Carnival vs. RCCL

[cravingacruise]

DH and I just got off RCL's Navigator of the Seas on an E. Med cruise and will be boarding the Carnival Dream in May. Really enjoyed RCL but does anyone know of any big differences between the two lines? I sailed on Carnival back in 2001 and was not terribly impressed (Carnival Holiday) but am open minded as the Dream is offering the itinerary we wanted from FL.

 

TIA for any comments.

 

Hi there,

 

I have been on both ships in the past year. In June, we did a mother/daughter Eastern Mediterranean on RCI Navigator of the Seas. It was an amazing experience. We loved the history that each port offered. We also sailed on the Carnival Dream in Oct. 2011 with 11 family members on the Western Caribbean itinerary. We absolutely loved that cruise also! The Dream feels a bit more crowded than the Navigator, and the decor is a bit "louder."

 

The Solarium is a nice option on the Navigator as it is "adults only" with its own pool. The Dream has the Serenity adults only area, but there is no pool---just a couple of hot tubs (which are lukewarm). In my opinion, the food on the Dream was better overall than that of the Navigator. This is trivial, but I like the balcony doors (sliding) on RCI better than Carnival (smaller door on a hinge with a window) as they provide a better view.

 

It is challenging for me to compare the experiences as my Mediterranean cruise was my mom, two sisters, and I (which was more laid back). Our Caribbean cruise felt more exhausting as we were constantly trying to keep up with our four kids (ages 5-10 at the time of the cruise). The Western Caribbean itinerary felt very port intensive, but all of the ports were fantastic, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

 

Overall, I think if you go in with an open mind that the ships will have differences, you will have a wonderful time! We loved both ships, and I feel both lines offer a great experience. Have a fantastic cruise!

[DarthGrady]

Has RCI's dining room service gotten real bad too, or has it been a year or 2 since you cruised CCL?

 

Bill

 

I have cruised RCI and CCL multiple times over the last couple of years, and I feel like dining room service is pretty similar between them. Bad service in the dining rooms seems to be more ship-specific, as I have had infrequent marginal service on CCL and RCI.

 

That being said, it seems like CCL's waiters are more overworked than their counterparts on RCI. On RCI you'll have a waiter and assistant plus a headwaiter that oversees a section of the dining room. That headwaiter helps out his subordinates if needed, which is a plus on busy nights.

[Jumbiecruiser]

I have always found Carnival's food in the dining room better than on RCCL while RCCL's buffet is superior to Carnival's.

 

Royal's new menu is much better than Carnival's updated menus. No meatloaf, fried chicken or mac and cheese. It's shows that Carnival is now playing straight to their targeted consumer which tells a lot about the type consumer they're targeting.