RCL(10+ cruises) v. Carnival (just returned from 1st) - LONG

[djneph]

Hey Guys, I posted a review on the Canrival Boards - but though I would post the comparison portion over here.

 

Before we start the review, I will do a short comparison between RCI and Carnival (since people always want to try a new line). I have sailed RCI about 10 times (former employee so don’t have any Crown & Anchor Status) and only on Radiance and Voyager Class ships. Also, last RCI sailing was 2.5 years ago, so things have probably changed a lot since all lines a trying to lower costs.

 

Anyone who says RCI or Carnival is superior to the other in my opinion is not being completely objective. These two lines are basically the same with very minor differences. My list below is just my observations and my preferences. I still prefer RCI over Carnival it is definitely not worth an extra $900 (that was how much extra it would have cost to sail on a similar 7night cruise on RCI that same week). If the total difference was under $200 a will choose RCI, but anything over that it’s not worth it at all.

 

Lastly, keep in mind we have sailed RCI about 10 times, so some of the things we preferred and or were disappointed with is probably because we are so “used to” RCI that the experience became synonymous with cruising for us and Carnival did things differently so it was just an adjustment.

 

I will probably give Carnival another shot – even though it pains me to admit – they have a good product and I liked it (ssshhh….don’t tell any of my former co-workers)

 

Food: (Hardest to judge because it is so subjective)

Breakfast (buffet area we don’t do MDR) – Prefer RCI by a small margin for two reasons. DW loves French toast over pancakes, RCI has both pancakes and French toast every day, Carnival alternates (one day pancakes – one day French toast). Also, I love corn beef hash (only eat it when I cruise, since I am sure it’s not the healthiest of breakfast foods). Carnival only had it one day; Royal has it every day for breakfast. Toast/Bagels – RCI has untoasted bread available and someone to toast bread for you on the spot, Carnival toasts the bread ahead of time and puts it on the line so it got cold and hard. A plus for Carnival was the very tasty salsa to put on my eggs… mmm so good!

 

Lunch: Hands down Carnival wins. The selection for the most part seemed better and tastier; they had more things we liked. A plus for Royal is their Salad bar – seemed like they had bigger selection of veggies for your salad. The Deli was decent, however I do like how Royal has cold sandwiches pre-made (didn’t like having to wait in line for a Tuna Salad sandwich). The Burrito bar was a little disappointing (the flavor was lacking), but that’s probably because I am spoiled by Free Birds Burrito in Austin. Also, the wok station I did not like, long lines for food lacking flavor (I prefer spicy wok creations) again, it was good, but for my taste buds I will pass.

 

Dinner: It’s even. I found the food on both lines excellent and tasty. Carnival gets big thumbs up for having shrimp cocktail available for dinner every night (Royal only had it one night). I love shrimp cocktail (again it is one of those things I only eat when I cruise – its simple, but just soooo good!) and I like being able to order it everyday, instead of ordering like 2 or 3 orders on the one night it is served on Royal and feeling like George Castanza (“he the ocean called and they are running out of shrimp”). The Thai Pumpkin Soup was AWESOME! I could bath in it, very nice Carnival

 

Dessert: I give it to Royal. We don’t have a sweet tooth, so we found Carnival a little too sweet (I know who would not like sweet desserts). Again, just a personal taste thing, other than that the desserts were good – bread pudding was delicious.

 

 

Service:

I think they are equal. Currently, I would give a pico-meter edge to Royal because of the experience we had in the dining room. The service seemed rushed (seems like they are in a hurry every night, because they have to do a song/dance every night) and the waiters weren’t very friendly and didn’t talk much to us. They forgot our orders on multiple occasions (ie. didn’t bring the Ice tea or Cappuccino). Also, I ordered the flat-iron steak almost every night and every night had to ask for the A1 sauce (on RCI the staff would remember I like A1 sauce and bring it with the steak). The waiters could have just had an off week or we didn’t mesh well so that’s why they weren’t as friendly or talkative; I have had one bad waiter on RCI too and she was horrible.

 

Entertainment:

DW and I don’t really do the show’s in the theater (I don’t like any of them so I never go, not into musicals). I think they are equal, maybe an edge to Carnival because they had Adult Comedy on multiple nights (3 different acts), where as RCI would have just one night. A plus for Carnival was also the Poolside TV, we watched a few movies at night and we really enjoyed it, which is definitely something that would bring as back to Carnival.

 

Stateroom:

I think they are pretty equal, maybe an edge to RCI. A plus for Carnival on the bathroom, the shower felt much bigger and roomier, I think the shape and curtain help, than the RCI shower with its cylindrical shape and door instead of curtain (I am a big guy 6’4 270lbs). A negative for Carnival was the safe, I did not like having to use a credit card (or any other card with a magnetic strip) to open it, I prefer the 4-digit combination safe on RCI (I had to either carry the safe card with me or leave it the room).

 

Stateroom TV:

Equal – Carnival Plus: I liked that I could look at the dinner menu daily when I want (on RCI they list it on a channel, but you have to wait for the screen to change as they display other info on that channel). Carnival Stateroom TV is better than RCL because they have broadcast channels (FOX, NBC, CBS…etc) so we saw Sunday and Sunday Night football, some college games on Saturday (LSU v. GA and OK vs. UM). Also it was nice to watch reruns of Seinfeld late at night just before going to sleep. A negative for Carnival was looking up your seapass account – you had to enter your 4-digit folio number every time you wanted to see your account (Not a big deal, just annoying).

 

Ship:

This is were RCI is leaps and bounds ahead of Carnival, I don’t even think Carnival is in the same ballpark as RCI. The décor on Carnival is a little too much for me, it’s not horrible as some have suggested, but just need to tone it down a bit (too much going on). There some area’s that I liked (I will post pictures). Example: Rosie’s Restaurant (buffet area) was very nice, better than Windjammer café, I liked the early 40’s, industrial revolution feel with the stainless steel look, kind of like an old dinner. However, overall I prefer the décor and design of RCI, things just seemed to have been a little more thought out. The top deck above the pool deck on RCI is all railings (about 5 rails) on Carnival it was a steel plate with two railings at the top, when lounging in a pool chair on that deck you get a better view on RCI. The Pool deck on RCI feels more open and better designed, plus I didn’t like some of the hand rails on the pool deck were made of metal (no wood on top) so they got pretty hot in the day time. The Internet café is in a horrible place, only way in is through the cigar bar (awful smell), I think someone dropped the ball on that one. The public bathrooms seemed to be harder to find (could just be that I know exactly were they are on RCI) and once you walk in, man those public bathrooms are small and cramped. The Carnival ship felt a litter more tight and everything was felt more compact (lower ceilings).

 

Promenade:

I think they are pretty close, with RCI winning because of the Royal Promenade’s WOW factor on Voyage/Freedom Class ships, I like Promenade Café. However, Carnival does have a nice design feature on their promenade, the windows, which during the day is a nice feature because you see the ocean go by as you walk, but at night the window doesn’t do much. The whole I hate a mall thing is baloney. Royal Promenade and Carnival’s promenade are the same (shops, café, bar) except Royal decided to make it 3 stories high. It just feels more open on RCI. Even if you compare the Radiance Class with the Valor, RCI wins.

 

Dining Room:

The dining room on RCI is much nicer and the windows have much better view. We had a window seat on Carnival, but the view was a disappointment. It looked out on the deck with the life boats, so you saw life boats and people walking by starring at you. On RCI the dinning room looks nicer and the views from the window are very nice. Even in the upscale dinning rooms (Portofino/Chops v. Supper Club) the location on RCI ships is much better, and the window seats offer a spectacular view.

 

Misc. – Little things and stuff I forgot to mention before:

 

Carnival Plus:

-Deck numbers on the carpet in front of the stairs – We though it was cool.

-Mailbox like thing next to your door where staff can leave you your luggage tags, capers, and account printout.

-Chocolate on Pillows! I don’t eat them, but like getting them

-Pitcher of water in the dance club/casino for self service. We don’t drink alcohol so it was nice being able to get water without having to get the attention of a bartender (very nice on busy nights)

-Brining your own Soda! This part it awesome, I like a soda for lunch and dinner, so I brought a 12-pack of diet coke saved me about $20 bucks :) Didn’t have to be a mule and smuggle it on board

-Waterslide – AWESOME! I don’t rock climb or ice skate (Don’t know about Flowrider yet, haven’t sailed on Freedom Class).

 

 

Carnival Negatives – areas it can improve

-RCI had more selection of deli meats for breakfast – see next line.

 

-Mustard in the morning, always had to hunt some done (for lunch no problem had it at all the tables), RCI has little mustard packets available. I like to eat a bagel sandwich for breakfast (ham/turkey & cheese, cream cheese and mustard – I know sounds gross, but friend in “HIGH” school introduced me to this weird sandwich and still like it).

 

-Carnival Capers – Specifically night before a new port – Carnival & RCI insert a little pull out section about the upcoming port. RCI has more info on the port, it gives you a little story about the history of the port and info on exchange rates and estimated taxi fares (Carnival seems to focus on stores). This one may only matter to us, because DW and I have a tradition when cruising, every night I read her a bed story – this bed story is the little story about the ports history they provide. Again, no big deal, but just something we do together and it has become a tradition – so not having a bedtime story for her was little sad.

 

-Captain – I rarely heard from the Captain on the Valor. On RCI the captain would speak daily, especially before leaving port – he would tell you how far the next port is, what our avg. cruising speed would be to get there on time, weather for the night and next day in port, and give you some silly fable/Chinese proverb at the end. Could just have been the captain on Valor – I don’t know if it’s the same on other Carnival Ships.

 

-I missed seeing the days change on the elevator floor – RCI has name plates on the elevator floors that tell you what day it is. Again, not a big deal – just something silly and fun.

 

-Smoke smell- I don’t know if RCI has better ventilation or this Carnival cruise had too many smokers onboard, but the Casino area smelled way too much of smoke. I mean even has I was walking down the stairs and was in between decks 6/5 I could already smell it.

 

-Maître D- I never met him on the Valor. On RCI he would introduce himself the first night and pass by a couple nights and say hi – on lobster night he would come by your table and help get your lobster tail out of the shell and take the shell away.

 

Promenade Café (Voyager/Freedom Class) vs. 24hr Pizzeria – Promenade Café wins, pizza, sandwiches (mmm ham/cheese croissant)

 

Late nigh Snack – Sea View Café vs. Aft Pool Grill – Sea View café (Radiance Class) wins – mmm buffalo chicken strips and Cuban sandwich.

 

Upscale Dining Venue – RCI wins, because I am not big on steak and the menu in Protofino is awesome and the food great. Supper Club (Scarlet’s Steakhosue) food was good, but menu was similar to MDR (escargot, lobster bisque, shrimp cocktail).

 

That’s all for the comparison. Overall Carnival is a great product and the price was amazing when compared to same destinations for similar time of year when compared to RCI. In the end I still prefer RCI, but will be always looking at Carnival before I book my RCI cruise. If the price difference is $100-$200 more on RCI, I will still sail them, however, if the price difference is $900 more on RCI, NO WAY. I think everyone owes it to them selves to try both lines, especially if the price is similar, because they each have good things to offer.

[cb at sea]

Very nice comparision!

[BDL]

Fabulous review and comparison - thank you.

 

Just one question about your review... Is it something new that you can't bring soda's on RCI? I've always brought on some caffeine free diet cola and never had a problem taking it in my carry on. Its been about a year since my last cruise however.. am I not allowed to do that anymore?

[rmontanez]

Very good post!

 

Thank you for the comparison. I been loyal to royal (even thought I'm new to cruising - (RCI Platinum), but I'm always looking for good deals. Lately, I have been looking at other lines, but I wonder if the experience will be as good.

 

Thanks for the info!

[jakoblovesships]

We keep trying to find an RCI deal, but, seem to be finding affordable Carnival cruises. We do miss that little special feeling you get with Royal. It's worth a few hundred dollars, but lately it's around a thousand $ more to cruise RCI for our family. We're going on the Valor, two weeks from Sunday. Thanks for taking the time to write the review.

 

The Kolenda Family:)

[djneph]

We keep trying to find an RCI deal, but, seem to be finding affordable Carnival cruises. We do miss that little special feeling you get with Royal. It's worth a few hundred dollars, but lately it's around a thousand $ more to cruise RCI for our family. We're going on the Valor, two weeks from Sunday. Thanks for taking the time to write the review.

 

The Kolenda Family:)

 

Check out the carnival Borad I will be posting pictures, Carnival Capers, and overview of days.

[39august]

Actually, you can get shrimp cocktail every (or almost) night on RCI. Just ask your waiter for it for the rest of the week on the first night. And yes, I know many people have brought sodas and water on board RCI.

[djneph]

Actually, you can get shrimp cocktail every (or almost) night on RCI. Just ask your waiter for it for the rest of the week on the first night. And yes, I know many people have brought sodas and water on board RCI.

 

I never though to ask, since it is not on the menu every night. On Carnival it was a daily alternative listed in the menu every night.

 

I always thought you were not supposed to bring Soda on RCI, but they didn't really enforce the rule too much. Maybe I was wrong this whole time and could have brought my 12-pack no problem. Do'H!

[grand isle joe]

djneph,Thanks for taking the time to post a great review. :D

[BroncosFan2010]

Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed and objective review of these two lines! In my opinion, RCCL is worth the extra money, but I know everyone has their own ideas of what they like in their vacation. I am curious if you noticed a difference in the clientele on Carnival Vs. Royal?

[mamasue]

Thank you for your objective review.

We're the opposite.... had many Carnival and NCL cruises.... but have just completed our first RCCI cruise.... I posted a review last week.

I love the decor on the Valor.... we've been on the Valor twice.... she's a lovely ship.... I love the theme!!

 

I was under the impression you cold bring soda on to RCCL.... we brought 24 caffiene-free cokes last week..... nobody said a word!!

 

Carnival is better than RCCL and NCL for bringing wine on board..... no corkage fee!!

 

We enjoyed our cruise on the Monarch last week.... so we've booked a 13-day transatlantic on the Independent next month!!

[rosebud1g]

IMO, there is NO comparison with Royal and Carnival. I am DONE with Carnival.

 

ROYAL WINS hands down. I am staying loyal to Royal. On my recent

2 cruises this summer, Enchantment was an older ship, and still was WAY better than Carnival's newer Freedom.

 

Nothing Carnival can offer (even the Dream) can compare to Royal's Freedom class or upcoming Oasis class.

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR, and spending a little more on RCL

is worth every dollar. Look at the ships they build, just like they say

"INCREDIBLE"

[ccletzgo]

I would have an easier time getting hubby to cruise over thanks giving if RCCL would contract some better TV. That is one thing I noticed with our Carnival Pride cruise. The TV selection was alot better..

 

Its going to be interesting to see what games are available over new years..:confused:

[bionicman97]

Thanks for the review. It looks very objective and gives a lot of good information.

[yogimax]

Thansk for the comparison! So much is subjective. Though we strongly favor RCCL, I give kudos to Carnival's great deli and warm chocolate melting cake.

[BDL]

Thansk for the comparison! So much is subjective. Though we strongly favor RCCL, I give kudos to Carnival's great deli and warm chocolate melting cake.

 

OMG - the warm chocolate melting cake is the BEST!! Had it every night!

 

I've cruised both RCCL and Carnival... never had a bad cruise on either. RCCL has a slight edge, but given the righ price I would honestly go on either.

 

Don't think I'd ever go on NCL again however... DH and I splurged for a penthouse suite last year for our 30th anniversary in Hawaii and the cabin and 'butler' were not worth the money. The concierge however was fabulous on NCL. We should have however saved thousands and just gone for the balcony.

[Mikew0805]

Actually, you can get shrimp cocktail every (or almost) night on RCI. Just ask your waiter for it for the rest of the week on the first night. And yes, I know many people have brought sodas and water on board RCI.

 

Some may have experienced this, but I must say, on all 3 that I have done with RCI, I have asked.. and been told "unfortunately no!" No big deal, but I love shrimp cocktail as well.

 

OP - Thanks for the review. I agree with you about RCI ships.. they are amazing in layout and decor. I prefer the food and entertainment (I love the shows) on Carnival.

 

My favorite of the two is Carnival, but does not change the fact that I will continue to sail RCI.

[TexCruise371]

Thanks!

[amybeth4]

Djneph,

 

Thanks so much for the comparison. I've tried NCL, Princess, a line no longer in service and RCI, with RCI getting the most business (#5 coming up). But I'm still curious about Carnie. One of these days, I guess.

 

Sorry to say, however, that you absolutely can bring non-alcoholic beverages onboard. I guess that's another check in the plus column for RCI for ya! :)

[Mikew0805]

I am curious if you noticed a difference in the clientele on Carnival Vs. Royal?

 

I know this has been brought up, and either I am ignorant, or just don't care. I really do not notice a difference!

 

The only time I have thought about this on a cruise was on the Splendour of the Seas out of Galveston. There was a cabin about 3 doors down from us, where the father figure in the cabin wore denim overalls everyday w/ no shirt underneath. He was a really nice guy who always said hello in the hall, and normally I would not have noticed that he was wearing this everyday, however he showed up to the dining room with them on, and no shirt.

 

I really don't care what people wear, as it has no affect on me... I just thought this was unusual.

[Socref124]

Thanks for your objective review. DW and I are preparing for our first RCI cruise and are worried that we will not be happy. We have wanted to try RCI for years but haven't because of the difference in price. Sorry, but the $900 extra savings is how we can afford to cruise 2 or 3 times a year. This review makes me feel a little better about our upcoming cruise. Thanks again.:)

[Bakincakes]

On our last three RCI cruises I've spoken to a few pax who used to sail Carnival and who have switched to RCI.

 

Their main complaints were the pax on Carnival. They felt there was far too much partying and had issues with very loud cabin neighbors. Evidently Carnival didn't do much about the situation and the noise was constant throughout their cruises. One couple told us about an incident on their last Carnival cruise that involved a table near them in the MDR. Seems the family members enjoyed seeing who could belch the loudest. They would then applaud for the best and laugh themselves silly.:eek:

 

I sailed Carnival once when I was much younger so I can't compare their product to RCIs today. I will say I've always found Carnival ships to be very garish and not at all to my taste. But I do hear more and more pax say that Carnival and RCI are more alike than different.

[NavarreCruiser]

Carnival posts that you can bring sodas and water and a bottle of wine per adult. RCCL does not. We have brought on sodas from ports and they have gone through fine. But you can't say that this is a plus for RCCL.

[Happy ks]

Thnaks for posting a fair and balanced review. We believe in cruising other lines, why get stuck on one brand? Carnival would not be our second choice but we have cruised others and will make choices to cruise even more lines in the future.

 

All the cruise lines we have been are a similar experience, all have the same type of food, entertainment etc... So for us the difference in decor is huge.

 

We've only cruised on Carnival once and would hesitate to cruise on them again. We did not like the decor, the smoke, the rushed dinner service (late seating). The worst for us was the cabin, it was just so cheesy, I look at pics of their newer ships and yup, the same cabin decor.

 

Given the choice between the two, since we have enough cruise credits for a decent discount on RCI, the price is very competitive. I can very well understand why another person would want to save money by cruising Carnival.

[joan_al]

I have to agree with the OP. We found that the buffet was alot better on RCI, but on Carnival we enjoyed the MDR alot better on Carnival. Great post.

 

OMG - the warm chocolate melting cake is the BEST!! Had it every night!

 

 

Was disappointed they didn't have the warm chocolate melting cake on RCI. Last evening dinner I doubled up on it. Amazing desert!