Thinking of trying a new cruise line

[rgreenpc]

Ok I have to admit... I just watched that show about the building of the new ships... but I think that type of show is about 75% of what I watch...

 

At any rate, my wife and I are starting to look at other cruise lines... I have done PCL and while it was nice, it wasn't something that I enjoyed very much (things tended to be a little to sedate). We haven't really tried any other cruise lines and I have always been a bit interested in RCL's perks (rock wall, ice skating, etc) but I always wondered if it was worth the premium.

 

I know this sounds like a loaded question... but for those of you who have tried both CCL and RCL what draws you to RCL other than those things I have mentioned?

[Host Kewlguy]

Ok I have to admit... I just watched that show about the building of the new ships... but I think that type of show is about 75% of what I watch...

 

At any rate, my wife and I are starting to look at other cruise lines... I have done PCL and while it was nice, it wasn't something that I enjoyed very much (things tended to be a little to sedate). We haven't really tried any other cruise lines and I have always been a bit interested in RCL's perks (rock wall, ice skating, etc) but I always wondered if it was worth the premium.

 

I know this sounds like a loaded question... but for those of you who have tried both CCL and RCL what draws you to RCL other than those things I have mentioned?

 

Besides what you mentioned I would add much better service. Also much nicer ships. Carnival is like the Walmart of the cruise industry. Why don't you give NCL a try? Their new ships are on par with Royal's. Freestyle is a nice change of pace.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

Having tried both Carnival Cruiselines and Royal Caribbean, I much prefer Royal Caribbean. I find their ships to be much more elegant and easier to navigate, meaning that the layout is easier to comprehend.

 

I really enjoy their unique amenities such as the ice skating rink and ice skating shows and while I don't use the Flow Rider myself, I get the biggest kick out of watching others tackle the "waves." Of course, not every RCI ship has ice skating rinks and Flow Riders, but even those that don't, such as Majesty of the Seas, are still preferable to Carnival---in my opinion and just my opinion.

 

I have had better service on RCI ships and felt the staff were friendlier...again just my opinion.

 

Much of what one person likes and another does not is a matter of taste, but for my tatse, I do much prefer the experiences I have had on Royal Caribbean.

[Sue L]

RCL is not always more $! If you are not locked into a certain time to travel, sometimes a week or two either way can be a huge difference.

 

I have been on Princess, Carnival and Rcl and RCL for me meets all my expectations for service, amenities, gorgeous, beautifully maintained ships. We loved Princess also, but RCL just a something more. Can't explain it exactly.

I wouldn't sail Carnival again unless they had an itinerary that I was interested in that no other cruise line did.

 

My theory is you get what you pay for.

[rgreenpc]

I appreciate all the input and keep them coming...

 

I really do value the opinions, as my vacations are becoming fewer and further between...

 

I am an airline pilot and my wife is an engineer for the state, so coordinating enough time off is a massive logistical ordeal.

[ilionite65]

I don't see where you have sailed any RCCL ships, in fact your entire cruise history is with Carnival. Most of your posts are on the Carnival boards also. What RCCL ships have you sailed and why aren't they listed in your profile?

[Sue L]

I don't see where you have sailed any RCCL ships, in fact your entire cruise history is with Carnival. Most of your posts are on the Carnival boards also. What RCCL ships have you sailed and why aren't they listed in your profile?

 

 

He said he sailed on PCL (Princess, which is listed ) not RCL, and why does it matter where he previously sailed?

[cctn]

The staff/crew on RCCL ships are friendlier - also, their ships are prettier - Princess lines is nice too, but RCCL ships are attractive - in my opinion...

 

Try to sail on an RCCL ship and you can base an opinion compared to what you have already tried. Carol

[mamacat3]

RCCL has an understated elegance about her ships. They are beautiful and not IMO garish as CCl is. As another poster said the ships are also much easier to navigate. The friendliness and helpfulness of the crew is what helps to make the vacation an exceptional experience. You are made to feel very special.

Good luck and happy cruising!

[Merion_Mom]

Ok I have to admit... I just watched that show about the building of the new ships... but I think that type of show is about 75% of what I watch...

 

At any rate, my wife and I are starting to look at other cruise lines... I have done PCL and while it was nice, it wasn't something that I enjoyed very much (things tended to be a little to sedate). We haven't really tried any other cruise lines and I have always been a bit interested in RCL's perks (rock wall, ice skating, etc) but I always wondered if it was worth the premium.

 

I know this sounds like a loaded question... but for those of you who have tried both CCL and RCL what draws you to RCL other than those things I have mentioned?

 

I just want to be helpful to you, rgreenpc.

 

If you will do a search on this forum, and put "Carnival" into the search box, you will get many threads on this very topic. It is a frequently asked question, and you will be able to read hundreds of responses at the wave of a mouse.

 

:)

[rgreenpc]

I appreciate all the responses, I ordered a Europe cruise book from RCL last night. It would appear that RCL keeps most of their newer ships in the Carribean (yeah it IS in their name... I know). I was hoping to do a 10+ day cruise and it would appear that only older ships do the longer cruises.

 

I guess it is something to consider... age of ship and date of last drydock.

 

Granted, I haven't had issues with ships falling apart before personally.

[EggDropErin]

For us, we were extremely turned off by Carnival's lack of service. There were several instances where we were blatantly ignored. It was my very first cruise, and it almost kept me from cruising again! :eek: Would we ever go on Carnival again? Not for a long time, if ever.

 

We like RCI's service and variety of activities. As well as their beautiful ships.

[DonnaK]

For us, we were extremely turned off by Carnival's lack of service. There were several instances where we were blatantly ignored. It was my very first cruise, and it almost kept me from cruising again! :eek: Would we ever go on Carnival again? Not for a long time, if ever.

 

 

We like RCI's service and variety of activities. As well as their beautiful ships.

 

 

This was our experience on Carnival too. The level of service did not meet our needs and expectations. In particular, our wait team was responsible for 3 times the number of diners as on any other ship we've cruised on, so they simply couldn't provide the same kind of individualized and attentive service we receive on RCI. Carnival ships are dark, smoky and don't seem spacious enough to accomodate the number of passengers aboard. There weren't enough activities for tweens/teens - my kids were bored on Carnival - resulting in a lot of unsupervised kids wandering around with nothing to positively occupy them. I could write so much more, but I'll stop here by saying we wouldn't sail Carnival again if it were free, it was that bad.

[isujim]

Actually we are thinking the same thing but we are thinking of trying something besides RC.......and for those that know us on the boards, we are RC loyalists.........

 

but I am convinced prices are rising, service declining and quality is begining to take a hit...........

 

We aren't quite ready to make a move.......but have noticed a "change" in the last couple of cruises we have taken........I'm still trying to figure it out and why...........

[TEXASMUNK]

How about Brilliance to the Panama Canal?

 

Also: Princess is nice. No complaints. But have to agree, it tends to be vanilla. Not a thing wrong iwth it, but not memorable.

 

We have become loyal to Royal after many years of crusing with primarily NCL. Folks talk about declining quality, we will never get on another NCL ship. If Carnival is described as the Wal-Mart of cruising then NCL is the Goodwill Store. (Apologies to the fine work Goodwill does).

 

RCI has a consistancy of product, service, amenities and ease of getting around even the largest ships.

[petesweet]

We don't have a lot of money, but we love cruising. We find that RCCL has the best opportunity for repeat cruisers to save money and accumulate OBC.

 

We don't like Carnival. "Party ship" hardly begins to describe the loud, raucous experience we had.

 

We enjoyed Princess to Alaska.

 

NCL is OK, but we prefer set dining times. We would go on NCL again under the right circumstances. In fact, our next cruise (which is a group of retirees we are part of) is using NCL for a Baltics cruise in May.

 

We think RCCL's megaships are awesome!! We are RCCL devotees.

[Mydnite]

I appreciate all the responses, I ordered a Europe cruise book from RCL last night. It would appear that RCL keeps most of their newer ships in the Carribean (yeah it IS in their name... I know). I was hoping to do a 10+ day cruise and it would appear that only older ships do the longer cruises.

 

I guess it is something to consider... age of ship and date of last drydock.

 

Granted, I haven't had issues with ships falling apart before personally.

 

 

If you want a longer cruise you could always do a back to back eastern and western cruise; 14 nights :)

[cruizinpartyplanner]

As so many have said, there are a LOT of factors to consider... your age, your lifestyle.....That said, we favor RC overall. RC in our opinion has the friendliest crews, great entertainment options, good kids programs, average size rooms and beautiful overall amenities with tons of sports options. If you have kids and can afford it, then we think Disney is hands down the best for families but RC comes in a close send and probably first place once the kids get a little older; however watch when you are sailing if you are trying to avoid a large amount of kids because RC has become a big family line in my opinion. Princess was very nice but kind of boring and a little too old of crowd for us. NCL Pearl was a beautiful ship but the freestyle dining was very difficult for our group of 8 last spring, But most of the people with only 2 or 4 in their group loved it. Also, the kids program was very limited in comparison to other lines and the rooms, we had a balcony, was the smallest we have ever had and this was a brand new ship! I am not a fan of the pre-paid gratuities that they have on Princess and NCL and kind of feel that was part of the reason for the less than stellar service that we felt we received on RC or Disney.

[madamcruisequeen]

You need to try carnival

[Maxiecat3]

You need to try carnival

 

If I counted correctly, he has already been on 7 CCL cruises. He is curious about the differences between RCI and CCL. Since I have never been on CCL, I can not give any advise about the differences. Since everybody is different and are all looking for different things when we cruise, I would recommend trying RCI and see if they offer what you would find interesting.

Gregg

[cruisingjon]

Ok I have to admit... I just watched that show about the building of the new ships... but I think that type of show is about 75% of what I watch...

 

At any rate, my wife and I are starting to look at other cruise lines... I have done PCL and while it was nice, it wasn't something that I enjoyed very much (things tended to be a little to sedate). We haven't really tried any other cruise lines and I have always been a bit interested in RCL's perks (rock wall, ice skating, etc) but I always wondered if it was worth the premium.

 

I know this sounds like a loaded question... but for those of you who have tried both CCL and RCL what draws you to RCL other than those things I have mentioned?

 

I know some of what I say is going to really sound bad, it is not really intended to, but here goes.

 

I have been on both cruise lines, and while both lines are somewhat comparable, there are some differences. The service on RCCL is much better, staff is all over the place, you can not drop a napkin on the floor without someone running up to pick it up, before you even have the chance to get it yourself. Seems silly to some I am sure, but this is just an example.

 

I also believe the people who cruise RCCL just have a higher expectation with regard to thier cruise. And because the clientele on RCCL expects more, I believe they get more. We only cruise Carnival when it is either a really good deal, or just a quick getaway. Carnival does have the upper hand when it comes to ports. For example Carnival goes out of New Orleans, Mobile, Tampa, Galveston. So Carnival has more choices with regard to where to catch the ship.

 

Carnival does advertise themselves at the "Budget" cruise line. They also advertise as the "fun ships". We have had a good time on Carnival although we hated Fantasy and won't ever cruise on it again. I do think Carnival gets a bad wrap with regard to the rowdy, drunk stereotype they have. I have seen this on Both cruise lines.

 

RCCL is the better cruise line, has more to offer and the ships are far more elegant.

 

Again JMO, you asked.

[crusinmama06]

You need to try carnival

 

And you need to read the OP's question. They have been on 7 CCL cruises.

 

As far as CCL verses RCCL, I like the design of the ships better on RCCL. I don't use the flowrider, the rock climbing wall and I never went ice skating. But I love the Royal Promenade. And the service is top notch.

[rgreenpc]

You need to try carnival

 

 

Was that directed at me? If so, perhaps you should re-read my posting.

 

To everyone else... I think I may just have to bite the bullet and pony up, yes its a bit more but at least if I give it RCL a chance I do have PCL and CCL as baselines to compare them to.

 

I am surprised a bit about the NCL comments (note - surprised, NOT offended) their new ships seem to be upping the luxuary ante a bit (at least their suites)

 

I am hoping to surprise my wife with a 10 day (or so) cruise in the Med or Europe this fall for our 3rd Anniversary.... and I figure that if I start paying on it now it doesn't hurt as much.

[wrp96]

I am hoping to surprise my wife with a 10 day (or so) cruise in the Med or Europe this fall for our 3rd Anniversary.... and I figure that if I start paying on it now it doesn't hurt as much.

 

If you are looking for a longer European cruise, look at Brilliance of the Seas. She is absolutely gorgeous with tons of glass, elegance, and lots of options. She's definitely newer. She has two specialty restaurants, the Seaview Cafe, an adults only solarium, mini golf, self leveling pool tables, the thermal suite in the spa.

 

Also, Navigator of the Seas is running a few longer med cruises next year. She's Voyager class with the Royal Promenade and the ice skating rink (but no flowrider).

[cctn]

The Brilliance and any of those Radiance class ships are just gorgeous!! I love the glass elevators - going up and down while gazing at the ocean is great! I have been on two TransAtlantics on the Brilliance- a trip I didn't think I would like cuz of the sea days - I like being in ports - but because of the ship, the activities and the beauty, I just loved all the sea days and being on this type of ship. Carol