Opinions Needed: RC vs. Carnival

[n4runner]

We sailed on our first cruise November, 2003 on RC's Rhapsody. Totally got hooked on the cruising experience! So here we are a mere 6 months later ready to book another. Looking to book Carnival's Sensation 4 nighter out of Tampa in June.

 

Has anybody sailed these classes of ships on both lines? If so, would LOVE some opinions, pros and cons.

 

TIA - N

 

Until Rhapsody of the Seas

 

[stlrboo]

No, I haven't..!

BUT, it's Carnival, hands down.. no doubt

 

This much time until I leave to marry my best friend

 

Triumph 4/04

Imagination 5/00

OceanBreeze 11/96

USS 'Neversail' SanDiego 10/65

[jessed]

Personally I wouldn't sail on the Sensation. It's an older ship and I didn't like the other older ships I sailed on - the Jubilee and NCL Sea. If you don't care about the ship and are looking to just get away - go for it.

 

 

Navigator of the Seas 2-28-04

Norwegian Sea 2003

Carnival Jubilee 2002

Carnival Destiny 2001

Carnival Imagination 2000

Carnival Fascination 1998

 

[HighSeaslover]

We have sailed on both RCI and Carnival. Just last year we did two cruises one from each. Hands down Carnival won!!! We have booked another for this fall and I demanded it be Carnival. Carnival and RCI are very simular but here was some of the difference I thought made a differences.

1. Carnival's music at the clubs was better (younger stuff like South Rock, 70's 80's rock) We are all in our later 30's)

2. I enjoyed Carnival's food better. There was a couple of evenings that on the RCI menu I didn't find anything I wanted and the wait staff never offered anything else. On Carnival when I couldn't find something our waiter would always offer other things that wasn't on the menu or would ask if I had a request of the Chef...

3. Staff on Carnival really went out of thier way to make me happy. Example when setting by the pool waiting on some people, one bar waiter kept coming by and if I wasn't smiling he would tell me that I was setting in a happy zone and if I didn't smile he would have to report me. That always brought a smile to my face. Another bar staff saw that I was having a difficult time with the lenght of my straw to my drink and therefore he made a new longer one...

 

Just a few things like that really does make you vacation special... it is Carnival for me.

 

Tropical (Carnival) 1995

Vision (RCI)Feb 2003

Conquest (Carnival) Sept 2003

Trumiph (Carnival) Sept 2004

[countercast]

Been on both lines and both are excellent. RCI had excellent food too - I can't imagine sitting down at dinner and not finding something I liked on the 2 page, 5-6 course menu. Couldn't tell you the distinct differences between those 2 particular ships, though, and that counts more than the cruise lines.

 

Working hard to cruise hard!

[Ronath]

There are good points to both Carnival and RCI. The Sensation is an older ship, but not that old. We've been on the Inspiration which I think is the same size as the Sensation. We enjoy both cruise lines but sometimes find the service on Royal Caribbean to be a little better. But we also haven't really had bad service on Carnival either. We have pictures of the Carnival Conquest and RCI Explorer below.

 

Check out our pictures: http://community.webshots.com/user/natron24

 

Premier Royale 7/87

Sovereign of the Seas 11/90

Enchanted Seas 4/91

Ecstasy 11/91

Celebration 6/92

Crown Princess 11/92

Enchanted Seas 12/92

Tropicale 6/93

Crown Princess 11/93

Enchanted Seas 12/93

Celebration 6/94

Regal Princess 10/94

Enchanted Seas 12/94

Tropicale 4/95

Regal Princess 10/95

Enchanted Isle 5/96

Enchanted Isle 8/96

Crown Princess 10/96

Nieuw Amsterdam 4/97

Enchanted Isle 9/97

Celebration 10/97

Enchanted Isle 4/98

Norwegian Star 7/98

Celebration 11/98

Enchanted Isle 12/98

Norwegian Sea 5/99

Enchanted Isle 11/99

Enchanted Isle 5/00

Destiny 11/00

Inspiration 5/01

Celebrity Century 11/01

Explorer of the Seas 11/02

Carnival Conquest 5/03

Rhapsody of the Seas 11/03

Carnival Conquest 5/04

Navigator of the Seas 11/04

 

 

[serene56]

I have been on Royals Voyager and the Carnival Sensation. Had a great time on all my cruises. But the Sensation is still by far my favorite.

Like the previousposters stated there really isnt that much of a difference between the two lines but I found Carnival to have a better choice of my night life where Royal only gave you the choice of lounge/music for listening or dancing pleasure

 

Going NOWHERE

 

 

Miracle, February 13, 2005

Legend, October 22,2004

Voyager August 31,2003

Victory September 22,2002

Regal Empress,June 2001

Sensation,August 2000

 

 

[Gammie]

LOVED RCI

LOVED CARNIVAL

We will be sailing on the Fantasy in September which is also a sister ship!

 

 

Holiday 9/11/04

Conquest 10/19/03

Enchantment of the Seas 9/02

Inspiration 6/01

Discovery Sun 8/99

Discover 6/95

[lephysteria]

Howdy yall,

 

I have been on both lines. On RCCL I've sailed on the Explorer, Vision, and Monarch. On Carnival I've been on the Paradise, Pride, Holiday and Ecstasy.

 

I enjoyed each cruise (with the exception of the Holiday ... but that was my companion's doing, not the cruise line). The lines are similar, and I would recommend any RCCL ship or CCL ship you could book! A bad cruise is better than no cruise.

 

Mrs. T

 

CCL Paradise 9/23/2000 #U161 - CCL Holiday 3/5/2001 #M32 - RCCL Explorer 9/1/2001 #7298 - CCL Ecstasy 12/7/2001 #R171 - CCL Pride 3/2/2002 #6194 - RCCL Vision 10/11/02 #4521 - CCL Ecstasy 12/27/2002 #E135 - CCL Ecstasy 1/20/2003 #U197 - RCCL Monarch 12/19/03 #9580 - CCL Ecstasy 2/6/04 #M209

Wedding Pics at - http://community.webshots.com/user/lephysteria

 

To Naren, "I can't see me loving nobody but you for all my life."

 

... until our Star Honeymoon

[n4runner]

Sincere THANKS to all who responded. Ronath, BTW, did you happen to be on the 11/09/03 Rhapsody??

 

We'll have to make up our minds B4 end of week - REALLY appreciate the feedback - best to all - N

[Cruising89143]

I was on the Sensation back when she was a new ship and had a great time but keep in mind that she will not be as new as the Rhapsody but for a short cruise she should be fine. I think that overall you will find both cruise lines are pretty similar overall. I noticed that you are from Texas, have you considered the Elation out of Galveston?

 

Gordon

 

http://community.webshots.com/user/cruisingator

 

NCL Starward-86, Starship Atlantic-91, Caribe-92, Seabreeze-93, Fantasy-93, Norway-94, Celebration-94, Sensation-95, Imagination-96, Destiny-97, Celebration-98, Triumph-99, Victory-00, Majesty of the Seas-01, Fascination-01, Carnival Pride-02, Majesty of the Seas-02, Carnival Legend-02, Fantasy 7-03, Glory 9-03, Fantasy 11-03, Triumph 3/04.

 

Navigator of the Seas 12/04/04

 

 

 

 

[mrsbooger]

Food on Carnival is much better than RCCL. Was just on Navigator 3/20/04. The food was average. My last Carnival cruise was on The Jubilee 2 years ago and the food was EXCELLENT! Can't wait to start eating on The Sensation in 3 weeks!

 

Happy Cruising!

 

 Days To Go Until The Sensation!

 

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[matt082600]

Tia:

 

As most people have pointed out, both cruise lines are very good. My personal choice is RC. I liked the food better on Royal and the Service was a bit better as well. However, the food and service on Carnival were very good too. The big difference that I found was among the actual cruisers. This is why if given a choice, I would choose RC everytime. I found substantially more people on Carnival who were desperately in need of some class. A few quick examples: A man showing up to formal night dinner in shorts and a "homemade" sleeveless denim shirt; a young lady who showed up to formal night w/ a sheer white dress on and nothing else; a man who belched so loudly at dinner he could shame most college frat boys (and he failed to excuse himself, just kept shoveling food in), the list goes on and on..... I have encountered people on all cruises that I have been on that lacked manners, but my Carnival journeys seemed to have many more than other lines that I have cruised. Obviously, this is only my humble opinion....

[Palmerfamily]

We've only sailed with RC once and found the experience to be very different from Carnival. On the plus side for RC, if you like to get away from the kids and teens, they have a solarium with pool and two hot tubs that is quiet and tropical. On Carnival, 7 cruises so far, we have never been in the pool or hot tubs. They're always full of teens. On RC we were able to enjoy both. The ship was cleaner than any of the Carnivals and the cabin was smaller, but seemed larger because of the arrangement of storage spaces. Also more Caribbean tropical music. Carnival has it during the day around the pool, but at night switches to top 40 or country music. Ugh! Downside for RC...the bars are separated. They're all over the ship and hard to find. Carnival has a deck with the bars lined up and you can go bar-hopping from one to the other and its like walking down a fun street meeting other partiers. We like Carnival for the 24 hour availability of all kinds of food. The huge choice of ships and destinations at great prices and the "fun". More young people and more common areas to meet and greet.

 

One big consideration is the particular ship...go with the newer and larger Carnival ships. Also the port of departure. You get a different crowd from different ports. Also time of year. If you don't like lots of rowdy young folks, don't go during holiday breaks from school. We're leaving next week on Carnival again. The Victory. We've never had a bad cruise. You just get so spoiled you become very picky. Cruising is the best!!!

 

Happy sailing!

[cantwait2cruise]

I wouldn't hesitate to sail either line and I wouldn't hesitate to sail Sensation...loved her sister ship Inspiration and we're going on Imagination in June.

 

My opinion may be a little skewed b/c it was our first cruise and it was our honeymoon but I liked Carnival more. I think everything depends a lot on the ship, the crew AND the passengers on the ship at that time. I experienced more partiers on our RC cruise than on our Carnival cruise which was by the way over a college spring break week. I just liked the atmosphere more on Carnival. It was way more fun in the dining room and I thought RC was very pushy about selling you drinks and stuff. I thought the food was comparable on each cruise.

 

Have fun!!!

 

HM on Inspiration 3/9/03

Sovereign of the Seas 8/17/03 (Just Mom and I)

Imagination 6/17/04 (w/ the Inlaws!)

[momofmeg]

The Sensation is a Fanasty class ship MUCH newer then the Jubilee. The Jubliee carries about 1450 in pasengers-Sensation carries more like 2800 so the 2 don't compare. the Jubilee came out in 1986 or around then-the Sensation was more like 1995 so it is at least 8 or 9 years newer.

 

I have not been on the Sensation. But I have been on both Inspiration and Fascination. (also Fanasty class ships) I have also been on the new Miracle. As far as how nice the ships were and size Miracle was just a little better with things like a private supperclub and a gourmet coffee and dessert bar. As it is a new ship Carnival pulled out all her stops as far as great entertainment and food-but I felt that is just because she is new. I am sure a year from now her food and entertainment will be about the same as the Fanasty class ships. Anthoner thing, we all have different opinions. I read one post that liked Fanasty better then Miracle; he felt the food was better on Fanasty.