarking. Priority tendering as well. Free laundry, welcome back party, etc. Carnival still provides a gift to higher level cruisers. Also a discount on many fares, not just balcony and above. If alcohol is not a priority, the perks are good on Carnival. My husband does not drink so he prefers Carnival’s perks. I prefer Royal’s.

[Clarea]

No, but priority boarding AND debarking. Priority tendering as well. Free laundry, welcome back party, etc. Carnival still provides a gift to higher level cruisers. Also a discount on many fares, not just balcony and above. If alcohol is not a priority, the perks are good on Carnival. My husband does not drink so he prefers Carnival’s perks. I prefer Royal’s.

Thanks for the info.:)