Carnival Or Rccl....help!!!

[cruisingbajan]

Hi Guys,

 

I need your help. My girlfriend and I were all hyped up about going on the Mariner of the Seas April/June 2006. However there are no dates out for this period as yet. :mad: As a result we started to look at alternatives as you can see above. :)

 

We are now leaning heavily towards Carnival Triumph or Victory as they have their dates out and we want to book early and I mean like this week!!

 

What do you guys think? We are both first time cruisers and we want this cruise to be da bomb!! Which direction should we go? They are both Western Caribbean cruises and the same inteniary.

 

I look forward to your usual sound and expert advise. Thanks guys :)

[ca2ga2000]

My advice...take the Caribbean Princess (I know, not one of your choices mentioned). They do a great Western Caribbean itinerary....and the ship can't be beat!

 

Next choice, wait for RCCL to publish their itineraries...

[cruisingbajan]

Thanks ca2ga2000,

 

I'll check them out now.

 

everyone else... keep your opinions coming

[mared1]

Hi Guys,

 

I need your help. My girlfriend and I were all hyped up about going on the Mariner of the Seas April/June 2006. However there are no dates out for this period as yet. :mad: As a result we started to look at alternatives as you can see above. :)

 

We are now leaning heavily towards Carnival Triumph or Victory as they have their dates out and we want to book early and I mean like this week!!

 

What do you guys think? We are both first time cruisers and we want this cruise to be da bomb!! Which direction should we go? They are both Western Caribbean cruises and the same inteniary.

 

I look forward to your usual sound and expert advise. Thanks guys :)

 

 

We have sailed on the Triumph in 2002 and enjoyed it. (had the Eastern inteniary). The Triumph and Victory are sister ships so would be the same lay out just a different decor.

We had a balcony cabin on the Lido deck and I would highly recommend this! You are close to the pools, spa, and of course the food!!

[jcruise67]

If I understand you correctly, you and your girlfriend are looking for an atmosphere of partying and enjoying a younger crowd. Not knowing how old you are I will assume that you and your girlfriend are leaning towards RCCL & Carnival for their reputations for partying and entertainment, as well as a younger cruise pax itinerary. Well then, with all that said...either one would suit your personalities. I did enjoy the entertainment more on RCCL though. DW and I have sailed both lines and enjoyed ourselves to death. They are similar in comparison, and provide an all-around great cruise experience.

 

John

[cruisingbajan]

Hi jcruise67,

 

My gf and I are "youngish" :) . I am early 30's she is late 20's. We are first time cruisers and looking to enjoy the cruise to the max... some partying & some relaxing.

 

We are both first time cruisers so we are not quite so sure what to expect :confused: She is not really much of a party person but I do like to party a little so I am hoping to check the discos/lounges etc....

 

Which would you recommend?

[jcruise67]

Keith,

 

I can relate to your excitement and anticipation. I remember when my DW and I sailed on our first cruise in 1998. It was on the Carnival Inspiration and we had a blast...to the max. We met alot of great people, some developing into everlasting friendships. As a matter of fact...we still cruise with many of them. I'm 37 and my wife is 33, so I know what you and your girlfriend expect out of a cruise. When we embarked on our frist cruise I was 30 and DW was 26. We had the time of our lives. Not knowing what to expect can be a good thing because you can just let things happen and have a great time experiencing all the amenities. My recommendation is Carnival. We had a great first time cruise experience and the entertainment, pools, bars, and lounges are right up your alley. you will find plenty of time to relax too. BTW...the pool-side entertainment is a calypso band called "Cool Runnings". You will definitely love it.

 

John

[kitty9]

Keith, don't base your decision solely on whether one line has their itineraries out by now. Most cruise lines only have their schedules until April of 2006, but most will be out within a month. You really don't NEED to book your cruise so early because most people are still looking to book for this summer.

But, either Carnival or RCCI will be good for you. If you don't mind lots, and lots of kids on board, both cruise lines have basically the same things to offer. If you are more sports minded, RCCI (their newer ships) has more to do in that area like inline skating track, rock climbing, golf, ice skating and other sports activities. Both are the same as far as food and service is concerned. Princess tends to be a little more sedate than your other choices---on our Princess cruises we had trouble finding people out having a good time after 11pm, and they tend to attract a little older crowd, if that makes a difference to you.

[mslaabs]

We have never sailed Carnival, but thought I would just add my two cents. Our first cruise was with Celebrity on Century. Although not know as a party ship, the lounges all seemed to be going strong after midnight. We found the service to be fantastic and had so much fun that we booked the same cruise two years later. Although, the second time around we got a little bored on the second sea day. Since then we have taken one other cruise and that was on Royal Caribbean's Navigator. I must say that RC's big ship has way more to offer in terms of activities and things to do on sea days. The shows with RC were more entertaining as well. First let me say that we were not disappointed at all with RC's service or food. However, we did enjoy Celebrity's service and food better. As for the service on Celebrity it just seemed that they took things one extra step. Our travel agent recommended Celebrity to us as a first cruise and I'm glad she did. For us It was the type of service that we received that made our first cruise so memorable and made us want to come back. RC won us over though with their Voyager class ships, so much to see and do on those things. All that said, we are booked on a second cruise with Royal Caribbean this May aboard the Explorer (another voyager class ship). I'm sure no matter which cruise line you choose to go with, you will have a great time. Once you cruise you'll be hooked.

[cruisingbajan]

Thanks alot guys,

 

I really do appreciate your input an advise.

 

John: how did you guess how excited we were about the cruise. :D We can' wait!!! Carnival certainly sounds exciting

 

Kitty: I certainly will take your advice and not make any decision just yet but as mslaabs said... i'm sure i will enjoy either one. I do like sports which was one of the reasons I wanted to go with RC.

 

I have been checking all the sites daily for the various cruise lines and can't wait to get on board whichever ship we decide to go on. I know it will be the first of many ;)

 

I will let you guys know of my decision.

 

Thanks

[bonnie33]

I've sailed on both the Victory and the Triumph and personally prefer the Victory - just a little bit newer. The Carnival atmosphere is fun, exciting, and according to friends who have sailed on both, just a little bit younger than RCCL. Food is great too. You'll love the Western Caribbean itinerary and I, too, highly recommend an excursion to swim with the Stingrays! Also, the Horseback Riding on the beach in Jamaica and the "Cool Runnings" party boat in Jamaica are other favorites. Have a great time!

[CaptData]

Of the two mentioned, I would go on Victory. It is much newer and will have a more wow factor for you on your first cruise.

[cruizinwithkids]

Some people are going to tell you that one is much better than the other and some are going to say it doesn't matter. I'm with the "it doesn't matter" group. I get excited for people who are about to take their first cruise. I don't think subsequent cruises are ever as good, exciting, whatever. There is something about the first one that is awesome. I have become loyal to NCL because I like the freestyle. My brother won't cruise anything but Royal Caribbean. Just don't drive yourself crazy asking too many people's opinions and once you do make your decision take the criticism you'll find on these boards with a grain of salt. I think that anyone who has harsh criticism has had an experience out of the norm. I believe this can happen. There are also people who are too critical of everything. There are also a lot of things you can learn from the boards. I'm pretty new to this and have printed out several things that I have learned even though I am not new to cruising.

Enjoy yourself and have an awesome time!

[Wennfred]

The Party ship and I dont care which one is the Spring Break time frame, all the Crazies come out during that time and have a massive party, gets crazy on board, for those with family and kids, stay away from Spring Break time frame cruise, for those that want the wild parties, thats the time to go. I beleive its the March time frame.

 

If your wife or girlfriend isnt too much of a party hound, then I would stay away from Spring Break cruises, my wife hates it due to the crazieness and drunks during that time.

 

anyways The Trumph rocks.. love that ship, will do it again.

 

Wennfred San Diego Ca.

[sross6019]

Go to CRUISECLUES.COM and look at the ship(s) you are considering. There will be pictures, passenger reviews, reports, etc. about them. This site might help you in your decision. I know it has helped us in the past and it is stll fun to go and look at.

[cruisingbajan]

Thanks guys,

 

cruizinwithkids - I know each person has different tastes/opinions so I will not place any undue emphasis on what is said. I do like the advice and this site is GREAT. I have learned so much in a short space of time and EVERYONE is EXTREMELY helpful.

 

As wennfred suggested I will keep away from the spring break time frame... my GF is not much of a party person. I am to a certain extent but I really can't handle the drunken behaviour.(to each his own... i'm not judging anyone).

 

I've put my dilema to my TA and she is to get back to me with some possiblities. I'll let you guys know how it turned out.

[glr068]

Keith:

 

I've sailed with Carnival on the Victory and I had a ball. I'm in my mid 50's and loved every minute of the party atmosphere. I also sailed on Dawn Princess with a crowd my age to the South Pacific. My GF and I were looking for places to hang out and party and it was like they rolled up the carpet at 9. Very few people in the lounges. The casino was packed, so I guess they liked to gamble. (not my thing). I'm booked on RCCL April 3 so if it's a party ship, GF and I will be in heaven.

 

If this is your first cruise, then test the waters and go with cruise critic and read all about the lines and what ships draw what crowd. Or you can take suggestion from this thread. Either way, have fun! You'll be hooked and you'll probably do like most did on their first cruise, book another one as soon as you get back. Debbie (gf) has been on 22 cruises and this is my 5th coming up.

[glr068]

<<<< I really can't handle the drunken behaviour>>>>

 

Just saw this and wanted to address it. I don't really see that kind of behavior on any of the cruises I've been on. Yes, you may see someone in a lounge dancing kink of crazy. But it's not like at home in a bar where a fight or two breaks out. Most people respect one another and not cause any trouble. You'll see more disagreements in the food line than you'll see in a bar/lounge. :D

 

My pet peeve and I don't hold back when I see it is people picking up food with their hands. Very rude, not to mention the risk of getting sick. I tell the guy behind the counter and he'll bring out a new tray of food.

[charleyb]

BK. We have cruised on Norwegien, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Carnival. I will agree that Celebrity has a touch more elegence and classs. RCCL would rate very high with activities. Carnival definately the younger crowd more your age (we are a few years older than you but refuse to act our age). However, it has been our experience that we haven't met a cruise we did not love. Find something in a cruise line that is appealing to you and go for it. Read the reviews. You can't go wrong. Our next cruise in April is on the Victory and wil be our third on Carnival. I just love the atmosphere on Carnival. But in the future we may check out Princess and HAL. Good luck and have fun doing a lot or a little.

[cruisingbajan]

Thanks charleyb/glr068,

 

I certainly am keeping my options open and I know WE will ENJOY OUR CRUISE TO THE MAX!!

 

I have also checked ou the cruiseclues.com suggested by sross6019 and it has been very helpful.

 

Keep the suggestions/opinions coming :cool: