Is RCCL really worth twice the $$ VS Carnival??

[dwsurfin]

We are a family of four (51,45, 10 and 6) looking at a cruise to Carribean in April 2013 and considering RCCL Freedom (or maybe even Oasis) VS Carnival Dream. We are not sure we like size of Oasis as looks like the interior area (Central park/Promonade) more like being in a mall and breaks up pool deck. We like sea days, great pools, great shows and nice food.

 

Balcony on Dream looks like about half price current quoted of same on RCCl (either Freedon or Oasis)!. Freedom balcony for 4 is about $3855 vs Dream about $2100. Any thoughts please from experienced cruisers who have been on both style/ships??

[TennGirl615]

The biggest ship I have been on is RCCL Explorer of the seas which did have the promenade in the center. I have also only been on 1 Carnival which was a smaller ship. I feel like the bigger RCCL ships are more for the older crowd and I felt like there wasn't much to do. Carnival has better food. For the price you can't beat what Carnival has to offer. RCCL ships are nicer tho. Personal preference but that's my opinion. I was 18 when I went on my first cruise and for kids I would choose Carnival.

[cruisingqueen74]

I have been on the Freedom of the Seas and absolutely love that ship:). There is so much to do and great activities for everyone. Great pool areas, Dreamworks experience, Pomenade, etc. This month I am sailing on the Dream for the first time and selected this ship because I do enjoy Carnival cruises plus the rates were much better (at time of booking) then RCCL.

While I do not know if it is worth twice the $$ (having sailed on both cruise lines), you do get more for your money on RCCL.

Even though I will have a better idea about the Dream in a few weeks, I don't think that you can go wrong with either one. I hope to do the Oasis or Allure within the next year.

Happy cruising:)

[Bases5]

I like both line's very much. I like RCI ships better than Carnivals. But I don't feel you get that much better experience with RCI for the price they ask.

For that kind of change it would be a no brainier for me.

You could book 2 cabins and have the extra room for that price difference,

I like RCI and at time's I can find good rate's and when we do we sail with them

[mibarron]

The oasis is an amazing ship, which my kids loved (age 15 & 8)! In fact, they are begging me to take them again in a year or two. Is it worth the money? For us, it was. The shows are spectacular, when compared to the CCL glory. The food was better too, but we went (the only CCL ship we've been on so far) in the inaugural year, so they could have been trying to impress. :) my boys loved the kids area better than on CCL Glory, but that's not to say they didn't have a good time on the Glory either. There was just more options on the Oasis. I was afraid it was going to be crowded with 6,000 people on board, but it never was. we got a boardwalk balcony and we could watch the aqua show every time it was on, right from the our room. It is a HUGE ship, do if you're looking for the intimacy of a smaller ship, this would not be for you. Like I said, for us, it's worth it if I can afford it again in a couple of years. :) I've never been on the Dream, but we are going on the Pride in August.

[golfadj]

We have done both lines but last 15 or so on Carnival.

 

Been wanting to go back and do another RCCL but price differential lately is huge so waiting for more competitive pricing before we do so.

[Cyber Kat]

The only time I was on RCCL, it was Voyager of the Seas to Bermuda. It was a last minute booking and we got a really good price for an OV room. One of those "the ship isn't full" deals. We booked on Thurs. and left on Sat. If it came down to a similar itinerary but with a big price difference, I'd chose Carnival. This is just MO - I'm sure others mileage will vary. The shows on Voyager were spectacular - you can't beat an ice show on a ship. And we did ice skate - not very well, but we did it! I wasn't impressed with the food. I thought the ship was too big - but that has nothing to do with the line. I never have a problem finding things to do, so there's no winner there for me. In the NY/NJ area, RCCL sails out of Bayonne and I'm not wild about that port. It's also difficult to get to and I live in NJ. I can be at the NYC?Manhattan cruise terminal in 30 minutes if I go after rush hour. Bayonne took about an hour. I got the norovirus on Voyager on the last night. It seemed like half the ship was sick. They herded all the passengers into the show lounge for debarkation. You were not allowed to be anywhere else on the ship. There was ONE bathroom (mens and ladies) and not a thing to eat or drink. Not that I wanted to eat, but I desperately needed water. We were there for 2 - 2 1/2 hours. When we finally got off it was pouring rain and there was no where to go but out under a tent with inch deep puddles everywhere and no place to sit. People who are picking you up have no place to wait. You have to call and then wait for them to get there. We tried to go back into the terminal, but the port security wouldn't allow it. Finally, one of the RCCL people who do the boarding, allowed us to sit inside. But the port people weren't happy about it. I'd give RCCL another shot, but I'm not going out of my way to book, and I'm certainly not going to pay more. Carnival has always given us great service when things go wrong. My sister had an issue with her debit card that she used for the S&S account on a Cruise to Nowhere. The people at guest services bent over back wards to help her solve it, including allowing her to call the bank in PA on the ship's dine. Last cruise my b-i-l over indulged and fell out of the top bunk (we had 4 of us in the room). He broke a rib. The medical people and the other people who helped us out were wonderful. I didn't intend this to be so long, but I kept remembering things. As I said, I would do RCCL again - but not on a ship bigger than Voyager. IMO - they are making all the ships waaay too big. My favorites are the Legend and the Miracle. We're sailing on the Splendor in June and that's kind of pushing my limit. We did enjoy our Voyager of the Seas cruise, but it really had nothing to do with the cruise line or the ship. We just had fun until the last night.

[gelo7]

The Freedom class ships are nice, but not twice the money nice, in my humble opinion.

[ItsAllAboutTheSass]

We have done both lines but last 15 or so on Carnival.

 

Been wanting to go back and do another RCCL but price differential lately is huge so waiting for more competitive pricing before we do so.

 

Sorry, Stu. Don't think you will see competitive pricing. As long as people are willing to pay higher prices for RCCL and not for ccl, RCCL has no reason to bring prices down. When we started looking for our fall cruise last year the Oasis was $400 more than the Liberty. My wife said without a doubt that $400 was well spent. Add on what we got from our TA, it was almost a wash.

 

 

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[alwayshappytocruise]

We are a family of four (51,45, 10 and 6) looking at a cruise to Carribean in April 2013 and considering RCCL Freedom (or maybe even Oasis) VS Carnival Dream. We are not sure we like size of Oasis as looks like the interior area (Central park/Promonade) more like being in a mall and breaks up pool deck. We like sea days, great pools, great shows and nice food.

 

Balcony on Dream looks like about half price current quoted of same on RCCl (either Freedon or Oasis)!. Freedom balcony for 4 is about $3855 vs Dream about $2100. Any thoughts please from experienced cruisers who have been on both style/ships??

 

In one word, YES. Freedom is a beautiful ship, Oasis was a bit overwhelming for us but a great ship for children and families!!!

[Cruisegirl6]

I have cruised 4 times in five years on the Freedom of the Seas and the Liberty of the Seas (sister ship). We also just got off the Dream this past October. Putting the Dream aside, Carnivals ships cannot compare to what you get overall to RC. But the Dream was on par with the FOS! The buffets, variety/selection was on par....the service was very good on the Dream and the Steakhouse on the Dream was a little above Chops on the FOS although we much perfer Portofino's which is on the FOS.

 

Freedom of the Seas

Better quality buffet breakfast

 

Sirloin steak offered in MDR nightly

 

Fresh Water Pools

 

International buffet is the best I ever seen on any cruise line in the past many years (its takes up the entire promenade deck and the 6th day)

 

More selection of foods to eat after 11pm, the promenade cafe offers cookies, pastries, cakes, italian meats, cheeses, sandwiches, pizza, salads of many types, marinated grilled veggies

 

Cocktails less costly and regular large glasses

 

Shower doors in bathroom

 

Service excellent throughout ship

 

Balconies larger

 

Entertainment very good, broadway type shows, worth going to!

 

Negatives.....really haven't found any

 

 

CARNIVAL DREAM (excluding all other ships)

 

Buffet lunch on par with RC

 

Better desserts

 

You only can get a flat iron steak in the MDR no better quality

 

MDR very slow, waiters are given more tables to wait on, very disappointed here, on first formal night we waited 20 minutes for our table to get cleared of dirty dishes, we decided to leave waiter didn't come around he was very busy...we went to the buffet for dessert to find so many other people doing the very same thing

 

We ordered breakfast room service 4 mornings, twice we were given wrong order, once we were given half of our order, and once they never showed up

 

Entertainment was real bad, we walked out all of them

 

No live music out at pool any longer, they do have a DJ now

 

Punchliners Breakfast very good

 

Comedy every evening, hit or miss, most of the evenings we didn't find them funny but some were laughing.

 

Steakhouse very good to excellent, we went there 6 evenings (moreso to get away from the MDR lol)

 

Cocktails higher side, much smaller glasses, now they get you to double your drink for extra cost.

 

Would we go back on the Dream- YES

[golfadj]

Sorry, Stu. Don't think you will see competitive pricing. As long as people are willing to pay higher prices for RCCL and not for ccl, RCCL has no reason to bring prices down. When we started looking for our fall cruise last year the Oasis was $400 more than the Liberty. My wife said without a doubt that $400 was well spent. Add on what we got from our TA, it was almost a wash.

 

 

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We wanted to do FOS beginning of May but not at $ 800 before taxes and fees for an inside.

 

Will keep watching but as long as RCCL can fill up their ships at these prices no reason to reduce pricing.

[cruisinfanatic]

The biggest ship I have been on is RCCL Explorer of the seas which did have the promenade in the center. I have also only been on 1 Carnival which was a smaller ship. I feel like the bigger RCCL ships are more for the older crowd and I felt like there wasn't much to do. Carnival has better food. For the price you can't beat what Carnival has to offer. RCCL ships are nicer tho. Personal preference but that's my opinion. I was 18 when I went on my first cruise and for kids I would choose Carnival.

Bigger ships for the older crowd? Far from reality.

The older age that you found on Explorer is common with that ship the time of yr you went. It's not with Florida departures on other ships

Carnival's food is not better or even equal anymore in the main dining room

[cruisinfanatic]

We wanted to do FOS beginning of May but not at $ 800 before taxes and fees for an inside.

 

Will keep watching but as long as RCCL can fill up their ships at these prices no reason to reduce pricing.

It was $589 if you looked a few moths ago.

[golfadj]

It was $589 if you looked a few moths ago.

 

Oh well.

[Tapi]

We are a family of four (51,45, 10 and 6) looking at a cruise to Carribean in April 2013 and considering RCCL Freedom (or maybe even Oasis) VS Carnival Dream.

 

Oasis/Allure are worth every single extra penny!! We paid MORE than twice what we paid for our Dream cruise and we LOVED every single minute of it.

Dream was just another nice cruise. Allure was an amazing, once in a lifetime type of cruise. Theres's truly NO comparison!

 

I have reviewed both ships in my signature. Feel free to click on the links.

[cruisinfanatic]

Oh well.

sometimes you can get a great deal if you book close too. Here's RCCL's Tuesday Sale specials link with cruises within final payment. Updates every Thursday afternoon

[golfadj]

sometimes you can get a great deal if you book close too. Here's RCCL's Tuesday Sale specials link with cruises within final payment. Updates every Thursday afternoon

 

Thanks will have to spend some time in next few weeks looking at that.

[Florissouri]

We are a family of four (51,45, 10 and 6) looking at a cruise to Carribean in April 2013 and considering RCCL Freedom (or maybe even Oasis) VS Carnival Dream. We are not sure we like size of Oasis as looks like the interior area (Central park/Promonade) more like being in a mall and breaks up pool deck. We like sea days, great pools, great shows and nice food.

 

Balcony on Dream looks like about half price current quoted of same on RCCl (either Freedon or Oasis)!. Freedom balcony for 4 is about $3855 vs Dream about $2100. Any thoughts please from experienced cruisers who have been on both style/ships??

 

It's kind of hard to compare the Oasis and the Dream, but I'm pretty sure the balcony cabins are much larger on both the Dream than the Oasis and the Freedom of the Seas. The food is better on RCCL, but not that much of a price difference.

 

Most people prefer more ports than sea days, but whatever floats your boat.

[AmandaKaye79]

There is absolutely no way I would pay that much more for a cruise on RCI unless you are just SO interested in doing Oasis or Allure. As others have stated Oasis and Allure are destinations in themselves. On most days on Oasis, you didn't even know you were on a cruise. A lot of the places were enclosed like Central park so it was nice for a one time type of experience, but I would never pay those prices again. I regret doing it the first time, but I can say, been there, done that. Won't do it again unless the prices come down a lot. I've been with Carnival and RCI about an equal number of times and have had equal experiences on both lines. You can point out positives and negatives from either side, but basically I don't think you will ever find that it is worth spending almost $2000 more for RCI vs Carnival.

[cruisingqueen74]

Yes- sometimes you can get great deals close in. Just booked the Dream about a week ago for the March 30th sailing and got a great rate plus $150 OBC!! Good luck.

[clackey]

We did the Navigator of the Seas last December and it was the best trip yet. We are Platinum on Carnival and have only sailed RC twice but I much prefer RC. That is until I see the price differance. Normally CCL is 30% to 50% cheaper than RC, but when I saw a 7 nighter on NOS for $269@ for an inside with the choice of cabins on 5 decks I had to book immediately. We are talking a 7 nighter for the price of a 5 nighter. NO Brainer. But alas, this is not the norm.

 

Even though I prefer RC I will continue to book CCL until another bargin pops up. Carnival is really hard to beat when it comes to bang for you bucks, and to be honest, I have never had a bad cruise.

[SkyMaster]

Nope, not for me. I suppose if you are really into the additional activities offered aboard the RCI ships, then perhaps the extra cost is justified, but for me, and I think, for the average cruiser, the extra cost is just simply not justified. I also don't like the fact that you have to get tickets for a lot of the shows, etc. Just a P.I.A., in my opinion. I did enjoy the ice show, simply because it's something different, but there again, I had to stand in line to get a ticket, and stand in line to get into the rink/theater, and that's no fun. :mad: I'll stick to Carnival/Princess, and occasionally Celebrity. (Yes, I know it's owned by RCI, but the extra service, and great food, make that one worth the extra cost for me, once in a while.) ;)

 

"SKY"

[Tapi]

.... but I'm pretty sure the balcony cabins are much larger on both the Dream than the Oasis and the Freedom of the Seas.

 

Actually, the whole "Carnival's cabins are larger" argument is not true anymore. That used to be true 20+ years ago (when the Majesty of the Seas was built), but not anymore. When you compare staterooms (specially higher categories) Carnival lags behind other cruise lines. Here are some numbers for comparison purposes:

 

• Carnival Dream balcony stateroom: 220 sq ft (185 sq ft + 35 sq ft balcony)
  
• Oasis of the Seas balcony stateroom: 232 sq ft (182 sq ft + 50 sq ft balcony)
  
• Freedom of the Seas balcony stateroom: 253 sq ft (200 sq ft + 53 sq ft balcony)
  

[Wrinks22]

you would enjoy both but I would do the CCL. The price difference is to big for the differences.

 

Bon Voyage!