Is it worth it?

[Kurbanfan]

Comparing being in a Cat 8 balcony (note my mention of within category), and an E-2 on Explorer of the Seas, the E-2 is a tad smaller 'room wise'..:)

 

Comparing sf to sf doesn't mean squat, if the cabin 'feels' smaller..:o The DW and I both agreed on this..:cool: To each their own..

 

I said if you count the balcony part of the cabin, yes the inside is smaller, but if you like the balcony part to be larger and include it, RCL has larger balconys total s.f. wise.

 

E1: Avg sq ft cabin: 173 Balcony: 47 = 220 s.f

 

8s: 185 + 35 = 215 s.f.

 

----

 

inside larger on Carnival, balcony larger on RCL for the smallest balcony category.

 

We had a E1 on the Mariner which measured:

Cabin 184 sq. ft. Balcony 47 sq. ft.

 

Carnivals 8A's measure:

Cabin 185 sq. ft. Balcony 35 sq. ft.

 

Yes RCCL's was exactly 1 square ft. smaller:rolleyes: I couldn't tell the difference......

But I sure could tell that the balcony was much more bigger:D

[Buffalojay]

I did the RCCL oasis of the seas back in July mexican riviera. Very big boat but our base room was tiny, smaller than the basic carnival rooms I've had in the past. There is quite a line of kids for the rock wall, ice ring, ect, so if you really want to do it be prepared to wait. I found the food better on Carnival ships. Very dissapointed on RCCL buffets, lots of rice dishes everywhere to act as a cheap cost saving filler. Also on Carnival the singing/dancing performers were much better than RCCL. Actually done 4 cruises on RCCL and 3 on CCL, and I prefer Carnival as it just seems to be a more fun and exciting time.

[ilionite65]

Kruznkel,

 

You obviously don't get the whole ice skating thing! The rink in not just for passenger skating, they have fabulous skating shows there! You also mentioned that you aren't interested in the rock climbing wall, that's all well and good, what are you interested in on the carnival ships? I've sailed carnival and I haven't found any thing that Royal doesn't have except the water slides, and I wouldn't be interested in those! Royal also has bungee jumping trampolines (wonderful experience on the open seas), Cantilevered whirlpools reaching out over the ocean, miniture golf courses, basketball courts, walking tracks, phenominal eating establishments. great entertainment, top notch service, multiple areas to stop for a quiet drink or for dancing and partying. The bigger ships have boxing rings, park like areas with live trees and flowers, loft cabins and many other features! My point is, to limit the Royal experience to just the skating and rock wall is really short sighted! Maybe you should go and see foe yourself!

[FanofFlorida]

I have only cruised on RCCL, so I cannot speak from the perspective of comparison, but I can share a little about my experience on Majesty and Freedom of the Seas.

 

WHAT I LOVED:

- The Junior Suite was HUGE- the size of a standard hotel room with a smaller bathroom, but a walk in closet. TONS of drawers and cubbies. I completely unpacked for the week. I could lay on the floor in the seating area and roll around with hitting the bed or sofa. There were several feet between my bed and the vanity area

 

- Connecting patios- My friend had the suite next door and they opened the wall between our decks to create a large verandah- it was great.

 

- The Solarium (Adult Only Pool area) was quiet and luxe- and a rare escape from the families traveling

 

- The onboard itinerary was PACKED with something for everyone to do

 

- ditto on the comfortable beds!

 

- Lovely art and decor all over the ship

 

- Cococay (from my cruise on Majesty OTS) was my favorite port ever

 

WHAT COULD BE BETTER?

- I was disappointed with the food. The server we had for MOST of the cruise was great, yet the quality reflected some corner cutting in the kitchen (compared to cruising on a smaller ship with same line). I hate to say this when most of my party was satisfied most of the time. I just had the first experience to compare it to and the menu read better than it tasted. (except for the souffle- amazing). I will say that after our first night when I was so horrified with the dining servers, I spoke with the MDR manager who immediately re-assigned us to an amazing table next to the captains and seated center stage to the entertainment. Fantastic service from then on out.

 

- Disembarkment- they had us seated in the main theater for hours. To make it worse, they had the news about a recent natural disaster on non-stop; I wish they had told us it was going to take that long so I could have planned a better wait. It was such an ugly way to end a fabulous week

 

- Pricing - no need to preach here. You cant TOUCH the space I had for the same price less than 2 years later. (seriously a 30%+ hike) RCCL prices have skyrocketed- you can see by my countdowns, I am exploring other lines now. I would consider your family group. Will price be an issue for them? Will someone be excluded or have a very limited touring budget because of the base prices? Just thoughts to consider. I have figured I can pay for all the excursions on my list and the cruise for the less than RCCL on the same trip.

 

The 'last minute' shopping idea is great, but I can see it being a little difficult when planning a family event, where people need some time to plan/save

[mdguy99]

While I too think the RCCL ships are pretty and have more options, it's generally not worth the price difference to me. In most categories (cabin size, food, entertainment, etc) these lines are (by and large) neck and neck. Carnival has waterslides and sea-side theaters, RCCL has ice rinks and climbing walls. On RCCL you are bowled over by the architecture, on Carnival your get overwhelmed by the decor!

 

But you have to ask yourself is having the option of skating on a 1/2 size rink and spending 10 minutes on a rock wall worth the price difference to you? And there is the whole "atmosphere" thing. There are lots of RCCL fans that would not be caught dead on a Carnival ship and I'm sure those people would find an endless list of problems on a Carnival cruise. Me, I find the larger RCCL ships more like spending time at a mall with their lack of personality. RCCL gives you a very high quality and enjoyable cruise, but on Carnival I seem to laugh more.

 

If the prices are really close I'd might lean towards RCCL, and I've even paid the extra just to do a voyager class ship once. But frankly I usually can't justify the extra for RCCL and I just really enjoy my time on Carnival.

[firefly333]

I did the RCCL oasis of the seas back in July mexican riviera. Very big boat but our base room was tiny, smaller than the basic carnival rooms I've had in the past. There is quite a line of kids for the rock wall, ice ring, ect, so if you really want to do it be prepared to wait. I found the food better on Carnival ships. Very dissapointed on RCCL buffets, lots of rice dishes everywhere to act as a cheap cost saving filler. Also on Carnival the singing/dancing performers were much better than RCCL. Actually done 4 cruises on RCCL and 3 on CCL, and I prefer Carnival as it just seems to be a more fun and exciting time.

 

Oasis hasnt even started to sail yet, so you must have been on a different ship, not the Oasis. December 2009 is the first Oasis out of Florida.

 

In fact Oasis was released about a week and a half early. Dec 1st is now a special 4 day and then Oasis does 7 days out of Florida. It doesnt go to the Riveria either, which is out of Calif.

[Yurita]

Carnival was our first cruise, and after the Mariner of the seas, hands down, RCCL is a MUST.

I get great deals on RCCL. Actually, sailed on the Majesty for $129 last october. I went back to Carnival last May and missed RCCL desperately.

My personal opinion? I think Royal is a MUST DO for every cruiser, especially the big ships.... see for yourself!

Since we are young, in our mid 20's, we think the ice skating, surfing, rock-climbing, H2O, the promenade, are worth every penny.

[FanofFlorida]

RCCL gives you a very high quality and enjoyable cruise, but on Carnival I seem to laugh more.

 

If the prices are really close I'd might lean towards RCCL, and I've even paid the extra just to do a voyager class ship once. But frankly I usually can't justify the extra for RCCL and I just really enjoy my time on Carnival.

 

So if the price is the same, you dont mind not laughing as much? (had to ask)

 

Carnival was our first cruise, and after the Mariner of the seas, hands down, RCCL is a MUST.

 

I get great deals on RCCL. Actually, sailed on the Majesty for $129 last october. I went back to Carnival last May and missed RCCL desperately.

 

My personal opinion? I think Royal is a MUST DO for every cruiser, especially the big ships.... see for yourself!

 

Since we are young, in our mid 20's, we think the ice skating, surfing, rock-climbing, H2O, the promenade, are worth every penny.

 

Those great deals are not on the ships with surfing- only Freedom class and above offer that (last I checked). I know the Majesty did NOT have a promenade or rock climbing wall. The ships offering the 'extras' cost 'extra'. That said, I never skated, surfed, climbed a wall nor swam in the kiddie pool on the Freedom of the Seas.

Again, consider who is going on the family reunion. Are they experienced cruisers? If not, they are probably going to love it all (or hate it all if they are like some of my dh's bitter relatives! lol)

 

Good luck and happy planning

[Cruzman]

As one can see from my siggy, I've done both lines quite a few times. I usually sail Carnival for two reasons; proximity to the cruise ports, and overall bang for the buck.

[Buffalojay]

Oasis hasnt even started to sail yet, so you must have been on a different ship, not the Oasis. December 2009 is the first Oasis out of Florida.

 

In fact Oasis was released about a week and a half early. Dec 1st is now a special 4 day and then Oasis does 7 days out of Florida. It doesnt go to the Riveria either, which is out of Calif.

 

Yes you are correct, I meant mariner of the seas, we left from san pedro port in la. Before posting I was reading all the hoopla about the oasis and had it on my mind.

 

Thats another thing after being on the mariner, I do like atmosphere of the midsize ships such as the elation, like the other poster said it does feel like being in a mall and not so much a cruiseship, but maybe thats the draw for some.

[Yurita]

Those great deals are not on the ships with surfing- only Freedom class and above offer that (last I checked). I know the Majesty did NOT have a promenade or rock climbing wall. The ships offering the 'extras' cost 'extra'. That said, I never skated, surfed, climbed a wall nor swam in the kiddie pool on the Freedom of the Seas.

Again, consider who is going on the family reunion. Are they experienced cruisers? If not, they are probably going to love it all (or hate it all if they are like some of my dh's bitter relatives! lol)

 

Good luck and happy planning

 

The Majesty DID have rock climbing. Me and my partner did it every afternoon.

On the Mariner, however, we did have the promenade, the ice skating, the solarium. No H2O, boxing ring or surfing, but those are on the Freedom class (Liberty, Freedom and Indepence).. that's my next one planned, the Liberty... then the big OASIS!!!!

BTW, I sailed the Majesty for $649, plus $100 OBC, and half deposit (middle of may), which I considered a great deal.

[GSRDPM]

"Recently" I've only sailed on RCCL but have my first CCL cruise this Christmas Break and first Costa Cruise for Spring Break. Last Spring Break was on RCCL Independence of the Seas with a group of 10 family members ranging in age from 5 to the mid 70s. All had a great time. Freedom class had something for everyone. The ship was very accessible (Mother in law was in a wheelchair) and the kids lived on the flowrider. I will say that RCCL makes it very easy to get credits for drops in cabin rates. We had two drops leading to our trip - one after final payment. A simple phone call was made each time and refunds were issued back to my credit card. My in laws had almost $400 total refunded back on their interior cabin!!!

[chachi]

If you are not going to use all of the extras (rock wall, flow rider, ice skating rink, etc...) it is not worth it. I find the food, entertainment, and service superior on Carnival.

[frankhouse]

Thanks everybody for your input to my question. I've never cruised RCCL but would like to. Not that Carnival has not lived up to my expectations, it has and I have always enjoyed them. We've never had a bad cruise with them.

 

It's sad that some people have this weird idea that Carnival is the low end of the cruising world, simply not true. I think it's great that a cruise line can offer a value to some people that might not ordinarily be able to go on a cruise. We're leaving tomorrow for Florida to visit family and go on a 5 day out of Jacksonville for a mere $259.00 pp for an outside cabin. I don't care who you are, thats value. My sons girlfriend and her friend booked at the last minute for $199.00 PP. If it had been a different cruise line, NCL, RCCL, Princess or whoever, I would have booked with them. It just so happens that Carnival offers the best deals most of the time. Not all of the time, but most of it.

 

I will pay the extra money and cruise with other lines, because I want to try them. I think they will meet or beat my expectations, but I can't afford to do it everytime. Carnival is slowly upgrading it's fleet, but within economic reason. If they build 7 new ships, they will have to increase prices and make cutbacks also. Slow and easy will get us through the recession.

 

We are also booked on the Splendor for 10/03/10 and have been since there was more than 500 days until departure and can't wait. We will probably book the Dream for our reunion cruise in 2011 because it will be the best price for all involved in our group out there. We won't be ice skating, rock climbing or surfing but I guarantee, we will be having a good time on a brand new ship.

 

My wife and I will do one of the big new ships of RCCL and NCL by ourselves and I know we will love it. Cruising has changed over the years but I still think it offers the best value as far as fun.:)

[letsgocruz1]

I've done 2 RCCL and 10 Carnival. I like RCCL, esp the Voyager class of ships; they are beautiful. The only thing wrong with them is that they don't have Carnival's name on them, LOL My dh and I feel that the food is a lot better and more choices are available on Carnival. Service was comparable. RCCL does win for decor and the extras like the rock climbing wall, ice rink, etc. But we really didn't take advantage of those. Carnival's decor is a bit "out there" but it reminds me of Vegas and I love Vegas. :D (too bad it doesn't love me!)

 

But the second RCCL cruise we took was like being in a nursing home and dh dared me to book him on another one. He said he would stay home first. So I guess it's Carnival for us; we just like the "vibe" better and for the price difference, Carnival wins hands down.

 

I think you'll have a great time on either ship but like I said, for the $$, I would choose Carnival everytime!!

[CWcruisers]

I was just on the Mariner OTS in July, my 5th RCCL cruise. I had been on the Mariner before and loved the ship.

RCCL & CCL are more similar than most would have you believe. But I overheard several conversations throughout the week where people said they thought the Carnival ships were more fun. On RCCL, the nightclub entertainment doesn't start until 10-11 pm. It always seemed like things just got going in a lounge and that act ended. The entertainers only play 2 hour sets and move on, with the exception of the pub entertainer. I overheard a passenger saying that everytime they found something fun, it ended. Those were my feelings also.

I cruise so I can have the nightclub experience, the ability to party the night away and not worry about getting home. CCL is better suited for that IMHO.