Royal Caribbean made me sail on Carnival, and I liked it!

We're just back from our first Carnival cruise, on the Paradise 3-nighter from Long Beach to Ensenada. Because we had always enjoyed our sailings on RCI’s Monarch of the Seas (I had 25 cruises on her before RCI abandoned the 3/4 night market in LA), we never seriously contemplated trying the same itinerary on Paradise. But once Monarch departed for Port Canaveral, it was Paradise or no weekend cruise, so we gave it a go. We had a small but mighty group of Monarch Refugees – 4 of us were trying Carnival for the first time, and the 5th had sailed and enjoyed Paradise before.

 

The executive summary: Because I was such a huge fan of Monarch, I was a little apprehensive about how this cruise would go. We liked it, quite a lot in fact. Although we still prefer Monarch or another RCI ship (how about a Vision class, please?), we are going to book another few cruises on Paradise and plan to enjoy them thoroughly. Also, after 25 cruises on Monarch we were part of the furniture, and it would have been unreasonable to expect the same level of warmth and camaraderie on Paradise. But we were encouraged by our initial visit, and are hoping to improve on a very promising beginning.

 

Now on to the review, which has some comparisons between the two ships as well:

 

Embarkation: A piece of cake. We had VIP status because we were in a Category 11 suite, but at 12:30 the regular line was very short. We were checked in and on the ship, bypassing both boarding photo stops, in about 10 minutes. Although the cabins were not ready until 1:30, we were able to drop our bags, have a bite to eat, and then go explore the ship. Winner: none; RCI has similarly expedited service for VIPs in San Pedro.

 

Décor: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In this beholder’s eye, the ship is ugly, really quite hideously decorated. The atrium is dark, even on the sunny day we had in Ensenada. Instead of the “wow” I always feel when entering the atrium of an RCI ship, I felt, “oh, my.” But, just as many homely women and men make wonderful companions, Paradise was able to overcome her visual shortcomings. I just wish they had more comfortable seats in the public areas – there were no backs or footrests on the barstools (I managed not to fall off, anyway) and few chairs that you could just sink into. Winner: RCI

 

Cabin: Our Category 11 suite on Verandah deck was a bit smaller than a JS on Monarch, and the layout was a bit awkward. I loved the bedding, which is the new cruise ship standard duvet (with a top sheet) and what appeared to be real feather pillows. The décor wasn’t too over the top, apart from a lavender ceiling. The OV cabin we saw, in contrast, had a lot of bright red. The bathroom had a large shower, with fabulous water pressure. No tub. The vanity contained a small fridge (only in suites, I think), TV (regular screen) and an assortment of wine, martini and cocktail glasses. Because Carnival has a most civilized policy of allowing passengers to bring wine onboard, we made good use of the wine glasses. We did not have a hairdryer, nor did our friends in another Cat 11; but our cabin steward did procure one for me. The balcony was very narrow, but we stacked the two chairs and little table at one end so that 5 of us could squeeze out there for sailaway. Winner: RCI

 

Cabin Service: Niko and her assistant, whom we never met, did a great job keeping our cabin clean. Because we hosted a sailaway party from Ensenada that made her have to do more work, we added some cash to the automatic gratuity. Winner: RCI. In spite of Niko’s excellent work, our experience on RCI has been even better.

 

Dining Room: Our group was assigned a table for 8 near the window in the Elation dining room (late seating). When we arrived for dinner, it was fully occupied by 8 other people. Apparently the Maitre d’ had decided to evict us without the courtesy of letting us know. We were then led to a giant table for 10 that had three people, one of whom was a small child. I wasn’t looking forward to behaving myself, as I feel compelled to do around kids, so we rejected that table and spent some time waiting for a new one. All’s well that ends well, as we ended up a table for just the 5 of us with Eduardo and Niko as our waiter and assistant waiter. They were fabulous, serving everything as we were ready, and not forcing one person to wait for everybody else to finish eating before getting the next course. The maitre d’ came along to apologize for the confusion at the end of the meal, and that was all we saw of him. They do all the silly dancing waiter stuff that RCI does. Winner: Carnival for prompt and efficient service.

 

The food was mostly excellent. A couple of items were cooked a little past done (pork chop and chicken), but the flavors made up for the slight toughness. Paradise serves lobster on the 3-nighters, and it was reasonably good. The warm melting chocolate cake beats the pants off RCI’s warm chocolate cake. Winner: Carnival

 

Buffet: the Paris Restaurant had terrific buffet food, if that isn't an oxymoron to you. It was crowded at peak times, and the layout wasn’t very efficient, but we managed just fine without spilling anything. The buffet had a hot dog/hamburger stand (always a long line) custom Mongolian BBQ, custom omelets (and they used Pam spray instead of half a cup of oil to cook them), a sandwich bar with a panini press, 24 hour pizza and ice cream, in addition to the usual assortment of buffet items. Sadly, they use the RCI pizza model instead of Princess’s. There’s also a sushi bar on the Carnival Boulevard (sushi is complimentary and, while not exotic, was a good light snack in between full meal). If only the people in front of us hadn’t used their fingers to snack on the pickled ginger tray. There's also a coffee house with pastries that cost extra. We didn't patronize it, but the pastries looked awfully good. Winner: Carnival except for uncouth passengers.

 

Bar service and drinks: Carnival has a more extensive list of wines by the glass, quite reasonably priced (sorry, I didn't get a picture of the wine list). We did not order any bottles, since we brought our own and were happy enough with the by the glass offerings. We were not charged corkage on the bottle we brought to the dining room. The other bar prices seemed lower than RCI by a bit, but the one martini I had was also half the size of what I get on RCI. So that could be a wash. I know my friends won’t believe me, but we didn’t spend much time in the bars. The United States Bar (they’re all named after other ships) was the home for some great music, so we spent more time there than any other location. But it was LOUD, and the dancing was dicey because the dance floor was the hallway. We managed not to knock anybody over, though. Winner: I'm not sure, LOL. I didn't have enough drinks for a valid comparison.

 

Entertainment. I never thought I would miss Fast Forward, the production show that played on Monarch until 2007 or so, but I did. I thought the two production shows were ghastly and bad, respectively. The band was terrific, but drowned out the singers. The singers were good (what I heard in them), but there were far too many taped background vocals and the lip syncing by the dancers was unconvincing, to say the least. And the dancers were really amateurish, although I think the choreography may have had something to do with it. Two of the men looked as if they were Cruise Director staff filling in for the real ones. And the sight lines in the Normandie theater are horrid.

 

Carnival has a lot of live music – at the pool bar all afternoon, in the various lounges all night. At one point, there was a lone (LOUD) guitarist/singer in Leonardo and a band right outside, plus there was a DJ going in the over the top jungle-themed bar, Rex. If you sat in just the wrong spot, you heard both of them. Winner: tie (RCI wins for productions and sheer talent; Carnival for the quantity of live music).

 

Activities: The Capers offered a lot of activities similar to RCI’s – trivia, hairy chest, slot tournaments, karaoke, etc. We didn’t do any of that, so I can’t compare. We did spend some time on the adult-only Serenity deck, all the way aft with a spectacular wake view. And we saw something there that we never see on an RCI ship – an employee enforcing the no children and no smoking rules. The loud adults were probably more disruptive than the little darlings would have been, but it was still nice to see that the Paradise crew was into enforcing the rules.

 

Fellow Passengers: They were a bit younger than on Monarch, but we saw the same party/reunion/birthday groups, young party animals and overall high spirits that we’ve seen on Monarch. I don’t find the Paradise crowd to be any of the pejorative adjectives I’ve seen thrown around on Cruise Critic. What a shock (kidding).

 

Miscellany: One thing consistent on the cruise was that almost nothing seemed to happen at the scheduled time. Muster drill was 15 minutes late, the doors to the dining room never opened on time and neither show started when they was supposed to (the bingo guy held up one). It was only a big deal at dinner time because of the crowding that ensued while waiting. The Captain threw a very nice, sparsely attended, party on formal night, with great dancing music from the Paradise orchestra. The slots in the casino are coin-free – if you actually win some money, it goes on to your Seapass. You can then cash out at the window or leave it on your account to pay your other winnings. You can also leave your card in to accumulate points, which I forgot to do. I did come out $15 ahead, though, big gambler that I am. Everybody gets a nice bathrobe, but it would have been nice not to see them being worn for lunch in the buffet. Just my own personal icky-do.

 

Ensenada: Although I am very unhappy about Monarch’s departure from the West Coast, Ensenada is economically devastated by it (the current climate for travel isn’t helping either, to be fair). We went into town for our usual massages, and were the only clients in there. El Pueblo, our favorite restaurant had 3 table occupied. Mango Mango, a formerly lively bar with loud music and throbbing windows to match, was just another place to drink. Even the famed Papas & Beer wasn’t very active. Several long-time businesses were shuttered, and Avenida Lopez Mateo was easy to walk. Several locals told us that overall business is down close to 70% - I think that a lot of the in-town spenders must have been on Monarch. It was sad to see, and I hope that Carnival adding another short-run ship out of San Diego will help a bit, at least. Winner for support of local economy: RCI.

 

Debarkation: It was windy and raining, but the Captain earned his pay by getting us into port without banging the ship against the pier. We had priority debarkation that I wasn’t going to take advantage of, but when Don got up I found that I couldn’t sleep anymore. I’m glad that happened – we didn’t start until 7:45 instead of 7:00 because immigration didn’t clear the ship. Once we did start, however, we were escorted out ahead of everybody else, went straight out without reporting to immigration (it’s the new way for US passengers on round trip cruises to debark) and out to the car. The Long Beach facility requires a walk down an exposed walkway, so I looked like a wet Roseanne Roseanadanna by the time I was in the terminal.:eek: People without priority had queued up in the lobby, with several staffers directing them to the line. Then the CD came on and announced that they couldn’t stay there and they were shooed away. I’m sure they had some complaints about the process. Winner (for us): RCI because you don’t get wet walking on and off the ship.

 

So, we still miss our Monarch, but Paradise did a great job of filling that little hole in our hearts. She’s a little too loud, but I’ve been accused of the same thing, so I think we’ll get along just fine.:)

 

That's all I can think of. Question? Ask away!

That is a really nice comparison. Thanks.

Great review. Thanks for sharing your thoughts in detail.

Wow! Many people on these boards say that there is a big difference between the two cruise lines...but thanks so much for being so specific. We were considering sailing on Carnival out of Houston/Galveston because the Voyager is only here for about 4.5 months out of the year. Maybe we'll give the Conquest a try. :) When and if we do, I'll let you all know how it goes.

It was sad to see, and I hope that Carnival adding another short-run ship out of San Diego will help a bit, at least. Winner for support of local economy: RCI.

 

Hey Critterchick:

 

Thanks for your very thorough review. The Monarch of the Seas was my first RCI ship, so it has a very special place in my heart.

 

In my opinion, your comparison is very fair and I thank you for taking the time to write it.

 

I do have one question. On your review you wrote that the winner for support of Ensenada's local economy is RCI. This left me a bit dumbfounded.:confused: How is RCI the winner when they are the ones who abandonded this itinerary altogether hurting Ensenada's economy, while Carnival is actually boosting it by adding a second ship to call at Ensenada year-round?

Thanks for a very balanced review... my last Carnival cruise was on the Glory & I too found things to be very similar to RCL... if the cutbacks continue on RCL it may be time for me to return to Carnival...or some other similar line...

We were considering sailing on Carnival out of Houston/Galveston because the Voyager is only here for about 4.5 months out of the year. Maybe we'll give the Conquest a try. :)

You should give Conquest a go! Voyager is one of my all-time faves, but my family did a recent cruise out of Galveston on Conquest. We had a wonderful time. She's a great ship, very clean and an attentive staff. I would go again, given the choice between Conquest and no cruise, for sure! :D

Hey Critterchick:

 

Thanks for your very thorough review. The Monarch of the Seas was my first RCI ship, so it has a very special place in my heart.

 

In my opinion, your comparison is very fair and I thank you for taking the time to write it.

 

I do have one question. On your review you wrote that the winner for support of Ensenada's local economy is RCI. This left me a bit dumbfounded.:confused: How is RCI the winner when they are the ones who abandonded this itinerary altogether hurting Ensenada's economy, while Carnival is actually boosting it by adding a second ship to call at Ensenada year-round?

 

Duh. You're right of course. I should have said that RCI pax were, not are, the greater spenders. Alas, no more.

Carnival hasn't really added. They have had both the Paradise & the Elation sailing to Ensenada for the last couple of years. With the Elation, it was on her 5 day trips. The real looser was Cabo who lost a year round visit from the Elation. That was a real loss for us because Cabo is a much better port than Ensenada. We may try Radiance on her 5 day runs down to Cabo. While the Radiance is a better (newer and prettier) ship, Carnival wins hands down for better food, bigger standard cabins (inside & oceanview) and better pricing.

Critterchick

This review could not have come at a better time. I'm involved in so many threads here and over at Carnival because I am trying to soak up as much information on CCL.

Perfect review-thanks.

I have plenty of time to review CCL and the RC I already know. Pricing is starting to make some decisions for me.

Leave it to you Jean to make a Carnival ship an old one at that sound like so much fun. I enjoyed reading your review as always, and by the way Rob and I will be on the Monarch in June we will say a big hello to her from you. Hope all is going well and hope the critters are doing great.

 

Dale

Thank you so much for your honest comparison! :)

Leave it to you Jean to make a Carnival ship an old one at that sound like so much fun. I enjoyed reading your review as always, and by the way Rob and I will be on the Monarch in June we will say a big hello to her from you. Hope all is going well and hope the critters are doing great.

 

Dale

 

Hey, Hippie Dippie! The CD said that Paradise is the number 2 ranked ship in the Carnival fleet for customer satisfaction, so they're clearly doing something right!

we have been considering a 3 night Baja cruise and since RC ditched that itinerary we will be going on Carnival as well. Like OP we never really considered sailing Carnival before but Since RC has given them 100% of the market share we dont have much choice

Thanks for the great review, I really enjoyed reading it.

 

Laura

Carnival hasn't really added. They have had both the Paradise & the Elation sailing to Ensenada for the last couple of years. With the Elation, it was on her 5 day trips.

 

I do stand corrected. You're 100% correct SdPadreFan. Yes the Elation has been crusing to Ensenada from San Diego for a while now.

 

However, with the change in the Elation's itinerary from 4 and 5 night itineraries to 3 and 4 night itineraries, the Elation will now be calling in Ensenada 8 times a month instead of the previous 6 times a month.

 

Hopefully that will help Ensenada's economy a bit....

Jean, thank you for such a wonderful, detailed review. I'm not surprised to see that Carnival is doing something right though, since I have had many folks say they like the 3/4 night cruises out of Long Beach on Carnival.

 

Again, thank you for taking the time to write a very helpful, comparative review!

Jean, let me add my voice to the chorus of thank-yous! My CCL apprehension just dropped significantly! :D

You should give Conquest a go! Voyager is one of my all-time faves, but my family did a recent cruise out of Galveston on Conquest. We had a wonderful time. She's a great ship, very clean and an attentive staff. I would go again, given the choice between Conquest and no cruise, for sure! :D

 

We haven't planned our anniversary trip for this July yet...we just may do it!!! Thanks

Jean and Don, welcome home, I'm glad you had a good time :)

 

Our one and only Carnival cruise was on the old Ecstacy and I have to say, our experience was truly horrid. So much so that we have never seriously considered sailing on Paradise. Maybe if we get desperate in future and just have to have a weekend cruise ;)

 

But I've always thought that Carnival must be doing something right, to attract so many cruisers :)

Of course now that Carnival has a monopoly, the prices have increased accordingly. So we're trying to find a good deal, but I don't know if there will be any out there.

Good riddance. Royal doesn't want you, and neither do we. There is something to be said about those that remain Loyal to Royal. I believe it goes something like through sickness and in health...

Jean:

 

I'm glad that you gave Carnival a try. Thanks for the very objective review. When we sail on Carnival, we try not to make too many comparisons (especially when it comes to decor, because frankly, you are correct), and we remind ourselves that we're there to have FUN (and we always do!)

 

If you get the chance to sail out of San Diego, I recommend trying the Carnival Spirit, and booking a category 9A cabin. It is very comparable to an 11, but much less expensive. Also, the Spirit has some great artwork, a very nice theater, and a terrific supper club.

 

Also, that's too bad about the poor economy in Ensenada... it used to be such a fun town!

We have sailed both Monarch and Paradise to Ensenada, and we think your comparisons were spot on. Our only real dislike to the Paradise was the poor sightlines in the theater (as you mentioned) and the bingo crowd in the theater before showtime, which made it sometimes impossible to arrive early for a good show seat. I also agree about the lack of comfy seating in the public areas.

Excellent review, thanks!!! Really enjoyed it.