RCCI vs Carnival

[caviargal]

Cavairgal you need to lighten up and just enjoy cruising because there is no bad cruise

 

You have been on 4 cruises according to your signature. Maybe for some people there are no bad cruises but after 105 of them, I have been on a few.

 

The Carnival Glory was way up there as were the two other Carnival ships I sailed. I prefer my vacations with a little bit of class.

 

CG

[Guest cvbart]

Porthole magazine doesn't want to PO Carnival as the nations most popular cruise line. And as far as Car and Driver, I read it regularly and have never read a bad review on an automobile. They always find away to play nice to their advertisers. Car and Driver and Porthole are not where I'd go for the final word. I'd place far more reliance on the contributions of this board than I ever would with some industry magazine.

 

You may be right but I don't think your going to do much better out here. Most folks on Cruise Critic are pretty hard core cruises and usually defend the cruise lines no matter what.

[Guest cvbart]

You have been on 4 cruises according to your signature. Maybe for some people there are no bad cruises but after 105 of them, I have been on a few.

 

The Carnival Glory was way up there as were the two other Carnival ships I sailed. I prefer my vacations with a little bit of class.

 

CG

 

Wow, 105 cruises.:)

 

You must have two things I don't. A lot of money and a lot of time.

 

Most of use will probably not go on even 4 cruises in our lifetime.

[mardigras81]

Wow, this is the first thread I've read at CC that I really feel offended. Sure are alot of snobbish, rude people on this board talking very highly of their experiences on RC. If I was to base with what cruise ship to travel on next on this thread I would not be caught dead on a RC ship. Lucky for RC I have traveled with their line and would again based on my experiences. I will also tell you I encounter on Celebrity and RC alot of stuffier older people. But that does not alter my fun. Vacations as well as life are never perfect, it is all about attitude. Most people who complain about their waiter or TA or any cruise staff, IMO, are probably receiving what they are giving. In other words treat others as you would like to be treated. I have cruised since 1981, my first cruise on Carnival Mardi Gras (guess that dates me a little) back in the party days when there was no age limit for booking a cruise. I have enjoyed every one of the 11 cruises I have sailed since then. I personally don't like the ice skating, rock climbing, slides and all that junk. I miss the smaller ships. I will leave those mega ships to those of you with no imagination who need to be entertained. And the last time I traveled RC and Celebrity they also had food available 24/7 just like Carnival.

 

Cruise on!! Have Fun:)

[caviargal]

Wow, 105 cruises.:)

 

You must have two things I don't. A lot of money and a lot of time.

 

Most of use will probably not go on even 4 cruises in our lifetime.

 

Actually, I started cruising at 9YO, worked for two cruise lines in Miami (great privileges), was a Guest Lecturer on about a dozen cruises, was a TA for a few years in my 20s and now own my own agency and a business as a Group Specialist and Meeting Planner.

 

I love to travel, used to love cruising and always found a way to get onboard. I have no kids so have more freedom than most I suppose in terms of how I spend my income. After housing and the other necessities, travel is paramount for me.

 

And that is exactly the point I was trying to make earlier before being told to "lighten up". Many people save a long time and plan hard for their vacations. I believe that their money is better spent by spending the time to find a cruise line whose offerings match their tastes and preferences. There IS such a thing as a bad cruise and, although I can count the truly awful ones on one hand, I would have much preferred to be home than to be on those ships and to have kept the money I spent to take a vacation I would have enjoyed.

 

A declaration that "every cruise is a great cruise" is misleading to those who have are new to cruising and who wish to make a good choice.

[cruisePRN]

I'll rephrase

Carnival= kmart "store"

RCL = Macy's store

Didn't mean to offend anyone. Do you prefer shopping at K Mart, walmart, Target? Do you like a little more quality like Macy's? Carnival charges less because they aren't as nice as RCL. Try RCL and then tell me you like Carnival better?

[soniamarie]

Karyn 8- I've been on both RCCL and Carnival and I hate to burst your bubble but I still am not following your logic. The cruiselines are more similar than different. Maybe you need to "feel" like you are superior by choosing RCCL over Carnival.....but that doesn't make it a reality....sorry!

 

Oh, and by the way, our Carnival and RCCL cruises were about THE SAME PRICE....same itenarary( a few months apart), kind of blows your theory.

[morganboys]

to start I have cruised on the ccl fantasy and most likely the next will be the rccl sovereign of the seas so I have no loyalties like all you die hards that debate this just to rile the other side up. For a couple of those who post that said they would never cruise ccl again due to your experience. Some how from your posts I don't imagine you politely asked to have things removed from your meals. I would imagine that you were ticked and got a little snippy with your waiter. To give you the benifit of the doubt maybe your waiter was having a bad day and wasn't his typical cheery self. It could have been several thing that happened in order to get the response you rec'd. I would imagine that this put you in a bad mood and then you griped about every little thing that you didn't like. Now to change topics a little. there a lots of people here that are looking for info to plan a cruise and when you ask all you get is we are better then they are and vice versa. I have no issues with people stating the good/bad experiences that they have. That helps other decide. As for saying ccl = kmart and rccl = macys is a joke. get real. Your cruise is what you make of it. go have fun, relax, enjoy, and have a great cruise.

[cruisePRN]

you are entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine. I thought CCL was low end and the food and service was awful. I wouldn't sail on CCl if I won a free cruise but I'd sell it to one of you people who like it and pay the difference to upgrade to RCL or Celebrity or Princess. Am I a snob? Because I want quality on my cuises doesn't make me a snob but you can believe what you want. IMHO CCL is LOW END!

[Mlkkc]

Pardon me for not updating my profile, but have been on a few more than 4 cruises and I love cruising. And I'll stick to my guns with saying I haven't met a bad cruise yet,just snooty people who talk loud about nothing.

[Mlkkc]

Quality Duh they are the same it's all cafeteria food and service and you think you know quality. OOP'S some say it's not about food I guess some people don't have the little nasty habit of eating just us size 4 undernourished girls have that habit.

[flypaper]

My first cruise was on Norwegian Southward during the Love Boat era. It was so much fun...like living the TV show for real.

 

Several years later, my second cruise was on Carnival Inspiration. It was a "wish come true" type cruise. Very exciting, very lively, fun for my daughter, dancing, singing, we walked, met new friends and gazed at the stars. We were hooked and it was because of Carnival.

 

Then a couple Norwegian cruises. Then EXPLORER OF THE SEAS. "How could cruising get any better than that" we thought. Ice skating in the Caribbean, rock climbing, parasailing, scuba, dancing, gambling, dining, internet etc etc.

 

I booked another cruise on Royal Caribbean right after that cruise but ended up cancelling because the price was different...a lot different. So different that I just could not justify spending that much more money than other lines. I still wonder if it was the right choice or not.

 

I rebooked a Norwegian trip. LOVED it. Was it like Explorer of the Seas? Nope... but fun in every way. Next trip I tried to get RCL again but again price was so much higher. So back to Carnival. I found the latest Carnival cruise to be as outstanding as the first. I loved everything about it especially the friendly staff and dining quality. Again though I wished for a repeat of that Explorer trip.

 

Another cruise planning time came up and I was again hoping for RCL but prices killed it again. Ended up on Norwegain Dawn last summer and WOW WOW WOW...look out Explorer. This trip was a fantastic price ($900 summer balcony cabin as compared to $1350 on RCL same week). DAWN had the best cruise director in the business too. He has since moved to Orient lInes but in looking to book my next cruise I specifically looked for him and would have done the same trip again if he were there...no question.

 

Yes, each line has it's own characteristics. I find that if you look for the good you will find so much to enjoy. If you seek the bad, you will find it too.

 

So all that is said and here I go again...planning time. I would love to get on another RCL cruise. last fall when I started looking it appeared RCL would be out of my league again with Carnival running about $850, Norwegain about $900 and RCL coming in at $1250. But now that spring is almost here, it is a different story. This time the RCL trip is better priced than all other lines. That same ship that was $1250 last fall is down to $850 now. This time I can get on Mariner or Rhapsody for a few dollars less than Princess, about the same as Carnival and a lot less than Norwegian. Now it is just choosing which of the two. Rhapsody goes to the ports I want but Mariner has the features I want. SOUNDS LIKE A WIN-WIN.

 

But wait a minute... I shop at KMart! Oh dear.

[weRready2go]

Flypaper, don't worry. I shop at Kmart and Walmart too, I have even shopped at the Dollar Store. Not sure where that puts me on the class scale. I have seen alot of classless people shop at Macy's and alot of very classy people shop at Walmart. Don't worry, I won't show up at the dining room with my pajamas and curlers. I might walk through the halls with a bathing suit and a cover on.

 

In my experience, personal opinion only. Some the people who claim that they have the most class and care the most about how much class others have are the ones that have the least amount.

 

Those that care the least about it are often more classy than the above. Go figure!

[kat1528]

I'll add my family opinion - Cruised RCI Mariner and Carnival's Glory in the summer - both very nice ships & comparable cruises but RCI's mariners promenade, dining room etc was much more beautiful. Also liked the port stops much more on the Mariner. Liked the idea that we could bring a few bottles of wine onto Carnival but RCI does not allow it. Liked the Robes in the rooms on Carnival.

Did not see the wild partying people and atmosphere on Carnivals glory as reported in these boards - in fact, felt that the Glory was quieter then the Mariner.

FOOD -Glory had better lunch foods -outdoor grill to order hamburgers etc. inside deli, great pizza and overall thought the food was better then on the Mariner. Glory also had more seating inside and outside the buffet.

never had to hunt down a table during meal times like on the Mariner.

SERVICE- GLory needed more workers, always having to clean off tables ourselves, plus they ran out of glasses etc. Dining Room Servide for dinner on both cruise lines were excellent. Felt though that on Carnival the lunch or breakfast in the dining room lacked any kind of service.

-Glory would not give out extra keys to your children's rooms which was upsetting and Glory had no problem with this. OVerall felt the service was better & more accommodating on RCI's Mariner.

Very rarely if at all heard from the Captain on the Glory. THe Mariner the Captain kept us informed and was very friendly. Also the cruise director much better and happy on the Mariner.

PASSENGERs - Felt that the demographics was about the same on both cruise lines and the passengers acted no differently or more rowdy on Carnival's glory then on the RCI's Mariner. We always follow the dress code and don't really care what others wear as long as my family dresses properly but felt that on both ships most passengers dressed nicely for dinner maybe on the Mariner it was a bit fancier on the formal nights.

CHILDREN"S CLUB- liked RCI's children's activities & club better then Carnivals - also a plus on RCI to have pagers.

Arcade was much more expensive to play on the Mariner but on the Carnival many of the games were broken! My kids enjoyed playing basketball any time on the Mariner but on the Carnival they would close the basketball courts at meal times etc.

ACTIVITIES - felt that Carnival lacked onboard activities during the day.

OVerall, our opinion is that if u can get a good buy on the Carnival's GLory it's worth it but if we had to chose it would definately be RCI's Mariner over Carnival's Glory.

[BelizePlease]

In my experience, personal opinion only. Some the people who claim that they have the most class and care the most about how much class others have are the ones that have the least amount.

 

Those that care the least about it are often more classy than the above. Go figure!

 

This is by far the best post on this whole thread. :D

[trailercruiser]

you are entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine. I thought CCL was low end and the food and service was awful. I wouldn't sail on CCl if I won a free cruise but I'd sell it to one of you people who like it and pay the difference to upgrade to RCL or Celebrity or Princess. Am I a snob? Because I want quality on my cuises doesn't make me a snob but you can believe what you want. IMHO CCL is LOW END!

 

 

 

There goes your whole theory,CCL owns Princess. :D :D :D

[FlorenceItaly]

 

This time I can get on Mariner or Rhapsody for a few dollars less than Princess, about the same as Carnival and a lot less than Norwegian. Now it is just choosing which of the two. Rhapsody goes to the ports I want but Mariner has the features I want. SOUNDS LIKE A WIN-WIN.

 

 

I've cruised both and I think you should book the Mariner. It is a fabulous ship. Yes, I am cruising on the Rhapsody again, but it's for the ports, and it's close to home..all about economics this trip. But, for your first RCI, I highly recommend the Mariner.

 

Marie

[Cruising89143]

I agree with your first paragraph but not your second.

 

I prefer nice hotels (and yes, Penthouse cabins) to rustic cabins and would not camp unless my life depended on it. I also do not eat BBQ. I think that personal preferences are just that and not a matter of class.

 

And I really could not relate to the people walking through the lobby on Carnival Glory in dripping wet bathing suits with no shoes on, or those that came to dinner in cut offs, tanks and ball caps when specifically advised not to. Also, I had nothing in common with the burly white man who beat up on a young black man on the basketball court and landed him in the ship's hospital getting stitches after yelling racial slurs at him. Nor would I seek out the company of the woman who came to the lido buffet in silk PJs, house slippers and had obviously rolled right out of bed.

 

Sorry, but class is about more than where one chooses to eat or sleep. I was often appalled at what I saw on my last Carnival cruise.

 

Since you are a TA you might remember hearing or reading about this back in the late 80's and early 90's but Bob Dickinson(president of Carnival) used to publicly call the cruise lines like Premier, Dolphin, Commodore and Regency the bottom feeder cruise lines meaning that they were as low as you could go on the cruise line rating scale. Funny that Bob did not have a problem back then calling a cruise line what he thought was appropriate. Well now that Carnival has worked to put them out of business Bob no longer has anyone to call the bottom feeders!!!!!!!!!! Things that make you say hmmmm!!!!!!

[Jtd724]

There goes your whole theory,CCL owns Princess. :D :D :D

 

 

 

Get real dude..... they own Cunard too, CCL is matter of factly, the low end of cruising, no if ands or buts about it. If I am wrong, why does EVERY SINGLE board say the samething, Cunard and Princess boards included.

[Guest cvbart]

Get real dude..... they own Cunard too, CCL is matter of factly, the low end of cruising, no if ands or buts about it. If I am wrong, why does EVERY SINGLE board say the samething, Cunard and Princess boards included.

 

And we all know the BOARDS are never wrong Dude.

[imightylucky]

A bad cruise (if such an animal exists) is still better than being at work!!!!!!:D

[Retired not Expired]

Get real dude..... they own Cunard too, CCL is matter of factly, the low end of cruising, no if ands or buts about it. If I am wrong, why does EVERY SINGLE board say the samething, Cunard and Princess boards included.

 

There may be some people on every board who say the same thing but I've never heard any of the boards say anything.

 

I have heard some people on every board say that cruise line is the worst. I've also heard some people on every board say that cruise line is the best. I really don't know if there is a bottom feeder. People are different just like the cruise lines are and we all have a best and worst.

[Jtd724]

when I say the boards, I mean majority of people, go to any board, look up carnival, 9 times out of 10, its something bad if its not on CCL boards.

[DAHMAN]

I am not a cruise expert as I have only been on one cruise but I have another one booked. So I can't say too much about the differences between Carnival and RCCL, but I did do alot of shopping before purchasing my cruises and I found very little difference in the prices on Carnival and RCCL. Maybe that is due to the time I am going or my cabin preference but that has been my experience with pricing.

 

I also shop at Wal Mart so maybe I am on the wrong cruiseline...:rolleyes:

[Keksie]

I have cruised on both and find very little difference in the two lines. On RCCL I liked the solarium, the breakfast buffet seemed to have more choices and the temperature of the public rooms was warmer. On Carnival the tendering process was much faster, the debarkation was much faster, the casino wasn't as smokey and the slide was more to my liking than the rock wall. Other than that the food was similar, (some items I liked, some were just ok), the entertainment was similar etc. As far as the people sailing both lines you could take one group and interchange them with the other (that is how much alike they seemed). Both groups dressed for formal night and were dressed appropriately for the other nights. I saw no ball caps, shorts, tank tops or pjs in the dining room on any of my cruises. I did see more drunk people on RCCL. I would not hesitate to sail on either line.

 

P. S. I have been known to shop at Wal-mart and Nordstroms depending on what I am looking for.