Why RCI over Carnival? And a last minute booking Q

[amandaepperson21]

I'm currently shopping for mine and my husband's third cruise. This is our first time bringing our 7yo daughter. Our first was Costa Magica and second was Carnival Legend. We're not highly experienced cruisers, but there was a clear difference between Carnival and Costa-- even though they are owned by the same company (and the Costa cruise was about 4-5 years ago, I think they'd only recently been purchased by Carnival at that point).

 

Anyway, there was a huge difference in everything (on Carnival vs. Costa)- food, service... yeah, I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir here. We decided we wouldn't cruise Carnival again if we could afford it.

 

So tell me, why is RCI better than NCL or Carnival? I'd like something a bit more specific than "the service" or "the food" if you don't mind :-).

 

And what about amenities? Is there more to do? Is sushi all inclusive? Is their soda package the same as Carnival? I know the overall experience will be better, but I'm still wondering, "Is paying more going to be worth it?"

 

Thanks!!!!!

 

Oh, the last minute thing... We're shopping cruises for end of May. Are the current rates probably as low as they're going to get? Or could they get lower?

[matj2000]

Go to the section that has the member reviews of the ship you are interested in sailing. Read some of the reviews, many are very long and thorough. You can the answers to almost any question you have. It does take some reading...

[amandaepperson21]

Go to the section that has the member reviews of the ship you are interested in sailing. Read some of the reviews, many are very long and thorough. You can the answers to almost any question you have. It does take some reading...

 

You're right. It's been a couple of years since I've planned a cruise, and the research avenues have slipped my mind.

[Merion_Mom]

I'm currently shopping for mine and my husband's third cruise. This is our first time bringing our 7yo daughter. Our first was Costa Magica and second was Carnival Legend. We're not highly experienced cruisers, but there was a clear difference between Carnival and Costa-- even though they are owned by the same company (and the Costa cruise was about 4-5 years ago, I think they'd only recently been purchased by Carnival at that point).

 

Anyway, there was a huge difference in everything (on Carnival vs. Costa)- food, service... yeah, I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir here. We decided we wouldn't cruise Carnival again if we could afford it.

 

So tell me, why is RCI better than NCL or Carnival? I'd like something a bit more specific than "the service" or "the food" if you don't mind :-).

 

And what about amenities? Is there more to do? Is sushi all inclusive? Is their soda package the same as Carnival? I know the overall experience will be better, but I'm still wondering, "Is paying more going to be worth it?"

 

Thanks!!!!!

 

Oh, the last minute thing... We're shopping cruises for end of May. Are the current rates probably as low as they're going to get? Or could they get lower?

 

I guess that you are aiming for right after Ms Seven Year Old finishes school? If you can, book for something right after that. Your schools may be finished then, and so may others in your area, but MANY schools are still going on. There are bargains to be had, that's for sure!

 

Royal Caribbean's ships are beautiful. The design is lovely and user-friendly, and the furnishings are attractive and elegant. This isn't a flashy, Vegas-style atmosphere.

 

In addition to the members' reviews in that section of Cruise Critic, there are several threads right here dedicated to individual ships, such as "Everything Explorer of the Seas" etc. Try using the search box in the upper right corner of the page for the name of a specific ship.

[bjfitz0703]

Studies show that people equate a higher price paid with better value. If you compare Royal vs Carnival for your typical 7 day cruise, Royal is almost always more. It is driven by two realities: Royal's ships cost more as they have more things in them (ice rinks, flow riders, etc) that cost money to build and maintain; and the perception that Royal is better.

 

I have been on both and agree that Royal has more expensive ships yet their cabins seem smalker and have found the food and service to be about the same.

 

If you follow these boards, on average the data would mirror this reality.

 

Take Disney cruises. The data suggests that Disney is a great experience yet, on average, most do not believe it is worth 80-90 percent more than Carnival.

 

My experience is that a great, smaller ship is hard to beat. Also it is what you make of it that is most important. That is the best advice that I ever got.

[nbsjcruiser]

I'm currently shopping for mine and my husband's third cruise. This is our first time bringing our 7yo daughter. Our first was Costa Magica and second was Carnival Legend. We're not highly experienced cruisers, but there was a clear difference between Carnival and Costa-- even though they are owned by the same company (and the Costa cruise was about 4-5 years ago, I think they'd only recently been purchased by Carnival at that point).

 

Anyway, there was a huge difference in everything (on Carnival vs. Costa)- food, service... yeah, I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir here. We decided we wouldn't cruise Carnival again if we could afford it.

 

So tell me, why is RCI better than NCL or Carnival? I'd like something a bit more specific than "the service" or "the food" if you don't mind :-).

 

And what about amenities? Is there more to do? Is sushi all inclusive? Is their soda package the same as Carnival? I know the overall experience will be better, but I'm still wondering, "Is paying more going to be worth it?"

 

Thanks!!!!!

 

Oh, the last minute thing... We're shopping cruises for end of May. Are the current rates probably as low as they're going to get? Or could they get lower?

 

Its a tough question because if you ask the same question on the Carnival board you'll find a hundred reasons why many think Carnival as best. But since you ask I'll tell you.

 

We cruised RCI 4 cruises over 5 years and had a thoroughly good time. We enjoyed the entertainment, food and the beauty of the ships. After 4 years though we were ready for a change and after trying Princess once (a nice cruise) we decided to try Carnival. We did 3 Carnival cruises. Two on the Conquest class and one on the Destiny class ships. What we found was this:

 

1. RCI ships are beautiful ships and I never tire of taking pictures of them. Carnival ships are decorated like something out of the 70's. I find them cold and unattractive.

 

2, Despite what many people said about the food, that Carnival food is better - it wasn't. Carnival food is ok and just ok IMHO. RCI food is (at least t was 3 years ago) about 4 star quality.

 

3. Service is equally good on both lines.

 

4. Carnival has better itineraries.

 

5. Carnival cruises are cheaper in most cases

 

6. RCI does not have those big obtrusive 50 foot televisions. I find them quite annoying.

 

So those are the differences as I see them. If you want a nicer looking ship and better food then you go RCI. If ship looks and food quality are not a big deal, then I'd advise Carnival.

[wg6530]

Your question about lines is not easy. I have only been on one Carnival cruise. I felt as if I was on somebody else's cruise. I found the ship's decor gaudy and jarring, rather than interesting (RCL), classy (Celebrity) or fun (NCL). My cabin on Carnival was larger, but the rest of the ship felt more crowded than any of the above lines. The extra cabin width did not improve the quality of my experience, as it was just DH and I. YMMV. The ship was noisy, and except early morning or the tiny, dark library, it was hard to find a quiet spot to read. I liked some Carnival's venues in the buffet (Mongolian grill, burrito bar, deli), but lines were long. Our room steward was excellent on Carnival. It would take a very special itinerary to tempt me back to Carnival.

 

Royal's newer ships have lots of extra features, and that adds to the cost. Hard to say if you will find it worth the price.

 

If you will post the specific reasons YOU were disappointed in your last cruise, it might be easier for people to direct you toward a line that addresses your issues.

 

For last minute deals on Royal, I would watch their Tuesday sales. The link below is usually updated late Thursday or Friday to show Tuesday's sale prices.

http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/RCI_Sales_Event/rci_sales_event.pdf

[Marysunshine]

I am platinum on RCCL and just took my second Carnival Cruise on the Victory. When I arrived back I posted a review saying Never Again on Carnival. However I'm not so sure now.

I did not like the buffets on Carnival and found the choices and quality of food there terrible.

However I have been reading on the RCCL boards that their food has deteriorated as well.

 

I LOVED that Carnival has a variety of venues with live music and they had lots of sing along and motown contests that were great fun.

I liked the larger cabins on Carnival.

I found the slots on Carnival to give better payout than on RCCL.

I found the room service to be good on Carnival and (in response to a thread I just read about this) if you put your used dishes and trays in the hallway they were removed almost immediately.

The price was incredible, as I was taking my granddaughter and not being a "regular" on Carnival did not understand that the agent book us as Early Saver. As a result, in addition to the cheap cost we had $240 in on board credit.

I, too, love the RCCL ships, and took my whole family in 2008 on the AOS and it was fabulous. But frankly, after reading some reviews on this board, I think I would do Carnival again if the circumstances presented themselves.

[Macfans]

You will just "feel" that RCCl is a step or two above Carnival. You wont be disappointed.;)

[CapsR1]

We have cruised RCCL two times and Carnival two times with a now almost 8 year old. There are pluses ansd minuses to both cruise lines. Carnival will give you "more bang for your buck" while RCCL may have more updated ships with more amenities onboard. The food to us is comparable.

 

I truly think that it really depends upon your budget and the proximity of the ports.

 

I love RCCL for the extra amenities onboard the ships, but find the cabins, even the balcony rooms to be small. We have cruised on Carnival twice and are able to afford a small suite cabin which is extremely spacious, but the ships we chose do not have the amenties as similar RCCL ships. It's truly a matter of personal preference which is why we go back and forth between Carnival and RCCL each year.

 

Have a great time which ever line you decide to cruise.

[DonnaK]

We will never cruise Carnival again. We didn't like their ship. Not just the decor, but the awkward layout too. The kids club was not in a convenient location, so it was underutilized, resulting in kids running around the ship instead of being positively occupied. The buffet is between the pools and the aft elevator bank, so sunbathers in various states of wetness and undress would "cut through" the buffet area to go back to their cabins. The space to passenger ratio on RCI ships is significantly larger than on Carnival's ships...we were packed like sardines on Carnival, esp in the dining room and in the pool areas, whereas on RCI there is much more room for everyone to spread out.

 

We also felt a huge difference in service. Our Carnival wait team were responsible for 48 diners (7 tables), which is 3-4 times the maximum any of our RCI waiters have ever had to serve at dinner time. Likewise, our cabin steward on Carnival had 27 cabins, whereas on RCI, they typically have beween 15-18 cabins. (Yes, I asked). No matter how hard the Carnival crew worked, they could not provide as personalized and attentive service simply because they were spread much more thinly.

 

If you click on the link in my signature to my reviews, you can read more comparisions.

[time4u2go]

We found both lines to be very similar. Carnival was better for food and room sizes, while RCI was better for the ships. As with everyone else's, it's just our opinion. Both had excellent service.

[Cruising89143]

For us the biggest difference are the ships. RCI is much more innovative with their ship design. More to do on board. For us we also found the entertainment to be better along with a much more friendly crew. RCI found RCI ships to be cleaner and well cared for. Took my last Carnival cruise in 2004 and haven't been back. So far they haven't built a ship that interests me. It's just more of the same.

[MJN]

We just achieved diamond status on RCI and have been on one Carnival cruise and seen the inside of one other Carnival ship....gaudy, gaudy, gaudy! That was our own review even before seeing the other posters description. We just never really felt comfortable on Carnival and found the ship to not have anywhere near the enhancements that RCI ships have. The only plus they did have was a nice slide for any age, other than that RCI has so much more than Carnival. Waiters, room crew, everyone seems more friendly on RCI. We have never had a complaint about the food on RCI. But, as others have said, you just need to decide what kind of things you look for in a cruise. We do wish that RCI ports/itineraries would increase, especially in the caribbean. We have been to several of the ports multiple times so a re-shuffling would be nice. We are about to go to Alaska this year on RCI and are really looking forward to it.