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Thinking of trying Royal Caribbean

mary80

By mary80,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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mary80

mary80

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We have sailed with carnival 4 times, and always love it. We are thinking of cruising in January, and found two cruises, both the same week, and both to key west and the Bahamas. One is with carnival, and one is with Royal. The Royal Caribbean cruise is about $300 cheaper. Have any of you ever sailed only with carnival and then switched to Royal? What did you think? We want to save money, but are afraid to make the switch. It'll be just the two of us sailing. Thanks!

 

 

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cruisinfanatic

cruisinfanatic

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We have sailed with carnival 4 times, and always love it. We are thinking of cruising in January, and found two cruises, both the same week, and both to key west and the Bahamas. One is with carnival, and one is with Royal. The Royal Caribbean cruise is about $300 cheaper. Have any of you ever sailed only with carnival and then switched to Royal? What did you think? We want to save money, but are afraid to make the switch. It'll be just the two of us sailing. Thanks!

 

 

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what ships?

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Jana60

Jana60

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We have sailed with carnival 4 times, and always love it. We are thinking of cruising in January, and found two cruises, both the same week, and both to key west and the Bahamas. One is with carnival, and one is with Royal. The Royal Caribbean cruise is about $300 cheaper. Have any of you ever sailed only with carnival and then switched to Royal? What did you think? We want to save money, but are afraid to make the switch. It'll be just the two of us sailing. Thanks!

 

 

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I'm amazed that you were able to find a Royal Caribbean cruise cheaper than Carnival for the same length of cruise leaving from the same port but hey I think you should try another cruise line if you've never done so. I've done 3 Royal Caribbean cruises, 4 NCL cruises, 2 Princess Cruises, and 18 Carnival Cruises. I went back and forth between various cruise line not sticking with just one so my opinion of them formed over an extensive period of time. So far I prefer carnival for price, value, and experience. For destination I prefer Princess and Royal Caribbean. I has been generally displeased with my NCL cruises although I would not say I had a bad time on any cruise except possibly a 4 day cruise I took on a very old Royal Caribbean ship. There was very little to do on that cruise and the seating everywhere was very uncomfortable.

 

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Tampa8

Tampa8

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I guess why wouldn't you try another cruise line?

But because you mention you are considering it because it is less expensive, more info is needed. As others said what are the two ships you are comparing? Is it $300 per person or for everyone combined less expensive? It's unusual these days for RC to be less expensive but not unheard of.

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mary80

mary80

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Sorry I forgot to mention that, it's between the dream and serenade of the seas. Both ocean view rooms. My husband is a firefighter, and Royal Caribbean offers a special discount for that, so that's where the lower price comes in. It is nice to see that you have sailed with carnival so many times, but still enjoy other lines.

 

 

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Tapi Great Review Rare

Tapi

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Life is too short to sail on just one cruise line. Go for it! Worst case scenario, if you don't like it, you can always go back to Carnival or try something else.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to sail on any of those two ships.

 

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mary80

mary80

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It's 300 less combined less than carnival. We really just like the fun relaxed atmosphere of carnival. We're not big drinkers and we don't gamble, so we don't care about bars or the casino. We love the crew with carnival, they are so friendly and always look like they are having fun. So, we weren't sure if Royal had the same atmosphere and if there is as much to do on board.

 

 

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champagne123

champagne123

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Sorry I forgot to mention that, it's between the dream and serenade of the seas. Both ocean view rooms. My husband is a firefighter, and Royal Caribbean offers a special discount for that, so that's where the lower price comes in. It is nice to see that you have sailed with carnival so many times, but still enjoy other lines.

 

 

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Mary...RCCL is amazing. You will not regret your decision. Give it a try and if for some reason you do NOT like it, at least you tried something different. RCCL has won "Best overall Cruise Line" eleven years in a row.

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michaelandjoanne

michaelandjoanne

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I've sailed both and they both have better points and worse points, but that is only in comparison to the other. They are both top notch cruise lines and you will have a great time no matter which you choose. The Serenade is a great ship and they have glass elevators overlooking the Ocean. A really neat thing to experience. The only caution i would give is that Carnival has a more structured kids program, particularly in the evening and nights. If you are travelling with kids and they love the late night camp carnival activities then that is something to consider. Otherwise you can't make a bad choice here.

 

 

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Surfwench

Surfwench

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It's 300 less combined less than carnival. We really just like the fun relaxed atmosphere of carnival. We're not big drinkers and we don't gamble, so we don't care about bars or the casino. We love the crew with carnival, they are so friendly and always look like they are having fun. So, we weren't sure if Royal had the same atmosphere and if there is as much to do on board.

 

 

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The two lines are more similar than different.

 

Royal's ships are beautiful, cabins are smaller. Entertainment is better on Royal, food better on Carnival. FAR fewer woohoo people on Royal.

 

One of these days I'm going to give their behemoths of the seas a try.

 

:)

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Orison

Orison

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We have sailed with carnival 4 times, and always love it. We are thinking of cruising in January, and found two cruises, both the same week, and both to key west and the Bahamas. One is with carnival, and one is with Royal. The Royal Caribbean cruise is about $300 cheaper. Have any of you ever sailed only with carnival and then switched to Royal? What did you think? We want to save money, but are afraid to make the switch. It'll be just the two of us sailing. Thanks!

 

 

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We took our first RCCL cruise for an itinerary that wasn't offered by Carnival. Prepared to note the comparisons between the two lines, I found everything either equal or better in RCCL. And the ship was stunning.

 

We came back actually will to pay more for that experience. Shortly after that, Carnival started their cutbacks, so now it's pretty much a no brainer. And if you look, you can still get those RCCL bargains.

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cruisinfanatic

cruisinfanatic

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The two lines are more similar than different.

 

Royal's ships are beautiful, cabins are smaller. Entertainment is better on Royal, food better on Carnival. FAR fewer woohoo people on Royal.

 

One of these days I'm going to give their behemoths of the seas a try.

 

:)

you really can't know that as you haven't been with Royal in quite awhile. Except for Guys on Carnival, Royal is just as good or better now

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Tapi Great Review Rare

Tapi

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We just have that fear of, what if we switch and don't like it...

 

 

I can't guarantee that you'll like Royal MORE than Carnival, but chances are that you will enjoy Royal enough to consider them worth your time and money.

 

There are several differences between these two cruise lines. Whether you notice them or not is a different story. Some are subtle, like your cabin steward handing you his/her business card with their direct extension upon arrival in your stateroom. Others are more obvious, like ship design and decor. On the Serenade, expect generous use of glass throughout the ship, with unobstructed views of the ocean, as well as a more soothing and tasteful decor.

 

Whatever you decide to do, have an enjoyable cruise!

 

 

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Tapi Great Review Rare

Tapi

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FAR fewer woohoo people on Royal

 

 

I've seen this term used a few times recently. What exactly is "woohoo people"?

 

 

 

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Topo Gigio

Topo Gigio

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The two lines are more similar than different.

 

Royal's ships are beautiful, cabins are smaller. Entertainment is better on Royal, food better on Carnival. FAR fewer woohoo people on Royal.

 

One of these days I'm going to give their behemoths of the seas a try.

 

:)

 

Food is definitely much better on Royal. Cabins are smaller, well depends which class of ships you are talking about!

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