new to royal, used to Carnival, please help!

[girlsjustwannacruise]

So, after my last Carnival cruise a few weeks ago, I am ready for a change.

I am considering Royal.

I need advice from someone who has sailed both to help me out please!

Which ship would you recommend:

1. carnival is very lacking in entertainment. Im looking for a ship with activities going on at night on lido deck....

2. My husband loves the casino, so that is a must.

3. Not wanting a MASIVE ship... i have gone on the legend, fantasy and fascination. Need something a little bigger than those ships, but not huge.

4. My kids love basketball. Need a basketball court.

5. Please tell me about dining. We love Carnival's 24 hour free room service and 24 hr ice cream. How does this compare?

6. Can leave from Tampa or Port Canaveral

Any help would make me smile!!!!!

[janetz]

RC Freedom Of The Seas. From PC. All that and more.

[ILCruzr]

So, after my last Carnival cruise a few weeks ago, I am ready for a change.

I am considering Royal.

I need advice from someone who has sailed both to help me out please!

Which ship would you recommend:

 

1. carnival is very lacking in entertainment. Im looking for a ship with activities going on at night on lido deck....

2. My husband loves the casino, so that is a must.

3. Not wanting a MASIVE ship... i have gone on the legend, fantasy and fascination. Need something a little bigger than those ships, but not huge.

4. My kids love basketball. Need a basketball court.

5. Please tell me about dining. We love Carnival's 24 hour free room service and 24 hr ice cream. How does this compare?

6. Can leave from Tampa or Port Canaveral

 

Any help would make me smile!!!!!

 

 

I am going on my first RCL cruise. I just am switching over from Carnival. And the one thing I have been learning about RCL is that ice cream isn't 24 hours and they don't serve lemonade or iced tea all day only at lunch. And they have lemon flavored water. Still I can't wait to sail IOS and compare the two lines :)

Edited July 15, 2014 by ILCruzr

[DEL67]

I hve been on both Carnival and RCCL many times. To me, they are more alike then different.

 

In response to your questions:

 

1. carnival is very lacking in entertainment. Im looking for a ship with activities going on at night on lido deck..

 

I do not think you will find much difference in terms of night time Lido deck entertainment. Both cruise lines tend to have 1 or 2 parties there every cruise, but most of the entertainment tends to be elsewhere on the ship at night.

 

2. My husband loves the casino, so that is a must.

 

Just about all cruise ships today have casinos - except in Hawaii

 

3. Not wanting a MASIVE ship... i have gone on the legend, fantasy and fascination. Need something a little bigger than those ships, but not huge.

 

RCCL has 2 ships out of Tampa and 2 out of Port Canaveral. None are massive. All are about the same size as those you have been on except the Freedom of the Seas out of Port Canaveral which is larger.

 

 

4. My kids love basketball. Need a basketball court.

 

All 4 RCCL ships out of those ports have basketball courts

 

 

5. Please tell me about dining. We love Carnival's 24 hour free room service and 24 hr ice cream. How does this compare?

 

RCCL's dining is more formal than Carnival's. RCCL offers free room service, but does not have 24 hour free ice cream or pizza. Usually coffee and tea are the only free items available outside of mealtimes. It also does not have lemonade in the buffet as Carnival does at lunch time.

6. Can leave from Tampa or Port Canaveral

[GTO-Girl]

So, after my last Carnival cruise a few weeks ago, I am ready for a change.

I am considering Royal.

I need advice from someone who has sailed both to help me out please!

Which ship would you recommend:

1. carnival is very lacking in entertainment. Im looking for a ship with activities going on at night on lido deck....

2. My husband loves the casino, so that is a must.

3. Not wanting a MASIVE ship... i have gone on the legend, fantasy and fascination. Need something a little bigger than those ships, but not huge.

4. My kids love basketball. Need a basketball court.

5. Please tell me about dining. We love Carnival's 24 hour free room service and 24 hr ice cream. How does this compare?

6. Can leave from Tampa or Port Canaveral

Any help would make me smile!!!!!

 

We are Platinum on Carnival but as you can see from my signature we love RCI and we love, love, love the Freedom Of The Seas!!!!

[Clarea]

... RCCL offers free room service...

Royal charges $4 per order from midnight to 5am.

[dacsmom]

I would choose the Freedom of the Seas out of Port Canaveral. I have sailed both lines and they are similar but the Freedom is my favorite ship, she seems to have what you are looking for.

[Retired LEO]

No doubt...Freedom of the Seas

[Big_G]

Another vote for Freedom of the Seas. ;)

[JimAOk1945]

We have cruised on Carnival in the past. While there are similarities between the two lines, we feel Royal Caribbean provides a higher quality experience. Just my opinion.

 

I think you will have a very enjoyable cruise. Happy sailing.

[girlsjustwannacruise]

thank you guys so much for your advice! very appreciated

[thegima]

Freedom is an amazing ship! I'll be back on for the 3rd time in less than 2 months..

 

 

Entertainment.. check (have never been bored on the ship.. always a show, comedy, movie theater, rock wall, flow rider, pool bars, viking lounge is amazing, ice skating if you want as well..)

 

Casino... check

 

Ship size... just right. I can always manage to find a quiet spot to relax somewhere on the ship. It can be crowded in areas, at times but overall it's not too bad.

 

Basketball Court.. check

 

Food.. Windjammer has a pretty good selection of food. Breakfast is always the same but I always enjoy it. Honestly haven't done room service, I like to get out and about. Sorrento's has pizza available until 2am, just walk up and ask for what you want. Johnny Rockets is open pretty late (midnight I think?) It's kind of like steak-n-shake.. It is a pay restaurant but only a few bucks -- $4-5 if I remember correctly.. but you can eat whatever, and however much you want. Pretty much everything on the menu is unhealthy, but it's good :)

 

Port.. Either stay at a nearby hotel and take a shuttle service over the morning of, find a place that offers parking + shuttle, or pay $120 to park at the port. We normally pay to park at the port, choose early check out, and are off the ship and on our way home by 7am. Last year we made it home by 830.

[tampabrat22]

The majority of our sailings have been on Carnival but we sailed on the Freedom and everyone here is right, try it! The ship was amazingly beautiful, and they do have some differences but it's always fun to try something new!:D

[thethreechunks]

I am going on my first RCL cruise. I just am switching over from Carnival. And the one thing I have been learning about RCL is that ice cream isn't 24 hours and they don't serve lemonade or iced tea all day only at lunch. And they have lemon flavored water. Still I can't wait to sail IOS and compare the two lines :)

 

Only at lunch?? Not at dinner?? Even in the MDR?

 

 

 

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[Oak Hill Cruisers]

We sail both Carnival & RCI and RCI has the edge with perks like the diamond & concierge lounges.

 

I'm glad that RCI does not have 24/7 ice cream. I'm worried that I'll slip my diet and gain lots of pounds on our upcoming Carnival B2B.

 

But I'm gonna die on Carnival without my beloved diamond lounge.

[girlsjustwannacruise]

May I ask what the diamond lounge is???

[Merion_Mom]

I am going on my first RCL cruise. I just am switching over from Carnival. And the one thing I have been learning about RCL is that ice cream isn't 24 hours and they don't serve lemonade or iced tea all day only at lunch. And they have lemon flavored water. Still I can't wait to sail IOS and compare the two lines :)

 

You can get lemonade and ice tea whenever the Windjammer is open.

 

You can also get them in the Main Dining Room at any meal.

 

There are at least three flavors of "flavored water".

[Merion_Mom]

May I ask what the diamond lounge is???

 

Just as Carnival has a past guest program, so does Royal Caribbean. It is called the Crown & Anchor Society. The levels are Gold, Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle.

 

When you reach Diamond, Royal Caribbean starts plying you with free drinks around dinner time. These drinks are served to you in the Diamond Lounge. (although the program is in flux right now).

[Clarea]

May I ask what the diamond lounge is???

The Diamond Lounge also has 24 hour specialty coffee, continental breakfast for a couple of hours each morning, and the services of the Diamond Concierge.