Carnival Vs Rccl?? Help!!

[SugarNSpice8104]

I know alot about royal caribbean ships, and I don't know anything about Carnival. I have sailed Carnival once and I liked it just as much as royal. My family and I are trying to book a cruise for next year and I was wondering if anyone could help me. What are the biggest Carnival ships out there now, and is there alot to do for every age. We will have ages 3-78. Also if anyone has done both cruise lines which do you prefer. I have only done Voayger class ships for Royal, but their itinerary's are very limited. My father is stubborn and swears he will only do royal, but he saw a really nice ship in port last week, so hopefully we could persuade him to change it up a little. Any help would be appreciated.

[victory2020]

I have done both lines & to be honest I would not waste my time with RCCL. Not huge differences, but little details like free espresso & cappucino with meals on Carnival. I don't eat at the buffet often, but remember that RCCL didn't have a salad bar at lunch. And of course Carnival has the pizza & deli. (not to mention the samples of goodies in the rooms).

[zachnlucy]

(not to mention the samples of goodies in the rooms).

 

What goodies are you referring to? Samples in the bathroom?

[victory2020]

What goodies are you referring to? Samples in the bathroom?

Yes, those goodies.

[Sue L]

I have done both lines & to be honest I would not waste my time with RCCL. Not huge differences, but little details like free espresso & cappucino with meals on Carnival. I don't eat at the buffet often, but remember that RCCL didn't have a salad bar at lunch. And of course Carnival has the pizza & deli. (not to mention the samples of goodies in the rooms).

 

 

RCCl definitely has a salad bar at lunch (ate it everyday) pizza deli, HOT room service breakfast, great food, service and entertainment. IMO HUGE difference with RCCL.

[LRene]

Yes, RCCL has pizza and burgers but they're inedible. Their beds are the worst I've ever slept on either by land or by sea. There are a lot of posts out there that compare the two lines if you do a search. You'll get a lot of perspectives. For us, it was the small things that added up over and over that made the difference and I don't know that we'll ever sail RCCL again. There are a lot of similarities in the two lines and there are a lot of differences. The drinks on RCCL ROCK but the food was not so good.

 

To answer your question, the largest ships that Carnival has are the Conquest class ships. The newest is the Freedom but it's in Europe right now so depending on when you plan to go.... The next newest (2005) is the Liberty based in Ft. Lauderdale. Also check out the Valor and the Conquest. All of those will have TONS of things for anyone from age 3 to 78 to do and love. It just depends on the itinerary you prefer and the port you'd like to go out of. Good luck with your decision!

[Maxax]

We've done both Carnival and RCCL...there were a few things that we did like better on RCCL...but overall, especially including price...we always go with Carnival. The have better food than RCCL...and in our opinions...although the Carnival ships are smaller than the some of the RCCL ships, the Carnival ships have a better layout, and more activities...even just the way the activities are organized...we like the way Carnival does things better. And...like I said above...Carnival is usually in the neighborhood of $1,000 less....per couple than RCCL.

[luvdasea]

Lrenee-Do you think Carnival Freedom Western Europe would be a good itinerary for kids ages12 and 14 (2008)?

[LRene]

Lrenee-Do you think Carnival Freedom Western Europe would be a good itinerary for kids ages12 and 14 (2008)?

 

Not sure which itinerary you are referring to as "Western" Europe". They have the Grand Mediterranean and the Italy, Greece and Turkey itinerary.

 

For either one, I think it would be a WONDERFUL experience for kids of that age. They are old enough to remember the trip for the rest of their lives and they will learn a lot about history and the different cultures. We've only traveled during times the kids were in school but still had some teens on the ship. It sounds like a lot of people take teens with them on those itineraries.

 

Keep in mind they are SUPER port intensive itineraries with 10-12 hours per day in port. It can wear you out completely and isn't like a relaxing Caribbean trip. It's a totally different "type" of cruise. BUT, it's fascinating and well worth it. If I had kids that age again, I wouldn't think twice about taking them. Lucky kids! :)

[DG2004]

RCCl definitely has a salad bar at lunch (ate it everyday) pizza deli, HOT room service breakfast, great food, service and entertainment. IMO HUGE difference with RCCL.

 

 

I could not even finish a slice of pizza on rccl

 

 

stuff was disgusting

[ce2000]

I think you have to talk dad into trying Carnival. It really isn't that much different from RCCL, and the food on Carnival may be better. I'm not saying that he will prefer Carnival over RCCL, but he might. In the end whichever line you choose you will have a great time.

[markandstacie00]

If you ask what state is better, Florida or North Dakota on a I love North Dakota Board, you will get the results you expect!

[crusinmama06]

If you ask what state is better, Florida or North Dakota on a I love North Dakota Board, you will get the results you expect!

 

Yes exactly. There is a thread on the RCCL board right now with the same question and the answers are exactly the opposite of the ones here. ;)

 

I am one of those who bounces back and forth between the 2 lines. I do one big expensive cruise every year where I spare no expense, for that I go on RCCL. Then I do 2 inexpensive cruises on Carnival, all in under a year.

 

In my case, I am torn between the two. For food, hands down Carnival is the best. I was actually surprised how good the food was. We did not have a very good cabin attendant on Elation. But we had friends onboard who had a GREAT cabin attendant (just the luck of the draw). And on Elation we did not have very good waiter, but an awesome assistant waiter. So once again, I think it was the luck of the draw.

 

And for us, embarkation on Elation was a mixed up nightmare of rude people. But it might just be that it was the first time in years that we didn't have priority embarkation (couldn't get a suite on Elation cause I booked 3 weeks before the cruise). So the long lines and the long wait got to me.

 

And if your last cruise was on a Voyager class, you might have a hard time convincing your dad to switch. Those are beautiful ships. But it will probably be ok if you stick to the new ships at Carnival.

[GoinCruisin]

I could not even finish a slice of pizza on rccl

 

 

stuff was disgusting

 

Oh it was pretty bad pizza indeed!! The "free" hamburgers weren't so good... but Johnny Rockets is pretty good.

 

I'd say they are much more similar than not... there are going to be some minor plus/minuses, but all in all, pretty similar... I understand that RCCL was changing out the beds on all the ships recently, they needed that!! If you are into activities like the rock wall, skating rink, etc... go RCCL... I myself have no desire to do that on a ship, but others enjoy it. The larger ships on Carnival are nice... plenty to do for all ages, and I hear that the camp is wonderful. The cabins are a very nice size on Carnival as well... Seriously, they are more alike than different, and he should at least give it a try... surely he doesn't want to be one of those people that will put down a cruiseline, having never cruised on it ;)

[zachnlucy]

We were on the RCCL Splendour in December, and the new beds were great. The beds on the Grandeur a few years ago were actually cots, nobody in their right mind could call them beds.

[USA41018]

Been on both. Royal Caribbean Voyager and Explorer. Large ships, lots to do. Carnival Victory large ship, lots to do. We enjoy trivia, bingo and casinos. Both lines are great. Both have great food. So it comes down to 2 things - Price, you can't beat Carnival. RCCL is much more expensive compared to Carnival. Itinerary, Carnival has more interesting itineraries. With its private islands and Grand Turk, sounds like paradise. Both cruises with RCCL went to Labadee (Haiti). Tired of Labadee. Pushy natives.