I have a question for those of you that have been on RCCL and Carnival

[DG2004]

 

Me, my wife, and several friends (6 at this point) are looking to book a cruise for next early fall (September)

Me and my wife just got back from our 1st cruise on RCCL and it was ok…good but not great…and two of our friends are talking about maybe wanting to switch to Carnival for the trip

Ages from 24-32

We all like to drink, gamble, shop, lay in the sun, and enjoy good food.

Can anyone give me the honest run down between these 2 lines?

Are drinks really cheaper on Carnival?

Is the food really better on RCCL?

Is it impossible to get a deck chair by the pool on Carnival?

etc...etc....etc

[Cruising89143]

I have already answered this on the "Ask a cruise question" area but the bottom line, ask this question on the Carnival board and you will get answers that say go Carnival. Ask this question on the RCI board and it will be pro RCI. I say try Carnival and see how you like it. No way of knowing if you don't try it.

[Guest CRUZIN' SUZIN]

RCCL is more laid back and more for couples. I found the ship to pretty much be asleep by midnight or 1 a.m at the latest.

 

Carnival has a more active night life.

 

IMPO, the food on Carnival is better but the desserts are better on RCCL. The drinks are half the price on Carnival as comparable ones on RCCL.

 

RCCL has more/better touchy-feely service. Do you want a long detailed explanation of your menu every night at dinner? Do you want someone to sing to you while pouring your coffee in the buffet at breakfast? Is it important that many of the crew ask you if you are o.k. or do you need anything? If these are important to you -- do RCCL.

 

Casinos (slots) on Carnival pay better (most times).

 

You will always be able to find a pool lounge chair. Maybe not right up to the pool but somewhere in the pool area. In fact, on Carnival I never had that problem finding a chair but on RCCL it was a bit more difficult.

 

You guys are young. Try Carnival and see if it is more to your liking.

[cruisemama1]

RCCL is more laid back and more for couples. I found the ship to pretty much be asleep by midnight or 1 a.m at the latest.

 

Carnival has a more active night life.

 

IMPO' date=' the food on Carnival is better but the desserts are better on RCCL. The drinks are half the price on Carnival as comparable ones on RCCL.

 

RCCL has more/better touchy-feely service. Do you want a long detailed explanation of your menu every night at dinner? Do you want someone to sing to you while pouring your coffee in the buffet at breakfast? Is it important that many of the crew ask you if you are o.k. or do you need anything? If these are important to you -- do RCCL.

 

Casinos (slots) on Carnival pay better (most times).

 

You will always be able to find a pool lounge chair. Maybe not right up to the pool but somewhere in the pool area. In fact, on Carnival I never had that problem finding a chair but on RCCL it was a bit more difficult.

 

You guys are young. Try Carnival and see if it is more to your liking.[/quote']

 

I've been on both too. RCCL is laid back. The ships are very beautiful, and it's really cool to see the ice skating rinks on the Voyager class ships. They also have a wonderful kids program (that's what made me a return guest). For me, the only thing missing on RCCL was people looking to "let it all hang out!". Don't get me wrong. The people were nice--just a little too conservative if you are looking to really get down and party.

 

As for Carnival, let's put it this way. If I get a little tipsy one night, I won't feel so out of place when I get on the elevator. On RCCL I would. Carnival also has the coolest steam rooms too (windows where you can look out and see the ocean).

 

I say go for Carnival. When it's just you and your significant other, go for RCCL.

[Top-Cat]

Have been on both as well. I would definately say give CCL a try. CCL has a much livelier line, especially for the night life. We did one on RCCL and came back to CCL. Haven't been RCCL again since. Just my 2 cents worth....:p

[Sarahjb001]

Given the information you gave, I'd say give Carnival a try. We just returned from Carnival and I cruised RCCL a couple years ago. Now, RCCL was not boring, but definitely more laid back than Carnival. Late nights on Carnival there is lots going on.

By the way, yes you can have a few drinks and not stand out, but I didn't find anyone on Carnival obnoxiously druink or anything. People drank a lot and had a good time (late night) but it wasn't like being on Spring break or anything! :)

I found the food comperable, actually a little better on Carnival, but that could just be the particular cruise.

As for limited deck chairs, you'll find that on any cruise on sea day. During port days, we had no trouble whatsoever finding chairs.

Anyway, have fun! Personally, I think planning a cruise is half the fun!

 

SB

[Cotton]

I've enjoyed cruises on both lines. I much prefer Carnival for a variety of reasons. I'm a retired chef, and I think the food is far superior on Carnival ships. Also little extras in the dining room on Carnival that RCCL doesn't offer - like comp espresso and cappuccino at all meals. The seafood offerings were much better on Carnival, IMO.

 

Cabins - much larger on Carnival than RCCL. My OV cabin on the Sovereign was smaller than my porthole cabins on Carnival.

 

Staff and crew, as well as entertainment - about the same on both. Nightlife much livlier on Carnival. I've never seen anyone roaring drunk.

 

Variety IS the spice of life. Trying other lines is a nice change, but I'll always come back to Carnival.:)

[sunlover5]

We are a couple late forties, early fifties. We have sailed both. We are going on RC this Feb. but were just on the Carnival Liberty. Food was superior on Carnival. Cabins are bigger too! We were scheduled to do Carnival but they dropped Aruba and that is why we switched. I got up early and would go read up by the pool. I don't know if we would have found a chair if I wouldn't have done that. There were many who saved and would not be there all day:mad: ! We are scheduled for Carnival again in 2008!! WE loved their lounges and the night life was a little bit more upbeat!! Have a good time! Check out the Liberty--beautiful ship!!!!!!!!:D Have a great time!!

[Stacylee]

Can anyone give me the honest run down between these 2 lines?

 

Are drinks really cheaper on Carnival?

 

Is the food really better on RCCL?

 

Is it impossible to get a deck chair by the pool on Carnival?

 

etc...etc....et

I have done numerous Carnival and 1 RCI (most recent).

I doubt the drinks are cheaper.

Food was better on Carnival in my opinion.

Chairs were harder to come by on Carnival, however - my RCI cruise was very port intensive so everyone was on land. The best place to get chairs was the funnel deck :D (on Carnival). Not crowded at all and DH liked it better there :) .

The main difference I found was the atmosphere - Carnival is the 'Fun Ship' and they like to have fun all day and night. There is alot of neon lights too. RCI is more subdued which happens to suit me at my age now (44). My Carnival days may be over, but you are in prime time!

[aquagreenbean]

I just got off the Valor on Sunday and was on the RCCL Grandeur in July. Hands down I would recommend Carnival if you are more the party type. If you are looking for a relaxing vacation go with RCCL. But as soon as I stepped onto Carnival I noticed the atmosphere was so different, and IMO for my personality, it was better. There were a lot of young people my age (I am 29) and even the older crowd of people in their 50’s were wilder than I am! I had a blast and until I give up my party days, I will stick with Carnival if I decide to cruise again.

 

It was harder to find chairs on Carnival, but I found a secret spot where I didn’t even need a chair- the pool in the back of the boat has a nice sitting ledge and I just sat there and let the pool water slash back and forth over my legs and read a book all day long. I just put my stuff at one of the eating table chairs. I can’t remember if drinks were cheaper, I am wanting to say they were about the same. A vodka tonic or rum and coke were only $4.50 so once I realized that I stopped ordering the fruity drinks and stuck with the basics. The drink of the day was $3.50, but I usually didn’t like them because most of them had OJ as the mixer (although towards the end of the week I learned I could sub pineapple and it was much better). The entertainment on Carnival is much “younger” than RCCL too. I though the entertainment on RCCL was for older people and a lot more cheesy. The shows on Carnival I actually liked.

 

I would say some food was better on Carnival and some food was better on RCCL. I thought breakfast on RCCL was better. They mixed it up and didn’t have the same things everyday, where Carnival offered the same exact stuff the entire week (except they switched between pancakes and French toast some days). I thought some things at dinner were better on RCCL, and some things on Carnival were better. Luck of the draw I guess. Carnival’s pizza blew RCCL’s out of the water though. They have a goat cheese pizza that was to die for. Also Carnival’s burgers were far better. I also liked the Warm chocolate melting cake they had in the dining room every night. So if I had to pick one, I would say Carnival overall had better food, but RCCL had some things that were better.

 

Some things that I found better with RCCL than with Carnival, were getting on and off the boat and the smoking, or lack of. On Carnival this past week it was so smoky. It was very hard for me to stay in certain places because the smoke was so bad. I didn’t notice it as much on RCCL, but maybe it was worse on Carnival because people smoke more when they drink and there was much more drinking on Carnival than RCCL.

 

So to sum up this long and rambling post- if you are young and like to party and have a fun, party atmosphere, go with Carnival. :)

[rvrgirl]

We have only been on one Royal Caribbean cruise, but plan to go on more.

Just have not been the right time or itenerary...plus Carnival is cheaper LOL! You will NOT feel out of place on Royal Caribbean if you have had a few too many to drink. Our ship was hoppin til the wee hours. Great dance club and lounges. I do believe the buckets of beer were a little cheaper....I believe we got 5 beers instead of 4 on Royal Caribbean.

As far as getting a chair by the pool.....I think it's hit or miss in my opinion.We always seem to be there at the right time.

Also from our experience and others here on the board....Carnivals spirit class ships seem to be a little more laid back....

I say go ahead and try Carnival and find out for yourself if you like it.

Good Luck!!!

[Mooneydiva]

I've sailed both (most recently RCCL's AOS last year and CCL's Valor and Victory this fall), and from what you say about yourself, I would suggest Carnival.

 

Like most of the others, I found the food a little better on CCL. The drinks are a little less expensive, though not 1/2 price (except, maybe, the specials of the day). I had balconies on both ships and found the rooms to be the same size. A friend who had an interior cabin actually had more space than our balcony cabin.

 

CCL has, as they advertise proudly, the FUN SHIPS. I found myself much more relaxed after vacation on the Adventure of the Seas. After vacation on the Valor, I needed a vacation. (The Victory was a work trip for me.)

 

And, whoever mentioned that even the more advanced of age on the CCL ships tend to party a lot was right. . . .I noticed people in their 40s-70s partying into the night on the CCL ships. That is not to say the RCL ships roll in the rugs at 10 PM. . . .They don't.

 

Try Carnival.

 

Chris

[GoinCruisin]

 

Me, my wife, and several friends (6 at this point) are looking to book a cruise for next early fall (September)

 

Me and my wife just got back from our 1st cruise on RCCL and it was ok…good but not great…and two of our friends are talking about maybe wanting to switch to Carnival for the trip

 

 

 

Ages from 24-32

 

We all like to drink, gamble, shop, lay in the sun, and enjoy good food.

 

 

 

Can anyone give me the honest run down between these 2 lines?

 

Are drinks really cheaper on Carnival?

 

Is the food really better on RCCL?

 

Is it impossible to get a deck chair by the pool on Carnival?

 

etc...etc....etc

 

What ship are you looking at??? I also did the SOS on RCL, I wouldn't do it again... compared to my 2 trips on the Sensation, I'd take the Sensation ANY day. I have heard that the newer ships on RCL are fabulous, so I do plan to try one some day!!! It really depends on what you are looking for... I'd go with a Spirit or Conquest class.

 

I like to drink, lay in the sun and enjoy my friends... I don't really care about the food... and I don't gamble or shop so I can't help you there. The food is good... it's mass market, mass produced food... so I am realistic in my expectations, but I do find it slightly better than RCL (again, only been once) The pizza on RCL blows... and you can get it at 4am on Carnival (or 6am, or anytime!!! LOL!) The drinks are slightly less on Carnival... but not much. If you want to be on top of the pool, get there early. I don't want to be right by the pool (too many kids splashing around), so I prefer a level right above the pool... never had a problem finding chairs.

[Cotton]

I thought breakfast on RCCL was better. They mixed it up and didn’t have the same things everyday, where Carnival offered the same exact stuff the entire week (except they switched between pancakes and French toast some days).

 

Hi, welcome to the boards, and I love your screen name!:D

 

Just wondering about the b'fasts you had on Carnival. Did you always have b'fast at the Lido buffet? Nothing has ever really appealed to me there, mainly because of food just sitting in warming pans and not much variety.

 

The dining room, though, has some great items for b'fast. It is the same menu every day, but there are SO many items to choose from like Eggs Benedict, waffles, eggs cooked a zillion ways to order...and those great French pastries. Also - the food there is SO much fresher and delivered straight from the kitchen to your table....not to mention the espresso and cappuccino!:)

[TBayCruiser]

We are in our mid 30's - Been on both lines and just came off the RCCL Mariner. I agree with most of what you have read here. They are very similar, but each has their nuances that makes them a little different.

 

*I found that the drinks that I had on RCCL were slightly more expensive than Carnival - but it wasn't a huge difference.

*Food quality is too close to call - I've had good and not-so-good on both. I found the wait staff service on RCCL to be better, though.

*I believe that the daytime activities are better on RCCL than on Carnival, but the nightlife on CCL > RCCL. I hated the "big" shows on our RCCL cruise (In all honesty, I think we have cruised enough that these shows hold nothing special, regardless of the line). Daytime activities are based on Voyager-class ships, with rock climbing, skating, mini-golf, etc. vs Carnival. I think that CCL has too much Bingo!

*It wasn't impossible to get chairs on either. Just keep in mind that you can't go up at peak sun times and expect to get primo chairs.

 

We just booked a cruise for February and chose CCL this time. We are giving up the daytime activites for the sake of good night-time bars and entertainment.

 

We'll probably continue to use both cruise lines. Each has its place.

[cruisin' scrapper]

IMHO, you should compare individual SHIPS, not the cruise lines. Each ship has it's own atmosphere, chef, staff etc. They're different on each ship and that is reflected in your cruise experience.

I've cruised on the Elation and the Rhapsody of the Seas. I found them both pretty comparable. The ships are about the same size and both left from Galveston, so the crowd size and type was pretty much the same on each ship.

HTH,

[DG2004]

Does Carnival use a SeaPass card system like RCCL for on board purchases and getting on and off the ship?

[GoinCruisin]

Does Carnival use a SeaPass card system like RCCL for on board purchases and getting on and off the ship?

 

Yes, it's the same kind of system...it's a sign and sail system, not called Sea Pass

[Cotton]

DG - Yes, it's called a "Sail & Sign" card.

[Cotton]

oops, double post

[tkportersat]

Can anyone give me the honest run down between these 2 lines? Both are great, I seriously don't think you can go wrong. I was up late everynight on both ships...but Carnival has more of an overall party atmosphere.

 

Are drinks really cheaper on Carnival? Nope, they are close to the same. Try to stay away from collector glass drinks unless you really want a glass, those add up fast!

 

Is the food really better on RCCL? Nope, Carnival has great desserts and from ship to ship even within Carnival sometimes the food is awesome and sometimes just so so. I have really enjoyed the food on Carnival.

 

Is it impossible to get a deck chair by the pool on Carnival? No, unless you are going on the Conquest which was the worst time I had ever trying to find a deck chair. A lot of that depends on the rude people that feel like saving chairs is ok, so that will also change from ship to ship. Best advice from me is to get there early, we usually tried to be on deck by 8:30-9:00. Plus you can have that early morning bloody mary special to help w/ your hangover :) Good luck and have fun!!!

[denb]

Gambling was on your list....

 

Carnival casinos charge 3% for getting cash against your sail-n-sign. RCCL does not charge you to spend money in their casinos. This is not a big deal, but something to be aware of. You may want to take some extra cash on CCL if you plan on gambling more than a few dollars.

 

Elation now has cashless slots. I'm sure their other ships all have or will have this system. You use your S&S card and a passcode to deposit and withdraw from your 'casino account'. This account is not related to your S&S account. You get a $10 bonus added to your (casino) account at certain point levels. If you're lucky and are winning, the 3% is only deducted from your first 'deposit'. At the end of the cruise you close the account at the casino cashier for cash.

 

Good Luck, no matter which line you choose! We love 'em both!

[cpayne]

I second the opinion of cruisin' scrapper! You have to compare the individual ships and not the lines themselves. It would not be fair to compare let's say CCL Celebration (older, smaller) to Royal Voyager (newer, larger). They each have their own distinct personalities.

 

People ask me all the time which line I prefer and I refuse to answer that question. They then ask me my favorite ship and I always qualify my answer with "but that opinion is based on our personal likes/dislikes which may be very different than your's".

 

I also think it's not fair to say you don't like spinach when you've never tried spinach! In other words, give Carnival a try and see what you think for yourself. In defense of RCL, I think you also need to try them more than one time. You could dislike one particular ship and then really enjoy another particular ship - both with the same cruise line!

[GoinCruisin]

Gambling was on your list....

 

Carnival casinos charge 3% for getting cash against your sail-n-sign. RCCL does not charge you to spend money in their casinos. This is not a big deal, but something to be aware of. You may want to take some extra cash on CCL if you plan on gambling more than a few dollars.

 

Elation now has cashless slots. I'm sure their other ships all have or will have this system. You use your S&S card and a passcode to deposit and withdraw from your 'casino account'. This account is not related to your S&S account. You get a $10 bonus added to your (casino) account at certain point levels. If you're lucky and are winning, the 3% is only deducted from your first 'deposit'. At the end of the cruise you close the account at the casino cashier for cash.

 

Good Luck, no matter which line you choose! We love 'em both!

 

If you want cash, you can actually use your S&S card IN the slot machines on Carnival... it just debits your S&S card and there is no charge... I've done this on the Conquest and the Valor. Just slide your card, tell it how much to debit and voila... very easy, no additional charge...the charge appears on your S&S account.

[Jacquelyn11]

We have been on both lines. On the RCCL Mariner they had the mini-golf course, rock climbing wall, ice skating rink, and on their newest ship,Freedom, a "wave rider"

Both ships lines have a sports court and a golf simulator, gyms, spas, pools (some coverable) and jacuzzies. They both have "scheduled" dinner times. (Unlike NCL that has Freestyle dining, eat between 5p-9p)

 

Both have casinos. I like the "trivia" and group games better on CCL than RCCL. (They "rip" you with bingo anywhere!) My boys, young teens, liked CCL better, but did enjoy the "Johnny Rockets" burgers on RCCL. CCL does have the best 24hr Pizza.

 

For your age group and interest, you would enjoy CCL.

 

Biggest pull for me: They are usually cheaper for the same ports of call as the other lines.

 

Have fun cruzin', what ever you decide!

 

Jacquelyn :D