Carnival Vista or Royal Caribbean Liberty Of The Seas

[6chickens]

We have finalized our cruise decisions to either the Carnival Vista or the Royal Caribbean Liberty Of The Sea. They have the exact same dates and ports, and roughly the same cost. So those aspects do not factor into the decision between which ship. However, I keep going back and forth between which ship to choose. Please help!!!!

 

Some of my thoughts:

Vista has more included eating options (we will not pay more to eat at any of the others), it seems Liberty just has MD, buffet and pizza. 

 

Vista: poor theater seating, seems a lot of reviews don’t like the Vista ship design

 

Can anyone give me any advice or suggestions on these two ships, please?!?

 

It will be my husband and myself (not into the clubs, bars, casino) and our two kids (will be 13 & 16) who will not be interested in the kids clubs. 

 

Decided to pick a cruise out of Galveston due to flights costs being higher to Florida. 

[euphscott]

I am a fan of both cruise lines - but the Liberty is my favorite ship!  

For the kids, the activities available on the Liberty outweigh a lot of what Carnival offers (water park, rock wall, flow rider, etc...).  

To address one of your concerns on Liberty, the buffet (Windjammer) is a very large set up with a lot of options.  So while I agree there is perceived variety on Carnival, it is matched with the Liberty, but it's all under one umbrella.

 

You can't go wrong either way - which is also a bit of an encouragement to you - pick one and then don't worry - you will have a good time either way!

[tallnthensome]

Not loyal to any line as I sail them all and the Vista is the only real choice for your family. The LOTS isn't even in the same league as the Vista for families, it' a turd .......

[wsurrette2424]

Hey 6chickens....

 

We love sailing out of Galveston even though we're from the east coast (Boston) since the flights are cheaper than flying to Florida. We are sailing on the Liberty of the Seas in Feb 2019.  

 

We love both Carnival and RCCL.... and find more similarities than differences between the two lines.  If your teens are more into activities than just hanging out RCCL definitely wins.   Flowrider, rock climbing, ice skating are unique to RCCL.  I have not sailed on the Vista, but I assume they have lots of casual food venues.. guys burgers, blue iguana cantina, Mongolian wok, seafood shack etc.  Both ships have pools, slides, mini golf arcades etc.

 

With ports and prices being equal... I would lean towards RCCL if your kids would take advantage of the ship's amenities.

 

Good Luck!

 

Gusman

 

 

 

[rs45thompson]

 I'm going to start off by saying that I've never been on a Royal Caribbean ship. We will do the Allure of the Seas in September of 2019. With that said we did Sail on the Vista in September of 2017. We had a great time. My child who was 11 did not join in the kids club, but he had a great time and there was plenty for him to do. Honestly I don't believe that you could go wrong with either one of these ships but I've only experienced the Vista and it is a great ship.

[BNBR]

Liberty of the Seas for sure.  Other than a few questionably better complimentary counter food options on Vista, I'm not sure Vista has much of anything they do better than Liberty of the Seas.  Entertainment will be far superior on Royal as well, and Liberty not only has ice skating, but the ice rink is a theater for ice shows.

 

Liberty of the Seas also has the recent big waterpark upgrade and lots of new slides.  It's going to be much bigger, spacious, less crowded, and have more to do than Vista.

Edited November 7, 2018 by BNBR

[dmdiver]

Our neighbors didn't care for Liberty of the Seas.  While they thought the ship itself was very nice - especially liked the pool areas - they were not impressed with the staff.  They felt they weren't very friendly & bartenders didn't seem to remember them the way Carnival's do.  

 

I haven't been on either of these ships, but have Vista booked & would be perfectly willing to sail on Liberty of the Seas.  Based on my past experiences, I would expect showroom entertainment to be a little better on Royal.  Food is about the same.  Comedy club is better on Carnival, period.  You may want to look at the types of activities you & your kids will enjoy.  For us, we will make use of a water slide, pool, bike thing, ropes course, mini golf & maybe rock climbing wall.  There's a slim possibility we would ice skate, but we have zero interest in the flowrider.  My knees can't handle that & I'm not super coordinated with that type of thing.  Plus, too many wipeouts for me.  Others may be all about the flowrider.  Everyone is different, which makes it nice to have ships that are very different activity-wise.  I will say that Royal's adult solarium is a nice place to relax, since it has a pool.  Serenity on Carnival is nice, but only hot tubs, no pool.

[jimbo5544]

On 11/7/2018 at 5:07 PM, tallnthensome said:

Not loyal to any line as I sail them all and the Vista is the only real choice for your family. The LOTS isn't even in the same league as the Vista for families, it' a turd .......

I do have to say your posts are never boring, and I happen to agree with on this one....

[jimbo5544]

On 11/7/2018 at 5:31 PM, BNBR said:

Liberty of the Seas for sure.  Other than a few questionably better complimentary counter food options on Vista, I'm not sure Vista has much of anything they do better than Liberty of the Seas.  Entertainment will be far superior on Royal as well, and Liberty not only has ice skating, but the ice rink is a theater for ice shows.

 

Liberty of the Seas also has the recent big waterpark upgrade and lots of new slides.  It's going to be much bigger, spacious, less crowded, and have more to do than Vista.

I heard from Royal they said thecheck is in the mail, just for the record , when was the last time you picked a Carnival ship in these comparisons...

[BNBR]

Just now, jimbo5544 said:

I heard from Royal they said thecheck is in the mail, just for the record , when was the last time you picked a Carnival ship in these comparisons...

 

I'm sailing Magic next summer with my family.  I chose it over my favorite ships (Oasis class).  I like the itinerary better, ports that are new to me, and it was 40% cheaper.  Carnival puts out a great product and for the better itinerary (1 day longer, too) and much better price, it was an easy choice.  I also just got off Allure and have Symphony next year so I do enjoy a Carnival cruise to change it up a bit.  Again, I love Carnival.  But you aren't going to get me to agree that they have better large ships.  On the smaller ships, I'd actually say Carnival is better.  But they have nothing to compete with Freedom/Quantum/Oasis class from Royal.  Liberty is, of course, a Freedom class which is a forum favorite.  Which is funny because Vista is seemingly the most hated ship Carnival has on the forum...

 

However, the OP said "same dates, ports, and price" - and if all that is the same, I mean, come on.... the huge Royal ships are just a much better ship than what Carnival has to offer.  There are posts on the front page of this forum right now saying to take the older Carnival (dream class) ships over Horizon and Vista because the new ships are not good.

 

For families?  Liberty of the Seas has a massive new water park, some of the coolest slides at sea, flow rider, rock walls, ice skating, way more entertainment, shows, etc.   If price, itinerary, and timing is all equal, CLEARLY Liberty of the Seas is a better ship than Vista.  Even the Carnival people here don't like Vista.  They just magically think it's a great ship when it comes to being biased Carnival fans, but that's not helpful or fair to the OP one bit.

[jimbo5544]

9 minutes ago, BNBR said:

 

I'm sailing Magic next summer with my family.  I chose it over my favorite ships (Oasis class).  I like the itinerary better, ports that are new to me, and it was 40% cheaper.  Carnival puts out a great product and for the better itinerary (1 day longer, too) and much better price, it was an easy choice.  I also just got off Allure and have Symphony next year so I do enjoy a Carnival cruise to change it up a bit.  Again, I love Carnival.  But you aren't going to get me to agree that they have better large ships.  On the smaller ships, I'd actually say Carnival is better.  But they have nothing to compete with Freedom/Quantum/Oasis class from Royal.  Liberty is, of course, a Freedom class which is a forum favorite.  Which is funny because Vista is seemingly the most hated ship Carnival has on the forum...

 

However, the OP said "same dates, ports, and price" - and if all that is the same, I mean, come on.... the huge Royal ships are just a much better ship than what Carnival has to offer.  There are posts on the front page of this forum right now saying to take the older Carnival (dream class) ships over Horizon and Vista because the new ships are not good.

 

For families?  Liberty of the Seas has a massive new water park, some of the coolest slides at sea, flow rider, rock walls, ice skating, way more entertainment, shows, etc.   If price, itinerary, and timing is all equal, CLEARLY Liberty of the Seas is a better ship than Vista.  Even the Carnival people here don't like Vista.  They just magically think it's a great ship when it comes to being biased Carnival fans, but that's not helpful or fair to the OP one bit.

Interesting reply, thanks for posting it.  I really do not understand the negative posts on Vista and Horizon (have been on the combined total of them 3 times).  I do find it strange that a fairly large number of the negative posters have never been Vista or Horizon.  

 

Entertainment is subjective, Carnivals approach is to spread it throughout ship.  The bashing of Playlist again comes a lot from the crew that has not seen it in years.  The argument on the main theater view points (especially upper level) is valid, in regards to its smaller size, I have seen posts stating they had to wait 20 - 30 minutes to get in to get a seat which I will hit the BS button on.  I have not seen a complete full house (other then naming ceremonies) in 5 years.  I cannot comment on LOTS water park as I have not seen it, but Vista and Horizons are pretty large and complete.  

 

I was not trying to convince you, just some good natured ribbing.  When are you on the Magic, we may be sailing together, and if so, I will buy you a cold one.  

[BNBR]

15 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Interesting reply, thanks for posting it.  I really do not understand the negative posts on Vista and Horizon (have been on the combined total of them 3 times).  I do find it strange that a fairly large number of the negative posters have never been Vista or Horizon.  

 

Entertainment is subjective, Carnivals approach is to spread it throughout ship.  The bashing of Playlist again comes a lot from the crew that has not seen it in years.  The argument on the main theater view points (especially upper level) is valid, in regards to its smaller size, I have seen posts stating they had to wait 20 - 30 minutes to get in to get a seat which I will hit the BS button on.  I have not seen a complete full house (other then naming ceremonies) in 5 years.  I cannot comment on LOTS water park as I have not seen it, but Vista and Horizons are pretty large and complete.  

 

I was not trying to convince you, just some good natured ribbing.  When are you on the Magic, we may be sailing together, and if so, I will buy you a cold one.  

 

 

I have quite a few non-expiring points on this forum for ribbing, lol.  No offense taken!

 

Ultimately, OP will have a great time either way.  I wouldn't agree that the entertainment is subjective.  I think it's undeniable that Royal completely blows Carnival out of the water when it comes to live entertainment.  It's something we understand and while we love the Royal entertainment, and it's a big part of why we like Oasis so much, we still find plenty to enjoy on Carnival and know better than to compare everything.

 

But this is a comparison thread...  So we can compare!

 

I think Magic is June 22nd for my sailing.

[ricew001]

My friend just told me last night that her best cruise ever was on the Vista. I haven't done either so all I can do is tell you what I heard. 🙂

[firefly333]

I would pick Liberty OTS. btw there is also food out at the pool and I seem to remember at a bar?

 

You said you will be doing Allure. There is lighter fare on the opposite end from the buffet that I liked and less crowded. I also loved the cafe in the park area where they make salads to order and have sandwiches and lays chips. Only ship Ive seen with bags of free chips to snack on.

 

i have gone out by the pool and was surprised by them doing a pool side BBQ that never seems to be advertised.... but for sure there are other options that are free on RCL.

 

What I dont like is they close the buffet before the dinner hour. Sometimes I like to sit there and read in the a/c and cant on RCL. 

 

Shows are beetter on RCL, but i like more food options like guys on carnival.

 

I do both lines about equally but prices being equal i do RCL because im up to getting free drinks as a perk. I need 30 some days to diamond plus, but diamond they put 3 drinks on my card a day, use them or lose them, they dont carry over.

 

I have a good time on both, but if prices were the same i pick RCL. 

 

a plus for carnival is their stock is combinable with other obc, but on rcl it is not.

 

cabins are bigger on carnival for the most part.

 

allure and oasis the ship is a destination unto itself though ... but expensive, but they are special. Ive done oasis twice because i felt i missed things first time around. i did outside balcony last time and wished i had a inside balcony in the aft to see the diving shows. i never used my balcony, was too hot.

 

Oh cookies win on RCL. Be sure and hit the promenade deck where they have biscotti and big soft cookies. Carnivals cookies and cakes are bleh to me. 

 

and get pizza from the oven on promenade, not on the other places where you might see it. be there and grab it hot.

Edited November 9, 2018 by firefly333

[jimbo5544]

1 hour ago, BNBR said:

 

 

I have quite a few non-expiring points on this forum for ribbing, lol.  No offense taken!

 

Ultimately, OP will have a great time either way.  I wouldn't agree that the entertainment is subjective.  I think it's undeniable that Royal completely blows Carnival out of the water when it comes to live entertainment.  It's something we understand and while we love the Royal entertainment, and it's a big part of why we like Oasis so much, we still find plenty to enjoy on Carnival and know better than to compare everything.

 

But this is a comparison thread...  So we can compare!

 

I think Magic is June 22nd for my sailing.

We have not decided on our sailing date on the Magic yet.  If we pick that one, I will look you up.

Edited November 9, 2018 by jimbo5544

[BallFour4]

We've been on both and the LOS is the better choice. If you've cruised on Carnivals Conquest class and above you are used to a design and flow that the Vista doesn't have. It has a major lack of open areas, the show lounge is a joke and the ship is crowded for it's size.

[PhillyFan33579]

11 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Interesting reply, thanks for posting it.  I really do not understand the negative posts on Vista and Horizon (have been on the combined total of them 3 times).  I do find it strange that a fairly large number of the negative posters have never been Vista or Horizon.  

 

Entertainment is subjective, Carnivals approach is to spread it throughout ship.  The bashing of Playlist again comes a lot from the crew that has not seen it in years.  The argument on the main theater view points (especially upper level) is valid, in regards to its smaller size, I have seen posts stating they had to wait 20 - 30 minutes to get in to get a seat which I will hit the BS button on.  I have not seen a complete full house (other then naming ceremonies) in 5 years.  I cannot comment on LOTS water park as I have not seen it, but Vista and Horizons are pretty large and complete.  

 

I was not trying to convince you, just some good natured ribbing.  When are you on the Magic, we may be sailing together, and if so, I will buy you a cold one.  

 

How fo you know negative posters have never been on Vista or Horixon?  I am a big fan of Carnival and have cruised on every class of ship with the exception of Splendor. There is no doubt in my mind the Vista class ships leave a lot to be desired. Because of this I avoid this class of ships. I would rather cruise on a Fantasy class ship which has a large atrium, glass elevators, large theaters/lounges, all features not present on Vista class ships. And Vista class ships don’t come close to Dream class ships in my opinion. 

[mredandchis]

Been on both ships and I would say it is a close call.  Someone mentioned staff as a negative, well staff changes a lot and i have numerous times been on the same ship a year later and the staff experience is never the same.  But at the same price between the 2 i would lean toward Royal as the entertainment and quality of food is a little better.  My reason for chosing carnival is cost.  Carnival gives more bang for buck.  the food and entertainment is not bad and worth every penny.  But you said that the price was virtually the same for the same basic cruise so i would lean to Royal

 

[jimbo5544]

7 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

How fo you know negative posters have never been on Vista or Horixon?  I am a big fan of Carnival and have cruised on every class of ship with the exception of Splendor. There is no doubt in my mind the Vista class ships leave a lot to be desired. Because of this I avoid this class of ships. I would rather cruise on a Fantasy class ship which has a large atrium, glass elevators, large theaters/lounges, all features not present on Vista class ships. And Vista class ships don’t come close to Dream class ships in my opinion. 

I know it because I ask and they replied, while that may apply to you, it is fact.  If you do not like the class, that is fine also.  Your opinion counts just as mine does.  It is funny that one of th knocks on the Vista class ships is they are motor image of the COnquest class....hmmm.  Seem to get it on both sides on that topic, I guess PT Barnum was correct.  Happy sailing on the Fantasy class, I will wave as we sail by...

[PhillyFan33579]

11 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

I know it because I ask and they replied, while that may apply to you, it is fact.  If you do not like the class, that is fine also.  Your opinion counts just as mine does.  It is funny that one of th knocks on the Vista class ships is they are motor image of the COnquest class....hmmm.  Seem to get it on both sides on that topic, I guess PT Barnum was correct.  Happy sailing on the Fantasy class, I will wave as we sail by...

 

Not sure what motor image means, but Vista class ships and Conquest class ships are significantly different. Of course you have to consider what one likes to do on a ship. We enjoy going to comedy shows, production shows, Love & Marriage, Hasbro, etc. The lounges/theaters on Conquest ships are far superior to the ones on Vista class ships. Now if you don’t care about these shows, that eliminates what I think is one of the biggest negatives on Vista class ships. I also like the vaulted atriums, the glass elevators, and the thalassotherapy pools, which is why I would pick a Dream class ship over a Vista class ship in most situations. Having said that, we still enjoyed our cruise on Vista and we have a cruise booked on Horizon in March. 

[Black Magic]

We have sailed both.  LOTS the summer of 2017 and Vista this past summer.  We were a party of 4 on the LOTS with a 14yr old and an 11yr old and a party of 4 on the Vista with two 12yr olds.  Here are our feelings between the two.

 

Ship appearance:  Tough call.  Both are nice.  LOTS is more classy and Vista has a more relaxed vacation feel.

Waterparks:  LOTS had better slides and a flowrider, but crazy short hours of operation.  This was a bummer especially when returning to the ship on port days only to find things were closed or about to close.

Food:  Subjective.... we enjoy Guys free burgers much more than Johnny Rockets.

Atrium vs. promenade:  Cone of lights or shopping mall ... pick your poison.  LOL

Trivia:  Much more fun on the Vista.  The crew on the LOTS were very dry and zipped through the trivia.

Family night life:  When we were on the LOTS, we felt that they "rolled up the sidewalks" after 10pm.  We were always kind of wandering around looking for fun stuff to do as a family.  On the Vista, there was always some sort of fun party going on somewhere.

Shows:  We enjoyed the shows on LOTS more and the theater was much more functional than the Vista.

 

We are not brand loyal, but for OUR family, we enjoyed the Vista more.

[KmomChicago]

Carnival Vista is on my husband's bucket list, because it's new and he saw the promo stuff on it, so we'd pick it in this case.  But frankly, I would love to go on both of these ships and would probably pick Liberty because it's larger and yet it holds fewer passengers so that suggests to me that it may feel less crowded. 

 

We have been very happy with Carnival. However, Oasis of the Seas was also on his bucket list and we were very happy with it as well, and we are doing RC again next summer. I am sure Liberty is just as good a choice. Since every vacation is its own unique overall experience, we don't look at cruises or vacations as being in competition with each other.

 

I will tell you a few small things I slightly prefer about each line, though as some others mention I find them more similar than different.

 

Carnival: Guy's burgers, Blue Iguana, 24-hour soft serve ice cream, Hub App for texting.

Royal:  Buffet is a little bit better quality (my opinion only!), ships are kept in updated condition (however I have been only on two oldish Carnival ships and Vista is brand new), Interior Royal Promenade is a space we enjoy. 

 

We have found both of the teen clubs to be fine as hang-out spaces, just in case yours decide to check it out.

[ryano]

Im a fan of both cruise lines and love the Dream class of Carnival but Liberty of the Seas is a Freedom class ship and they are absolutely beautiful.  They have a WOW factor i have not experience on Carnival.  I have to question whoever above called it a "turd".   I have not been on this new class but Carnival Vista is a smaller ship with more guests when at full capacity.   Vista doesnt have a Promenade to control the crowd flows. Carnivals Lido buffet = huge lines and long waits that you dont have on Royal Caribbean ships.   If crowds are something you dont like, pick LOTS.   

Edited November 12, 2018 by ryano