RCCL as Compared to Carnival and Celebrity

[lvellen]

My DH and I are booked on the Explorer of the Seas leaving Cape Liberty on Sept. 14, 2007. We are frequent Carnival cruisers (we are both platinum) and have recently cruised on the Celebrity Mercury, which we loved. Can anybody tell us how RCCL compares to these other lines.

 

Thank you!!

[firefly333]

My TA claims that the soundproofing between cabins is better on RCI and that Carnival has paper thin walls. Iv seen more folks with kids cruising on RCI and some claim RCI is more kid friendly.

[julieanne]

Ruh roh........Have sailed Celebrity for the past 5 years, doing RCI in a month or so and have sailed with them many times before. Although I might get into trouble with some of my comparisons, let me qualify myself now: just observations and honest opinions! My sister loves Carnival as they are a "busy" ship. Lots of games and activities and very family friendly. They also have some of the largest cabins afloat. I enjoy Celebrity more as we cruise the off season and prefer less children and perhaps, a more mature crowd (we're mid 40's). I find that RCI fits right in the middle! I enjoy their ships. They have good mix of activities and I find they treat us repeaters very well. Their food is adequate, while I feel Carnival's food goes up and down in quality. I feel that Celebrity has the better cuisine. I know you'll enjoy your cruise with them. As with all cruises, there is always a little something that can be improved upon!

[DCPIV]

I've not sailed Carnival or Celebrity, but my wife and in-laws sailed Carnival. I'll pass along what they've told me.

 

They will not sail Carnival again. They would second that Carnival has "paper thin" walls, and that is exaggerated by Carnival's reputation as a party boat. My Father-in-law, who is a fairly relaxed traveller, also mentioned that he thought he was getting nickled-and-dimed to death aboard the ship.

 

I can't speak to Celebrity, but I've heard very good things. My Mother and in-laws will sail Celebrity this Summer.

 

RCCL is excellent for children. On cruises, fellow passengers have told me they thought it was better than Disney or anything else they had seen. The staff (all the staff - not just the kid's program) is very friendly to our young children, and that helps us all enjoy the cruise.

 

 

D

[time4u2go]

In our experience Carnival was better for room sizes, food (quite a bit better), and shows. RCI was better for activities. The service was excellent on both. We didn't notice any difference in soundproofing. We wouldn't hesitate to cruise on either one again.

[masterbaker]

We have sailed many different cruiselines including RCI, X, and Carnival. The differences between them are hardly worth a mention. Carnival had more kids onboard but in their defense, we sailed them during a spring break so kids were expected then. I believe you can have a great time on any of the mass market cruiselines if you go with the right attitude. ;) Enjoy your cruise!

[FMZ]

We were avid Carnival cruisers for 7 years, then we decided we wanted to branch out and try other lines becuase all our cruises were starting to feel the same. First up, Navigator on RCCL. Truly a completely awesome experience! Maybe it was just because it was new to us.. so next we tried Princess. Princess is nice, loved their Movies Under the Stars and had a nice time, but couldnt stop thinking about our trip on RCCL. Next up was Adventurer of the Seas, another great ship and great people! One more Carnival and that was it. Never again. I finally realized the biggest difference.. the passengers. I'm sure I'll get flamed for this but it is my opinion. Couple of times in line for food I got "run into" with no apologies, saw plenty of men without shirts and sweating around food area, and tons of pre-teen kids running everywhere. I don't think I noticed these things before because I had nothing to compare it to.

 

All that being said I will add that Carnival has bigger cabins, the BEST pizza afloat, and in my opinion a better dinner selection. Food quality is sometimes good and sometimes not so good.

 

That's my 2 cents worth anyways! :)

[AFT_LOVER]

and we got -0-. No priority embarkation, you have to pay extra to be Concierge Class to get a bottle of sparkling wine in an ice bucket in your stateroom with thick plush robes that say CONCIERGE CLASS, and other niceties. But their coupon book is BOGO even for ELITE.

 

Then we booked the TA on RCCL & we were instant DIAMOND for it & the great treatment blew us away. Their C&A Member Cruises are unbelievable with the gifts we got every night. So Celebrity is on a back burner on low til a true deal happens like a FREE cruise on Solstice class.

[Pomperaugrr]

We have only sailed Carnival, NCL (both past tense) and RCCL. All mass market lines are basically the same, and each has its own niche in the market. The major factor that keeps us coming back to RCCL is the consistent quality service from all crew members. The first time a worker polishing the handrail on the stairs took the time to look up, make eye contact and say "good morning" just about floored us. It seems that RCCL has their staff trained to take pride in their work and treat the passengers as guests. There were very few experiences like that on the other lines. On RCCL, friendly and courteous staff raise the bar a little higher for us.

 

Everyone will have their own opinion. I'm sure there are some on the Carnival boards that don't like RCCL. It is hard to have a "bad cruise." Some may not live up to one's expectations, but that is subjective with each cruiser.

 

Eric