Those familiar with Carnival, opinions please.

[Illmaxict]

Hello everybody,

 

I've been on only three cruises before, and all were with Royal Caribbean. I enjoyed all three quite a bit. I have only been on two different ships and both were of the Voyager class, for those familiar with the RCCL class.

 

I loved the layout, the activities, the food, the secondary dining options, the night club, bars, gym, pool areas, casino, theater, etc. Basically everything. I'm not super picky, and I felt like there was a good balance between a party atmosphere and a more sophisticated relaxed atmosphere, for whatever mood i was in at any given moment.

 

Now, I am considering a Carnival cruise on the new ship Vista sailing in the Mediterranean. Now I know the ship is brand new, and to my knowledge, has yet to set sail with the general public, but for those familiar with Carnival and maybe even Royal Caribbean as well, it would be much appreciated if you could offer your opinions as to what I might expect, compared with my past experiences on RCCL. What might be the same, what might be different. From everything to ship layout, to dining, to general atmosphere, everything and anything!

 

I will be traveling with my girlfriend, both of us are 28 years old.

 

I look forward to your responses. Thank you all!

[TC Cruiser]

Regarding the newest Carnival ships I cannot speak to how they hold up to Voyager class ships. So far have only sailed on older Carnival ships whose staterooms and ship layout are not as well thought out or fluid as ships like AOS and EOS and they certainly don't have the wow factor like the Royal Promenade or three story dining room.

 

What Carnival does have is pretty good value for the money and it might make the difference between going on a cruise or not. I would say that the food is every bit as good as RC, the new unmetered Internet plans are great, lounge entertainers are talented, and the evening comedy shows are a unique feature of Carnival. The ships' own main shows are pretty mediocre although the traveling entertainers can be good.

 

The gym on the Sunshine had the best equipment of any ship's gym that I've been in so far.

 

For most of the criteria that you rattled off take your expectations down a notch but you'll have more money to spend on your vacation.

[Dunnik]

Honestly? I don't see you'll see too much difference.

 

Granted I've never sailed with RCCL, but know people who have. I've sailed with CCL before (but it was a long, long time ago).

 

RCCL is known for their "gee-whiz" amenities on board. So if you absolutely have to have a zip line, freefall wind tunnel, surf generator and so on then you may be dissapointed. Then again, the new Carnival Vista has its share of "gee-whiz" too: the first micro-brewery and IMAX theater on board a ship, as well as the Sky Ride and elevated rope course. And you're correct: The Vista's maiden voyage is on May 1st, she's only now just finished up her final sea trials.

 

CCL has a greater reputation for being a party ship but to a certain extent that's a legacy of 1980s and 90s marketing. Being cheaper or cheapest, the line does tend to attract the youngest demographic of any cruise line. But that's not to say that you can't party on a RCCL ship, either.

 

As you might expect, Med cruises are a little more sedate than Spring Break in the Caribbean, so this difference will likely not matter for you.

 

Otherwise, I've heard it said that RCCL may have slightly better food but that CCL has the edge in service. CCL has, AFAIK, a slightly more generous smoking policy and I'd imagine would tend to be less formal in terms of dress codes.

Edited March 29, 2016 by Dunnik

[shortstop95]

We have sailed over 40 times. While trying both early on- we made the decision to build our loyalty with Carnival. I think many threads will highlight that big lines are relatively the same in theory. Here are just my opinions on the differences between RCL and Carnival.

 

Ships- RCL has a better overall wow factor.

 

Staterooms- carnival gets the edge. Better layout more storage and far superior bathroom layout

 

Food- again carnival for us. We eat breakfast and lunch typically on lido and have the evening meal in either the dining room or specialty restaurants. Selection, variety, presentation and taste go to Carnival for us.

 

Entertainment- 5 years ago I would have said Carnival but with discontinuing much of the live music, show bands and production shows - I'm not sure anymore. I am not a fan of the new playlist production shows or using passengers as entertainment- (love and marriage show, game show, legends- are not what I want as my evening show). I miss the days of better quality singers and entertainers being brought on the ship during the week.

 

Activities- carnival is called the fun ship for a reason. Activities led by the entertainment staff are a blast. Activities installed on the ship RCL gets the edge with all their innovations.

 

Decor- we like the glitz of Carnival. It keeps with theme of party and fiesta. Sure some of it is tacky and over the top- but you're on vacation- this is the place to do it. Some of the older Fantasy class ships look dated by today's standards- but the newer ships seem to be bridging the changes from the previous glitz to a more toned down version. We prefer the RCL dining rooms for an elegant evening experience.

 

These are all just our opinions and I'm sure many will disagree. It's all a function of what's important to you and your family. We are looking for a quality economical fun vacation free from stress and home life issues. The Carnival teams generally help us achieve this so we loyally return.

[Yvonne]

We have cruised with Disney, Royal Caribbean and Carnival.

 

Disney was great, but is just getting way too expensive so we don't even consider cruising again with them as we really don't feel you get that much more for so much more $$$.

 

Royal is a wonderful line, as is Carnival. Yes there are differences and to tell you the truth if the prices were the same I would more than likely choose Royal. I've been on the Mariner twice and loved that ship. It just seemed like a step up from Carnival in decor and I enjoyed the fact that you could have a hot breakfast delivered to your room in the morning, whereas on Carnival it's only a continental breakfast that can be ordered from room service. And I loved the ice skating shows and we did feel the food was a bit better (especially the buffet offerings) on Royal. Also loved spending time on the Promenade.

 

But. For the money spent Carnival delivers a wonderful cruise and that is why we keep going back to them. We have enjoyed our Carnival cruises, and we're not hard to please people. Love the comedy club on Carnival ships and attend as many of those shows as we possibly can. Not huge fans of the newer shows with video backgrounds, less singers and dancers and no live orchestra but the shows are still enjoyable. The food is good and we loved Guys Burgers. My favorite balcony stateroom was on the Conquest, as we had an aft balcony and it was wonderful being able to see from side-to-side instead of just one side of the ship, and we had a lounger on the balcony so that was great!

 

Enjoy your Carnival cruise, and then you can decide for yourself which cruiseline you like better.

Edited March 29, 2016 by Yvonne

[Illmaxict]

We have cruised with Disney, Royal Caribbean and Carnival.

 

Disney was great, but is just getting way too expensive so we don't even consider cruising again with them as we really don't feel you get that much more for so much more $$$.

 

Royal is a wonderful line, as is Carnival. Yes there are differences and to tell you the truth if the prices were the same I would more than likely choose Royal. I've been on the Mariner twice and loved that ship. It just seemed like a step up from Carnival in decor and I enjoyed the fact that you could have a hot breakfast delivered to your room in the morning, whereas on Carnival it's only a continental breakfast that can be ordered from room service. And I loved the ice skating shows and we did feel the food was a bit better (especially the buffet offerings) on Royal. Also loved spending time on the Promenade.

 

But. For the money spent Carnival delivers a wonderful cruise and that is why we keep going back to them. We have enjoyed our Carnival cruises, and we're not hard to please people. Love the comedy club on Carnival ships and attend as many of those shows as we possibly can. Not huge fans of the newer shows with video backgrounds, less singers and dancers and no live orchestra but the shows are still enjoyable. The food is good and we loved Guys Burgers. My favorite balcony stateroom was on the Conquest, as we had an aft balcony and it was wonderful being able to see from side-to-side instead of just one side of the ship, and we had a lounger on the balcony so that was great!

 

Enjoy your Carnival cruise, and then you can decide for yourself which cruiseline you like better.

 

In all honesty, and no disrespect to those that prefer Carnival, my first choice would be to stick with RCCL, if only for the simple fact that my past experiences with it were all great and memorable. That being said though, I cannot accurately pass judgement on Carnival, having never sailed with them before.

 

What made me look to Carnival was the prices. RCCL has gotten outrageously expensive in my opinion, leaving from the Mediterranean at least. I reside in spain, so it's my best bet for cruising. We want a balcony cabin, and on RCCL, compared to carnival, the prices are at least twice as much. Maybe I was lucky before, my first two cruises were Mediterranean as well, and I paid the current rates carnival is asking, maybe even a little less.

[evandbob]

Well, compared to the Voyager ships of RC, the Vista looks like it will be heads and heels over them.

 

It's a Med cruise, so it will be a much different Carnival demographic aboard.

 

Brand new ship, Med cruise, if I were the OP, I'd have booked it already.

 

And I am certainly not a Carnival cheerleader!

Edited March 29, 2016 by evandbob

[krehberg]

My last 2 cruises were on RCCL after 8 on Carnival and this is my take:

 

Ships: Ok, there is now doubt RCCL goes for more "wow" factor with their ships - acqua theaters, ice rinks (shows), amazing promenade decks, multiple dining options, rock climbing walls & zip lines, etc. No doubt, overall the ships of RCCL are more impressive, but there is fun to had on both

 

Entertainment: Overall, RCCL has "Better quality" entertainment as its likely you can see a broadway quality show, though both lines will offer shows. I think Carnival has better quality comedy shows, while RCCL has better quality production shows. I enjoy both, and its why I can enjoy both lines

 

Dining: The MDR is really more similar than not, but there are certain aspects of Carnival's menu that I just frankly enjoy more than RCCL (i.e. cold soups and appetizers). RCCL typically has more dining options (i.e. specialty restaurants) but the Carnival Steakhouse is superior to RCCL's Chops as Carnival offers USDA Aged Prime steaks for the base fee, while Chops does not..though for an additional fee on top of the Chops fee, they do. Can't compare the Carnivals Italian option to Giavanni's on RCCL since I've not been on a Carnival ship that has it.

 

Bars: RCCL has multiple themed bars...especially like the wine bar and the champagne bar..and Carnival has Alchemy, which I also enjoy. My only complaint on RCCL is lack of consistency, in that since my wife is not a big wine drinker, my wife had to go find another bar to make her a cocktail that the wine bar couldn't provide. That said, no doubt RCCL has a better wine selection, better beer selection, but just not available everywhere. Carnival = less selection but more consistency.

 

Adult areas - RCCL's Solarium is 16+ while Carnival's Serenity is 21+

 

I've come to the conclusion that each line has its pluses and minuses...and its worth sailing on both to experience what each has to offer. I like them both and now that I've been on RCCL, will continue to mix it up. Of course, 2016 has me going on 2 Carnival cruises :)

[OCruisers]

You won't find much difference between the RCCL ships you've cruised and Carnival. :)

[BB Huey]

If the Breeze is any indication the Vista should be very nice. Loved the island decor on the Breeze. Carnival has screwed up the entertainment in almost every aspect. They lean even heavier on the Cruise Director than ever before. He is expected to be the Pied Piper and lead everyone to the fun. Canned music in production shows is the killer for me. I also loathe DJ's, even though I tried to be one after high school. You used to sit by the pool and listen to Reggae/Calypso bands all afternoon. Most of the time now you get a DJ as a cheaper alternative. Huge video screens dominate the outside. My generation waived good bye to the Drive-In, Carnival acts like they have discovered something new. Really just a cheaper way to entertain a huge group of people. Nothing compares to the promenade on AOS. Surprised Carnival never tried, we really enjoyed that feature of the ship. Hopefully Carnival will reverse course and bring back quality entertainment. The Comedy is my pet peeve. You have to wait for the show at least 30 minutes prior to see a twenty minute show. Aimed straight at the short attention span generation. Still love Carnival, just miss the old Carnival.

[lizardhowson]

Hello everybody,

 

I've been on only three cruises before, and all were with Royal Caribbean. I enjoyed all three quite a bit. I have only been on two different ships and both were of the Voyager class, for those familiar with the RCCL class.

 

I loved the layout, the activities, the food, the secondary dining options, the night club, bars, gym, pool areas, casino, theater, etc. Basically everything. I'm not super picky, and I felt like there was a good balance between a party atmosphere and a more sophisticated relaxed atmosphere, for whatever mood i was in at any given moment.

 

Now, I am considering a Carnival cruise on the new ship Vista sailing in the Mediterranean. Now I know the ship is brand new, and to my knowledge, has yet to set sail with the general public, but for those familiar with Carnival and maybe even Royal Caribbean as well, it would be much appreciated if you could offer your opinions as to what I might expect, compared with my past experiences on RCCL. What might be the same, what might be different. From everything to ship layout, to dining, to general atmosphere, everything and anything!

 

I will be traveling with my girlfriend, both of us are 28 years old.

 

I look forward to your responses. Thank you all!

 

Honestly, no one here can forecast if you will enjoy a Carnival cruise, we have no idea of your likes and dislikes. How many times in your life has someone who knows you told you about how great something they have done was and all the time you are thinking "that's not for me".

I recommend you go to the Carnival home page, select "Explore" then pick "Our ships". Choose the Vista, there is a wealth of information there.

 

Explore the cabins, entertainment, the food, the ports, etc. you are the best judge of those things you might like.

[jakeT]

I personally think RCCL have a better product. Nicer show, better ship. But again you are paying exter for that. Stake is better than hot dogs and there a price difference. Carnival is fine. The people make the cruise. You can not controll that.

[TC Cruiser]

You won't find much difference between the RCCL ships you've cruised and Carnival. :)

 

No offense, but nothing could be further from the truth regarding the ships themselves. It's like comparing The Bellagio to a budget hotel off the Vegas strip. Both have rooms and pools and neither one's interior is offensive but you can't claim that there isn't any difference.

[meatloafsfan]

I think the Vista will have many of the features that match your criteria - quality extra fee restaurants, night club, bars, gym, pool areas, casino.

 

Casino on Carnival is nicer - it's not dark and dingy - they usually place it where there are large round windows and the slot machines and tables are more spaced out so things don't seem so closed in. Plus, earn 1500 points and drinks in the casino are on them (drinks on us card).

 

The newer Carnival ships also have a great spa area - if you book a spa cabin, you'll find some nice amenities there.

 

I also found more nightlife on Carnival then on Royal. That may be different on a European cruise though with lots of Port days and early excursions.

 

Carnival also has some different water features including multiple waterslides, water play areas, lots of hot tubs, and of course pools (Carnival doesn't have steps into their pools though - only the ladders).

 

Overall, I like Carnival more than Royal because it has a more fun vibe, better food, less active entertainment through the day (I don't do the flow rider or rock wall kind of stuff), and for me, it seems like there's always something going on (didn't find that with my Royal cruises - they felt a lot more sedate).

[meatloafsfan]

No offense, but nothing could be further from the truth regarding the ships themselves. It's like comparing The Bellagio to a budget hotel off the Vegas strip. Both have rooms and pools and neither one's interior is offensive but you can't claim that there isn't any difference.

 

The difference between Royal and Carnival isn't that substantial. It's more like the difference between a Holiday Inn Express and a Fairfield Inn. Both are good, quite similar, there's just a few differences that make people prefer one over the other.

[dacsmom]

While the cruise lines are more similar than different, the class of ship is where you will see the big difference. The Vista seems to be somewhere in between the Freedom and the Oasis Class. I was on the Adventure (Voyager Class) in October and have booked the Vista for January. Voyager class ships do not have the slides, and the outdoor sports complex the Vista will have. I do love the Solarium on RCI ships, but the Vista looks like it will have something similar, but not covered. I enjoyed the movie theater, but the Vista will have the Imax and Thrill Theater. I liked Chops and Giovannis Table, but the Vista looks like there will be more specialty options. I also can't wait to have Guy's Burgers, and a breakfast burrito. I do have to say the Voyager Class ships are my least favorite on RCI, and I am so looking forward to see what the Vista has to offer. I say give it a try, I can't find a down side to the Vista.

[beta98beta]

To the OP, I can understand you asking, curious about the unknown, will you have a good time, etc. But this is truly very subjective. What one person likes another will hate and vice versa. Here is the deal, Carnival offers good value for the money, I have yet to have a bad time (or else I wouldn't bother to go back). Holland America is COMPLETELY different from Carnival (though owned by the same parent company) and yet I still had a good time on it even though everything pretty much shut down by 11 PM whereas on Carnival I'm usually out and about until about 1 or 2 am, LOL. But I went with the mindset that I'm cruising and I'm going to enjoy myself despite the difference between CCL and HAL.. and that is what I did. If you want to try CCL, go for it, but with the mindset that there may be differences but you're going to roll with them and have a good time anyway. Hope to see you on the Vista or another CCL ship! Happy sailing :)

[TC Cruiser]

The difference between Royal and Carnival isn't that substantial. It's more like the difference between a Holiday Inn Express and a Fairfield Inn. Both are good, quite similar, there's just a few differences that make people prefer one over the other.

 

I was just speaking about the ships themselves. The overall cruise experience is a wash.

[dmdiver]

I've sailed only two RC ships, but my opinion is that RC does have a wow factor - ships are beautiful. That being said, I love the water slides & ropes course on CCL. I have no desire to use RC surf simulator & was never able to get to the ice rink when it was actually open to the public. I love RC ships' solarium - it's just a great place to relax. I love CCL's serenity area as well, but I wish it had its own pool. I prefer CCL cabins - just a little bigger. I'm not into the extra fee restaurants, so can't comment on that. I thought the food was equal between the 2 cruise lines for the most part. I really like the Guy's Burgers & Blue Iguana on CCL. I also like 24/7 ice cream - the RC ships don't keep it going all the time. I'm a big fan of CCL comedy club. I think RC entertainment has the edge, but that's not a deciding factor for me. I take more CCL cruises because they have better pricing every time I get ready to plan my vacation.

[lazydayz]

We have sailed Carnival and Royal about 20 times each. We really do like both, but if the price were the same, I would pick Royal every time. But alas, that rarely happens so Carnival continues to get a big part of our vacation budget.

 

On Carnival, I like the bigger rooms, the comedy club and other late night activities. If you go with an open mind, you will find plenty to like.

[Jenhem31]

I've only sailed on RC Oasis class and Freedom class. I've also sailed 2 different Carnival ships. I'll say I prefer RC ships, but Carnival atmosphere. I don't think you can go wrong with the Vista. It's going to be a beautiful ship and we are booked on her in 2017.

A cruise is what you make of it. Give Carnival a try and don't overthink it!

[Razor_Poke]

No offense, but nothing could be further from the truth regarding the ships themselves. It's like comparing The Bellagio to a budget hotel off the Vegas strip. Both have rooms and pools and neither one's interior is offensive but you can't claim that there isn't any difference.

 

I'd go more with Bellagio vs Planet Hollywood.:)

[dolphin2012]

I have not sailed on a RC ship but I have done a carnival med trip about two years ago. It was an eight day and for the first time the ship features really didn't matter much because the days are soooo port intensive. Each day was a full day of touring and eating off the ship. It is my favorite cruise beside the one from san juan. It was so beautiful but very tiring. Each day is a new port and our trip had no sea days... Croatia was my fav port... and rome... all of them.. enjoy ... Carnival was the cheapest and it was a great trip... have fun..

[cynalan]

Give me a month and I will let you know. We are booked on the Vista's inaugural sailing.

 

As for comparison, we've done most of the major cruise lines: Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Princess and Celebrity. We have no particular brand loyalty but lean toward Celebrity. I would say the Celebrity Silhouette and Constellation were our favourite ships. We have found the entertainment, particularly production shows (very important to us for our cruise experience) to be better than the rest. One negative with Celebrity is that they have done away with the Piano Bar.

 

Our only Carnival cruise was about 25 years ago, so my comments are probably dated. We found the Elation to be very glitzy, like Las Vegas on water. I recall the MDR had theme nights and the most engaged servers of any line. They actually got to know us really well and appeared to really enjoy their jobs and the interaction with guests. I have no idea whether that has changed over time.

 

Anyway, I generally post cruise reviews so keep an eye open toward the end of May for my comments. We are really looking forward to rediscovering Carnival.

[ksmcdonald]

We just got off RCCL, Independence of the Seas, and honestly we love Carnival. We just booked the Vista for next year. As you can see by my signature, we have been on both lines. Carnival has much better food (taste and options). Love the comedy shows on Carnival and the casinos are much better! Also, the cabins are nicer on Carnival. Most Carnival ships have elevators front, mid and back of ship. The RCCL only had them front and back.