Leaving Walmart (Carnival) and going to Royal

[Big_G]

Actually, I don't believe OP is trying to stir the pot. I think he/she is just someone ready to make a switch. There have been a lot of changes over the years with Carnival (as will all the lines!) and I know when I was over on those threads there were many ticked off (which happens here too). I think OP is just looking for some honest input from people that have cruised both lines. Just my 2c.:cool:

 

Welcome Terratrac, I'm sure you will be happy with RCI :)

 

After reading their other post, I agree. Looks like they're ready. We started with RCI and then made the rounds and we're glad we did. We thoroughly enjoyed both our cruises on Carnival but two ships dead at sea put a damper on that. We'll probably give Vista a shot once the newness starts wearing off.

[Tapi]

Actually, I don't believe OP is trying to stir the pot. I think he/she is just someone ready to make a switch :)

 

 

I agree. But I think that the OP threw in the Walmart remark thinking that maybe everybody here is a Royal Loyal and that he/she would be getting a bunch of high fives and rah! rah's! But, like me, a lot of people that sail on Carnival also sail on Royal and find superlatives on both.

 

So to answer the OP's question. I do like Royal more than Carnival, mostly because of the toned down decor, the more professional entertainment, and the overall vibe. But if you're leaving Carnival to avoid the so called "people of WalMart", I have news for you. They can be found on Royal sailings too! [emoji33]

Edited November 8, 2015 by Tapi

[nednrom]

I think if you have ever seen those famous.. You Tube videos of people in Walmart, you would understand. Have been on 3 Carnival cruises and I am astounded as to the way people dress on Carnival. It does not affect our cruise what so ever, but I am always baffled.

 

Like most others here, we have cruised multiple cruise lines here. Your generalization of both Walmart customers and Carnival cruise lines disturbed me. I have seen people swimming in their bras and panties at RCI and I have seen parents strip their 6-8 year old child by the pool naked so that they could put dry clothes on them. I would never presume that this is is normal behavior for RCI passengers.

[cruisinpips]

Actually, I don't believe OP is trying to stir the pot. I think he/she is just someone ready to make a switch. There have been a lot of changes over the years with Carnival (as will all the lines!) and I know when I was over on those threads there were many ticked off (which happens here too). I think OP is just looking for some honest input from people that have cruised both lines. Just my 2c.:cool:

 

Welcome Terratrac, I'm sure you will be happy with RCI :)

 

Wrong! Typical Troll who posts his trash and then runs and hides behind all the comments to follow. Given his similar post on Carnival thread, he is just a pot stirrer!!! He could care less about honest input!

If Carnival is Walmart, then RCI is Target... Similar products with small differences. I like both, and have 2 RCI planned, but my last 3 were Carnival. A cruise is what you make of it, and each has their strengths and weaknesses. :D:D

[NOSaints1]

We've done 3 Carnival cruises, one soon to be RC on Adventure to all of the Dutch islands, Antigua. I love Guys Burgers, Blue Iguana Cantina, the Warm Chocolate melting cake, the water slides, outstanding service and the price was tough to beat.

[davekathy]

Ok....don't get defensive now. :) I am not talking about everyone that shops at Walmart ...and almost everyone does. I am talking about the YOU TUBE videos that people compare to cruising on Carnival. :eek:

 

Not being defense at all. Considering your comments, I'll just consider the source.

[Eriksgarden]

I don't see any reason to badmouth Carnival. We love RCI because we have had such amazing cruises with them. Their ships are tastefully decorated and easy to get around, the food is good, the entertainment is top-notch, and the crew are outstanding.

[Midwestgal]

I've had six wonderful cruises on Carnival and am not booked on Allure.

We're just looking for something different and wanted to venture out to other lines. As far as you comparing Carnival to Walmart it's just pretty silly .:rolleyes:

Edited November 9, 2015 by Midwestgal

[Redsfan]

taking a 4 day on Majesty next month and can let you know my thoughts. We have 3 Carnival 1 RCI cruise so far. Our 5 day on Carnival was a joe, and I know short cruises have this risk with drunks, will see what we find on Majesty.

[jonbgd]

Agree with a lot of what you have stated, however....on the Carnival Splendor for 15 days. Although we met some wonderful people....we were flabbergasted with most of the people. Honey Boo Boo attire...Walmart attire.....just floored with behavior and manners and attire. The worst were Texans. Don't know why...and I don't know much about Texans...but they were sooooo dirty. Their cowboy hats were disgusting. This was the only cruise that we regret sailing. The longest 15 days of our lives.

 

Ru Kidding ME?????

was this a Splendor cruise from NYC or LAX?

 

You might not agree with the choice of clothes, but not the manners of people from the south. Really???

Except when sailing out of San Diego the cruisers out of Texas are some of the nicest ever

 

Btw I saw some guy in the MDR wearing a crop top and baggies(what we use to wear to the Gym in the late 80's) on the Navigator when she sailed out of FLL. That was really Offensive:eek:

Edited November 9, 2015 by jonbgd

[jonbgd]

So to answer the OP's question. I do like Royal more than Carnival, mostly because of the toned down decor, the more professional entertainment, and the overall vibe. But if you're leaving Carnival to avoid the so called "people of WalMart", I have news for you. They can be found on Royal sailings too! [emoji33]

 

I totally agree

[Who Cares?]

those that have switched cruise lines, why? And why is Royal Caribbean superior to Carnival?

 

So you left Walmart to shop at Target? :confused:

[spazzyjanet]

I've sailed 3 times on Carnival, once on Royal Caribbean, and have two upcoming sailings on Royal Caribbean.

 

How much I enjoyed each cruise had less to do with the line and ship and more to do with weather issues, personal issues, and yes- that particular ships passenger load. The passenger load has more to do with the port you are sailing out of, the time of year, and the length of the cruise than the cruise line itself.

 

Our 3 cruises on Carnival were either off-peak or non-smoking ships and we actually sailed with an older, more subdued crowd than the one you might stereotypically expect. The 8-day cruise on the Carnival Legend out of Southern Florida during Hanukkah had the oldest passenger load I've ever seen. Our RCI ship (Freedom) had a younger crowd, but still off-peak, so less families.

 

Our next two cruises will be on family friendly ships during school holidays so I expect tons of kids. However, since we are cruising with our own kids, this is actually preferred since they will have a lot of other kids to interact with.

 

None of the above has anything to do with the cruise line. I will continue to look at other lines as possibilities when they come out with new ships or itineraries, or have better prices. Right now RCI has the edge for what I am looking for for family cruises, but I would have no qualms about switching to another line for something that better suits my needs at the time.

Edited November 9, 2015 by spazzyjanet

[csk]

Haven't saile RCL yet, 2 weeks to go, but we have sailed Carnival several times, Disney Cruise line and Princess. I'd say this, a cruise or vacation is what you make of it. There are things we love about Carnival and things we don't care for. Same thing applies on every line we've been on. Disney does an awesome job of dividing the adult only areas and they (until recently) let you bring liquor on board. Princess doesn't have as much entertainment as Carnival but the quite is nice too. Like I said it's what you make of it. Enjoy!

 

I agree, have been on just about every cruise line, and everyone has good and bad, and your attitude makes a lot of difference, any cruise is better than a day at work!!

[lmd4941977]

I wish people would not be influenced by this type of nonsense. I currently cruise by departure port rather than cruise line (because of disabled DH).

 

I recently talked to people aboard the Grandeur of the Seas who will not cruise on Carnival because of post on CC. They think everyone on a CCL ship is going to be drunk.

 

Well, I love the Carnival Pride and the RCI Grandeur and Celebrity Summit. Why? Easy on easy off, easy to get around, good food, fun fellow passengers.

 

I tell people it's the time of year and the departure port that affects the demographics of a cruise not the cruise line. I have never had problem on a Carnival cruise.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

Haven't saile RCL yet, 2 weeks to go, but we have sailed Carnival several times, Disney Cruise line and Princess. I'd say this, a cruise or vacation is what you make of it. There are things we love about Carnival and things we don't care for. Same thing applies on every line we've been on. Disney does an awesome job of dividing the adult only areas and they (until recently) let you bring liquor on board. Princess doesn't have as much entertainment as Carnival but the quite is nice too. Like I said it's what you make of it. Enjoy!

Quite true on all accounts.

 

While there are differences with various cruise lines and the passenger experience - your statements above reflect the most intelligent perspective in this thread so far.

I wish people would not be influenced by this type of nonsense.

People come to this site to get information from other cruisers all the time - part of the purpose of the site. Certainly, just because one disagrees with another posting, it doesn't make the other "nonsense". That's quite narrow minded.

 

Ironically, my brother and I use different cruise lines (he uses Carnival, I use Royal Caribbean), and we compare things all the time, especially after each cruise. He would be the first to tell you that the perception that Carnival is a "bargain" cruise line is based on fact. Their questionable maintenance practices on ships in particular is well documented. He has repeated told me that their ships "show some real signs of abuse and age". He once tried Royal (Independence) and said he would have a tough time going back to Carnival.

 

The point is that its your/our money, and your/our time...so personal preferences and experiences vary. That's not a bad thing, it's just reality.

[Havingfun2010]

We've never Cruised with Carnival but don't understand why some Cruisers bash Carnival by calling them the Walmart Cruise line. I guess this falls in the of category, "To each their own'.

 

Have you ever seen black Friday fights at WalMart? They look like the same type of fights you find when Carnival announces their t-shirt sale. I personnally didn't see much difference.

[FSRoberts]

While some people have their fierce loyalties, I think you will find more in common than different on all budget brands. If Carnival is Walmart, then at best RCCL and NCL are Target and Meijer. Some people want to pretend RCCL is akin to Crystal or Seabourne, but they are not even close.

 

I did switch. I am taking my first RCCL cruise in January. The switch had nothing to do with clientele or bad experiences with CCL. Sure, the food wasn't great (as good as an Applebee's) but I'm not expecting Morton's Steakhouse on RCCL, either. The only thing that drove the change was itinerary. RCCL has more varied itineraries, from longer journeys to ones that visit better ports while avoiding waste of time ports. If Carnival offered an itinerary I like for a good price, I would not hesitate to book.

[John&LaLa]

For what it's worth, I often watch the ships sailing by the Cove restaurants and Jetty Park in PC, and the folks on Carnival seem to be enjoying themselves

[Fury1995]

Some of the best life experiences I've had were on both cruiselines.

 

And... all of the best vacations I've had were on cruise ships.

 

There are many things that comprise of which cruiseline is better for a particular cruiser but to place rank of one over another for all cruisers is not a fair judgement.

 

Walmart.. as an adjective?

[davekathy]

Have you ever seen black Friday fights at WalMart? They look like the same type of fights you find when Carnival announces their t-shirt sale. I personnally didn't see much difference.

 

Yea I do know what you're talking about. I saw that same madness on our B2B Cruise on the Adventure Of The Seas. I personally didn't see much difference.

[impatientlywaiting]

So our question would be completely different then the one asked by the OP. Why would anyone keep cruising the same line, ship or itineraries?

 

We have chosen to only cruise on RCI for several reasons. Our first cruise was on Majesty of the Seas. We enjoyed ourselves so much we decided to try another ship, and so on and so on. Now we are almost at Diamond + and the rewards are very good. We have never had a bad experience with RCI; we feel at home the minute we board any RCI ship (we've been on 8 ships so far). We've always had great service. Are we lucky? I don't think so. I believe in being courteous to those who are there to help us and you get the same in return. We love cruising; we get to see the world; we cruise with a group and have a great time every time!

[MR LED]

Agree with a lot of what you have stated, however....on the Carnival Splendor for 15 days. Although we met some wonderful people....we were flabbergasted with most of the people. Honey Boo Boo attire...Walmart attire.....just floored with behavior and manners and attire. The worst were Texans. Don't know why...and I don't know much about Texans...but they were sooooo dirty. Their cowboy hats were disgusting. This was the only cruise that we regret sailing. The longest 15 days of our lives.

 

WOW … champagne123

 

I have lived in NY and found many people described people from NJ the way you described “Texans”. Then I crossed the river and found NJ, for the most part, to be very pleasant. I now live in TX and find that many that live here are more refined then a lot of people from other cities or states that I lived. Champagne123 maybe it’s time for you to explore the United States or at least TX before calling everyone dirty and disgusting.

[poncho1973]

I say go on whatever cruise line makes you happy and meets your criteria of a good vacation.

 

I think the party barge mentality of 3-4 night weekend cruises plays a huge part in how you view the customers sailing on cruise lines.

 

That gets ramped up when a particular cruise line has some insanely low rates and focuses on a certain clientele. I live in Central Florida. Last minute cruises are a perk for living here, but you know that certain ships or even certain weeks of the year BEG for drunk recently-teens to get drunk, act a fool, and get lucky.

 

I've got a buddy who loves that. He basically lives in shorts & flip-flops and thinks most cruises are too stuffy for him. He goes on party barge cruises and feels like he's getting his best value.

 

I don't love that. I don't join him.

[alphawave1]

I've cruised both lines. I understand the comment. Basically, when you can get an inside cabin on Carnival for the same price/night as a motel 6 what are you going to attract? Trust me, I'm not bashing Carnival in anyway, shape or form. I've cruised Carnival, had a great time on ALL cruises and have absolutely no problem cruising with them again. The bottom line, they are a fantastic bang for your buck.

 

I like RCI better mainly because of the clientele and the decorating. It's a heck of a lot more subdued. Carnival's can be obnoxious. Fun? Yes, but I find the gaudiness wears thin by day 3. I like the overall feel on Royal. However, I actually prefer the food on Carnival and find the cabin stewards out of this world with Carnival while on RCI it's been hit or miss. That said, this is just my own personal experience and should judge all as that isn't fair. Every steward is different and it can be luck of the draw.

 

In any event, I hope that helps :)

 

 

I've been on both. And of course everyone is different. I think the food choices are healthier on RCCI. Maybe it was the last cruise, but the Carnival does attract younger people and I did see a lot of drunken obnoxious behavior. But it could be coincidence.

I will turn Diamond on this upcoming cruise ( 1 point away now, darn it).