Carnival Cruiser Going Royal...A Few Questions

[Singer4Him]

We've talked about sailing with RCCL for several years and we finally bit the bullet and booked. As a Carnival cruiser for the past ten years, I've got a few questions that I'm hoping people who have sailed with both can answer. I would also love to hear any tips that you think may be helpful to us.

 

1. Does RCCL have anything comparable to Carnival's Faster to the Fun?
   
2. Does RCCL have staggered check-in? What is the check-in experience like in Galveston?
   
3. Is there somewhere online that I can find the nightly menus for the MDR?
   
4. For those who have cruised both CCL and RCCL, what are your overall thoughts (pros/cons) about the two lines?
   
5. Does RCCL allow for stateroom doors to be decorated?
   

 

I'm sure I'll have more questions before our cruise next year but thanks in advance for your help, as well as your tips.

[Cruising Golfer]

Welcome to RCCL;

#1 No, #2 Yes and have never sailed from Texas.

#3 New menus coming out, check the web site, they are there

#4 IMHO better people on RCCL

#5 Yes

I am sure will enjoy RCCL, the general rule in my book is, any cruise is a good cruise. Not that much difference in one line to another, food may vary, but that is a matter of opinion. Just go and have a great time. I'm sure you will be back... :cool:

[rum & monkey]

They have just redone the port in Galveston and IMO I think the whole check in process went just as smooth if not better than any other port we have sailed from. Get there early but they do have priority boarding for suites as you might expect. They also have priority boarding for Crown & Anchor members based on their level. So if you are in a suite you could still have priority boarding however if not just prepared you will be in a general boarding with pretty much only first time royal cruisers (however sometimes this line can be short with most being in a priority line). Boarding usually starts there around 10:30 if the prior cruise had no problems or delays with their disembarkation. If you are driving most (not all) the parking lots have shuttles that you can take your bags on so no need to drop bags first. If you are staying at Galveston overnight the night before there are some hotels that offer cruise parking and a shuttle service from the hotel (some free & some with a surcharge).

 

 

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[mizLORInj]

They are really more alike than different. I have had great cruises on both lines, and other lines as well.

 

They don't have anything like faster to the fun.

 

I find it best to try the various lines to form my own opinion. I've done that since my first cruise in 2003 and I'm very glad I did. I like the various lines for their slight variations on things. Each ship has their own cool things.

 

And I do not feel there are "better" people on RC (esp. since I don't spend my time judging others). I will note that the most obnoxious drunks I ever experienced on a ship was on RC Explorer of the Seas. But I didn't let it ruin my cruise. Pretty hard to ruin a cruise IMO!

 

ENJOY!!

 

 

Edited October 18, 2016 by mizLORInj

[EmmasNana]

You will not be able to get to your room until around 1:00.

 

Food on neither line wow me, but I can always find something to eat. I think on both lines it can be hit or miss depending on the ship or even just a different week on the same ship.

Ranger cookies are a must! Super good.

 

Decor is much better on RCI. It is more of a quiet elegance. Carnival decor is sort of loud.

 

Entertainment is better on RCI.

 

Both lines are more alike than different.

 

If you care about loyalty perks then Royal has the edge. Too bad they don't have the early to the room that Carnival has.

 

I am sure you will enjoy it.

[Ourusualbeach]

Here is a link to the current menus. They are testing new menus on the Oasis so these may be changed by the time that you sail.

 

http://www.royalcaribbeanpresscenter.com/download-press-kit/7/

Edited October 18, 2016 by Ourusualbeach

[kcamp317]

You will not be able to get to your room until around 1:00.

 

Food on neither line wow me, but I can always find something to eat. I think on both lines it can be hit or miss depending on the ship or even just a different week on the same ship.

Ranger cookies are a must! Super good.

 

Decor is much better on RCI. It is more of a quiet elegance. Carnival decor is sort of loud.

 

Entertainment is better on RCI.

 

Both lines are more alike than different.

 

If you care about loyalty perks then Royal has the edge. Too bad they don't have the early to the room that Carnival has.

 

I am sure you will enjoy it.

 

I agree. Having been loyal to RCCL for over 10 years now I do enjoy the decor much more than Carnival....just looks more modern, fresh/bright, and appealing to me personally.

 

We ended up on Carnival Sensation earlier this year after being cancelled from Empress and being unable to adjust our vacation dates. I realize it was an older ship but wow, the sparkly dark purple walls and 1980s disco look along with the over abundance of darker colors inside really made it feel dungeonous to me.

 

I do prefer the food on RCCL quite a bit more but as I said I have only been on Carnival once.

 

I have not been to Galveston yet, we were looking into it for next year but its a 70+ mile ride through Houston traffic to get to the port from the main airport. We don't have easy access to Southwest Airlines here so getting into Houston/Hobby airport is quite a bit more expensive for us but it is significantly closer to the port.

 

Another thing that may or may not interest you is the drink packages. My wife doesn't drink at all but I usually get a mid-range package that includes beer and some wine. RCCL really has the advantage here because I attempted to purchase one on our Carnival ship and they require everyone over 21 in your cabin to buy one as well even if they don't drink. RCCL lets you buy just one.

 

As for the Early to the fun.....we chose to accept an offer for a junior suite on Carnival Sensation with allowed us to bypass the main line to embark. Thats all fine but the room still wasn't ready until 1:00 as usual so I don't think it made a difference. We are Platinum level on RCCL so we can bypass the main line for embarking anyway.

 

Again these are just my opinions and we always have fun and enjoy ourselves. No matter what cruise line you choose its still better than a week at work!

Edited October 18, 2016 by kcamp317

[SilkySal]

In case you haven't already, check out your roll call via the site below and chat with your fellow cruisers on the Liberty the same week as you!!!;)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2329064&page=12

[Nemomof3]

We sailed on the Liberty at the beginning go Oct, We arrived at the port about 10:15 dropped the bags off went to park and rode the shuttle back. We check in (with friends who were sailing for the first time) and were on the ship by 11:15. No problems at all. Getting off was a little slower we had a low number and once it was finally called we were off and waiting in less than 30 min.

[starfish216]

Our family were all original Carnival cruisers going back to 2001. About 5 years ago we gave RC a try and we love it.

 

We try to always sail on RC when possible, the guest on RC seem more mature.

 

We personally like the decor of RC ships over Carnival.

 

Staff on both cruise lines are great.

 

We found both cruise lines have food we love and we we don't like. We always managed to find something to eat.

 

The shows on RC are seem more like Broadway productions where as Carnival I felt the shows were more like High School productions.

 

The Comedy Club at Carnival wins, Carnival just seems to have more Comedy shows than RC.

 

The RC ships we have been on (Explorer, Oasis, Anthem, Quantum and Radiance) have a dedicated space for dancing. Which we like, it's another place to go and hang out.

 

I really don't like the Carnival ships that place a band in the Casino, where there is no dedicated dance floor. If you want to dance you have to do so in the space that people use to go from one end of the ship to the other. And should I dare say all the smoke you have to inhale while there listening to the band.

 

We were glad we gave RC a try, for now it's our preferred cruise line to sail on.

[cb at sea]

RCI doesn''t make you pay to board early...show up...get on the ship! Very nice!

 

You will find the 2 lines to be more similar than different. RCI has better designed ships with better "flow".

 

Yes..you can decorate whatever you want...I've never understood that, since I don't decorate my hotel door...but whatever!

[DisneyDatknee]

I loved the design of the Radiance way more than the Breeze & the ole' Fantasy. Didn't have that pesky midship dining room. The ship decor is way more "elegant" on Royal's ships. We felt the dining is the same on either line. Some aspects are better on Carnival and some are better on Royal. I did miss that WCMC :D:D Also the 24 hour ice cream/pizza. Carnival's pizza blew Royal's overboard. Delicious and I would crave it while I was on the ship. Entertainment was IMO way better than Carnival. We hated playlist productions... Overall, would we sail Royal over Carnival, I would say yes (depending on price).. We just had a great experience and that's why we booked a last minute cruise on the Empress than the Sensation.

[KuffMUp]

We had two cruises on Carnival. The first one we didn't like at all. Not that it was Carnival's fault. I hadn't learned to relax and enjoy the trip. It took us three days to get to Puerto Vallarta and I was completely bored. The crew was not so friendly. The kids were allowed in the "adult" area pool and their parents weren't around. The kids were purposely throwing water onto sunbathers near the pool. I hated the set up of the buffet. Long lines.

 

The second cruise we found that we didn't like Carnival. The ship colors were ghastly. Some people don't let the surroundings bother them but I would compare it to ambiance of Denny's versus a steak house. The crew again not so nice. The grown ups were the problem on this cruise. Many passengers treated the staff horribly. One lady slipped while getting out of the pool and her significant other began berating the staff in expletives about how stupid they were for not keeping the area around the pool free from water. What did he want? The staff to pick up princess from the pool and deliver her to her lounger? Others after too many drinks couldn't taste the liquor and yelled at the staff to put more booze in their drink claiming that the bar staff didn't put any liquor in at all. Another sat his bucket of beers down at a table with his friends. Went to get pizza. The bucket was empty because everyone had a beer and the staff made off with the empty bucket. He then berated the staff because they carted off his "full" bucket of beer. After several minutes of yelling they gave him another bucket for free. And then there were the wife beater shirts and shorts in the MDR.

 

So, I decide to try RCCL to Alaska. The ship was absolutely beautiful. The staff took time to talk to you. We didn't experience anyone berating the staff. The kids were well behaved. I thought, ok, it's just this one time. I also loved the layout of the buffet. Instead of a long line on each side, there were food stations spread apart. Easy to move between and were well identified. I can't say much about the MDR food vs Carnival as it is subjective. I liked the MDR food on both. We never tried the specialty restaurants on either.

 

We took a short cruise on Majesty right after Thanksgiving. I knew there would be families on board. It was the oldest ship in the fleet and I was worried about how she would look. She was beautiful. At the pool, the children seemed very well behaved. I asked my husband if it was just me or if it seemed that kids travelling on RCCL were better behaved. He agreed with me. Again, I liked the layout of the buffet area and this trip sealed it for me that I liked RCCL better.

 

I forgot to mention that the embarkation and debarkation seemed way better on RCCL than Carnival. Quick on, quick off.

 

I know several people who are very loyal to Carnival and that is great. Both focus on the same demographic. Carnival tends to be cheaper and I have noticed that the newer ships have seemed to tone down the neon.:eek:

I know it shouldn't matter but being surrounded by folks who yell at staff and children that don't behave just put a damper on me. Would I never go on Carnival again? No, I would give it another try. Plus, I have finally learned to relax which may make a difference to me now. It's a shame it took me 4 cruises to learn to chill out!!

[dwayneb236]

Welcome to RCCL;

#1 No, #2 Yes and have never sailed from Texas.

#3 New menus coming out, check the web site, they are there

[i]#4 IMHO better people on RCCL[/i]

#5 Yes

I am sure will enjoy RCCL, the general rule in my book is, any cruise is a good cruise. Not that much difference in one line to another, food may vary, but that is a matter of opinion. Just go and have a great time. I'm sure you will be back... :cool:

 

Wow, I must be a low life. I did not know this.