Big difference between Carnival and Royal Carribean?

[TwoSeasCruisin]

Actually, you can get soda at any bar....no soda-card needed...just order it.

 

Oops, I should have clarified my statement - unless you want to purchase a drink.

 

You can also get tea, lemonade, etc. at various places depending on the ship...the deli, sorentos, etc.

 

We were on the Navigator and we asked at a few places and were told they didn't have lemonade or iced tea.

[CRUISEGIRLFOREVER]

No comparison between the two, Royal is the hands down winner. Carnival is an entry cruise line for first time cruisers and anyone who wants the lowest cost possible. As in all things things cost what they do for a reason. I suggest you ask other cruisers who you value their opinion and are close to your lifestyle to see their preference choice. Our first cruise was carnival, and then 6 other cruise lines, Carnival would be our last choice next to not going. Watch their ads on TV always about the $70/day deal, never about the quality. Royal or anyone else is a better choice, you dont know until you compare, try the other line.

[katiel53]

We just returned from a B2B on Carnival Dream and are going on Freedom of the Seas in October. In the past, I thought the food on Carnival was far better than that on RCCL, but this last two weeks was disappointing.

 

I know all cruise lines are cutting back, but I felt that Carnival has really cheapened the food in their MDR. To serve ribs the first night as well as the last night, seems like they don't know what to serve, so serve the same things two nights. Also, to serve short ribs with the filet was disappointing.

 

There were a couple of nights that nothing on the MDR menu sounded good. Those nights I ordered the flat iron steak, which, to me, isn't really steak at all. I remember it used to be strip steak. The bread served in the MDR is not nearly as good as that served on RCCL. Pale rolls and sliced, pale French bread doesn't seem appetizing to me, and that's a good thing, lol.

 

I do have to say that the many different locations to have lunch on Carnival are tons better than what RCCL offers. The pasta bar, the Deli, the Mongolian BBQ etc give far more choices than what we have had on RCCL.

 

We are retired so the rock climbing walls, surfing area, kids clubs are not something we use. I do think the entertainment on Carnival Dream is better than that on Freedom of the Seas. On the flip side, RCCL ships are far more beautiful than Carnival ships. Carnival is like going to Las Vegas while RCCL ships have a lot more glass and are more relaxing.

 

Service on both, at least to us, has been equal. We were called by name in the dining room every night on Dream. I can't say that has happened on our last Freedom cruise, but perhaps that was just the wait staff we had.

 

I like sailing Carnival for the ports. Their choices of ports are far better than RCCL. I say that in that we like to sail from Pt Canaveral, but also have gone from other ports. The Western Caribbean on Freedom is so-so and ones we have been to many times. On Dream, the ports were more interesting and also different.

 

I guess I am saying both are good lines and it depends on what your interests are. We bought two future cruise certs on Dream and will buy them on Freedom also, so you can see we like both lines.

[ooulio]

I don't agree with you. Carnival is not the lowest cruise. That is your opinion. We did Royal Carribean. We didn't like it at all. Food was so tasteless. Beds were terrible. WE saw some drunks. If you feel like that, don't cruise Carnival. We did RC,Disney,Carnival and Princess. RC was our least favorite. Once was enough. If we never do them again, that is fine. We have met all kinds of class of people. Sorry,none of them agree with you either. We are not beginners. We have done quite a few cruises. Carnival is more fun than RC. YOu can keep them.!

[Isasprings]

We have sailed on both. We like both lines but prefer Carnival. The price and food in my opinion are better on Carnival. Our last cruise was on the Majesty of the Seas and while we had a great time the food in the MD just didn't do it for us. I think Carnival has a better selection. But everyone has different opinions and expectations. You should venture out and see what else is out there. If you don't like it, then you don't have to go back.

I agree with you 100%

[halos]

Someone above mentioned RCL's waiters giving excursions and port advice the day before we hit a port. I thought this was very wierd myself and thought to myself, why would this gal from Jamaica think she should be acting like some expert on the ports. I kind of resented the attitude. We did have a first time couple at our table who ate it up. Me and the TA I was with sat thru it ... I could do without last minute advice on excursions. Only one time did they go too far though.

 

REALLY????? :eek:

 

What?! I think a waiter/waitress would be PERFECT for advise! They come to these ports every week, and some even used to live there! They certainly know what they're talking about.... Sometimes you have to accept that others know what they're talking about, and have valuable information as well.

I like it when MDR staff give me info about the ports, because generally it's helpful tips that I wouldn't of figured out by my self.

 

I agree!!

 

The Maitre'd on our Celebrity cruise came to the tables every night and talked about the next day's port stop, offering advise and tips on the port.

I thought this was a nice touch.

[trailercruiser]

Since I have been on most lines I can tell you without doubt Royal is the lowest class cruise line out there. So to answer your question go Carnival.;)

[Skeeter60]

I personally prefer Carnival over RCCL. I prefer the Carnival food because it is more American fare. I also prefer Carnivals rooms, and entertainment. I have cruised 7 times on Carnival and 2 times on RCCL. I think each person has to find what they enjoy and then find the cruise line that caters to them.

 

I am in my 50's and enjoy doing and trying fun things. The RCCL things to do were aimed at 70 - 80 year olds and rarely had any real activities. The entertainment and comedians were old and out of date.

 

Cruising again May 7th!

 

Skeeter60

[shellann]

Actually, you can get soda at any bar....no soda-card needed...just order it.

 

Oops, I should have clarified my statement - unless you want to purchase a drink.

 

You can also get tea, lemonade, etc. at various places depending on the ship...the deli, sorentos, etc.

 

We were on the Navigator and we asked at a few places and were told they didn't have lemonade or iced tea.

 

The Enchantment had tea and lemonade in the Solarium all night.

[shellann]

Important differences to me:

 

RCI...

At least one hot tub and one pool open all night (we like late seating and can't get to Carnival's pools/tubs in time).

Heated pools.

More flavourful and exotic MDR food.

Windjammer buffet has separate stations for various foods...bread area, salad/fruit area, soup area, etc... -much easier to grab a little extra something without getting back in a long line.

Splenda more easily available.

Drinkable coffee (not enough Splenda in the world for Carnival's coffee -bleah)

Offers a larger selection of longer cruises (7 days is just not enough!)

More live entertainment.

 

Carnival...

Warm Chocolate Melting Cake.

Livelier nightlife for the "kids" (20+ year olds)

Fridges in rooms (not that they actually refrigerated anything lol)

Nicer selection of "different" buffet food included in price, ie -Mongolian Wok, Fish and Chips, Burrito Bar, etc...

 

If I had the option of identical itineraries/embarkation port/price per day, I would pick RCI over Carnival. But I still get ridiculously excited when we pass a Carnival ship at sea.:D

[NJcruisergrl]

I've also been on a couple of RCCL cruises, but I prefer Carnival! The food is sooo much better on Carnival.

The RCCL buffet tasted like left-overs to us, and the dining room was so-so. I think that Carnival has improved their food a lot lately and the warm chocolate melting cake is worth the price of the cruise.

But besides that, you can 't beat the Carnival pricing and all you get for it.

I'll probably try RCCL again some day, but our next cruise is Carnival Legend on May 22nd. So excited!

[Cruisingzs]

nope. you got it backwards. rccl just has a bunch of people sailing together.

 

carnival has a community feels that washes over the ship. it also has the better food, and a slide.

 

rccl has better pool areas.

 

We have cruised 10 times on RCCL and 4 times on Carnival. We just booked another Carnival today. We do prefer RCCL but they do not have as diverse of a Caribbean itineary as Carnival. And Carnival is cheaper.

But RCCL has several things that we miss when we are on Carnival. We miss the mixology classes (a fun cocktail mixing show more than a class AND you get to sample!), The crew are amazingly more personable on RCCl IMHO. And there are more diverse offerings during the day and night on board.

AND our most missed thing on Carnival is the nightly after dinner drink. Each night on RCCL, the wine steward comes around with a different drink. THEY ARE SO GOOD!!! We ask the Carnival server to bring us a different drink each night as it is a nice tradition, but he was never very creative

BUT as I said RCCL has become pricey

[Mrs.C05]

I think it really depends on what you're going for and why you're going. Obviously it's for a vacation and the most bang for your buck, but for us here is the break down.

 

For long cruises (5 days/nights or more), we prefer Carnival, usually because of the itinerary and because they have more activities going on and amenities than RCCL.

 

If it is a short cruise (3 night) we do RCCL because they usually have great last minute deals and it goes to 2 ports instead of just one like Carnival's short one.

 

As for food, it is about the equal for us. Usually Carnival is pretty good, almost better than RCCL, but this past cruise, the food was pretty bland and we had to salt and pepper almost everything. Don't know what happened there but oh well. It was food and it filled me up.

[sherilyn70]

Thanks for the explanation. :) This is the thing that's most important to us. Dining is a major consideration on our vacations. We'll probably eat in the Steakhouse twice & dine at the Chef's table once, but I'm glad to see the quality is good in the MDR also. We've never sailed on an RCCL ship. We mostly sail with Celebrity, which has good food, in our opinion. My one cruise on NCL may be the last, because the food quality was so poor.

 

I'd like to point out that one of the reasons I'm leaving Carnival and going to RCI this time around is because of the food in the MDR. We were on the Victory in February and it was really hit and miss. The food had no "wow" factor to us, but we also are used to fine dining. Most people agree from what I have seen that the Carnival MDR is slightly better than the RCL MDR, but the speciality restaurants outshine the steakhouse (if you're on a ship that has one) with CCL.

 

I have booked us on the Oasis, which is a destination within itself. I felt the carnvial ships I have been on just felt like big hotels or convention centers. I didn't like that the only outdoor areas were by the pools. With the Oasis there are multiple outdoor type areas with fresh air, and it isn't by a pool and appears to be a little more sophisticated. I've also found that RCL has real breakfast available with room service, so we can enjoy a warm breakfast out on our balcony instead of having to go up to the buffet area. Oooh! they also have a donut shop on the Oasis, hehe.

 

It's all going to depend on which ship you choose out of each line. I'm going for variety, sophistication and not a pool party type boat. I'm not a big drinker so I want things to do other than the night clubs and bars. Oasis really appeals to me for those reasons. They have more restaurants and more places to do things other than swimming and drinking. They have Dreamworks. I like to move it move it :D

[Husband & wife who cru]

one line focuses on the people. the other focuses on the ships.

 

I would agree that RCL's product is more passenger friendly than Carnival in terms of layout, utilization and the ammenties onboard. Having sailed on the Oasis I was floored by the quality of the staterooms and their design. We had a duplex which blows away anything sailing right now. Carnival really needs to step up the design of their passenger accomodations. On Carnival the feeling is more compact and squeezed in and on the Oasis it is anything but.

 

The quality of the resources onboard are good on both ships but the one thing that stands out with RCL is their bedding. Company monogrammed sheets on RCL, high thread count linens were outstanding. It simply isn't the case on Carnival.

[shellann]

The quality of the resources onboard are good on both ships but the one thing that stands out with RCL is their bedding. Company monogrammed sheets on RCL, high thread count linens were outstanding. It simply isn't the case on Carnival.

 

I haven't been on a newer RCI ship but I have never slept on a better bed than a Carnival bed on land or sea. We have tried all kinds of $$$ beds but the next one I am buying is directly from Carnival.

(I forgot to add that to my pluses for Carnival and it's a BIG plus) :)

[MissDiva1]

Since I have been on most lines I can tell you without doubt Royal is the lowest class cruise line out there. So to answer your question go Carnival.;)

 

This coming from someone that carries skunk spray:confused:

[stargate fan]

We have sailed both Royal Caribbean and Carnival. Unless there is an absolute almost pay-us-to-cruise bargain on RC, we'll most likely stick with Carnival from now on.

 

Our reasons may not make sense to others, but they are important to us. Note that these are our experinces. Also note that we are NOT Carnival cheerleaders. It's just that it has taken us eight cruises to realize what we like.

 

Here goes:

*Carnival has trays in the buffet. RC does not, which makes it very difficult to carry food, silverware, and drinks.

*Carnival has self-serve water dispensers in the buffet, RC does not. Buffet servers fill drink cups at one of the food lines and that's the only way to get drinks.

*Carnival has many food choices in the buffet. Deli, stir-fry, grill, pizza, Indian, salad bar. Some Carnival ships have fish and chips, burrito, rotisserie stations. Each food service line is different. On our RC cruises, there were four food service lines, each with the same choices. There were also two carving stations that were identical to each other.

*Carnival has 24-hour free soft serve ice cream and frozen yogurt. RC has free soft serve from 11 am to 6 pm only.

*Carnival still gives chocolates at turn-down every night. RC no longer does.

*Carnival has food available outside at the pool areas. We love to eat at an outside table and listen to the ocean. On RC, we had to walk inside to eat in the Windjammer.

 

What I do like about RC is the sliding balcony door, the shower door (vs. Carnival's shower curtain), the pools and hot tubs being open later, and the "hump" cabin.

 

That said, everyone's experience is different. Try Royal Caribbean. What matters to us may make no difference to you.

[sunshine002]

I have been on 12 Carnival cruises from 4 day to 12 on a number of different ships. On RCL have cruised twice Mastery of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas. I found food can vary on Carnival from trip to trip and from minute to minute. Ex: Had an amazing rib dish so we ordered another to share the next order was as bad as the first was good.

 

 

Carnival:

 

Prefer the food in the MDR

love the piano bar usually full and a great piano player (on RCCL they are usually very quiet)

Free laundry (I am platinum)

Younger people over all, and most very friendly

the size the cabins

the beds are amazing

Great pizza

Attention of the cabin stewart was better

Lets you combine shipboard credits (I am a shareholder on both lines)

 

RCCL

 

Really enjoyed the royal promenade and the shows done there

Also enjoyed the fact that the 24 hr cafe and pizza cafe were near everything (deck 5) and its easy to grab a cup of coffee or a quick bite any time.

Enjoyed the ice skating show

RCL does a great meet & Greet for those on CC

Can no longer combine shipboard credits

 

MDR service was about the same on both lines.

 

Bottom line I have a upcoming cruises on Carnival and RCL

[Sargent_Schultz]

One of the biggest differences is that CCL can pay cash for new ships, reinstated the dividend, and RCL still can't/hasn't. Carnival is without a doubt the best value; RCI wins the award for the most gimmicks.

 

CCL could pay cash for RCL - not a chance RCL could counteroffer.

[sherilyn70]

*Carnival has many food choices in the buffet. Deli, stir-fry, grill, pizza, Indian, salad bar. Some Carnival ships have fish and chips, burrito, rotisserie stations. Each food service line is different. On our RC cruises, there were four food service lines, each with the same choices. There were also two carving stations that were identical to each other.

 

I find that interesting. the Victory in February had no variety on the buffet, each line had the same foods. There were no rotisserie stations and no indian foods (except if you requested vegetarian meals in the MDR). I thought the buffet design was horrible on Carnival as there was one big line for every item and made it difficult to just start with tastes and then go back for what you really wanted... or to start with salad and then go back for the main dish. Everything I read about RC is that the buffest are seperate stations for each type of food and you only have to wait for what you want if there is a line and not the main line everyone is in.

 

I'm not a fan of soft serve ice cream, I'm told the Oasis has regular ice cream for free on the ship (not Ben & Jerrys). The Oasis also has more small food restaurants to drop into for snacks and screens around the ship (and in your room) to see how busy each place is before you walk over to it.

[tef43]

Royal Crapabbean = Pay more, get less.

[Blasian]

We have only sailed on Carnival~ wondering if we should try Royal Carribean once. It would be Mariner of the Seas - same itinerary as we are looking at with Liberty or Legend. Would appreciate any feedback/opinions...

-------

 

Re; bethtogo: I have been on a total of 15 cruises since 2004. Most were Carnival but many were Royal Caribbean. Here is my take:

 

Food (Personally, I don't judge cruises by their food. I want the food to be clean and tasty but it's not a deal breaker for me)

-Food on Royal Caribbean tends to be more varied and caters to people with special dietary needs (diabetics, vegetarians, etc..) While the food on Carnival was better, it was not as varied. Carnival's pizza is much better than Royal's pizza. The bottom line is you will not go hungry with either line. :-)

 

Ships

-It is true. IMO, Royal has a "classier" interior design throughout their fleet but this is purely subjective. Carnival's interior design is a bit more extravagant but really who cares? A gaudy design sure beats looking at my office ANY DAY. :-)

- There are more "on board" activities to do on the Royal ships. All offer rock climbing and others have the ice skating rink, FlowRider, Basketball, zip line,etc... However, although Royal has many on board activities, they do lack water slides. I think one of Carnival's trademarks is their water slides and it is well-deserved. They are extremely fun (and I am in my 30s) :-) Both ships offer activities during port days including trivia, Bingo, contests, etc. The bottom line is unless you don't have a pulse, you will not be bored with either line. Children will not be bored either as both lines have programs just for them. Royal has "Adventure Ocean" and Carnival has "Camp Carnival."

 

Service (This is make or break for me and what will keep me either coming back or not at all)

- I found the service to be great on both the Carnival and Royal lines. I can recall only 1 bad incident in my cruising history and that was with a rather rude Guest Services Representative on the Carnival line. This was back in 2004 (my first cruise) and it has never happened again. I find the employees on both lines to be extremely courteous and helpful. I will give a slight edge to Carnival because the service in the MDR has been awesome. They really go a step beyond to make your dining experience the best possible. The bottom line is both lines seem to "get it" as far as customer service. They both understand and recognize that if they want repeat customers, their customer service skills have to be way above average.

 

Price (Let's face it...for most of us, this is a very important consideration)

- Clearly, Carnival wins this...hands down. For what you get, Carnival a better value. For the most part, Royal is about $200 more (on average). I can only guess it is because of the FlowRiders, ice skating rinks, etc.. I can not imagine it is because of the food or cabins b/c I see no huge difference there. The bottom line is that you get "more bang for your buck" with Carnival.

 

*Bottom line is that I will continue to cruise Carnival and Royal Caribbean. I love them both. I think you should give Mariner of the Seas a go. After all, "variety is the spice of life." :-)

[BaconIsGood]

Just my Opinion - I have "tried" RCCI twice and thought everything on Carnival was better. RCCI was not a bad experience per say, and perhaps one day Ill try an Oasis class ship, but for now Carnival is where it’s at!

[stargate fan]

I find that interesting. the Victory in February had no variety on the buffet, each line had the same foods. There were no rotisserie stations and no indian foods (except if you requested vegetarian meals in the MDR). I thought the buffet design was horrible on Carnival as there was one big line for every item and made it difficult to just start with tastes and then go back for what you really wanted... or to start with salad and then go back for the main dish. Everything I read about RC is that the buffest are seperate stations for each type of food and you only have to wait for what you want if there is a line and not the main line everyone is in.

 

I'm not a fan of soft serve ice cream, I'm told the Oasis has regular ice cream for free on the ship (not Ben & Jerrys). The Oasis also has more small food restaurants to drop into for snacks and screens around the ship (and in your room) to see how busy each place is before you walk over to it.

 

That is interesting.