Good Old Carnival.

[Midwestgal]

As someone who has enjoyed cruising on Carnival but has decided to give Royal a try for 2016 I've been on their boards and I'm now scratching my head as to why RC cruisers talk bad about Carnival.

 

I read mostly how the food ion RC is bad and all the things you don't get due to cutbacks. I never had a bad cruise on Carnival just some better then others so it will be interesting when I sail on the Allure so I can make that comparison for myself.

With all their prior boasting about how superior RC is to Carnival makes me wonder how many of them have ever even cruised Carnival. I do understand the old saying " what one person loves another will hate " but Royal isn't sounding like it's so great.

[LMaxwell]

As someone who has enjoyed cruising on Carnival but has decided to give Royal a try for 2016 I've been on their boards and I'm now scratching my head as to why RC cruisers talk bad about Carnival.

 

I read mostly how the food ion RC is bad and all the things you don't get due to cutbacks. I never had a bad cruise on Carnival just some better then others so it will be interesting when I sail on the Allure so I can make that comparison for myself.

With all their prior boasting about how superior RC is to Carnival makes me wonder how many of them have ever even cruised Carnival. I do understand the old saying " what one person loves another will hate " but Royal isn't sounding like it's so great.

 

Have cruised both. Royal has much more options for music and night time entertainment, and overall I find the ships easier to navigate, less lines and a more overall refined feeling (difficult to describe). Carnival has better sized standard rooms.

 

It comes down to this: I derive value out of getting what I pay for. I stopped feeling like I was getting what I paid for with Carnival. I feel like I get what I pay for with Royal. There are a number of cutbacks at Royal that don't thrill me honestly, but the overall value is still there for me.

 

Many will say Royal is a lot more expensive. I have not found that to be the case, but we stay in standard rooms, not suites (where Royal can get very expensive).

 

I like the food on both but I am not picky, I am adventurous and will try new things and haven't had any really bad meals on either.

[CruisingwithAutism]

Royal is fine. There are some things we liked better but not enough to spend twice as much. My kids liked the flow rider, the ice skating and the rock wall but they did it once during the cruise and didn't ask to do it again.

What they really enjoy is the Waterworks and slides on the Carnival ships. There are no slides on Royal-just a splash-spray zone.

The food- it may be marginally better but again not enough to warrant double the fare.

We also enjoy the varied itineraries on Carnival. But Royal does have larger cabins (at least on Freedom of the Seas)

Go enjoy yourself!! A cruise is a cruise no matter the ship!

 

 

 

Feb '11 Carnival Elation

Nov '11 Carnival Fascination

Sep '12 Royal Monarch of the Seas

Nov '12 Royal Freedom of the Seas

Sep '13 Carnival Dream

Jan '14 Disney Dream

Mar '14 Disney Magic

Aug '14 Caribbean Princess

Oct '14 Carnival Dream

May '15 Carnival Sunshine

Nov '15 Carnival Sunshine

[SkyMaster]

I too, have sailed both lines extensively, and there are pluses, and minuses for both lines. It truly depends on what you are looking for in a cruise, whether you'll prefer RCI, or Carnival. For me, it happens to be Carnival at this point, but next year, it might be RCI. :confused: As far as that goes, NCL used to be my favorite, and now I won't even consider sailing that line. :rolleyes:

 

"SKY"

[justusfour2014]

As someone who has enjoyed cruising on Carnival but has decided to give Royal a try for 2016 I've been on their boards and I'm now scratching my head as to why RC cruisers talk bad about Carnival.

 

I read mostly how the food ion RC is bad and all the things you don't get due to cutbacks. I never had a bad cruise on Carnival just some better then others so it will be interesting when I sail on the Allure so I can make that comparison for myself.

With all their prior boasting about how superior RC is to Carnival makes me wonder how many of them have ever even cruised Carnival. I do understand the old saying " what one person loves another will hate " but Royal isn't sounding like it's so great.

 

"With all their prior boasting about how superior RC is to Carnival makes me wonder how many of them have ever even cruised Carnival."

 

Exactly! Our first cruise last March was on Fascination and I cannot tell you how many people said awful things about Carnival when I said what cruise line. Finally I got to the point where I'd say, "Oh so you've cruised Carnival before?" 99% of them had not and it shut them up. I'd give the same response when someone would say they "hate" Carnival. Of course, I'd always follow up with, "Hard to hate something you've never experienced.":)

 

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[legion3]

RCI has always booked out at $500 or more compared to a similar cruise on CCL ES for my family of 4 and that is often before any possible price drops which all my CCL cruises booked ES have had.

 

We are not flexible in our cruise dates, we plan a year out and that means ES is the best for us. So far.

 

RCI was my first cruise way back on the pre stretched Song of Norway and I sure would like to go again but I cannot get as good of a price as CCL. But still looking.

[klfrodo]

After having sailed exclusively on Carnival for 11 cruises, my wife and I decided to try Royal.

I too was expecting to experience this alleged "WOW" factor. This alleged more "Refined" demographic. This alleged " Superior" customer service.

 

Our sailing was on the Freedom of the Seas.

 

We experienced no WOW or Superior service. We did experience pompous demographics. Not everyone everywhere, but with Diamond Club, Consierge Service, reserved seating, etc., I found there were a lot of people with a high level of self importance.

 

The crew members worked very hard, the ship was a joy, the activities were great,,,,,, differences?? Yes. Superior product as compared to Carnival?? No

[Tapi]

With all their prior boasting about how superior RC is to Carnival makes me wonder how many of them have ever even cruised Carnival. I do understand the old saying " what one person loves another will hate " but Royal isn't sounding like it's so great.

 

 

You're better off going with lower expectations than with unrealistically high expectations. That's the secret to truly enjoying a cruise and being wowed, whether on Royal, Carnival or any other cruise line.

 

We were victims of that when we sailed on Holland America last year. We bought into their "Signature of Excellence" slogan and expected everything to be, well, excellent. Although it was a wonderful cruise, and Holland was indeed a step above other cruise lines, it failed to meet expectations, so we came home a bit underwhelmed.

 

The same can be said about Royal. While I do consider them to be worth an upcharge, and their overall product a few notches above Carnival, I can see how they would disappoint those cruisers who expect more than this cruise line actually delivers. When we sail on Royal, we now know what to expect so we come home very satisfied with the experience.

 

Once again, go with an open mind and with realistic expectations. Also, go knowing that what may wow someone else may not be what wows you.

 

With all of that said, Allure is beyond amazing, and it's like nothing you have experienced before. To this day, we are still wowed about our sailing on that ship.

 

 

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Edited January 11, 2015 by Tapi

[stargate fan]

Have cruised both. Royal has much more options for music and night time entertainment, and overall I find the ships easier to navigate, less lines and a more overall refined feeling (difficult to describe). Carnival has better sized standard rooms.

 

It comes down to this: I derive value out of getting what I pay for. I stopped feeling like I was getting what I paid for with Carnival. I feel like I get what I pay for with Royal. There are a number of cutbacks at Royal that don't thrill me honestly, but the overall value is still there for me.

 

Many will say Royal is a lot more expensive. I have not found that to be the case, but we stay in standard rooms, not suites (where Royal can get very expensive).

 

I like the food on both but I am not picky, I am adventurous and will try new things and haven't had any really bad meals on either.

 

We had a very different experience on Liberty of the Seas. Every night tables of goods were set up in the Royal Promenade, creating so little space on either side to walk that it was practically suffocating. The throng couldn't move at times.

 

Granted this was a few years ago, and it was one week on one ship.

 

But, boy do I want to give Allure of the Seas a try. If only she could visit different ports.

[Tapi]

Exactly! Our first cruise last March was on Fascination and I cannot tell you how many people said awful things about Carnival when I said what cruise line. Finally I got to the point where I'd say, "Oh so you've cruised Carnival before?" 99% of them had not and it shut them up.

 

 

This is one example of how someone's treasure is someone else's trash. After 9 consecutive Carnival cruises, our last sailing on the Fascination was so mediocre and unsatisfying that it was what prompted us to take a break from Carnival and try other cruise lines. And we've been very happy with the decision since we have revisited other cruise lines and tried new ones. Not saying that we won't ever sail on Carnival again, but it's been good to broaden our horizons and open our eyes to what other cruise lines have to offer.

 

So not everybody with something less than nice to say about Carnival has never sailed on them.

 

 

 

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Edited January 11, 2015 by Tapi

[janetz]

We had a very different experience on Liberty of the Seas. Every night tables of goods were set up in the Royal Promenade, creating so little space on either side to walk that it was practically suffocating. The throng couldn't move at times.

 

Granted this was a few years ago, and it was one week on one ship.

 

But, boy do I want to give Allure of the Seas a try. If only she could visit different ports.

 

The Allure and Oasis are destinations. If you see a good price, go for it. No matter what port you visit, you will be "wowed" by the ship ;)

[Velvetwater]

Its probably just people trying to make themselves feel better about their own self worth.

 

 

You see people on the Celebrity slagging off RCI and I guess theres a board doing it to Celebrity (probably Crystal or something)....and so on.

 

The thing is, we are all cruising and having a good time.

If people want to pay more for that pleasure then fine but I will always sail for the best price.

 

When it comes to cheap we found out last minute that Cunard's summer Greece voyage was cheaper than our Panama Canal one so sometimes Carnival isnt even the cheapest anyway.

[gnocchi_mommy]

You will have a great time on RCCL, as long as you go in with a good attitude and a willingness not to sweat the small stuff. Just like Carnival ;-)

 

We prefer the food and the less crowded feeling of Carnival- but Royal's ships themselves are beautiful and fun to explore and the shows are great. We've never had a bad cruise on either.

[gnocchi_mommy]

Oh and we like our casino time, I personally have enjoyed the casinos on Royal more than Carnival- but I stick to the machines. My husband OTOH, loves playing Blackjack on Carnival and thats where he is every night- they have a fun pair fun 21 version he likes that doesn't exist on other brands.

[travelndad]

I have only sailed on CCL. Every time I look to book a cruise, I find RC to be more expensive, so I end up booking with CCL again. I have just booked a RC cruise though on the Grandeur of the Seas out of Baltimore. The price for the eight day cruise was not too much more expensive, but CCL only does a six day from Baltimore at this time. I am also able to drive to port and save on airfare. I am definitely looking forward to cruising RC. Any cruise is a good cruise no matter what line. It is what you make of it. I usually don't get upset too easily, I mean I am on vacation.

[gnocchi_mommy]

I have only sailed on CCL. Every time I look to book a cruise, I find RC to be more expensive, so I end up booking with CCL again. I have just booked a RC cruise though on the Grandeur of the Seas out of Baltimore. The price for the eight day cruise was not too much more expensive, but CCL only does a six day from Baltimore at this time. I am also able to drive to port and save on airfare. I am definitely looking forward to cruising RC. Any cruise is a good cruise no matter what line. It is what you make of it. I usually don't get upset too easily, I mean I am on vacation.

 

I just booked Grandeur yesterday for next New Years- we knew we wanted something close by so I compared it with the Pride and surprisingly 10 days on Grandeur is less than 8 on Pride! That made the decision easy!

[Laurie S.]

I went on Oasis with friends just to see what a ship that size would be like. I had a good time because I was with friends, but was disappointed in much of the ship and its offerings. The food was average, the service was average, and there was a lot that just didn't do it for me. I won't go back.

 

On the other hand, I love HAL, but not the passenger demographics nor their prices anymore. I always get a suite and they are pricey on RCL and HAL.

 

I have fun on Carnival, love the Spirit class ships, and get a good value for my money.

[liquorstore]

Having sailed on Celebrity Millenium (Alaska), Royal Enchantment, Carnival Fascination (Bahamas), and going back to Carnival Sunshine (Western Caribbean), it does seem there are different attitudes and strengths. Celebrity was more geared for relaxation and constant information. Royal was very good in individual service (room, dining) but very lacking in common area service and security (disruptive groups on deck, halls, restrooms). I really enjoy Carnival's "Fun Ship" attitude from room service to deck activities. My vote is for Carnival and look forward to April's cruise

[BettyPC]

I liked Royal - some differences we enjoyed - Carnival is way better at "Anytime Dining"

 

Can't wait to see Splendor in Feb!

[Midwestgal]

I'm certian I will have a great time on Allure , I always make the best out any vacation. One thinkg that I was surprised by and some may give me an eye roll on this is you don't get a robe in a D2 balcony, I like the darn robe for the very reason of sitting out late at night on my balcony it's nice and warm.

I know there will be differences and it will all be good but there's been a few things that I've gotten use to with a Carnival that Royal doesn't do.

 

Thanks for everyone's thoughts.....I'm very excited to take this cruise.

[cantthinkofanythingfun]

I just booked Grandeur yesterday for next New Years- we knew we wanted something close by so I compared it with the Pride and surprisingly 10 days on Grandeur is less than 8 on Pride! That made the decision easy!

 

How in the world did this happen? Is this for like an inside room? I guess I am a balcony snob and only price those rooms, but every time I have priced a cruise the Grandeur is always at least twice as much for a balcony room over the Pride. Of course the Pride does seem to have a lot more balcony rooms. I tried to book a last minute cruise on the Grandeur over Thanksgiving week and it was twice as much as a mini-suite on the NCL Breakaway out of NYC. That's a relatively new ship. The Grandeur was actually the same price that week as the Quantum was, and it was the Quantum's Maiden Voyage. I went with the Breakaway. I have always found RCL's prices for that ship to be obscene. It's an old ship. I pass it every week, and the Pride actually looks like it's much nicer from the outside (The Pride is pretty ugly on the inside). The ship caught fire a couple years ago. I could see paying a slight premium to sail on RCL's Oasis, Allure, or Quantum. Those ships are like Disney World at Sea, but I just don't know where they get off with their prices for their older ships.

 

As to the OP's topic. Like it or not, Carnival seems to have a reputation of being a booze cruise and a lower class line. It's an opinion held by many people that have never sailed on it. I don't like stuffiness, and I'm certainly not going on vacation to judge people. My first cruise was on the Celebrity Millennium when that was a new ship, and I hated it. I never thought I would ever cruise again, but I got a ridiculous deal on the Pride out of Baltimore and needed to just get away from everything for a week. I had a great time. NCL is my favorite line, but I have no issue with Carnival. It is up to their marketing team to change Carnival's low class perception. If I were them, I would take those older ships that run short cruises, and do tend to be party boats, and make a whole new line out of them, or tie them in with AIDA.

[janetz]

I'm certian I will have a great time on Allure , I always make the best out any vacation. One thinkg that I was surprised by and some may give me an eye roll on this is you don't get a robe in a D2 balcony, I like the darn robe for the very reason of sitting out late at night on my balcony it's nice and warm.

I know there will be differences and it will all be good but there's been a few things that I've gotten use to with a Carnival that Royal doesn't do.

 

Thanks for everyone's thoughts.....I'm very excited to take this cruise.

 

 

For us, the shows were the biggest draw. They were wonderful. :)

[crzndeb]

I am Emerald on RCI and Platinum on Carnival. There are certain things I like about each line. I have also seen many a thread on the Carnival boards putting down RCI. I'm sure most of them have never sailed on RCI either.

 

I will admit that I can be snooty if someone within earshot of me is being rude, obnoxious or complaining constantly. In fact, you may get the stink eye from me as I walk away. I don't tolerate that kind of behavior in anyone, not matter what line you are on.

[A2Mich]

Its probably just people trying to make themselves feel better about their own self worth.

 

 

You see people on the Celebrity slagging off RCI and I guess theres a board doing it to Celebrity (probably Crystal or something)....and so on.

 

The thing is, we are all cruising and having a good time.

If people want to pay more for that pleasure then fine but I will always sail for the best price.

 

When it comes to cheap we found out last minute that Cunard's summer Greece voyage was cheaper than our Panama Canal one so sometimes Carnival isnt even the cheapest anyway.

 

Just a reminder that there are super-special people everywhere who think they are more important than everyone else. I just let them believe that and simply remember that their butler assists them in putting their pants on one leg at a time as well. Always wondered why people need servants like that....too lazy to do anything themsekves, or not smart enough to figure anything out for themselves? Oh well, some of us have day to day real world issues to contend with...

Edited January 11, 2015 by A2Mich

[Midwestgal]

For us, the shows were the biggest draw. They were wonderful. :)

 

I agree with you there and I haven't even cruised yet. Our last two cruises the shows weren't very good with the exception on one show on Breeze. Looking forward to something new . I think there's pro's and con's on all lines as well as ships. I do wish you didn't have to pay for a burger at Johnny Rockets on Allure as to where Guy's are free. It's going to be interesting to see the differences .