Is RCCL really worth $1,000 more than Carnival?

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

You have to make your own experiences and comparisions, but we had a very uncomfortable and very disappointing cruise on Carnival Miracle, so much so, that we will never sail Carnival again no matter how good a deal it is. Service and design of the ship (layout) were our biggest complaints - for example, the wait team in the dining room was responsible for three times more diners than any wait team we've ever had on any other ship, and this was reflected in the level of service we received. You can click on the review link in my signature for a more detailed comparison.

 

We definitely believe that RCI is worth more. And before you think that I'm just another RCI cheerleader, we sailed Princess for a lot less than RCI, and felt that Princess provided an equivalent cruising experience.

 

Hi Donna,

 

I am sorry you did not have a good time on Miracle.

 

I am just curious about something. You say you will never sail Carnival again based on your one experience. If someone came here and said they have only been on one RCI cruise and they wont be back because of that one bad experience how would you respond to that? I mean of course if someone had an equally bad experience as yours with legitimate non exaggerated complaints of course. We all know how people exaggerate and those people can be written off. By NO MEANS am I suggesting you did not have a valid legitimate complaint because it sounds like you did. But would you convince them to give RCI another try or just say so long?

 

Just a curiosity question. :)

[Toddcan]

I struggled with the same thing. I can take my family of 4 for about $1,400 LESS with Carnival total (2 rooms: 1 balcony and 1 Inside).

 

However, I really want to try RCI, and I REALLY want to go to Labadee, so I'll spend the extra.

 

I'll know in about 4 months if the difference was worth it.

[broberts]

. . .

The Carnival ship seemed like a cattle ranch compared to the RCCL ship...There were approximately an equal number of passengers on the two ships--even though the RCCL ship was about one and one-half times the size. The dining room on the Carnival ship was so overcrowded and tables so close together that it affected the service, notwithstanding that every waiter on Carnival was serving about one and a half times the passengers that the RCCL waiters were serving (We counted)...The Carnival service was POOR...In order to see a show in the showroom on Carnival, one had to get there at least an hour before curtain time just to get a decent seat or seats together...There were lines and waits for everything...Getting an elevator at certain times was like a reflex game...

. . .

 

There is roughly a 20% difference in passenger capacities. Liberty of the Seas lists a passenger capacity of 3,600. Carnival Liberty lists a passenger capacity of 2,974.

[Davey Interweb]

It always blows me away when people try to distinguish cruise lines by the people who sail on them.........there are many people who cruise all lines not just one in particular, or at least try to........how would you describe those people(like me):confused: What kind of cars do you think we drive?

 

Personally, I'm a big advocate of sampling different lines and in the past five years I've booked everything from Carnival to Crystal. Price is not so much a factor in my decision-making process, but value definitely is.

[mikefast]

We have sailed on both the RCCL Voyager, and the Carnival Conquest. We much preferred the Voyager. The design of the Conquest seemed a little awkward to us. It was hard to get from one end to the otheron some decks. Also, I think the buffet was designed better on the Voyager. The Voyager to us was also prettier than the Conquest. Is it worth $1,000.00 more? Not to me. For that kind of money I'd go on the Conquest again.

[mikeqube]

My second cruise ever was on the Carnival Glory and my third was on the AOS. I found ti to be a world of difference. I thought the food was much better on the AOS, cabin attendants to be better. I think I saw ours on the Glory once during the cruise. The staff on the AOS was in a different class altogether over the Glory. Always smiling, remembered our names, remembered what we drank at the bars, very accommodating in every way. The staff on the Glory, to us just seemed like they were going through the motions and some seemed surly when you ask them for something. Form trying to get a veggie burger at the snack bar (on the menu) and the staff pretty much refusing to cook it to the morning that I went to the buffet to get some breakfast before we went on an excursion and they closed it over an hour early and the food was being tossed. I asked why the Capers said the hours were one thing and they were closing, they just replied with "closed". I complained to carnival and only received a form letter in return.

[dog8it]

sail on Carnival; save the money and take a short cruise without the kids later on....

I am an equal opportunity cruiser and look for the best deal and book accordingly... past few times, Carnival has beaten RC in the food dept IMHO.

 

edited to add: the staff will remember you based on how you interact with them; so people say the staff is much nicer on RC and visa versa; I find we have met great staff, who remember our names, etc on both lines and we have found a few bad ones on both lines

 

It is what you make it!

[Cindy]

We've been pretty loyal to RCCL, and want to continue that loyalty. However, I'm pricing out cruises for President's Day weekend 2010 and the exact same itinerary from Galveston is over $1,000 higher on Voyager of the Seas than on Carnival Conquest.

 

I've heard all different viewpoints on Carnival and my gut feeling is that we won't like it as much as RCCL, but that $1,000 difference is making it pretty hard not to at least try it.

 

We'd be bringing our kids with us for the first time, so the experience wouldn't exactly be the same anyway. However, it's still a lot of money to spend and I don't want to book something that we're ultimately going to hate.

For those who have been on both RCCL and Carnival (preferably Conquest or a similar ship), please give me your opinion on whether the RCCL experience would be worth $1,000 more to you.

 

I've been pricing cruises out of Galveston for Spring Break next year, and I'm seriously considering giving the Conquest a try. The prices spike up that week on both ships, but the Voyager would cost $1,500+ more for the 2 of us in a JS than a Cat. 11 on the Conquest. We could actually move up to a Cat. 12 on the Conquest for less than the rate on the Voyager.

I like the Voyager, but I can't ignore that kind of a price difference, especially for something that's a year away with all the uncertainty in the economy.

The Conquest has some very loyal and enthusiastic fans. I may just give her a try. I started reading some of Snoozeman's Blogs last night. He's been on both ships and also the Grand Princess. His posts are a good source of more information.

I also have friends from last year's Voyager roll call on the Conquest for Spring Break this year. One is on this week's cruise, and one boards this Sunday. I'll be anxious to hear what they have to say about the two ships.

[GTO-Girl]

Yes I've been on both and there is no question IMO that RCCL is worth the extra $1000. Then again, I firmly believe that Celebrity is worth $1000 more than RCCL. YMMV.

 

I am happy that you are in a position where paying an extra $1000 doesn't effect you. Sadly that's not the case for most of us.

 

I'm not trying to be mean but I don't see RCI being a 1000 dollars better...just my personal opinion.....

[thereididitagain]

I am happy that you are in a position where paying an extra $1000 doesn't effect you. Sadly that's not the case for most of us.

 

I'm not trying to be mean but I don't see RCI being a 1000 dollars better...just my personal opinion.....

 

Most of us work very hard all year to earn our valued vacation time. In that respect, I'm no different than anyone else. Spending an extra $1000 to ensure the kind of holiday I want makes it worth the cost for me. It may not for you. Camping would cost less yet but do I want to do it? Not on your life. :)

[GTO-Girl]

Most of us work very hard all year to earn our valued vacation time. In that respect, I'm no different than anyone else. Spending an extra $1000 to ensure the kind of holiday I want makes it worth the cost for me. It may not for you. Camping would cost less yet but do I want to do it? Not on your life. :)

 

I gotta agree with you on the camping :o....no way I would do that either!

 

And I did not mean any disrespect to you in any way by what I said before. I too work very hard all year, but for me personally I wouldn't pay the extra $1000 because I couldn't justify it.

 

Sorry if I came across rude......:o

[thereididitagain]

I gotta agree with you on the camping :o....no way I would do that either!

 

And I did not mean any disrespect to you in any way by what I said before. I too work very hard all year, but for me personally I wouldn't pay the extra $1000 because I couldn't justify it.

 

Sorry if I came across rude......:o

 

Don't worry, absolutely no offense was taken. :) At least we can both agree on the camping. ;)

[MrPete]

Most of us work very hard all year to earn our valued vacation time. In that respect, I'm no different than anyone else. Spending an extra $1000 to ensure the kind of holiday I want makes it worth the cost for me. It may not for you. Camping would cost less yet but do I want to do it? Not on your life. :)

 

That's not exactly apples to apples, is it? Just like those who chose to sail in a closet vs. a balcony.

 

But when the same thing is offered for $1000 more, the choice is obvious for some of us.

[SFCruisers]

Spending an extra $1000 to ensure the kind of holiday I want makes it worth the cost for me.

 

Do you have magical money? :eek: I have never been on RCI, and I look forward to my 1st cruise with them. I have however been on 5 Carnival Cruises and have never had a bad experience. Yes, the food had been better on some ships than others, some servers and room steward's better than others, but you run into these types of situations in everyday life. I am sure this is the case with Royal as well. It all comes down to the work ethic of the person you are dealing with.

I have talked with friends that have cruise with both cruise lines and they have likes and dislikes for both, but always have a great vacation.

I am sure my 1st cruise with Royal will be great, will I spend an extra $1000. over Carnival for the same itinerary, no, my attitude will ensure the kind of holiday I want, not my $$$$$ spent.

[Oakman]

In this economy especially, $1000.00 is a HUGE difference. That amount could be applied to your onboard charges, and still keep your cruise within budget. As far as differences in cruise companies, it is our experience, that in the Caribbean especially, all mass market cruises seem very similar. Although I prefer the food, cabin size and entertainment on Carnival, I prefer the overall decoration of RCCL. A cruise is what you make of it. Go and enjoy whatever your choice is. I am jealous, as this is the first Summer in 10 years that we are not doing a "Big Trip". have a Drink of the Day for me!!!

[fridaythe13th]

You have to make your own experiences and comparisions, but we had a very uncomfortable and very disappointing cruise on Carnival Miracle, so much so, that we will never sail Carnival again no matter how good a deal it is. Service and design of the ship (layout) were our biggest complaints - for example, the wait team in the dining room was responsible for three times more diners than any wait team we've ever had on any other ship, and this was reflected in the level of service we received. You can click on the review link in my signature for a more detailed comparison.

 

We definitely believe that RCI is worth more. And before you think that I'm just another RCI cheerleader, we sailed Princess for a lot less than RCI, and felt that Princess provided an equivalent cruising experience.

 

WOW, this sounds like our LAST Carnival cruise. We did give Carnival another chance after a few years (due to a BIG price difference) and forgot how much we hated the layout of the ship. Our wait team was pretty bad and the food was just okay. We had a good time and did enjoy the majority of it. We just prefer RC.

 

We personally will not go on Carnival again. RC has what we are looking for.

[pscruzinboyz]

Staying loyal to one cruise line also has benifits. Reduced cabin fares, Diamond on RCCL gives you Cocktail hour from 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm everynight on the larger ships. That alone will save money on each cruise. I myself have 24 cruises under Royal and can not say nothing bad about them. My only Carival expieriance was 20 years ago on a very OLD ship.

 

Have fun on either one, you will have your kids and they might do you in. :eek:

 

Have Fun!

 

Mike

[ManOfTheHour]

We've been pretty loyal to RCCL, and want to continue that loyalty. However, I'm pricing out cruises for President's Day weekend 2010 and the exact same itinerary from Galveston is over $1,000 higher on Voyager of the Seas than on Carnival Conquest.

 

I've heard all different viewpoints on Carnival and my gut feeling is that we won't like it as much as RCCL, but that $1,000 difference is making it pretty hard not to at least try it.

 

We'd be bringing our kids with us for the first time, so the experience wouldn't exactly be the same anyway. However, it's still a lot of money to spend and I don't want to book something that we're ultimately going to hate.

For those who have been on both RCCL and Carnival (preferably Conquest or a similar ship), please give me your opinion on whether the RCCL experience would be worth $1,000 more to you.

 

Yes, Carnival is horrible.

[EV2008]

We've been pretty loyal to RCCL, and want to continue that loyalty. However, I'm pricing out cruises for President's Day weekend 2010 and the exact same itinerary from Galveston is over $1,000 higher on Voyager of the Seas than on Carnival Conquest.

 

I've heard all different viewpoints on Carnival and my gut feeling is that we won't like it as much as RCCL, but that $1,000 difference is making it pretty hard not to at least try it.

 

We'd be bringing our kids with us for the first time, so the experience wouldn't exactly be the same anyway. However, it's still a lot of money to spend and I don't want to book something that we're ultimately going to hate.

For those who have been on both RCCL and Carnival (preferably Conquest or a similar ship), please give me your opinion on whether the RCCL experience would be worth $1,000 more to you.

We have been on the Conquest when it was in New Orleans, and we have been on the Voyager, me personally would take the Voyager and I know my DH and DS would also. We had more fun on RC and we just liked the ship so much better.

I also had a bad experience on the Conquest, our cabin was covered in dust, and the area where they had the Art pictures where also covered in dust and the railing inside the attrium. That is the first and last time we will sail on CC. I don't care if they give me a cruise. We did not like it. Spend a little more and enjoy yourself. You get what you pay for.

[shaggyofwv]

We've been pretty loyal to RCCL, and want to continue that loyalty. However, I'm pricing out cruises for President's Day weekend 2010 and the exact same itinerary from Galveston is over $1,000 higher on Voyager of the Seas than on Carnival Conquest.

 

I've heard all different viewpoints on Carnival and my gut feeling is that we won't like it as much as RCCL, but that $1,000 difference is making it pretty hard not to at least try it.

 

We'd be bringing our kids with us for the first time, so the experience wouldn't exactly be the same anyway. However, it's still a lot of money to spend and I don't want to book something that we're ultimately going to hate.

For those who have been on both RCCL and Carnival (preferably Conquest or a similar ship), please give me your opinion on whether the RCCL experience would be worth $1,000 more to you.

-------------

I have never cruised Carnival, so I have nothing positive or negative to say about them, but I do think that RCI is worth what they charge. We love their product and we don't even consider any other cruise line when we are planning a vacation.

[Boston and beyond cruiser]

Friday the 13th: Having just gotten off the Navigator on Monday (sigh), I recognized the picture you posted of the rug in the elevator. Do they do that on all ships, or just Voyager class? On the second day, my daughter noticed it and said "Friday???" I pointed out it was the day of the week. Too funny!

 

Also, we were on the same NCL Gem trip out of Boston on 12/15/07. Wasn't that an experience?

 

Just curious, but when the OP asks for a comparison between Carnival and Royal, I don't understand people who say "well, I've never cruised Carnival but...." It's like the people who take the time to call or email in response to a survey and reply "I don't know." Huh??? :)

[shaggyofwv]

Just curious, but when the OP asks for a comparison between Carnival and Royal, I don't understand people who say "well, I've never cruised Carnival but...." It's like the people who take the time to call or email in response to a survey and reply "I don't know." Huh??? :)

 

The OP can certainly get plenty of opinions on Carnival from the Carnival board.. In case you aren't aware this is the RCI board, hence my opinion on whether RCI was worth the extra money.

[Kurbanfan]

Just curious, but when the OP asks for a comparison between Carnival and Royal, I don't understand people who say "well, I've never cruised Carnival but...." It's like the people who take the time to call or email in response to a survey and reply "I don't know." Huh??? :)

 

 

LOL! Those kinds of posts just like the surveys just get passed on....as they should:D Next!!

[mistergq]

I have sailed both. Before I went on RCI, I kept being told how much better RCI was than Carnival. In 2005, during the horrible hurricane season, i went on Carnival Valor. My wife and I went in with low expectations. We had a great time, despite the rough seas (related to a tropical depression).

 

The food difference: I thought they were equal. RCI was not far superior in my experience.

 

Decor: I thought the decor on Valor was better than LOS.

 

Activities: I thought the activities on LOS were better than Valor.

 

For a $1000 difference, I would book Carnival.

[Hlitner]

Ok, we have cruised Carnival (quite a few times) and RCI (Diamond) and Princess (Elite) and 8 other lines. To be honest, we found many things on Carnival to be better than on RCI, although we do miss the Concierge Lounge. All things being relatively equal (itinearary), length of cruise, etc. we would go on Carnival to save $1000 or even $500. And, I should mention we are 60+ so we are not cruising kids who like Carnival. We just find that the line is darn good, has better food in the buffets than RCI, better drinks, more reasonable wine list, better entertainment (although the ice shows and the Tango show on RCI is the best) and Carnival crowds are fun and stay up past 10 pm.

 

Hank