Help! I'm undecided about Carnival Valor or RC Vision of the Seas

[Meredithgirl99]

We are currently booked on RC's Vision of the Seas for March; however, I am debating booking something else. The ship doesn't seem like it has that much to offer. We've previously sailed on the Carnival Inspiration, Carnival Breeze and Disney Wonder. We loved both Carnival cruises and were glad we experienced the Disney cruise but weren't wow'd, like we had expected.

 

We wanted to give Royal Caribbean a try but I am afraid we will be at a loss for things to do other than the evening shows and hanging by the pool. It's me, my husband and 11 yr old daughter sailing.

 

I've tried looking for the cruise compass to ease my mind but can't locate anything. Has anyone been on either of these two ships that can give me insight as to what you enjoyed and didn't enjoy to help me make up my mind?

[Keith1010]

I would post on the RCI Board and ask for feedback on daytime activities.

 

Keith

[SuiteTraveler]

Here are some of the daily planners from 2013:

http://www.beyondships2.com/vision-of-the-seas-daily-programs.html

Here are some more recent ones:

http://www. royal caribbean blog .com/cruise-compass (take out the spaces around the blog name to go to the site)

 

Hope that helps!

Edited December 8, 2015 by SuiteTraveler

[fishywood]

How satisfied were you with your "smaller" ship experience on Carnival Inspiration? Because unless you have a driving force to experience another lines' equivalent I would avoid Vision of the Seas. Vision is physically larger than Inspiration (78,000 tons vs. 70,000) and holds about 250 more passengers but has fewer public spaces for dining and activities. I was on a 10 day cruise that had few kids but I saw that the kids and teens center was just a circular room in a stair shaft with a couple video games inside (having been scaled back with the addition of a new nursery for babies). Dining outside of dinner was ridiculously limited: the addition of Park Cafe to the Vision class ships gave RCI the excuse to cut way back on options for breakfast and lunch in the MDR, reduce hours in the Windjammer and eliminate afternoon tea service altogether. Between lunch and dinner or after dinner your only options are mediocre sandwiches and pizza slices, and desserts that seemed to have been sitting for days. Daytime activities were nothing more than afternoon movies and once the shows in the theater ended unless you like karaoke or game shows your night was done--apart from their vaunted "aerial shows" which maybe 150 people could get close enough to see. Even without the burden of comparative expectations, unless you a looking at a 7 days or less cruise during the peak vacation time you and your daughter will spend the cruise watching each other die of boredom if you stick with Vision.

 

(I do also encourage you to check out the Royal Caribbean board here as suggested; you will find Vision the least liked ship there as well)

[dorisis]

Vision would not be my choice for an 11 year old. You might want to check out Freedom. They have a lot more kids things.

[Aquahound]

I think Vision is a beautiful ship and a great cruise for couples, but not for kids.

 

Since you have been happy with Carnival, I think you should probably go with the Valor since you have an 11 year old with you.

 

You said you want to try RCI, and I totally encourage it. But I think you should wait until you can go on one of their newer, bigger ships. That's where the wow factor is.