Royal Caribbean Vs. Carnival, Celebrity

[Kudos2Fly]

I have been on Carnival 4 times and Celebrity 1 time. I like Carnival. I know some people think Carnival is cheap and chessy. I have had good experiences with them and happen to enjoy them. In general I think they have good service. I personally haven't had a problem.

 

We then went on Celebrity in Dec, 04 for a family cruise. I thought great a new cruise line. I found them to be a bit boring and stuffy granted the service was a better then Carnival. But the was it. If I had a choice between Celebrity and Carnival. I would pick Carnival.

 

Now for Royal Caribbean. We will be doing our family cruise again in Dec on Legend of the Seas out of Tampa. How do they campare? I like to have good service in general and also still have fun. I have herd Royal Caribbean is the next step up from Carnival.

 

I want to know what they are like.

 

Kim

[darrencantwait]

I think you'll like it. RCCL is definitely more active than Celebrity. Probably not as party-hearty as Carnival...a nice mix in between Carnival and X.

[Pradagal]

Never been on Carnival but agree about Celebrity not very inpressed. We had a suite and I would much rather have a blacony room on Royal any day. We partied like crazy on Vision and Monarch so I think you can have just as much fun as Carnival. It is a very active cruiseline.Spent time in the gym did classes, kid's rock climbed , played basketball, danced. You will enjoy it I'm sure.Have fun:)

[dawnrae]

We are on the Legend of the Seas departure on 12/16 also. I have been a loyal Carnival cruiser but I could not find a Carnival cruise in the same price range for this date. I have 4 cabins booked so price was a major consideration. We did the 3 day Sovereign of the Seas last year in December. I like Carnival's food, entertainment and cabins better than my experience on SOS. The kids program and the pools were great on Royal Caribbean. We had a terrible room stewart on SOS and the wait staff was very nice but everyone repeatedly got their orders wrong. Still, our family group decided we wanted to try Royal Caribbean again. The kids really loved their program. I think taking a 7 day cruise will make a difference also. Great ports too.

 

Dawnrae

[Bruin Steve]

Hey...Everyone's different...

We all have different criteria, different standards, different expectations...

I'll be cruising on my 7th different cruise line this July...and, from my experience, none of them are really terrible...You can have a great cruise on ANY cruise line...and they all do far more alike than they do differently...

 

But, as to which cruise line anyone will like better than any other depends a lot on what you are looking for in a cruise...

 

Do you want to party on into the night? Carnival may impress you more than anyone else...

 

Do you want lots of amenities, especially sports-related and lots of stuff for the kids? Royal Caribbean wins hands down...

 

Do you want superior food and service on less crowded but large ships? Celebrity fills the bill quite well...

 

Maybe you want a smaller ship with less to do but relax...Oceania will look very good to you...

 

Every cruise line does some things well, others less well (and , of course, doing something "well" is in the eye of the beholder as well)...But, depending on what one is looking for...and not looking for, you might find fault with a particular cruise line that no one else sees...and you mioght be oblivious to the faults on your favorite cruise line that everyone else sees...

 

I've taken two cruises on Carnival and have enjoyed both (though, in my book, they fall far short of Celebrity in most categories that are important to me) ...My largest problems with Carnival are that they crowd a lot of people onto their ships...which means long lines, crowded venues, difficulty finding seats at shows, etc. and that they are just a little to agressive with brash commercialism...They are very good on entertainment and activities, though...

 

Royal Caribbean ships are a little less crowded, a little classier and have great ships and amenities...and are great for families with kids...

 

I don't find Celebrity boring at all...I've always found more than enough to do...and I find the Food and Service to be CLEARLY superior to both Carnival and Royal Caribbean. The public spaces are more geared to adults and are as roomy and uncrowded as I've found on any ship (with only 2,000 passengers on a 91,000 gross ton ship, few other lines can match the spaciousness). They don't bother you with a lot of pestering announcements...and the little added touches (cold towels, sorbet on the pool deck and more) are just fantastic...

 

But, obviously, Celebrity isn't for everybody...Neither is RCCL...or Carnival...

Some folks just seem to fit in better with a particular cruise line...Some people find food and service important, some have entertainment and nightlife as their top priority, some want activities and amenities...So, no one's ever going to agree...

 

And my advice to everyone is to try other lines...You'll probably find that they are ALL enjoyable...For most people, EVERY cruise is a great experience...