Long time Carnival cruiser who just booked 1st Royal Caribbean cruise

[CarnivalCreed]

We didn't sail the Jewel, but we did sail the Indy, in Europe. I wrote a Pros/Cons report (it's in my signature). It will give you some idea of the things we noticed between the two lines. We enjoyed our time on Indy, but I also feel that a cruise is what you make of it.

 

 

 

Thanks!

 

 

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[CarnivalCreed]

Everyone here has been immensely helpful. Thanks again.

 

 

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[Pellaz]

Seriously? People on Carnival bring their kids to the adult only areas? What does "ADULT ONLY" mean to these people??? I go on cruises and enjoy the peace and quiet the adults only area provides. Carnival crew does not assure their adult only areas are kept adult only? That is too bad.

 

I'm not sure what user "fishtaco" was trying to say, but I haven't seen any kids in the Serenity areas (Carnival's adults-only enclave) on any of my Carnival cruises since 2011.

 

The aft pools and hot-tubs on some Carnival ships are adults-only to enter, but kids can be in the area. That could be what they were trying to say. While I've seen kids trying to get into those facilities, they were chased out pretty quickly, and (as of last year) Carnival is now stationing "pool monitors" to watch over the pools.

 

I've been on a couple of Carnival Cruises and found the ships to be garish. Not my favorite line. We stick with RCCL and NCL.

Try the Vista. We actually found the decor to be surprisingly UN-garish, almost to the point of being plain.

[fishtaco]

Seriously? People on Carnival bring their kids to the adult only areas? What does "ADULT ONLY" mean to these people??? I go on cruises and enjoy the peace and quiet the adults only area provides. Carnival crew does not assure their adult only areas are kept adult only? That is too bad.

 

 

I've been on a couple of Carnival Cruises and found the ships to be garish. Not my favorite line. We stick with RCCL and NCL.

 

Lol sounds like you are ready to cruise Princess! lol

 

I find adults on Royal to be much more anal about kids having a look in adult areas than Carnival, some people just cant comprehend Adult starts at 18 years old not over 55 years old and kids pester their Dads (on Carnival) to see whats going on at that loud fun young adults pool,well thats what Dad usually tells MoM :lips-sealed::lips-sealed: lol

 

We dont have kids but I take much pleasure in watching the RCI (Meerkats with reading glasses crowd lol) spot a child from 100 paces and instantly nudge hubby to get up and complain! lol

[fishtaco]

I'm not sure what user "fishtaco" was trying to say, but I haven't seen any kids in the Serenity areas (Carnival's adults-only enclave) on any of my Carnival cruises since 2011.

 

The aft pools and hot-tubs on some Carnival ships are adults-only to enter, but kids can be in the area. That could be what they were trying to say. While I've seen kids trying to get into those facilities, they were chased out pretty quickly, and (as of last year) Carnival is now stationing "pool monitors" to watch over the pools.

 

Try the Vista. We actually found the decor to be surprisingly UN-garish, almost to the point of being plain.

 

Tongue in cheek lol but hey the adult only rule enforcing Meerkats are everywhere on RCI just as the other poster you quoted confirmed! :)

[deliver42]

If you like RCCL, then you will definitely like NCL, especially the big ships. So much to do, and great entertainment. You might not like Princess as much. We tried Princess on the Regal, and doubt very much if we'll ever go back. Not a bad cruise, but quite boring. The food was good the first 2 days, then went downhill quickly.

[coffeebean]

 

Try the Vista. We actually found the decor to be surprisingly UN-garish, almost to the point of being plain.

 

Carnival's older ships were done by a designer who leaned toward garish. I haven't been on their newer ships so it's good to know they have a different designer.

[coffeebean]

If you like RCCL, then you will definitely like NCL, especially the big ships. So much to do, and great entertainment. You might not like Princess as much. We tried Princess on the Regal, and doubt very much if we'll ever go back. Not a bad cruise, but quite boring. The food was good the first 2 days, then went downhill quickly.

Agree.....We are loyal to Royal and NCL. We tried Princess and were not that impressed....a bit subdued for us. HAL will be more to our liking in about 20 years or so.

[a3593]

Like the OP I am a long time CCL cruiser and recently tried Royal Caribbean because the itinerary was more varied. I like them both but I think I prefer Carnival. Only because the food is just a bit better, cabins a bit larger, and I love water slides. Also Carnival tends to be less expensive. The one area where I can say that RCI beats Carnival is the quality of the shows. You really can't go wrong with either line. It's just a matter of the person and their personal preferences as to what is the best fit.

[CanadaRob]

Agree with much that has been referenced. Jewel is beautiful and one of my favourite ships. DW prefers the entertainment on RCL but admits that the options for free food with Guys burgers and the "iguana thingy" are not matched in RCL

We like the feel of jewel and don't miss the promenade found on the bigger ships

[Siora7777]

The food is better on Carnival, more variety and there is more stuff to do as well. It's more fun. Jewel is a prettier ship, never felt crowded, good customer service. Nice and relaxing atmosphere on the Jewel. My personal belief is that Royal has the worst food of all the major lines. But I still enjoy the cruise. Royal has beautiful ships. Way better ships then carnival in my opinion. All the major lines are similar, I've sailed 5 lines so far. I like them all for different reasons. Have fun.

[geomancer]

Differences?

1. the fleet is basically much easier to traverse. On Carnival, you often have to go up and then down to get from one end of the ship to the other...(ships are all build off one basic design at Fincanterri shipyards).

2. Royal has the promenade..shops, bars, eateries, a wide open interior space that is, frankly, dramatic.

#1 and #2 are pretty much one comment, but as said by many the Jewel does not have the promenade. The 'selling feature' many find with the Radiance class ships is the amount of windows in the public spaces letting you see outside.

 

3.This is the one that gets folks excited and angry. It is a different "type" of passenger. Not saying one is better than the other, but different.

Both lines are mass market with similar pricing. CCL has the reputation as the 'party' line, but otherwise same people...

 

4. You will find RCI has a stricter dress code in the Dining rooms. You decide if that is good or bad.

We (by our signature) prefer RCI, but we also sail Carnival.....have never had a bad experience on RCI, and only one poor cruise on Carnival....like the Breeze, Magic and Conquest.

Guessing this person hasn't cruised in awhile, because RCI does not enforce a dress code at all. You can wear shorts and flip flops into the main dinning room on formal night if you want to. And you probably will see people doing that (weather permitting).

 

5. Extra charge dining: Both have steakhouses, comparable. RCI has Giovanni's table, far superior to Carnival's Italian dining. RC has SABOR, nothing comparable on Carnival.

One area RCI lacks in is free dinning options.

 

6. 24 coffee shop on RCI, 24 hour ice cream on Carnival.

 

Added my own comments above in blue. I think you'll find the differences to be very minor. Both are mass market cruise lines. Things may seem 'weird' at first because humans are creatures of habit and after so long you know exactly what to expect on CCL, but on RCI you'll immediately notice all those small differences.

 

 

No sense being loyal to any one cruise line, they certainly won't be loyal to you. They're a corporation. So pick the ship that has the features, and itinerary, and price, that looks most appealing to you ... who operates it would be very low on my priority list.

 

I'm sure you'll enjoy your cruise and have a great time!

[tullers]

I tend to see marketing of CCL v. RCCL much like Walmart v. Kohl's

[Rogueperson]

I'm in the minority regarding the Jewel of the Seas. Unfortunately, Jewel of the Seas was my WORST cruise ever. I rolled snakes eyes on the staff and food for that cruise. If i wasn't open minded, I could easily be the type of person who goes "I will never cruise RCL because of this" On that particular cruise, I found the food to be below par of what I was used to. The service was below par of what i was used to. The specialty restaurants were unremarkable. Now, I also know that this was a serious exception to the rule, because along with RCL holding the title of "worst cruise ever", they also hold the title of "best cruise ever" (go Grandeur!)

 

That being said, the ship itself, was beautiful. I would compare it with a much more elegant Spirit class ship. (I've been on the Pride twice). I found the Jewel's elegance to be more "deep" than the Pride. I love the Pride's decorations, but someone else could attributed it as tacky.

 

What I feel the difference between Royal Caribbean and Carnival is the energy level. Yes, Carnival is known as the party ship, but I think the reason that is, is because their cruise director's and activity staff invest more in getting the passengers involved. They excel in stoking that energy within you. They try and connect you with other cruisers and make you feel like you're a family for the 7, or 8 days, or however long your cruise is. Royal Caribbean has similar activities, but they don't seem as invested to getting you involved. They are more laid back about it. They depend more on giving you your space and letting you relax. As I get older, I find that I'm appreciating this more than the lets get together feel I have on Carnival.

 

Overall, I find service overall better on Carnival. That's not saying Royal Caribbean doesn't give you good service, but they seem to have a larger range of swing between awesome amazing service, and lukewarm service. I have attributed my Jewel cruise as bad luck because it was mostly mediocre service on that ship. Royal Caribbean has swung from "oh my god, I want to take the waiter home with us" to "why the heck is our cabin steward cleaning our room with a dirty towel consistently and making it smell like mildew, and then dismissing our claim that it smells like mildew" Carnival doesn't usually doesn't hit the highs that Royal Caribbean does, but overall, they tend to be much more consistent in good service.

 

General entertainment like headliner shows are pretty dead even, but I have found that the performers on Royal Caribbean (the singers and dancers) have a slightly higher skill set. And given that Royal Caribbean's larger ships (which you are not going on) have feature shows tips the entertainment venue onto Royal Caribbean's favor.

 

Food, I have found Royal Caribbean to have a slight edge in quality. I have not tried Carnival's American Table yet, but the one thing I love about Royal Caribbean is that they offer escargot every night. Their specialty restaurants, I find are dead even. Chef's table, i have to give the nod over to Royal Caribbean. The difference. Carnival only gives you a choice of 2 wines for the entire dinner. A white and a read. However, they throw in a tour of the galley and have cooking demonstrations include in the Chef's table. Royal Caribbean's meal pairs each course with a specific bottle of wine. I have found their pairings to be on point. The pairing is what wins it for Royal Caribbean.

 

The end of the day, is your personal preference. Some people like Carnival because they like that energy. Some people like the high tech feel of Royal Caribbean. Your preference will dictate which is a better cruise line for you. Try them all and you'll probably note that each has a niche somewhere, and if that's your niche, that's your favorite cruise line.

[skypilot52]

My girlfriend finishes her PhD next year so we decided to take a trip to Europe to celebrate and we eventually decided that we wanted that trip to be on a cruise. I’ve cruised Carnival exclusively for 12+ years (I’m in my late 20’s) and my girlfriend has for 8 years and, while we still love Carnival, thought we’d try something different. Thus, we booked our cruise with the Jewel of the Seas which I think is a “Radiance” class ship. Anyways, what should we look forward to from Royal Caribbean in comparison to Carnival? Has anyone been on the Jewel of the Seas? What was your experience on that ship like? We’re very excited to see what this cruise line has to offer.

 

 

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We are also Long Time Carnival Cruisers. We have been sharing the wealth on Royal, Princess and Norwegian, lately. We sailed the Jewell in Jan 2015 and thought it was a great ship. My DW and I loved it. It was larger than the Carnival ships, but kinda setup the same way. You will like the ship, and the amenities and then will opt to try a couple of others. We have been on Adventure, Allure and are booked on Harmony in 15 days. If you get a chance, try the Oasis class, 5k passgrs, but so big with so many things to do, it doesnt seem that crowded.

[skypilot52]

I tend to see marketing of CCL v. RCCL much like Walmart v. Kohl's

 

 

OMG, LOL, you hit the nail on the head. I totally agree with you!!!!!!

[CarnivalCreed]

We are also Long Time Carnival Cruisers. We have been sharing the wealth on Royal, Princess and Norwegian, lately. We sailed the Jewell in Jan 2015 and thought it was a great ship. My DW and I loved it. It was larger than the Carnival ships, but kinda setup the same way. You will like the ship, and the amenities and then will opt to try a couple of others. We have been on Adventure, Allure and are booked on Harmony in 15 days. If you get a chance, try the Oasis class, 5k passgrs, but so big with so many things to do, it doesnt seem that crowded.

 

 

 

Speaking of Oasis class, we are actually trying to book a room for the Symphony of the Seas in June 2020. We’re just waiting for availability to open up.

 

 

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