Thinking of switching from Carnival

Hello,

We have always cruised on Carnival and we are thinking of trying Royal Caribbean and have some questions.

I have seen that a few of the ships have Johnny Rockets, does this restaurant cost extra? Does Royal have a drink program? On Carnival we have always used cash to set up our on board sign and sail account. Can we do this on Royal? Hate using my credit card and never would use a debit card. I have gotten different answers and decided people that have cruised would be the best people to ask.

Thank you for the help. :):):)

Stephanie

Johnny Rockets is an extra cost for lunch and dinner but is a complimentary breakfast option on Oasis Class ships.

Royal has several drink packages. Ultimate which includes almost everything, refreshment which includes almost all non-alcoholic, and a pop package which is just for pop.

You can also set up a cash account for on board spending.

Setting up a cash account is easy and can be done when you do your check in online. Roysl allows you to charge up to $500 (7 night and longer cruises, $300 for 6 night and shorter cruises) before requiring you to pay down your account. No up front cash payment is required.

You may pay down your account with cash, debit card or a credit card.

Hello,

We have always cruised on Carnival and we are thinking of trying Royal Caribbean and have some questions.

I have seen that a few of the ships have Johnny Rockets, does this restaurant cost extra? Does Royal have a drink program? On Carnival we have always used cash to set up our on board sign and sail account. Can we do this on Royal? Hate using my credit card and never would use a debit card. I have gotten different answers and decided people that have cruised would be the best people to ask.

Thank you for the help. :):):)

 

Stephanie

As someone that has cruised Carnival quite a few times.....(no problem with them and usually have a great time...Glory, Pride and Splendor)......I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Give them a try....:):):)

Thank you. :beer-toast:

We've switched to RC mainly for the Royàl Promenade. Their smaller and older ships don't have it so we stay away from ships without it.

Hello,

We have always cruised on Carnival and we are thinking of trying Royal Caribbean and have some questions.

I have seen that a few of the ships have Johnny Rockets, does this restaurant cost extra? Does Royal have a drink program? On Carnival we have always used cash to set up our on board sign and sail account. Can we do this on Royal? Hate using my credit card and never would use a debit card. I have gotten different answers and decided people that have cruised would be the best people to ask.

Thank you for the help. :):):)

 

Stephanie

I have been on thirteen Royal Caribbean cruises and have one more booked. The answer to all of you questions is yes.

Johnny Rockets costs extra for lunch and dinner. Breakfast is free. Yes, Royal Caribbean has a drink program. Yes, you can use cash to set up your onboard account.

In addition the entertainment and the venues are far superior on Royal. Even the trivia is better.

As answered already,RCL does have drink packages. Unlike Carnival, they don't have a drink limit.

As answered already,RCL does have drink packages. Unlike Carnival, they don't have a drink limit.

And often times the Deluxe package is cheaper than Cheers.

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I wouldn't say that we've switched per se but we are certainly giving Royal a try. When we decided on a cruise for April of next year I was pleasantly surprised to find the Anthem priced $500 less than Pride. We decide on an itinerary then price the different cruise lines to find the best price and that usually carries the day for us.

Hello,

We have always cruised on Carnival and we are thinking of trying Royal Caribbean and have some questions.

I have seen that a few of the ships have Johnny Rockets, does this restaurant cost extra? Does Royal have a drink program? On Carnival we have always used cash to set up our on board sign and sail account. Can we do this on Royal? Hate using my credit card and never would use a debit card. I have gotten different answers and decided people that have cruised would be the best people to ask.

Thank you for the help. :):):)Stephanie

Of course it is all a matter of taste! The setting is completely different, in general more adults on Royal! The larger ships with the Promenade decks do provide different twists and turns but don't rule out the ships that are without that. The Radiance Class ships which are 90K ton are probably the most open to feel like you are in the middle of the Ocean! There is a lot more intimacy on the smaller ships which is another feature.There is so much glass that there is always a close view of "The Sea that is Calling!". The little nooks to get a quick meal or snack on the Royal ships remind us of French Bistros. The ones on Carnival are more like picnic areas. We are pretty "Loyal to Royal" but if another line's itinerary is what we want, no hesitation to book it!

We sailed on Carnival Sunshine and had a wonderful experience. The crowd was definitely different. Since Sunshine's $2 million over haul in 2013 the colors are more like a Royal ship. The entertainment is so different. For us that was very welcoming! There is no singer and dancer troupe or orchestra but instead there is a completely different venue. Carnival has very talented staff behind the scenes creating new experiences in entertainment. They have amazing computer animated backgrounds for their shows in the round where you feel up close and personal. Their pyrotechnics are well worth seeing as well! The comedy clubs every night with different shows were a great way to spend late hours! The food was better than Royals and their desserts not only looked good but had taste to match. It is the general consensus that Royal's desserts are artistic but flat and do NOT have the "WOW' flavor to match! After experiencing the food on Carnival with that 2.0 program, the pizza and Guy Fieri burgers and desserts, i understand why cruisers say they live for the Creme Brulee and Chocolate Lava cake on Carnival! No comparison to the Pizza and burgers on Royal!

You have to give up the laundromat on Royal and pay for laundry until you are Diamond Plus status. But who wants a Cabin near the noisy washing machines anyway! It doesn't really matter unless you are on an extended cruise!

We love Royal's Loyalty benefits that no other cruise line can touch. The ships have a lot of upscaled art work and beauty. You can spend a day just walking the ship to see all the different art everywhere. You can tell where your cabin is located by the art down your hall. It is easy to get lost on Carnival since every hallway looks the same and the artwork in the cabins is identical.

So as long as Chuck and I can figure out when there are school vacations or breaks, Carnival is also a good cruise to consider. We do watch the age of their ships!.

As answered already,RCL does have drink packages. Unlike Carnival, they don't have a drink limit.

Carnival, unlike Royal, doesnt put a 12.00 cap limit on the drinks though and expect guests to make up the difference. Anything up to 50.00 per serving is covered under Cheers.

They are similar, but there are differences. Individual preferences will vary, but you should have a good time on both.

We were CCL customers until they upset us. We gave RC a try and will never go back to CCL! We went on the Oasis as our first RC cruise and booked it again.

Last year we went on RC Empress out of Tampa to Cuba and on the return date drove over to Jacksonville and caught CCL Elation to the Bahamas.

What a difference!! Just some quick notes.

1. Bigelow type teas were complimentary on RC, upcharge on CCL. DW enjoys tea after dinner.

2. CCL dining room had no tablecloth and cutlery was wrapped. It felt like a Chili’s. Seemed like only one server. RC had waiter and assistant.

3. Entertainment on CCL seemed to promote passenger involvement, not necessarily bad, but it did get a bit rowdy.

4. Empress was just redone for Cuba cruises and was beautiful. Elation was that old gaudy decor, very dark.

We’ve cruised on Carnival several times, for some reason I don’t like the buffet setup, feels like you’re on one line after another.

Price is always a factor and that’s why we give CCL a shot, however, after the last to with a back to back comparison, it’s RCCL for us.

We are one cruise away from Diamond and that’s exciting.

We were CCL customers until they upset us. We gave RC a try and will never go back to CCL! We went on the Oasis as our first RC cruise and booked it again.

Oasis class will do that to you. We like Jewel of the seas last year, but after going on Allure this year, we will not be going back to a small ship.

I have nightmares about waking up on a Carnival ship. :o:eek:;)

We left Carnival after they wouldn't fulfill their promise for a private cocktail party. We booked 10 rooms with 29 people. I paid for a majority of the people and spent $10,000.00. We chose the cocktail party as one of our amenities to have a memorial time for our son that normally cruised with us. He died in a car wreck. Carnival admitted they messed up but only wanted to give me a $25 OBC for my next cruise. We will never be back on another carnival ship even if it was free.

We were CCL customers until they upset us. We gave RC a try and will never go back to CCL! We went on the Oasis as our first RC cruise and booked it again.

Oasis and Freedom are wonderful ships. Our next cruises are on Carnival just because they're going to the itineraries that we want and are cheaper, but I definitely prefer Royal.

CRAZYFRAZEE - I'm so sorry for the pain you endured. I'm thankful you keep cruizing. I also like RC better than Carnival. I don't like Carnival's long lines when eating at the buffet. Seems like they could learn from Royal and reconfigure; maybe not a practical idea.

I have to agree. We got bumped from one of the initial cruises on Empress right after it was refurbished and brought back to RC a couple years ago and couldn't change our schedule.....we ended up trying Carnival for the first time and ended up on Sensation. Ugh, I'll just say I was less than impressed. Fortunately we did have fun, as always on vacation, but it wasn't my favorite experience by far. Glad to be back to RC.

OK, one more person adding their point of view. 1. Royal ships are easy to get around, no going up a deck and then down a deck to get from aft to forward. 2. Entertainment, shows are far more professional on Royal. 3. Specialty: Chops vs steakhouse.....even, but.....Giovanni's table versus the Carnival version. No comparision… .ya gotta try the eggplant in Giovanni's. 4. Ship, Royal blows away Carnival for layout. Carnival has all their ships built by Fincanterri….no matter the size, same layout, not easy to getting around. 5. Demographics: different on each line, that is an individual decision....touchy subject so enough said about this. Crew: Both highly professional, but seem to see more smiles on Carnival. CD: Very interacting on Carnival, more of a management type on Royal (we could care less, no need for either). 6. One more, Carnival, no cigar bar, Royal yes (confined no smoke interferes with any passenger not desiring to be near smoke.

Well, since this thread is on a Royal forum, I expect most people would be pro-Royal. However, even though Royal is the cruise line I have the most cruises on (I'm D+) and even though it used to be my favorite, I think Royal Caribbean has slipped greatly since I first cruised on Royal in 2004.

The cruise line with the second most cruises is Carnival. I have enjoyed all my Carnival cruises. However, finding Carnival cruises that are longer than eight nights is difficult. Carnival has some advantages over Royal Caribbean and Royal Caribbean has some advantages over Carnival.

Since I have become less happy with Royal Caribbean, I have decided to branch out some more. I recently completed my fifth cruise with Princess. My next cruise is with Royal Caribbean, then the next three are with NCL. After that I decided which will be my favorite. All I can say at this time is it will not likely be Princess (Princess is not high energy).

All the cruise lines have their advantages and disadvantages. I'm looking for a cruise line that is fun, honest, high energy, credible, and has longer cruises. That is the line I'll sail the most. But so far I have not written off any of the other cruise lines. I still want to try Costa, HAL, and Celebrity, and perhaps Regent, Disney, and MSC.

I can agree with that. Our first cruise was in 2006 for our honeymoon and we have been on at least one a year since then, all but one on RCL. You can definitely notice a difference in the quality and service since then until now. I would imagine thats true across the board with most lines.

Well, since this thread is on a Royal forum, I expect most people would be pro-Royal. However, even though Royal is the cruise line I have the most cruises on (I'm D+) and even though it used to be my favorite, I think Royal Caribbean has slipped greatly since I first cruised on Royal in 2004.

 

The cruise line with the second most cruises is Carnival. I have enjoyed all my Carnival cruises. However, finding Carnival cruises that are longer than eight nights is difficult. Carnival has some advantages over Royal Caribbean and Royal Caribbean has some advantages over Carnival.

 

Since I have become less happy with Royal Caribbean, I have decided to branch out some more. I recently completed my fifth cruise with Princess. My next cruise is with Royal Caribbean, then the next three are with NCL. After that I decided which will be my favorite. All I can say at this time is it will not likely be Princess (Princess is not high energy).

 

All the cruise lines have their advantages and disadvantages. I'm looking for a cruise line that is fun, honest, high energy, credible, and has longer cruises. That is the line I'll sail the most. But so far I have not written off any of the other cruise lines. I still want to try Costa, HAL, and Celebrity, and perhaps Regent, Disney, and MSC.