New to Royal Carribbean

[PA Beachlovers]

We have been on three Carnival cruises and in a few months going on our fourth. We just booked a cruise on the Allure of the Seas, while it is a long way off we are wondering the difference between Carnival and Royal Caribbean.

[hairymelon]

I haven't been on carnival so can't help you on the differences but just wanted to say that Allure is an amazing ship and you will have a wonderful time. My favourite spot was in Central Park, sipping a coffee and relaxing under the trees to the sound of bird song :)

[champagne123]

You picked the most amazing ship in the RCCL fleet. Once you go on her, you will never want to go back to Carnival. :eek:

[Philly Steve]

One difference I have found involves Cruise Critic Roll Calls and the "Meet and Mingle" event.

 

RCI actually throws a nice little party, providing snacks, door prizes and staff for question and answer.

 

On our last CCL cruise, our Roll Call had to throw our own party although the cruise line provided the room.

[MMOMOM]

While we've been on other lines, Carnival included, I have to say our favorite is still Royal Caribbean. I would agree with OP about the Allure being amazing! We were on her sister ship the Oasis and it was fantastic! A lot of people say the two lines are comparable. So much is subjective, so all I will say is I've never had a bad cruise and both the Carnival cruises we've been on we had a good time. Food, service and cabin all good. We did like Carnival, better than NCL's Epic, but again, subjective. I think you'll have a wonderful time. Happy Sailing! :)

[Cruisegirl6]

You sure picked the creme de la creme of RC fleet and congratulations for moving up in the cruise world!

 

There is no comparison between Carnival and RC, its like night and day. I will tell you the positives of RC over Carnival...I am 50 just got off my 52nd cruise three weeks ago so you can say I have wonderful experience in the cruising world. Yes, I remain to go on Carnival but that is just for a getaway trip it is not our main cruise of the year as I will state why below:

 

RC over Carnival:

 

1- Ships are more classier, more better decorated overall (although the staterooms in Carnival were perfect to but the overall of the ship is more beautiful)

 

2- Food in buffets so so much better in variety/selection/quality, you can't compare a Carnival buffet to a RC buffet

 

3- MDR I have to say RC definitely above for instance in quality...Carnival offers you nightly flat iron steak where RC offers the NY Strip, we found the seafood to be fresher on RC and a better selection and quality of salads, other meats and you get real portion of vegetables unlike receiving one or two pieces of carrot or broccoli on Carnival. (Carnival's desserts were always excellent maybe an edge for Carnival here)

 

4- Service overall on RC is excellent! On Carnival it is a hit or miss especially when it came to the dining staff and the cabin steward.

 

5- RC offers you fresh water pools and certainly a lot larger than the salt water small pools Carnival has.

 

6- Entertainment- Shows on RC are way above Carnival in quality, you will find broardway type shows on RC where on Carnival they just so so and not popular. The Allure also has the aquatic show which everybody raves about and has ice skating shows which are always my favorite. the Allure's main show is the broadway show Chicago.

 

7- RC remains to have the live bands out on deck near the pool where Carnival did away with them awhile ago.

 

8- Food to eat past 10:30 pm omgosh you have so many choices, the cafe promenade has all types of sandwiches, cookies, muffins, pastries, you will have better pizza at Sorrentos and you can find marinated veggies, salads and italian meats and cheeses past 11pm.

 

9- There are more activities during the daytime offered on RC than on Carnival.

 

10- If you do the specialty dining (we usually do at least 5nights per 7 night cruise) you will find they are wonderful excellent choices, although the Steakhouse on Carnival was always very good, but RC gives you choices on a few different places to dine.

 

Overall why we love RC its because the service is excellent and so is the food (the past three years Carnivals quality in the meats they serve has really gotten so bad, for instance the ham served on the Fascination was always processed taste and very salty and the pastrami and corned beef on my last cruise full of fat everyday sometimes inedible! You will get fresh food much better on RC.

 

The Allure has a donut shop I heard is complimentary so is the hot dog cart, I heard breakfast at Johnny Rockets is complimentary (never eat here because we don't eat at fast food type places) but everybody raves about Johnny Rockets. The Allure negative from what I hear is the Windjammer is way too small for the amount of passengers, but you have other places to eat breakfast and lunch such as the Parc Cafe, Solarium Bistro, Wipeout Cafe, Cafe Promenade, Sorrentos, Johnny Rockets, hot dog cart, Izumi has a fee but you can have lunch there, Mexican restaurant for small fee you can have lunch there also (heard it was not good though but thats a matter of taste), as you can see the Allure gives you so many choices, you picked the finest!

[racerxspeedy]

Great responses! I do recommend going to Johnny Rockets for breakfast. Quick service and made to order eggs, etc - no charge. The MDR breakfasts are wonderful as well, but may take longer for made to order items. They have a breakfast bar in the MDR if you want something while you wait.

 

You will find the rooms to be a little smaller, more walking required, less ice cream machines, less food by the pools (wipe out cafe), but overall experience will be a big step up.

 

Make sure you reserve you entertainment times on line!!!! You have to see the shows!!

[Havingfun2010]

We have been on three Carnival cruises and in a few months going on our fourth. We just booked a cruise on the Allure of the Seas, while it is a long way off we are wondering the difference between Carnival and Royal Caribbean.

 

1. People are better dressed when appropriate. RCCL has a "formal" night and CCL has an elegant night. Difference is you are expected to dress up, and "most" people do.

 

2. You have multiple food choices on the Allure specific, and the "buffet" is crowded. Be aware of you options, and avoid the buffet.

 

3. Allure specific, make sure you preplan the shows, and make reservations. In particular, the comedy house. Don't skip the shows, they are nothing like what you find on Carnival.

 

4. Rooms are smaller, but I find it irrelevant. I only sleep in them.

 

5. Entertainment - more live bands and entertainment. On Allure, make sure you read the daily compass, because you have mutlitple entertainment going on, and you will have choices.

 

6. Food is the same quality in the MDR. Just different.

 

7. Specialty restaurants - Many more choices on the Allure.

 

8. Crowd control. Very important and I have always been impressed on how RCCL handles the crowds in the planning of the ship. You will notice this.

 

9. RCCL is a "smoke free" ship which is a big plus for many, but not all. Smoking only allowed in half of the casino, and outside on one deck, one side of the ship away from everyone. No smoking except the casino in any interior area, and no smoking on any balcony.

 

Both cruise ships are basically the same format. However, the Allure is it's own class, so many changes that you will notice, are not necessarily the same on the smaller ships. You will notice the non-stop action on sea days. You will notice the choices of food. The entertainment and clubs are spread out on the ship, and not in one area like most Carnival ships. Keeps the crowds "spread out" in the evening. Casino is more isolated.

[PA Beachlovers]

Thanks for all the responses, couple of questions from what I have read here, you have to reserve a time to see the shows? We are late dining people, we like that nap to get reenergized for the evening and will this interfere with seeing the shows? Another question, do they have a sign and sail card like Carnival? We chose an inside cabin for two reasons, one the difference of the price between RCCL and Carnival and two, we did a balcony on the Breeze the last cruise and used it very little, we like to be around people not alone in our room or on our balcony, this said, I see somebody mentioned the rooms are smaller than Carnival, our first cruise we did an interior and it was just about small enough to make you claustrophobic, can't picture these are any smaller. We met a couple on one cruise that had been on 32 cruises and said they never do anything but interiors anymore, they would rather spend their money elsewhere on the cruise.

[renee1222]

Although not on Allure, we have stayed in an inside cabin on RC ships. For just 2 people, it was just the right size. The bathroom is small, but does not have the awful shower curtain like on Carnival. If you're not planning on spending lots of time in the room, it's no big deal.

 

About 60 days (give or take), you will be able to pre-book shows online. This is a must for Allure! The times will be listed, so you can choose the show that best fits with your dinner plans. If you have late dining, your show times will most likely be around 7pm before dinner. We usually dress for dinner prior to the show and plan to go straight to the MDR after the show. The shows were timed perfectly for this. If you are making any specialty restaurant reservations, you can also book those ahead of time, using the show times as a guide.

[racerxspeedy]

Hello again -

 

I will assume you have created an online login with RC. If you login you should see your reservation number and the number of days left until the cruise. You can view the reservation and see the Pre-cruise planner, make payments, and complete the online check in process. Under pre-cruise planning in entertainment reservations.

 

You pick the day and time for the night shows: Chicago, Aquatheatre, Headliner, Comedy, Blue planet, Ice show. This way you canwork it around your excursions and dinner plans.

 

There is also a daytime kids ice show and watershow that do not require reservations.

 

I was able to complete this 180 days out, so give it a try now!! The reservations will be added to your seapass card. One of the great things about Oasis class ships

 

Let me know if you run into issues!!! Enjoy

[PA Beachlovers]

Although not on Allure, we have stayed in an inside cabin on RC ships. For just 2 people, it was just the right size. The bathroom is small, but does not have the awful shower curtain like on Carnival. If you're not planning on spending lots of time in the room, it's no big deal.

 

About 60 days (give or take), you will be able to pre-book shows online. This is a must for Allure! The times will be listed, so you can choose the show that best fits with your dinner plans. If you have late dining, your show times will most likely be around 7pm before dinner. We usually dress for dinner prior to the show and plan to go straight to the MDR after the show. The shows were timed perfectly for this. If you are making any specialty restaurant reservations, you can also book those ahead of time, using the show times as a guide.

 

What time is late dining on RC ships, on Carnival it is 8:15 and the late show was around 10 I believe so that you could go from dinner to the show. Usually one night if you wanted to see the show you needed to go before dinner as the schedule was difference.

[AF-1]

I believe late dining on RCI is 2030-2045. If you eat late dining you would miss late show in theater. They have an early show for late diners.

[TEXASMUNK]

Timing so you do not have to pick one of the other, 2 show times.

Ships: Carnival uses Fincanterri ship builders. This means many Carnival ships you cannot go from one end of the ship to the other without going up and down. Voyager class and above have the Promenade...Once you cruise any Royal ship with the Promenade every other ship seems "closed in"

Crew: Both work hard to be friendly! This one is a tie!

Surprised on our last Carnival cruise, MDR was truly a cut above, not a 4 star restaurant, but darn good!

Cabins: All the talk about smaller cabins on RCI, we are talking about a few sq feet! Bring a tape measure and compare! LOL

 

oh yeah, Bon Voyage!

[MMOMOM]

Timing so you do not have to pick one of the other, 2 show times.

Ships: Carnival uses Fincanterri ship builders. This means many Carnival ships you cannot go from one end of the ship to the other without going up and down. Voyager class and above have the Promenade...Once you cruise any Royal ship with the Promenade every other ship seems "closed in"

Crew: Both work hard to be friendly! This one is a tie!

Surprised on our last Carnival cruise, MDR was truly a cut above, not a 4 star restaurant, but darn good!

Cabins: All the talk about smaller cabins on RCI, we are talking about a few sq feet! Bring a tape measure and compare! LOL

 

oh yeah, Bon Voyage!

 

We LOVE the Promanade! One of the reasons we keep coming back! It all just seems so open. Probably because it is! :) We usually get a JS so we have a lot of room which we like. We enjoy our cabin and balcony a lot so it counts for us. Been on other lines and even tho they say RCCI cabins are smaller, the comparable 'JS' always seemed smaller to us on all the lines, even Carnival. ESPECIALLY the mini suite we did on the Epic just a few weeks ago! LOL!! We felt like we were in an RV! We had a good time, never had a bad time on a cruise, but really didn't like the Epic as a ship at all ... not just the cabin, but the whole ship seemed 'chopped up'. But, back to Carnival ... yes, we liked their MDR ... food and service was very good. But, the Allure and Oasis are just really in a class by themselves. Still can't believe how smoothly the embarkation and debarkation goes .... and NEVER seemed crowded anywhere! We LOVED our dinner at Chops on the Oasis too ... well worth the upcharge! :)

[racerxspeedy]

Hello Again - I don't know what type of room you booked, but the response from TexasMunk drove me to clarify my point on room sizes.

 

I have included some pictures for reference. The outside rooms on RC are listed as 175 sq ft, and on Carnival they are listed at 225 sq ft. Carnival rooms have full length sofas and lots of room around the beds. RC has love seats and is very tight around the beds.

 

1) Carnival has a number of "Inside" rooms at the front of the ship that have two round port windows. These rooms are 220 sq ft and are priced as inside.

Example Room 2221

 

2) Carnival large ships have a number of "outside" rooms that you can book at std price that are the size of RC suites. These are in the front and back corners. Example - 2485, 11304. Some of these room have larger-dual bath setups.

 

3) Carnival has slightly larger showers with curtains. RC has tighter showers with rounded sliding plastic doors. Carnival provides robes and toothpaste. RC does not.

 

We have stayed in these rooms and we loved the extra room. We had room to leave our luggage, Totes, towels, extra clothes, purchases...etc - out for easy access. No way you could do that with a std room on RC.

 

It doesn't impact the cruise as a whole, but I notice the difference.

 

Carnival larger ships offers the largest standard room space per dollar - end of story. The Suites are similar in size, and they do not offer higher end super - suites.

 

Thanks for allowing my babble

[PA Beachlovers]

The one question I still have that I don't believe has been answered, Carnival has the sign and sail card, does RC have something similar?

[gskline]

We have been on three Carnival cruises and in a few months going on our fourth. We just booked a cruise on the Allure of the Seas, while it is a long way off we are wondering the difference between Carnival and Royal Caribbean.

 

We have found the Entertainment to be so much better on Royal. We just got back from a week on Royal's Oasis (the sister ship to the Allure). We had an awesome time. All of the shows we saw were wonderful. There are so many "neighborhoods" and venues on these ships, you never feel crowded. I don't like crowds & there were 5200 passengers & 2100 crew the week we sailed on the Oasis.

You will have a great time!!!

[cb at sea]

Yes...all ships have some sort of "sign and sail"...on RCI, it's your "seapass". All cruiselines are "cashless"...anything you purchase is charged to your cabin in reality (or your seapass or sign & sail...whatever !) You can link your card to a credit card, or simply put cash on your account!

Edited March 29, 2014 by cb at sea

[The Sunset Glow]

The one question I still have that I don't believe has been answered, Carnival has the sign and sail card, does RC have something similar?

 

Yes, RCI has a Seapass card and it works exactly the same as carnival's. The only difference is for Allure and Oasis ships your card also holds your reservations so when you enter a venue for a reserved show they will scan your card. If you don't have your card you won't be permitted in.

 

Another difference you will find is RCI's room service menu is better - you can even get hot breakfast. On the downside you there is a service fee of $3.95 for room service after midnight (free otherwise).

 

One more thing - if you buy a drink package all pax in the cabin do not have to as well like they do on Carnival and there's no drink limit.

Edited March 29, 2014 by The Sunset Glow

[LadyLion_AP]

We have been on three Carnival cruises and in a few months going on our fourth. We just booked a cruise on the Allure of the Seas, while it is a long way off we are wondering the difference between Carnival and Royal Caribbean.

 

 

My family completed our 1st RCCL cruise this past Xmas on Independence of the Seas. We cruised with Carnival twice: Liberty & Freedom (enjoyed them both). Here is part of an email I sent to my cousins when we returned, as we started cruising together a few years ago. We will all be on the Oasis this June!!!!

 

"The cruise was absolutely fabulous! The ship was soooo beautiful. NONE of us wanted to leave, even after 8 days. Overall, I must admit we find Royal to be better. The quality of food and service was about the same to me. Hubby thought the food and service was a bit better on Royal. I enjoyed the Chef's table on Carnival a lot more than Royal's All Access Tour so we will try Royal's Chef Table on our next cruise for a fair comparison. The ship, shows, daily activities, etc. on Royal is what makes it much better to me. You really want to spend a lot of time on the ship. I was worried about the first 2 1/2 days being at sea, but it did not matter at all. NONE of us were bored...EVER! I think Carnival organizes excursions a bit better. Maybe because there are fewer people overall. Another difference... I know we will have to reserve shows on Oasis in advance, so I will let you know when we are able to do that so you can do it as well. We only had to get tickets in advance for one show (the ice show) on the cruise we were just on. Labadee, their private island, is gorgeous! Carnival's private island (Half Moon Cay) doesn't compare in my opinion. I'm actually excited we are going back to Labadee for our cruise. It is the first stop."

 

I hope this is helpful as well since you've already received really good feedback.

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