How does RCI compare to Carnival?

[CharlotteCpl]

My husband and I have previously been on 2 Carnival cruises and are considering Royal Caribbean for our nexrt cruise. If anyone has cruise both, we would love your input. We hope to take a western caribbean cruise(to include Cozumel) out of FL. Is there a favorite ship (from either line)? Would love your input.:rolleyes:

[moniquet]

Only been on one Carnival cruise and 5 times RCL. We had a suite on Carnival Valor and thought it was nicer than the ones on RCL. I do think service and presentation is slightly better on RCL ships. Room service Breakfast on Valor came with plastic utensils and only continental was available. Overall I would say that RCL has the edge but haven't cruised with them for a few years.

[NCTribeFan]

We never got plastic with our room service orders on Carnival.

 

My only RCI cruise was my 2nd on the old, small Empress but we loved it. It was a repo and went from Tampa to San Juan and had many Latin Americans, which we really enjoyed.

 

You'll get the RCI snobs who will tell you that they would NEVER sail Carnival (so just how would they be able to compare?) and the Carnival folks who insist it's the same product, so why pay more.

 

Any of these "comparison" sort of threads usually brings out the worst in posters, so I don't know that anyone's opinion here can really be of much use to you.

 

I think the lines are very similar. That one RCI cruise had much more partying going on than any Carnival cruise I've taken, but we had a wonderful time. I really wish I'd sailed that ship again before she was sold and moved.

 

Unless someone has sailed both many times, in many different classes of ships, from many different ports, and many different times of the year, they cannot give you a true comparison because the sample size is just too small!

 

Any one cruise could be fantastic or horrible. That doesn't mean much in the end. But people will base their "comparison" on that tiny sample, which could be vastly different from the majority of sailings and won't be a representative sample.

 

I haven't returned to RCI because I've mostly had to do shorter cruises, which end up being on older, smaller ships. Carnival's prices on those have been better, imo, and since I normally sail in inside cabins, I prefer Carnival's because they're usually larger.

 

I don't sail for the ship, though. I sail for the ports, so having a nice, new, shiny, beautiful ship with lots of things I'll never use doesn't lure me.

 

I pick based on itinerary, then price, then ship.

 

You pick based on what is most important to YOU. I think you're much better off reading independent reviews than asking here, as you'll get very, very biased opinions on these boards. Go to Webshots and look at photos, if the ship's appearance is important to you. Look at the deck plans and check the cabin sizes if that's important to you.

[silentbob007]

As you can see in my sig, I've cruised a lot with both RCI and Carnival. For me the lines are more similar than different, both with strengths and weaknesses. For me, RCI has nicer ships (beyond question) in terms of ambiance and activities offered (if you plan to use them). More subjective, I'd give Carnival an edge in main dining room food and perhaps value. I've had both great and not-so-great service on both lines.

 

The above poster mentioned room service on Carnival ... I can't say that I ever received plastic utinsels from them. It is true that RCI offers eggs on their breakfast room serivce menu, but then again, they've always been less-than-hot for me by the time they've been delivered.

 

I would recommend to anyone to try RCI or Carnival if they've only done one or the other. For RCI there seems to be fewer ships doing the caribbean routes, but people for the most part really seem to like Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas, both of which do alternating Eastern/Western routes and are huge ships with a lot to offer (and will feel completely different than any Carnival ship). On the Carnival side, I prefer the Spirit class ships (Legend, Miracle, Spirit, Pride) and they usually have a Western route running out of Tampa on one of those which is nice because Tampa is an easy port to use.

[CharlotteCpl]

Thanks for taking the time me some input. I have never received plastic from Carnival room service either. I have been out of Port Canaveral(first cruise) and Tampa for the 2nd cruise. I do have to say I LOVED going out of Tampa.

 

I am a long way off from another cruise yet----but like to be prepared and feel that I have done my research. I have been to Cozumel with my cruise earlier this year---but and WANTING to go back.

 

Thanks again, and more input from others is welcome.:)

[satxdiver]

In addition to what has already been said, the RCL ships particularly the newer Voyager and Freedom class ships are very flashy with their internal five deck promenade and street like atmosphere down the center of the ship and the ice skating rink on deck 3. Much more jazz then the Carnival ships.

 

The Carnival markets itself as the "fun ship" oriented to the younger crowd including young families. There are of course all ages aboard but the age median is skewed towards younger (20/30 range). My 20 something year old offspring love the Carnival. Carnival is considered to be less expensive than the RCL.

 

RCL markets to an older crowd (30-60) with amenities for older children (teens for example) and hence older families as well as empty nesters. Again though you will see all ages aboard. RCL seems to compete more against the Princess which is owned by Carnival. Being a member of the empty nester set, I prefer Princess or RCL ships.

[moniquet]

We were on Valor January this year, had room service twice, both times juice was in horrible yellow coloured plastic. Not that it would deter me from cruising Carnival again, as I said the suites were nicer than RCL. Dates, Ports, prices are more important for me. I really don't think there is much difference in both lines.

 

I found the age group on Carnival and RCL about the same, maybe it depends on dates.

[rman738]

I've enjoyed both lines equally. However, as far as "decor" goes, my opinion is that RCCL ships are not as gaudy as the Carnival ships that I've been on. That may or may not be of importance to you.

[momofmeg]

We never got plastic with our room service orders on Carnival.

 

My only RCI cruise was my 2nd on the old, small Empress but we loved it. It was a repo and went from Tampa to San Juan and had many Latin Americans, which we really enjoyed.

 

You'll get the RCI snobs who will tell you that they would NEVER sail Carnival (so just how would they be able to compare?) and the Carnival folks who insist it's the same product, so why pay more.

 

Any of these "comparison" sort of threads usually brings out the worst in posters, so I don't know that anyone's opinion here can really be of much use to you.

 

I think the lines are very similar. That one RCI cruise had much more partying going on than any Carnival cruise I've taken, but we had a wonderful time. I really wish I'd sailed that ship again before she was sold and moved.

 

Unless someone has sailed both many times, in many different classes of ships, from many different ports, and many different times of the year, they cannot give you a true comparison because the sample size is just too small!

 

Any one cruise could be fantastic or horrible. That doesn't mean much in the end. But people will base their "comparison" on that tiny sample, which could be vastly different from the majority of sailings and won't be a representative sample.

 

I haven't returned to RCI because I've mostly had to do shorter cruises, which end up being on older, smaller ships. Carnival's prices on those have been better, imo, and since I normally sail in inside cabins, I prefer Carnival's because they're usually larger.

 

I don't sail for the ship, though. I sail for the ports, so having a nice, new, shiny, beautiful ship with lots of things I'll never use doesn't lure me.

 

I pick based on itinerary, then price, then ship.

 

You pick based on what is most important to YOU. I think you're much better off reading independent reviews than asking here, as you'll get very, very biased opinions on these boards. Go to Webshots and look at photos, if the ship's appearance is important to you. Look at the deck plans and check the cabin sizes if that's important to you.

 

I agree with your post. I have read so many times where one person had one horrible experience and swore off a line. One cruise on one particualr line does not make you an "expert" of that line-heck I doubt even dozens of cruises will keep you from occasionially havign a "dud" cruise with a line.

 

I have cruised Carnival 4 times, the first two times were great, the third not so good-it just seemed that week was a dud. We took one more cruise on Carnival and had a good time again-but not a great time.

 

On RCI we have done 3 crusies, the first great, the second good, the third a dud.

 

I think both lines are decent, RCI though gets a little expensive for their mega ships that has all the extra athletic activites. I do not like the mega ships-I am not athletic- so I see no reason to pay the fare those ships cost-so I don't.

 

Carnival, though not as many athletic activites, also cators to a younger crowd, twenty somethings, and young families-thirty somethings. Since I am 50 plus with one adult daughter, that is not the line for me either.

 

We recently did a cruise on NCL, and although I had a good time, I do feel that NCL is more of a family line. It is similar to Royal caribbean-it is more for families, just not as many athletic activities-although the Pearl had a rock climbing wall, basket ball court, and bowling alley.

 

I actually prefer Celebrity and HAL, but sometimes, because they get higher prices, they are a little steep for us. So, bottom line, we will still more than likely continue to cruise all the lines. We like to cruise at least once a year with our daughter, and as she can't go just any time-she works in the school system- we must go at times when cruising is pricier, so we pick th emore affordable lines. because of this, I am sure we will continue to go on lines like NCL, Carnival, and the older RCI ships. Hopefully though, hubby and I can sneak in a HAL or Celebrity cruise, just the two of us, ever so often.

[momofmeg]

I agree with your post. I have read so many times where one person had one horrible experience and swore off a line. One cruise on one particualr line does not make you an "expert" of that line-heck I doubt even dozens of cruises will keep you from occasionially having a "dud" cruise with a line.

 

 

I will give an example of how you can hate a line because of one "dud" cruise. In May 2001 we cruised to Alaska on HAL Statendam. The ship was beautiful, Alaska was beautiful, the food was wonderful, but absolutely nothing was going on anywhere on that ship, after the show in the show lounge was over. After only taking caribbean cruises on Carnival and RCI, this was a big shock to us.

 

At the time of this cruise my hubby and I were in our mid forties and we felt HAL was too "old" for us. We said we would never HAL again -at least not until we were 70 plus.

 

A poster on here, who calls herself Caviargal, kept posting about the HAL Vista class and how wonderful it was. she is several years younger than me. But I was still skepticial.

 

However, we found a deal on a 6 day because the ship was repositioning the following week, and so we booked it.

 

We loved it! Our daughter, who is 24, was with us, and she loved the karoke and disco! She never returned to our room before 2 am. The ship was absolutely beautiful and had wonderful top notch food.

 

But what impressed me the most-was how differant the the feel of this cruise, compared to the 2001 Alaska crusie. I would say the majority of the crusiers were in their mid thirties on this cruise. Whereas, at 45 plus, I was a kid in comparison to most of my fellow PAX in 2001-on this cruise I was the "old gal". LOL!

 

Which just goes to show, you can't judge a cruiseline by one dud cruise. I am so glad I listened to Caviargal and tried out a vista class ship.

[Mike & Julie]

We have traveled both. RCCL Liberty and Carnival Freedom. We just returned last week traveling on the Freedom. Both have pro's and con's. Here are the pro's

 

Carnival:

Bigger rooms

More Stand-Up Comedians/Adult Entertainment

Better ports of call

More live music venues

More sea day activities

Lower trip prices

Fellow american passengers

 

RCCL

Better food

Better service

Vegas style shows

Crew interaction

Ship lay out

More foreign passengers

 

Carnival has come along way over the years. I think a 20-30 year old would have a bit more thrilling time on Carnival especially for a 1st cruise

[sjde]

Momofmeg-

 

Do you think the age difference may have been because of the itinerary or the time of year?

 

Sue