My experience on royal caribbean versus carnival

[Oppalopa]

Oh I forgot to mention that our interactive TV did not work for half of the trip.

\So that option was not available.

We also had some problems with the toilet that did not flush!!!!

:cool::rolleyes:

[cruisinfanatic]

Oh I forgot to mention that our interactive TV did not work for half of the trip.

\So that option was not available.

We also had some problems with the toilet that did not flush!!!!

not uncommon on any ship

[cruisinfanatic]

Thank you for this review!

It really gave me some insight into Royal.

 

I had cruised with them when I was younger, back in 2006 or 2007 I believe and I remember it being such a 'luxury' cruise and top notch. So when I booked Carnival last year I was worried it wouldn't live up to the experience I had with Royal as a kid.

Carnival was AMAZING and we are SUPER excited for our next cruise. I had wondered if we should try Royal for our wedding but from what I've been hearing Carnival is just the better way to go...great service, good food, lots of fun, good entertainment and spacious staterooms with nice furnishings.

You are seriously going to decide your future cruising on 1 review? And to boot it was a foreign itinerary which is very different than a Caribbean cruise. Cabins on the newer Royal ships are at least as large if not larger than Carnival's.

What did you like about Royal in 2007?

[Kristi Williamson]

Hey guys, this is the OP's OPINION and she/he is entitled to it. If you Loyal Royal's don't agree, that is totally fine, but stop dissing her personal thoughts and opinions and certainly stop insinuating she's lying. Your OPINION does not invalidate the OP's, whether you like it or not.

 

I've sailed both lines many times. I like both lines. The facts are that they do a lot alike but neither are perfect. I've had crappy RCI cruises and crappy Carnival cruises and when I come back and give my opinion on MY cruises, no one gets to tell me I'm wrong because they were MY experiences. Get over yourselves. For real.

 

And OP, I'm sorry you didn't enjoy Royal this time around. There are much better cruises with them out there and I hope you get to experience them. If not, then I hope your cruises on other lines you pick rock the socks off this one.

[adriennerm]

Hey guys, this is the OP's OPINION and she/he is entitled to it. If you Loyal Royal's don't agree, that is totally fine, but stop dissing her personal thoughts and opinions and certainly stop insinuating she's lying. Your OPINION does not invalidate the OP's, whether you like it or not.

 

I've sailed both lines many times. I like both lines. The facts are that they do a lot alike but neither are perfect. I've had crappy RCI cruises and crappy Carnival cruises and when I come back and give my opinion on MY cruises, no one gets to tell me I'm wrong because they were MY experiences. Get over yourselves. For real.

 

And OP, I'm sorry you didn't enjoy Royal this time around. There are much better cruises with them out there and I hope you get to experience them. If not, then I hope your cruises on other lines you pick rock the socks off this one.

 

Like

[JimAOk1945]

We have cruised on both Carnival and RCI. On RCI, we always kept up with events and activities through the daily Cruise Compass received each evening at "turn down," as well as being visible 24/7 on one of the channels on the TV in our room.

 

Shore excursions options were also shown on a select TV channel as well as an insert with the Cruise Compass.

 

Having sailed on both, I can give an honest opinion on our experiences. While we enjoyed each of our four Carnival cruises, I feel we have received an overall better experience on RCI.

 

One thing that keeps us going back is the loyalty program with its array of perks. Also, since we enjoy cruising in GS and OS, there is nothing comparable with the same perks on Carnival.

 

That said, it's nice to have a variety of cruise lines and itineraries to choose from. We also enjoy Princess and have plans to try HAL and Celebrity soon.

 

Cruising is a fantastic way to explore. Happy cruising everyone!

[Topo Gigio]

Hey guys, this is the OP's OPINION and she/he is entitled to it. If you Loyal Royal's don't agree, that is totally fine, but stop dissing her personal thoughts and opinions and certainly stop insinuating she's lying. Your OPINION does not invalidate the OP's, whether you like it or not.

 

I've sailed both lines many times. I like both lines. The facts are that they do a lot alike but neither are perfect. I've had crappy RCI cruises and crappy Carnival cruises and when I come back and give my opinion on MY cruises, no one gets to tell me I'm wrong because they were MY experiences. Get over yourselves. For real.

 

And OP, I'm sorry you didn't enjoy Royal this time around. There are much better cruises with them out there and I hope you get to experience them. If not, then I hope your cruises on other lines you pick rock the socks off this one.

 

You are right, but you don't need to be a rocket scientist to come to the conclusion that OP's trip report is just a piece of crap. Not even from Carnival's loyalists is he getting some form of sympathy!

[Havingfun2010]

Please do not discount Royal Caribbean based on this one review. Consider the source and understand that this cruiser is most definitely already loyal to Carnival. As has already been pointed out by several other Carnival cruisers on this board (as well as on the Royal board), many of the complaints against Royal in this review are either due to lack of research prior to the cruise, or just misinformation.

 

I have also sailed on both Carnival and Royal Caribbean. I would choose Royal Caribbean in a heartbeat over Carnival....for several reasons. Many are subjective, but for my personal taste, Royal is the better fit for me and my family. Just to list a few.....

 

• Decor is much classier on Royal, compared to the overwhelming neon on Carnival. This goes for public areas, MDR, and cabins.
  
• Buffet food is better quality and more choices on Royal
  
• Entertainment on Royal is far superior, with a great variety of headliner acts as well as phenomenal ice shows/diving shows on larger ships
  
• The adults only Solarium on Royal, including a pool and hot tub (or 2) is larger and more appealing than the Carnival Serenity
  
• Loyalty benefits are much better on Royal, so if I am going to choose a line to cruise long-term, the benefits will play a role in that decision
  
• Flow of people and deck plans are much better on Royal ships.
  

 

 

The food in the MDR of both lines is comparable in my opinion....both very good.

 

 

Please understand that this reviewer was comparing one of Royal's older/smaller ships with some of Carnival's bigger/newer ships, so it is not an accurate comparison.

 

I also much prefer Royal's pricing system with price drops available until final payment over Carnival's "choose your rate" with different fine print and terms for each fare. I have gotten some absolute bargains on Royal ships by watching prices, without having to worry about cancellation policies because you can cancel up until final payment without penalty no matter what fare you book.

 

Just one small correction. On RCCL after final payment, they will still work with you, as an example, if the price drops, they will not refund you or give you OBC, but they will allow you to "upgrade" if the price is the same or slightly more.

 

If the opportunity presented itself, and the price was right, I would sail Carnival again as it offers a good product. However, with all of the options that Royal offers, chances are I would choose Royal first if given the opportunity because I feel it offers a superior product for similar price (sometimes even cheaper!)

 

I say all this to encourage you to do your own research, on both Carnival and Royal Caribbean boards, try to filter through obvious bias, and look for honest reviews with accurate comparisons. Also, the best way for you to decide if a cruise line is right for you is to try it yourself!

 

Other thing I did not see mentioned, is that RCCL offers 4 different cruises experiences. The traditional, found on the older and/or smaller ships. The Adventure/freedom classes that offer more variety of shows like ice skating, and sport items on decks. Jump to the Oasis class, and nothing compares to this. The new quantum ships, are completely re-imagined and I'm sure that experience will be completely different than any of the other classes.

 

On Carnival, it seems all the ships are basically the same, with mostly the same layout. They have been lacking excitement.

 

Some things are subjective, but other items are just not accurate.

[Arizonagirl14]

We have sailed On both Carnival and Royal and saw few differences. The food, entertainment, and service was similar.

 

 

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[sgttami]

I guess the OP is entitled to an opinion but I was quite surprised since Serenade and any of RCL's Radiance class ships are and will always be my favorite!

 

Was on Serenade's second sailing in 2003 (brand new, out of the box!) and then to Alaska in 2005...My favorite ship and cruises ever...

 

Maybe things have changed but it was first class all the way!!

 

Alaska was my first Diamond sailing and that was back when Diamond level had concierge lounge privileges. My room was right next door!

 

Can't imagine that it's gone downhill to that degree....

[Frank12]

I have to question the accuracy of this. CCL stopped in cabin announcements 7 or 8 years ago.

[Tutontow]

Hey guys, this is the OP's OPINION and she/he is entitled to it. If you Loyal Royal's don't agree, that is totally fine, but stop dissing her personal thoughts and opinions and certainly stop insinuating she's lying. Your OPINION does not invalidate the OP's, whether you like it or not.

 

I've sailed both lines many times. I like both lines. The facts are that they do a lot alike but neither are perfect. I've had crappy RCI cruises and crappy Carnival cruises and when I come back and give my opinion on MY cruises, no one gets to tell me I'm wrong because they were MY experiences. Get over yourselves. For real.

 

And OP, I'm sorry you didn't enjoy Royal this time around. There are much better cruises with them out there and I hope you get to experience them. If not, then I hope your cruises on other lines you pick rock the socks off this one.

 

Like

[matt87]

been on both equally. can honestly say i like ccl way better. rci just nickels and dimes you to death for everything. also noticed alot of folks who sail rci think they are special, and that being on a rci ship makes them feel entitled or something. i dont get it at all. on a whole rci is more expensive for almost the same product. i'm all set cruising with them.

[A2Mich]

Oh dear heavens, I just realized..........

 

HOW MANY TIMES ARE YOU GOING TO POST THIS SAME REVIEW?

 

There are at least two threads on the Carnival boards, and at least one on the Royal Caribbean boards, where the identical review has been copied/pasted each and every time. We get it - you enjoy Carnival cruises more, and feel that Carnival provides a product more to your liking. That being said, I'm going to copy and paste my rebuttal to this review here as well.

 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by bugsy777 View Post

This is the first time that I am writing a review but I feel compelled to do so.

 

We sailed the Caribbean with Carnival Glory in 2010. The Grand Med on the Magic in 2011. Northern Europe and Norway on the Legend in 2013 and now 17th Sept 14 on RC Serenade of the Seas, the Adriatic.

 

We were obviously spoiled by Carnival as our latest cruise did not meet our expectations at all.

For the first two days we had no idea what was happening on-board as there were no announcements in the room and somehow the daily "Compass" had not been delivered! Our first thought was, did the cruise director jump ship?

(John Heald-we missed you!) Upon enquiring we were told that they stopped making announcements in the rooms as there had been too many complaints...surely the choice should be left to the guest to opt to have the system on or off. So that was a very bad start. As stated elsewhere, you can always get an extra copy from Guest Services or your room steward, as well. I also don't want to hear about shopping talks or bingo while I'm relaxing in my cabin - this part is purely subjective.

 

The ship SERENADE OF THE SEAS: Do not expect the grandeur of Carnival's ships. I've never founnd Carnival's ships to be anything of grandeur. Nice, yes, but certainly no grandeur. The bars on Serenade are tastefully decorated. The theatre is nothing to write home about and there is only one. As do most cruise ships of this size. The cinema is terrible. There is only has 1 main dining room for its 2100 passengers.Carnival Legend also only has one main dining room. The Windjammer is definitely much better in appearance than the Lido but that is where it stops.

There is no serenity, as RCI calls their adult only area the Solarium, besides, Serenity is a newer concept for Carnival ships.the deck chairs are plain plastic without any cushions, so they are uncomfortable and are crammed so close together that it is difficult to sit down on one as you have to climb onto them...difficult for seniors! I can certainly see this being an issue, but also remember the days of Carnival ships not having padded loungers either. They do however have the Solarium which is covered and too hot on a Med cruise. There are only (guestimate) 50 to 80 chairs which are nicely padded with cushions but this is FAR too few for a 2100 passenger ship! And Carnival's Serenity area probably is not much larger than this, either. You may very well have been on a cruise with less families and more seniors than other cruises. But you are correct, that this does seem small for that number of passengers.

The two pools are very much over salted and hurt your eyes. This is not RCI's fault - to lower the salinity would require adding fresh water to the sea water used in the pools - this may not even be possible.

 

The staterooms are much smaller than Carnivals and the bathroom is minute, there is only one wardrobe to be shared (on Carnival you have his and hers) and in it are the worst shelves that I have ever encountered they were hopelessly inadequate in depth therefore whatever you packed on them fell off.RCI's and many other cruise lines do have smaller cabins. Carnival tends to have the largest standard cabins of mainstream cruise lines - this should not be a surprise, as this information is easy to find.

 

The food: RC must be on a big saving spree, to same food seems to be dished up day after day not much to choose from and is typically canteen type food.

Admittedly Carnival's food was not much better but there was FAR MORE variety to pick from.I don't doubt this one bit. One thing is to be said, the deserts at the Windjammer were very good. Now and then the Windjammer had something special on offer at 6pm but invariably when we decided to eat there after 7pm these dishes were not replaced and we had to ask the chef why, he then very kindly brought us a big plate of the missing item to our table. The cruise line is probably trying to reduce waste - once the food leaves the kitchen area, it is in the point of no return and cannot be saved for later or another meal.

The lunch time menu was disgusting and so was the room service.This is purely subjective. The room service coffee was undrinkable. Neither is Carnival's or Princess'.

BTW do not expect a "gala" welcoming lunch on embarkation day, you will just get the same slop as any other day! Never had a gala lunch on ANY cruise

Oh and I forgot to mention that the best kept secret is when they will serve the shrimps, that day the electronic display of the menu outside the dining room, was mysteriously out of order!!!SOmetimes things simply don't work as with any technology. Ever lose signal on a cell phone? Gone are the days when they served you lobster!Caribbean cruises still serve lobster on cruises of 5 days or longer.

 

The entertainment: mediocre to say the least; some shows were not repeated to accommodate both dinner sittings, which was no great loss as they were luke warm. Do not expect illusionists, comedians, acrobats and Las Vegas style dancing. There was one decent show but it lasted only 10min in the sentrum, all this on a 12 night cruise!Again - subjective. Never been thrilled with Carnival's sad excuses for entertainment, either. Princess was not as glitzy as Carnival, but was a bit more wholesome, IMHO, if not skewed a bit British.

 

Ports of call: These were great, but unless you are going on the ship's excursion do not expect any information to help you find your way in and out of the port, this should be the cruise directors field but no…sort yourself out before the cruise or pay through your neck for the excursions! No different than what I've experienced on Carnival They also did not stay in port for as long as possible thereby not leaving us enough time to do all we wanted to do. ONce again, no different than Carnival - when a ship is docked, they are being charged for the time they are there. With the ship's shops and casinos closed, they are losing two large sources of added revenue, not to mention burning fuel.

 

Customer services: Poorly managed. On embarkation day in Civitavecchia we were told that all Italian passports were to be kept by them but no explanation was given. You would at least expect to receive a copy of an official letter by the Italian authorities informing you of this rule to be applied and the reason why. I would also be questioning this. The second incidence was on the last evening, we received a note saying that we were on a cash basis and had to pay our account. We had given our credit card details TWICE but they did not have it on record! So we had to stand in a queue for 40min to sort this out as they only had 2 consultants to help at such a peak time...most upsetting!Typical experience at Guest Services on the last night of the cruise for any cruise ship/line

The staff: They were great, well trained and very helpful, no complaints there.

 

Lastly another annoyance was that they kept on changing the meal times so you could never count on e.g. breakfast to be served until a certain time, they said it all depended on the time we docked in the port. Again, sometimes schedules have to be adjusted for shore tours, etc.

 

Yep, we were definitely spoiled by Carnival, unfortunately they are no longer operating in Europe.

 

I've added my .02 in red writing, FWIW. I think that some of the criticisms are rightfully justified. I think that some are no different than other cruise experiences. Others still, are purely subjective, especially if meals do not fit your particular tastes. There were a few that I feel are completely unwarranted/borderline ridiculous and not worth getting into a huff over (particularly not getting the Compass, and the in-cabin announcements. The one about cabin size is nobody'e fault other than the OP's. Not saying that the cabin size is your fault, but not knowing the difference in cabin size is. A small amount on online research would have answered that question and you could have re-evaluated your expectations. Regardless, it's still good to hear a comparative analysis, though I think that some things were judged a bit harshly. The part of having only one dining room? That would be evident by looking at the deck plans on the cruise lines' website or in a printed brochure. As I also had mentioned, the Carnival Legend has the same layout with a two story dining room. If wanting several dining rooms on a 2100 pax ship, NCL can meet that desire, though may not offer cruises in the area you're wanting to vacation in.

 

My comments that I added are in red....

Edited October 11, 2014 by A2Mich
Formatting did not carry over

[momof3cruisers]

I'm sorry you had such a disappointing trip. Very odd that your steward didn't leave you the schedules. We could never get ours to leave more than one for the 5 of us, but we did get it. We like the dining room food and service on Carnival much better. (not All service, dining room and stateroom were the problems.) but we liked the Lido food and the teen club much better on RCCL. Overall, they are pretty similar reduces IMO.

[sail2sea]

Thanks for your balanced review. It's terrible to see how low Royal has fallen since the last time we sailed on them 3 months ago. You should also post on the Royal board. Just curious what a "gala welcoming lunch" on Carnival is?

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

What part was balanced?

If you think Royal has declined in 3 months< I just don't know what to tell you. Just got off Explorer and had great food, entertainment, and service.

 

I think that was said with tongue in cheek. ;)

 

Now older cruisers help me out, I remember being on one ship but can't remember the line where there was a switch in the cabin that you could control whether you heard the regular announcements in the cabin. You could switch it off at night when you went to bed. When I asked the steward about an emergency announcement he told us that emergency announcements over rides the switch.

 

I am pretty sure newer Royal Caribbean ships have those switches.

Edited October 11, 2014 by sail2sea

[Marysue11]

I would love for carnival to give some inter net minutes to diamond like princess does

 

 

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[Orison]

This is the first time that I am writing a review but I feel compelled to do so.

This is for those of you who are wondering the difference between Royal Caribbean and Carnival.

 

We sailed the Caribbean with Carnival Glory in 2010. The Grand Med on the Magic in 2011. Northern Europe and Norway on the Legend in 2013 and now 17th Sept 14 on RC Serenade of the Seas, the Adriatic.

 

We were obviously spoiled by Carnival as our latest cruise did not meet our expectations at all.

For the first two days we had no idea what was happening on-board as there were no announcements in the room and somehow the daily "Compass" had not been delivered! Our first thought was, did the cruise director jump ship?

(John Heald-we missed you!) Upon enquiring we were told that they stopped making announcements in the rooms as there had been too many complaints...surely the choice should be left to the guest to opt to have the system on or off. So that was a very bad start.

 

The ship SERENADE OF THE SEAS: Do not expect the grandeur of Carnival's ships. The bars on Serenade are tastefully decorated. The theatre is nothing to write home about and there is only one. The cinema is terrible. There is only has 1 main dining room for its 2100 passengers. The Windjammer is definitely much better in appearance than the Lido but that is where it stops.

There is no serenity, the deck chairs are plain plastic without any cushions, so they are uncomfortable and are crammed so close together that it is difficult to sit down on one as you have to climb onto them...difficult for seniors! They do however have the Solarium which is covered and too hot on a Med cruise. There are only (guestimate) 50 to 80 chairs which are nicely padded with cushions but this is FAR too few for a 2100 passenger ship!

The two pools are very much over salted and hurt your eyes.

 

The staterooms are much smaller than Carnivals and the bathroom is minute, there is only one wardrobe to be shared (on Carnival you have his and hers) and in it are the worst shelves that I have ever encountered they were hopelessly inadequate in depth therefore whatever you packed on them fell off.

 

The food: RC must be on a big saving spree, to same food seems to be dished up day after day not much to choose from and is typically canteen type food.

Admittedly Carnival's food was not much better but there was FAR MORE variety to pick from. One thing is to be said, the deserts at the Windjammer were very good. Now and then the Windjammer had something special on offer at 6pm but invariably when we decided to eat there after 7pm these dishes were not replaced and we had to ask the chef why, he then very kindly brought us a big plate of the missing item to our table.

The lunch time menu was disgusting and so was the room service. The room service coffee was undrinkable.

BTW do not expect a "gala" welcoming lunch on embarkation day, you will just get the same slop as any other day!

Oh and I forgot to mention that the best kept secret is when they will serve the shrimps, that day the electronic display of the menu outside the dining room, was mysteriously out of order!!! Gone are the days when they served you lobster!

 

The entertainment: mediocre to say the least; some shows were not repeated to accommodate both dinner sittings, which was no great loss as they were luke warm. Do not expect illusionists, comedians, acrobats and Las Vegas style dancing. There was one decent show but it lasted only 10min in the sentrum, all this on a 12 night cruise!

 

Ports of call: These were great, but unless you are going on the ship's excursion do not expect any information to help you find your way in and out of the port, this should be the cruise directors field but no…sort yourself out before the cruise or pay through your neck for the excursions! They also did not stay in port for as long as possible thereby not leaving us enough time to do all we wanted to do.

 

Customer services: Poorly managed. On embarkation day in Civitavecchia we were told that all Italian passports were to be kept by them but no explanation was given. You would at least expect to receive a copy of an official letter by the Italian authorities informing you of this rule to be applied and the reason why. The second incidence was on the last evening, we received a note saying that we were on a cash basis and had to pay our account. We had given our credit card details TWICE but they did not have it on record! So we had to stand in a queue for 40min to sort this out as they only had 2 consultants to help at such a peak time...most upsetting!

 

The staff: They were great, well trained and very helpful, no complaints there.

 

Lastly another annoyance was that they kept on changing the meal times so you could never count on e.g. breakfast to be served until a certain time, they said it all depended on the time we docked in the port.

 

Yep, we were definitely spoiled by Carnival, unfortunately they are no longer operating in Europe.

 

You lost me at this line:

 

Do not expect the grandeur of Carnival's ships.

 

One thing Carnival ship have never had is grandeur, but it's your review.

 

But none of what you describe even comes close to anything I've ever experienced on a ROYAL ship.

 

BTW, adjusted breakfast times for port and sea is nothing new. You simply didn't sail Carnival when they didn't have open seating for breakfast. You had not only your assigned waiter, but his assistant as well. Lunch too.

[navyvet8395]

As ive only been on Royal one time (on the Independence). I see your comparing a older Royal ship to the new ones of carnival. Of course the older smaller ships aren't going to have the same venues as the bigger newer ones that carnival has. Im platinum with carnival and have one booked on the Pride in Dec. But the Newer RC ships are better Décor wise and with fresh water pools. But I don't care to sail on the Oasis or Allure any time soon.

[cruisinfanatic]

been on both equally. can honestly say i like ccl way better. rci just nickels and dimes you to death for everything. also noticed alot of folks who sail rci think they are special, and that being on a rci ship makes them feel entitled or something. i dont get it at all. on a whole rci is more expensive for almost the same product. i'm all set cruising with them.

Really? What did you have to pay for on the Explorer that you didn't on the Carnival cruises you've been on

[qsuzi]

Maybe it's the tone or your effort in maximizing what you didn't like with so little you did, but unbiased is not what I was thinking when I read your review. I hope you give Royal Caribbean (or any other cruise line you try) another try. Could it be your experience is at least partially based on the change in class of ship and cruise line? The Grandeur is my least favorite RCL ship but certainly not the least favorite considering other cruise line ships.

 

What is most laughable is your "for those of you wondering the difference between Carnival and Royal Caribbean" based on one experience/ship. You are doing a disservice to those thinking about broadening their experience base and sailing other cruise lines and ships.

Edited October 11, 2014 by qsuzi

[Tapi]

Hey guys, this is the OP's OPINION and she/he is entitled to it. If you Loyal Royal's don't agree, that is totally fine, but stop dissing her personal thoughts and opinions.

 

 

I agree that reviews are the opinion of the person posting them. However, there's a difference between opinion and facts. When someone writes a review that has factually incorrect information, I think it's prudent to point it out. For example, you know that it won't be long before a first timer goes on a Carnival cruise looking for a "gala embarkation lunch" because they read it on the review that the OP posted. And you don't need to be a "Loyal Royal" to disagree with the OP's review, as the replies on this thread reveal.

 

Even if you write a review without wrong facts, posting it on Cruise Critic means that you better be ready for the ensuing feedback and comments from those that read it. Otherwise, what would be the point of writing a review in an open forum?

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

Edited October 11, 2014 by Tapi

[qsuzi]

I agree that reviews are the opinion of the person posting them. However, there's a difference between opinion and facts. When someone writes a review that has factually incorrect information, I think it's prudent to point it out. For example, you know that it won't be long before a first timer goes on a Carnival cruise looking for a "gala embarkation lunch" because they read it on the review that the OP posted. And you don't need to be a "Loyal Royal" to disagree with the OP's review, as the replies on this thread reveal.

 

Even if you write a review without wrong facts, posting it on Cruise Critic means that you better be ready for the ensuing feedback and comments from those that read it. Otherwise, what would be the point of writing a review in an open forum?

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Amen.

[ccruisequeen]

I've done 3 RCI cruises and while I was impressed by their shopping mall/hotel layouts, I felt claustrophobic. There were very few window seats unless they were in dark lounges tucked in the corners of the ships. If I wanted light, I had to go outside. I liked their cafes and the promenade entertainment (participated in the Halloween costumes parade) but the rest was crowded and disorganized.

 

 

Sent from my iPod

[gamecockinnc]

I had to reply. We are in Miami getting ready to head out on the 8 night CCL Breeze so I obviously like Carnival but we cruise on RCI a good bit too. We recently did a 8 night RCI Independence of the Seas and our two older sons (13 and 16) love RCI. But I don't like the food on RCI. I am always hungry after cruising RCI. But I do love the layout of their cabins (FOS, IOS, Oasis) and the balcony's are a generous size. The decor is also very tasteful......I am not a orange and purple type of person or modern art. Though the Carnival Breeze is tastefully done and in neutral colors.

I think Carnivals on board customer service is great too. So our kids like Royal Caribbean and we like Carnival. But we all love Disney Cruise lines the best.