Which would you choose??

A little info first, we are a family of 4 with kids aged 4yo and 3yo. We have been in a total of 2 cruises. Both with Carnival. We were in the Victory this July, and just got of the Magic yesterday. And now we want to plan for our next cruise because we are addicted! :hearteyes: School will start soon so our next cruise will be for next year. :loudcry: Now i have a few questions.

1. What is the main difference between Carnival and Royal Caribbean? We are thinking of booking Vista Class ships if we do Carnival, and book Oasis Class ships if we do RCI.

2. When is the best time to book a cruise? Like is there a black Friday for cruises

3. What is the best deal you have gotten? I see deals like free drinks/internet/excursion package, 50% off 3rd and 4th guests, OBC, etc

4. I have heard that Carnival is the fun ship. Is it true that Carnival is more fun than Royal Caribbean? In what way is it more fun? Is it the shows, the activities, the CD, or just the atmosphere?

5. I saw that they have Johnny Rockets, so I was wondering what places are free to eat in Royal Caribbean? In Carnival they have mdr, buffet, blue iguana, guys burgers, pig&anchor, 24hr pizza and froyo.

6. Which would you choose just between the two, Carnival or Royal Caribbean and why?

Looking forward to your responses. Thanks! :halo:

Well, you've posted this two different places, but the one you really need is the Family Cruises board under Special Interest cruising. Lots of parents there who can guide in your explorations. EM

Here is the link to Family Cruises:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=49

I think you'll find RCI and Carnival to be more alike than different. Of course, the ship's layouts will be different...but the activities are quite similar! Your children will enjoy the RCI kids club...and on the Oasis class ships, there's PLENTY to do!

3. What is the best deal you have gotten?

A 4 day cruise for $24 plus taxes and fees

6. Which would you choose just between the two, Carnival or Royal Caribbean and why?

Carnival - they're generally cheaper and have the biggest fleet so the most sailings

I can only speak to Royal Caribbean since I have not been on Carnival in about 20+ years. We took our kids on their first cruise last year- they were 3 & 7.

A little info first, we are a family of 4 with kids aged 4yo and 3yo. We have been in a total of 2 cruises. Both with Carnival. We were in the Victory this July, and just got of the Magic yesterday. And now we want to plan for our next cruise because we are addicted! :hearteyes: School will start soon so our next cruise will be for next year. :loudcry: Now i have a few questions.

 

1. What is the main difference between Carnival and Royal Caribbean? We are thinking of booking Vista Class ships if we do Carnival, and book Oasis Class ships if we do RCI.

 

 

2. When is the best time to book a cruise? Like is there a black Friday for cruises For Royal we got the best deal on a kids sail free sale. This comes up a few times a year. Otherwise they claim to be having sales year round, but prices stay pretty similar. Prices do seem to be lower the farther out you book and rise as the cruise gets closer. However, with that being said, prices on our cruise dropped after the 90 day mark last year and we went from one ocean view to adjoining balcony rooms for minimal cost.

 

 

3. What is the best deal you have gotten? I see deals like free drinks/internet/excursion package, 50% off 3rd and 4th guests, OBC, etc Refer to #2. Also, we don't drink, but reading posts, the highest drink package is usually best when priced at about $42 per day. I don't think I have ever seen any free deals included. The smaller ships are cheaper than the Oasis class and there can still be plenty to do. Just make sure you check the individual ship for features before you look if you want the water slides, etc.

 

 

4. I have heard that Carnival is the fun ship. Is it true that Carnival is more fun than Royal Caribbean? In what way is it more fun? Is it the shows, the activities, the CD, or just the atmosphere? We had a blast with the kids on Royal. And, we haven't even touched an Oasis class ship yet. They loved the mini golf, parade, movies, pools, kids pool area, etc. Our oldest loved the kids club as well. He was asking us to take him there. Our youngest wasn't into the kids club as much, but he is very much a clinger to us. The set sail parties were fun as well.

 

 

5. I saw that they have Johnny Rockets, so I was wondering what places are free to eat in Royal Caribbean? In Carnival they have mdr, buffet, blue iguana, guys burgers, pig&anchor, 24hr pizza and froyo. Each ship on Royal will be different. Johnny Rockets has a cover to get in, but is all you can eat once you are in (except for the milkshakes, unless you have the higher drink package). On Freedom there was Sorentos (pizza), Cafe Promenade, Solarium Bistro, MDR, Windjammer buffet, and possibly some others that we did not make it to.

 

 

6. Which would you choose just between the two, Carnival or Royal Caribbean and why? We went with, and have continued to book with Royal because we actually got the better deals through them. I wouldn't be against trying another line if we could get the same deals. We are on Adventure in November and Ovation next August. I think I would like to get us on an Oasis class ship after that.

 

 

Looking forward to your responses. Thanks! :halo:

Go to the websites of each of the major cruise lines and sign up for email specials. Include MSC, as they often have kids sail free. EM

I'd check out the Royal Caribbean's subforum. All the answers you are looking for are there.

Kids sail free is about to start again. They had one in July and I snatched a spring break cruise in 2019.

Since your kids are 3 and 4 and the school is usually not mandatory for them (are you in the US?), you should choose to sail outside of school breaks and holidays. You will save a ton of money. Usually, time between Thanksgiving and winter school break (Dec 20+) is the cheapest.

6. Which would you choose just between the two, Carnival or Royal Caribbean and why?

I recommend Royal Caribbean. Oasis Class ships are amazing and Carnival has nothing that can compare to them.

Generally, Carnival has more free food options, especially around the pools. However, RCI is much better with entertainment and the wow factor of their ships.

You might also want to consider NCL (Breakaway and newer). Even though there are some hidden charges, the "free" drinks packages and specialty dining packages can still result in a lower overall price. NCL also blows Carnival away with entertainment. Not quite as good as RCI, but still better than CCL.

Carnival is only the "fun" ships because they tell you that (constantly). I actually think RCI and NCL are more fun because of the better and more varied entertainment.

Welcome to CC noob. These comments are my opinion and that of my wife. We have absolutely been on our last Carnival ship. The sheer saturation of drunks and disgusting behavior was repulsive. Drunks at the pool. Drunks in the restaurants. It reminded us of an episode of Cops, without the cops. She leaves Friday from New Jersey on RC with my daughter. We also have four more RC trips booked. Love RC. YMMV

You might also want to consider NCL (Breakaway and newer). Even though there are some hidden charges, the "free" drinks packages and specialty dining packages can still result in a lower overall price.

could you please tell me about the hidden charges? We've never sailed Norwegian so I don't know much about them.

I just priced a Norwegian Jade for the 3 of us, and without any perks or discounts, it's $1,902 for a guarantee inside room.

When I priced the same cruise with the "3rd person free" perk added, I had to choose a higher priced inside guarantee room in order to actually get the perk, which brought the total price to way over $2K. It didn't make any sense.

A little info first, we are a family of 4 with kids aged 4yo and 3yo. We have been in a total of 2 cruises. Both with Carnival. We were in the Victory this July, and just got of the Magic yesterday. And now we want to plan for our next cruise because we are addicted! :hearteyes: School will start soon so our next cruise will be for next year. :loudcry: Now i have a few questions.

 

 

1. What is the main difference between Carnival and Royal Caribbean? We are thinking of booking Vista Class ships if we do Carnival, and book Oasis Class ships if we do RCI. almost none as a company. the individual ship classes will each have pros and cons

 

 

2. When is the best time to book a cruise? Like is there a black Friday for cruises book when the price you are willing to pay for the accommodations you want are available. forget 'perks' or 'sales' look at the bottom line per day price factoring in everything you want

 

 

3. What is the best deal you have gotten? I see deals like free drinks/internet/excursion package, 50% off 3rd and 4th guests, OBC, etc as I said; I have a budget/amount I am willing to pay for X vacation/cabin category. if I can get that price, I book. if not, I don't. and then I don't worry about it

 

 

4. I have heard that Carnival is the fun ship. Is it true that Carnival is more fun than Royal Caribbean? In what way is it more fun? Is it the shows, the activities, the CD, or just the atmosphere? to ME Carnival is tacky and their idea of 'fun' is not mine.

5. I saw that they have Johnny Rockets, so I was wondering what places are free to eat in Royal Caribbean? In Carnival they have mdr, buffet, blue iguana, guys burgers, pig&anchor, 24hr pizza and froyo. MDR and Windjammer buffet Park Cafe, Promenade eateries( sorrentos for pizza, for instance) some of the largest ships have several other options that are included in your fare.

 

 

6. Which would you choose just between the two, Carnival or Royal Caribbean and why? I was on one Carnival cruise, one of their mid sized ships that was neither brand new nor the oldest in their Fleet. we will never go back willingly.. we have sailed Celebrity, Disney and Royal and prefer Royal for 'every day' cruising. (Celebrity for special event cruising such as our upcoming 20th anniversary)

 

Looking forward to your responses. Thanks! :halo:

big things to consider is is the 3yo fully potty trained? if not they cannot use the Royal kid's club or the pools. otherwise the two lines are at their core more alike than not, the difference is in the details. and the details are what matters when you are looking for a good fit for your family.

could you please tell me about the hidden charges? We've never sailed Norwegian so I don't know much about them.

 

I just priced a Norwegian Jade for the 3 of us, and without any perks or discounts, it's $1,902 for a guarantee inside room.

When I priced the same cruise with the "3rd person free" perk added, I had to choose a higher priced inside guarantee room in order to actually get the perk, which brought the total price to way over $2K. It didn't make any sense.

NCL is the Spirit/Frontier Airlines of the cruise industry. They get your attention with what looks like great deals but then tack on charges. The "free" drinks and specialty dining packages are 2 of the most popular perks. However, when you read the fine print, you see that they tack on service charges to those "free" perks. I seem to remember paying around $180 per person on a 7 day cruise for the service charges on those 2 perks.

And like you found, in order to get those perks, you have to choose a higher priced room, which is often several hundred more expensive.

But all that said, even when you factor in all those costs, it's usually in line with other lines or even slightly less expensive. Their pricing scheme annoys the heck out of me but in the end, the cruise experience is pretty good not heir newer ships. I'm not a fan of anything older than Breakaway though.

NCL is the Spirit/Frontier Airlines of the cruise industry.

Thank you!

We've flown with Spirit, so I understand that reference. :) lol.

We do not usually get anything like beverage packages, specialty dining or really anything else besides an occasional alcoholic drink for DH. So, if we don't get anything like that, there shouldn't be any other hidden charges, correct?

I do believe MSC's all-inclusive drink package also "conveniently" omitted the gratuity and only mentioned it in fine print... We haven't sailed with them yet either.

But Princess wants crazy money for their Thanksgiving cruise this year, so I am exploring cheaper possibilities. We aren't extremely picky, but we do like newer ships and we are picky about destinations.

My answers in purple below:

A little info first, we are a family of 4 with kids aged 4yo and 3yo. We have been in a total of 2 cruises. Both with Carnival. We were in the Victory this July, and just got of the Magic yesterday. And now we want to plan for our next cruise because we are addicted! :hearteyes: School will start soon so our next cruise will be for next year. :loudcry: Now i have a few questions.

 

 

1. What is the main difference between Carnival and Royal Caribbean? We are thinking of booking Vista Class ships if we do Carnival, and book Oasis Class ships if we do RCI.

 

Carnival ships are much smaller than Oasis class ships. They have a waterpark for kids with small slides for the littles and there is a ropes course, rock climbing wall and mini golf. The shows are mostly comedy in the lounge and production shows in the theater that are so-so.

Oasis class ships are the largest ships in the world, but they never feel crowded. They offer excellent kids clubs, a children's waterpark for little kids with hot tubs for the parents to hang out in. The biggest difference is the shows which are mostly family oriented (except the comedy club). The shows are spectacular. There are diving shows, ice skating shows, acrobatic shows, a Broadway musical and more. You do have to make reservations for the shows. It is worth it! My favorite cabin on these ships is on deck 8 so that I can walk through Central Park every evening on the way back to my cabin. It's really lovely. They put on parades on this ship and there is a Merry Go Round (free). They have so much to see and do you could never do it all in a week. The adult solarium has 3 pools and it's really nice. The specialty restaurants onboard are worth the extra cost, but the MDR is good. There is also a free sandwich/salad place, the buffet, a free pizza place, a free hotdog place, Wipe Out Cafe - free burger place and in Central Park there is also a small sandwich and salad place that is great, Vitality cafe and solarium bistro are also free.

 

2. When is the best time to book a cruise? Like is there a black Friday for cruises

As soon as you know you want to take one - the earlier the better. Then watch for sales as prices change daily. I upgraded from a penthouse to a suite one time for $250 due to a sale.

 

3. What is the best deal you have gotten? I see deals like free drinks/internet/excursion package, 50% off 3rd and 4th guests, OBC, etc

 

Yep, I've gotten all of that.

 

4. I have heard that Carnival is the fun ship. Is it true that Carnival is more fun than Royal Caribbean? In what way is it more fun? Is it the shows, the activities, the CD, or just the atmosphere?

 

Carnival is a step down from RCCL. A lot of their ships look worn and tired and frankly, I'm no fan of their current MDR menu. When we are on Carnival, we usually eat in the specialty restaurants every night but eat breakfast in the MDR.

 

5. I saw that they have Johnny Rockets, so I was wondering what places are free to eat in Royal Caribbean? In Carnival they have mdr, buffet, blue iguana, guys burgers, pig&anchor, 24hr pizza and froyo.

 

I listed those above - plenty of free options - you won't starve if you only eat in free restaurants. on RCCL.

 

6. Which would you choose just between the two, Carnival or Royal Caribbean and why?

 

RCCL on an Oasis class ship - it's just profoundly better.

 

Looking forward to your responses. Thanks! :halo:

For families with small children, I recommend Carnival or NCL. They will enjoy the splash park. The only thing RCCL offers small children is the carousel. The rock wall, zipline, flowrider - all AWESOME, but definitely for older kids.

For families with small children, I recommend Carnival or NCL. They will enjoy the splash park. The only thing RCCL offers small children is the carousel. The rock wall, zipline, flowrider - all AWESOME, but definitely for older kids.

DS's first cruise was on Independence of the Seas. He was 3. He had a blast, and since he was potty trained, he enjoyed their water playground very much.

So, the carousel is not the only thing they offer for small kids.

Not sure what else NCL offers, because it definitely doesn't compare to RCI's megaships in terms of free fun activities. We are going on NCL in 2 months, and Jade offers next to nothing compared to the Allure of the Seas.

DS's first cruise was on Independence of the Seas. He was 3. He had a blast, and since he was potty trained, he enjoyed their water playground very much.

So, the carousel is not the only thing they offer for small kids.

 

Not sure what else NCL offers, because it definitely doesn't compare to RCI's megaships in terms of free fun activities. We are going on NCL in 2 months, and Jade offers next to nothing compared to the Allure of the Seas.

You can’t compare the Jade to the Allure! Apples and oranges. Check out the new megaships like Escape or Getaway, tons of free fun activities.

For families with small children, I recommend Carnival or NCL. They will enjoy the splash park. The only thing RCCL offers small children is the carousel. The rock wall, zipline, flowrider - all AWESOME, but definitely for older kids.

Actually, the RCCL Oasis class ships have a waterpark for the small children with splash pads, water canons, small water slide and a small lazy river. They also offer parades, ice skating show, high diving show, and a nursery for children up to 3 years old.

I think you'll find RCI and Carnival to be more alike than different. Of course, the ship's layouts will be different...but the activities are quite similar! Your children will enjoy the RCI kids club...and on the Oasis class ships, there's PLENTY to do!

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4. I have heard that Carnival is the fun ship. Is it true that Carnival is more fun than Royal Caribbean? In what way is it more fun? Is it the shows, the activities, the CD, or just the atmosphere?

It's amazing what advertising can do. Carnival delivers the fun, all other lines must be boring.

CC is about cruising, which is not my business but again I learned something. Thank you!

The only thing RCCL offers small children is the carousel.

Blatantly untrue statement.