Carnival Paradise vs RCCL Majesty??

[jacksmom09]

Hi! I am trying to decide on a 4-5 night cruise in Jan for me and my adult DD! I have sailed both RCCL and Carnival and enjoyed both! I have cruised on Valor, Dream and Breeze (most recent cruise) and on Mariner of the Seas and Allure! I am looking for a less expensive option for this shorter cruise and would love some input to help me decide between these 2, or if any others I should look into? My dd lives in Tampa so we were wanting to cruise either out of Tampa or Port Canaveral! Thanks for any input!

[rdevine10]

Hi! I am trying to decide on a 4-5 night cruise in Jan for me and my adult DD! I have sailed both RCCL and Carnival and enjoyed both! I have cruised on Valor, Dream and Breeze (most recent cruise) and on Mariner of the Seas and Allure! I am looking for a less expensive option for this shorter cruise and would love some input to help me decide between these 2, or if any others I should look into? My dd lives in Tampa so we were wanting to cruise either out of Tampa or Port Canaveral! Thanks for any input!

 

Im pretty sure its the Enchantment only that sails out of port canaveral for RCCL. We were on the enchantment last August and enjoyed it. The solarium was awesome (for adults- not sure how old your Daughter is). I liked that area much more than the carnival serenity areas.

 

That being said, I would sail to where its warmer. Pretty sure the Paradise goes to cozumel. I think its warmer there in Jan than the Bahamas (although I loved coco cay).

 

(No experience on the Paradise or Fantasy class ships yet- although we trying the Fascination out in April)! Have fun!

[caribsun]

In Tampa you have CCL Paradise and RCI Brillance of the Seas both 5 days. Looks like Paradise is lower in price but is a smaller and older ship if that is important. I read good review about both ships.

[Tapi]

Majesty sails from Miami

Brilliance sails from Tampa

Enchantment sails from Port Canaveral

 

If you are comparing Paradise and Brilliance (since both sail from Tampa on similar itineraries), without a doubt the Brilliance is a much better ship. "Royal Loyals" rave about this class of ship for its beauty, spaciousness, and use of lots of glass which afford wonderful ocean views.

 

If you're comparing Paradise to Enchantment, I would slightly lean towards Paradise just because of itinerary (as previously mentioned, the Bahamas can be a bit chilly during the winter as we've experienced).

 

About the Majesty from Miami, she was and still is a beautiful ship, but she's the oldest in the Royal fleet and a bit outdated, with the absolute smallest staterooms. That, along with the Bahamas itinerary, and the 4 extra hours of drive time to Miami would put her at the bottom of my list.

[coolsky1994]

Paradise is a nice ship. I would say for shorter sailings the Fantasy Class ships of Carnival hit it right on the spot. They have plenty to do and are a lot of fun. But i have never sailed on Majesty so i am biased.

[jacksmom09]

Sorry for the confusion! Should be RCCL Enchantment! I am really leaning towards Carnival Paradise d/t location and 5 day itinerary but am concerned ship is outdated and rooms will not be in good shape?? Can anyone shed some light on outdated issues and room condition?? TIA!

[Tapi]

I am really leaning towards Carnival Paradise d/t location and 5 day itinerary but am concerned ship is outdated and rooms will not be in good shape?? TIA!

 

Paradise and Elation are the only two Fantasy class ships that didn't receive the full Evolutions of Fun upgrades. They have received some cosmetic renovations (carpet, etc) on past drydocks, but they still have the old, pink furniture in the staterooms, and no Waterworks or resort style pool.

 

Paradise is expected to receive a major renovation including 2.0 upgrades but it won't be until 2015.

[SkiCruiser]

Jacksmom09,

 

Just wanted to give you my opinion on CCL Paradise! My BBF, her sisters and I cruised on the Paradise to Cozumel in July! We stayed on Upper deck cabin U118 - a 6D Oceanview. Our cabin was great and I do not remember any signs of wear or lack of maintenance. Every night we enjoyed a band that played in one of the lounges and danced the night away. Our room Steward and Waiters were phenomenal.

 

We had such a great time, that yesterday I booked a cruise on the Paradise for DH and I on January 11th that goes to Grand Cayman & Cozumel - two of my favorite islands! We booked a cabin on the Upper deck again.

 

If you choose the Paradise, I hope you have a wonderful cruise!

 

Cheryl

[jacksmom09]

Jacksmom09,

 

Just wanted to give you my opinion on CCL Paradise! My BBF, her sisters and I cruised on the Paradise to Cozumel in July! We stayed on Upper deck cabin U118 - a 6D Oceanview. Our cabin was great and I do not remember any signs of wear or lack of maintenance. Every night we enjoyed a band that played in one of the lounges and danced the night away. Our room Steward and Waiters were phenomenal.

 

We had such a great time, that yesterday I booked a cruise on the Paradise for DH and I on January 11th that goes to Grand Cayman & Cozumel - two of my favorite islands! We booked a cabin on the Upper deck again.

 

If you choose the Paradise, I hope you have a wonderful cruise!

 

Cheryl

Thanks!

[Gemynii]

We did the 5 day to Grand Cayman & Cozumel on Paradise last year for our very 1st cruise. Although the ship is older and hasn't yet received upgrades, everything was clean, well maintained and the staff was amazing. It was Paradise that got us officially hooked on cruising and we're looking foward to sailing on her sister ship next month. I took tons of pictures of the ship & ports and did a review as well. Links are in my signature if your interested.