Carnival vs RCI and NCL

[jimbo5544]

17 hours ago, BoDidly said:

I have to agree with this rowdy crowd comment.   But I'm not a fan of Carnivals food options on the buffet or the MDR where the food arrives slightly warm to cold.  But I cant judge NCL or Royal as it has been a while since I have cruised with either.

 

My main curiosity is why the other lines wont compete for the east coast debarkation ports . Of course I know a few use these debarkation ports but no cruise line has stepped up to challenge Carnival on their opposition .If they were to have access to these ports I'm sure more people would cruise with other lines instead of Carnival.

 

 

For NCL it is a lack of ships to do this.

[LuckyStar]

On 1/12/2019 at 3:35 PM, chenj78 said:

Hi all,

 

Considering a Carnival cruise after cruising mostly with RCI and a couple times with NCL over the years.  We have been very happy with both RCI and NCL.  Can anyone provide any feedback as to how Carnival compares to them as far as condition of ship, overall cleanliness, overall service, food quality, kids activities, onboard prices, onboard activities, etc.?  My initial research seems to point in the direction of them being comparable, but I am interested in hearing from those who are more familiar with Carnival.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

I actually find things about all three that are very similar.  It seems that Carnival has made a lot of changes in the past few years that have brought me back to them.  I especially enjoy a lot of the dining options they have implemented.  I cruise for price so I'm not loyal to one brand, honestly.  

[Tapi]

18 hours ago, BoDidly said:

My main curiosity is why the other lines wont compete for the east coast debarkation ports . Of course I know a few use these debarkation ports but no cruise line has stepped up to challenge Carnival on their opposition .If they were to have access to these ports I'm sure more people would cruise with other lines instead of Carnival.

Carnival’s business model is different than other cruise lines, and they do target a different demographic. One of their main goals is to make cruising accessible and affordable for many Americans who otherwise wouldn’t consider (or even afford) a cruise vacation. Instead of retiring older ships, Carnival has chosen to deploy them year round to secondary ports of embarkation like Mobile, Jacksonville, and Charleston and operate mostly short and affordable itineraries, A large percentage (if not the vast majority) of cruisers that sail on these itineraries are indeed people who live within a fairly short driving distance and who place convenience and affordability ahead of cruise line, ship, and/or itinerary. Not having to spend money on airfare, hotels or meals, or pay a premium to sail aboard one of the newest and largest ships makes cruising a reality for many of these cruisers.

 

Other cruise lines chose to operate their ships seasonally from different ports and reposition their ships where there’s a demand. That’s why we see cruise lines like Royal seasonally reposition some of their ships (even older Vision class ones) in Europe and Asia on longer and more unique itineraries, because they can charge a premium for these sailings. Completely different business model and way of making money than Carnival, but each one works.

[KarimaJ]

On ‎1‎/‎13‎/‎2019 at 1:48 AM, Illbcruzn4life said:

 

does O Sheehans still have prime rib available for dinner?

Yes the same 2 nights that the buffet has it. We like it.

[Cafedumonde]

One other negative about Ncl  is they limit the amount of kids allowed in the kids club.  Sometimes you go and they say club is full and there is a line of people waiting to people to leave so that their kid/s can get in.

Edited January 14, 2019 by Cafedumonde

[asalligo]

I just got back from my first RCCL cruise after seven Carnival Cruises and I was scouring the boards for what will be different and mostly I had settled into it would be more the same than different and that is true in that we were in both cases on boats and in the ocean, but that was about it. I know that this is only one RCCL cruise to compare, but it was a world of difference in what matters to me. 

 

Organization: Carnival loves lines, because they make one everywhere and I thought that lines were just part of being on a cruise. Lines at the buffet, Lines to get into the shows, insane lines at guest services. Somehow RCCL had no lines anywhere, just great organization. I did not stand in a line after check in all week. 

 

Room Stewards: Still cleaning my room twice a day, sometimes three times a day on RCCL, the service I received from my room steward on this RCCL cruise was like nothing I have seen on Carnival even in the early days when we cruised. 

 

Food: For everyone who ever said Carnival food was better, crawdads on the buffet one night. Whole Suckling Pig on the buffet at lunch! You cannot argue with that, I have never seen anything like that on a Carnival Buffet. Go enjoy your burger. 

 

There is also still that touch of elegance that Carnival has long since lost. Table cloths still on the tables, a nicer buffet seating area and people actually dressing up for formal night. 

 

Shows: Production stage shows sucked on this RCCL ship, but they also had a comedian, a magician, a singer from Jersey Boys and a Hypnotist. 

 

What Carnival does do better. 

 

Activities: There is just more to do on a Carnival ship. Between noon and dinner on several days I found that there was not a single activity planned that did not involve selling me something. Carnival does a much better job of that. 

 

Afternoon Tea: I had come to really enjoy this on Carnival ships and there is nothing like it on RCCL. 

 

Cabins are larger on Carnival. 

 

 

 

 

[mom2oneXY]

On 1/13/2019 at 11:45 AM, Luckiestmanonearth said:

So a lot has been said about all 3 being more similar than different with Carnival being the lowest cost.

 

Question is whether that is true or not.  Does anyone have experiences where RCL was less expensive than Carnival ?

 

My family of three can only travel during school breaks because I am a teacher.  My budget is usually $3200 or less for a 7 night in a balcony cabin.  We'll pay a little more for ports/dates we really want, but anything less that $3200 is a good deal.  For this reason we usually sail with Carnival, but I found a Kids Sale Free deal on RCL for our spring break.  7 nights in a ocean view balcony on the Oasis of the Seas was $2400 for the three of us.  Deal of a lifetime that turned out too good to be true because RCL canceled the sailing for routine maintenance.  They gave us option to book on another sailing, but every option added $1200 or more to our total, so no spring break cruise for us this year.  That was the only time I've every seen (and probably every will see) a RCL less expensive than Carnival.  

[tallnthensome]

16 minutes ago, mom2oneXY said:

 

My family of three can only travel during school breaks because I am a teacher.  My budget is usually $3200 or less for a 7 night in a balcony cabin.  We'll pay a little more for ports/dates we really want, but anything less that $3200 is a good deal.  For this reason we usually sail with Carnival, but I found a Kids Sale Free deal on RCL for our spring break.  7 nights in a ocean view balcony on the Oasis of the Seas was $2400 for the three of us.  Deal of a lifetime that turned out too good to be true because RCL canceled the sailing for routine maintenance.  They gave us option to book on another sailing, but every option added $1200 or more to our total, so no spring break cruise for us this year.  That was the only time I've every seen (and probably every will see) a RCL less expensive than Carnival.  

The new MSC Seaside with kids is where you should be looking. Best value at sea with kids and a fantastic ship with the best waterpark at sea. We sailed her with our 8 and 10 year old daughters and would sailer her again tomorrow. Blew away any deal anyone else had.