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Just off Liberty, Carnival vs Royal comparision


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Enjoyed reading your thoughts. I've never sailed on a Carnival ship, though have considered it, at times. Most of what you wrote confirms my thoughts that I'd probably not like it as well as Royal Caribbean. I'm not so sure on the food, though. What did you think was "awful" about the food in the dining room? I sailed on the Liberty recently, and we didn't have any complaints about the food. Not every meal was a WOW experience, but we never had a bad meal.

 

I think it's always worth trying out other lines. We like the different experiences we get on them, rather then having the same old, same old. I would say if you want to try Carnival, try one of the newer ships in a Cove balcony. Those ships are not as "gaudy" and neony as the older ships, and the cove is something different to experience.

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The same episode of Big Bang and Persons sounds about right. They also played Two Broke Girls a lot.

 

Yea, but can you watch them in four different languages on Carnival? :D

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I agree that this is a chocolate vs. vanilla type of debate or like debating airline preferences. I think it's good that the different lines exist and offer options for people. I would rather that they each offer something a bit different and appeal to different cruisers than if they were exactly the same.

 

These lines were my two options when looking for a Bermuda cruise out of Baltimore. I went with Royal because it seemed like a better fit for me, personally. The "Vegas Style" party atmosphere thing is a turn off for me. I'm early 30s, I guess I'll be happy as long as there's a range of ages among passengers. I'm guessing that might vary depending on the particular cruise. Honestly, if they are polite and respectful, I won't care too much how old or who they are.

 

I agree that the various "sales" seminars are a turn off and I plan to avoid them. I get very turned off by a pushy sales approach and I have no interest in being pressured to buy things.

 

I do think food is subjective because I've heard different things from different people about who has the better food. Your opinion is the one that counts when planning your own vacation.

 

Hamburgers and pizza are nice but I won't make my decisions around them. I actually don't eat that many burgers and when I do, I tend to go for fairly unconventional burgers anyway. I can't see wanting to eat more than one or two burgers during a week and I'd be perfectly happy not eating any. Royal's food has looked preferable to me in the photo reviews that I read through. I guess I will find out in a few weeks if it will work for me.

 

I think Royal is more my style but I might be up for trying Carnival if I want to go to somewhere like the Bahamas/Grand Turk and if I manage to avoid Spring Break. I think a loud Spring Break party cruise might be my personal definition of Hell.

Edited by Wanderista
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Thank you for your comparison. We too have been loyal to Royal, but that was simply so we could get to Diamond! Now that we are there, we're ready to do some experimenting with other lines. I like knowing what those who've cruised both think.

 

The one thing that has been turning me away from Carnival is a couple of the things you mentioned -- I don't want to go on a gaudy ship and I don't want to go on a party ship. I'm glad to hear Carnival is changing some of the ship styling. But I guess we're among those "older folks" you mentioned :eek:. I think a lot of it depends on what time of year you cruise and what itinerary you go on. We once went on a cruise out of Miami in December and could hardly get on an elevator because of all of the scooters!

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The "Vegas Style" party atmosphere thing is a turn off for me.

 

Not really sure what you are referring to here :) I noticed no more of a party atmosphere on Carnival than I have on Royal. Never seen stumbling drunks puking everywhere like people lead me to believe would be on Carnival. No more of a "wal mart" crowd than ive seen on Royal ships.

 

I dont cruise for burgers and pizza either :) I was just giving my opinion on the food as subjective as food is. In both burgers and pizza, Carnival > Royal :)

 

The stupid gimmick sales I was referring to is the BOGO and other "sales" offers Royal has been running for over a year now. The tired old mark up the cruise fare to brochure pricing and then discount the second guest rate to make people feel like they are getting a deal yet the bottom line is still higher. Tney are a complete joke. Carnival does not have to do that to fill their ships.

 

Now that I have a current experience, I am firmly convinced that the people that make things up about Carnival being a party ship full of drunks has clearly never been on a Carnival cruise before. Sure, on their old ships sailing 3-4 nighters maybe but Royal attracts that same crowd on those same sailings.

Edited by ryano
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Thank you for your comparison. We too have been loyal to Royal, but that was simply so we could get to Diamond! Now that we are there, we're ready to do some experimenting with other lines. I like knowing what those who've cruised both think.

 

The one thing that has been turning me away from Carnival is a couple of the things you mentioned -- I don't want to go on a gaudy ship and I don't want to go on a party ship. I'm glad to hear Carnival is changing some of the ship styling. But I guess we're among those "older folks" you mentioned :eek:. I think a lot of it depends on what time of year you cruise and what itinerary you go on. We once went on a cruise out of Miami in December and could hardly get on an elevator because of all of the scooters!

 

 

All of our cruises have been out of S. Florida except for one, which was from San Juan. I can say there have been times when we could not get on an elevator because teens and pre-teens were in them, not the scooter brigade. In either case, we just wait for another elevator or walk, and walk off a few extra calories. We have been on short weekender cruises and 8 day ones, you get all kinds of people of all ages.

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The one thing that has been turning me away from Carnival is a couple of the things you mentioned -- I don't want to go on a gaudy ship and I don't want to go on a party ship.

 

7 nights or longer on Magic or newer (Breeze or Vista) and I think you would be pleasantly surprised. I know I was :) Magic wasnt gaudy at all to me. Just "different" than what i was use to. I found things to be way more alike than different. :)

Edited by ryano
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Not really sure what you are referring to here :) I noticed no more of a party atmosphere on Carnival than I have on Royal. Never seen stumbling drunks puking everywhere like people lead me to believe would be on Carnival. No more of a "wal mart" crowd than ive seen on Royal ships.

 

Now that I have a current experience, I am firmly convinced that the people that make things up about Carnival being a party ship full of drunks has clearly never been on a Carnival cruise before. Sure, on their old ships sailing 3-4 nighters maybe but Royal attracts that same crowd on those same sailings.

 

Well maybe it is a bit different on their newer ships, but the Vegas style party atmosphere was most definitely present in my experience. The fellow passengers were not preferable. The "Walmart crowd" was ever present on a 7 nighter from San Juan on Victory, and the decor was horrid. Friends went on a 5 nighter on Victory from Miami this past October and had very similar experiences. Not bashing those that enjoy Carnival, but things can definitely be different than what you experienced. With that said, it is not always as bad as some make it out to be. I think many of us just like to poke fun.

 

So there's my counter-point. :) Still won't be going on Carnival anytime soon. ;)

Edited by OfTheSeasCruiser
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Well maybe it is a bit different on their newer ships, but the Vegas style party atmosphere was most definitely present in my experience. The fellow passengers were not preferable. The "Walmart crowd" was ever present on a 7 nighter from San Juan on Victory, and the decor was horrid. Friends went on a 5 nighter on Victory from Miami this past October and had very similar experiences. Not bashing those that enjoy Carnival, but things can definitely be different than what you experienced. With that said, it is not always as bad as some make it out to be. I think many of us just like to poke fun.

 

So there's my counter-point. :) Still won't be going on Carnival anytime soon. ;)

 

Im not really even sure what "vegas style" even means. I was just saying :) I just think its funny and sad all the same that some people want to believe Royal is so much better than Carnival in all aspects when that is not my experience at all. I only have two Carnival experiences though. A 5 night cruise on a tired old ship and a 7 night cruise on a 5 year old ship just out of major drydock. Both were excellent cruises with great food and great service. I find both lines to be way more alike than different with very similar customers. Thats just my opinion though :)

 

I wont sit here and wave Carnival pom poms on a Royal forum though. :) I can do that over there. :p

Edited by ryano
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Enjoyed reading your thoughts. I've never sailed on a Carnival ship, though have considered it, at times. Most of what you wrote confirms my thoughts that I'd probably not like it as well as Royal Caribbean. I'm not so sure on the food, though. What did you think was "awful" about the food in the dining room? I sailed on the Liberty recently, and we didn't have any complaints about the food. Not every meal was a WOW experience, but we never had a bad meal.

 

It was our last cruise on Carnival where the food had to be returned. The meat dishes tasted chemically, like lighter fluid.(Our table mates sent theirs back a number of times too). Wound up eating the (Yummy) Indian vegetarian most nights. I never ever eat burgers or pizza on a cruise (and rarely do on land). I like to be waited on and dine rather than just eat and like to try new foods and/or things that I don't cook at home. I'm not a food snob, I like a variety of ethnic cuisine but as a former NYer and former restaurant owner I think I am a fairly good judge of quality.

 

As far as the party atmosphere on CCL I think it depends upon the sailing. I have found that the shorter the cruise, the more partying. When we did 12 nights on the CCL Magic in the Med everyone was exhausted from touring and there wasn't much partying. We did 2 5 day back to backs on Royal 2 years ago and the crowds on each were radically different. Had we taken only the 1st of the 2 cruises and had never sailed Royal before don't know that we would have ever returned. Much depends on luck.

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Does Libery have true VOOM/Internet? Or is just the satellite? Booked on December because of VOOM ads on Cruise Critics. Any info please share. Thank you!

VOOM is satellite, just lower satellites than the current version. True fast VOOM is not yet confirmed on Liberty.

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I think it's always worth trying out other lines. We like the different experiences we get on them, rather then having the same old, same old. I would say if you want to try Carnival, try one of the newer ships in a Cove balcony. Those ships are not as "gaudy" and neony as the older ships, and the cove is something different to experience.

 

We have been in a Cove Balcony a few times. My husband likes them better than any other cabin. You are so close to the water.................and protected from the rain and the sun.

they are a great idea for booking on Carnival IMHO. Great price too.

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Oh the irony!

 

Also just of Liberty and working on my blog of the trip-just finished a section where I compare Royal to CCL!

 

Agree somewhat with your assessments.

We've been on around 20 cruises and 9 lines but was my first time on Royal. About 4 on Carnival and had been considering Breeze until the idea of Liberty popped up.

 

Long story short...we're not fans. No more Royal for us. Twice we were in port with Carnival ships which brought up a bit of buyers remorse.

 

Once my blog is finished I'll post portions on CC.

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I think (and hope) that the two lines are more similar than different.

We have taken 4 Carnival cruises, with the last two being on the Breeze.

LOVE that ship, and we are SO disappointed that she went to Galveston.:mad:

 

We looked at the Magic for this summer, out of PC, and then decided on Oasis.

 

This will be our first RCCL cruise, and we are excited.

 

I read some reviews that make me a little nervous, and wonder if we made a mistake. However, food is very subjective, so I try not to read into that too much. The beds are a bigger concern.:o Sounds like as of lately, people compare the mattresses to bricks:eek: That is NOT going to go over well with me.

 

Hoping we didn't make a mistake, and we are very much looking forward to cruising on this BEAST in about 31 days!:D:D

 

P.S. We never saw people falling down drunk/puking on Carnival. I wouldn't expect to see that on Royal either.

Edited by KPfromCT
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I think (and hope) that the two lines are more similar than different.

We have taken 4 Carnival cruises, with the last two being on the Breeze.

LOVE that ship, and we are SO disappointed that she went to Galveston.:mad:

 

We looked at the Magic for this summer, out of PC, and then decided on Oasis.

 

This will be our first RCCL cruise, and we are excited.

 

I read some reviews that make me a little nervous, and wonder if we made a mistake. However, food is very subjective, so I try not to read into that too much. The beds are a bigger concern.:o Sounds like as of lately, people compare the mattresses to bricks:eek: That is NOT going to go over well with me.

 

Hoping we didn't make a mistake, and we are very much looking forward to cruising on this BEAST in about 31 days!:D:D

 

P.S. We never saw people falling down drunk/puking on Carnival. I wouldn't expect to see that on Royal either.

 

Seriously? A hard bed makes your decision a mistake? Food is not that bad.

 

You'll be fine. I've had wonderful cruises on both Oasis and Allure within the last year.

 

And I forgot: reading reviews rarely does anything but make one nervous! Don't look too much into them.

Edited by OfTheSeasCruiser
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Seriously? A hard bed makes your decision a mistake? Food is not that bad.

 

You'll be fine. I've had wonderful cruises on both Oasis and Allure within the last year.

 

And I forgot: reading reviews rarely does anything but make one nervous! Don't look too much into them.

 

Thanks, OfTheSeasCruiser. I really try hard NOT to read too much into the reviews.

 

But those damn mattresses keep coming up.

 

Even on our last Breeze cruise, they were hard.

It's not fun waking up in the morning and you are SO sore.:mad:

 

Again, we are CRAZY excited to get on Oasis and see all that she has to offer.:D

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Thanks, OfTheSeasCruiser. I really try hard NOT to read too much into the reviews.

 

But those damn mattresses keep coming up.

 

Even on our last Breeze cruise, they were hard.

It's not fun waking up in the morning and you are SO sore.:mad:

 

Again, we are CRAZY excited to get on Oasis and see all that she has to offer.:D

 

For reassurance, I was on Allure in February, and the mattress was very nice, there was even an extra pillow-like cover on it when we arrived.

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For reassurance, I was on Allure in February, and the mattress was very nice, there was even an extra pillow-like cover on it when we arrived.

 

Fingers crossed! I definitely will NOT let it ruin our cruise......

We are really taking this one just for the ship......

Worst case, we sleep on the pool deck.:p:D

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Oh the irony!

 

Also just of Liberty and working on my blog of the trip-just finished a section where I compare Royal to CCL!

 

Agree somewhat with your assessments.

We've been on around 20 cruises and 9 lines but was my first time on Royal. About 4 on Carnival and had been considering Breeze until the idea of Liberty popped up.

 

Long story short...we're not fans. No more Royal for us. Twice we were in port with Carnival ships which brought up a bit of buyers remorse.

 

Once my blog is finished I'll post portions on CC.

 

I am VERY interested in reading said blog :). Please post a link when done :)

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Thanks, OfTheSeasCruiser. I really try hard NOT to read too much into the reviews.

 

But those damn mattresses keep coming up.

 

Even on our last Breeze cruise, they were hard.

It's not fun waking up in the morning and you are SO sore.:mad:

 

Again, we are CRAZY excited to get on Oasis and see all that she has to offer.:D

 

Wow, my bed on Magic was heavenly! Better than what I have at home! However, my friends on the same cruise said their bed in their inside cabin was hard as a rock.

 

Could bed comfort be as subjective as food is? :D

 

Enjoy Oasis :). One day I will experience one of these ladies. I was hoping the move to PC later on this year would produce near Freedom prices. Boy was I wrong! I guess I will have to wait until Oasis is 10+ years old. Until then, I plan on enjoying all that Magic has to offer �� LOVE That ship! I posted a review on the Carnival forum if you are interested :)

Edited by ryano
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Enjoyed reading your thoughts. I've never sailed on a Carnival ship, though have considered it, at times. Most of what you wrote confirms my thoughts that I'd probably not like it as well as Royal Caribbean. I'm not so sure on the food, though. What did you think was "awful" about the food in the dining room? I sailed on the Liberty recently, and we didn't have any complaints about the food. Not every meal was a WOW experience, but we never had a bad meal.

 

The food was cold every night. Johnny Rockets was the same with the Hamburgers. Chops Grille had hot food. The biggest disappointment in the dining room was the lack of a variety.

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I think (and hope) that the two lines are more similar than different.

We have taken 4 Carnival cruises, with the last two being on the Breeze.

LOVE that ship, and we are SO disappointed that she went to Galveston.:mad:

 

We looked at the Magic for this summer, out of PC, and then decided on Oasis.

 

This will be our first RCCL cruise, and we are excited.

 

I read some reviews that make me a little nervous, and wonder if we made a mistake. However, food is very subjective, so I try not to read into that too much. The beds are a bigger concern.:o Sounds like as of lately, people compare the mattresses to bricks:eek: That is NOT going to go over well with me.

 

Hoping we didn't make a mistake, and we are very much looking forward to cruising on this BEAST in about 31 days!:D:D

 

P.S. We never saw people falling down drunk/puking on Carnival. I wouldn't expect to see that on Royal either.

 

I think you made a right decision giving Royal a try. It is good to try something new. Our beds were not hard on the Liberty, it was a very comfy bed. The food is very subjective, but I was talking with others and most agreed that the food on the Liberty wasn't as good as other Royal Caribbean ships. Maybe it was just an "off" week. Oasis looks like an amazing ship, the Magic is nice too though.

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The food was cold every night. Johnny Rockets was the same with the Hamburgers. Chops Grille had hot food. The biggest disappointment in the dining room was the lack of a variety.

 

The lack of variety seems puzzling, as I know what the menus are. They change every night, and there are something like 5 or 6 different entrees on each menu, along with the few items that are always available (basic steak, chicken, pasta, etc.). If you're going to harp on lack of variety, you should give examples of what you think was missing. I've seen Carnival menus, too, and don't see a big difference in 'variety' between the two.

 

Though it may sound like I'm being argumentative, that's not really my intent. I'm just curious for a little more explanation of "lack of variety", since Carnival and RC seem to have pretty similar menus, to my eye.

 

Now, if everything came out cold, that would be disappointing to me. I haven't experienced that, although at times entrees are not quite as hot as I would like.

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The lack of variety seems puzzling, as I know what the menus are. They change every night, and there are something like 5 or 6 different entrees on each menu, along with the few items that are always available (basic steak, chicken, pasta, etc.). If you're going to harp on lack of variety, you should give examples of what you think was missing. I've seen Carnival menus, too, and don't see a big difference in 'variety' between the two.

 

Though it may sound like I'm being argumentative, that's not really my intent. I'm just curious for a little more explanation of "lack of variety", since Carnival and RC seem to have pretty similar menus, to my eye.

 

Now, if everything came out cold, that would be disappointing to me. I haven't experienced that, although at times entrees are not quite as hot as I would like.

 

The new American Table menu on Carnival is VERY similar to Royals menus. A lot of the same items even. And then the basics you mention and offerings from the steakhouse for an up charge.

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