1st RCI cruise...what differences will I find?

[MSgirl&Luv2cruz]

We leave on the Grandeur in February (10th) and this will be my 5th cruise, but my first with Royal Caribbean. I have sailed Carnival Inspiration, Sensation, Holiday, Fascination...so only Carnival cruises...

 

I know we will have a fabulous time...I'm just wondering what differences I will see in this cruise compared to Carnival?

 

Also, we always take a cab to Chakkanaub when in Cozumel, but would love some opinions of what to do in Costa Maya and Grand Cayman. (did Stingray City once before)... Especially Costa Maya!!!

 

Thanks so much!

Lisa

[Pomperaugrr]

You will love Royal Caribbean! I have sailed on the Holiday and Fascination and they are not in the same league as the Royal Caribbean ships I've been on. The general atmosphere, ship layout and especially service are top notch. The last three cruises on RCI have all been on Voyager class ships. I have not sailed on the Grandeur, but have heard very positive reviews.

 

The ruins at Chochoban are amazing. We did these on our last cruise. It is a great tour and not crowded. I highly recommend this in Costa Maya!

 

For something different in Cozumel, the Atlantis submarine is a well run operation.

 

On Grand Cayman, the beach is the attraction for me, especially if you have already done Stingray City.

 

Have a great cruise!

 

Eric

[cb at sea]

I think you'll notice a bit older crowd--not that everyone will be hobbling about, but RCI tends to have more "mature" guests! (Except during holidays, when you'll find kids galore!)

I think RCI's service is top-notch--I think you'll be pleased! To be honest, I doubt that the differences will be that glaring!

[barbarah33]

There are definite differences between RCCL and Carnival. It will be obvious that I prefer Royal Caribbean. The first, and most obvious from the start, is the lack of neon and vibrant bright colors in the general décor of the ship. (The casino will still have neon, as all casinos do.) RCCL is more subdued and laid back preferring glass and woods to neon and shiny metals. I would say they are more of the classic vs. modern in overall appearance of the ship.

 

I like the food better on RCCL as well as the service. And I find more options with Royal Caribbean - they have the usual buffet, grill, and dining rooms but they also offer Portofino's and Chops, Johnny Rockets, etc. (I will give the pizza on Carnival my vote over RCCL however.) I think they make more of an effort to get to know their passengers names and preferences on Royal Caribbean. As far as activities both offer many of the same things like trivia, pool games, etc. but RCCL has more to offer like the rock climbing walls, mini-golf, ice skating, etc. (It depends on what ship you're on which ones you get.)

 

Do you have specifics you want to know about in comparing the two?

[MSgirl&Luv2cruz]

That's actually what I was looking for... I have always enjoyed our cruises, but knew after our last one that we'd be looking into RCI for the next one...

 

The rooms like Portofino's and Chops... Johnny Rockets... I don't think we'll have those on the Grandeur??? Haven't read anything about them yet...

 

I also had wondered if we were missing something since we only go to Chakkanaub when in Cozumel...

 

The ruins in Costa Maya sound very interesting...

 

Thanks everybody for such speedy replies!!

Lisa

[Cruising89143]

That's actually what I was looking for... I have always enjoyed our cruises, but knew after our last one that we'd be looking into RCI for the next one...

 

The rooms like Portofino's and Chops... Johnny Rockets... I don't think we'll have those on the Grandeur??? Haven't read anything about them yet...

 

I also had wondered if we were missing something since we only go to Chakkanaub when in Cozumel...

 

The ruins in Costa Maya sound very interesting...

 

Thanks everybody for such speedy replies!!

Lisa

 

Actually the Granduer is around the same size as the Fascination. She will not have all of the bells and whistles that the newer RCI ships have but you should still be able to enjoy yourself. She will be toned down compared to the Carnival ships that you have sailed. Have a good cruise.:)

[Pomperaugrr]

The Chochoban ruins tour does require a 40 minute bus ride, but once you are there, the sights are amazing. 80% of the ruins are still covered by jungle growth, but the excavated portions are incredible! It is very unspoiled and not a tourist trap environment at all. Hopefully it will stay that way. I cannot say enough good things about that tour.

 

The nice thing about the Cozumel Atlantis sub tour, is that it does not take up your whole day. You go down to about 100' and we saw a lot of sea life. There is still a lot of time for shopping, beach or some great mohitos. :)

 

Eric

[Pomperaugrr]

I never had a bad experience on Carnival, I just have had better experiences on Royal Caribbean. We really make the ship our destination with fun ports being a bonus for us. As a couple in our late 30's/early 40's, RCI 's atmosphere fits our style better.

 

Any cruise is a good cruise, if you go with the flow!

 

Eric

[Sue L]

After several other lines, among them Carnival, I just took my first RCCL cruise in the fall and the biggest difference for us was the level of service. The crew always had a smile on their faces and really looked truly happy that you were there. We never felt that on Carnival. Everyone from the waitstaff to the stewards and bartenders really go out of their way to help you.

 

The RCCL ships are elegant where IMO the Carnival ones are gaudy and overdone.

 

I don't think the age of the passengers was any different than our last Carnival but I can tell you there was a world of difference in many areas.

 

Unless I got some amazingly ridiculous deal I don't see myself ever sailing on Carnival again especially after experiencing RCCL.

[MSgirl&Luv2cruz]

We, too, are in our late thirties and although we have drinks while onboard, we aren't big 'partyers'... I think that's what made us look toward RCCL...

 

The submarine is intriguing... never would have thought of doing something like that, but certainly sounds worth checking into!

 

And we lost all time to StingRay City the only time we were at Grand Cayman, so I'm pleased to know that the beaches are nice... Any suggestions as to which one to go to??

 

Oh, are there any real differences in the staterooms with RCCL? We're just in an outside room....no balcony, etc... In Carnival's defense, our last cruise in 2005, we had really wonderful bedding!!

 

Regardless, a cruise is still a cruise and I know we're going to have a blast...

[elleluv]

Oh, are there any real differences in the staterooms with RCCL? We're just in an outside room....no balcony, etc... In Carnival's defense, our last cruise in 2005, we had really wonderful bedding!!

quote]

 

RCL is in the process of replacing the bedding fleet wide. I'm not sure when Grandeur is scheduled to be done, but the whole project is supposed to by done by March. We had the opportunity to sleep on the new bedding in October on Sovereign and it was wonderful.

 

Have a wonderful cruise! :)

[murphyis1]

I've only sailed Carnival once. I found the ship to be loud and over-the-top much like a carnival in terms of colors and furnishings. The service was fine overall, but seriously lacking in some ares. The food was about the same as all of my RCCL cruises. The RCCL colors and furnishings are more elegant and the crews much friendlier and helpful IMHO. Happy cruising!

[NH Cruiser]

We were on the Explorer of the Seas in December and stopped at both Costa Maya and Cozumel.

 

In Costa Maya, I would recommend that you book a private tour to Chacchoben with David and Ivan (Native's Choice: http://www.chacchobenruins.com/default.html). Check out the Costa Maya board for reviews about their excursions. It was one of the best we've ever done. They pick you up right at the port, although you have to pay a $3 fee to the port for that privilege. We took the morning excusion and had plenty of time afterwards either to stay at the beach or in the Costa Maya port compound.

 

In Cozumel we took a private tour that stopped at San Gervasio. If you like Mayan ruins, this would be a nice stop. It doesn't have a large temple like Chacchoben and other sites, but it does have the look and feel of a small village, giving you a good idea how the Mayans really lived. The butterflies were also spectacular at San Gervasio.

 

You can see pictures of both ports by clicking the Webshots link in my signature.

[TennisLover]

Our first RCCL cruise is next month (after 5 Carnival). I really can't wait after all I've heard here. Considering that I've only had a great time on Carnival, my expectations are really high for Navigator! All I can think about now is the cruise that I should book while I'm on board. Thank you all for getting me so revved up for this!

 

And to the OP: definitely research and make plans for Costa Maya. We didn't and, as a result, did not have a great day there.

[silentbob007]

I just got off of the Grandeur, so I can give you my impressions as a usual Carnival cruiser who hasn't cruised Royal in quite a while.

 

As others have said, the decor of the ship is going to be dfiferent. The Grandeur uses a lot of wood in decoration, and the colors are definitely softer than Carnival. Some of the areas look at tad worn and probably will until April when the Grandeur is scheduled for drydock. That is also when they are putting in the new bedding (I hear) ... so until April, the Carnival Comfort bedding wipes the floor with the standard offerings on the Grandeur.

 

The Grandeur does not offer any of the for-price alternative dining venues (Chops, Portofino's, JR), so your choices will be limited to the dining room, Windjammer, Solarium Cafe, and room service. I thought that the food in the dining room for dinner was pretty much similar to Carnival (part of that could be that I'm just tired of Carnival's menus), though I prefered Carnival's preparation of breakfast in the dining room. I though that Royal had a better dining room lunch menu. I dislike buffets so I didn't eat much at the Windjammer, but I was not impressed by either the quality or warmth of food for the two breakfasts and one lunch I ate there. The fries at the solarium cafe were suprisingly good, and the hotdogs and hamburgers were cruise ship average (ie, not that good). The pizza was much better on Carnival ... better tasting (IMO) with more availablility and selection.

 

This may seem weird, but I also liked the fact on Carnival that I could go into the Lido restaraunt at any time to grab something to drink, grab a snack, and use a table for something (write, read, etc). The Windjammer closes after hours, making all of those tables inaccessible and forcing you to go to the Solarium for free drinks (water and tea only) unless you want to order them from roomservice.

 

I've always thought that Carnival had a lot of activities during the day, but I participated in more on the Grandeur because of the ShipShape program. I liked having an incentive to participate and by the end of the week, I redeemed my ShipShape dollars (one per sponsered activity) for a backpack and a t-shirt. I also ended up with three gold medals for various activities. I guess it just seemed more fun to get involved on Royal.

 

Service was almost always exceptional on the Grandeur, though to be honest, I've not had too many complaints with Carnival in that area either. It was nice to have a few perks on Royal after only one previous cruise with them, but it was nothing mind-blowing.

 

There are probably other comparisons I could make ... but to be honest ... the experiences struck me to be more similar than different. You just have to go, enjoy yourself, and try not to spend 24/7 making comparisons ... after all, you are on vacation. :)