Is their a noticeable difference between RC and Carnival?

[dacsmom]

This surely can not be a serious question. In the event it is. Royal Caribbean can not be used in the same sentence as Carny. New ship versus New ship--- Carnival Breeze versus Allure of the Seas. It is not even close. Royal Caribbean is vastly superior. It's like comparing a single orange to an orange grove. K mart versus Saks 5th Avenue. Mercedes versus Hyundai. As for the older ships... who really cares, except for the fact a Voyager class versus its counterpart one of the (shuns) is virtually the same contest as above.

If you are going on Majesty or one of the Visions.....eh.....you get what you pay for. Possibly the newest Carnival could compete with the oldest RCCL (Majesty) but it would be a draw in my opinion. Next question.....

 

Actually you do get what you pay for. One of the best cruises I have ever been on was on the Majesty's sister ship the Monarch. She will always be my favorite. Every crew member was wonderful and it was so relaxing. Bigger is not always better, it depends on what you want in a particular cruise.

[jonbgd]

This surely can not be a serious question. In the event it is. Royal Caribbean can not be used in the same sentence as Carny. New ship versus New ship--- Carnival Breeze versus Allure of the Seas. It is not even close. Royal Caribbean is vastly superior. It's like comparing a single orange to an orange grove. K mart versus Saks 5th Avenue. Mercedes versus Hyundai. As for the older ships... who really cares, except for the fact a Voyager class versus its counterpart one of the (shuns) is virtually the same contest as above.

If you are going on Majesty or one of the Visions.....eh.....you get what you pay for. Possibly the newest Carnival could compete with the oldest RCCL (Majesty) but it would be a draw in my opinion. Next question.....

 

WOW REALLY :eek:

 

You think RCCL is that superior

im thinking more of Walmart vs Target. Hyundai vs Toyota

They are both mass market cruiselines with positives

 

To the OP most cruisers on RCCL arnt as pompous as some posters appear to be :rolleyes:

Edited January 29, 2014 by jonbgd

[perkli25]

I have also sailed both and prefer Royal. I wouldn't rule out a Carnival cruise in the future but just didn't like it as much compared to Royal. The feel of a Royal Caribbean ship is just slightly more upscale. I also think Royal has better food (except the molten lava cake). I could be happy on either but would most likely choose Royal Caribbean unless I got a great deal on Carnival.

[petesweet]

You get what you pay for.

That's true, of course. I just want to alert OP to the fact that RCCL prices are not a lot higher than Carnival's. In fact, given the ship chosen, they should be considered lower.

 

I priced October 4 interior cabin on Carnival's Fantasy, her smallest, oldest (I think) ship out of Charleston, with October 5 interior on RCCL's magnificent Freedom of the Seas. Fantasy was $479 and Freedom was $549.

 

I have enjoyed Fantasy five times (it is a reasonable drive from home), but Freedom offered so much more, but a longer drive.

 

Kathy

Edited January 29, 2014 by petesweet

[LKBott]

To us Carnival is the motel 6, and Royal is Marriott. Unless your talking Allure/Oasis, then hands down Royal.

 

The class of people you deal with/see on Carnival is the biggest difference, also their ships are so gotty IMO. The service is also much better on Royal. Again agree with others, you get what you pay for.

[bearette]

You'll get a different answer on the carnival board...

Personally I say try them all and see which you like. There are some things that were better on one then the other. I prefer RCCL since I think the ships are nicer, but I think the Carnival ones are fine too. I really like the ice rink on RCCL ships ( not on all ships) so I choose one of those since it is something I enjoy. I have young toddler twins and RCCl use pack n plays instead of the white hard cribs (I get more room with a pack n play).

That being said if price or timing is an issue I will do a carnival cruise.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[jonbgd]

The class of people you deal with/see on Carnival is the biggest difference, .

 

I am Platinum on Carnival

I served my country, but not good enough to cruise on RCCL:confused:

[b8nkr]

I am Platinum on Carnival

I served my country, but not good enough to cruise on RCCL:confused:

 

LOL!! Love the response!

[SteelerCruiser]

we personally believe a cruise is what you make of it. We just sailed on the Enchantment of the Seas and while we had a great time we felt the food other than the MDR for dinner is much better on Carnival. Even MDR could be a toss up. The buffet was not anywhere near as good or wide variety as any Carnival cruise we have been on. Also the entertainment seemed a little too lite. There should be more activities trivia comedy etc... We have been spoiled on Carnival with all their comedy shows. Also the Kids Club on Royal seemed very Boring!!! My Son who usually loves to go to Camp Carnival did not have any desire to even go on Royal. Part of this could be him just being in a phase but also when we went up to sign him up while waiting the overall activities they were doing and look of the camp was not as appealing as Carnival's camp. That being said we had a great time and would not hesitate to cruise this ship or another Royal ship in the future. We have only done short cruises on Royal and this was our first Royal cruise in a few years. We are cruising on Carnival for a week in May but are considering doing a longer Royal cruise in November.

 

All in all I would say go with what best fits you budget, ports u want , and schedule.

[b8nkr]

It seems to be a consensus that the food on CCL is better than RCL. Now I'm a little nervous since we weren't too impressed with CCL food.

[styles27]

Food is subjective so I wouldn't read too much into the comments either way...you really have to decide for yourself.

 

 

Honestly, Carnival and RCCL along with others like HAL and Princess are all pretty even...some things better on some than others but for the most part all pretty good.

 

 

In my opinion none of us would notice that big of a difference between them. Now if we jump up to Regent which is a lot more expensive than the 4 I've mentioned above...then I think we would see a noticeable difference.

[riclop]

Hi everyone. We have been on several Carnival cruises and are going on our first RC cruise in May. I have heard that RC is so much better than Carnival. Can you please elaborate on differences? Thanks!

Love rccl especially Oasis/Allure.

[Bigtex1622]

It seems to be a consensus that the food on CCL is better than RCL. Now I'm a little nervous since we weren't too impressed with CCL food.

 

 

I have not tried the new menu, but did see what they have everyday.

I am so glad they still have my Cold Fruit Soups.

They are so yummy.

The other stuff......

I do not shop for it, cook it, or clean after it....

 

 

:rolleyes:

[avalon007]

The Entertainment is better on Royal.

They have live bands by the pool, Carnival has taped, loud music.

Royal has production shows, Carnival uses the passengers.

If your Royal ship has an Ice Rink, go see the shows.

They are not to be missed. ;)

 

As far as food, both are about the same,

except I did miss my cold fruit soups in the MDR.

Carnival did not have them.

But Carnival did have a chocolate bar one day, in the buffet.

Royal got rid of their chocolate buffet.:mad:

 

 

 

:rolleyes:

 

 

Not so regards the chocolate buffet on Royal, we had it on one of our more recent Royal cruises within the last 6 months, as well as the other sweet temptations buffets which they had on all the other Royal cruises we went on.:)

[ehfl]

I think you'll enjoy RCL. They are both mainstream lines, so have many similarities. I've been on both, but mostly RCL.

 

You can probably compare in terms of ships, passengers, food, entertainment, and activities.

 

From the ships I have been on, RCL tends to have the "wow" factor with centrums, royal promenades, inside windows, central park and boardwalk balconies, etc. Lots of artwork. Carnival ships I have been on have been very nice, but not so much "wow". Also, the traffic flow seems to be handled better on RCL ships.

 

Passenger demographics are probably similar. Carnival has a reputation of being less expensive (although this is not always the case). Some may think this impacts the crowd, but I'm not sure there is a huge difference.

 

Food choices are similar. Dining room, buffet, and specialty restaurants. Most cruise lines including RCL have eliminated all trans-fats aboard, so their food is a little more health-conscious. Carnival has delicious pizza and baked goods with the texture you can only really get with trans-fats.

 

RCL has really great entertainment. Lots of live music and great production shows. Carnival had less live music, and shows were nice, but didn't have the "wow" factor.

 

Activities are similar with trivia, karaoke, belly flop contests, etc. RCL has some features like rock climbing, surfing, and ice skating not found elsewhere. Carnival has water slides on more ships.

 

It's hard not to have a great time on a cruise, so I think you'll enjoy your RCL cruise.

[pspercy]

We went on a five day Carnival cruise before Christmas, DW didn't want to be away a full week so, out of Galveston, that meant CCL, specifically Triumph. A big price drop and a TX resident rate sealed the deal.

 

Cabin was fine, steward(ess) was thorough, efficient and mostly invisible. Only problem was it seemed difficult to turn back the a/c as weather wasn't all that hot outside so cabin was on the cool side.

 

Food was decent, waitstaff in MDR (Your Time Dining) excellent and fun too. Sea day brunch in aft dining room very good.

 

Pool was too small but loads of seating around it. Music(?) from a DJ at near pain threshold at times. Pool area bars efficient and staff pleasant. Casino was stingy but large and with a band. There were signs saying smoking at the machines was only allowed if you were actually playing the slots. In Cozumel around 8am the big outdoor screen way too loud with one of the brainless network morning shows blaring. Later on we met people from ship next door who complained about it !

 

Ship layout made finding your way around unnecessarily difficult, poor traffic flow. Passenger demographic generally younger than on Royal, as expected. The only show we went to wasn't very good. Ship's decor a bit odd in places.

 

Over all, a good trip and we'd do it again for the right price but we still prefer Royal, especially Radiance and Voyager class, no desire to go on Oasis class.

Edited January 29, 2014 by pspercy

[ladylikes2cruise]

IME....not really....your on a ship:D

Edited January 29, 2014 by ladylikes2cruise

[Ocean_Waves]

Here is my opinion:

 

First let me say that I have never sailed RCCL (YET). However, I have sailed on Carnival 5 times.

 

1st cruise - AMAZING. Time of our life

2nd cruise - Pretty good

3rd cruise - Good

4th cruise - Eh

5th cruise - Worst cruise ever. It was the same thing as the first four cruises. They just kept repeating themselves. We cruised on 5 different ships too. We even seen the same show on three of the five ships.

 

I would like to see Carnival change it up a bit on each ship. Which I heard is what RCCL does, which is why we are going to give them a shot on our next few cruises and see if we like it better.

 

Like my father used to say "You don't have to buy name brand on everything, but there are just certain things in life that you should, like toilet paper"

 

Point being - I think Carnival is cheaper for a reason. However, I can't state that for a fact as I have never cruised RCCL.

[rolloman]

Actually you do get what you pay for. One of the best cruises I have ever been on was on the Majesty's sister ship the Monarch. She will always be my favorite. Every crew member was wonderful and it was so relaxing. Bigger is not always better, it depends on what you want in a particular cruise.

Since you quoted me, I am not sure where you found me using the description "bigger"? It has nothing to do with my point.

[rolloman]

WOW REALLY :eek:

 

You think RCCL is that superior

im thinking more of Walmart vs Target. Hyundai vs Toyota

They are both mass market cruiselines with positives

 

To the OP most cruisers on RCCL arnt as pompous as some posters appear to be :rolleyes:

 

Read any travel publication and see the rankings for yourself. Carnival does not even make the front page. On the other hand RCCL/Celebrity and Disney run away with the awards.

[American Bear]

Checking out several cruise sales sites you seem to be quoting an ocean view on the Carnival vs an inside on the RCL !

Comparing an OV on both ships would make the RCL ship over $200. more!

I've been looking at 2 cruises out of Puerto Rico, both 7 day cruises, and the RCL cruise is over 33% higher on 3 of the 4 weeks, and since we want to do a back to back, there is no chance we'll buy the RCL.

We shop for the best deal for a similar cabin on whatever cruise line!

In May for example we came across a 7 day MSC deal out of Miami for a Balcony that was less then all the other 7 day sailings Ocean Views!

Just our opinion, we go with the best cabin for the money when the ships/itinerary are similar!

[JasonV1]

My short list:

 

Royal Solarium beats the Carnival Serenity area if you are the type that likes have a "16 and over" area with a pool and hot tubs.

Better entertainment in general on Royal.

Pools on many Carnival boats are generally crowded to the point of being unusable, this is not the case on the Royal cruises I've been on (must be more to do).

Royal is the leader in innovation on the mass market lines (Oasis class boats, flow riders, etc).

Royal drink packages have less restrictions (not everyone in the cabin must buy, no limit on beverages quantities).

Royal loyalty program is much better, mainly at the Platinum level and above (which require similar points for both lines).

Royal seems to handle crowds better in the buffets, due in part to food being available in several different areas (more so than Carnival).

 

There are more reasons, but those are more personal in nature.

Edited January 29, 2014 by JasonV1

[PSCruiser]

Depends on what's important to you on a cruise.

For example, if sushi is a big deal to you, you're going to like the afternoon sushi cart on Carnival better than the selection in Jade on RC.

However, a major thing for us is live music, esp. for dancing - ballroom and swing. It appears that you can look at what RC offers and divide by 3 to get what Carnival has. i.e RC usually has a 9 piece stage band, on Carnival it's 3. Where RC has a 3-4 piece dance band, Carnival will have a guy with a guitar.

As many others have said, you get what you pay for.

[davy jones]

As some have said, please ask this question on both boards because there are some on both sides who will argue to the death for their preferred line. However, both boards have many people who will give objective opinions

 

The line that you prefer depends on your preferences and the ships that you have sailed. They are more alike than different, but there are some differences. I'll will state my preferences.

 

Standard Cabins: Both are fine, but Carnival wins because they are larger than the corresponding Royal category.

 

Service: Fine on both.

 

Food: Perhaps the most subjective category.

Breakfast: Buffets are comparable. MDR food is similar but Carnival is more of a "brunch", giving the edge to Royal because of atmosphere

Lunch: Buffets are similar. . However, Carnival has other options that Royal lacks like the burrito bar, Guy's burger bar, deli, and decent pizza. MDR edge to Royal for reasons stated above and tutti salad. Since I prefer a simple casual lunch, Carnival has the overall edge because of the options and superior standard burger.

Dinner: Both are fine. A tie here.

 

Daily Activities: Similar activities. That said, we prefer to get away from the main pool for a more solace. Some will point out the DJ vs the band near the pool. Some like the band, some like the DJ. Since I avoid the main pool, it's a tie. If you just want to relax, they're similar.

 

If you want more physical pursuits, some Royal ships have zip lines and flow riders and rock walls, which would give them a decided advantage. Workout buffs will find similar fitness centers on each.

 

Evening Entertainment: Used to be similar. Not anymore. Carnival's 2.0 "upgrades" downgraded the production shows and relies more on passenger participation like the marriage game show, or quest game. Carnival has a lot stand up comedy shows in venues that can't handle the demand.

Royal now has superior production shows and parties. Advantage Royal.

Caveat: Carnival ships without the 2.0 "upgrades" still have the old production shows, so the difference between Carnival and Royal is less.

 

Overall: We sail both depending on price, ship, and itinerary. We have a good time on both, but now give Royal the edge because of the evening entertainment.

[rjrpar]

Carnival is not "so much better", in my opinion. They both have their strengths and weaknesses. They are both mass-market cruise lines. They are generally more alike than different. In my opinion.

 

This post says it all, 100% accurate.