RCL Vs Carnival

[kinggartk]

I'll try not to provoke an us vs them war...and I'll try not to be biased.

 

I just completed my first RCL cruise aboard Oasis.  I'll start by saying Oasis is a beautiful and massive ship.  It rarely felt crowded.  The staff was all very nice.

Carnival has no ship to compare to Oasis.  In that category...RCL wins Hands Down.

 

Staff for both cruislines are excellent... This one is a draw.

 

Main Dining Room...that's where Carnival shines in my opinion.  Carnival seems to have a more varied menu from night to night in the MDR than does RCL.  RCL had many items repeated night after night with only a couple of changes from night to night.  Carnival on the other hand...has only a couple of items that show up each night while the rest of the menu changes each night.  Also...Carnival has Warm Chocolate Melting cake...RCL trys to replicate...but fails.   Carnival wins hands down.

 

All other food venues.   Carnival and RCL are pretty equal.  Food Quality is fairly equal across both cruiselines. This one is a draw.

 

I don't like the reservation system for shows on RCL.  This is just my preference, others may feel different.  Carnival Wins

 

I like that Carnival has their shows scheduled to work around MDR schedules.  If I have late dinning, I can go to the early show.  If I have early dinning, I can go to the late show.  RCL seemed to only have shows at one time (10:30).  We had 8:00 dinning and found ourselves with not much to do from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM.  On carnival...we would have been seeing a show during that time.  Carnival Wins.

 

Carnival seems to have more going on during the day than RCL...maybe that's just my perception.  I wanted to do more than sit in a lounger by the pool during the day...but just didn't find much more to do during those times.  Carnival Wins.

 

The Quality of the show are hit or miss from cruise to cruise.  The Water show was fantastic...Cats was very good, the Ice Show was good.  Come Fly with me was a snoozer and singers were not good.  Overall Carnival and RCL are equal when it comes to the Shows...but the Water Show and Ice Show put RCL over the top.  RCL Wins (because of the Ice and Water shows)

 

RCL communication with passengers was a little lacking.  We had to figure out on our one what documents to take with us to the various ports.  RCL gave us very little information about when and where to meet for excursions.  There was information provided on the tickets them selves...but finding the various excursion meeting locations was a crapshoot...especially on Labadee.  Carnival Wins.

 

Finally...Price.  This cruise seemed to be much more expensive than any of the cruises I have taken on Carnival.  Carnival Wins.

 

Disclaimer:  I have been on 5 Carnival Cruises and one RCL cruise.  I would definitely sail RCL again...but this Cruise on RCL helped me confirm I'm partial to Carnival.  I tried not to be biased...but...maybe I failed.

[2chiefs]

8 minutes ago, kinggartk said:

I'll try not to provoke an us vs them war...and I'll try not to be biased.

 

I just completed my first RCL cruise aboard Oasis.  I'll start by saying Oasis is a beautiful and massive ship.  It rarely felt crowded.  The staff was all very nice.

Carnival has no ship to compare to Oasis.  In that category...RCL wins Hands Down.

 

Staff for both cruislines are excellent... This one is a draw.

 

Main Dining Room...that's where Carnival shines in my opinion.  Carnival seems to have a more varied menu from night to night in the MDR than does RCL.  RCL had many items repeated night after night with only a couple of changes from night to night.  Carnival on the other hand...has only a couple of items that show up each night while the rest of the menu changes each night.  Also...Carnival has Warm Chocolate Melting cake...RCL trys to replicate...but fails.   Carnival wins hands down.

 

All other food venues.   Carnival and RCL are pretty equal.  Food Quality is fairly equal across both cruiselines. This one is a draw.

 

I don't like the reservation system for shows on RCL.  This is just my preference, others may feel different.  Carnival Wins

 

I like that Carnival has their shows scheduled to work around MDR schedules.  If I have late dinning, I can go to the early show.  If I have early dinning, I can go to the late show.  RCL seemed to only have shows at one time (10:30).  We had 8:00 dinning and found ourselves with not much to do from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM.  On carnival...we would have been seeing a show during that time.  Carnival Wins.

 

Carnival seems to have more going on during the day than RCL...maybe that's just my perception.  I wanted to do more than sit in a lounger by the pool during the day...but just didn't find much more to do during those times.  Carnival Wins.

 

The Quality of the show are hit or miss from cruise to cruise.  The Water show was fantastic...Cats was very good, the Ice Show was good.  Come Fly with me was a snoozer and singers were not good.  Overall Carnival and RCL are equal when it comes to the Shows...but the Water Show and Ice Show put RCL over the top.  RCL Wins (because of the Ice and Water shows)

 

RCL communication with passengers was a little lacking.  We had to figure out on our one what documents to take with us to the various ports.  RCL gave us very little information about when and where to meet for excursions.  There was information provided on the tickets them selves...but finding the various excursion meeting locations was a crapshoot...especially on Labadee.  Carnival Wins.

 

Finally...Price.  This cruise seemed to be much more expensive than any of the cruises I have taken on Carnival.  Carnival Wins.

 

Disclaimer:  I have been on 5 Carnival Cruises and one RCL cruise.  I would definitely sail RCL again...but this Cruise on RCL helped me confirm I'm partial to Carnival.  I tried not to be biased...but...maybe I failed.

 

I guess it's best to compare ships rather than lines. Many of the items you cite on Oasis are unique to Oasis because it's such a large ship. For instance, the timing of shows around the MDR schedules is as you describe on the smaller RCI ships. No reservations are required on the smaller ships as well.

T

[smplybcause]

24 minutes ago, kinggartk said:

I don't like the reservation system for shows on RCL.  This is just my preference, others may feel different.  Carnival Wins

 

I like that Carnival has their shows scheduled to work around MDR schedules.  If I have late dinning, I can go to the early show.  If I have early dinning, I can go to the late show.  RCL seemed to only have shows at one time (10:30).  We had 8:00 dinning and found ourselves with not much to do from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM.  On carnival...we would have been seeing a show during that time.  Carnival Wins.

 

Problems unique to Oasis class (and maybe Quantum?? I haven't sailed those). Smaller ships on RCL don't need reservations for shows and have the more traditional timing. 

 

BTW - I loved using that 5-8 time for relaxing in the hot tub and pre-dinner drinks. I'm going again but will have early dining and have no idea what I'll do from 7:30-10:30!!

[mawvkysc]

1 hour ago, kinggartk said:

I'll try not to provoke an us vs them war...and I'll try not to be biased.

 

I just completed my first RCL cruise aboard Oasis.  I'll start by saying Oasis is a beautiful and massive ship.  It rarely felt crowded.  The staff was all very nice.

Carnival has no ship to compare to Oasis.  In that category...RCL wins Hands Down.

Me too.  But I was on BOS and previous Carnivals were Fantasy Class. So small ship comparisons. RC decor and upkeep wins. More aft lounging on Fantas class. Hmm

 

Staff for both cruislines are excellent... This one is a draw.

BOS staff were amazing. RC wins

Main Dining Room...that's where Carnival shines in my opinion.  Carnival seems to have a more varied menu from night to night in the MDR than does RCL.  RCL had many items repeated night after night with only a couple of changes from night to night.  Carnival on the other hand...has only a couple of items that show up each night while the rest of the menu changes each night.  Also...Carnival has Warm Chocolate Melting cake...RCL trys to replicate...but fails.   Carnival wins hands down.

I agree there were less choices. But I love lamb and I love beef. RC excels with both. Royal Chocolate Cake beats out WCMC (I know. Hard to believe. Plus it’s more consistent) For me RC wins

All other food venues.   Carnival and RCL are pretty equal.  Food Quality is fairly equal across both cruiselines. This one is a draw.

A draw as well

I don't like the reservation system for shows on RCL.  This is just my preference, others may feel different.  Carnival Wins

On a similar note RC pressures you to reserve MTD. I prefer to just walk up. 

 

I like that Carnival has their shows scheduled to work around MDR schedules.  If I have late dinning, I can go to the early show.  If I have early dinning, I can go to the late show.  RCL seemed to only have shows at one time (10:30).  We had 8:00 dinning and found ourselves with not much to do from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM.  On carnival...we would have been seeing a show during that time.  Carnival Wins.N/A

 

Carnival seems to have more going on during the day than RCL...maybe that's just my perception.  I wanted to do more than sit in a lounger by the pool during the day...but just didn't find much more to do during those times.  Carnival Wins.

A draw

The Quality of the show are hit or miss from cruise to cruise.  The Water show was fantastic...Cats was very good, the Ice Show was good.  Come Fly with me was a snoozer and singers were not good.  Overall Carnival and RCL are equal when it comes to the Shows...but the Water Show and Ice Show put RCL over the top.  RCL Wins (because of the Ice and Water shows)

Main theatre on RC won. A live orchestra and better singers. Other venues a draw 

 

RCL communication with passengers was a little lacking.  We had to figure out on our one what documents to take with us to the various ports.  RCL gave us very little information about when and where to meet for excursions.  There was information provided on the tickets them selves...but finding the various excursion meeting locations was a crapshoot...especially on Labadee.  Carnival Wins.

A draw

Finally...Price.  This cruise seemed to be much more expensive than any of the cruises I have taken on Carnival.  Carnival Wins.

Carnival wins by a little. And drinks on RC were expensive. 

Disclaimer:  I have been on 5 Carnival Cruises and one RCL cruise.  I would definitely sail RCL again...but this Cruise on RCL helped me confirm I'm partial to Carnival.  I tried not to be biased...but...maybe I failed.

I would sail either again but lean more towards RC  (I do love the aft Serenity area on Fantasy class though  ) 

 

Edited November 20, 2018 by mawvkysc

[HBE4]

2 hours ago, kinggartk said:

I like that Carnival has their shows scheduled to work around MDR schedules.  If I have late dinning, I can go to the early show.  If I have early dinning, I can go to the late show.  RCL seemed to only have shows at one time (10:30).  We had 8:00 dinning and found ourselves with not much to do from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM.  On carnival...we would have been seeing a show during that time.  Carnival Wins.

 

Disclaimer:  I have been on 5 Carnival Cruises and one RCL cruise.  I would definitely sail RCL again...but this Cruise on RCL helped me confirm I'm partial to Carnival.  I tried not to be biased...but...maybe I failed.

 

Are you sure about the show times? Most of the RCL cruises I've been on also have 2 performances, arranging the schedule around the early/late seating. I can only think of a few that are only performed once: first night Welcome Aboard show, Late Night Adult comedy (on the non-Oasis class ships)....Quest, if you count that as a show.

 

I have never sailed Carnival but have spoken to plenty that have done both and your review pretty much jives with what they've told me.  And of course, since you've done things a certain way 5 times in a row, then trying it a different way might feel less than ideal at first. But glad you are willing to give RCL another shot. Try a slightly smaller ship like Freedom-class, which operate differently than Oasis (no show reservations, no dedicated comedy club, etc).

 

[Big_G]

9 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

Are you sure about the show times? Most of the RCL cruises I've been on also have 2 performances, arranging the schedule around the early/late seating. I can only think of a few that are only performed once: first night Welcome Aboard show, Late Night Adult comedy (on the non-Oasis class ships)....Quest, if you count that as a show.

 

I have never sailed Carnival but have spoken to plenty that have done both and your review pretty much jives with what they've told me.  And of course, since you've done things a certain way 5 times in a row, then trying it a different way might feel less than ideal at first. But glad you are willing to give RCL another shot. Try a slightly smaller ship like Freedom-class, which operate differently than Oasis (no show reservations, no dedicated comedy club, etc).

 

 

The single performance is unique to Oasis Class and maybe Quantum Class. Haven't sailed a Quantum Class ship yet. Other classes all have the early and late shows.

[HBE4]

11 minutes ago, Big_G said:

 

The single performance is unique to Oasis Class and maybe Quantum Class. Haven't sailed a Quantum Class ship yet. Other classes all have the early and late shows.

 

Yes, you're right. Sorry....my bad.  I've actually sailed Oasis class 3 times in the past but not recently, so my memory is a bit sketchy.  Apparently, I need to cruise more often.

[katiel53]

I think there are people who love Carnival and feel they are better than other lines and those who love Royal Caribbean or another line.  Based on your review, I think you should continue to sail on Carnival. I don't see the point in sailing a line that doesn't live up to most comparisons.

 

I have sailed on Carnival enough to be almost Diamond, but I prefer the Oasis class ships now on Royal Caribbean.  I don't think the MDR food is great on either line nor do I like how noisy it is in the dining room.  Guys burgers, to me, are horrid in that they are crusty and greasy.  But then again, I don't go on a cruise to eat a burger.  I also think the burgers from Johnny Rockets are terrible, so I'm not just picking on Carnival.

 

I gave up on the chocolate melting cake on Carnival as it never came out the same way twice.  Either it was runny or overcooked.  Maybe once in a great while it was perfect, but it was always a rich dessert and I didn't really need that.

 

I like the shows on Royal Caribbean far more than the canned Carnival shows.  I don't go to the pools on either ship nor do I go to the hot tubs.  

 

There are many different things that are favorites for everyone on each line and it is up to us to determine which line/ship has more of what we desire.  I hope you get to enjoy your future cruises and I'm sure you will pick what is best for you.

 

[KKB]

Interesting comparison.

I've never cruised Carnival, so I can't do the same comparison.

I will say having cruised the Mariner & the Allure--Allure was our BEST cruise & Mariner was our WORST.

Biggest reason? Lack of activities on the Mariner. (as you suggested above). We like to fill our day. Princess does an excellent job of this. We found that lag time before/after dinner on the Mariner.

BUT we NEVER felt that way on Allure. We figured the larger ship garnered more activities. 

So I am surprised you felt this way on Oasis. 

BUT having cruised 4 lines, on ships from 2K-4K passengers, it does seem to have more to do with who the cruise director is more than anything, imo. 

But in my mind--ANY cruise is a good cruise!!

[mawvkysc]

OP thanks for sharing your thoughts. 

[mugtech]

Was on the Carnival Horizon TA, the theatre was the worst of the 10 ships I have been on.  In addition to a poor theatre, the entertainment was also subpar .  Watching someone on stage singing to prerecorded music is wasting my time.  The burgers were better on Horizon, but I won't be sailing Carnival again.

[ucanw8]

Just back from Freedom of the Seas after having sailed Carnival the last 5 times (3 different ships).

 

2 pet peeves: no ice bucket in stateroom with drinking glasses on RC.  Should I have asked room attendant for one?  We always were provided this on Carnival. 

 

Also, beach/swimming towels - they are in your stateroom waiting for you on Carnival while on RC you have to find a towel exchange.  The last day of the cruise we forgot to do this.  The morning of debarkation however we found a drop off spot for them, and were assured they’d be removed from our final bill,  but we still ended up being charged $25 per towel (there were 2) as if we’d decided to keep these unimpressive things ☹️  This left a bad final impression.

[Retired LEO]

11 minutes ago, ucanw8 said:

Just back from Freedom of the Seas after having sailed Carnival the last 5 times (3 different ships).

 

2 pet peeves: no ice bucket in stateroom with drinking glasses on RC.  Should I have asked room attendant for one?  We always were provided this on Carnival. 

 

Also, beach/swimming towels - they are in your stateroom waiting for you on Carnival while on RC you have to find a towel exchange.  The last day of the cruise we forgot to do this.  The morning of debarkation however we found a drop off spot for them, and were assured they’d be removed from our final bill,  but we still ended up being charged $25 per towel (there were 2) as if we’d decided to keep these unimpressive things ☹️  This left a bad final impression.

There is a sign in your room that says ice is available upon request.

[sayvan]

We have sailed Carnival many many times (top tier in their program), Celebrity, Princess, Norwegian and Holland America. Each offer there own unique experience. In the last year and half we have added three (3) Royal Caribbean cruises to our resume.  We love Royal. Cant wait to hit the larger ships too! We also love all the other lines we have been on. Its a vacation and I'm not at work! I would agree with many of the comparisons the OP provided and also disagree with some. I think if you go on vacation and plan to do comparisons you are already setting yourself up for some disappointment. As I said earlier, each line has its own unique things to offer. We will be back on Navigator in a few weeks and the only comparison I will be doing is when I compare the different drinks I order!

[mawvkysc]

43 minutes ago, ucanw8 said:

Just back from Freedom of the Seas after having sailed Carnival the last 5 times (3 different ships).

 

2 pet peeves: no ice bucket in stateroom with drinking glasses on RC.  Should I have asked room attendant for one?  We always were provided this on Carnival. 

 

Also, beach/swimming towels - they are in your stateroom waiting for you on Carnival while on RC you have to find a towel exchange.  The last day of the cruise we forgot to do this.  The morning of debarkation however we found a drop off spot for them, and were assured they’d be removed from our final bill,  but we still ended up being charged $25 per towel (there were 2) as if we’d decided to keep these unimpressive things ☹️  This left a bad final impression.

I agree about the towels as well. On BOS we had an ice bucket and two glasses ion the desk plus to in bathroom. 

[Mikew0805]

6 hours ago, kinggartk said:

I'll try not to provoke an us vs them war...and I'll try not to be biased.

 

I just completed my first RCL cruise aboard Oasis.  I'll start by saying Oasis is a beautiful and massive ship.  It rarely felt crowded.  The staff was all very nice.

Carnival has no ship to compare to Oasis.  In that category...RCL wins Hands Down.

 

Staff for both cruislines are excellent... This one is a draw.

 

Main Dining Room...that's where Carnival shines in my opinion.  Carnival seems to have a more varied menu from night to night in the MDR than does RCL.  RCL had many items repeated night after night with only a couple of changes from night to night.  Carnival on the other hand...has only a couple of items that show up each night while the rest of the menu changes each night.  Also...Carnival has Warm Chocolate Melting cake...RCL trys to replicate...but fails.   Carnival wins hands down.

 

All other food venues.   Carnival and RCL are pretty equal.  Food Quality is fairly equal across both cruiselines. This one is a draw.

 

I don't like the reservation system for shows on RCL.  This is just my preference, others may feel different.  Carnival Wins

 

I like that Carnival has their shows scheduled to work around MDR schedules.  If I have late dinning, I can go to the early show.  If I have early dinning, I can go to the late show.  RCL seemed to only have shows at one time (10:30).  We had 8:00 dinning and found ourselves with not much to do from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM.  On carnival...we would have been seeing a show during that time.  Carnival Wins.

 

Carnival seems to have more going on during the day than RCL...maybe that's just my perception.  I wanted to do more than sit in a lounger by the pool during the day...but just didn't find much more to do during those times.  Carnival Wins.

 

The Quality of the show are hit or miss from cruise to cruise.  The Water show was fantastic...Cats was very good, the Ice Show was good.  Come Fly with me was a snoozer and singers were not good.  Overall Carnival and RCL are equal when it comes to the Shows...but the Water Show and Ice Show put RCL over the top.  RCL Wins (because of the Ice and Water shows)

 

RCL communication with passengers was a little lacking.  We had to figure out on our one what documents to take with us to the various ports.  RCL gave us very little information about when and where to meet for excursions.  There was information provided on the tickets them selves...but finding the various excursion meeting locations was a crapshoot...especially on Labadee.  Carnival Wins.

 

Finally...Price.  This cruise seemed to be much more expensive than any of the cruises I have taken on Carnival.  Carnival Wins.

 

Disclaimer:  I have been on 5 Carnival Cruises and one RCL cruise.  I would definitely sail RCL again...but this Cruise on RCL helped me confirm I'm partial to Carnival.  I tried not to be biased...but...maybe I failed.

Agree with this except I think that CCL has better food outside the MDR that is included... by a long shot. I will find out more about their Teppanyaki, Steak house, and Asian offerings in a couple weeks.

[neverbeenhere]

Lowered Expectations. 

 

Some people’s  great is another’s nightmare.  We don’t appreciate the Carnival Cruises style, but others do. We have tried Carnival for 50+ nights and determined we won’t try it again, unless it’s free. 

 

Try all the options to find what you like. 

[kinggartk]

10 hours ago, sayvan said:

We have sailed Carnival many many times (top tier in their program), Celebrity, Princess, Norwegian and Holland America. Each offer there own unique experience. In the last year and half we have added three (3) Royal Caribbean cruises to our resume.  We love Royal. Cant wait to hit the larger ships too! We also love all the other lines we have been on. Its a vacation and I'm not at work! I would agree with many of the comparisons the OP provided and also disagree with some. I think if you go on vacation and plan to do comparisons you are already setting yourself up for some disappointment. As I said earlier, each line has its own unique things to offer. We will be back on Navigator in a few weeks and the only comparison I will be doing is when I compare the different drinks I order!

We didn't go...planning to do comparisons, but it's human nature to compare.  And...to be clear...we thoroughly enjoyed our cruise and wouldn't hesitate to sail with RCL again.  This was not intended to be a bash RCL segment...it was just observations.

[pcur]

Interesting thread.  I just checked Carnival's loyalty program benefits, and that's a deal-breaker right there for me.

[acegolfer25]

11 hours ago, Retired LEO said:

There is a sign in your room that says ice is available upon request.

Can I request glasses as well?

[mawvkysc]

3 minutes ago, acegolfer25 said:

Can I request glasses as well?

Yes. It’s odd that they weren’t already in the cabin. 

[MechE31]

We've done 30+ nights on both lines. We've done Independence, but haven't done Oasis class yet (Harmony booked for May). Overall I agree. I think the food overall is better on CCL, especially the free non-MDR options. The shows on the bigger RC boats are better, but Carnival wins hands down in comedy. I feel that there is more to do doing the day on Carnival versus the RC boats we have been on, even Indy. On week long cruises the crowd doesn't play in much, but I don't think I'd book a weekend Carnival cruise again.

 

Neither lines sways us enough in either direction to stay loyal. We've got three cruises booked right now, two on RC and one leaving Friday on Carnival. We book primarily based on price and ports. We're looking at January 2020 and Harmony or Allure are over twice as expensive as the Magic. We plan on booking the Magic with the bounce back offer from Carnival when we get off the ship.

[Clarea]

42 minutes ago, acegolfer25 said:

Can I request glasses as well?

 

Glasses come with the ice.

[Alter Ego]

I’m curious about people saying there’s more to do on Carnival during the day - can someone elaborate?

 

I just want to say that I appreciate fair comparisons between Royal and other cruise lines.  I see/hear people at the guest services desk saying they will never cruise Royal again, so it helps me to see what’s different between the lines.  Like others have said, each line has its pluses and minuses. So, my thanks to the OP.

[EeyoreRN]

13 hours ago, ucanw8 said:

Just back from Freedom of the Seas after having sailed Carnival the last 5 times (3 different ships).

 

2 pet peeves: no ice bucket in stateroom with drinking glasses on RC.  Should I have asked room attendant for one?  We always were provided this on Carnival. 

 

Also, beach/swimming towels - they are in your stateroom waiting for you on Carnival while on RC you have to find a towel exchange.  The last day of the cruise we forgot to do this.  The morning of debarkation however we found a drop off spot for them, and were assured they’d be removed from our final bill,  but we still ended up being charged $25 per towel (there were 2) as if we’d decided to keep these unimpressive things ☹️  This left a bad final impression.

 

I'm curious how you enjoyed Freedom overall. Some of the trip reviews are stellar and other are absolutely horrific!  I am booked on her for May, but am considering switching to Carnival Fascination to save a few hundred $$ for a similar category room. I know fascination is an older, smaller ship but has recently been rehabbed...fewer food choices, but I haven't heard of any crazy loud boom-box parties on her.

 

OP, thank you for sharing your observations and opinions!