Carnival V Royal carribean

[finnola1984]

Hi all,

I am recently back from my first cruise which was a 7 day royal carribean western cruise. It was fabulous, myself and my partner really really enjoyed it. We will be holidaying in florida again next may/june (2016) and would like to do another cruise but unfortunatly we need to do a shorter cruise as we are in florida for a shorter length of time. We would love to do a key west/ cozumel 4/5 day cruise and the only cruise that seems to be available are the carnival cruises. We are nervous going ahead with carnival as we have been told they are not as good as royal carribean and we are afraid we will be disappointed. Has anyone experince in cruising on both liners and whats there opinion? thank you very much.

[hayesktrm]

There are more similarities than differences. I think it really depends on the ship you will be sailing on. The shorter cruises usually have older ships so that will make a difference.

 

I think the entertainment is better on RCCL, although I think Carnival has way better comedy shows. I actually like the food better on Carnival.

 

It's all subjective, so choose your ship well and if Carnival goes to ports that you'd like to visit, go for it (with an open mind).

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

If I limited myself to a single cruise line my traveling would be beyond boring. Try something different with an open mind realizing that the two lines, though similar, are somewhat different. Also a 4 day on one cruise line can't compare to a 7 day on another...they are wholly different because of passenger demographics, ship age, ports visited etc.

 

If you are already "concerned" about switching lines you might not want to do it....you have already dialed into biases and they will reflect on your cruise enjoyment.

[ObstructedView2]

 

Hi,

 

I love Carnival, however if your very 1st cruise on Carnival is going to be a 3, 4, or 5 day sailing, your chances for disappointment will be far greater.

 

If possible, try to plan a 7 day or longer sailing as your 1st Carnival cruise. HUGE difference between a short 3 to 5 day Carnival cruise opposed to a 7 day Carnival cruise. Like night & day..

 

 

;)

[TheCriuseDirector]

I have sailed twice with Carnival, and am going on #3 this winter. My grandparents, however, sailed RCCL first (Freedom of the Seas) then went on the Carnival Sensation (Most likely the class of ship you'll be going on maybe even the exact ship). But the Freedom of the Seas is far larger and far newer than The Sensation, but they said that they found that they liked them both almost evenly, with RCCL being slightly better because they did a Caribbean on RCCL and only a Bahamas on CCL. They said that if they did a longer cruise to different places on CCL, they would be tied. They said that they each have their ups and downs but overall if you are on a cruise to have a good time and not nitpick at all the little things, you will be perfectly fine on any ship.

Hope this helps!

~Criusey

[Cant_Wait1996]

 

Hi,

 

I love Carnival, however if your very 1st cruise on Carnival is going to be a 3, 4, or 5 day sailing, your chances for disappointment will be far greater.

 

If possible, try to plan a 7 day or longer sailing as your 1st Carnival cruise. HUGE difference between a short 3 to 5 day Carnival cruise opposed to a 7 day Carnival cruise. Like night & day..

 

 

;)

 

Can you tell me why this is? I'm thinking of taking a 5 day cruise next June simply because I feel like the 7 day might be too long.

[riffatsea]

The shorter cruises tend to attract the "booze cruise" crowd who come on board to drink and party!

The longer cruises are generally more people who actually want to visit different ports and experience life on board the ship.

That is why the ships that do the shorter cruises have fewer amenities.

We would not do any of those short cruises!

[joepeka]

I agree with the others in that a 4 or 5 day cruise on Carnival (which will likely be an older, smaller ship) may not compare favorably with a 7 day on RCI (which would be a newer, much larger ship). If you've experienced an RCI Freedom or Oasis class ship on a 7 day itinerary, the shorter cruise on a Carnival Fantasy class (which is my assumption) just won't feel the same and if you already have some apprehension about Carnival, you may come away feeling like perhaps you missed something. Generally, RCI and Carnival are very similar in most ways with the attractions being somewhat different and RCI's pricing usually more expensive (especially on the newer ships). However, if you can go with an open mind, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by Carnival.

[mediccruzin]

Can you tell me why this is? I'm thinking of taking a 5 day cruise next June simply because I feel like the 7 day might be too long.

 

Really depends on which port you are cruising out of. The cruises out of Galveston which are either 4 day or 5 day are nice cruises. 4 day goes to just Cozumel while the 5 day goes to Progresso and Cozumel.

[CruzCrazy]

Hi all,

I am recently back from my first cruise which was a 7 day royal carribean western cruise. It was fabulous, myself and my partner really really enjoyed it. We will be holidaying in florida again next may/june (2016) and would like to do another cruise but unfortunatly we need to do a shorter cruise as we are in florida for a shorter length of time. We would love to do a key west/ cozumel 4/5 day cruise and the only cruise that seems to be available are the carnival cruises. We are nervous going ahead with carnival as we have been told they are not as good as royal carribean and we are afraid we will be disappointed. Has anyone experince in cruising on both liners and whats there opinion? thank you very much.

 

Hi,

Glad you had a great cruise. I'm about to give you probably more opinion than what you thought you were asking for.

 

First of all, you don't say which Royal ship, which would be very helpful information. I think it's unfair to compare ALL of Royal with ALL of Carnival or any cruise line for that matter. Each ship, even within the same cruise line, is different, with different amenities, etc. I know it's hard not to fall into that trap because so many people do, and you hear it all the time: Cruise Line A is better than Cruise Line B.

 

Back to your question about someone with experience in both cruise lines. I'm know there are many, many who do, and I'm one of them, having cruised on Royal's Oasis of the Seas once last December and on multiple Carnival ships over the years, most recently just last month on Carnival Breeze. I did a comparison review of the Oasis vs. all the other Carnival ships I had been on--but in that review I stated that I had not yet sailed on the Breeze, which I felt would be more of an apples-to-apples comparison. Now that I've been on the Breeze, I think I can present an even more objective opinion.

 

For me, they each had their stand-out moments. The Oasis (I don't say Royal Caribbean because I personally have only experienced the Oasis) was a spectacular ship and a destination onto itself. The entertainment was really, really good, and, they had everything down to a science when it came to organization. I kept noticing how streamlined all the little things were...from embarkation to moving people in and out of the buffet restaurant to getting off when docked in ports to debarkation once back in Ft. Lauderdale. For us, they fell well short when it came to My Time Dining (it was a fiasco on that particular ship on that particular sailing), and we thought the dining room food in the regular (not fee-based) restaurant was not as good as what we had experienced on, for example, Carnival Liberty or Carnival Glory. On the Oasis, I personally missed the ocean views, and, although we had a balcony cabin, otherwise if we were in the dining room or Central Park or any of the "neighborhoods," we couldn't even tell we were on a cruise ship, unless you went toward the aft where the diving show is held. You had to go up to the top decks (pardon my forgetfulness, but I think it was like deck 15) before you could see the ocean. I really missed the ocean views. That being said, I know from reading here and elsewhere that Royal has other classes of ships where the ocean views are stupendous, but, again, I haven't sailed on any of those. There were subtle differences everywhere you looked, but, in reality, when all was said and done, we thought the Oasis cruise was more alike than different when we did a comparison to all of our previous Carnival cruises.

 

Now that we've just come off the Breeze, I can say that, in my opinion, the service is friendlier and more personal, on the Breeze (and every other Carnival ship I've had the pleasure of sailing on). Service on the Oasis was good--just not personal--they tended to keep things on a more professional level. Of course, it's widely known they don't have dancing waiters, but I'm talking about more than that--they just tended to keep things a little more distant, which many may find appealing. We like the Carnival model where they call you by your first name every time they see you, with the addition of "Mr." or "Ms." On the other hand, the Oasis had the Breeze beat all day long when it came to organization. Take how they handle photographs, for instance. It's just ridiculous and has been on every Carnival ship we've sailed. The Oasis had an actual system that works. Both embarkation and debarkation were a nightmare on the Breeze. On the other hand, the Breeze, for us, had the best food we've ever had on a cruise ship dining room, and the décor is not garish at all--there's a very easy-on-the-eyes style of décor on the Breeze.

 

We would definitely sail the Oasis again (or any of what Royal calls the Oasis class--Allure or the newer Harmony when it debuts) if the opportunity presented itself, and we've already booked another cruise on the Breeze before she moves to Texas.

 

All of that long, involved explanation of my personal opinion brings me back to what you were talking about--a short cruise. I personally haven't been on a short cruise on any cruise line--barring one 5-day on the Carnival Victory. Most of the shorter cruises are not going to be on a newer ship. The newer ships generally do longer itineraries. If you could tell us what Carnival ship(s) you're looking at, someone can probably give you more specific information. Also, use the search feature here and search for reviews on the particular Carnival ship you're thinking about booking. Then, know that Carnival ships can SOMETIMES (for better or worse) live up to their "party" reputation on shorter itineraries and depending on the time of year. Shorter cruises (and spring break cruises) typically draw a younger crowd than say an 8-day southern itinerary.

 

Whatever you decide, try to inform yourself about the particular ship you're booking and go in with your eyes open. I've never been on a bad cruise, but some have certainly been better than others. I'm not a Carnival "cheerleader," and I try to be objective and point out both the good and bad to anyone who asks. It just kind of bothers me when someone who sailed on one older Carnival ship on a short 3-day run to the Bahamas tries to compare that to the Oasis or Allure or something comparable.

 

The other thing that people bring up when making this comparison is price. People who are loyal to Royal say you get what you pay for (meaning they paid more so they bought a better experience). People who love Carnival say they all go to the same places, and they all give you a bed and food so why pay more? I don't fall into either of those categories. I think you have to look at your own personal situation, what fits into your schedule, what ports you want to see, and decide which is a better value for you personally.

 

BTW, we sailed on the Oasis for cheaper than the Breeze because of Royal's first-responder discount, so we love that they offer that, and we're very glad that we ventured out and tried a ship on a different cruise line. We happen to think Carnival offers a good product, so we chose the Breeze this time around, but I choose by the schedule, then ship, then itinerary, and then price.

 

Good luck!

Edited August 9, 2015 by CruzCrazy

[grammi]

As long as you do your research and know what to expect you should not be disappointed with any cruise you choose. Disappointment comes from unmet expectations. I have take the Carnival Holiday (The oldest ship in the fleet at the time) out of New Orleans or Galveston and had one of my best experiences because I knew what I should expect and it met my needs at the time. 1 year later I was on the Holland America Oosterdam (a brand new ship at the time) sailing Alaska Inside passage. The next year it was the Carnival Imagination.

 

Sometimes all I want is a McDonald's cheeseburger and sometimes I want an Appleby's Bourbon Street Steak.

:D

[RaiderFaninNM]

Been on both lines and there are more likenesses then differences. For me Carnival wins most of the time for 1) the cost, very affordable 2)MDR food is better then RC. Both lines service are top notch and clean, for the cost I just could not justify going RC again when Carnival has the same thing for, in some cases substantially less. Would I try RC again sure but the competitive pricing has to be there.

[finnola1984]

Thank you all for the advice. The royal carribean ship i was on was the freedom of the seas 7 day port canaverl haiti, jamaica, grand cayman, cozumel trip. The one i am looking into now is 4 day miami, keywest cozumel trip on either carnival sensation or carnival fantasty. Does anyone have experience on either of these ships? tips or advice ? thank you! We really enjoyed our cruise in May and are excited to try another :)

[finnola1984]

thanks so much for your opinion! We sailed freedom of the seas and the ship we are looking at are either sensation or fantasy carnival. its a 4 day cruise, Im bringing my mum and dad on it so didnt want to do a longer cruise incase they didnt like it and didnt want to be massively disappointed as we have spoken so highly on our cruise experience last time. have you been on sensation or fantasy? it will be a miami keywest cozemul cruise in may or june. thanks again!

[Sparky2]

Thank you all for the advice. The royal carribean ship i was on was the freedom of the seas 7 day port canaverl haiti, jamaica, grand cayman, cozumel trip. The one i am looking into now is 4 day miami, keywest cozumel trip on either carnival sensation or carnival fantasty. Does anyone have experience on either of these ships? tips or advice ? thank you! We really enjoyed our cruise in May and are excited to try another :)

 

I agree with others that the 4-day cruise may be a "party crowd". If that's ok with you, then go ahead and try it.

[Pirate Dude]

I did three 4 day Bahamas cruises a few years ago, obe on RC (I think it was the Magesty of the Seas) and the other two on the Carnival Sensation. While we enjoyed both ships, we preferred the Sensation - better food and over all experience (though I have to say I loved the big bar with the panoramic view up high at the back of the RC ship).

 

As others have said the smaller ships don't have the Bells and Whistles of the bigger ships, but for our 4 days we were never bored, and though the ship's were booked we never found ourselves waiting in long lines or searching for deck chairs.

 

In all I would consider the Sensation for another 4 day cruise in an instant.

[swscruiser]

Been on Both, There is a Huge difference between the two. Fantasy is much Smaller and much Older. Fantasy was one of the 1st large scale ships that, after 20 years, are now for the most part the smallest ships at sea from Mainstream cruise lines. The amenities that are on the Freedom will be lacking on the Freedom. The service you receive will probably be very equal with the Fantasy being as some else said more personal. Although Subjective food will probably be a little better on the Fantasy, but the choices will be limited as compared to the Freedom. Passengers will also be different, not so much because of the ship or cruise line but because of the length of the cruise. 4-5 days cruisers usually try to cram as much fun into the few days they have and therefore will be a little more rowdy, it will also probably skew a little younger with fewer children. There will be no interior "mall" like area with the shops, bars and food venues on the Fantasy like there is on Freedom. Before RCCL came out with the Freedom class ships, ships were more of a vehicle to get to different ports, and now the ships have become a destination of their own.

Hope this helps, if you have a specific question you would like answered just ask.

Thanks

Keith

[patrice1]

I disagree that the short cruises are "party cruises". We've been on a number of them and see the same type of passengers as on longer cruises. Now, if you are going during spring break - that's different.

 

We have also been on RCL, albeit many years ago, and were afraid to try Carnival after what everyone at RCL says, but we loved it. We've also been on Norwegian and Celebrity and enjoyed them as well. Out of Carnival's ships we do enjoy the smaller ones. as well.

[Stateroom_Sailor]

I've sailed both lines, and just recently decided to boycott the RCL brand over crew cuts, pricing games, CEO arrogance, and absurd conditions and crew pressure on the Quantum ships. We switched from Grandeur of the Seas to Carnival Pride, similar itinerary, saved $1,300, and upgraded to a balcony.

 

To be fair, Royal Caribbean has better entertainment, better activities, and a more mature/classy vibe. Carnival has better food, better comedy, and a more consistently friendly crowd (no frown faced people walking around).

 

Length of cruise is not the only factory, time of year is also. I suggest sailing Last week of August - First week of December. If you sail in the Spring, make sure the college kids are in school (nothing in early January, Spring Break, or too late in May).

 

Variety is the Spice of Life, if you get a good deal, bang per buck you're still ahead. ;)

[tdmullins]

I am going to put my two cents in since I have sailed both the Freedom of the Seas and the Fantasy.

 

My very first cruise was on the Fantasy and where my love for cruising began so she will always hold a special place in my heart. But she is an older ship and in no way can compare to the Freedom. The Freedom just offers way more than the Fantasy can because of size and newness. But the places that Carnival won out over any of my RCCL cruises is in food and the overall fun atmosphere.

 

My next cruise will more than likely be on the Sunshine, as I am trying to work out it for November right now. I feel like its time to sail Carnival again. The biggest complaint I have with Carnival vs Royal is Embarkation. There was lines for both of my Carnival cruises and I have NEVER stood in line longer than 2 minutes on Royal. They are super efficient when it comes to this.

 

So my advice? Sail on the Fantasy enjoy what she does have to offer which is good food, fun atmosphere and the fact that you are at sea on a ship!

 

If you have any other questions about the two ships please let me know and I will try to help. I also have reviews of both ships with links below if you are interested.

[skylark131]

thanks so much for your opinion! We sailed freedom of the seas and the ship we are looking at are either sensation or fantasy carnival. its a 4 day cruise, Im bringing my mum and dad on it so didnt want to do a longer cruise incase they didnt like it and didnt want to be massively disappointed as we have spoken so highly on our cruise experience last time. have you been on sensation or fantasy? it will be a miami keywest cozemul cruise in may or june. thanks again!

 

 

I agree with many others that there are more similarities than differences. I've sailed on Freedom of the Seas, and she's a wonderful ship. We love RC, but we also love Carnival. Here is my short list of pros and cons

 

Royal Caribbean pros

- the entertainment is top-notch. The ice shows, main theater, comedy...we loved the entertainment more than our carnival cruises.

- the solarium is fantastic. Easy to go get to. Never too busy and those cantilever hot tubs were one of our favorite spots on the ship!

-the desserts on RC are so delish! My husband and I both have massive sweet tooths (is that called sweet teeth??[emoji4]), and we just loved how delicious they were

- we loved, loved, loved the royal promenade. So much fun to walk, or to sit at the pub and people watch. We had a promenade facing interior room, and would watch the shows from our cabin.

- Johnny Rockets is so fun for minimal cost!

 

Carnival pro

- the price can't be beat. Saving money on cruises means we can cruise more (or do more on our cruise)

-the food (appetizers and main course) in the MDR is better....very, very delicious.

- we love water slides. We are children at heart!

- we also love 24hour ice cream (because of sweet teeth!)

- the staterooms are larger

 

At the end of the day, we just love cruising. So, we miss the water slides on RC, but that just means more time in the hot tubs. Desserts on Carnival are not very good (especially on the buffet), so we pack waffle cones and our own toppings and take full advantage of the ice cream! At the end of the day, you're on a cruise ship, which is always a win no matter what line you're on or how big the ship is!

[JimAOk1945]

I don't know which Florida port of departure you will be near, but a search on the Royal Caribbean website shows there are two different Royal Caribbean ships with short itineraries from two different ports during the timeframe you indicated in your post.

 

I'll insert a link below in case you are interested in doing research.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruises?method=findacruise&departureCode_MIA=true&departureCode_FLL=true&departureCode_PCN=true&departureCode_TPA=true&dates_minDate=05%2F01%2F2016&dates_maxDate=06%2F30%2F2016

 

We have cruised on both Carnival and Royal Caribbean ships. Although there are some similarities, we prefer Royal Caribbean.

 

Happy sailing!

Edited August 9, 2015 by JimAOk1945