help...Carnival or Royal

[rain_bowbrite]

Hello, I am in charge of planning a family cruise. We are looking to travel around Dec. 6th 2008 and are a group of about 30 ranging in ages from 12 to 78 and most want to travel on a budget, in other words, they are cheap!!!:p. We know we want to do a 7 night eastern caribbean cruise.

 

The last cruise we did together was on the 38,000 ton Norwegian Majesty. The kids were bored, the food was horrible, etc. etc. I have cruised many times but most of the 30 family members past cruise experience is the one Majesty cruise.

 

They want the closest cruise port to NC but want to be on a large new ship. Based on itinerary I narrowed it down to the following 3 choices but would like some opinions as I still cannot decide. The Fantasy class is the largest class I have sailed on Carnival and the Voyager class on Royal so I am having trouble comparing the two.

 

Out of Port Canaveral - can drive down day of saving money on hotel and parking is cheaper

Glory - Nassua, St. Thomas, St. Maartin (this is the cheapest with the lowest inside starting at aprox. $500pp and I think food is better than Royal)

Mariner - Coco Cay, St. Maartin, St. Thomas (inside starting around $650, is the promenade, etc. worth the extra bucks??? I sure did love it and the ice show, etc. but is it worth $150 morepp???)

 

Out of Ft. Lauderdale - longer drive requiring pre-cruise hotel and more expensive parking

Splendor - San Juan, St. Thomas, La Romana, Nassua (this is my favorite itinerary but it is further and priced the same as the Mariner, but it will be a brand new ship)

 

Carnival is offering us $100 OBC and 2 cat upgrades:D

Royal is offering $100 OBC and no upgrades:)

 

Thanks for any advice:)

[The Big Booper]

With lots of kids there is no contest - Mariner . Carnival does not compare at all with the big RCI ships - ice skating, in-line skating, rock walls, full basketball court, the promenade and the parades, etc. And the private island is certainly better than Nassau.

[jewlrybabe]

Don't shoot me but I vote for the Glory.

I have not been on the Glory but have been on the Valor. LOVED the Valor!

Yes and I do agree the food is better on Carnival. But they do have some funky itinerarys. That being said..

We know all about budgets and have been on 7 RCCL and 5 Carnival Cruises and we get the "Cheap Seats".

We rather go twice a year than once in a suite or balcony. We use all our vacation time on a "boat". Truly addicted.

This fall we are going on the Adventure of the Seas as the airfare was less to go to San Juan than to Miami, believe it or not!

[zantedeschia]

If budget is your concern, do the Glory.

 

If you want to keep the kids occupied, do Mariner.

[PEGLEG]

It appears the best deal is on the Carnival Glory. And with the large group, they would probably appriciate the better deal.

[fishing fool]

It appears the best deal is on the Carnival Glory. And with the large group, they would probably appriciate the better deal.

I could not agree more...go for the Glory.

[big al]

Hello, I am in charge of planning a family cruise. We are looking to travel around Dec. 6th 2008 and are a group of about 30 ranging in ages from 12 to 78 and most want to travel on a budget, in other words, they are cheap!!!:p. We know we want to do a 7 night eastern caribbean cruise.

 

The last cruise we did together was on the 38,000 ton Norwegian Majesty. The kids were bored, the food was horrible, etc. etc. I have cruised many times but most of the 30 family members past cruise experience is the one Majesty cruise.

 

They want the closest cruise port to NC but want to be on a large new ship. Based on itinerary I narrowed it down to the following 3 choices but would like some opinions as I still cannot decide. The Fantasy class is the largest class I have sailed on Carnival and the Voyager class on Royal so I am having trouble comparing the two.

 

Out of Port Canaveral - can drive down day of saving money on hotel and parking is cheaper

Glory - Nassua, St. Thomas, St. Maartin (this is the cheapest with the lowest inside starting at aprox. $500pp and I think food is better than Royal)

Mariner - Coco Cay, St. Maartin, St. Thomas (inside starting around $650, is the promenade, etc. worth the extra bucks??? I sure did love it and the ice show, etc. but is it worth $150 morepp???)

 

Out of Ft. Lauderdale - longer drive requiring pre-cruise hotel and more expensive parking

Splendor - San Juan, St. Thomas, La Romana, Nassua (this is my favorite itinerary but it is further and priced the same as the Mariner, but it will be a brand new ship)

 

Carnival is offering us $100 OBC and 2 cat upgrades:D

Royal is offering $100 OBC and no upgrades:)

 

Thanks for any advice:)

 

First of all,you should've NEVER cruised the Majesty,especially with kids..way too small...I am a P/T cruise agent and have done Carnival 5 times and RCI 5 times myself....I am the opposite-I am cheap all year long,but NOT on my vacations(my father taught me that)....I am a big Mariner fan,and she is second to the Freedom class for fun & things for kids to do....I would not do the Glory,as I have read & heard many negative reviews..I would sail the Splendor before the Glory,but I still think the Mariner is a much better choice..and yes,the Royal Promenade is worth the extra bucks and so is the ice-show..she is a beautiful ship and don't forget she has both Chops & Portifinos,and Carnival has the Supper Club only,and it is more $$ than RCI's...Carnival's food is pretty good,as is their entertainment,but I love the ships better on RCI.....good luck!

 

Big Al

[uksimonusa]

With so many of you, have you considered setting up a group cruise on the Mariner, 1 free berth for every 16, that would help reduce the price. The Mariner is moving to LA very soon after you sail, I would try and cruise on her before she leaves.

[Kathy130]

Since the Voyager class are amazing, I would hands down pick MARINER!!!!!!

[green eyed lady]

We are a family of 5 with 3 teen boys and have sailed Carnival twice (Miracle and Valor), RCCL once (Mariner) and NCL once (Dawn). Without a doubt, Mariner was our favorite. If you're going for the fun and activities, Mariner is it. If you're going for the food, Carnival is the way to go...their food beats RCCL. We hated everything about NCL.

 

One other thing to keep in mind...Glory is sister ship to Valor...we found it very hard to find our way around...several decks don't go all the way through so you have to go up and down, back and forth to get where you want to be. Mariner was the easiest to get around...everything was super easy to find.

 

I vote for Mariner!!! Good luck with your decision.

Jen

[rain_bowbrite]

Wow this has been a difficult decision but we have decided to do the Glory. For the price and the better food and the fact that most of the people going have only been on NCL's Majesty, I think the Glory will still blow them away!

 

Thanks for your very helpful input and advice:)

[StaceyMom]

I am sure you will have a great time! Given the fact that these are not experienced cruisers The Glory will be great. The food on Carnival is far superior to RCCL. Nothing beats RCCl in activities especially on the newer ships but I am considering Carnival again just because the food on RCCl has been just ok.

[frito58]

The Glory is a great ship our last cruise was on her, but in my opinion the food was far from great, and this was our 5th cruise on Carnival . It was part of the reason we decided to give RCI a try. You won't go hungry but we thought the food in the dining room was okay at best and the evening buffet was poor and we are not picky eaters. Costa Maya is a great stop be sure to go to the little town thats a few miles down the road. There are alot of littleshops and a great beach. I Don't mean to be a downer just thought I would give an opinion from a recent cruiser.

[PrettyLA]

I can't believe the amount of people who honestly decided a cruise on the food!

[benmon]

I can't believe people think carnival food is better then rccl. Being diabetic i thought the food choices and taste was far superior on rccl. IMHO B

[Vacationschedule]

I like Royal Caribbean much better. I felt like I had stepped into the corn field of Hee Haw on Carnival. Too bad that you were limited to ports as Princess might have also been an alternative to look at. Also NCL newer ships are very nice and I love Freestyle.

[Host Kewlguy]

Wow this has been a difficult decision but we have decided to do the Glory. For the price and the better food and the fact that most of the people going have only been on NCL's Majesty, I think the Glory will still blow them away!

 

Thanks for your very helpful input and advice:)

 

Wrong choice but enjoy your cruise. Mariner blows away anything Carnival has to offer.

[runawaysoul]

I've been on Carnival 3 times and Royal twice. I've enjoyed both, though I lean towards Royal. I love cruising overall, and will recommend either line to someone, based on what kind of person they are and what they are looking to do. My experience with cruising is this, listen to people who've been before and back it up with research. Can't go wrong with that. If your gut says go with Carnival, then go with it. I know it'll be a great time for you!

[StaceyMom]

I can't believe the amount of people who honestly decided a cruise on the food!

 

Yes it is pathetic and count me in on it. It is not the only part of my decision but I do consider it.

[cot427]

You cannot pass up the Mariner it is a great ship. Very warm and friendly. The staff and food are awesome. The ship is awesome. There is so much more to do, the rock wall, royal promenade, full basketball court, mini golf, solarium, nightclub, 3tier dining room, ice show, and inline skates.

 

The intinerary is awesome. I was on in last October. I loved CocoCay, nice beach day. St. Thomas and St. Maarten are awesome.

 

I would try the Mariner. You will not be mad about the extra bucks.

 

Go ahead a splurge, go for the better choice.

 

You'll love the royal promenade and the promenade room. Go for it.

[MGilly]

A few years ago, I was faced with the same decision. We had 29 people going, and they all wanted the least expensive cruise. I had selected three cruises, some RCCL and some Carnival, and all within a couple of hundred dollars in price. I sent the list to everyone along with the itinerary and cabin rates and had them vote. They opted for the Carnival Imagination. Having sailed on RCCL and Carnival before, I was disappointed, but I set it up for the Imagination. Because of the number of cabins we had, we DID get the free berth (and that lowered the price some).

 

My best advice to you is to plan out some very specific details. For instance, be sure you not only link the reservations so that you are seated together at dinner, but because your group is so large, you'll need at least three tables. Make sure you keep after Carnival to have those tables next to each other! Our only "must do" on our family reunion cruise was eating dinner together each night. We table hopped so we could chat with different family members, and it was wonderful. Each day, folks were free to do whatever they wanted. We ended up taking a taxi on Cozumel (I know it's not on the itinerary you selected) to Chaankanaub Park, and half of the family was there snorkeling!

 

For the ports you will visit, may I suggest taking a taxi on Nassau to the Atlantis and seeing the aquarium there. It's really very nice! The last time we were in St. Thomas, a group of us took the ferry to St. John and had a lovely afternoon. My daughter and son-in-law said the beach there was wonderful. In St. Maarten, we took a taxi tour of the island. Next month (when we sail on the Mariner), we will be in St. Maarten again, and we really don't quite know what we will be doing there yet. We like to "play it by ear" sometimes. Often, that's when we have the most fun.

 

Expect that things will go wrong. But don't be upset when they do! Think about all the stories you'll have after the cruise! Enjoy your family! The people you are with will be the best part of the cruise no matter which ship you choose.

[rain_bowbrite]

You cannot pass up the Mariner it is a great ship. Very warm and friendly. The staff and food are awesome. The ship is awesome. There is so much more to do, the rock wall, royal promenade, full basketball court, mini golf, solarium, nightclub, 3tier dining room, ice show, and inline skates.

 

The intinerary is awesome. I was on in last October. I loved CocoCay, nice beach day. St. Thomas and St. Maarten are awesome.

 

I would try the Mariner. You will not be mad about the extra bucks.

 

Go ahead a splurge, go for the better choice.

 

You'll love the royal promenade and the promenade room. Go for it.

 

I thank everyone again for your input as this was such a difficult choice!

 

I loved the Explorer when I was on her in April...I loved Cafe Promenade and the Solarium, and the ice show, and the list goes on.

 

But, yes the price and the food were big deciding factors along with the deposits required for both which was actually the biggest deciding factor.

 

With Carnival the group deposit required pp is $25 in 30 days and with Royal you still pay the full deposit of $250pp which is also due in 30 days for triple or quad cabins. With 2 families of 4 going $100 versus $1000 is a big difference to come up with in 30 days.

 

So there you go...we will still have a blast though. It's a CRUISE:D

 

Jodie

[rain_bowbrite]

Expect that things will go wrong. But don't be upset when they do! Think about all the stories you'll have after the cruise! Enjoy your family! The people you are with will be the best part of the cruise no matter which ship you choose.

 

 

Thanks for your wonderful advice MGilly. Yes, there will definitely be stories!:D

 

Jodie

[Vacationschedule]

Hope that you enjoy your cruise. IMHO the extra money would have been money well spent. One gets what they pay for. I tried Carnival three times and no more. Three strikes and you're out. Man I can hear those banjos now!!!!!!!!!!!!

[wwaggone]

I can't believe some people feel that the food on Carnival is better. But than I started to wonder what food. I guess the pizza, burger and fries might be better, but certainly nothing else in my opinion. On our Carnival cruise, the food is one reason why we have not chosen Carnival again. Of course, the food on all cruises is better than home, so have fun!