Questions about Carnival

[Intent2smile]

We were recently given a free 7 day cruise when we bought a car. Most of the options we have to choose from is Carnival cruises. Could anyone give me any idea how different Carnival is from RCI?

I am currently looking at the eastern Carribean out of Galveston in Oct 2018. Is Freedom a good ship?

Our friends and family have always told us Carnival is a party cruise and that it is totally different from RCI. I am hoping this is just a stereotype and that we really see much of a difference.

[Micahs Grandad]

We are Diamond on Carnival and have always enjoyed our cruises.

 

I do not consider it a party ship with drinking out of control.

 

Have been on the Freedom a few times and have enjoyed our cruises on her

[RWolver672]

Most of the options we have to choose from is Carnival cruises. Could anyone give me any idea how different Carnival is from RCI? Not that much.

I am currently looking at the eastern Carribean out of Galveston in Oct 2018. Is Freedom a good ship? We thought it was the best ship we have been on.

Our friends and family have always told us Carnival is a party cruise and that it is totally different from RCI. I am hoping this is just a stereotype and that we really see much of a difference.

 

Ask your friends and family if they have ever been on a Carnival cruise. In most cases, people still say that and have never been on a Carnival Cruise. They "heard it" and repeat it.

 

The four and five day cruises are more of a younger crowd that do tend to drink a little more than the seven and above day cruises which tend to have more families on them.

 

We've been on nine Carnival cruises and have yet to see drunks. Not to say there hasn't been any but we haven't seen them.

 

We tried one RCI and didn't like it. The fellow Carnival cruisers seem to be more friendly and fun loving and friendlier than the RCI cruisers were. That's just our opinion. Others may think differently. Go with an open mind. That's the best advice I can give you.

[beerman2]

Go enjoy yourself without any preconceived notions and you will have a good time.

 

Food is so subjective so I will leave that alone, however you will not go hungry. There are plenty of options.

 

Freedom was a great cruise for us but that was years ago when it was one of Carnival's bigger ships.

[tef43]

If you are looking for reasons to be disappointed, you will surely find them. Go with an open mind free of any preconceived notions.

 

Carnival's food and entertainment are far superior to RCI, and the ships are free of useless things such as rock walls and skating rinks.

[EBFURR]

You can see in my signature out cruise count. The breakdown is: RCI 22, Big Red Boat 1, Carnival 1. Future cruises: RCI 2, Carnival 2.

 

My take: There are far more similarities than differences in the overall experience and passenger makeup. On both lines the latter will vary by time of year, port, and itinerary. Both are very much mainstream. We found that the whole process from booking, to activities, to debarkation were remarkably similar except for different terminology sometimes. The ships are built differently and the decor is different. I think Carnival has a much greater variety of decor from ship to ship. Carnival ships tend to offer more ocean views and exposure than the newer RCI ships which is something we like. We thought the "no additional cost" dining options were much better on Carnival. The main dining is so close that it is hard to tell the difference, at least for us. We liked the Carnival Serenity adult area better than RCI's Solarium, but that is subjective as is the food preferences. RCI has more gizmos like Flowriders and the like. Carnival seems to put more emphasis on group activities with passenger involvement. We missed the live Caribbean poolside band on our Carnival cruise. There was music but it was more pop oriented. On any line, your experience will vary from cruise to cruise. On all ships there is staff turnover and you will always have some new crew and some who are at the end of their tour. Sometimes you get stellar service and sometimes just average regardless of cruise line or ship. We found the level of service and staff friendliness overall to be equivalent. We obviously did not hesitate to rebook with Carnival after our first experience. I say you have a great opportunity to have a fantastic vacation. Go for it!

[grest]

Oh gosh, not to worry....we have been on different cruise lines and they are much more similar than they are different, especially the 7 day cruises. Enjoy!

[coevan]

"We've been on nine Carnival cruises and have yet to see drunks"

 

 

seriously, you must not be hanging out in bars. I am not saying drinking is rampant, but there is a drunk at every bar. I am also not saying it's a spring break atmosphere, however there are adults who overly imbibe.

[Lovefuninthesun]

Have sailed on Carnival many times, and have sailed on RCCI once.

That one RCCI cruise was virtually identical to a Carnival cruise from an experience standpoint. There were no fewer or more partiers on the Royal ship than on the Carnival ships I have sailed.

IMHO, the determining factor is the length of the cruise: shorter cruises tend to attract a younger, more rowdy crowd and are more parti-rrific, LOL!;)

[buddylover]

We have cruised many of the mainstream lines....RCI and CCL are far more alike than different. We have found the demographics to be nearly identical.....you find a little bit of everything on BOTH lines. As far a food, even tho subjective, we have truly preferred CCL over RCI MDR. In terms of entertainment, RCI wins hands down, especially on their larger ships with full scale plays (Mama Mia, Jersey Boys etc), ice shows etc. But otherwise, they are more alike than different.

Try CCL, you will have a great time I am sure!!

[dmdiver]

Freedom is a good ship. If John Alex is still in the dining room (can't remember which one), his team is the best!

 

Passengers on Royal & Carnival are the same. Trust me.

[FLSteve11]

We were recently given a free 7 day cruise when we bought a car. Most of the options we have to choose from is Carnival cruises. Could anyone give me any idea how different Carnival is from RCI?

I am currently looking at the eastern Carribean out of Galveston in Oct 2018. Is Freedom a good ship?

Our friends and family have always told us Carnival is a party cruise and that it is totally different from RCI. I am hoping this is just a stereotype and that we really see much of a difference.

 

It's mostly a stereotype. For a 7-day cruise you won't find much of a difference, it's the short cruises where you generally really see the drinkers and heavy partiers. Go on your cruise and have fun, don't sweat the small stuff and you'll enjoy it. Shoot it's a free cruise, how can you go wrong with it? :)

[kctwinmommy]

Like everyone else said, there are times you can find party people on both cruises. Carnival does a more "party" sail away. RCI didn't do much on ours. I'm including a link to my review comparing the two trips, just the things we noticed to be different.

 

Go and have fun!!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2526532

[Intent2smile]

Thank you everyone!! We tend to enjoy the time we get to spend together and seeing new places more than the entertainment on the cruise. We went to the ice show and another show on RCI last year but spent a lot of time in our room watching the waves go by and relaxing without phone text or email. So I am not worried much about entertainment or rock walls.

Thank you for setting my mind at ease.

[attran99]

It's nice to see so many thoughtful and helpful posts regarding a posting with this kind of content. This kind of question sometimes gets a mixed response. Kudos to so many folks with insightful answers!

While I've never cruised Royal, my cousins have and they say that the shows and the food (subjective) are slightly better. We've had great experiences with Carnival.

Might I suggest a southern Caribbean cruise route, if that's an option. We hit St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, and St. Maarten...and the islands were just incredible! Enjoy your free cruise!

[kctwinmommy]

It's nice to see so many thoughtful and helpful posts regarding a posting with this kind of content. This kind of question sometimes gets a mixed response. Kudos to so many folks with insightful answers!

 

I agree! I included the link to my review that compares the two lines. We did our first RCI this summer after mostly Carnival. We're not loyal to one over another, although we have reached a status on Carnival that gives us a little extra, but not much. I tried to stay pretty on topic, not getting picky, just pointing out things that a person used to one line might not like about the other. I just wanted others to know what they might notice or miss being on a cruise different from what they're used to.

[Nic6318]

We were recently given a free 7 day cruise when we bought a car. Most of the options we have to choose from is Carnival cruises. Could anyone give me any idea how different Carnival is from RCI?

I am currently looking at the eastern Carribean out of Galveston in Oct 2018. Is Freedom a good ship?

Our friends and family have always told us Carnival is a party cruise and that it is totally different from RCI. I am hoping this is just a stereotype and that we really see much of a difference.

 

 

Hi there

 

Just pick the cruise that has the best itinerary...the places you think you would like to visit. Port of calls threads on this site should help you decide.

 

You will have a great time.

 

The only thing I would check up on is if there are any extra costs attached to your "free cruise". Don't know what the wording on your offer is.

 

Also, what is "included". Maybe you would want drink packages, that would be extra, or "specialty dining". You might consider paying extra for a upgrade in your cabin. Your daily gratuities would likely not be included. Just be aware of any extra costs.

 

As I said pick one and enjoy.

have a great cruise

[LewLewBelle]

We were recently given a free 7 day cruise when we bought a car. Most of the options we have to choose from is Carnival cruises. Could anyone give me any idea how different Carnival is from RCI?

I am currently looking at the eastern Carribean out of Galveston in Oct 2018. Is Freedom a good ship?

Our friends and family have always told us Carnival is a party cruise and that it is totally different from RCI. I am hoping this is just a stereotype and that we really see much of a difference.

Hands down Rci Freedom of the Seas is better... Better entertainment,food venue choices we like better. Plus Rci is not as raunchy with their shows. Even the family shows on Carnival has things not kid friendly. We sail both lines but absolutely loved Rci Freedom of the Seas.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

We have cruised many of the mainstream lines....RCI and CCL are far more alike than different. We have found the demographics to be nearly identical.....you find a little bit of everything on BOTH lines. As far a food, even tho subjective, we have truly preferred CCL over RCI MDR. In terms of entertainment, RCI wins hands down, especially on their larger ships with full scale plays (Mama Mia, Jersey Boys etc), ice shows etc. But otherwise, they are more alike than different.

Try CCL, you will have a great time I am sure!!

 

Jersey Boys is on NCL isn't it?

 

OP you'll be fine on CCL Freedom. It's a 7 day cruise which isn't usually a booze cruise.

 

Bill

[avcruz]

It's a FREE cruise. Go, enjoy yourselves and don't believe the "party ship" hype.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[soapbxking]

You can see in my signature out cruise count. The breakdown is: RCI 22, Big Red Boat 1, Carnival 1. Future cruises: RCI 2, Carnival 2.

 

My take: There are far more similarities than differences in the overall experience and passenger makeup. On both lines the latter will vary by time of year, port, and itinerary. Both are very much mainstream. We found that the whole process from booking, to activities, to debarkation were remarkably similar except for different terminology sometimes. The ships are built differently and the decor is different. I think Carnival has a much greater variety of decor from ship to ship. Carnival ships tend to offer more ocean views and exposure than the newer RCI ships which is something we like. We thought the "no additional cost" dining options were much better on Carnival. The main dining is so close that it is hard to tell the difference, at least for us. We liked the Carnival Serenity adult area better than RCI's Solarium, but that is subjective as is the food preferences. RCI has more gizmos like Flowriders and the like. Carnival seems to put more emphasis on group activities with passenger involvement. We missed the live Caribbean poolside band on our Carnival cruise. There was music but it was more pop oriented. On any line, your experience will vary from cruise to cruise. On all ships there is staff turnover and you will always have some new crew and some who are at the end of their tour. Sometimes you get stellar service and sometimes just average regardless of cruise line or ship. We found the level of service and staff friendliness overall to be equivalent. We obviously did not hesitate to rebook with Carnival after our first experience. I say you have a great opportunity to have a fantastic vacation. Go for it!

 

I just wanted to say that was a excellent review/summary/experience!! SO many times you hear these night and day stories and they are such bunk normally!! I do agree with the live Caribbean band comment. I SO miss that in recent cruises. Also I miss the big band in the lounge on Carnival!! It was so nice to hear those diff kinds of music that so put you in the cruising mood!!

[dmdiver]

Hands down Rci Freedom of the Seas is better... Better entertainment,food venue choices we like better. Plus Rci is not as raunchy with their shows. Even the family shows on Carnival has things not kid friendly. We sail both lines but absolutely loved Rci Freedom of the Seas.

 

Freedom of the Seas is not in Galveston.

[A&Jfamily]

Personally, my first cruise was on RCI in 2000. I was not impressed with the food (perhaps it did not live up to the hype?) or service (the staff seemed disgruntled and flat) and it almost put me off of cruising. In 2007 I tried Valor, a sister ship of Freedom and had a blast, even with family in tow. The food was good and the staff is warm, friendly and happy. After a dozen plus cruises, including trying Princess (our favorite), I have come to the conclusion that I just had one of those off trips. However RCI has not lured me back as I don't like their prices compared to Carnival and I don't want/need the bells and whistles.

 

If you read these boards enough, you will find that most people prefer the buffet on RCI but the MDR on Carnival. RCI has better shows, but Carnival has the comedy club which many enjoy. RCI is also often accused of nickel and diming, more so than Carnival.

 

I would say give Freedom a shot!

[kc58ab]

The Freedom is my favorite ship on Carnival so far. I've tried a smaller and a larger ship and Freedom was great in regards of having most of the same options but with less crowds.

Congrats on your free cruise. I wish I could have snagged one on the last couple of new cars I bought. I'm sure you will have a good time. Come back and let us know how it went for you in comparison afterwards.