Loyal RCI cruisers taking Carnival for the 1st time...what are the differences?

[amartin042]

My DH and I are taking the Carnival Victory out of San Juan on March 20, 2011. We are loyal RCI cruisers, but we are saving about $800.00 by cruising with Carnival for about the same itinerary in a balcony room.:D These days the budget is tight, so we thought we would try Carnival. What are the major differences between the two lines? Anyone who has sailed on both lines that can give me any information would be great. This will be our first time doing the southern Caribbean, and we are very excited!!:eek:

[CWcruisers]

As far as I am concerned, not much. I find the food better on Carnival, but food is subjective. RCCL wins the buffet battle with selection, but still, nothing really tasty. RCCL also wins the room service battle with hamburgers on the menu, but no charges for room service on CCL no matter what time of the day.

 

On the Victory itinerary, you won't get much of a sense of the cruise line since the itinerary is very port intensive.

 

Just have a good time, no matter what cruise line.:)

[Carolin]

The lines are more alike then different. The difference is in the ships themselves. Carnival ships are like Vegas. Glitzy. Royal ships are subtle in their decore. Very nice. Royals promenade is all round the ship. Carnivals are not like that. Royal has bigger pools. Carnival has water slides.

 

I had great cruises on both lines and wouldn't hesitate to go on either. Enjoy :D

[Unknotted]

With Carnival you can carry on a bottle of wine each (adult) and last time I sailed RCI you couldn't take any alcohol at all.

 

Otherwise, I didn't find many differences at all. Oh wait, yes I did...On RCI they seem to enforce the rules about kids in adult only areas better than Carnival does.

 

I enjoy both and really don't prefer one over the other. (I go for bargains and itinerarys.)

[BeccaBecca1713]

Carnival Pros:

Pizza is open 24/7.:)

Room service is free 24/7:)

Rooms seem a little bigger

More bang for your buck!:D

 

Carnival Cons:

Sodas come from a can instead of fountain:(

No hot items on breakfast room service menu:(

 

Have fun!!!

[BeccaBecca1713]

oops, one more Pro:

 

You can bring a 12-pack of soda for each person in your party onto the ship. But you must bring it in a carry-on. Can't put it in checked luggage.

[Cruzaholic41]

Looking at your cruise history, you will find much to be very similar to your past experiences. The biggest difference you will see is in the ship, itself. Your last cruise was on Serenade of the Seas, which is a beautiful ship. You will find Valor much darker and closterphobic in design.

[MDavis23]

We sailed RCCL last year, and other than the cruise director, Carnival won everything else. In the casino on RCCL, if you were at the blackjack table you had to get out of your chair to allow wheelchairs to pass by. The food did not change much in the buffet. Carnival had awesome deli sandwiches! Have fun!

[nature person]

I just booked our third cruise. two years ago we were on the Carnival Liberty to the eastern carribbean. Our family had a great time and it got us hooked on cruising. I thought the food was very good. Enjoyed the shows.All the ports were great. hey..on a first cruise of course we were completely star struck!

 

Last April we went on RC Serenade of the Seas. I thought it was a beautiful elegant ship. It was our first balcony so now we are hooked on them too. lol The shows were great. had cast of the jersey boys show and i really enjoyed that. The western carribbean was amazing I liked the lush ,mountainous islands..St. Lucia with the two Pitons! Felt like I was in the movie south Pacific.

 

In comparing, Loved both cruises. I have only so far been on one of each but...I think Carnival won hands down on the food. Certainly the desserts. lol The staff on both trips were equally friendly and big smiles. i got attached to my dining crew on each cruise. The Liberty was pretty glitzy, Las Vagas, like another stated.. Thought it alittle out there on first boarding , i was tired and over whelmed in the heat and lines,everyone packed in the buffet. Ithought it was going to be crazy crowded like that the whole time! Wrong ..after the initial boarding and mass migration on both cruises..I found plently of quiet areas . I tend to sometimes be alittle disappinted on first sight on alot of vacations.A pre concieved idea pehaps of what it would look like. Got some food in my tummy..saw our very nice room and a quick rest..I was in love with the ship by dinner. lol

 

Serenade was like a lovely hugh yaght. probably my favotite decor of the two ships. loved the classiness of wood and brass. Loved all the glass to view the ocean.. Both lines rooms very nice and clean. I think both have thier plus and minius's. I am curious how i will like my next cruise on the Valor. I am going to go not trying to compare.just to have a wonderful cruise.

[firefly333]

Beds, this goes to Carnival, who has better mattresses 9 out of 10 times.

 

Combining of OBC goes to Carnival, can combine stock and FCC OBC, no longer on RCL

 

Con goes to Carnival for the Early Saver rate, which is overly complicated (if it wasnt, there wouldnt be so many threads asking). Nonrefundable deposits, no name changes etc.

 

SF vitamin waters on RCL, goes to RCL and refills on cokes goes to RCL, I love their self refill stations.

[LucyR.]

I am single and I have a blast on Carnival ships.

 

Has more fun activities than RCL. BETTER SHOPPING on the ship's gift shops. Music everywhere, More casual than RCL.

 

RCL ships are more beautiful than the Carnival ships but Carnival is more fun for single me. The food is better on Carnival.

 

I have cruised on 8 different cruiselines and presently my favorite is Carnival because it is a lot of fun for me.

 

I like the beds better on RCL but Carnival cabins have more space than most RCL cabins. Carnival is better for large families who need the extra space.

I recently booked a super large Balcony cabin on the Carnival Spirit. I got so happy with my new booking. Lucy

[jebuell]

Con goes to Carnival for the Early Saver rate, which is overly complicated (if it wasnt, there wouldnt be so many threads asking). Nonrefundable deposits, no name changes etc.

 

Not sure if this is a new thing or if I just got lucky but I changed the name on two Carnival cruise reservations, no problem.

[firefly333]

Con goes to Carnival for the Early Saver rate, which is overly complicated (if it wasnt, there wouldnt be so many threads asking). Nonrefundable deposits, no name changes etc.

 

Not sure if this is a new thing or if I just got lucky but I changed the name on two Carnival cruise reservations, no problem.

 

Im just guessing that you were not booked ES rate then as they are strictly enforcing the no name changes rule. .. it is a problem .. or I would have chosen to take someone else, rather than having my 2nd pax be a no show.

[spencercoop]

Not sure if this is a new thing or if I just got lucky but I changed the name on two Carnival cruise reservations, no problem.

 

Were you booked under the Early saver rate??

[amartin042]

HI Everyone,

I want to thank you for all of your responses. For us it's hard to think about going on a different cruise line, as we have always loved our RCI cruises. The one time that I ventured out it was on NCL out of Seattle for a 2 day cruise to nowhere with my youngest son. Although we made the best of it, neither one of us liked the cruise line. I know that you shouldn't judge a cruise line with just one short trip, but we have no desire to try them again anytime in the future. The deciding factor for us was the itinerary and the fact that we could afford the trip with Carnival, but the prices for RCI where to high with our budget right now. We are really looking forward to going back to Barbados, where we renewed our vows there about 4 years ago. We would love to go back there and spend more time , but Barbados is so expensive that we thought a cruise would be the next best thing. I know that this is a port intensive cruise, but we are the type of people that like to relax on vacation, so I don't think we will be spending a lot of time off the ship. If anything we will wonder around for a while on some of the islands and then spend the rest of the day on the ship.

I have a few questions that I hope you can help me with:

1. Does the Victory have an adult only area? (since we are cruising without the kids, it would be nice to get away from all the other kids.)

2. If you bring your own wine on is there a corkage fee?

3. How is the nightly entertainment on Carnival?

4. What types of activities do they have on Carnival compared to RCI?

5. Are there refrigerators in the rooms?

6. Do they have a safe in the room? If so how big is it?

I think that's all for now...if I think of anything else I will let you know. Thanks in advance for all of your help.

[24butterfly]

My DH and I are taking the Carnival Victory out of San Juan on March 20, 2011. We are loyal RCI cruisers, but we are saving about $800.00 by cruising with Carnival for about the same itinerary in a balcony room.:D These days the budget is tight, so we thought we would try Carnival. What are the major differences between the two lines? Anyone who has sailed on both lines that can give me any information would be great. This will be our first time doing the southern Caribbean, and we are very excited!!:eek:

 

We took RCCL last summer out of San Juan--the Serenade of the Seas. We have in the high teens on Carnival cruises, about 4-5 on RCCL. The beds are great on either line. Depending on the cabin you booked, RCCL cabins are a bit smaller, and deck 6/7 had an overhang in front of the balcony. After dinner, there were shows on Carnival, on RCCL, the shows were b4 dinner, and for us a let down after dinner. Not much to do on RCCL after dinner (late deating). In RCCL's favor: while on both lines the service was good, I found the service in the MDR room to be outstanding, and the Headwaiter really doted on us even though he had other tables. The food was also a bit above Carnival's. Not that Carnival's was bad, but they had a bit more upcale selection. Music abounded all over Carnival ships at all times, while on RCCL it was a bit more subdued. Would I choose RCCL again? YES. Would I choose Carnival again? YES. As one poster b4 it said, Carnival is glitz, Las Vegas and fun. RCCL is for more of the Country Club type. Either way, you'll have a good time. I do miss Carnival tho'. They didin't have the intinerary that RCCL had--Aruba, Curacao, Dominica in one route.....

[24butterfly]

HI Everyone,

I want to thank you for all of your responses. For us it's hard to think about going on a different cruise line, as we have always loved our RCI cruises. The one time that I ventured out it was on NCL out of Seattle for a 2 day cruise to nowhere with my youngest son. Although we made the best of it, neither one of us liked the cruise line. I know that you shouldn't judge a cruise line with just one short trip, but we have no desire to try them again anytime in the future. The deciding factor for us was the itinerary and the fact that we could afford the trip with Carnival, but the prices for RCI where to high with our budget right now. We are really looking forward to going back to Barbados, where we renewed our vows there about 4 years ago. We would live to go back there and spend more time , but Barbados is so expensive that we thought a cruise would be the next best thing. I know that this is a port intensive cruise, but we are the type of people that like to relax on vacation, so I don't think we will be spending a lot of time off the ship. If anything we will wonder around for a while on some of the islands and then spend the rest of the day on the ship.

I have a few questions that I hope you can help me with:

1. Does the Victory have an adult only area? (since we are cruising without the kids, it would be nice to get away from all the other kids.)

2. If you bring your own wine on is there a corkage fee?

3. How is the nightly entertainment on Carnival?

4. What types of activities do they have on Carnival compared to RCI?

5. Are there refrigerators in the rooms?

6. Do they have a safe in the room? If so how big is it?

I think that's all for now...if I think of anything else I will let you know. Thanks in advance for all of your help.

 

As to your questions:

 

Yes, there is a fridge in the room.

The safe is about the size of RCCL's.

I thought the shows on Carnival were of Broadway caliber--although they certainly have unbelievable (in the good way) talent on RCCL. Carnival puts alot into their shows--with costumes and scenery. I like Carnival's shows better, but RCCL is fantastic, also.

As far as activities: Carnival has alot; I think they still have their afternoon tea at 3:00 that a string quartet plays--. Ya know--I'm startin' to miss Carnival already (we have a Celebrity cruise planned for the summer---we went Carnival when they had the Freedom and the Liberty out of Rome--but Carnival doesn't do Europe anymore sad to say)

[CWcruisers]

There are no fridges in the cabins on Victory. I sailed it last year and was disappointed to find no fridges.

 

If you bring your own wine to the dining room, there is a $10 corkage fee, and sometimes they charge it and sometimes they don't. Carnival also has wine packages available and the labels are better than the RCCL wine packages.

 

Can't remember about the adult only area. Again, because the itinerary is so port intensive, we spent little time on the ship. I guess now there is one day at sea, but when I sailed it, every day was a port.

 

24Butterfly, CCL is returning to Europe in 2012.

[stargate fan]

HI Everyone,

I want to thank you for all of your responses. For us it's hard to think about going on a different cruise line, as we have always loved our RCI cruises. The one time that I ventured out it was on NCL out of Seattle for a 2 day cruise to nowhere with my youngest son. Although we made the best of it, neither one of us liked the cruise line. I know that you shouldn't judge a cruise line with just one short trip, but we have no desire to try them again anytime in the future. The deciding factor for us was the itinerary and the fact that we could afford the trip with Carnival, but the prices for RCI where to high with our budget right now. We are really looking forward to going back to Barbados, where we renewed our vows there about 4 years ago. We would love to go back there and spend more time , but Barbados is so expensive that we thought a cruise would be the next best thing. I know that this is a port intensive cruise, but we are the type of people that like to relax on vacation, so I don't think we will be spending a lot of time off the ship. If anything we will wonder around for a while on some of the islands and then spend the rest of the day on the ship.

I have a few questions that I hope you can help me with:

1. Does the Victory have an adult only area? (since we are cruising without the kids, it would be nice to get away from all the other kids.) Yes, there is an adults-only section. Enjoy the peace and quiet.

2. If you bring your own wine on is there a corkage fee? Sorry, can't answer this one.

3. How is the nightly entertainment on Carnival? There are shows as well as comedy and acrobatic acts. Of course, each sailing has different bookings.

4. What types of activities do they have on Carnival compared to RCI? Pretty much the same-belly flop, trivia, dance lessons, etc.

5. Are there refrigerators in the rooms? Yes.

6. Do they have a safe in the room? If so how big is it? About the same size as RCI.

I think that's all for now...if I think of anything else I will let you know. Thanks in advance for all of your help.

 

We sailed Liberty of the Seas just three weeks ago. I could not help compare it to the Carnival ships we have sailed. The major differences were more about the physical aspects of the ships. On Carnival, food is available on the Lido Deck at the pools, as well as inside, so we didn't have to go inside to eat. One thing that bothered me about Liberty of the Seas was always having to go into the Windjammer to eat.

 

We also found the options in the WJ to be quite sparse. Though there were many food service lines, they all offered the same choices. Wait until you have a freshly made pastrami and corned beef sandwich from the deli. (Ask for extra meat!) The Asian stir fry is wonderful. You will find that each food service line has something different to offer.

 

Soft serve ice cream: open 24 hours a day on Carnival but only available from 11 A.M. to 6 P.M. on LOS.

 

Our balcony on LOS was much bigger than any one we have had on Carnival. Also loved the sliding balcony door on LOS vs. the open-style balcony door on Carnival Victory. Loved the shower doors on LOS vs. the stick-to-our-legs curtains on Carnival Victory.

[Name Of The Game]

More comfortable beds

 

Free cappucino/espresso after dinner

 

No room service charge after midnight

[Carolin]

I bring on wine. Opening it in your room, there is no corkage fee. They only charge that if you take your wine to dinner and have them open the bottle. I just bring my own cork screw. :D

 

I love the piano bar. They tend to hire fun people who just make sure everyone in there has a great time. They also have comedians come in. I enjoy them very much.

[H82seaUgo]

the biggest thing is your fellow cruisers. you will watch the ship turn into a microcosm as the week progresses.

 

you will also find the food better, more of it, at all hours, with much variety. also, round the clock soft ice cream!

 

you've already found it's cheaper, yet all the activities, entertainment and service are right on par with rccl.

[stargate fan]

Ooh, I forgot-Carnival ships have washers and dryers. We brought fewer clothes and washed them halfway through the cruise. Did not take up much time at all. We brought samples of Tide and Downy that we had sitting by our washing machine at home.

 

Also, Carnival has greatly relaxed its dress code for the main dining room. Shorts are now allowed on casual nights. Though many people hate the idea, we found it wonderful to dress so comfortably for dinner. Our clothing took up less space so we had fewer pieces of luggage.

[Sir Cruise-a-Lot]

We cruise on the Victory Feb. 6th and we have cruised on both Carnival and RCI and had great times on both. Both are great company’s and if you just put aside your loyalties to RCI long enough to enjoy what the Victory has to offer you will be looking at both in the future for your cruising enjoyment. We do.

FYI, you are right about the price difference. It does seem to be growing and I wonder if it has something to do with the Oasis and Allure build prices.

[firefly333]

FYI, you are right about the price difference. It does seem to be growing and I wonder if it has something to do with the Oasis and Allure build prices.

 

Having a business degree, Id say the prices on Oasis and Allure .. is because they can charge that much. supply and demand sets the prices. They dont raise the prices to levels that wouldnt sell. What would be the point.