Carnival regular tries RCCL - comparison.

[leisuretraveler223]

... don't find the differences enough to sway me one way or the other".

 

We've been on both lines and totally agree. We like both lines and still sail both. More often with Carnival because we've found the prices better for the cruises we've been interested in.

 

I tend to do RCI, but agree with you. What makes these lines similar is far greater than what makes them distinct. But it never ceases to amaze me how many hardcore loyalists there are around here who take any neutral comment as an affront to their line of choice, as if they had an actual ownership stake (an no, I don't mean owning stock!)....

[SHAZA0208]

I'm another Carnival regular but felt that my choice was limited since there aren't any Carnival ships sailing in Europe.

 

To sail with Carnival would have meant travelling to the USA.

 

The air fare alone for 1 person to the Caribbean/Florida from London could pay for 2 to 3 people on a Carnival cruise in the Caribbean.

 

Sailing on RCI this year and can't wait to compare as well.

[nolesrule]

Honestly, the in-room robes that you get in suites on RCI (at least on Brilliance back in December) are really basic and not all that great.

 

On the other hand, we did one of the romance packages about 10 months ago, and it comes with two of the purchasable robes, and those are fluffy and comfy.

[joepeka]

You missed some serious points here..FYI, I too, have sailed the Sensation, Fantasy, Triumph, Pride, Destiny,as well as the Freedom class...FIRST, didn't you notice the "wow" factor when you saw the Royal Promenade? My mouth dropped open and I just thought, "wow!"..Did NOT get that feeling on Carnival...

Big Al

 

I guess you overlooked the OP's statement about the Royal Promenade - no he didn't say "wow!" but did say "We loved the promenade though which Carnival ships don’t really have. It was bright, open, inviting and fun."

[BillOh]

Pools: hot tubs were hotter on RCCL which was nice.

 

This is also hit and miss on Royal, but the two biggest class Freedom and Oasis have more hot tubs than many. The temp can be a sore point with me. Many of my reviews will mention our nightly, "Find a warm hot tub" adventures. We are hot tub owners and I moderate one of the bigger hot tub forums on the internet, so I do have some knowledge.

 

We like a soak before bed time as a sleep aid. A tub under 98 is worthless, at least at night when the ship is moving. Its ok for the main tubs on the pool deck. Anything above 101 can be a problem for younger kids and many parents aren't aware of this, but the Voyager class and above have hot tubs that are supposed to be adult only in the solarium area.

 

Royal also has a habit of kicking us out of tubs we are using around 11pm. On their smaller ships like Majesty, all pools were closed at night!

 

Thanks for writing, its been interesting.

[BillOh]

We are Carnival regulars too, we are going on our first RCCL cruise in May on the FOTS.

 

Runners, joggers, and walkers may give the advantage to Carnival on many ships. In 2010 I was in the process for training for my first marathon and I was on Navigator. I looked over at a Carnival ship, I think it was Glory, but wouldn't bet on it ,and saw it had a dedicated track with no deck chairs.

 

On Freedom and smaller ships the official running track is above the pool deck and by about 8:30 is almost useless for running from bartenders and people moving chairs or just congregating in one spot. Allure and Oasis have dedicated running/walking tracks that are easier to get long miles in, but have some small disadvantages.

[LetsGetWet!]

This is also hit and miss on Royal, but the two biggest class Freedom and Oasis have more hot tubs than many. The temp can be a sore point with me. Many of my reviews will mention our nightly, "Find a warm hot tub" adventures. We are hot tub owners and I moderate one of the bigger hot tub forums on the internet, so I do have some knowledge.

 

We like a soak before bed time as a sleep aid. A tub under 98 is worthless, at least at night when the ship is moving. Its ok for the main tubs on the pool deck. Anything above 101 can be a problem for younger kids and many parents aren't aware of this, but the Voyager class and above have hot tubs that are supposed to be adult only in the solarium area.

 

Royal also has a habit of kicking us out of tubs we are using around 11pm. On their smaller ships like Majesty, all pools were closed at night!

 

Thanks for writing, its been interesting.

In general, that's one reason we like Royal. Pools are all closed at night on ALL Carnival ships (as well as Celebrity and other lines) while you can generally find one or more open pools for a late evening swim or soak on most RCI ships. Haven't personally ever been kicked out of a hot tub on RCI, that's rather surprising.

Edited March 11, 2014 by LetsGetWet!

[BillOh]

Honestly, the in-room robes that you get in suites on RCI (at least on Brilliance back in December) are really basic and not all that great.

 

Yea, but they are fun to wear to the shows, Windjammer, or on the promenade. :p

 

 

 

On the serious side, some people seem to really get their nose out of joint when they see people in the robes. We like them for taking up to the hot tub for our before bedtime soak. The pool deck can be breezy when you get out and its nice to not bump up against someone with wet skin in the elevators on the way back.

[graphicguy]

OP....good assessment. Can't really argue anything you posted. I've been on both RCCL's biggest/best, and Carnival's biggest/best (at the time I sailed them).

 

Out of all the cruise lines I've sailed, Carnival and Royal are the most similar.

 

Some of the food charges seem to be more on Royal vs Carnival. As the OP pointed out, Royal charges for the burgers on Jonny Rockets. Guy's burgers are no charge on Carnival.

 

But, the entertainment is better on Royal than Carnival. Yet, Carnival has some of my favoite "hang out" places over Royal (i.e. the late night Piano Bar).

 

When people ask me my opinion about the two cruise lines, I always tell them the same thing. You'll have a great time on both. They're similar. Sail the one that fits your budget best, and the one that has the itinerary that appeals the most.

:)

[iheartbda]

Honestly, the in-room robes that you get in suites on RCI (at least on Brilliance back in December) are really basic and not all that great.

 

On the other hand, we did one of the romance packages about 10 months ago, and it comes with two of the purchasable robes, and those are fluffy and comfy.

 

Just had a nice big fluffy robe in a non suite on the Grandeur.:)

 

OP, thanks for a nice, well balanced review without any negativity.

[AandBmom]

You missed some serious points here..FYI, I too, have sailed the Sensation, Fantasy, Triumph, Pride, Destiny,as well as the Freedom class...FIRST, didn't you notice the "wow" factor when you saw the Royal Promenade? My mouth dropped open and I just thought, "wow!"..Did NOT get that feeling on Carnival...2nd, the adult Solarium pool area was awesome- those hot tubs that stick out over the side were THEE best hot tubs ever- what a view!!! NONE of the Carnival ships ( have not sailed the Breeze and I know she has an adult pool area) we were on had a cool place just for adults..

3rd- the ice -skating shows!! Weren't they terrific? Great music, great skaters from 3-4 countries...I thought the cabins on the Freedom were much nicer than Carnival...we had a D1 balcony on the hump ( 200 SF with a 65 SF balcony)..colors were tiel..on Carnival the cabins were 180 SF with a 45 SF balcony...also walls were very thin on CCL and we heard noises in the hall a lot from kids running late at night....

 

You also didn't mention the very cool flowrider- great for youngsters, and the pool areas on Freedom blow away any CCL ship..the H20 Fun Zone just for kids is fantastic,then the main pool area WITH LIVE CARIBBEAN music! This has become quite a sore point for Carnival- their using a DJ at the pool playing moronic music...a cruise should have caribbean/ reggae music playing- period...leave the DJ's for the clubs at night..I am very insistent about that...

 

I will agree that the MDR food on Carnival is OK..none of the MDR food is very good, except on Disney ( IMO)..food is very subjective, so I don't say too much about food..we go to the alternative dining venues at least once or twice on any cruise...BTW, everything is a bit more on RCI because the ships are nicer and cost more to build...a Hyatt cost more than a Holiday Inn, and another comparison I once heard is Carnival is "the Walmart of cruising", and RCI, Celebrity,Princess, HAL,etc., are more like Macy's- you can get all that you need, but the quality is definitely better at Macy's...Just MHO..I like Carnival, but their ships IMO don't compare to RCI's...

 

Big Al

 

Yes the promenade was impressive, it had a nice wow factor, absolutely.

 

Yes the skating show was great but I think I'd take the punchliner comedy over the skating show b/c I enjoy it over and over through-out the cruise as a nice alternative to the singing and dancing.

 

As for cabins, I felt they were pretty equal although Carnival ones tend to be bigger.

 

I've enjoyed live music on Carnival around the main pool, maybe it was on the Legend I can't remember. I didn't notice it on the Freedom but I also spent most of my time in the Solarium.

 

I wouldn't call Carnival the Walmart of cruising, I think it's great and overall I'm happy on RCCL or Carnival. I also enjoyed a Princess cruise but it was so long ago I didn't feel I could do a fair comparison.

[A2Mich]

Yes the promenade was impressive, it had a nice wow factor, absolutely.

 

 

 

Yes the skating show was great but I think I'd take the punchliner comedy over the skating show b/c I enjoy it over and over through-out the cruise as a nice alternative to the singing and dancing.

 

 

 

As for cabins, I felt they were pretty equal although Carnival ones tend to be bigger.

 

 

 

I've enjoyed live music on Carnival around the main pool, maybe it was on the Legend I can't remember. I didn't notice it on the Freedom but I also spent most of my time in the Solarium.

 

 

 

I wouldn't call Carnival the Walmart of cruising, I think it's great and overall I'm happy on RCCL or Carnival. I also enjoyed a Princess cruise but it was so long ago I didn't feel I could do a fair comparison.

 

 

Speaking of Wal-Mart, they sell the same cheap imported appliances that Macy's does. Guess WM and Macy's aren't that different

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[racerxspeedy]

Thanks for the great comparison.

 

A couple other differences I miss on Royal

 

1) Food and free drink options around the pool area. (Burrito, deli, pizza...) Mongolian BBQ

 

2) Multiple Ice cream and Yogurt machines - running all the time! On RC you may only see one machine

 

3) Multiple drink and Ice stations, Multiple Hot Chocolate and Coffee machines. Coffee on RC can taste burnt.

 

4) Better TV coverage of sports. Except both have constant sales pitches going on too many channels - sick of this

 

5) Work out areas on Carnival are not nearly as large - no view outside with strange layout.

 

6) Carnival STD Outside room is 225 sq ft with some corner rooms much larger. RC std outside is only 159, upgrade TO "large" is 175. :confused:

 

7) RC Crown and Anchor discounts are significant (Certificates, Balcony,,,etc). I don't believe Carnival offers this type of thing.

 

8) Carnival provides toothpaste and a luggage cover for the bed.... little things, but they all add up.

[AandBmom]

Thanks for the great comparison.

 

A couple other differences I miss on Royal

 

1) Food and free drink options around the pool area. (Burrito, deli, pizza...) Mongolian BBQ

 

2) Multiple Ice cream and Yogurt machines - running all the time! On RC you may only see one machine

 

3) Multiple drink and Ice stations, Multiple Hot Chocolate and Coffee machines. Coffee on RC can taste burnt.

 

4) Better TV coverage of sports. Except both have constant sales pitches going on too many channels - sick of this

 

5) Work out areas on Carnival are not nearly as large - no view outside with strange layout.

 

6) Carnival STD Outside room is 225 sq ft with some corner rooms much larger. RC std outside is only 159, upgrade TO "large" is 175. :confused:

 

7) RC Crown and Anchor discounts are significant (Certificates, Balcony,,,etc). I don't believe Carnival offers this type of thing.

 

8) Carnival provides toothpaste and a luggage cover for the bed.... little things, but they all add up.

 

So true! I forgot to mention those things but now that you do, I notice them too. Well except the work out area, which was beautiful on the RCCL Freedom but really I didn't care because I wasn't using it. I just used the track.

[graphicguy]

Thanks for the great comparison.

 

A couple other differences I miss on Royal

 

1) Food and free drink options around the pool area. (Burrito, deli, pizza...) Mongolian BBQ

 

2) Multiple Ice cream and Yogurt machines - running all the time! On RC you may only see one machine

 

3) Multiple drink and Ice stations, Multiple Hot Chocolate and Coffee machines. Coffee on RC can taste burnt.

 

4) Better TV coverage of sports. Except both have constant sales pitches going on too many channels - sick of this

 

5) Work out areas on Carnival are not nearly as large - no view outside with strange layout.

 

6) Carnival STD Outside room is 225 sq ft with some corner rooms much larger. RC std outside is only 159, upgrade TO "large" is 175. :confused:

 

7) RC Crown and Anchor discounts are significant (Certificates, Balcony,,,etc). I don't believe Carnival offers this type of thing.

 

8) Carnival provides toothpaste and a luggage cover for the bed.... little things, but they all add up.

 

Good list. Again, I like both cruise lines and consider them interchangeable.

 

It's been a little while since my Allure of the Seas cruise, so maybe things have changed.

 

Perhaps this is a recent issue, but every time I look to book an RCCL cruise, it seems they've changed their pricing structure (and not for the better). Just as a recent example, when researching my upcoming June cruise, I looked at serveral cruises on several different lines. It's going to be our honeymoon, and the fiance has never cruised, so the itinerary was secondary. We were willing to go just about anywhere.

 

But, I was able to book a full Haven Spa Suite on NCL's Breakaway (with Butler, Concierge, etc), NCL's newest, to Bermuda for less than the cost of an Ocean Balcony on Allure of the Seas . Add to that, ultimate dining package, ultimate beverage package, and a $300 OBC was thrown in.

 

A Carnival cruise was even less than RCCL, as was Celebrity and Princess.

 

So, pricing is an issue, too.

 

In talking to my TA about this, she said RCCL seems to have changed their pricing philosophy, and won't lower the price until the last minute to fill cabins. She said she's also seeing a lot of "promos" RCCL uses to fill cabins. I guess for awhile, RCCL was copying NCL and cutting down the solo cabin premium, as well as offering different schemes like "passenger 3-4 sails free".

 

In fairness, it seems Carnival just prices their cabins just the opposite. The further out you book, the less you pay. I haven't seen nearly as many "promos" as I've seen on both RCCL and NCL.

[beerman2]

Will never understand Carnival bring the Walmart of cruising saying. Am trying Royal for the 1st time in the fall, and from what I've seen the promenade looks impressive.

Have enjoyed all my Carnival cruises, and I'm sure I will equally enjoy RCCL.

As a previous poster stated Food is very subjective, but I've certainly never gone hungry.

For us the reason we go on vacation /cruises is to get AWAY the stress. Don't fret the little things.

[WetToes]

Beerman2 - With your attitude, there's is no doubt that you will have a great cruise. ;)
We've enjoyed all of our cruises too, (all 3 lines) maybe some more than others, but I don't believe the cruise line itself was the reason. Edited March 12, 2014 by WetToes

[KansasK]

I have been on both RCI and Carnival, too. I like RCI's entertainment better than Carnival's as of late. Carnival had a lot of the passengers being the entertainment and no shows with entertainers except for the singers and dancers.

I tend to like RCI's ships better, too, but the Carnival 2.0 bars and open air restaurants on the pool deck are very popular and the food is much enjoyed.

I think Carnival's and RCI's food and service have been very good.

My brother picked an 8 day southern Caribbean cruise in October on the Carnival Liberty. Carnival's ships are smaller and they tend to go to more ports.

That being said, I especially like RCI's Freedom class ships and have been on the Allure OTS and we are going on the Oasis OTS in May.