Comparing Carnival with Other Cruise Lines

[teacher2cruiser]

My husband and I have been on two cruises in the last year (our only two). They were very different, but in my opinion there's no such thing as a bad cruise. :) I would really appreciate some opinions on comparing Carnival to Norweigan and Royal Caribbean. I understand that opinions are just that, but I'd enjoy hearing what you veterans have to say.

Thanks!

[CruiserGuy1234]

Norwegian is a more upscale cruise line, Carnival owns Princess which would be its competitor.

 

Royal Carribean is Carnivals competition and IMO the food is better and the Entertainment is livelier, the ships are always more active, and the staterooms are larger.

 

just make sure you compare apples to apples, which ship were you on for Royal? if it was a newer one then try the Liberty or other Conquest class ship.

[teacher2cruiser]

We were on the Grandeur with RC and the Spirit with NCL. The food on the Grandeur was by far better. Most everything else was in the same ballpark, but given the choice with everything being the same, I'd choose Royal Caribbean over Norweigan next time. I'm wonderingwhere Carnival would fit in the mix, and I plan to try for myself soon. I'd just like to hear from others who have cruised a lot and what their thoughts are.

Thanks!

[ELECIA]

I have cruised several times. Most with Carnival, once with the Big Red Boat and my most recent was with NCL. I don't want to say I don't like NCL because that was just one cruise and don't want to base my entire opinion on that line from one experience. But I liked the food a LOT better on Carnival. It wasn't so much the quality that was lacking, but the selection. I don't like seafood at all (almost phobic about it....). We would look at the dinner menu before we entered the dining room and I would see a chicken dish, but then would be dissapointed to see it was stuffed with crab or something. They wouldn't accomodate me and make plain chicken/steak. Someone on here said that NCL is a "higher class" type of ship and that could be the reason for my opinion on the food. I am by no means a "foodie". I like my food to be fresh and delicious, but I don't like to venture into what I call weird ingredients. I also like the "fun" of the fun ships. I didn't notice that Carnival seemed lower class or a too rowdy or anything either. I would like to try that new RCL ship though, that one looks cool! If you liked RCL I would give Carnival a shot!

[Vecc]

Being on all three cruise companies, (RCCL, NCL & Carnival) I would have to put them in that order. Carnival being last. What an ordeal the last 2 weeks have been for me trying to give my wife and I a vacation on Carnival, Freedom. Just trying to book it.

 

I have never seen so much extra "fees and taxes".

 

420.00 for base inside room

519.00 for air with carnival, from ny to miami

300.00 for the extra "fees and taxes"

 

The problem with the cruise industry, is it needs to be more regulated.

How can the government allow them to operate this way?

Disgracefull.

[sixgun8]

Dunt U know! Carnival is fer da Bubbas! Thas the line that we bumpkins like ta sneak ar stills ontu and run rond the boat in ar skivvies and scratch arselves at the supper table.:D :D

[lidodeckbound]

We were on the Grandeur with RC and the Spirit with NCL. The food on the Grandeur was by far better. Most everything else was in the same ballpark, but given the choice with everything being the same, I'd choose Royal Caribbean over Norweigan next time. I'm wonderingwhere Carnival would fit in the mix, and I plan to try for myself soon. I'd just like to hear from others who have cruised a lot and what their thoughts are.

Thanks!

 

Grandeur in my opinion can be compared to the Fantasy class ships of Carnival. We were on Grandeur a few summers ago. You'd have to check my signy line to see. We had a lot of fun, but it is an older ship, we had problems with the toilet over flowing and water everywhere in the bathroom etc. Our first cruise was on Fantasy and our second on Fascination, which of course are now older ships. In my opinion a cruise is a cruise! I do enjoy Carnival because I think they do a better job of entertaining me all the time. LOL, I mean if I want to be entertained there is always something to do. On the Grandeur you had to look a bit harder. Very fun on both none the less. If I had to choose between the lines and they had the same intenary I'd just do Carnival, cause they are the Fun Ships you know! WE are booked on a crusie in July on NCL's Majesty, we choose that purely because we didn't want to fly and we wanted to go to Bermuda. This too is a smaller and older ship...none the less we will have a blast! Good luck on your decision!

[lidodeckbound]

Dunt U know! Carnival is fer da Bubbas! Thas the line that we bumpkins like ta sneak ar stills ontu and run rond the boat in ar skivvies and scratch arselves at the supper table.:D :D

 

Shhhhhhhhhhhh, cuz yer givin out all ur sekrets!

[outerbks]

Carnival is too much of a party. Average 20 bars per ship is too much for most. Stick to RCCL or NCL and leave the vacancies for those that can handle it. :cool:

[Tapi]

Carnival is too much of a party. Average 20 bars per ship is too much for most. Stick to RCCL or NCL and leave the vacancies for those that can handle it. :cool:

 

 

This kind of comment is why Carnival is having such a hard time shaking off the party image from the early Carnival of the 70's and 80's

 

Anybody who has truly had a chance to experience today's Carnival with its Spirit class ships, Supper Clubs, cuisine, staterooms, level of service, new and more upscale itineraries (like Europe, Alaska, etc) will have a much different opinion.

 

RCCL is very similar to Carnival as far as the overall product goes.

Many cruise experts consider NCL to be one notch down from RCCL and Carnival, even though they have been re-inventing themselves during the last few years as well.

 

If you give Carnival a shot, make sure that you sail on one of their Conquest or Spirit class ships since these will be the best representation of what Carnival truly has to offer...

[Tapi]

Norwegian is a more upscale cruise line, Carnival owns Princess which would be its competitor.

 

HUH??

[tylerdad]

We have cruised with Princess ,Rcl and last one was with Carnival on the Pride. There is absolutely nothing with Carnival. Too many bars ,No they were empty most of the time. Seen more drunks on our Princess cruises. The cabins on the Spirit class ships are the largest that we have had,much larger than the tiny ones on Rcl.

I feel they are as good as any of the mainstream cruiselines.We will be sailing on the Spirit up to Alaska this september .Don't get me wrong all our cruise have been great ,I just get tired of people bashing Carnival for what they used to be . People have to remember that cruiseing now is not what it was 15/20 yrs ago.

[teacher2cruiser]

The Carnival GLORY is the ship we're considering with a stop in the Bahamas then on to Eastern Caribbean. How do y'all think this ship compares to RC's Grandeur? (I don't think we will be going with Norweigan again if there's a comparable choice.)

Thanks for all the opinions. I enjoy reading your thoughts.

[mek]

Well, I don't agree at all with the statement that NCL is more upscale than Carnival - simply a different experience than any other mass line, very casual. The only things NCL has going for them, IMHO, are the great selection of optional dining venues and a totally unstructured experience. Princess is my favorite line and while NCL, Carnival, RCCL, and Princess do draw from the same demographic pool, I don't necessarily think Princess is Carnival's main competition. I enjoy my Carnival cruises and I don't feel they are party cruises. I especially like the Spirit class ships. Carnival has good food - much better, IMO, than RCCL, the cabins are large and pleasant, and the entertainment is about the same as the other lines. The ships are not glamorous and/or elegant and the demographic is perhaps the broadest of any of the mass lines. This is how I rank the mass overall.

 

Princess - by far my favorite.

Carnival - I get a great value with my military discount.

HAL - good food and service.

Celebrity - good food and great service - overpriced.

RCCL - beautiful ships, poor food - overpriced.

NCL - not my cup of tea.

[Clutterlady]

NCL an upscale cruise line.........NOT!!!!!

 

Not a bad line if you like freestyle, but more upscale than Princess??????????

[Tapi]

The Carnival GLORY is the ship we're considering with a stop in the Bahamas then on to Eastern Caribbean. How do y'all think this ship compares to RC's Grandeur? (I don't think we will be going with Norweigan again if there's a comparable choice.)

Thanks for all the opinions. I enjoy reading your thoughts.

 

Much larger and newer ship than the Grandeur, so it should be a great experience for you. Expect larger cabins ont the Glory than on the Grandeur. You will also love the Comfort Bed System!

 

While RCCL has the rock climbing wall, Carnival has the twister waterslide. Yes, adults enjoy this feature just as much (if not more) than the kids!

[alwayssingin]

I think it varies with each person, and which cruise line they are more familiar with. If you posted this question on the other boards and inserted NCL, RCCL, Princess, etc., in Carnival's place, I think you'd get the same answers, only leaning toward that particular cruise line. :confused:

[mtchg]

Only one "Freestyle" a little while back.

 

I enjoyed ALL three lines. They are all much closer to each other than the proponents of all three would admit.

 

This is always subjective, however I would have to say of

CCL and NCL, the most beautiful ships are Royal Caribbean's.

 

If room is important to you it's no contest, Carnival's standard cabins far

exceed RCCL or NCL in comparable categories. An outside window

cabin on Carnival's Conquest and Freedom class are 225 feet. Royal Caribbean will charge you more for much less room.

 

Food? Although my latest Carnival cruise was not QUITE up to some of my past Carnival culinary experiences; I still contend Carnival's main dining room food is a little better than both the other lines main rooms. Conversely I give the edge to both Royal Caribbean and NCL on their buffet/lido type offerings.

We were REALLY impressed with NCL Star's buffet, including the pool side lunches, serving thick juicy thirdpound beef burgers (not the usual skinny overcooked ones the other lines dish out) and thick sirloin steaks poolside.

But Carnival's 24 hour pizza is far superior to the other lines.

 

Specialty extra charge Restaurants: Carnival's, RCCL's and NCL (who have many more to choose from with "Freestyle") are all very high quality; very similar.

 

Service: No BIG differences, but if I had to list them best to third some may be suprised that I list first NCL: We have had only the Star to compare, but

we came in with low expectations and the staff blew us away with their friendliness, cheerfulness, and proactivie attitude. Royal Caribbean is a close

second, and Carnival is a not too distant third.

 

Entertainment: Carnival still gets the crown for the best exciting "vibe", but

NCL is right up there. Royal Caribbean gets more "name" (albeit a little over the hill) entertainment, but both Carnival and NCL skew a little younger (read:

under 60) in their appeal, with midnite comics, more contemporary lounge acts (although my latest Carnival sailing had pretty mediocre lounge acts).

Then again Royal Caribbean gets the crown (and anchor?) for the best

family activities, espeicially with their mega ships....ice skating...the flowrider surf machine, climbing walls...that is pretty cool stuff. You just have to ask yourself if this is worth the extra price RCCL usually asks compared to the others.

 

I think all three lines offer a great vacation value, and I hope your first Carnival experience is a good one.

 

 

Mitch

[gtcruzer]

sailed 5 times with carnival. never had any problem finding a quiet place, good food, good entertainment, or a comfortable bed.

[timecop]

This kind of comment is why Carnival is having such a hard time shaking off the party image from the early Carnival of the 70's and 80's

 

Anybody who has truly had a chance to experience today's Carnival with its Spirit class ships, Supper Clubs, cuisine, staterooms, level of service, new and more upscale itineraries (like Europe, Alaska, etc) will have a much different opinion.

 

RCCL is very similar to Carnival as far as the overall product goes.

Many cruise experts consider NCL to be one notch down from RCCL and Carnival, even though they have been re-inventing themselves during the last few years as well.

 

If you give Carnival a shot, make sure that you sail on one of their Conquest or Spirit class ships since these will be the best representation of what Carnival truly has to offer...

 

 

I totally agree with you. I have sailed with Carnival 7 times, from the Caribbean to Europe, and have two more booked and I have never seen the "party atmosphere" that people talk about. Delicious food, great entertainment, wonderful excursions and the most comfortable beds I have even slept in.

[Guest TalkCruising]

I've only cruised with Carnival so I can't give any personal insight - but a friend of mine breaks it down as follows:

 

Carnival/Royal Caribbean/NCL = Best Western, Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn

Princess/Holland/Celbrity = Hilton/Sheraton/Marriott

Crystal/Regent/Silver Seas = Four Seasons, Ritz, St. Regis

 

Like I said, I can't say one way or the other as to the validity of the comparisons - but he's done a boat load of cruising (sorry for the pun) and is "well to do" - so he's done virtually all the cruise lines.

[teacher2cruiser]

Everybody in our group complained about the beds on Norweigan Spirit except me.

About the only thing I thought that ship had that was better than RC's Grandeur was the casino, and I think their drink prices were more reasonable.

[Socref124]

My husband and I have been on two cruises in the last year (our only two). They were very different, but in my opinion there's no such thing as a bad cruise. :) I would really appreciate some opinions on comparing Carnival to Norweigan and Royal Caribbean. I understand that opinions are just that, but I'd enjoy hearing what you veterans have to say.

Thanks!

 

Don't know about RCCL except for what I have read here in the boards, however, I have sailed NCL and Carnival. While the NCL Star and the Carnival Glory are comparable, I would give the Star the edge as the better ship. The food was better on the Star and the balcony suite was a little larger than any Carnival we have been on. The Chocolate extravaganza on the Star was to die for. The entertainment was about the same. The beds on Carnival are more comfortable imho. The biggest difference was the service. We had horrible service on the Star, from our room steward to the wait staff to the shore excursion desk to the purser and up to and including the first officer. The exception to the poor service was the pool area wait, Alex, who was fantastic. We have never had poor service like this on any Carnival ship. I hope that the crew of the Star was having a bad week. We still had a good time and will cruise NCL next time we go to Hawaii. On the three Carnival ships we have cruised so far we haven't had any of the service problems we incurred on the Star. It seems like the crew on Carnival is a little happier and a little better trained. I hope this helps you out. If you would like specifics, I will be glad to offer them to you but I don't want to list them unless you need to hear them. A bad day on a cruise ship is much better than a great day at work, imho. Hope you enjoy your Carnival cruise.

[mjbearit]

I've only cruised with Carnival so I can't give any personal insight - but a friend of mine breaks it down as follows:

 

Carnival/Royal Caribbean/NCL = Best Western, Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn

Princess/Holland/Celbrity = Hilton/Sheraton/Marriott

Crystal/Regent/Silver Seas = Four Seasons, Ritz, St. Regis

 

Like I said, I can't say one way or the other as to the validity of the comparisons - but he's done a boat load of cruising (sorry for the pun) and is "well to do" - so he's done virtually all the cruise lines.

Well now you've gone and blown the Princess line for me before I ever even considered sailing them! LOL! The last time I was at a Hilton, was the last time I will be at a Hilton. I went in my room and it was horrible! Used soap (still wet, just shoved back in the box!), waste in the toilet, bed a mess, I made them give me a different room. It was actually kinda creepy walking into that!