Honest opinions would be appreciated.

[CJJSmith]

OK - I found this website about 2 months ago but have really only been on the Royal Caribbean page posting and reading. The reason for that is I just sailed on RC in early December for the 2nd time. I have sailed Carnival 2 times (on smaller ships) and the RC 2 times this year. After the first RC cruise in April, I was very disappointed and thought I would TRY RC one more time and see if it was better... it was just as disappointing. I missed Carnival.

 

I have found the food and entertainment sooooo much better on Carnival. Can anyone tell me if over the last year the quality of food has gotten bad on Carnival? On RC the April cruise food was OK - but not GREAT like I remember Carnival's to be. In Dec the food in the buffet was BAD and the restaurant still ok. I really like Carnival food. I also find Carnival to be much more fun with more activities I enjoyed. The cabins on Carnival also MUCH bigger!

 

I know this is a Carnival board and I will get positive feedback from you regarding Carnival. Just like RC board says how great RC is - but I really want honest opinions on what you think here on this board... which line is better and what is better about it? I think I am going back to Carnival and staying with Carnival.

 

Thanks for your input!

:)

[gymbrat33]

I've never sailed on Royal Caribbean. I've sailed on their largest ships as well as 2 smaller ones and the food has always been delicious. You may want to try their Largest ships.(Liberty, Valor, and Glory)

 

You will absolutely love Carnival. There are so many activities to choose from that you do not know which ones to attend. The shows are excellent as well as the comedians and illusionists. There are people of all ages on the ship. It is not a party ship like they call it. It is more of a family atmosphere, but there are activities for everyone to participate in. You will have a lot of fun.

 

They have a lot of variety of foods to choose from. The food in the dining room is delicious. At the buffet area you may choose to eat from the bufffet, deli, a hamburger and hot dog grill(they also have french fries and grilled chicken sandwiches), oriental station, fish and chips, and a pasta station where they make the pasta in front of you, a stir fry station, the sushi station, and the 24 hour pizza(they also have caesar salads and calzone) For breakfast you may eat in the dining room or at the buffet area. There is a breakfast buffet as well as an omelette station.

[CJJSmith]

Thank you for that! I really remember my 2 cruises on Carnival as having the best food I had ever tasted. The things to do were never ending - I just ran out of time-lol. I really need to get back to Carnival. RC is going down hill because they started having 2 restaurants that you pay for food - so the rest of the food suffers. Carnival hasn't done that have they?

[beaming90]

I have only sailed on one Carnival ship so far, but being the world's pickiest eater I must say that I thought the food was GREAT! Have a great trip!

[gymbrat33]

They have one specialty restaurant that you have to pay for, but the rest of the food has not suferred as a result. Try the newest ones which are the Valor and Liberty. They're super beautiful and elegant ships.

 

I'm also a super picky eater and I cannot decide what to eat because everything is so delicious.

[kmtjones803]

Sounds like you are leaning towards Carnival ;)

 

I personally only cruise with Carnival. In February, we will be on the Conquest for the 1st time and I can't wait. I have been on the Fantasy, Ecstasy, and the Holiday and still had a blast!!! I can't wait to see the newer bigger ships. I enjoyed the smaller ones as well though, and I feel that Carnival can only improve fromt here!

 

Miranda

[Amazed by You]

I just returned from the Valor Sunday and I love the ship. There was always something going on or you could just relax. However, I do think the quality of food has gone down. I am not an expert. This was my third cruise in 5 years so I don't have a lot of experience. I thought Rosie's (the buffet area for lunch) always had a nice selection and the salad bar always looked delicious. The food in the dining room was sometimes "old" tasting and not hot. I wouldn't not go on the Valor again because of the food because there were so many other positives and the food was okay just not great. This is all IMO. I hope it helps.

[cruzeluver]

Only sailed Carnival once, earlier this year. Overall found the food to be just as good as NCL and better then RCCL. I was quite impressed.

 

By the way, Carnival's menus are the same fleet-wide. So food quality should be pretty much the same whether you cruise one of the newer ships or one of the older gals.

[sederot]

As you can see from my signature block, I have sailed with both Carnival and RCI. Comparing relatively recent cruises, and big ship to big ship I ahve the following observations:

 

RCI has a full cabin breakfast order (omelettes, bacon etc.) and when room service is ready to deliver they call you. This serves as the "wake up" call

 

Carnival just has the continental breakfast delivery and you indicate when to deliver + or - 30 minutes.

 

RCI's main show lounge on the Mariner had theatre type seating (no tables)

Carnivals main show lounges have tables to set your drinks on.

 

RCI had chairs on the pool deck, but no tables in the shade (Mariner)

Carnival had tables with chairs in the shade at the pool deck (to put your drinks on :D

 

Carnivals frozen drinks are mixed and ready to go!

RCI makes the drinks virgin and then floats the rum on top causing you to work your straw like a butter churn to get the drink mixed

 

Carnival wins in cabin size, price (most of the time), and pizza :D

[ksuds]

I am a freques cruiser, sailing 4-5 a year. Love both lines. I enjoy particular thing about each line, but as far as the food goes..............

 

I really enjoy Carnival. Breakfast in the buffet is a little better, I enjoy my eggs fresh everyday. They have more stations set up than RCL. For lunch you can never go wrong with the sandwich station. You have no excuse if you don't eat. Also, the burgers and dogs are cooking on the grill fresh. Dinners are pretty equal, but overall Carnival wins the prize.

 

Oh yes.................and don't forget all the soft swirl machines. RCCL is doing away with that and moving toward making you purchase Ben and Jerry's.

 

Enjoy!!:) :) :) :) :)

[ksuds]

I am a freques cruiser, sailing 4-5 a year. Love both lines. I enjoy particular thing about each line, but as far as the food goes..............

 

I really enjoy Carnival. Breakfast in the buffet is a little better, I enjoy my eggs fresh everyday. They have more stations set up than RCL. For lunch you can never go wrong with the sandwich station. You have no excuse if you don't eat. Also, the burgers and dogs are cooking on the grill fresh. Dinners are pretty equal, but overall Carnival wins the prize.

 

Oh yes.................and don't forget all the soft swirl machines. RCCL is doing away with that and moving toward making you purchase Ben and Jerry's.

 

Enjoy!!:) :) :) :) :)

[yogimax]

Daring to reply on the Carnival board... RCL is definitely a cut above Carnival, especially in regard to the Voyager class ships. In regard to decor, it hands down for RCL. Unfortunately Carnival's ships seem to favor a 70's Las Vegas look (quite dark), which is fine if you like it. RCL's ships are much more attractive. On the Voyager class you can't beat the ice shows, Royal Promenade, Promenade Cafe, etc.. Carnival does win the "pizza war," however.

 

The strongest reason to sail RCL, though, is their Crown and Anchor Program. We have over 5 cruises on both lines and the benefits on RCL are far superior. You should also know that I own both RCL and CCL stock, so this is an honest opinion. BTW, did you really expect dishonest opinions?

[RizzoLee]

Having only cruised Carnival, I can't make a fair comparison-but the food was much better on the Fantasy compared to the Elation. My DBF (the chef) swears it was because on the Fantasy we had 6:15 dinner, and the Elation we had 8:30 seating. He's worked in banquet halls before, so thinks the difference was due to the earlier seating and the chance the food was 'fresher'. I just think it was the food overall-I had lunch in the dining room on both ships several times, around the same time everyday, and found the Fantasy to be better.

 

My friend has done 2 RCIs & 1 Carnival, and says her experience was about the same on both. Prefers the cabins on Carnival, but really liked the activities on RCI (she did a Transatlantic this year, 12 days? 16 days? Something like that), food was about the same quality on both.

 

My next cruise in 2007 will be with RCI-just so I can experience something different. ;)

[MrPete]

The only time that, to me, the food on Carnival got mediocre was in the early 90's, going so far as dropping lobster from their menu.

 

After that, they turned that around, and I have consistantly been pleased.

 

On the other hand, on the RCL board, I'm reading the food on the Voyager in the dining room is bland at best. Disappointing, cause I'm considering trying RCL (EOS), but not if the food is poor. People seem to rave about the Windjammer. Just don't exactly know what that is.

 

But my main reason for staying with Carnival is the FUN.

[Cruising89143]

 

Oh yes.................and don't forget all the soft swirl machines. RCCL is doing away with that and moving toward making you purchase Ben and Jerry's.

 

Enjoy!!:) :) :) :) :)

 

RCI still has the soft serve machines in the Windjammer and also by the pools. They have done away with the machines on the Royal Promenade. You still have a choice to either use the free soft serve or go to Ben and Jerry's.

[Cruising89143]

The only time that, to me, the food on Carnival got mediocre was in the early 90's, going so far as dropping lobster from their menu.

 

After that, they turned that around, and I have consistantly been pleased.

 

On the other hand, on the RCL board, I'm reading the food on the Voyager in the dining room is bland at best. Disappointing, cause I'm considering trying RCL (EOS), but not if the food is poor. People seem to rave about the Windjammer. Just don't exactly know what that is.

 

But my main reason for staying with Carnival is the FUN.

 

Pete, the Windjammer is the casual dining area for RCI.

 

But as the OP stated, you are going to get more positive answers about Carnival here and vice versa on the RCI board.

[MrPete]

And that's different than the lido restaurant?

[CJJSmith]

I guess I don't expect people not to give me honest replies... don't know why I typed that. What I meant was "don't sugar coat it - tell me how it really is". lol

 

I was not impressed with the Windjammer on the Vision or Majesty ships on RC - not at all. It was not good to me. (It's the buffet) - but the dining room food was good - just no Prime Rib or Lobster or Lamb.... probably because it was a 4 day cruise.

 

I am a member of Crown and Ancor for RC but with only 2 cruises with RC there aren't too many perks YET - lol - I did get a nice duffle bag on the last cruise and a coupon booklet.

 

I appreciate such great opinions. I really want to try carnival for a 7 day cruise next year and this is helping me decide to do that. Does carnival still do Prime Rib and Lobster night for 4 day cruises?

[Kittybork]

I just got off my first cruise: it was on Carnival. I can't compare it to any other line, but I was let down. The food wasn't bad; it was unremarkable. I suppose my expectations were set too high.

 

I tried everything on the boat except Oriental. None of it was anything to get excited about.

[RizzoLee]

I really want to try carnival for a 7 day cruise next year and this is helping me decide to do that. Does carnival still do Prime Rib and Lobster night for 4 day cruises?

 

As far as I know, they still do-they did in 2004. ;)

 

Truthfully, I had been really excited about trying the new menu by the French chef (forget his name)-but the changes don't look as mouth-watering to me as I had hoped they would be. They took away the mushroom ragout on the Liberty-and that was my ultimate favourite! Grrr! :p

[CJJSmith]

Haven't I seen you around the RC board a lot??? I think I have even posted to you on that board - I could be mistaken though.

[Cruising89143]

And that's different than the lido restaurant?

 

Same thing but RCI does not allow bare feet and one must where a shirt and no wet bathing suits allowed.

[MrPete]

Yeah. I hate that. Nothing like being on the Deli line behind some guy with more hair on his back than my head. :eek:

[CJJSmith]

You are cracking me up! lol... I prefer the Lido restaurant to the Windjammer BY FAR!!! :)

[Cruising89143]

I just got off my first cruise: it was on Carnival. I can't compare it to any other line, but I was let down. The food wasn't bad; it was unremarkable. I suppose my expectations were set too high.

 

I tried everything on the boat except Oriental. None of it was anything to get excited about.

 

I think many people set their expectations too high on the mass market lines. When you have a ship carrying upwards of 3000 passengers no way can they prepare gourmet quality food. I expect the lido/casual food to be on line with something that one would get at a lunchtime buffet restaurant and nothing more. That is exactly what I have received on Carnival, NCL and RCI. Let's face it, they are not even finished serving breakfast in the lido dining rooms before they have to start preparing the lunch buffet. Quick turn around times.

 

Dinner, I expect nothing more than what I would receive at a Marriott/Hilton type catered affair. I have watched over the last twenty years as ships have become much larger, the quality of food has dropped and it will continue to do so as they build larger and larger ships.