Carnival or Royal Caribbean?

[joejo]

We are a 25 and 29 year old couple trying to decide between a Carnival or a Royal Caribbean Cruise. Travel is planned for Nov 06 or early Dec 06. We are planning to fly in to Ft.Lauderdale and would like to leave from somewhere within a reasonable travel from there. The Western Caribbean is looking appealing because I want to do a StingRay Excursion. We are looking for a ship with some fun activities. We took a 2 week land vacation to Mexico a few years ago and had alot of fun at the activities pool so we would like to have the option to join some fun. Does anyone have any advice? Thanks, joejo

[hipquest]

I haven't been on RCCL, just Carnival and we had a great time. I'm in my mid 30's but tend to want to be where the party is. DH is the same way. Both lines have lots of kids at certain times of year so check that out. Look for roll calls on both lines for the dates you want to travel, it may give you a feel for the people going (remember not everyone on a cruise comes to cruisecritic). It all depends on what you want on your cruise.

[joejo]

How do I check the roll call for the ships? What exactly is the roll call? What kind of info do I get there?

[hipquest]

On the main board page there is a section for roll calls. Just scroll down a bit and check for Carnival and RCCL. Look for dates and ships you are interested in. It would help if you already have something in mind-East or West coast, length, itinerary, etc. Have you spoken with a TA or the cruiseline to get brochures? That can be a great help to narrow things down.

[VentureMan_2000]

Carnival is you want a lot for your money, and you like to party.

[BobBeaSea]

I have only cruised on RCI. I really think you will have a great time no matter which company you cruise with. Check the itineraries of both for the Western Carib. along with pricing. If I was your age I might think Carnival may have a younger group onboard but the disclaimer is, this is based only on the propaganda I've read :D. Whichever you choose, have a great time :)

[RevSmith]

Joejo~ there are only a few major differences. Both lines are wonderful and you will have fun no matter which one you choose but consider this:

 

Carnival has slighly larger cabins (and by the way don't go on an inside cabin...you want to see out...it's part of the trip)

 

Carnival usually has lower prices.

 

RCI treats you a tiny bit better

 

RCI has better food (except for the pizza).

 

Everything else is really very equal.

[LHP]

Joejo: You can ask 100 people and get 100 different answers. You will find folks who say Carnival food is better. One lady just sailed on the RCCL -SOS and hated every bite of food they served. She sailed on the CCL - Pride and loved all the food. Two seconds later, you can find posts that say just the opposite. From my experience and the posts I have read - it is like saying

do I want Burger King or McDonalds? Both provide a good hamburger.

 

Since opinions about service and food are just that..."opinions", let me give you a little trick that I use when searching for cruise.

 

1. I find the ports I want to go to. (some are better for scuba as opposed to snorkeling etc)

 

2. I list all the ships that leave from the area I am looking for.

 

3. Since food, service and fun are going to be equal, (between RCCL and Carnival) look at the price (if that is an issue - for some people it is not)

 

4. Then when I have narrowed it down to a few ships - (hang onto your hats) I go and read the WORST reviews on each ship . I then decide:

A. are these complaints valid? You can tell pretty quickly if someone is presenting a fair and balanced review or if they are just someone with a starfish up their fanny.

 

B. do they apply to me? (ie a smoker won't care how much smoke was in the casino)

 

C. if they are valid and do apply to me, is it something I can live with and still have a great (not good) cruise.

 

Since you are a young couple ( and I am assuming that you are not taking children) be forewarned that both cruiselines have a lot of kids on them when school it is out. And you may want to sail on ships that offer "adult only solariums" if you are cruising during the summer and kids get on your nerves. Also, specifically the Spirit class of Carnival ships reviews have been expressing a "less than get drunk and puke" party atmosphere. Still fun, but perhaps more reserve than you want. So I would avoid that class of ship, if you are into serious partying.

 

Hope this helps.

[joejo]

Thanks for the info LHP! This will be our first cruise so it is a little overwhelming to pick. joejo

[marinerminglers]

You can check right here on the cruisecritic website. If you click on find a cruise and then click on first cruise they give a list of the best ships for first time cruisers. I thought it was very helpful. Good luck:D