We Sailed Royal! A comparison from a frequent Carnival cruise...

[CruisinTeacher4]

My last few cruises were on Carnival but my last cruise was RCL. I had sailed RCL before but not for several years .I found the rooms comparable to Carnival . The Windjammer had lots of selections but nothing was labeled so it was hard to find our way around . The MDR food was delicious with great service much better than Carnival except for desserts .The entertainment was slightly better than Carnival but I missed the Comedy shows . The daytime activities were lacking .Carnival does a better job in this department .I enjoyed the park Cafe but it is in an awkward space and hard to find . Carnival's deli is much more accessible All in all I would go on either line depending on the itinerary and since Carnival has limited itself to mainly the Caribbean I will be sailing with RCL.

 

I would agree with all of this. It was great to try a new line and see how everything compares. Overall, they are more the same than different!

[CruisinTeacher4]

So....question...I have sailed exclusively RC out of Port Everglades YUP ON LIBERTY and RC ENCHANTMENT out of Canaveral..being from Tampa have you sailed out of your home port ? I'm from Wesley Chapel and thinking about sailing closer to home...I understand ship size is an issue because of the bridge...would you consider it or are you happy with the schlep south...

 

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We've sailed the Carnival Legend out of Tampa a couple times and loved it! So convenient, too. Unfortunately, with kids, once you go big its very hard to downgrade the ship. I'm not sure if my kids would be able to handle anything aside from the Breeze class of ship now. And as parents, the more occupied they are, the better!! Plus my inlaws live in Boca so we usually combine our cruise with a trip to see them. PS We live in Wesley Chapel, too!

[CruisinTeacher4]

Thank you again for your help. I'm the same way' date=' have to have a lot of ice in my drink and yet Drew prefers no ice. We both are a bit of a germaphobe so I was really a little freaked at first! LOL Thanks again for clearing this up for me. Looking forward to our first cruise with them.[/quote']

 

Germaphobes will love RC!!! They have hand sanitizers everywhere and crew whose only job is to get you to use it:p

[CruisinTeacher4]

Let me know if there are any specific categories/comparisons you guys would like to see!

 

Clientele/Passengers

 

Okay, this may be a touchy subject so hopefully we can just say this tactfully. By now you know we LOVE Carnival but there is always going to be maybe 20% of the ship that is a bit rough around the edges (could be looks, behavior, social graces, etc). Sailing the Breeze last summer, I'd say only 10%. Sailing a 4 day Carnival cruise--maybe 50% rough. That was one reason I was so excited to sail RC for a shorter cruise.

 

The ship was 99.9% families which I think makes a big difference in clientele. You're not going to see Jimmy and 20 of his fraternity bros taking an RC Christmas Cruise. So there were literally no ruffkins on the entire ship! Overall I found the passengers very well behaved, low key, and polite. People were dressed a lot better and you never saw folks dressed in their cut-offs, tank tops, baseball caps, and flip flops in the dining room.

 

My son thought this worked to his disadvantage in the teen club though. He thought the kids were a bit too "different" for his liking though he did make a couple friends. Could have just been this particular sailing though.

 

Who Wins: Definitely RC if you are looking for more of a typical upper middle class passenger. But, I did miss seeing groups of people having a ton of fun around the ship. So it just depends what you're looking for in a cruise.....

Edited December 26, 2014 by CruisinTeacher4

[BecciBoo]

We chose the My Time Dining option as we do on Carnival, too. My only issue was having to make a reservation for MTD--isn't that the whole point of choosing this option--NOT having to make a reservation??? I much prefer just being able to show up whenever we are ready but it was fine. There was a bit of a line but it passed quickly.

 

 

Don't know who told you that but you do NOT have to make reservations for MTD. You may go at any time of your choice. They will make rez. if you so desire and this is to accommodate those who like to eat between main dining times or prefer the same waiters and table. We never had to wait on walk-up for longer than 5 to 10 minutes or so.

 

When you try another line for the first time, many tricks of the line are unknown and you miss a lot. You need to follow up with another and read these boards to find out just what to do. Although as you can see, we did the same thing with our one Carni cruise and will never return...why? Ship was filthy and we felt just not up to standards of RCCL.

Edited December 26, 2014 by BecciBoo

[Pancake16]

Germaphobes will love RC!!! They have hand sanitizers everywhere and crew whose only job is to get you to use it:p

 

"Washy Washy."

 

My first cruise they said this at the head of the line befor exiting the waiting room in the port terminal. Hand sanitizers were right there. At the bottom of the stairs...washy washy, more hand sanitizer. Stepping on to the gangway, washy washy. As we stepped on the deck of the ship, washy washy. We headed to Park Cafe where the attendants were standing next to the door AND SANITIZER...WASHY WASHY! I thought if this is how it's gonna be all week...it's crazy!

 

I appreciated the dillegence.

[JOHN 57]

Hello, were there commedians on board like the Carnival has? Thank you.

[FLACRUISER99]

Don't know who told you that but you do NOT have to make reservations for MTD. You may go at any time of your choice. They will make rez. if you so desire and this is to accommodate those who like to eat between main dining times or prefer the same waiters and table. We never had to wait on walk-up for longer than 5 to 10 minutes or so.

 

True, however believe it or not but there are RCI ships than strongly suggest making reservations for MTD.

[Oakman]

Let me know if there are any specific categories/comparisons you guys would like to see!

 

Clientele/Passengers

 

Okay, this may be a touchy subject so hopefully we can just say this tactfully. By now you know we LOVE Carnival but there is always going to be maybe 20% of the ship that is a bit rough around the edges (could be looks, behavior, social graces, etc). Sailing the Breeze last summer, I'd say only 10%. Sailing a 4 day Carnival cruise--maybe 50% rough. That was one reason I was so excited to sail RC for a shorter cruise.

 

The ship was 99.9% families which I think makes a big difference in clientele. You're not going to see Jimmy and 20 of his fraternity bros taking an RC Christmas Cruise. So there were literally no ruffkins on the entire ship! Overall I found the passengers very well behaved, low key, and polite. People were dressed a lot better and you never saw folks dressed in their cut-offs, tank tops, baseball caps, and flip flops in the dining room.

 

My son thought this worked to his disadvantage in the teen club though. He thought the kids were a bit too "different" for his liking though he did make a couple friends. Could have just been this particular sailing though.

 

Who Wins: Definitely RC if you are looking for more of a typical upper middle class passenger. But, I did miss seeing groups of people having a ton of fun around the ship. So it just depends what you're looking for in a cruise.....

 

After our recent Liberty of the Seas cruise (12/6//14), I definitely agree with your assessment of the clientele. Very nice to see after our recent 5 night cruise on the Victory.

[Raxter54]

The ship was 99.9% families which I think makes a big difference in clientele. You're not going to see Jimmy and 20 of his fraternity bros taking an RC Christmas Cruise. So there were literally no ruffkins on the entire ship! Overall I found the passengers very well behaved, low key, and polite. People were dressed a lot better and you never saw folks dressed in their cut-offs, tank tops, baseball caps, and flip flops in the dining room.

 

DW and I are not upper middle class (and may not even be middle middle class :)), but we do not dress in "Casual Walmart" fashions, either. It doesn't really bother me what other people wear or don't wear, it's how they behave, and whether that behavior impacts my enjoyment of my cruise. And unless these families are raising brats, I think cruising with more families as opposed to frat brothers would be more enjoyable for me.

 

That is what initially drove me to choose RCI over Carnival for our first cruise. Although after reading alot here on CC, it would seem the Carnival party reputation is caused more by the short 3-4 day cruises than the 6-10 day cruises. Would that be your assessment also?

[negc]

True, however believe it or not but there are RCI ships than strongly suggest making reservations for MTD.

 

That may be, but a "strong suggestion" is quite different from a requirement and experience has shown us that there is rarely more than a brief wait to be seated when you just show up at the MTD podium. I suspect that the same will prove to be the case in most instances when sailing on Quantum or Anthem or any ship which eventually offers Dynamic Dining.

[jayblue]

Thank you for your candid and objective review.

[Sailor_Sally]

Hello, were there commedians on board like the Carnival has? Thank you.

There was one Comedian on our RCL cruise and his show was in the large showroom . I really missed Carnival's comedy club.

[Grandma Dazzles]

There was one Comedian on our RCL cruise and his show was in the large showroom . I really missed Carnival's comedy club.

 

I think the "better" "more adult" comedians are on the Allure and Oasis in the Comedy Club; otherwise have found the main showroom comedians to be hit and miss; kind of depends on your sense of humor! Main showroom comedy shows are usually family-oriented comedy.

[CruisinTeacher4]

I think the "better" "more adult" comedians are on the Allure and Oasis in the Comedy Club; otherwise have found the main showroom comedians to be hit and miss; kind of depends on your sense of humor! Main showroom comedy shows are usually family-oriented comedy.

 

We had no comedians at all on the Liberty but I, too, have heard they have the comedy club on the larger ships. We love the comedy on Carnival and also like that they have family shows and adult shows. In all they usually have 20 shows over an 8 day cruise.

[CruisinTeacher4]

DW and I are not upper middle class (and may not even be middle middle class :)), but we do not dress in "Casual Walmart" fashions, either. It doesn't really bother me what other people wear or don't wear, it's how they behave, and whether that behavior impacts my enjoyment of my cruise. And unless these families are raising brats, I think cruising with more families as opposed to frat brothers would be more enjoyable for me.

 

That is what initially drove me to choose RCI over Carnival for our first cruise. Although after reading alot here on CC, it would seem the Carnival party reputation is caused more by the short 3-4 day cruises than the 6-10 day cruises. Would that be your assessment also?

 

I hope I didn't come off as snooty as we are certainly not upper class ourselves. DH and I are both teachers so we're not exactly rollin' in it;) I agree with you, its more how folks act and present themselves--speaks volumes regardless of how much you make.

 

I would agree though--you don't see it as much on the 7 day cruises and even less on the 8 day cruises (esp the Breeze as the price is significantly higher when we travel in the summer). We did one 3 day Carnival out of Miami and I won't do that ever again. I was just very surprised how well put together everyone was on this short RC cruise. Impressed!

[CruisinTeacher4]

Cruise Director:

 

Sorry RC, Luke Aerowsmith was non-existent aside from a quick schpeal at at the shows and a couple intercom announcements. I'm sure there are better (I hope there are better!!!!). Never saw him around the ship, never saw him leading activities at the pool, just never saw him. We've been fortunate to have some cream of the crop CDs on our recent Carnival cruises: Wee Jimmy, Karl with a K, and most recently Matt Mitcham (the absolute best--he was everywhere all the time!!!!).

 

Who Wins: Carnival! Though a CD doesn't make or break my cruise, a good CD does enhance the vacation experience.

[majarosh]

Yes...that's my point...spoiled rotten with the larger (newer) ships

 

Hello from Meadow Pointe 3 !

 

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[CruisinTeacher4]

Service:

 

This is a hard one to rate as the service styles were extremely different on the two lines. I know which my family preferred though and that's Carnival.

 

I can't really say anything bad about RC service though my husband was convinced most of them hate their jobs:eek: I more saw their brand of service as more formal and even slightly aloof (one woman near us called it arrogant which I can see but they may be taking it a little far...).

 

Carnival staff has a very friendly demeanor, they call you by your first name (which I know not everyone likes), they wear a more casual/tropical uniform, and just generally seem happier.

 

The RC bar staff and drink servers at the pool were great and very friendly/outgoing. But that's really all we noticed of staff that smiled. Embarkation staff, room steward, waiters, ANYONE at Promenade Cafe and Sorrentos (my husband thought these were the absolute worst) just did not come across with a positive vibe.

 

My son probably said it best. "Royal is like a strict teacher whereas Carnival is the nice substitute." Analogy from a teacher's kid--ha ha!!

 

Who Wins: Carnival, again! But style of service is a personal preference and you may feel differently:)

[Big_G]

Cruise Director:

 

Sorry RC, Luke Aerowsmith was non-existent aside from a quick schpeal at at the shows and a couple intercom announcements. I'm sure there are better (I hope there are better!!!!). Never saw him around the ship, never saw him leading activities at the pool, just never saw him. We've been fortunate to have some cream of the crop CDs on our recent Carnival cruises: Wee Jimmy, Karl with a K, and most recently Matt Mitcham (the absolute best--he was everywhere all the time!!!!).

 

Who Wins: Carnival! Though a CD doesn't make or break my cruise, a good CD does enhance the vacation experience.

That's kind of hit or miss depending on the CD. Some are way more visible than others. I've never sailed on a Luke Aerowsmith sailing so I can't comment specifically about him. I'd say you were spot on with your Carnival demographics but we've only had a small sampling.

[Raxter54]

I hope I didn't come off as snooty as we are certainly not upper class ourselves. DH and I are both teachers so we're not exactly rollin' in it;)

 

No, not at all. You most certainly did not come across that way. When the subject of how other passengers present themselves comes up, it is what it is.

[Vyhanek]

You can't compare a 4 night cruise on one cruise line to a 7 night cruise on another line.

 

Cruises on all lines that are less than 7 days attract a whole different crowd of people. The cruise lines sail their older/tired ships on the shorter runs. The best crew members get promoted to the ships with longer itineraries. Everything is different, the entertainment, the way they run things, the energy level of the crew. You can't compare a 4 day on RCL with a 7 day on any other line.

[Sailor_Sally]

I found the service on RCL in the main dining room superior to Carnival & loved the fact that at the Windjammer they delivered your omelets to the table and also brought coffee and juice .

Edited December 26, 2014 by Sailor_Sally

[majarosh]

Yes...that's my point...spoiled rotten with the larger (newer) ships

 

Hello from Meadow Pointe 3 !

 

Son at FAU !

 

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[klfrodo]

would seem the Carnival party reputation is caused more by the short 3-4 day cruises than the 6-10 day cruises. Would that be your assessment also?

 

I'll try to answer this. Or help with my own opinion anyway.

For background, I've got 11 Carnival cruises under my belt and 1 recent Royal cruise. In my late 50's.

Why does Carnival have a "Party" reputation?

 

A few reasons.

1. All cruise lines have their vocal followers and have never in their life sailed on another cruise line. ALL cruise lines, even Carnival. These cruisers will go above and beyond to be the loudest to proclaim that cruise line ABC is only for Partiers, swingers, only if your over 60, only if you have a 6 figure income, etc.

2. All cruise lines reinvent their brands over time. When Carnival first started out and only had 1 ship, and cruising was much more expensive than it is today,,, Carnival found a niche market,, and Yes, it was to party and dance, and have fun.

For the past 15 years they have rebranded to a more family oriented clientle. They still market themselves as the "Fun Ships" which I think they've done well with. FUN just no longer means sloppy drunk like it used to.

 

Having said all that.

A weekend cruise to the Bahama's out of South Florida or a weekend cruise to Ensinada from So Cal????? Look out. The party is ON

Edited December 27, 2014 by klfrodo