RCCL compared to Carnival

[jlrn366419]

To begin, I am not upset with either RCCL or CCL.

-CCL food was better

-CCL cabin was larger

-Wouldn't cruise CCL again b/c they allow smoking in cabins and seemed to allow it in more places than RCCL. I know they deodorize between sailings but there is no guarantee that chain smokers didn't inhabit my cabin for many cruises in a row prior to mine. I also don't want to smell it walking throught the halls.

-Sorry if this offends anyone but its just my opinion. The CCL sailing I was on seemed to have a lot of people on board who weren't familiar with the simplest of social graces. Yes, anytime you go somewhere there are large crowds you are going to have experiences like this but it seemed worse to me on CCL than RCCL.

[philphi]

Better on ccl:

Cruise Director and entertainment staff as a whole

Activates

Food in main dining room

Cabins - bedding and amenities in the bath room (even in non suites)

"Fun" factor, just a more active atmosphere

Pool towels (you need two just to cover a lounger on rccl!)

Price for what you get.

Better on rccl:

Ship layout

Windjammer (buffet style restaurant) both food and layout

I have been on many cruises 3 rccl (just off one last week), 4 ccl, 3 hal, 1 celebrity. I have never been on a bad cruise, and don’t think you can go wrong either way. Carnival just seems to have a better more active vibe in my opinion I think a lot of this comes from the entertainment staff (cruise directors etc.) Yes, I know many people say that they would never cruise because of a particular CD and neither would I, but when you have a good CD it just makes everything flow better and I can’t stand when there are non-stop announcements for no good reason but to sell stuff!. After last week’s rccl (which was good) I could never justify paying so much more for rccl, which despite what rccl cheerleaders like to say is usually at least 20% more than ccl on average and sometimes closer to 40-50% from my findings. Just my opinion! :)

[milton333]

I sailed on Carnival while pregnant (and prone to be queasy around smoke). I really didn't have a problem. Room was fine, no real issues with the interior of the ship (casino was the exception, but that's the case with just about every cruise line). There were smokers on balconies, but same with RCCL - unfortunately, most smokers try to get a balcony so they can smoke out there, on both lines, so there's almost constantly smoke drifting around near your balcony, it's an issue with both lines.

 

I liked the MDR on Carnival, hated the buffet in general (selection and layout). I liked the Windjammer on RCCL better, but preferred the pizza place and the fish & chips shop on Carnival, seemed like there were more casual dining options.

 

Agree that RCCL ships are more refined in appearance and better laid out. Prefer the Carnival itineraries and variety of selections. LOVE Half Moon Cay on CCL.

 

We found Carnival Liberty to be oddly lacking in nightlife when we sailed her, but mostly because we were not drinking or gambling since I was pregnant. Not a lot to do, many of the shows just did not appeal (no interest in seeing the hypnotist make people quack like a duck, or a "rock through the ages" revue, etc.). I like the movie theater on most RCCL ships and think they have better in-cabin movies.

 

Bottom line for us: we're sailing Freedom OTS this fall because DS will be under 2 years old, and there is a nursery on Freedom as well as a kiddie pool with splash zone. Seemed like the most toddler-friendly option out there within our budget, and since we will also be traveling with my parents, Freedom seemed to have the most cross-generational appeal.

 

However, we're planning to sail on Carnival in 2012. We can afford a much larger cabin, a suite, for what we're paying for a basic balcony on RCCL.

 

I'm not really looking for "service," I have to say. Clean ship, nice room, good food, fun activities, casual atmosphere (we are a young family), that's really what I'm looking for. There is a generational issue with many of the reviews and comparisons here - older cruises are typically looking for a more formal experience, and put more emphasis on dining and personalized service. I'm okay with sailing "Applebee's on the sea," kwim? And I'd say that RCCL is maybe "Red Lobster on the sea," a shade better in terms of overall refinement, but not dramatically so.

[nbsjcruiser]

I think I'm as qualified to give an answer to that as anyone. We did 1 Carnival cruise followed by 4 RCI, 1 Princess and 3 Carnival.

 

We enjoyed our RCI cruises immensely. We did 2 on the EOS, 1 on the NOS and 1 on the ROS. The Radiance of the Seas is my favorite ship.

 

Anyway here's what we find.

 

The RCI ships are decorated much nicer than Carnival. Carnival ships are all gaudy 1970's style. RCI ships are appeasing to the eye whereas Carnival ships are cold and not as creative.

 

RCI has (in our experience) better service in the MDR and a better choice of food. Our last 2 Carnival cruises last year resulted in a disappointing MDR experience. Terribly tough steaks and cold food on occasion.

 

Carnival buffet for breakfast is not very good IMHO. Cold wet scrambled eggs, warm bread that they call toast and cold bacon.

 

Terrible pools on the Carnival ships I've been on. The Pool deck on RCI is much nicer. Larger pools and a nicer looking area.

 

Carnival is cheaper and has better itineraries.

 

Service is equal on both lines

 

Carnival has the Comedy Club which is nice.

 

RCI has better entertainment and at times gets professional top notch performers.

 

There seems to be more to do on the RCI ships especially on the Explorer class and higher.

 

Now don't get me wrong and assume I'm dissing Carnival. I'm not. We got good value for our money but RCI is a better bang for your buck. You just need to decide whether or not you want to spend the extra bucks. We've decided we are going to stay away from Carnival for a while. We're tired of the same shows, same menus and same looking ships regardless of the class of ship we've been on.

[hazeleyez3]

We find them about the same.

• As others have mentioned, the decor is different: Carnival is Vegas with some having neon lights. Royal is more elegant.
  
• Food is about the same.
  
• Seating in main show rooms I hate on Carnival. They have long sofas with little tables in front. I love that you have your own seat on Royal, with a cup holder to put a drink, and nothing in the way of your feet
  
• With you saying you like the Adventure, I'd say that Carnival wouldn't have as many activities
  
• Some Carnival ships have larger cabins
  
• Room Service for breakfast on Carnival is not just a continental one
  
• Bedding is about the same
  
• Carnival does allow smoking, but I didn't really have a problem with it
  
• Carnival has some better itineraries
  

[Motley]

Just got back from my first RCL cruise on Freedom of the Seas. I have done 6 on CCL and my wife and I decided to try RCL because we liked the itinerary. Here is what we thought of it. My wife is 30 and I am 38 so you can base our opinions on that.

 

We thought the food was comparable on both cruise lines. The pizza is better on CCL. I think CCL has a better selection in their buffet. We liked the wine bar on Freedom.

 

We found the service to be about equal on both cruise lines.

 

The RCL boat blows the doors off the CCL ships I have been on. The Freedom of the Seas was an absolutely beautiful ship.

 

The one issue that my wife and I had with RCL was the how they did the entertainment on the ship. I would give RCL the edge in overall entertainment. They had an ice skating show and the Nelsons which I remember from my youth. The issue we had was that we had late seating for dinner and the shows were almost always pre dinner shows. This left us with very little to do in the evening. The entertainment was geared towards the 40+ crowd with 60's,70's and 80's music. I am ok with the 80's stuff but my wife is a bit younger. The "dance" club would play that kind of music until very late and if you need to get up for a port you don't want to stay up until 1 am to dance to the real modern dance music. We explored the ship and stuff but that was only good for a night or two. We also liked the Rock climbing wall but never got to try the wave rider.

 

Graham the cruise director had to be one of the funniest cruise directors I have seen. The other thing against RCL was that their was not much going on at the pool during the day. With Carnival there always seemed to be something happening but with RCL it was more of an occasional thing. I did like that RCL kept the pools open much longer with one of them being open 24 hours I think. You could also have a drink while sitting in the hot tub where on CCL they don't allow this. RCL was also more generous with the alcohol in the drinks.

 

On CCL you get robes in your room but on RCL you need to be diamond I believe. A simple request to the room steward solved that problem but it seems kind of stupid to have to request robes.

 

Although we never got a chance to see a 3D movie I like the idea of it along with the screening room. I wish they would have been playing movies all week in the evenings if they weren't going to do anything else. It would have probably made our evenings seem more enjoyable with the option to see a couple 3D movies.

 

Our overall feeling was that we couldn't saying anything really bad about RCL but we definitely prefer CCL. We might cruise with them again if the price/itinerary is right but won't seek them out.

[firefly333]

I just came home from Carnival Elation on Saturday. My a/c was never blowing air, just kind of seeped into the cabin. They got someone in there who said if the temp in the cabin is 74 or under, then its not broken. I asked for a fan (first day), they had already run out (so evenidently I wasnt the only one with the a/c problem).

 

Buffet to me is cut back. Almost never tomatoes on the salad bar for instance. I dont want a slice of meat or cheese, I want cucumbers and tomatoes, which were both in short supply.

 

Carnival has gone to comedians and hardly has shows any more in the theater. Most of my cruises on Carnival lately, 2 to 3 shows. I dont consider a game in the theater the same as a show. Far less to do at night than a year or two ago on Carnival.

[firefly333]

 

The one issue that my wife and I had with RCL was the how they did the entertainment on the ship. The issue we had was that we had late seating for dinner and the shows were almost always pre dinner shows.

 

On CCL you get robes in your room but on RCL you need to be diamond I believe. A simple request to the room steward solved that problem but it seems kind of stupid to have to request robes.

 

On Carnival if you have late seating, the main shows for late seating are at 7 pm. (except for Legends and welcome aboard show which have one showing at 10:30 pm). same as RCL. No difference here.

 

I got robes I think when I was platinum, 5 cruises ... and as you pointed out, you just have to ask. .. not that Iv ever worn one of the robes.

[Sugar*Magnolia]

Without cheerleading even though we cruise with RCI, here is my comparitive review: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=898081&page=2

[gdisney]

I just did my first Carnival cruise in February after doing 5 over three years on RCI. I was a bit apprehensive going to a different line, mostly because of some of the stuff you hear from the really loyal people on here...but I'm really glad I tried Carnival, and would certainly use them again. I do believe that different ships and sailings will make a huge difference in people's opinions. But here's my comparison summary based on my little experience:

 

Food quality - a little better on Carnival

Food variety/amount of choice - a little better on RCI

Food service in MDR - better on RCI, much more attentive

Bar service - better all around on Carnival, much more attentiveness shipwide

Entertainment - more variety and better quality on RCI, though more night club-esque options on Carnival

Ship cleanliness - about the same

Ship layout/design - slightly favor RCI

Clientele cruising on board - have heard horror stories about drunk/disorderly behavior on Carnival. Did not see it at all. Have seen worst conduct on RCI - on a weekend cruise (my Carnival was a Monday-Friday)

Smoking - people have criticized Carnival in this regard too, but I saw none of it and had no problems with it on either line.

[blacksheep2]

We just sailed two years in a row on Carnival-first on Dream and then on Valor-after 3 years on RCCL

Our week on Dream was not a dream at all-loud music from the club below us and for our friends the music coming up the stairs from the teen night club was floor shaking-no sleep at all-the ship also rocked so bad it got to be a joke to see if you could walk a line. We have been on RCCL Freedom which is a large ship also in waves larger and never had a problem-The buffets were overcrowded and poorly set up-food not great-customer service lacking-complaints not addressed--Hence the next trip as there were discounts involved-

This year on Valor it was all the small things-cleaning equipment in the halls all hours of the day so that you had to climb over or trip on it-the help was just that -they would help but were rarely friendly-I did not see the smoking in the rooms or hall ways but you had to go through the Winston Cigar Bar to get to the internet cafe and the smell was terrible. The buffett area was better than on Dream but there were fewer people-the food in the MDR was average to low-not anywhere as good as we had expected after many cruises.

It felt like Walmart when you are paying for Macy's both have some nice things but Macy's will have more--You pay for what you get--

[DarthGrady]

We find them about the same.

• As others have mentioned, the decor is different: Carnival is Vegas with some having neon lights. Royal is more elegant.
  
• Food is about the same.
  
• Seating in main show rooms I hate on Carnival. They have long sofas with little tables in front. I love that you have your own seat on Royal, with a cup holder to put a drink, and nothing in the way of your feet
  
• With you saying you like the Adventure, I'd say that Carnival wouldn't have as many activities
  
• Some Carnival ships have larger cabins
  
• Room Service for breakfast on Carnival is not just a continental one
  
• Bedding is about the same
  
• Carnival does allow smoking, but I didn't really have a problem with it
  
• Carnival has some better itineraries
  

 

I agree, a few things I have found:

 

Carnival's older ships (through the late 90s) are very neon Vegas, while I have found the newer ones to be more colorful and whimsical. I agree that Royal ships are certainly more elegant.

 

Carnival's room service menu is also free 24/7 unlike RCI which charges for it late at night.

[Merion_Mom]

Just got back from my first RCL cruise on Freedom of the Seas. I have done 6 on CCL and my wife and I decided to try RCL because we liked the itinerary. Here is what we thought of it. My wife is 30 and I am 38 so you can base our opinions on that.

 

We thought the food was comparable on both cruise lines. The pizza is better on CCL. I think CCL has a better selection in their buffet. We liked the wine bar on Freedom.

 

We found the service to be about equal on both cruise lines.

 

The RCL boat blows the doors off the CCL ships I have been on. The Freedom of the Seas was an absolutely beautiful ship.

 

The one issue that my wife and I had with RCL was the how they did the entertainment on the ship. I would give RCL the edge in overall entertainment. They had an ice skating show and the Nelsons which I remember from my youth. The issue we had was that we had late seating for dinner and the shows were almost always pre dinner shows. This left us with very little to do in the evening. The entertainment was geared towards the 40+ crowd with 60's,70's and 80's music. I am ok with the 80's stuff but my wife is a bit younger. The "dance" club would play that kind of music until very late and if you need to get up for a port you don't want to stay up until 1 am to dance to the real modern dance music. We explored the ship and stuff but that was only good for a night or two. We also liked the Rock climbing wall but never got to try the wave rider.

 

Graham the cruise director had to be one of the funniest cruise directors I have seen. The other thing against RCL was that their was not much going on at the pool during the day. With Carnival there always seemed to be something happening but with RCL it was more of an occasional thing. I did like that RCL kept the pools open much longer with one of them being open 24 hours I think. You could also have a drink while sitting in the hot tub where on CCL they don't allow this. RCL was also more generous with the alcohol in the drinks.

 

On CCL you get robes in your room but on RCL you need to be diamond I believe. A simple request to the room steward solved that problem but it seems kind of stupid to have to request robes.

 

Although we never got a chance to see a 3D movie I like the idea of it along with the screening room. I wish they would have been playing movies all week in the evenings if they weren't going to do anything else. It would have probably made our evenings seem more enjoyable with the option to see a couple 3D movies.

 

Our overall feeling was that we couldn't saying anything really bad about RCL but we definitely prefer CCL. We might cruise with them again if the price/itinerary is right but won't seek them out.

 

The Nelson twins were on your May 1 Freedom cruise?!?!?!?!??

 

You lucky dog!

 

I wasn't sure that they would continue playing the ships since their new album came out....................

[Stags14]

Honestly, the only way to get a clear understanding of the differences and whether or not you like one over the other is to do them both. I like absolutely everything better on RCI than Carnival, including the sound of the ship underway - Carnival sounds like you're standing next to a semi's engine brake in 3rd gear when you're outside.

 

I think RCI pays more attention to detail, their crew is a tad nicer, ships are cleaner and I don't think anyone can argue that the floor plans are much more favorable on RCI. The decor as mentioned on Carnival is a bit dated and ceilings all around the boat are low, where on RCI the public areas are very open and airy.

 

Poolside events are just as frequent - you just have to be sure you're outside at the right moments when events are occurring. It isn't constant but there is at least 1-2 events per day, live bands and DJ's throughout. I just think everything is done just a tad better on RCI.

 

Anyway, like I said - see for yourself. Someone mentioned the nightclub not playing modern music til 12-1AM, I couldn't tell you when that started, nor could I care - I am 31 but never really was one for going deaf in a club. I'm a pub guy... give me a craft beer, some wings, and a game and I'm good. One thing that RCI did have that I never saw on any Carnival ship was an english themed pub with a 1 man band for entertainment at night. For me, this is my preference over a nightclub. But again... it all depends on what YOU like :D

[negc]

I should add - beware the opinions of cheerleaders ;)

 

and that applies to those of both persuasions, pro-RCI and pro-Carnival. You will likely find examples of both on these boards.:) It is an unfortunate fact of life that there are some who believe that the best way to build up the cruiseline they prefer by tearing down its competition, and those who turn a blind eye to even obvious flaws in their favorite's operation. Both lines seem to satisfy the majority of their veteran clientele, so they both must be doing something (not necessarily the same thing) right.

[ehfl]

I've had a great time on both RCL and Carnival. If you nit-pick, you'll find something not to like about either one.

[compman9]

And on the same note... watch out for those that are currently upset with the company. They may be more negative than they normally would be because they are frustrated over something small but recent.

 

Which is why I simplified it :rolleyes:

[firefly333]

I do find a lot more smokers on Carnival since RCL changed their policy of smoking in the cabins. RCL I used to see the smokers up on Lido deck in the morning .. now there are only a few up there vs a bunch before. Not quantitative of course ... but I see a lot fewer smokers on RCL these days.

 

Carnival even had cigar smokers ... all the RCL smokers seem to have jumped to Carnival as the smokers side on Lido, the tables were constantly filled up on the cruise I got off of last Saturday.

 

I dont mind smokers .. just notice as I used to sit up there with the smokers in the morning.

[annsailing]

I've been on 11 cruises. We started with Celebrity and loved them until they canceled one of our cruises. RCCL gave us a great deal so we stayed with them for 5 years. We expecially loved Adventurer of the Seas...went on that ship 3 years in a row. The first time on that ship service was excellent. But by cruise #3 the service had gone way down. So we tried Holland America. Not bad but I still think I prefer RCCL. I also took my teenagers on Grandeur last year for their first cruise and they really liked it (and the service was excellent). Husband prefers HA but he is also 20 years older than I am so he is closer to the age group they cater to.

 

I was hoping to take the kids on another cruise in 2012, and I was hoping to go on RCCL...BUT unless I want the Oasis or Allure(too big and too expensive) there is nothing in the Caribbean in the summer which is when we have to go. I saw that Carnival has some excellent itineraries. So my question is for those who have traveled on both lines...what are the major differences between the lines? What differences will I notice?

 

 

I have been on CCL and RCCL, the price is better on CCL but the service, food is better RCCL. I am sailing on the Oasis of the Sea May 28, RCCL it is a beautiful ship but the price is very high. When I need a cruise and don't have a lot of money I go with CCL, I make myself have fun. The itineraries on the Carnival are very good. My husband was very pleased with Carnival. Try it you may like it.

[richstowe]

I do find a lot more smokers on Carnival since RCL changed their policy of smoking in the cabins. RCL I used to see the smokers up on Lido deck in the morning .. now there are only a few up there vs a bunch before. Not quantitative of course ... but I see a lot fewer smokers on RCL these days..

 

Hope one day smoking on the balconies will be restricted to one side of the ships for ALL cruise lines.

 

Add me to the people who smelt no smoke in our Carnival cabin but were on occasion chased inside by balcony smoke.

Wondering since smoking is banned inside cabins on Royal if all smokers live on their balcony?

 

There may be less smokers on Carnival ships too as they are a dying breed (at least in Canada and USA).

[Motley]

On Carnival if you have late seating, the main shows for late seating are at 7 pm. (except for Legends and welcome aboard show which have one showing at 10:30 pm). same as RCL. No difference here.

 

I got robes I think when I was platinum, 5 cruises ... and as you pointed out, you just have to ask. .. not that Iv ever worn one of the robes.

 

On all 6 of my Carnival cruises that has not been the case and the shows were after dinner. Unless they have changed since Jan 2010.

[Jimnbigd]

I find the live music better on RCCL, especially the ship's orchestra. My last Carnival was the Ecstasy in January, 2010, and the "band" was 5 pieces -- rhythm section and one sax. RCCL seems to consistently have 9 pieces for a solid big-band sound. I'll let you know how the Conquest music was when I get back from my May 22 sailing. Last time I was on the Conquest was in November, 2003, and they actually had 10 pieces for their orchestra -- same as RCCL plus one more sax. Sadly, the musicians were not as good as RCCL, and the overall band did not have a solid sound, like RCCL does.

[Dorie7]

Carnival rooms are larger, but ugly and less comfortable. I refer a smaller, balcony room on RCI to a suite on Carnival.

 

RCI Ships are among the most beautiful, Carnival ships are the most garish. If atmosphere matters to you, than you may prefer RCI, unless you like the over the top atmosphere of Carnival.

 

Carnival is less expensive for a similar product.

 

The differences may not matter to you, it depends upon why you cruise. Atmosphere matters a great deal to me. Relaxing in pleasant surroundings, such as my own balcony is my primary reason for cruising. I don't care for night life or parties. Loud music and announcements at pool side annoy me. I thoroughly enjoy the RCI product. If they became more like Carnival with poolside contests and music blaring all the time, I would reluctantly change lines.

 

Many people are less affected by decor, and need or want the additional space in the rooms. Also, some people enjoy noisy, part atmospheres and find that to be more fun. It is all in what you like better personally. For the most part it seems that people that can enjoy both RCI and Carnival, so the overlap is clearly there where most cruisers are comfortable.

 

I have cruised Carnival, usually because other family members wanted that choice. However, whenever it is my choice we choose RCI.

 

I am not sure if this can help, the only way to know if you will like either line is to try it for yourself. After all, any cruise is a good cruise.

 

Dorie

[Dorie7]

I meant that I PREFER a smaller room on RCI...

 

Should have proof read:o

 

Dorie

[compman9]

Dorie7...

 

May I ask why you find Carnival's rooms to be uglier and less comfortable than RCI's?

 

I have been on several rooms on both cruise lines and can see no discernible difference at all.

 

Except, Carnival's rooms are larger, have robes, have free amenities, and more expensive bedding.

 

And RCI's have grey trim instead of pink trim and shower doors rather than curtains.