Thinking of trying Carnival....save your money!

[kodiac]

I'm sorry,but comparing Carnival's Glory to RCL's Mariner,is like apples to oranges. They are 2 very different classes of ships,and simply do not compare. Unfortunately,CCL doesn't have a ship(no other line does either)which CAN compare to the Voyager class of ships. The Voyager class,and Mariner in particular,wins hands down on Best ship out there. I agree,the layout of CCL's Destiny class,and Conquest class,of which Glory is one,is very confusing and sometime's downright frustrating.Talk about"you can't get there from here".They should have rethought the design of those class ships a couple of more times. On the other hand,the Pride and others of that class,are beautiful and terrific ships. I have been on both cruise lines numerous times,and each has its own merits. I agree whole heartely with another poster,that RCL does treat their past cruisers better,and rewards them nicely. I'm working on Platinum with them right now.

 

CCL *will* have a ship that will compare or even blow the Voyager class out of the water. These ships will be around 170,000 - 195,000 tons. Then RCI will come up with something BIGGER. I have a feeling we will be seeing this back and forth for some time.

[srlucado]

CCL *will* have a ship that will compare or even blow the Voyager class out of the water. These ships will be around 170,000 - 195,000 tons. Then RCI will come up with something BIGGER. I have a feeling we will be seeing this back and forth for some time.

 

Pretty soon the ships will be so big that they'll stay in one place and the islands will move to them!

[mtchg]

...of just how successful BOTH companies are, and despite what the fanatics for BOTH lines try to tell you, RCI and CCL are both doing a lot of things right.

 

I have given my pro and cons on countless occasions. My signature tells it all. I like them both, for slightly different reasons. But they both deliver a

heck of a product.

 

Mitch

[Wennfred]

I have found that the Glory was a bit too big of a ship for most people, even for Carnival Cruisers, I would recommend the Spirit class ships, Great ship, great size and lots of fun.

[msbmom]

I have sailed Carnival 3 times at 3 different points in my life and have always really enjoyed it. My husband and I are sailing RCCL for the first time in May just to try something new, and I hope we are as happy as we have been with Carnival. I think for us, if our expectations are too high going into the vacation, we have a bigger chance of being disappointed with the outcome. The one thing Carnival offers that we will really miss is the 24 hour pizza buffet. We have heard that RCCL's pizza can't compare...oh the little things we remember:) .Dont count Carnival out...they have given us many wonderful memories!

[FlyingPhotog]

I've cruised with Carnival twice. I had an excellent time on both cruises, on their oldest ships I might add. The service, food and entertainment was always excellent.

 

I'm cruising with RCCL this summer for the first time, so I'll then have something to compare it to.

[mtchg]

..Congrats in taking the plunge on your first RCI adventure. It is true that their pizza does not compare with Carnival.

 

However, the RCI room service menu is so much better, including warm food like hamburgers, and you can choose from the regular dining room menu during

regular meal times. (That means if you want to eat something other than a continental breakfast, you don't have to tote it back from the lido restaraunt)

 

Beth and I loved having tasty omelletes delivered to our cabin most mornings.

 

There are other things that you will like/maybe not like compared to Carnival, but keep an open mind..have fun...and report back!!

 

Mitch

[waterbabies]

After seven cruises on RCCL and one on Celebrity, we just returned from our first on Carnival -- on the Conquest. Friends, never will we step foot again on a Carnival ship. Yes, we are loyal to RCCL, but went on the Conquest with an open mind. We were amazed at the differences. Let us count the ways:

 

1. Food mediocre at best, the desserts tasteless. Our best meals were either off the ship on an excursion or from the deli and pizzeria. Yes, many folks praise Carnival pizza, but if that is the big attraction for the cruise line, please continue to cruise with them. RCCL food may not be gourmet, but it's excellent dining, something to look forward to each night. We actually skipped one dinner on the Conquest -- menu looked dreadful; a first for us.

2. The layout of the Conquest is totally confining and claustrophobic. Nothing like the Radiance class (our favorite). Any ship that hides the Internet Cafe (unlike Royal - which has terminals in an open space and near the coffee bar), requires special instructions to get to one of the main dining rooms, and offers no initimate lounges that come close to the Schooner or Champagne bars, pales in comparison. (And we are not totally upbeat about all of Royal's ships; we believe the Voyager class is too closed in with the Promenade...restricting some views to the beautiful seascape).

3. The Carnival staff, while cordial, also does not compare well to our many experiences on Royal. State room attendant did not bother to know our names until he received an advanced tip; dining room waiters provide okay service, but lacked the Royal touch of knowing your name, knowing your preferred beverage, and making entree recommendations. We saw the Carnival captain once --when introduced in the theater on the captain's party night; he never met with passengers at the party, never saw him walking the ship. Again, totally contrary to our experiences with RCCL.

4. No hot foods with room service. And, our order of "assorted cookies" brought a mere two cookies -- both lemon. Made us laugh.

5. Along those lines, Conquest coffee bar charged for coffee (as does RCCL) AND all pastries (RCCL -- no charge).

6. Maybe the captain was never to be seen because he was still learning how to use the ship's stabilizers. Two days of very rough going. Sure, we've experienced that on occasion with RCCL but never like this. We even slept through near hurricane winds one night on the Enchantment of the Seas.

 

Well, guess that's enough. Thankfully, we had beautiful, warm weather all week, a blessing for us from Chicago.

 

Frankly, we did not expect to have this reaction. Sure, we thought Carnival would be different, particularly with the decor, entertainment and other activities. But never like this. I believe a majority of Carnival supporters are those who have not tried another cruise line, although admittedly, people in this thread have tried both and do not feel as strong as we do.

 

But our strong sentiment is: Spend the extra dollars on RCCL. We always will, and we will be telling all of our friends to do the same.

[hdawson]

HALs Maasdam had a very rough ride last week too. So, just maybe all the ships that were in that system had it rough and not just Carnival.

There are things I like about Carnival and things I like about Royal Caribbean. I think Brilliance is the prettiest ship I've been on out of 16 cruises. I will never be on another Voyager class ship. When I got home I felt as if I had spent the week at Mall of America.

I do find Carnival's dining room food a tad better than RCL, and no horrible ranch steak. Love Carnival's West Indies Pumpkin Soup. And of course all the Carnival ships, even the oldest have larger standard cabins than RCL. Guess I will mostly stay with my favorite - Celebrity. Now that is a class line.

[zachnlucy]

We paid just $100/pp more for our first cruise with RCI next week for an aft JS than we were quoted for the Conquest for the same cruise week for a regular balcony room (8A). We loved our cruise on the Conquest a couple of years ago and are looking forward to our first RCI on the Grandeur.

[hdawson]

Grandeur is beautiful. Lots of walls of glass giving you an everpresent feel of the sea. Same as Brilliance.

[zachnlucy]

Ahhhh, will Friday ever get here?

[Pradagal]

Question, why is everyone and their brother so hung up on the PIZZA issue!

I can eat pizza at home why in the world would I want it on a cruise with all the wonderful treats on board. Now with that being said my DH does usually have a slice or two. He did say RC pizza isn't the best. We do love the line though so-so pizza and all. The service has always been the best on Royal Caribbean. Tried a couple others (won't name bash) came back to Royal Caribbean everytime.There is a cruiseline for everyone I guess. My vote is for RC! :)

[jnwilson]

Question, why is everyone and their brother so hung up on the PIZZA issue!

I can eat pizza at home why in the world would I want it on a cruise with all the wonderful treats on board. Now with that being said my DH does usually have a slice or two. He did say RC pizza isn't the best. We do love the line though so-so pizza and all. The service has always been the best on Royal Caribbean. Tried a couple others (won't name bash) came back to Royal Caribbean everytime.There is a cruiseline for everyone I guess. My vote is for RC! :)

Pradagal!! Thanks for taking the words right out of my mouth! If I wanted to eat pizza, I would just stay at home where it is available any time I want it. I'm on vacation when I cruise and I want something special which RC usually has to offer. Yes, some things have changed since our first cruise in 1993 and not all of them for the best but it is still a darn good vacation and we always feel we get good value for the money spent. Sure wish I was on a ship right now!

[ruttie]

I have cruised with Carnival 16 times. I have nothing to show for it as far as Carnival is concerned. They have no past guest program to reward their customers. At RCI I am building quickly on my Crown and Anchor program.

 

I was booked on the Inspiration for May 9th with a 50% off discount which was a good deal considering that I had booked a suite. Decided to cancel and am now booked on the Sovereign for May 6th along with another trip this December back on the Navigator. No cruise line is perfect but some are better than others. Carnival has lost me as a customer for at least a while.

 

I totally agree.. I have cruised more times than i can remember on carnival (heck i confess i was a weekend groupie during college:D ) But since starting with Rccl i am already up to diamond and it has only been 6-7 years since i have been cruising with them. Carnival use to give upgrades to past guests (really nice ones) but they do not offer anything near comparrison to rccl.

I will say however that i do like carnival and if price is right will still cruise with them but there is absolutely no comparrison between the conquest/glory ships and the voyager class.

I love love love the fantasy class on carnival though.....

[hdawson]

Why would Carnival (or anyother line) give upgrades when the higher categories are selling out? In fact ships are sailing full.

[Hondu]

[quote name='Pradagal'][color=blue]Question, why is everyone and their brother so hung up on the PIZZA issue![/color]
[color=#0000ff]I can eat pizza at home why in the world would I want it on a cruise with all the wonderful treats on board. Now with that being said my DH does usually have a slice or two. He did say RC pizza isn't the best. We do love the line though so-so pizza and all. The service has always been the best on Royal Caribbean. Tried a couple others (won't name bash) came back to Royal Caribbean everytime.There is a cruiseline for everyone I guess. My vote is for RC! :) [/color][/QUOTE]

I don't bother with fast food but from reading the threads I can tell you that it is very important to a majority of cruisers. They can't sail without having pizza, hot dogs and hamburgers. That's why they are always worried about: is there a charge for johnny rockets and do the cruise line charge for ice cream?

[ruttie]

[quote name='hdawson']Why would Carnival (or anyother line) give upgrades when the higher categories are selling out? In fact ships are sailing full.[/QUOTE]

your right... i just wish carnival would offer sometype of loyalty program like rccl. I love carnival(like their cabin layout, & food choices) (actually I love any type of cruising) I love the pride line of ships but heck they compete with the radiance class which is an AWESOME class of ships! but when looking for an upcoming cruise I will prob go with rccl because of the advantages i get from being diamond.....Actually i will prob give celebrity a try....;)

Although i will say if you want good fast food 24/7 then DISNEY is the way to go.. you cannot beat chicken fingers and nachos whenever you want :)

[BonnieNYTX]

I was on Carnival's Triumph 2 years ago. My DH and I had cruised prior to that on Celebrity Horizon and RCI Majesty of the Seas. We were both overwhelmed with the crowds and lines every place we went on the Triumph. Very confusing ship to navigate. Not passenger friendly at all.

The buffet line for lunch never moved smoothly and the lines for the specialty foods, i.e. chinese were out the door. I felt like I was in a food court at the local mall. No trays to balance plates/cups. We were pleasantly surprised with the food in the DR. Nightclub entertainment was enjoyable but I missed the Majesty's 50s-60s music night. Our next cruise is on RCI Rhapsody. I doubt we will cruise Carnival again, given all the other wonderful choices out there. I just felt the service was far superior on Celebrity and RCI. We were made to feel more special on those cruise ships. Like they were so pleased we picked to sail with them. But then again, before all you die hard Carnival cruisers come down on me, this is just one woman's opinion.

Rhapsody of The Seas - July 3, 2005