Review - Carnival/RC B2B

[CruiserChloe]

Hello all. I am a mid-20's gal who just took my first 2 cruises. I am related to a Travel Agent who booked B2B cruises on the Carnival Imagination and Royal Caribbean Majesty of the Seas. I am well traveled by air and land, but have never taken a cruise before, so I tagged along. Being the planning type, I lurked on these boards and numerous other websites to gain as much pre-knowledge as possible. I decided to create a Cruise Critic membership and share my experience with you all. Please understand, this review reflects my own opinions and experiences and not that of my Travel Agent Aunt. Also, I am well aware that the same exact people do not cruise every week...this is just what I experienced. This will be sorta long....sorry. :o

 

Please forgive me if I do not use certain terms. For example, I have no clue what the specific room categories were that I stayed in. I'm a cruise rookie.

 

Carnival Imagination Our first cruise was the Imagination. I was awed by the size of this ship. Despite constant reminders from dear Aunt that this ship was small compared to others, it was huge to me. I had no idea these ships were so big. I could tell the ship was old because the interior looked as though it was designed by someone on LSD.

 

Here are the good points --- Service - I was amazed how well the service was. My room attendent and dining room waiter remembered my name after one meeting. I thought this was great. Not only them, but the bartenders remembered as well. Everyone had a smile. I felt like a real Queen.

Food - I did not go hungry on this cruise. The food was great. It wasn't on par with a gourmet restaurant or anything, but it was excellent for what I expected it to be. The desserts were fabulous.

Ship - I had a great time on this ship. We spent a day at sea and I was attracted to the waterslides on the back. Again, this was my first cruise, so I was in awe the whole time.

 

Here is what I didn't like so much --- Dining Room - They serve great food and act very proper, then go and ruin it all with cheesy dancing and games. I was not impressed by this. It did not help that the loud music was played over cheap, crackly speakers.

Passengers - Most people on this ship made great travel companions, but there was a large number of people that I was very weary of. Believe me..I know that dress does not make the person, but you can just tell when someone is up to no good. Coincidently, there was a problem with digital camera thefts on board. Rumor has it that several people were arrested upon return to Miami. There was also a large number of people that were took intoxication to a new level. I think the medics were kept busy. Oh well, I guess you get what you pay for with fellow passengers. I didn't let it ruin my cruise.

 

 

Majesty of the Seas I'll get to the comparisons at the end. On Monday, we disembarked the Imagination and boarded the Majesty of the Seas. this was an easy process. Again, I was awed at the site of the ship and it's size. And again, I had to be reminded over and over that the ship is small compared to Royal Caribbean't new ships. Blah, blah, blah...it was huge to me. The first thing I noticed about the ship was that is was much prettier than the Imagination. The main central area with the elevators was all wood and brass, unlike the weird colors on the Imagination. This cruise was a 4 nighter.

 

The good points --- Service - Nothing changed. Just like on the Imagination, they remembered my name and I was treated like a Queen.

Food - Again, the food was great. I didn't go hungry on this ship either.

Ship - There were no sea days, so I did not spend as much time enjoying the ship as on Imagination. If there was a sea day, I don't think I would have had as much fun because there wasn't a much to do outside as on the Imagination. However, the evening lounges were excellent. I love the Viking Crown Lounge and the 360 degree view.

Dining Room - They only sang on one night and it did not include forcing the diners to get up and dance. I thought this was much more appropriate for dining room behavior.

 

The bad points --- Room - I was on deck seven in an oceanview room. This room was very small. My biggest complaint was the outdoor deck that goes all the way around the ship. Every time someone ran by, all I hear (and felt) was thud, thud, thud! If I would have known better, I would have chosen another room. From touring the ship, I found the oceanview rooms on deck 9 to be much bigger and nicer. Also, I learned that these small rooms are not fleet wide. I guess they only exist on this and one other identical ship....both of which are on an eventual chopping block.

 

 

Ports: I have been to Key West and Nassau on other vacations, so I knew what to expect there. Majesty of the Seas went to Coco Cay. This island was a piece of heaven in the Bahamas. I loved it! Imagination spent a day at sea. I also loved this! My next cruise will do both!!!!

 

Comparison:

I had a great time on both cruises. All in all, I liked the Majesty more. This is probably because I am not a huge party girl. Also, the fellow passengers did not cause me to clutch my pocketbook harder.

(Please note....The racial demographic was the same on both cruises...so that is not what I mean. The "thugs" on the Imagination were not all of one particular race or sex.)

I found the service, the food, and the entertainment to be very equal. The shows were ok, but not as good as I thought they would be. The singers on both ships were great, but the dancing was kinda lame.

 

I loved cruising! There's just something very tranquil about the waves and wind while the ship is steaming along at night. I now want to jump in with both feet. I am already planning a cruise on the Freedom of the Seas. I also want to try that new ship Carnival is building (Dream??).

 

Thanks for your time. If anyone has any questions, I'll do my best to answer.

[silentbob007]

Interesting point of view. One other pont between the two ... weekend cruises (3 night) tend to have a different demographic than week cruises (4 night).

[CruiserChloe]

Interesting point of view. One other pont between the two ... weekend cruises (3 night) tend to have a different demographic than week cruises (4 night).

 

Yea, that's what I'm told. I'm sure the Majesty is not immune to this as well.

[BroncosFan2010]

Thanks for your review! It is always interesting to hear the comparison. You will not catch me on a Carnival ship, mostly because of the things you mentioned above.

[CruiserChloe]

Thanks for your review! It is always interesting to hear the comparison.

 

Thank you Mokaheena. I've got the bug now so I've been researching different ships. That Serenade of the Seas you are booked on looks like a very pretty ship.

[RLM77]

Congratulations on discovering cruising so early.:) Wish we had stumbled upon it when we were in our mid-twenties!

May your life allow you to continue voyaging. If it does, I think you'll find that all the cruise lines have some attributes you'll like more, and those you'll like less. They vary by line, and you'll have great fun figuring out which line best matches your personal preferences.

Don't write Carnival off. The type of crowd varies by length of cruise and even departure port. When you are able, I suggest 7-night cruises on the newer ships of both lines. That will give you a better feel for the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Enjoy the journey!

Rich

[CruiserChloe]

Thank you for the advice, Rich!:)

 

Happy journeys to you also!

[The Big Booper]

Carnival Imagination <<snip>>.. I could tell the ship was old because the interior looked as though it was designed by someone on LSD. ....<<snip>>..........Here is what I didn't like so much --- Dining Room - They serve great food and act very proper, then go and ruin it all with cheesy dancing and games. I was not impressed by this. It did not help that the loud music was played over cheap, crackly speakers..<<snip>>..

 

You hit the nail on the head, which is why, after 3 Carnival trips, no mas.

 

Majesty of the Seas ..<snip>>... The first thing I noticed about the ship was that is was much prettier than the Imagination. The main central area with the elevators was all wood and brass, unlike the weird colors on the Imagination. This cruise was a 4 nighter.

 

.

Ship - There were no sea days, so I did not spend as much time enjoying the ship as on Imagination. If there was a sea day, I don't think I would have had as much fun because there wasn't a much to do outside as on the Imagination.

 

If there was a day at sea, The Majesty would have had many activities. Daytime activities are always light on port days.

 

However, the evening lounges were excellent. I love the Viking Crown Lounge and the 360 degree view. Agreed. Our favorite spot on these 20 year old ships.

 

Dining Room - They only sang on one night and it did not include forcing the diners to get up and dance. I thought this was much more appropriate for dining room behavior.

 

The bad points --- Room - I was on deck seven in an oceanview room. This room was very small. My biggest complaint was the outdoor deck that goes all the way around the ship. Every time someone ran by, all I hear (and felt) was thud, thud, thud! If I would have known better, I would have chosen another room. From touring the ship, I found the oceanview rooms on deck 9 to be much bigger and nicer. Also, I learned that these small rooms are not fleet wide. I guess they only exist on this and one other identical ship....both of which are on an eventual chopping block. They are truly tiny at 119 sq ft inside and 122 sq ft outside. Surprised Auntie didn't warn you. :D

..<<snip>>..

 

 

Comparison:

I had a great time on both cruises. All in all, I liked the Majesty more. This is probably because I am not a huge party girl. Also, the fellow passengers did not cause me to clutch my pocketbook harder.

(Please note....The racial demographic was the same on both cruises...so that is not what I mean. The "thugs" on the Imagination were not all of one particular race or sex.)

I found the service, the food, and the entertainment to be very equal. The shows were ok, but not as good as I thought they would be. The singers on both ships were great, but the dancing was kinda lame.

 

On your next cruise, try going on a backstage tour, which will include standing on the stage. After balancing yourself since you are at the front of the ship and feel every wave, try imagining dancing here, especially at night when the ship is moving at twice the speed of the daytime crawl.

 

I loved cruising! There's just something very tranquil about the waves and wind while the ship is steaming along at night. I now want to jump in with both feet. I am already planning a cruise on the Freedom of the Seas. I also want to try that new ship Carnival is building (Dream??).

 

Thanks for your time. If anyone has any questions, I'll do my best to answer.

 

Just remember, The Freedom of the Seas has ice skating shows. While at sea. And the ship is moving at 22 knots. And they do triples all the time, hard enough to do on land,which is not bobbing and weaving.

[charlesjoy]

Thanks for your review! It is always interesting to hear the comparison. You will not catch me on a Carnival ship, mostly because of the things you mentioned above.

 

 

My Dh and I just returned from Alaska on Carnival Spirit on a 14 day btb cruise. We had a great cruise, met lots of very nice folks. We prefer RCI ships as they are very beautiful (we are RCI Plat.) but RCI could not come close to the price we received from Carnival. Did not see one thug or drunk on Carnival Spirit. I agree, on the shorter cruises you will find more party folks but I would never rule out a longer cruise on Carnival or RCI.

[kruzerci]

Interesting point of view. One other pont between the two ... weekend cruises (3 night) tend to have a different demographic than week cruises (4 night).

 

I think that saying 7, even 5 and 6 day cruises, have a different demographic than 3-4 day cruises is valid statement. But I can't see there being a huge difference between 3 and 4 nighters. I think a lot of the experience is simply the difference in Carnival and RC.

[silentbob007]

I think that saying 7, even 5 and 6 day cruises, have a different demographic than 3-4 day cruises is valid statement. But I can't see there being a huge difference between 3 and 4 nighters. I think a lot of the experience is simply the difference in Carnival and RC.

 

I have to disagree there. It is the 3-day weekend crowd versus the week-off crowd. There is a definite difference between the feel of a M-F cruise and a F-M cruise. I simply don't believe that for the short voyages RCCL attracts any different kind of people than Carnival as they are priced similarly and offer similar itineraries.

[CruiserChloe]

I'm sorry folks...I don't mean to spark a debate over the cruising demographic. I was just reporting what I saw on my particular cruises. :o

 

I try to leave her out of it, by my Aunt felt pretty strong about this issue. She was always comparing the experience to Celebrity, which is her favorite cruise line. I guess Celebrity has a short cruise out of Florida that has a different clientele. Who knows? That was her words.

 

For me, I judge for myself. She was there for work and I was there for play. :D

[CruiserChloe]

You hit the nail on the head, which is why, after 3 Carnival trips, no mas.

 

Does Carnival do that on all their ships? I thought that maybe it was just a weekend thing.

 

Don't get me wrong. A lot of people seemed to be having a blast. I just thought it was a little weird to dance a conga line in the dining room (I didn't do it...I was there to eat ;)).

[The Big Booper]

Does Carnival do that on all their ships? I thought that maybe it was just a weekend thing.

 

Don't get me wrong. A lot of people seemed to be having a blast. I just thought it was a little weird to dance a conga line in the dining room (I didn't do it...I was there to eat ;)).

 

Yes, they do. One of their trademarks.

 

RC does a waiter parade but at the end of the meal. And if your waiter/asst waiter is still serving they don't break away to join the parade.

 

Nobody jumps on tables and dances on RC

 

If your Aunt likes Celebrity, what is her opinion of Carnival and RC? Celebrity is more upscale and formal. You should go with Auntie on the new Celebrity Equinox, totally different experience.

 

Our motto, so many ships, so little time. :D:):D

 

The 360 degree Viking Crown Lounge is on all RC ships.

[CruiserChloe]

If your Aunt likes Celebrity, what is her opinion of Carnival and RC? Celebrity is more upscale and formal. You should go with Auntie on the new Celebrity Equinox, totally different experience.

 

Well.....I guess I have to be honest. Let's just say she is not a big Carnival fan. I was a lot more tolerant of the atmosphere than she was. She likes RC, but has favorite ships and ships she doesn't like so well. She told me I need to try the Serenade of the Seas. When I told her I was booking the Freedom of the Seas, she said she wasn't a fan, but thought I would really enjoy it.

 

I grabbed a Celebrity brochure on the Majesty of the Seas. That new Equinox looks really, really, nice. She cruised on a sister ship that is already out, and she said it is her favorite ship.

[crusinmama06]

Thank you for your well written comparisons.

 

Welcome to the wonderful world of cruising. :) And I will repectfully disagree with your auntie. Freedom is my favorite class of ship, anywhere. Since you are younger, I am betting that you will love the Freedom of the Seas. :D

[monkeyinhat]

Welcome to the addicting life of cruising and cruisecritic.com. It is an illness with me really.

 

I so agree about dancing and singing waiters. On longer cruises Royals waiters do more singing nights Hitting my first Carnival in a couple months. Not looking forward to conga line night.

 

Serenade is my favorite ship. Just beautiful and the southern caribbean is my favorite route. But the Freedom class is great.

[Cruzaholic41]

Welcome to Cruise Critic! Thank you for that review. It was an interesting viewpoint that is not seen in everyday reviews. A first time cruiser doing a B2B on 2 cruise lines? You are a lucky girl!!!

 

There is a lot out there for you to see and experience with cruising. My advice is to keep an open mind, try different cruise lines, and just have fun.

 

That sister ship to Equinox is the Solstice. I agree with your Auntie. That ship is gorgeous.

[Powriv]

I was on the glory last April and no one made me join the conga line. Sure they wanted passengers to participate but it wasn't forced on people.

 

Some of the wait staff would jump up on podiums but not on tables. Some of the staff are really great dancers and the passengers cheering would urge them on.

 

There was singing by the staff who stood on the stairs.

[CruiserChloe]

I was on the glory last April and no one made me join the conga line. Sure they wanted passengers to participate but it wasn't forced on people.

 

Like I said, many people enjoyed it. It was just my opinion that it wasn't appropriate for the dining room.

 

BTW, this was just a very small part of the cruise. I did enjoy the rest.