How does Carnival compare with RCC?

[busypk]

We have been on two cruises, RCC Explorer and Golden Princess. We booked the Carnival Valor for 4/25/04 and am wondering how Carnival compares tiwh the other two. Are there a lot of activities on Carnival. We are taking my 16 yo daughter too. What can you tell me.

Thanks in advance.

[cruise pup]

I've been on Voyager which is similar to Explorer, Grand Princess which is similar to Golden Priness an Carnival Triumph and Victory which are slightly smaller but very similar to Valor. I would rate Princess 1st, Carnival 2nd and RCI third. For what you pay on RCI I find you get better value on the other 2 lines. Carnival has loads of activities and I find the food consistantly better on Carnival, especially casual fare. There is also no moveable dome over the pools on the Voyager class ships the way the Carnival and Princess do. Bottom lines is I found RCI recently to be going down hill. They're getting too big for their britches. Serve me one bad meal with tough cuts of meat once and it might be a fluke. But 2 evenings means that it's going downhill.

[SoccerMom#3]

We've been on Voyager and on Carnival Pride. Both were quite similar. Carnival seemed to have more activities. Food was better on Royal Caribbean but not much better. For the difference in price, I would go with Carnival although you can't go wrong with Princess or Royal Caribbean. I was afraid Carnival would be a party ship but it was no different than Royal Caribbean.

[kkorman]

While the cruise experience is similar on Carnival and RCI, I think RCI has better ships.

[judyf]

They are about the same small difference it depends who you ask. I loved both lines and would cruise either again.

 

I look at price, ship and intinerary. I cruise RCCL out of cape Liberty so that was no airfare for me so we got a great deal on that sailing. The CCL and NCL sailing out of NY were much higher. You need to look at the big picture but they are much the same except little details.

[SevenVII]

We booked the Carnival Valor for 4/25/04 and

Uhh, you missed your ship then :D

[busypk]

Thank you for your feedback. We love lots of activities and hate to sit still so I think we will enjoy the Valor. My husband will nap at the pool and my daughter and I keep very busy. I am soooooooooooo looking forward to stepping on the Valor. I loved the Explorer more than the Princess. I think it was because we took our first cruise on the Explorer. There is nothing like the experience of your first cruise.

 

Thanks again for being so helpful.

[Cruising89143]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=110110

 

Above is a link to my recent review of the Navigator of the Seas. Carinival has nothing in their fleet that can currently compete with this ship. For me in the future, it will be only RCI. I will tell you that I think that the Destiny/Conquest class of ships from Carnival are some of the worst out there. I always use the words "cattle call". They are crowded. Now a Spirit class ship is great.

[springersgirl]

If you enjoyed Princess and Royal Carribbean, then you will be disapointed with Carnival. They price it low to get you onboard then EVERYTHING is extra. The yoga classes, pilates classes - $10 p.p., deserts down in the lounge extra, of course the beverages are extra, but it just never stops. I spent another $1250 on the Legend (12/22/04). For the amount of money I spent I would have had a much better experience on a Princess Cruise than on the Carnival. The Carnival service is so-so and I thought the food wasn't very good anywhere except the Golden Fleece Supper Club - which is $25.00 PP extra. It was a very boring cruise. I missed the steel drums at the poolside in the day and at sail aways, the dinner gong, the cruise staff in the evenings, I could go on but I won't - you get the idea.

 

If you think you are getting a bargain cruise, you won't by the time you get off the ship and you don't get the service you get on other cruise lines. :(

[jerrymac]

Never been on RCC or RCI but have cruised RCCL

[Little Red]

I've cruised Royal Carribean and Carnival. I've had a better overall experience with Carnival. The food, except at the Lido Deck buffet, is definitely better on Carnival - there's no comparison. The Mariner had a steakhouse and an italian restaurant which is $20 pp extra. We went to the steakhouse. Even though the steak I had was very good....it was just another steak. I can get that at Outback here at home. The supper clubs on Carnival are $25 pp but well worth it. The food is superb and the atmosphere is absolutely wonderful. It really is an experience. I will definitely do that again.

 

The entertainment on Carnival is better (shows, etc.). The one and only time I've ever been bored on a ship was during my Mariner cruise this past September. This has never happened to me on Carnival. There is always something to do. The drink prices are very reasonable. As someone else posted, around $5 for frozen drinks. I liked the service better on RCI. The people were a little friendler than on Carnival. But in my overall opinion...I would cruise Carnival before RCI.

[Cruising89143]

I actually found the overall entertainment on RCI better than Carnival. There was always something going on. The Royal Promenade had the two parades, entertainment on certain evenings on the promenade and the lounges were going late into the night. For me I will not go RCI over Carnival. The service on RCI makes the difference for me.