Carnival Loyal Moving to Royal

[AngAndBoys]

I've never been on a RCI cruise before, but have been on a few Carnival ones. I'm really looking at other cruiselines at the moment and found a great deal on a Royal cruise that I'm thinking I want to book for me and my 3 teen-age boys. Tell me what to expect. I REALLY like the casual atmosphere of Carnival. Is it "stuffy" on Royal? Is there good night life? Do people dress up more? How are their kids programs? Plenty to keep kids busy on an older Royal ship?

 

Any and all input is most appreciated.

[praline3001]

I've never been on a RCI cruise before, but have been on a few Carnival ones. I'm really looking at other cruiselines at the moment and found a great deal on a Royal cruise that I'm thinking I want to book for me and my 3 teen-age boys. Tell me what to expect. I REALLY like the casual atmosphere of Carnival. Is it "stuffy" on Royal? Is there good night life? Do people dress up more? How are their kids programs? Plenty to keep kids busy on an older Royal ship?

 

Any and all input is most appreciated.

 

Welcome to the dark side ... we have cookies :D

 

Everything is really casual. There are no men wearing tux's to the pool :D

[AngAndBoys]

Welcome to the dark side ... we have cookies :D

 

Everything is really casual. There are no men wearing tux's to the pool :D

 

Hahahahaha! COOKIES? Jeez, if I'da known that I'd have been over here YEARS ago!

[rummenroman]

Royal stuff? Nope, Royal's demographics are going to be similar to that of Carnivals. I cannot speak of the kids program.

 

Night life will vary from ship to ship, and cruise to cruise. From what I have heard from a few friends that have sailed both Royal and Carnival it really is the same. Some cruises will have people that love to party and dance to the wee hours of the morning, and other cruises will have a crowd that doesn't.

[praline3001]

On the Allure last week my DD11 LOVED the Voyagers kids area. She would pout whenever we wouldn't let her go... :rolleyes: they did a ton of stuff. They had an all night PJ party, a pirate themed night and made a ton of things in the science lab. She really enjoyed herself and begged the whole time to go back every chance she got.

 

My 2 older sons weren't thrilled with the teen areas. They found ways of entertaining themselves. For our sailing the teen area was pretty dead.

[Langley Cruisers]

Welcome to the dark side ... we have cookies :D

 

 

Haha! The sugar-free peanut butter cookies are insanely good!:p

[praline3001]

What ship are you looking at trying? If you give us the name of the ship we would be able to help you better as each ship has different activities and events. Also there are different itineraries of course. I am currently debating with my family doing the Jewel of the Seas for their Southern Caribbean sailing. Its 5 islands in 7 days plus PR. The ship is smaller and doesn't have a lot of the activities on the larger ships (Allure,Oasis, Freedom) however the port times are 8am-6pm every day. That is a lot of port time and we can do a lot on the islands. By the time we are back on the ship the kids will be too tired to do much more then eat and go to bed!

 

I would think a cruise like that would be great for teenage boys since I have 2 of them and mine are in love with this plan.

[compman9]

The ship choice will have a big influence on the difference between cruise-lines

 

It's hard to generalise, but Carnival is a bit more casual normally and a bit more formal on formal nights

 

The RCI ships generally much better

 

The Carnival entertainment and staff participation events are generally better

 

The RCI people generally think they are better than Carnival people (you will see this proven if more comments are added to this thread)

[Starry Eyes]

Just as with Carnival, there is a significant difference among different Royal Caribbean ships and itineraries. None that would be considered stuffy, but some appeal more to teens than others, for example. what ship is current offing you a great deal?

[emelvee]

My experience with the kids program on RCI was that it was excellent...our daughter spent more time there than on any other cruise.

 

We're not loyal to any line (by next spring, we will have sailed 4 different lines out of just 8 cruises). Some fairly minor (until one gets to higher levels) perks aren't going to change that. For any mass market line, price, ship and itinerary are how we first pick a ship. I will pay a little extra to sail on RCI, but we have been VERY pleased with Carnival. Changes to Carnival's loyalty program have no affect on if/when we'll sail on Carnival again.

[Debde]

I've never been on a RCI cruise before, but have been on a few Carnival ones. I'm really looking at other cruiselines at the moment and found a great deal on a Royal cruise that I'm thinking I want to book for me and my 3 teen-age boys. Tell me what to expect. I REALLY like the casual atmosphere of Carnival. Is it "stuffy" on Royal? Is there good night life? Do people dress up more? How are their kids programs? Plenty to keep kids busy on an older Royal ship?

 

Any and all input is most appreciated.

 

Like any other message board, you'll find that a select few here will preach to you about what to wear. If you like casual, there are options for you to avoid those dining venues.

 

Stuffy?? Well, let's face it, you can run into stuffy anywhere. Just walk away!!!;)

 

Kids programs are great. Back when mine used them, they loved it. Now, my nephews complain if they are not there!!

[pam_1024]

On the Allure last week my DD11 LOVED the Voyagers kids area. She would pout whenever we wouldn't let her go... :rolleyes: they did a ton of stuff. They had an all night PJ party, a pirate themed night and made a ton of things in the science lab. She really enjoyed herself and begged the whole time to go back every chance she got.

 

My 2 older sons weren't thrilled with the teen areas. They found ways of entertaining themselves. For our sailing the teen area was pretty dead.

 

 

Same here on the teen area. My son doesn't really care for the "organized activities" because there aren't many. And what is posted on the cruise compass usually doesn't happen for some reason. However, he really enjoys meeting other teens and "hanging out" in Fuel. It's more of a casual thing than organized, but i didn't see a lot of him our last cruise :)

[dacsmom]

I tried Royal for the first time in May and loved it. I am a Carnival convert and I found both lines to be similar. It does depend on the ship you choose, it has been awhile since I had teenagers but I think they would really enjoy the Freedom Class ships. I did not find Royal to be stuffy at all. The crew was fantastic and the staterooms are a little smaller. I like both lines and am booking another Royal cruise this week on FOS.

[AngAndBoys]

Sorry, I should have been more specific. It is Navigator of the Seas, out of New Orleans next March. The price is almost exactly the same as Carnival, which I never see. To clarify, price and home port is what usually puts me on Carnival. I have looked at Royal in the past, though not lately because last I looked, they were always significantly higher for similar iteneraries.

 

NCL is also similar, but their kid program looked like a dud, for my kids, at least until the younger one turns 13. He'd be 12 for that sailing and would not be amused at being lumped in with the "kids". On CCL, he's in with 12-14. You have to forgive him for being the youngest of 3 boys and thinking he's a big boy too.

 

I asked about "stuffy" because the first post I read on here was one about people on this board being rude to posters. I personally don't care who says what on a message board full of strangers, but I DO like a really friendly atmosphere when I cruise.

 

Anyway, still trolling for info. Whether or not I think my kids will have fun is the real deal sealer. I'm anxiously watching that price to make sure it doesn't go up while I"m deciding.

[kaykels]

after cruising RCCL you won't want to do Carnival again. Its like going from a Chevy to a Lexus depending on which ship you are sailing.

 

I have never had a cruise I didn't enjoy. I had fun on Carnival. But Royal is just better. Not stuffy, just imagine a 3 star hotel, then moving to a 5 star.

[Tim,n,Sue]

Haha! The sugar-free peanut butter cookies are insanely good!:p

 

As are the oatmeal raisin cookies.

[reallyitsmema]

Sorry, I should have been more specific. It is Navigator of the Seas, out of New Orleans next March. The price is almost exactly the same as Carnival, which I never see. To clarify, price and home port is what usually puts me on Carnival. I have looked at Royal in the past, though not lately because last I looked, they were always significantly higher for similar iteneraries.

 

NCL is also similar, but their kid program looked like a dud, for my kids, at least until the younger one turns 13. He'd be 12 for that sailing and would not be amused at being lumped in with the "kids". On CCL, he's in with 12-14. You have to forgive him for being the youngest of 3 boys and thinking he's a big boy too.

 

I asked about "stuffy" because the first post I read on here was one about people on this board being rude to posters. I personally don't care who says what on a message board full of strangers, but I DO like a really friendly atmosphere when I cruise.

 

Anyway, still trolling for info. Whether or not I think my kids will have fun is the real deal sealer. I'm anxiously watching that price to make sure it doesn't go up while I"m deciding.

Navigator is a great choice for teens. It has both the Living Room and Fuel for teens plus a full size basketball court where they have lots of different tournaments like basketball, dodgeball, volleyball, etc. There are also ping ping tables around the sports court.

 

The living room has Wii or playstation and also foosball. It is a good area for the kids to just hang out or participate in texas holdem tournies and other games.

 

Great ship for teens. I wouldn't take teens on anything smaller than a Voyager class ship (which Navigator is) since the teen areas are very small and most don't have a full size basketball court. If your kids aren't into sports, then that isn't as big of an issue.

[AngAndBoys]

after cruising RCCL you won't want to do Carnival again. Its like going from a Chevy to a Lexus depending on which ship you are sailing.

 

I have never had a cruise I didn't enjoy. I had fun on Carnival. But Royal is just better. Not stuffy, just imagine a 3 star hotel, then moving to a 5 star.

 

I am afraid of that! Honestly, I've gotten on such a cruise kick lately, I don't know how many 5 stars I can afford at the rate I'm booking! We went in December, going again next month, I'm doing one with no kids next Dec, and now I will no doubt book this one in March. I'm gonna be broke if I start booking all Lexus! I've become cruise obsessed! They need a Cruise Critics Annonymous board!

[Debde]

Navigator is a great choice for teens. It has both the Living Room and Fuel for teens plus a full size basketball court where they have lots of different tournaments like basketball, dodgeball, volleyball, etc. There are also ping ping tables around the sports court.

 

The living room has Wii or playstation and also foosball. It is a good area for the kids to just hang out or participate in texas holdem tournies and other games.

 

I agree. Last sailing was Voyager out of NOLA and plenty to do without a doubt!!!

[Aquahound]

I've never been on a RCI cruise before, but have been on a few Carnival ones. I'm really looking at other cruiselines at the moment and found a great deal on a Royal cruise that I'm thinking I want to book for me and my 3 teen-age boys. Tell me what to expect. I REALLY like the casual atmosphere of Carnival. Is it "stuffy" on Royal? Is there good night life? Do people dress up more? How are their kids programs? Plenty to keep kids busy on an older Royal ship?

 

Any and all input is most appreciated.

 

The Navigator of the Seas is a fantastic ship. You will love it! It has many of the features RCI is known for, like the Royal Promenade, 3 story dining room, bow helipad, and ice rink. One of the first things you will notice is the wow factor of the ship. It's a totally different design and it may very well get you hooked on RCI Voyager Class and newer ships. Make sure you go to the ice show.

 

The kids area of the ship is huge and I very rarely hear complaints about the kids program on the larger RCI ships.

 

As for stuffy, no way. RCI ships are not stuffy at all. In fact, with the live calypso pool band, night pool parties, and live entertainment on board, you might just find it to be a "fun" ship. ;)

[rotting_hell]

If the Navigator has a Chops Steakhouse, you must try it! :D Well worth the price!!

 

Did anyone mention the COOKIES???? ;)

[AngAndBoys]

Thank you! Y'all are calming my worries! It is scary moving away from your known product. Not so much for me...I'm more worried about my kids being unhappy with it. There is nothing more fun than a "bored" kid on a 7 day cruise. My kids will LOVE the sports, all 3 of them. I think it will be good.

 

I hope so anyway, cause I just put my deposit down, sofa bed and all. I think I won't tell them that little tidbit till we get on the boat. ;)

[AngAndBoys]

If the Navigator has a Chops Steakhouse, you must try it! :D Well worth the price!!

 

Did anyone mention the COOKIES???? ;)

 

Haha! EVERYONE mentioned the cookies! Buncha cookie monsters sailing RCI, apparently.

[BecciBoo]

:DWells said Paul!

I have found the main difference in the two lines to be the ships themselves and they way they are run. RCCL-better designed ship and layout, more sophistocated decor and entertainment (you will love love love the skating rink and ice show!!) Do not miss that! And the kids can try ice skating free(take socks) I found more care for the ship to be evident on RCCL. We found Carnival ship we were on to be very run down and neglected. Most other things are similar, but those were enough to turn us off Carnival. JMHO.

[fish6]

Thank you! Y'all are calming my worries! It is scary moving away from your known product. Not so much for me...I'm more worried about my kids being unhappy with it. There is nothing more fun than a "bored" kid on a 7 day cruise. My kids will LOVE the sports, all 3 of them. I think it will be good.

 

I hope so anyway, cause I just put my deposit down, sofa bed and all. I think I won't tell them that little tidbit till we get on the boat. ;)

Great choice.....we have been on the Navigator 4 times and my 2 kids love it.....lots to do and the activities are endless :)