Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival, What Should I Know

[Freddy Funship Jr.]

It's refreshing to see that someone actually agree's with a comment like that. Many people on these boards will defend anything that anyone does on a cruise, because "they're on vacation, and whatever makes them happy, is what they should do..." whatever... Whatever happened to good old self-respect and decency?? Last I knew, bathrobes are for covering up after a bath, shower, swim, hottub, NOT for dining amongst the public!!!

Thanks for the comment, and by the way, I almost couldn't eat that night either! ;)

 

Lighten up.

[FireIce0010]

Royal Caribbean is not my favorite cruise line but they are moving up the list. Will be cruising on Oasis in the fall. Tried Carnival twice. Never again. Thought that the first time was due to cruising on an older ship(Fascination). Tried the Glory. Same issues. They are at the bottom when it comes to the cruise lines that I have tried which is about every major line.

 

About the only thing that you read on the Carnival board is how great the pizza and ice cream is. Sorry but I don't cruise for pizza and ice cream. I found the ships dark and gaudy.

[party-of-5-ny]

Royal Caribbean is not my favorite cruise line but they are moving up the list. Will be cruising on Oasis in the fall. Tried Carnival twice. Never again. Thought that the first time was due to cruising on an older ship(Fascination). Tried the Glory. Same issues. They are at the bottom when it comes to the cruise lines that I have tried which is about every major line.

 

About the only thing that you read on the Carnival board is how great the pizza and ice cream is. Sorry but I don't cruise for pizza and ice cream. I found the ships dark and gaudy.

 

Thank you, I agree completely!!

[svyas]

Bathrobs in MDR is a big no no...I am only used to see Salad green

[kooljamming]

About the only thing that you read on the Carnival board is how great the pizza and ice cream is.

 

I will add a few more for you;):D

The beds are to die for or on

Food, though subjective, was better than on RCCL and Princess

Not into pizza or ice cream but I loved their Delli for a late snack

If you are into dancing, the night club rocks

A decent Reggae band either from Jamaica or Trinidad with a touch of steel band.

The photographers are good enough to take years off with one snap

 

I agree the ships are not a vision of elegance but Vegas is not a bad place either. Now you know that you can't believe everything you read on message board. I know the kind of people I met on Carnival recently but now holding my breath to see the 'kind' I will meet on RCCL. You did not even have to go to a CCL board to find all this out:D I am a bit nervous because my arms are feeling flabby these days and would hate to spoil anyone's appetite.

[Cruising89143]

Wow flabby arms, eating in bathrobes, like shopping at k-mart. Watch it some people may think only snobs cruise RCCL. Robes are worn on the lido buffett by the pools maybe to cover up the flabby arms as u put it. But in the dinning room u won't find that on any carnival ship so bring that nose down and shop every once in a while at k-mart. Sometimes they have great deals. Besides not all little towns have a neiman marcus or a macy's. I am sure u are an adult let's act like one before I have to put baby in a corner in a time out. 8-) peace!

 

I have never seen anyone in their robe while dining in the MDR on Carnival but have seen it a number of times in the lido dining room. This was in the morning and IMHO did not belong there. Also, the other biggie for me, RCI makes you wear shoes and a shirt in the Windjammer. Not a big deal to some but I don't like some hairy shirtless guy leaning over the buffet area. Not good on the appetite.:)

[MrPete]

Well I am thinking about booking my first RCI cruise. In the past I have sailed Carnival exclusively and was wonder what to expect and what are the differences between RCI and Carnival. Any info would be great.

 

Don't worry about the differences. Embrace them. It makes cruising a fresh new experience. Yes, you will miss some Carnival things, but there'll be a trade off. The good thing is you'll probably come back with a larger amount of ships to choose from for your next cruise.

[Barbiegator]

Just tried carnival after being on RC a lot. It was fun to have a different experience and I will try carnival again. Did see a woman in robe with pj's at the pool for breakfast.

I thought the desserts were much better on carnival. Also enjoyed the production shows.

Dress is much more casual at dinner on the Carnival.Lots of jeans.

[mrintegra]

Wow, the RCCL really don't like the class of people on CCL. Well if anyone has taken a holland America cruise it does put both lines to shame.

[iluvcruzin]

I've cruise most of the major lines for the past 20+ years including Carnival and RCCL. Some of the comments posted made me laugh. You will see bathrobes, shorts, etc. on RCCL in the dinning room as well as Carnival. I saw this last week on the Jewel of the Seas and the previous RCCL cruise I was on. There is no difference in dress code. It's all CASUAL except formal night and even then people wore business casual. Times have changed and so have the cruise lines so it's no big deal anymore.

 

RCCL does have some nice mega ships with lots of activities. However, the comparision really is ship-to-ship and not cruiseline-to-cruiseline. I've been on some great Carnival ships (Liberty for example). The cruiseline difference is in the perks. RCCL has cut back and done away with many of them. Don't expect a mint on your pillow or a choice of drinks at the cocktail party (expect cheap champagne). But if you don't mind this sort of thing - no big deal.

 

Overall they are pretty equated and serve the same product for a 7 day carribean cruise.

[tiyana4]

RCCL does have some nice mega ships with lots of activities. However, the comparision really is ship-to-ship and not cruiseline-to-cruiseline. I've been on some great Carnival ships (Liberty for example). The cruiseline difference is in the perks. RCCL has cut back and done away with many of them. Don't expect a mint on your pillow or a choice of drinks at the cocktail party (expect cheap champagne). But if you don't mind this sort of thing - no big deal.

 

Overall they are pretty equated and serve the same product for a 7 day carribean cruise.

 

I agree that the ship makes the difference. We have been on both lines and the older RC ships have tiny cabins in some categories compared to Carnival. On the other hand, RC's newer ships offer more appealing decor and cabin space that is comparable to CCL. Both lines offer a wide variety of activities, specialty restaurants, etc. Sometimes RC is significantly higher than CCL, sometimes it is not. This doesn't make one line better than the other. Some cruisers get so caught up in "Brand Awareness" (RCCL vs. CCL vs. others) that they forget what cruising is all about. For us, cruising is all about the itinerary. We like variety, so the cruiseline is considered only after we have chosen an itinerary, a date, and finally a price.

 

OP - do not limit yourself to one line. It is good to branch out and try new things.

[jldev]

Carnival in my opinion is like K Mart Cruising. ME THINKS,RCCL is a step above

 

I'm really not that familiar with the differences in cruise lines, so I'm curious to know: if Carnival is like the K Mart of Cruising, where does NCL fit? Is it closer to RCCL or Carnival? Am I correct that Holland America and Princess are a step up again?

[MrPete]

I've cruise most of the major lines for the past 20+ years including Carnival and RCCL. Some of the comments posted made me laugh. You will see bathrobes, shorts, etc. on RCCL in the dinning room as well as Carnival. I saw this last week on the Jewel of the Seas and the previous RCCL cruise I was on. There is no difference in dress code. It's all CASUAL except formal night and even then people wore business casual.

 

Right?

 

It's like the dopes you see on one line only exclusively sail that one line.

 

Two shocking events I saw on any line was a guy pull down his bathing suit during the hairy legs contest right on the Lido deck on RCCL, and some extremly good looking girls lowering their tops in the hot tub on NCL (on video, thank God!)

 

At no time did I think either of these people exclusively sailed the line I was on.

 

And it would be incorrect for me to post that people pull their bathing suits down on RCCL. Sounds a lot worse than seeing someone in a bathrobe, though. Yet I've seen that on both lines, and wish someone would teach them some ettiquette.

 

Even shorts were allowed every night on RCCL except formal night.

 

The same class of people sail on both lines. One shouldn't think otherwise.

 

And NONE of this makes or breaks either line, but some use it to illustrate how one line is better than the other. :confused:

 

Both are fine lines.

[Crystalbast]

Well I am thinking about booking my first RCI cruise. In the past I have sailed Carnival exclusively and was wonder what to expect and what are the differences between RCI and Carnival. Any info would be great.

 

I have sailed on RC, NCL, and Carnival. I did like my cruise on RC but they are so expensive that I can't justify continuing to sail with them. By booking 1A cabins with Carnival I can cruise more often.

 

I sailed on Freedom of the Seas and found the service in the dining room top notch. It was cool seeing an ice skating show on board and trying out the flow rider. The talent was fabulous. The vocal talent was the best I have ever seen and the dancers were extremely talented. I loved the Promenade and the events that take place there. The cruise director had a good size staff so they were very visible overall.

 

The only downside to my cruise was the shore excursion staff which I would have thrown overboard in a heart beat. It is the only cruise where the shore excursion staff was non-existent or laying low on the piers when in port. There were some issues in some of the ports regarding shore excursions and RC's personnel were not really helpful. Since the desk was closed I talked to someone at the Guest Relations desk and commented on the lack of RC support from the Shore Excursion desk at the pier. Like Where in the World in Carmen San Diego - where are the RC shore excursion staff. :rolleyes::p

 

I was told and I quote "You might not always see them but they are there." :confused: I was like - Are you serious? :p

 

When we got to Cozumel I took it as a personal challenge to find the RC Shore Excursion employee at the pier. I can tell you there was nobody on that pier. It is shocking that RC was provided such poor service to the passengers in the area of shore excursions. Carnival always has an employee on the pier and NCL will even still be selling excursions on the pier.

 

I hope that my experience with the Shore Excursion personnel on FOS is not the norm for RC. I travel a lot and am totally capable of following up on the arrangements to do my chosen activities. I just felt sorry for less seasoned travelers who really can't adapt well when there is not a good support system to assist them.

 

Would I let that stop me from sailing with RC again? No. Price is what keeps me away. I love the Freedom of the Sea but think that the Oasis class ship would be too large for my taste. If you have the money and can afford RC I would recommend everybody experience RC at least once.

 

No cruise line is perfect. They each have their pluses and minuses. It is up to each person to determine what they want in a cruise and which line is the best match to meet their needs.

[Aquahound]

I've cruise most of the major lines for the past 20+ years including Carnival and RCCL. Some of the comments posted made me laugh. You will see bathrobes, shorts, etc. on RCCL in the dinning room as well as Carnival.

 

The bathrobe discussion is pretty funny. Although I've never seen it in the dining room, we just had a discussion on our recent Radiance roll call about a guy walking all over the ship in a bathrobe and bare feet. He did it every day and hung out in the concierge lounge dressed like that. The concierge had to get him to put shoes on. I'm not sure what this says about what "class" of people are cruising, but this guy was a suite guest on an 11 night cruise. Me thinks his trailer is, at least, a double wide. ;):D

[browneyes7]

I've never understood why people want to run around the ship in their bathrobes. I have NEVER seen anyone wear a bathrobe in the dining room, though. My pet peeve are the people who walk in and out of the buffet area in their swim suits. I have seen this on RC, Carnival, and Princess. Some of these ships even post signs telling people to cover-up before entering the restaurant area. Unfortunately, they either don't read it, or just don't think it applies to them. PLEASE cover up!:)

[kooljamming]

I've never understood why people want to run around the ship in their bathrobes. I have NEVER seen anyone wear a bathrobe in the dining room, though. My pet peeve are the people who walk in and out of the buffet area in their swim suits. I have seen this on RC, Carnival, and Princess. Some of these ships even post signs telling people to cover-up before entering the restaurant area. Unfortunately, they either don't read it, or just don't think it applies to them. PLEASE cover up!:)

 

:confused::confused: Other than being wet and therefore creating a slippery condition, what difference does it make if you are half naked by the pool or 6 feet away in the eating area? I am not in the slightest bothered by what others wear, depending on the location and beach what they don't wear.

 

 

Side note: I had the dicussion about appropriate clothings with my 14 years old son. I said what if a lady showed up in church wearing a swim suit. He hurried replied, Hallelujah, the Lord won't mind, why should we:) For a moment I was proud knowing he got something from me about not judging people by the way they dress. Yes, he had to change his shirt becasue he had to look good for mama. He knew the Lord understood that:D

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

The bathrobe discussion is pretty funny. Although I've never seen it in the dining room, we just had a discussion on our recent Radiance roll call about a guy walking all over the ship in a bathrobe and bare feet. He did it every day and hung out in the concierge lounge dressed like that. The concierge had to get him to put shoes on. I'm not sure what this says about what "class" of people are cruising, but this guy was a suite guest on an 11 night cruise. Me thinks his trailer is, at least, a double wide. ;):D

 

I am stunned at your comment.:rolleyes: 11 night cruise in a suite is a lot of money. Somehow he lives in a trailer? I think he can dress the way he wants to. By the way, I resent that fact because I live in a triple wide "trailer" or mfd home and I cruise (3 booked right now) and also dress nicely so not sure how the double wide comment even made its way into this thread.

 

I've sailed NCL, several on Carnival and about to try my first RCI. The only reason I haven't sailed on RCI yet is I can sail on Carnival for less money and they don't nickle & dime me to death once onboard. I am looking forward to my Mariner cruise but I have to admit it is costing me a lot more money. We could take my son (3 of us) on CCL for the same price as I'm paying for two of us on RCI. I currently have a cruise booked on RCI, CCL & NCL so I think variety is great. I've actually had wonderful experiences on Carnival and their food is awesome in the MDR - not so much their buffet but dining room food is terrific. I actually had the best service ever on Carnival on my last 3 day weekend cruise believe it or not. The so-called party cruise had the best rooms stewards and dining staff and the karoake hostess was a blast. Bar waiter in the karaoke lounge was terrific and the maitre D stopped by our table each night. All of the above receive extra gratuities. Sure there are some people that wear robes in the buffet (never seen in MDR in all my CCL cruises) but I could care less what others wear. Doesn't make or break my cruise or make me lose my appetite. :)

[Isasprings]

I will add a few more for you;):D

The beds are to die for or on

Food, though subjective, was better than on RCCL and Princess

Not into pizza or ice cream but I loved their Delli for a late snack

If you are into dancing, the night club rocks

A decent Reggae band either from Jamaica or Trinidad with a touch of steel band.

The photographers are good enough to take years off with one snap

 

I agree the ships are not a vision of elegance but Vegas is not a bad place either. Now you know that you can't believe everything you read on message board. I know the kind of people I met on Carnival recently but now holding my breath to see the 'kind' I will meet on RCCL. You did not even have to go to a CCL board to find all this out:D I am a bit nervous because my arms are feeling flabby these days and would hate to spoil anyone's appetite.

I agree 100% with you. I did enjoy my RCCL cruise but I prefer Carnival.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

Carnivals rueben sandwiches from the "free" deli are the best. The burgers from the "free" grill are pretty good too and fresh and did I say "free" LOL! I am not trying to be a Carnival cheerleader here but some of you are downright cutting down Carnival which is crazy. They offer a good product for much less money. If you sailed Carnival once and didn't like them, perhaps you should try another cruise another time. I had 2 different services on the same ship same itinerary. Not that either was bad but one was exceptional so you can't go by one cruise on any line.

 

As for ship maintenance and repairs, I always see service work being performed on Carnival ships from painting, to cleaning. Windows are always being washed and decks are being hosed down etc. The worst I've seen is a broken handle on a drawer in my room. If the cruise saved me hundreds of dollars, I'll take the broken handle.

[printingchick]

I am stunned at your comment.:rolleyes: 11 night cruise in a suite is a lot of money. Somehow he lives in a trailer? I think he can dress the way he wants to. By the way, I resent that fact because I live in a triple wide "trailer" or mfd home and I cruise (3 booked right now) and also dress nicely so not sure how the double wide comment even made its way into this thread.

 

I've sailed NCL, several on Carnival and about to try my first RCI. The only reason I haven't sailed on RCI yet is I can sail on Carnival for less money and they don't nickle & dime me to death once onboard. I am looking forward to my Mariner cruise but I have to admit it is costing me a lot more money. We could take my son (3 of us) on CCL for the same price as I'm paying for two of us on RCI. I currently have a cruise booked on RCI, CCL & NCL so I think variety is great. I've actually had wonderful experiences on Carnival and their food is awesome in the MDR - not so much their buffet but dining room food is terrific. I actually had the best service ever on Carnival on my last 3 day weekend cruise believe it or not. The so-called party cruise had the best rooms stewards and dining staff and the karoake hostess was a blast. Bar waiter in the karaoke lounge was terrific and the maitre D stopped by our table each night. All of the above receive extra gratuities. Sure there are some people that wear robes in the buffet (never seen in MDR in all my CCL cruises) but I could care less what others wear. Doesn't make or break my cruise or make me lose my appetite. :)

 

I sounded exactly like you before taking my first RCL cruise. Truly, I did!!

 

As for your up-coming RCL cruise, keep on checking the website for the current price. Unless you traveling during a really popular week, you are very likely to see the prices fall as you approach sail date. RCL WILL give you the lower posted price, but you have to ASK for it. The price of my cruise has dropped $200 PER PERSON since I booked it - not all at once. You may find the ultimate price difference between Carnival and RCL is not as glaring as it first appears.

 

As for the nickel and diming thing, I can somewhat agree with you. I have cruised twice with RCL and I'm sort of used to it now, but I completely understand what you mean. There are more cost-extra options on larger RCL than on CCL ships. Johnny Rockets and Ben & Jerry's come to mind.(although the free soft serve ice cream is still available by the pool). Carnival had a gourmet coffee and pastry shop, just as RCL does. Both have upscale specialty restaurants. Personally, I just avoid the pay-extra stuff. The fact that it is AVAILABLE doesn't cost me if I don't use it. And if other people DO use it, it increases the cruise line's revenue and could save me money in the long run.

 

Go on your RCL cruise with an open mind. I'm not sure I was 100% open minded when I took my first RCL cruise and I was absolutely blown away. I didn't think anything could be better than Carnival. I was wrong.

 

I loved my Carnival cruises and would still cruise with them, but I really prefer Royal Caribbean now.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

Thanks Printingchick. I am keeping an open mind and I expect to have a fabulous RCI cruise on the Mariner. And I know what you mean about the prices dropping. All my friends were going on a Radiance cruise last September 30th and when they tried to talk me into it, the cost was double what I could sail on Carnival for mid-October so I booked Carnival cruise. By the time they set sail, their price had lowered to about the same cost as the Carnival cruise. The difference is I don't gamble so I book a cruise at the rate I'm willing to pay not at the price I hope it falls to. So if the rate is too high to begin with, I won't book it.

[printingchick]

That's very true. When I book, I don't count on a price drop, although I do HOPE for one...or two...or...

 

Let me know what you think after your RCL cruise. When is it??

[Cruising89143]

I sounded exactly like you before taking my first RCL cruise. Truly, I did!!

 

As for your up-coming RCL cruise, keep on checking the website for the current price. Unless you traveling during a really popular week, you are very likely to see the prices fall as you approach sail date. RCL WILL give you the lower posted price, but you have to ASK for it. The price of my cruise has dropped $200 PER PERSON since I booked it - not all at once. You may find the ultimate price difference between Carnival and RCL is not as glaring as it first appears.

 

As for the nickel and diming thing, I can somewhat agree with you. I have cruised twice with RCL and I'm sort of used to it now, but I completely understand what you mean. There are more cost-extra options on larger RCL than on CCL ships. Johnny Rockets and Ben & Jerry's come to mind.(although the free soft serve ice cream is still available by the pool). Carnival had a gourmet coffee and pastry shop, just as RCL does. Both have upscale specialty restaurants. Personally, I just avoid the pay-extra stuff. The fact that it is AVAILABLE doesn't cost me if I don't use it. And if other people DO use it, it increases the cruise line's revenue and could save me money in the long run.

 

Go on your RCL cruise with an open mind. I'm not sure I was 100% open minded when I took my first RCL cruise and I was absolutely blown away. I didn't think anything could be better than Carnival. I was wrong.

 

I loved my Carnival cruises and would still cruise with them, but I really prefer Royal Caribbean now.

 

Yes but they're options on RCI. One can still get a burger, ice cream or coffee without paying for it on RCI. Carnival does not offer as many options as other cruise lines. Also, after reading the reviews for the past week or so over on the Carnival board, it doesn't sound like life is so good there. Many talks of cut backs in the quality of the food and service.

 

After trying RCI, I realized that there is a difference between the two lines. It took me a long time to step out of the box and give someone besides Carnival my money. Glad that I did. Tried NCL and HAL within the last two years. Nice cruise lines but it makes me appreciate RCI that much more. It all boils down to what is important to each person and what they want from the cruising experience. I get a better overall experience with RCI than I did with Carnival. When RCI no longer can give me that good feeling, then I will find another line that can.

[printingchick]

Yes but they're options on RCI. One can still get a burger, ice cream or coffee without paying for it on RCI. Carnival does not offer as many options as other cruise lines. Also, after reading the reviews for the past week or so over on the Carnival board, it doesn't sound like life is so good there. Many talks of cut backs in the quality of the food and service.

 

After trying RCI, I realized that there is a difference between the two lines. It took me a long time to step out of the box and give someone besides Carnival my money. Glad that I did. Tried NCL and HAL within the last two years. Nice cruise lines but it makes me appreciate RCI that much more. It all boils down to what is important to each person and what they want from the cruising experience. I get a better overall experience with RCI than I did with Carnival. When RCI no longer can give me that good feeling, then I will find another line that can.

 

That's basically what I was saying:

The fact that it is AVAILABLE doesn't cost me if I don't use it. And if other people DO use it, it increases the cruise line's revenue and could save me money in the long run.

However, having been a Carnival cruiser, I do understand that feeling of being nicked and dimed. If you're used to a cruise line that doesn't offer much in the way of pay-extra options, you assume everything is included and feel a little put out when it's not. Once you know how things work, you realize that those options are to your benefit. Those who do pay extra are increasing the cruise line's revenue, making it possible for them to offer lower fares.

 

I ate at Johnny Rockets once, but only because I had a coupon. When I didn't, I had a burger at the Windjammer. Call me cheap (I guess I am, sort of), but it's how I afford to cruise once a year!!!