R/C twice, looking at Carnival. Opinions?

[PapaSquatch]

After 25yrs, my Queen finally got me on a ship, in water over my head, when we booked a Disney cruise in 2012, with our son. Now it's just the two of us, so we took to Royal Caribbean in '17 & '18. Liberty then Harmony. We loved it, (or should I say I loved it). The Queen turned me, wouldn't ya know.

 

We are looking for a cruise this year, and unlike previous years, the date is set in stone. In October. With that, about the only ones coming up in the allotted time is a couple of Carnival cruises. We have been told that Carnival cruises typically are...party barges, loud music and/or guests, overrun by kids, as well as being  full of drunks that lose their liquor in the hallways. 

 

For those that normally sail R/C, but have sailed Carnival at least once, what is your opinion? Is it as stated above? I understand every cruise taken, even within the same line, can be totally different from trip to trip. We prefer to relax, have at least some peace and quiet, and able to find entertainment on ship that is not totally a kid activity, nor a 'mature audience only' entertainment. We do not drink or gamble, so those are moot points. Ships in question are Freedom and Magic into the Caribbean if it makes a difference.

 

Please let me know your opinions using R/C as the standard, so I can make an informed decision. Thank you so much for your help.

 

 

[time4u2go]

7 minutes ago, PapaSquatch said:

After 25yrs, my Queen finally got me on a ship, in water over my head, when we booked a Disney cruise in 2012, with our son. Now it's just the two of us, so we took to Royal Caribbean in '17 & '18. Liberty then Harmony. We loved it, (or should I say I loved it). The Queen turned me, wouldn't ya know.

 

We are looking for a cruise this year, and unlike previous years, the date is set in stone. In October. With that, about the only ones coming up in the allotted time is a couple of Carnival cruises. We have been told that Carnival cruises typically are...party barges, loud music and/or guests, overrun by kids, as well as being  full of drunks that lose their liquor in the hallways. 

 

For those that normally sail R/C, but have sailed Carnival at least once, what is your opinion? Is it as stated above? I understand every cruise taken, even within the same line, can be totally different from trip to trip. We prefer to relax, have at least some peace and quiet, and able to find entertainment on ship that is not totally a kid activity, nor a 'mature audience only' entertainment. We do not drink or gamble, so those are moot points. Ships in question are Freedom and Magic into the Caribbean if it makes a difference.

 

Please let me know your opinions using R/C as the standard, so I can make an informed decision. Thank you so much for your help.

 

 

I think that opinion is way overblown.  You'll find drunks and kids on Royal as well.  I feel the two lines are much more alike than different, each with its own pluses and minuses.

Edited March 24, 2019 by time4u2go

[mattb31]

I'll give you a forewarning. You're going to get a ton of people on the RCL threads who scoff at Carnival, just ignore it, it's more snobby than anything.

 

I've been on a few on both lines and here's some baseline:

 

• Carnival has way better options in the free food department. Blue Iguana Cantina, Guys Buger Joint, and the buffet has been better than the Windjammer. Symphony added El Loco Fresh which is good. Don't get me wrong, I've never had a bad food experience on Royal, I just think Carnival was slightly better.
• Carnival had a much better 'party' atmosphere. The night time deck parties were great, the cruise directors were hilarious, and the nightclub was far better than Royal's.
• Royal's entertainment (bands & shows) blows Carnival away.
• CocoCay is far and away better than Half Moon Cay. Most importantly, you can use your drink package on CocoCay, you cannot (atleast last time I was on Carnival) on Half Moon Cay. The snorkeling and beach was also a lot better at CocoCay.
• Since you mentioned relaxing, I really enjoy the Solarium (especially on Quantum + Oasis class) on Royal. It can be hard to get a chair but it's a very relaxing place to spend the day.

Carnival ships aren't full of drunks anymore than RCL ships are. In my opinion the length of the cruise is more indicative of what type of crowd you'll get. A short Caribbean cruise on Carnival, RCL, or NCL, is gonna have a lot more partiers than a 7 night Bermuda cruise.

[ShillyShally]

Agreed, they are much more alike than not and we've enjoyed Carnival as much as we've enjoyed Royal!  Some things more so on Carnival, some things more so on Royal so go for what works for you, especially if you're looking at a week length cruise and I expect you will be pleasantly surprised!

[ShillyShally]

2 minutes ago, mattb31 said:

 

• Since you mentioned relaxing, I really enjoy the Solarium (especially on Quantum + Oasis class) on Royal. It can be hard to get a chair but it's a very relaxing place to spend the day.

If you get a Carnival ship with the Serenity deck, they are as good IMO as the Solarium and in some ways better - we loved that area on the Sunshine as it's 21+ but we loved the Solarium on Indy a couple weeks ago too.

[blueridgemama]

We have cruised on Carnival 3 times and enjoyed each one.

[klfhngr]

Done both many times.. i say that they are very similar.  And throw NCL in there too. Similar shows, food, cruisers/demographics... I said similar, not identical..

[MrFunInTheSun]

I’ve sailed Carnival almost the equal amount of cruises as Royal Caribbean with Royal Caribbean just recently taking the lead. 

 

Both cruise lines have their pluses and minuses and have lots of similarities than many that have never cruised on Carnival realize. I’ve never had a bad cruise on Carnival. That said when I return and sail back on Carnival it will be one of their newer ships. 

 

You’ve sailed on Harmony of the seas, and as you know she is perfect in every way. You can’t compare that ship and that experience with Royal Caribbean to Carnival in any fashion. Two different types of experiences. 

 

As long as you go in with an open mind and I’d suggest one of their newer ships you’ll be fine. Just adjust your expectations. 

 

 

Or book on Harmony of the seas again or try out her gorgeous younger sister with the same big butt as her Symphony of the seas. 😀 No matter what you choose you’ll havd an amazing time. 

[lazydayz]

I think I would pick Carnival Magic if the dates work. It is a fine ship with lots to do.  Consider getting the thermal suite pass for the week. The heated ceramic loungers facing the water make for a lovely, relaxing experience. 

 

We are trying to win our granddaughters over to Royal. Just debarked Oasis this morning. One granddaughter prefers Royal, one Carnival and the other loves both lines. So we will continue to cruise both lines, and think you will find lots of things to like on the Magic. 

[RazorbackIslandGirl]

I've never had a bad Carnival experience. I myself, prefer Royal but, that is just a personal preference. I tip the scale on small things I just prefer. But in no way is Carnival bad! The length of your cruise & port you leave from will have more to do with the crowd it draws. I have been on rowdier cruises than others but, I've never been on a bad cruise. I find any vacation is more about your attitude than those around you.IMHO But I could have a good time anywhere. That's just me.😉

[PapaSquatch]

Mattb31, your point of there being some on the R/C threads that scoff at Carnival is the very reason I posted here. I knew from the get go there would probably be some diehard loyalists. All of you above seem to lean toward R/C, but you have spoken about Carnival in a more sincere way. 

As a hot rodder, I am all about my Chevelle, and most other GM vehicles. I do like some Fords and a very few Mopars. My associate Pastor is GM & Ford, where our associate Pastor's father is a Mopar guy, and we have  blast ribbin' each other over it. It's not one is better (chevelles are😎), it's merely personal preference.

Ya'll have given me your personal preference while at the same time not coming out with anti-Carnival. I thank you for that. Gotta git now and go see which of the two Carnival cruises I may enjoy more. 

Thank you everyone for answering. And let me also thank anyone now that post after this one.

[tallnthensome]

I've sailed Carnival, Royal, NCL, Holland America, Princess, MSC ...... Only when you get into Princess, MSC, Holland etc are cruise differences noticeable to what you're used to. You'll have a great time on Royal, Carnival or Norwegian as they are more alike than not. The MDR  food and Lido buffet on Carnival are by far the worst of them though .......

[PapaSquatch]

Just to hijack my own thread, thoughts about MSC compared to R/C? 

[cruisinfanatic]

2 hours ago, PapaSquatch said:

 We have been told that Carnival cruises typically are...party barges, loud music and/or guests, overrun by kids, as well as being  full of drunks that lose their liquor in the hallways. 

 

 

 

I'd like to know exactly where you heard this. Total a fairy tail. Short cruises on any line can be rowdy.

Carnival is excellent and you should go for it. Different comedians almost every night as well as regular shows and if your ship is one with Guys Hamburger, YUM!!!!!!

 

[cruisinfanatic]

3 minutes ago, PapaSquatch said:

Just to hijack my own thread, thoughts about MSC compared to R/C? 

Start new one!!!

[cruiselover19811981]

I've sailed Royal, Norwegian & Carnival once. We have enjoyed all 3 lines equally. Each line has its own "perks" and each line had enough entertainment & good food in the main dining rooms. We are not gamblers or drinkers, either. My husband will tell you he enjoyed all 3 equally, too...even though the Carnival ship we went on (Paradise) was not a megaship we have done with the other lines, as far as service, food, and entertainment, we loved them all! Hope this helps 🙂

[jetta8300]

I think everyone should try a different line.  We have been on Royal 2x, Norwegian 1x, and Carnival 3x, with a Royal Cruise booked for next year.

 

Honestly, Carnival cruises are not my favorite.  But we will sail Carnival if the price and itinerary is right.  We have never experienced an overly rowdy crowd on a carnival cruise.  No more or less kids than Royal, and we never saw people outrageously drunk.   A few things though having just sailed carnival recently on their "newest and best" ship, the Horizon.

 

First the BAd:

-The buffet food variety is HORRIBLE.  There are like 8 choices and they are the same at every single station, and there were virtually zero desserts.  It was bizarre.

-The entertainment shows are not up to par with any of the other lines, especially Royal. Not even close.

- There really isn't the "wow factor" to the ships like there is with Royal.

-The clientele is definitely not the classiest.  Sorry.  (ex. I didn't see a single soul bother to dress up for formal night. PJ's at dinner, etc.)  This will differ by ship/port/itinerary, but tends to be true overall. 

- The balcony in the regular balcony rooms is very small.  (narrow).

 

A Few things we like about Carnival:

There alcoholic drinks are very very good.  Like excellent.

The rooms are very nice and you can get a suite/much bigger room on carnival for the price of a regular RCI room

The OTHER free food options (besides to buffet) are VERY good.  Guy's Burgers, Blue Iguana, etc.

The specialty restaurants are excellent, just like the other lines.  And the MDR food is no better or worse

Their kids clubs have been unbelievably amazing

Their movies under the stars every night are our favorite.  They do them every night with blankets and popcorn

 

We found Norwegian to be more similar overall to Royal.  However their alcoholic beverages are HORRIBLE... premade watered down drinks accros the board due to Norwegian's "free drink package" .

 

 

Edited March 24, 2019 by jetta8300

[deliver42]

Some of the shorter routes are party barges, but the same can be said for Royal and NCL. The only problem I have with Carnival is that when you try and book one of their newer ships ( Dream Class or Vista Class), I find that their prices are about the same or a little higher than Royal. In that case, for me it's no contest. Royal. But if the price, ship, and itinerary were right, I;d have no problem booking Carnival. I can say I've never had a bad cruise with them, at least on a 7 night.

[tallnthensome]

2 hours ago, PapaSquatch said:

Just to hijack my own thread, thoughts about MSC compared to R/C? 

If you're sailing the new Seaside out of Miami you'll love it. We did and the price couldn't be beat. Amazing new ship, food was good, service was spectacular and plenty to do ...... When you get into MSC your cruise will have a lot of European and a lot of languages spoken. Everyone aboard was kind and courteous. Just watch some videos on the Seaside. It has plenty of bells and whistles but not near as many as Royals Oasis ships. 

[SRQbeachgirl]

3 hours ago, lazydayz said:

I think I would pick Carnival Magic if the dates work. It is a fine ship with lots to do.  Consider getting the thermal suite pass for the week. The heated ceramic loungers facing the water make for a lovely, relaxing experience. 

 

 

 

I'll second this opinion. We have sailed both lines and just sailed the Magic last year. We liked the ship so much we booked it's sister ship (Breeze) for this summer. Carnival's reputation as a party ship is way overblown, except maybe for the short 3 and 4 day cruises (but I saw some pretty bad behavior on a short Royal cruise, so...).

 

The Magic is a really great ship. The Cloud 9 Spa has an amazing thermal suite that you can get a week-long couples pass for (or just book a Spa cabin and it's included). It also has really comfortable loungers and clamshells in the adult-only Serenity area, which also has a spa and bar. Movies Under the Stars is great, too. Lots of good food options on Magic (IMO better than Royal when it comes to free options). 

 

As others have said, the two lines are probably more similar than different. We have never had a bad cruise with either one.

[ShillyShally]

18 hours ago, SRQbeachgirl said:

 

I'll second this opinion. We have sailed both lines and just sailed the Magic last year. We liked the ship so much we booked it's sister ship (Breeze) for this summer. Carnival's reputation as a party ship is way overblown, except maybe for the short 3 and 4 day cruises (but I saw some pretty bad behavior on a short Royal cruise, so...).

 

The Magic is a really great ship. The Cloud 9 Spa has an amazing thermal suite that you can get a week-long couples pass for (or just book a Spa cabin and it's included). It also has really comfortable loungers and clamshells in the adult-only Serenity area, which also has a spa and bar. Movies Under the Stars is great, too. Lots of good food options on Magic (IMO better than Royal when it comes to free options). 

 

As others have said, the two lines are probably more similar than different. We have never had a bad cruise with either one.

Great info, thanks, I'll note this for future sail options - The Magic (and Breeze) sound awesome!

 

[JTBCruiser]

We sail primarily RCI but did sail on Carnival Sunshine this past Nov.  The Sunshine is an older ship and getting to and fro can be a bit challenging but we mastered that in 2 days.  We were on an 8 night cruise.  Here's a quick recap from my perspective.  I liked RCI ships layout better but hard to compare to an older ship like the Sunshine with multiple renovations.  I thought the outside cabin on Carnival was roomier than RCI.  I liked the multiple food venues on Carnival, in fact this was a big reason we booked it.  MDR food and service was equa but RCI had a classier table lay out with more room to set plates, glasses and silverware.  Carnival had multiple comedy nights which we enjoyed but overall the show entertainment and live bands goes to RCI.   As far as Carnival cruisers, they were more casual in dress but overall, did not encounter any issues with the exception of Deck 5 where our cabin was located. At night it was very loud because we so happened to be down the hallway from a main bar, my bad for choosing the location but the drunks all seemed to be on our deck.  Not much sleep.  Would I sail Carnival again?  Yes.

[Big_G]

If you've sailed Liberty and Harmony, I would stick with Carnival's newer ships.

[mizLORInj]

Agree that I'd go on a newer/fresher Carnival ship before an old one.   We enjoyed Carnival Horizon last year (technically not new but completely re-done) and it was very nice.   

We have sailed RC, Carnival and Norwegian more than other lines, and have had a good time on every one.  Little things may be annoying here or there, but I don't diss any line or ship.  And obviously, if you look at the cruise history below, we like variety.   We also want to try out MSC maybe next winter to see what it's like.

My opinions:   Food comparable although RC gets edge (even NCL gets edge over Carnival), however, Carnival's steakhouses (NOT included in fare) are excellent.  Nice variety that is included in your fare, though.    Entertainment is better on RC and Norwegian than Carnival.  Newer cabins on all of the ships are very nice and feel more spacious.  

We've not had what we would consider a bad cruise yet.

Have fun on which ever you choose!   🙂

 

[bar1068]

We've sailed on Carnival about 18 times, have our 3rd on RCI coming up in May and 1 NCL...though that 1 on NCL really does not "count" as we were on the NCL Pride of America doing it's Hawaiian island rotation...ship was more like transportation between the island, room, and meals...when we chose to...not a real representation of NCL...someday try them again.

But I can echo whats been said, lines are more alike than different, though there of course are notable differences. For me comparing RCI and Carnival...I enjoy the crazy "bigness" of the RCI ships. Our first RCI cruise was on the Oasis. Outside of the awe inspired on our very first cruise, the Oasis invoked that again!! Just think its' cool how big and how much "stuff" is on that ship. I also give it to RCI for the Windjammer on Anthem which we're cruising in May for second time in 2 years. We're are not even close to being foodies, food is near the bottom of the list for why we cruise, but we very much enjoyed the times we ate at the WJ.....I dunno...maybe it's the bar in there...Carnival does not have a bar in any of it's Lido buffets...ok...at least on ships we've sailed...though was odd to being in the WJ on Oasis...where announcements were made to clear out of the WJ when you were done dining..like really....biggest (at the time) cruise ship floating needs to clear the buffet area? Just bemused by that.

 

But again as others said, more of a relaxed atmosphere somewhat on Carnival. We've sailed the sister ship to the Magic, Carnival Breeze...one of our favorites....it was a departure from Carnival's old ship designs, so it had a brighter "look" and feel to it. Entertainment not real high on our cruise list either, but RCI has the edge there, but Carnival seems to have an edge with comedy shows. Some days 2-3 comedy shows a day, which is what we enjoy. Speaking of bars, Carnival does boast the Alchemy Bar, kind of a somewhat unique concept of a martini bar. Lots of fun. Head to bar, throw some ingredients at the bar tender, they'll whip up something...could be good...not so good...who knows...but lots of fun. I could go on, but probably should stop.