speed4theneed

My first cruise was booked through a travel agent which turned out to be a plus. It was a family reunion cruise that we had about 40 of us attending. The ta was able to get us some significant discounts plus quite a few perks such as upgrades and comp packages.

My following two cruises have been booked by myself, and I was able to save significantly on both over a ta by doing some basic research (it also helped that I had cruised before and knew what I wanted, what I didn't, and what I needed and could do without).

So I'd say group size is something to take into account.

I could be wrong, but it sounds like the original poster might have been comparing the ships she sailed more than the companies? If you go onto a smaller and/or more outdated ship than you are used to, then of course that can be disappointing if you were expecting more. I would agree that a ship meeting ones personal expectations does make the trip more enjoyable, but there's a huge variety to choose from.

Having sailed both, I personally prefer Royal Caribbean slightly over Carnival (the drop off isn't very steep). I also think the prices are very comparable. Whereas rci usually charges a little more up front, they won't nickel and dime you as much as carnival, which in the end makes up the difference. Food was similar as well.

The biggest noticeable difference for me was in crowd type. Carnival seemed to have more younger passengers while Royal Caribbean had a more laid back, older crowd. I'm not old, but just still preferred rci, by a slim margin

Houmas House (sp?) is another great plantation home to visit. Tremendous garden and lots to explore. Had a cousin get married there this past year. I've also visited Oak Alley.. Can't go wrong with either, imo, but prefer Houmas

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