Trying to decide between cruises/ships. Similar itinerary. RC Explorer of the Seas and Carnival Horizon or Magic

[hrmkr]

Hello everyone,

 

I wanted to get an opinion on which cruise to take. All 3 cruises are for 8 days and just about the same price for a similar cabin. Sailing the same month. The itineraries are close.

 

RC Explorer of the Seas:  2 Sea Days, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao and 2 Sea Days

Carnival Horizon: 2 Sea days, Aruba, Bonaire, La Romana and Amber Cove and then 1 Sea Day

Carnival Magic: 2 Sea Days, Aruba, Bonaire, 1 Sea Day, Grand Turk, Sea Day

 

Ships:  Explorer is older and the 2 Carnival ships are fairly new

 

I know I will get the RC diehards that will take RC no matter what.  Looking for good opinions.  I know I can't go wrong on any of them.

Posting the same thing on the Carnival site for differing thoughts.

 

Thanks for your help

[KayRaeRae]

I’ve cruised on both.  The food is way better on Royal, but the drink package is spendier.  

[Colorado Buffalo]

Have you been on a Carnival Cruise before?

Are you ok with you servers in the MDR getting up on pedestals to dance to recorded loud music

with diners clapping to the music?

 

Personally that's not my scene. I don't want a sterile and stuffy cruise but I don't want a circus.

 

[firefly333]

If the prices are the same rcl for sure. Right now there are many carnival deals.

 

Carnival is better at fast food but their buffet and Mdr arent good. Shows better on rcl. Carnival food at more hours. 

 

I did breeze b2b and vista and rcl since restart and decided no more carnival for a while because of the food. Carnival used to do flat iron steak, now they changed to something so grizzly it's not edible, soups were thin, bacon I think is still on holiday on morning buffet every other day. Read some recent carnival reviews and you will see many ..cant I tell you the truth..  guys burgers and lunch fast food win though on carnival. 

 

If you want louder music at the pool vibe then you might prefer carnival. And canned orchestra music for shows, not live. Once a day cabin cleaning. Higher capacity than rcl. 

 

Not saying carnival is bad, just the dinner mdr, buffet isnt as good. I am not anti carnival and do both but there are some much cheaper carnival prices or I wouldnt go. Not for the same price.

 

Btw the 2 carnival ships you mentioned are sister to the 2 I took. Vista class ..horizon, closed in promenade deck and halved the theater and comedy club so it's hard to get in. Comedy club especially. There are many that say if you arent doing Havana club on horizon even they would prefer other ships. Magic that class has the best spa cabin perks. 

 

I'd choose explorer. .though it helps I get free drink vouchers. Rcl has a better loyalty program perk wise to build up for your family. I have 197 pts on carnival .. and think I'm as neutral as you are going to get. Many besides me werent happy with the food on carnival since restart.

[Sunshine3601]

I have never sailed on either of the carnival ships to compare but what do you look for in cruising?

Royal has Great Entertainment.    Explorer has an ice skating rink that puts on fabulous shows.    there are several specialty dining restaurants as well as several options that are included in your cruise.     If you have the royal app downloaded on your phone you can go and take a look at current menus for main dining room of Explorer OTS.   

Windjammer is a terrific buffet.    We always enjoy for breakfast and lunch and go to MDR for diner or one of the specialty restaurants     

You can relax in the adult only Solarium or go to the pool deck that usually has a band playing in the afternoon or go to the sun deck for some R & R.     Something for everyone!

 

I love the ABC islands and I love sea days.    

[mugtech]

Was on the Horizon for aTransAtlantic, compared favorably to my two cruises on Mariner of the  Seas.  Liked the lunches on Horizon better, but I would still sail RCI simply because the theatre on the Horizon was the worst I have ever seen.  Many seats on the floor, all the same level, many poles in the balconies blocking view.  In addition the entertainment was inferior,  many were a person singing to recorded music.  Won't be going back.

[hrmkr]

I have been on both cruise lines.  

 

The main difference between all 3 is the ships. Explorer is older and the 2 Carnival are much newer

 

I do not mind the dancing and singing in the MDR.  It is kind of fun. 

 

The drink package price is a big difference in price. 

 

I did not notice a big difference in the quality of food in the MDR.  Wasn't Golden Corral but not 5 star dining.  Yes, the Windjammer was better but will only be eating there for lunch on the Sea Days.  Breakfast is breakfast.  Comparable on both ships.  One place that RC can't compete is Guy's Burgers on carnival.  Very good. 

 

Yes, the entertainment was better for the main shows on RC

[billslowsky]

I'd like the third itinerary, break up the sea days on the way home.  I won't set foot on Hispaniola.

[Colorado Buffalo]

3 hours ago, Colorado Buffalo said:

Have you been on a Carnival Cruise before?

Are you ok with your servers in the MDR getting up on pedestals to dance to recorded loud music

with diners clapping to the music?

 

Personally that's not my scene. I don't want a sterile and stuffy cruise but I don't want a circus.

 

I forgot to mention that personally I feel Royal is typically a notch higher when it comes to finer dining.

Edited March 1, 2022 by Colorado Buffalo

[SF Cfan]

19 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Btw the 2 carnival ships you mentioned are sister to the 2 I took. Vista class ..horizon, closed in promenade deck and halved the theater and comedy club so it's hard to get in. Comedy club especially. There are many that say if you arent doing Havana club on horizon even they would prefer other ships. Magic that class has the best spa cabin perks. 

 

Carnival Magic is one of the three Dream Class ships.  Dream class proceeded the Vista class.

[MandyMooToo]

I have not cruised on the specific Carnival ships you named but I have cruised Carnival (have another CCL cruise in May) and I just cruised the ABC islands on Explorer in November 2021.  My two cents:

 

Carnival has a better MDR breakfast and the fast food options are tops.  Guy's wasn't my absolute favorite burger in the world but it was good and better than Johnny Rockets.  The Blue Iguana burritos were awesome.  

 

RCCL has a better drink package.  Some say that is is so much more expensive than Carnival's but I have not found that to be the the case.  We have gotten RCCL's drink package cheaper than Carnival and we have gotten it higher but we prefer the RCCL package.  One reason is it's an unlimited package on RCCL.  Carnival limits you to 15 alcoholic beverages a day.  Now to be fair, I have never hit that limit and never plan to but I appreciate being able to try new drinks, shots, whatever and if I do not like them I do not feel like I have to drink them.  On Carnival I do not try the different beers/shots/wines because I don't want to potentially waste a drink.  Also I seem to be able to get my favorite brands more often on RCCL. YMMV.

 

The entertainment on RCCL is heads and shoulders above Carnival, aside from the comedy club.  RCCL has great comedy shows usually but Carnival has a large club whereas RCCL uses either the theater (Explorer) or a smaller venue that does not hold that many.

 

Cabins are similar in most cases unless you book a special room, again that is my take, YMMV.  

 

Our service on RCCL has always been top notch and we often tell the steward not to clean our cabin again that day as it seems like every time we walk out they are in there straightening up and fixing the bed, etc.  On Carnival I think we saw our steward once and though the cabin was cleaned daily it was not what we are used to on RCCL. 

 

Now, after reading that novel, please know that this is only my opinion and yours may be different, good luck with your choice!

Edited March 1, 2022 by MandyMooToo

[SeaHunt]

I vote Explorer, but I also agree with firefly333 that most - including me! - would have to think about that if it was a Horizon Havana cabana experience including the beautiful deck space for Havana guests only:

 

[time4u2go]

The food is definitely better on Carnival.  The ships are better on RC, although as some have pointed out, those Carnival ships are newer.

[firefly333]

3 hours ago, SF Cfan said:

Carnival Magic is one of the three Dream Class ships.  Dream class proceeded the Vista class.

Just what I said. I took breeze b2b and vista since the restart. And yes the 2 ships I took were sisters to the 2 the op mentioned. I guess you are a newbie to think someone living in texas wouldnt know these ships. ..and very well. I've been on all 3 dream class, dream, magic and breeze .. and know them very very well.

 

Have you done both classes since restart? I'm not sure why you are talking down to me. Might not be the most experienced here but I mainly go out of texas, sometimes new orleans ..so these are the ships I know backwards and forwards. 197 pts on carnival ..almost all out of Galveston on these two classes of ships. Though i do go back to ecstasy days out of Galveston.  If you have any questions ask, but dont lecture. 

Edited March 1, 2022 by firefly333

[gerig]

23 hours ago, hrmkr said:

Hello everyone,

 

I wanted to get an opinion on which cruise to take. All 3 cruises are for 8 days and just about the same price for a similar cabin. Sailing the same month. The itineraries are close.

 

RC Explorer of the Seas:  2 Sea Days, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao and 2 Sea Days

Carnival Horizon: 2 Sea days, Aruba, Bonaire, La Romana and Amber Cove and then 1 Sea Day

Carnival Magic: 2 Sea Days, Aruba, Bonaire, 1 Sea Day, Grand Turk, Sea Day

 

Ships:  Explorer is older and the 2 Carnival ships are fairly new

 

I know I will get the RC diehards that will take RC no matter what.  Looking for good opinions.  I know I can't go wrong on any of them.

Posting the same thing on the Carnival site for differing thoughts.

 

Thanks for your help

I have cruised on both the explorer and the Horizon and have cruise royal about 30 times.  I would choose the Horizon.  The ship is beautiful with the aft pool and food courts in the aft.  The pool deck is fantastic along with the tequila bar, and red frog bar and the two pool eateries.  Loved their steakhouse and the hibachi.  

[firefly333]

3 minutes ago, gerig said:

I have cruised on both the explorer and the Horizon and have cruise royal about 30 times.  I would choose the Horizon.  The ship is beautiful with the aft pool and food courts in the aft.  The pool deck is fantastic along with the tequila bar, and red frog bar and the two pool eateries.  Loved their steakhouse and the hibachi.  

I did pay restaurants on vista when I did it. For $100 a new one nightly, plus someone treated me to a extra night at the steakhouse. I admit I dont like the carnival dinners in Mdr.  There have been others complaining but JiJis is a hidden gem that is really good. Hibachi I guess I call sushi and I did chef surprise not my favorite. Italian, seafood and steak. I bought the 2 groups of discounted coupons. All are about $15 on this ship except steak house. (Mardi gras has some higher priced).

 

These are coupons from vista sister to horizon. The $60 is for steak house and 2 others. The $38 is for 3 $15 coupons. Italian and JiJis at the top of many lists. The dessert and service at JiJis are my favorite. Well appetizers too. I have pictures lol. But will just show these coupons to show how much cheaper pay restaurants are on vista class ..including horizon.

 

 

[dcgrumpy]

Definitely not Magic. 

 

I'd probably pick Horizon over Explorer. 

[twangster]

Horizon is newer, Magic is not and it hails from the classic brash Carnival decor days so it is definitely a classic Carnival cruise experience.  Hope you like green.  Having said that Dream class were my favorite when I used to sail Carnival.  Vista class uses a similar basic ship foundation but that's where the comparisons stop.  The two are distinctly different.

 

Explorer has not been updated either so it's more of, or as close to apples with Magic as you'll get.  If a newly updated ship is important that the needle swings towards Horizon.

 

Carnival does like to cram people onto their ships.  This trend started in notable ways with Vista class and has gotten worse with every new ship launched.  Explorer is a bit larger so the crowding doesn't seem as bad.

 

Royal's best entertainment starts with her newer ships or more recently amplified ships.  For Explore and the CCL ships in question entertainment can really come down to personal likes and dislikes.  No real winner for entertainment in this competition.  

[RoperDK]

The majority of my cruises have been on Carnival.  Over the past 20 years, Carnival has declined in service and food quality in the MDR and buffet so we have been exploring other cruise lines.  I would cruise on Vista in a heartbeat, though.  It has great specialty restaurants at a reasonable price.  JiJis is my favorite.  The Havana Cabana experience is special.  Explorer has the better itinerary IMHO.  Magic is a bit dated.       

[SNJCruisers]

23 hours ago, hrmkr said:

Hello everyone,

 

I wanted to get an opinion on which cruise to take. All 3 cruises are for 8 days and just about the same price for a similar cabin. Sailing the same month. The itineraries are close.

 

RC Explorer of the Seas:  2 Sea Days, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao and 2 Sea Days

Carnival Horizon: 2 Sea days, Aruba, Bonaire, La Romana and Amber Cove and then 1 Sea Day

Carnival Magic: 2 Sea Days, Aruba, Bonaire, 1 Sea Day, Grand Turk, Sea Day

 

Ships:  Explorer is older and the 2 Carnival ships are fairly new

 

I know I will get the RC diehards that will take RC no matter what.  Looking for good opinions.  I know I can't go wrong on any of them.

Posting the same thing on the Carnival site for differing thoughts.

 

Thanks for your help

Horizon and stay in the Havana area.  This way no rug rats to bother you.

[SF Cfan]

52 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Just what I said. I took breeze b2b and vista since the restart. And yes the 2 ships I took were sisters to the 2 the op mentioned. I guess you are a newbie to think someone living in texas wouldnt know these ships. ..and very well. I've been on all 3 dream class, dream, magic and breeze .. and know them very very well.

 

Have you done both classes since restart? I'm not sure why you are talking down to me. Might not be the most experienced here but I mainly go out of texas, sometimes new orleans ..so these are the ships I know backwards and forwards. 197 pts on carnival ..almost all out of Galveston on these two classes of ships. Though i do go back to ecstasy days out of Galveston.  If you have any questions ask, but dont lecture. 

I apologize and wasn't talking down to you.  The original poster referenced the Magic and the Horizon.  I was just clarifying for the OP that they are in different ship classes and which came first.  I understand your subsequent reference to the Breeze and the Vista.  Again, sorry this got sideways, because that was not the intent.

[teddybear231]

On 2/28/2022 at 7:25 PM, hrmkr said:

...One place that RC can't compete is Guy's Burgers on carnival.  Very good...

 

 

I have to agree with this. Guy's burger's are much better than the burgers offered on RC in the Windjammer. Now Johnny Rockets does have good burgers (if not better than Guy's), but there is a charge for that...

 

I also do prefer Carnival's pizza over RC. Not saying I don't like RCs pizza, I just think Carnival does this better as well.

 

With that said, those are the only 2 things I like better on Carnival. In your case I would choose RC because I think the itinerary is better, but also practically everything else is better IMO compared to Carnival. More activities, better shows, better food in the MDR, actually being able to order a full breakfast from room service...the list goes on.

 

If the prices are all comparable, I would certainly choose RC.

[Marie51]

On 2/28/2022 at 6:41 PM, Colorado Buffalo said:

Have you been on a Carnival Cruise before?

Are you ok with you servers in the MDR getting up on pedestals to dance to recorded loud music

with diners clapping to the music?

 

Personally that's not my scene. I don't want a sterile and stuffy cruise but I don't want a circus.

 

 Agree completely.  That’s not my scene either.