Royal caribbean harmony of the seas vs. carnival breeze/magic eastern carribean in oc

[rxzmom]

Hello all and thank you in advance,

my family has never been on a cruise. we have some time off from 10/11 - 10/22 and were thinking a cruise may be the way to go. it is my husband and i (we don't really drink alcohol), 4 year old and (at sailing time) 2 yo boys. 

we've done all inclusive together before but wanted to keep our costs lower this time.

we'll be coming from asheville, north Carolina and flying in - hopefully if we can find a cheap allegiant flight the day before.

i've lived in miami before so i know the traffic can be crazy and hectic and i know that might be crazy with boarding and unloading?

 

i've looked at a few options:

carnival breeze 10/12 - port Canaveral to eastern caribbean. costing abc $2300 for interior stateroom - basic room, class 4 D or 4E

carnival magic 10/12 x 8 nights i think  - from Miami to eastern caribbean costing about $2300 for interior stateroom class 4D or 4E

royal caribbean is having their WOW sale so it went down from $3270 to $2750 for interior room 1V - deck 9, middle of ship.

 

i like that carnival has a kids club start at 2 yo. 

we are first time cruisers. my husbands main concern is food poisoning lol.

i doubt we'll do excursions because of the kids. and we won't be spending money on alcohol or gambling really. 

 

what do you experts think?

[Essiesmom]

I would never recommend doing your first cruise on one of the largest ships.  It would take you the entire week to find everything, much less enjoy it.  Plus going ashore...  You will get just as much enjoyment from the smaller (but still huge) Carnial ships, and the kids club for the 2 y/o.  And they change diapers...  I would be doing some basic research on airfare and concentrate ont he lowest airfare.  And keep in mind, you should fly in a day early...EM

[Itchy&Scratchy]

RCI has their Kids Sail free sale right now. Since your kids aren't in school yet, you can definitely score a fantastic deal off season.

I am very partial to RCI, and my kid started his cruising at 3 on the Independence of the Seas. In less than 2 months we'll be on the Allure, and he can't wait!!!! He'll be 8.

[bakersdozen12]

13 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

I would never recommend doing your first cruise on one of the largest ships.  It would take you the entire week to find everything, much less enjoy it.  Plus going ashore...  You will get just as much enjoyment from the smaller (but still huge) Carnial ships, and the kids club for the 2 y/o.  And they change diapers...  I would be doing some basic research on airfare and concentrate ont he lowest airfare.  And keep in mind, you should fly in a day early...EM

 

Completely disagree.  Our first cruise was on the Carnival Dream (same class of ship as the Magic and Breeze) and it was fantastic.  You learn the layout after a day or two. 

 

To the OP: I have only been on Carnival ships, so I don't have a comparison to Royal, but I think your family would love either of the Carnival ships you are looking at.  Unless there is something amazing on the Royal ship you are looking at, I can't see paying that much more to sail on them instead. The money you will save can go to excursions. As far as how to choose between the Magic and Breeze, they are so similar and since the price is the same, I would choose based on the itinerary.  Look at the ports and what excursions they have to offer (both through the cruise line and through third parties).  Then choose based on what ports you would rather visit.

[Aquahound]

In general, I recommend RCI over Carnival, and Oasis Class ships are the most amazing ships at sea.  I recommend Harmony.  

[KmomChicago]

You're not going to like my answer, but I would do Carnival Sunshine from Charleston SC for 5 nights October 14-19.  You won't have to add the expense or hassle of the flight which would be easier with the little ones.  It's only 5 nights so it's long enough to find out if you all really love it but not forever if you're not thrilled.  It's a 4 hour drive from your house so you can either drive down the night before and find a park and stay deal or park at the port, or you can leave the house early the day of the cruise and just pay for parking.  The overall travel time to get to Charleston port is going to be similar overall to getting to airports an hour before flight time, getting shuttles after the flights, and time in the air.   Plus, you can take anything you want in your luggage without dealing with tiny bottles or weight limits or any other annoying stuff.

 

I found you an inside / obstructed window (these are sold as insides and then they add a small upgrade cost) in the far forward of the ship for $1673, including tax and port fees or $1952 after adding prepaid gratuities.  Plus, did I mention? No flights.  I've done Allegiant and I know even though it's relatively cheap, the add ons, well, add up, and it is not the most pleasant travel option.

 

Carnival Sunshine is a midsize and age ship and while it's not as grand as your original choices, it's probably a decent choice for a first cruise with little tiny kids.  My family's first was the similar size but more aged Carnival Triumph; my daughter was 11 at the time and it was an excellent first cruise for them.   The kids won't fully appreciate something like the spectacular Oasis class yet. Save it until they are bigger and need more bells and whistles.

 

You will have time to get ready before and time to "recover" if needed, after based on your time off schedule.  For me, there would be no choice. The perfect timing, price, and convenience would seal the deal.

Edited February 9, 2019 by KmomChicago

[CruisingMarch2016]

KmomChicago has some great points. The cost difference to drive to SC vs. fly to FL would save your family $$ and time. The ports are not ideal but for your 1st cruise this is what I would suggest also.

Remember: Any cruise you take can be a disaster or success--It's up to the individual how to role with the punches. 

[EndlessCruise]

On 2/9/2019 at 5:34 AM, KmomChicago said:

You're not going to like my answer, but I would do Carnival Sunshine from Charleston SC for 5 nights October 14-19.  You won't have to add the expense or hassle of the flight which would be easier with the little ones.  It's only 5 nights so it's long enough to find out if you all really love it but not forever if you're not thrilled.  It's a 4 hour drive from your house so you can either drive down the night before and find a park and stay deal or park at the port, or you can leave the house early the day of the cruise and just pay for parking.

 

 

Good idea about Charleston and Carnival Sunshine for a first cruise with kids. 

 

Another option for travel from Asheville to Charleston would be Greyhound bus. Bathroom on board, free wi-fi, overhead tv/movie monitor, all seats have their own power outlet for charging electronic devices. Only 2 seats on each side of the aisle per row - no middle seats means you're never uncomfortably stuck in between two people like on airline flights.

 

Travel time from Asheville to Charleston is no more than 7 hours, and there are no transfers to other buses to worry about. The bus station on Dorchester Road is only about 10 to 12 minutes via vehicle from Carnival Cruise Port on Washington Street.

 

Kids get discounted fares on Greyhound. Way cheaper than flying, and also cheaper than driving your own car, because you don't have to pay exorbitant parking fees. Also no worries about your car getting broken into while you're cruising.

 

Travel to Charleston the day before departure. There are decent motels to be had along the interstate between the bus station and cruise port. You should be able to find one that has a shuttle van that will pick you up at the bus station after arrival, but if one isn't available, Uber or a taxi for such a short ride would be insignificant.

 

If there isn't a shuttle available from the motel to the port on the day of the cruise, again Uber or taxi fare would be negligible.

[A2Mich]

I would also add that I would avoid Allegiant at all costs.  I’ve read many articles referencing their aging fleet and questionable maintenance program.  Also have found multiple instances where flights were either severely overbooked, or flights cancelled due to maintenance issues, with passengers being stranded for days as they had no other flights available.  

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

So far we cruised on 20 of the 29 Carnival ships. With that in mind. The Harmony is a totally different kind of ship. It is awesome and worth every penny. We loved everything about it.

[KmomChicago]

Looks like either they didn't love our brilliant helpful advice, or they just gave up on the whole idea!