No real difference between RCL and Carnival?

[mikeerdas]

Here's my dilemma:

 

Me and my wife are looking at some eastern/western caribbean cruises on the Carnival Glory/Legend.

 

My in-laws swear up and down that we should avoid Carnival at all costs and go RCL instead. The in-laws claim Carnival's food is lousy vs. Royal Caribbean. They also claim Carnival gets a more "low class" clientele than RCL. Not sure where they're getting their information on the food--I've read good and bad about the food on both cruise lines.

 

I don't care about the "low class" clientele thing, unless it means that Carnival cruisers, on average, are a lot less well behaved (how can anyone generalize like this?), on average, than RCL cruisers.

 

If the "low class" designation means the dress code on Carnival isn't as well enforced as on RCL, then there's no issue for me. Frankly, I'm on vacation. It's not going to ruin my vacation if people wear shorts in the dining rooms. I'd prefer to wear shorts myself, but tend to stick to whatever dress code is recommended.

 

If "low class" means Carnival cruises tend to contain more loud and obnoxious people than cruisers on RCL, then yeah, that would bother me. "Class" doesn't bother me (I'm not a doctor / lawyer / prude / etc). Behavior does.

 

For example, at Disney World, there are value, moderate. and deluxe resorts. I have definitely noticed a difference in behavior between guests who stay at value resorts vs. the moderate resorts; e.g. the value resorts tended, pretty consistently, to contain more guests who would do annoying stuff (to me, personally) like hang out in front of their doors, like hanging out on a stoop, and clog public hallways. And the value resorts attracted more annoying groups of people like kids sports teams, where the chaperones would let the kids run wild. It's obviously a cost issue--moderates cost more than the value resorts, so these kid groups tend to stay at the values.

 

The interior quality of the rooms is about the same between Disney value and moderate rooms, although the moderate rooms are larger and the pool facilities are better at moderate resorts (not an issue if you don't care about pools).

 

If the food on Carnival is, somehow, much worse, on average, than RCL, then that's one reason I might prefer RCL. But then I don't expect 5 star dining on a cruise, given the number of people to be fed daily.

 

A co-worker of my wife has been on a number of cruise lines and claims there's no significant difference between Carnival and RCL. She says the real difference comes between Carnival/RCL and higher tiers of cruise lines like Princess/Celebrity. *That* I can believe.

 

Finally, I wonder--of the people who hate Carnival, did they:

 

-- Take a cruise in peak season? (I tend *never* to travel in high season for any type of vacation travel; it's always a worse / more crowded experience by definition; some people just don't get that there will probably be more loud, obnoxious people--or more of them--cruising during peak season). I'd also guess--and it's just a guess--that during peak season, cruise personnel, including kitchen staff, would be more stressed than in the off-season; and that may directly impact the end result on the plate; though it wouldn't make a difference if the ingredients were poor quality to begin with.

 

-- Take a cruise on an older ship (e.g. 10-15 years old); I tend to look for the largest, newest ships as a hedge; although I don't know that this would get me better food.

 

Finally, yeah, I admit it. I'm not a "partier." I enjoy a few good beers / mixed drinks as much as the next person, but I don't cruise to drink myself into oblivion. So if I'm around a lot of crazy drinkers, I'm going to be less happy on a cruise than without them. But that's my personal preference.

 

I don't judge people who do like to whoop it up; but they can do that in clubs/bars; I'd prefer not to be near them.

 

By Carnival saying they are "the fun ships" or whatever the slogan is, do they really mean "the party ships"? Somehow, I like to think there's room for both family cruisers / cruisers who like it more peaceful and club/bar-goers.

 

And can cruise critic ratings even be trusted? For an eastern caribbean cruise I'm thinking of taking, the Carnival ship got higher overall ratings than the corresponding RCL ship for that same itinerary.

 

Mike

[cb at sea]

I think either line will suit you just fine! Carnival is not the "party animal" that it has the reputation of being! Spring break times and short "weekend" cruises will always have more rowdies than a week or longer cruise--and that goes for ALL the mainstream lines.

Basically, a cruise is what YOU make of it! If you don't want to whoop it up in the clubs--you don't have to!

Food quality means different things to different folks! None of the mainstream lines will offer 4 or 5 star dining anymore...now, if you want a really fancy meal, you'll pay extra at one of the "specialty restaurants". The included food on all lines is good, but not great. You will NOT go hungry! Age of the ship has nothing to do with the food!

Whatever itinerary and ship suit your budget and timeframe will give you a great vacation!

[silentbob007]

"Rowdiness" really depends on the length of sailing, time of year, and the guests that happen to be on board. I have had both "rowdy" and "calm" cruises on both lines. Food is extremely subjective. Personally, I think that Carnival offers better food (both in variety and in quality) than Royal, but the difference is not huge.

 

What is making you look at Carnival? Price? Itinerary? Some of what you mention with Disney can be true ... obviously, the cheapest cruise does attract people who want the cheapest.

[RetireeWannabee]

Are your inlaws going with you? If so, book RCI and be done with it. Nothing worse than having half your party expecting the worst and nitpicking everything. "See, I told you!" is not what you want to be hearing all week. blech

 

If it's just you, go with the itinerary and price that suits you. I don't pay a lot of attention to reviews; everyone has their own priorities and expectations. What I might not give a whop finkle about, someone else may consider a make or break. If you are determined to go by reviews, READ THEM. Don't just go by the overall ratings. First timers might rate everything WONDERFUL while seasoned cruisers would have more of a basis for comparison. Plus, greatly depends on the kid factor. If you are not going with kids but the reviewer did (or vice versa), it changes the mindset.

 

It's a crapshoot as to the makeup of your fellow pax. So long as the ship you select has the amenities you desire, you should have a great cruise.

 

Good luck!

[ljkool]

I went on my first Carnival cruise last fall, a 3 night on the Fascination. Late night on the interior promenade area was a little rowdier but not bad. The dining was very nice, at least as good as any RCL cruise I have been on. In my opinion the two lines are very similar.

[Inshape]

There are differences and I have been on both lines and totally like RCI better. I do not think CCL has bad food at all. It really is a hit or miss thing from cruise to cruise and it very subjective. CCL does have been grill food that is avail to anyone outside around the pool. RCI makes you cover up and put shoes on to go get even water in the windjammer.

Here are some big differences that we found:

RCI layout of the ships are better and the traffic flow is better. You never have to go up to go down to go across like on CCL. That is very annoying. CCL ships are not as pretty and the decor seems a lot cheaper... gaudy in some cases. The cabins are bigger on CCL but the storage and use of space is better on RCI. The balcony cabins on RCI are sliding doors so you can leave it open to hear the ocean while you sleep. On CCL it is open or shut or put a chair there to hold the door open. On RCI the artwork on all decks are amazing to see , on CCL just blah. The theaters on CCL are like little love seats on the main level. They also serve drinks all through the shows which may be good if you want drinks for tha hour, but very disruptive to all people around that wait staff who is constantly walking in and out of the rows. On RCI they stop bar servcie as the lights go down, and the seats are individual, like in movie theaters. There is a adult only pool on RCI and none on CCL. We also cruise on value season so it is never overrun by kids, but without that adult area on RCI I would not be able to sit on the side of the pool and not get splashed or run into by the few kids who are there and running and jumping along the sides. There is more adult late night shows on CCL and their entertainment is top notch.

The major diff in the dining room is that on RCI they only sing to you one day( whew) and on CCL they dance every night. This holds you up because they do it before dessert. It was cute the first time, but by the 2nd cruise and every night it become old. I really did not care to see the staff walking around and wiggling or jumping on the serving areas and dancing.... The style of service differs a bit, with CCL they leave all the crumbs on the table and on RCI they clear the crumbs before dessert. It is a nice touch.

I do agree that the party ship has an old reputation of being all young. That is not true at all. The median age was over 50 when we sailed on them, but it was a different crowd. The RCI crowd is a bit quieter I think. Also, on CCL they are always pushing the drinks and on RCI they do not. You can sit near the pool and not be badgered every 5 min on RCI, where on CCL they are in your face telling you to drink since it is your vacation.

 

I love RCI because of the layouts of the ships, ease of getting around and the beauty of them. Plus there is more to do while on board if you like the rock climbing, and all of the other stuff. I think you need to try them both so you can tell the difference. You will not have a bad cruise on CCL , as long as you stick with the newer ships...but to me, they do not compare to a RCI cruise.

[pmfan]

If the in-laws are going, definately go with RC. When the in-laws are happy so is the wife. :D Enough said.

[NiniB]

Yes it depends.. For me I tried CCL last year after years of sailing on RCCL. I was soooo disappointed!! The service was very bad, the food was a miss most of the time (burned rolls in DR). Two different dessert selection, along with the same ice cream ect. A question to my DR waiter about pie turned into a 10 min rant about how he was not the boss & he did not make the menu !!!

I knew I was in trouble when, while in line boarding, fellow pax were in curlers & carrying their toiletries in an open hand (no bag,no luggage)!! :eek: :eek: Which carried over through the cruise, cutting in line in the WJ, cursing up & down the halls, screaming on cell phones, food trays left in hallways from a.m. to late p.m. which then caused kids to play & throw the food in the halls (kick the spoons, i heard them say)

But I have to admit my first cruise on CCL was a blast !! Good food & service !!! :)

[KillaFee]

The biggest difference for me between Carnival and RCCL is the service. The food is similar (I think both are pretty mediocre) but Royal Caribbean has the friendliest service by far, in my opinion, and this makes a huge difference in the quality of the vacation for me. I would not cruise on Carnival again no matter what. And as far as your suggestion that maybe it has to do w/cruising on an older ship..... I was on the Carnival Liberty, their newest, biggest ship at the time (she's still pretty new, only one new ship since then) so I don't think that has anything to do with it. I'd probably have had a better time on one of their "older" ships that was more "broken in".

Laura

[colkeena]

I have cruised on both lines.Carnival I would compare to Motel 6 and RCCL I would compare to Hilton.That is probably the easist way to explain the difference in my mind.You may enjoy Carnival more.But there are differences.Just be aware.If the price is close, I would choose RCCL.

[kt0331]

I probably can't say anything that anyone else hasn't already said - but I find the two lines very comparable. I didn't notice a dramatic difference in food and that's really a matter of personal taste anyway. The one thing I usually tell people is that the decor of the ships is dramatically different. RCCL tends to just look nicer and more tasteful than the Carnival ships I've been on. I think the staff is more professional on RCCL is probably the only major difference. At the end of the day - you're on vacation and as long as you're doing what you enjoy you should have a good time.

[cruisinfanatic]

The biggest difference for me between Carnival and RCCL is the service. The food is similar (I think both are pretty mediocre) but Royal Caribbean has the friendliest service by far, in my opinion, and this makes a huge difference in the quality of the vacation for me. I would not cruise on Carnival again no matter what. And as far as your suggestion that maybe it has to do w/cruising on an older ship..... I was on the Carnival Liberty, their newest, biggest ship at the time (she's still pretty new, only one new ship since then) so I don't think that has anything to do with it. I'd probably have had a better time on one of their "older" ships that was more "broken in".

Laura

You base your opinion on only 1 Carnival cruise. Not very impartial at all. I've been on several of each so I think I can be a good judge.

Both lines are basically the same. There are pluses and minuses for both. Carnival has a great product as far as price goes. You usually can't get a comparable RCL cruise cheaper than you can for Carnival. Food and service overall is about the same. I love the huge floor to ceiling promenades on Carnival. Much more spectacular than RCL, but RCL's newer ships have the Royal Promenade. They are equally as spectacular. I think there are quite a few more smokers on Carnival vs RCL. We choose RCL for the most part because of their great perks for Platinum and Diamond members. We do pay more, but we think we get more.

This all being said, we would not hesitate to cruise Carnival again if the itinerary was something we'd like to try. Carnival is not even close to being as bad as many (including this poster) make it out to be.

[jdmaillet]

I'm a little curious about the big difference being between Princess/Celebrity and RC and Carnival. I know Celebrity is considered a slight cut above, but Princess? I'm trying to decided right now between Princess and Royal Caribbean so I've been doing some research and RC seems to be coming out on top......

 

Jenn

[cruisinfanatic]

I'm a little curious about the big difference being between Princess/Celebrity and RC and Carnival. I know Celebrity is considered a slight cut above, but Princess? I'm trying to decided right now between Princess and Royal Caribbean so I've been doing some research and RC seems to be coming out on top......

 

Jenn

Just got back from the Caribbean Princess. Very nice, but we get many more perks being diamond members on RCL. Ships are nicer in our opinion too.

[lucky99]

Here's my dilemma:

 

Me and my wife are looking at some eastern/western caribbean cruises on the Carnival Glory/Legend.

 

My in-laws swear up and down that we should avoid Carnival at all costs and go RCL instead. The in-laws claim Carnival's food is lousy vs. Royal Caribbean. They also claim Carnival gets a more "low class" clientele than RCL. Not sure where they're getting their information on the food--I've read good and bad about the food on both cruise lines.

 

I don't care about the "low class" clientele thing, unless it means that Carnival cruisers, on average, are a lot less well behaved (how can anyone generalize like this?), on average, than RCL cruisers.

 

If the "low class" designation means the dress code on Carnival isn't as well enforced as on RCL, then there's no issue for me. Frankly, I'm on vacation. It's not going to ruin my vacation if people wear shorts in the dining rooms. I'd prefer to wear shorts myself, but tend to stick to whatever dress code is recommended.

 

If "low class" means Carnival cruises tend to contain more loud and obnoxious people than cruisers on RCL, then yeah, that would bother me. "Class" doesn't bother me (I'm not a doctor / lawyer / prude / etc). Behavior does.

 

For example, at Disney World, there are value, moderate. and deluxe resorts. I have definitely noticed a difference in behavior between guests who stay at value resorts vs. the moderate resorts; e.g. the value resorts tended, pretty consistently, to contain more guests who would do annoying stuff (to me, personally) like hang out in front of their doors, like hanging out on a stoop, and clog public hallways. And the value resorts attracted more annoying groups of people like kids sports teams, where the chaperones would let the kids run wild. It's obviously a cost issue--moderates cost more than the value resorts, so these kid groups tend to stay at the values.

 

The interior quality of the rooms is about the same between Disney value and moderate rooms, although the moderate rooms are larger and the pool facilities are better at moderate resorts (not an issue if you don't care about pools).

 

If the food on Carnival is, somehow, much worse, on average, than RCL, then that's one reason I might prefer RCL. But then I don't expect 5 star dining on a cruise, given the number of people to be fed daily.

 

A co-worker of my wife has been on a number of cruise lines and claims there's no significant difference between Carnival and RCL. She says the real difference comes between Carnival/RCL and higher tiers of cruise lines like Princess/Celebrity. *That* I can believe.

 

Finally, I wonder--of the people who hate Carnival, did they:

 

-- Take a cruise in peak season? (I tend *never* to travel in high season for any type of vacation travel; it's always a worse / more crowded experience by definition; some people just don't get that there will probably be more loud, obnoxious people--or more of them--cruising during peak season). I'd also guess--and it's just a guess--that during peak season, cruise personnel, including kitchen staff, would be more stressed than in the off-season; and that may directly impact the end result on the plate; though it wouldn't make a difference if the ingredients were poor quality to begin with.

 

-- Take a cruise on an older ship (e.g. 10-15 years old); I tend to look for the largest, newest ships as a hedge; although I don't know that this would get me better food.

 

Finally, yeah, I admit it. I'm not a "partier." I enjoy a few good beers / mixed drinks as much as the next person, but I don't cruise to drink myself into oblivion. So if I'm around a lot of crazy drinkers, I'm going to be less happy on a cruise than without them. But that's my personal preference.

 

I don't judge people who do like to whoop it up; but they can do that in clubs/bars; I'd prefer not to be near them.

 

By Carnival saying they are "the fun ships" or whatever the slogan is, do they really mean "the party ships"? Somehow, I like to think there's room for both family cruisers / cruisers who like it more peaceful and club/bar-goers.

 

And can cruise critic ratings even be trusted? For an eastern caribbean cruise I'm thinking of taking, the Carnival ship got higher overall ratings than the corresponding RCL ship for that same itinerary.

 

Mike

 

We went Carnival twice and both very bad experiences. Both were party ships. One 3 days one 7 days. The May 6th (so it was not spring break) 7 day was actually worse. There were about 8 cabins all around us that the people were having a non-stop party running from room to room, music playing and so drunk one passed out in front of my door. We complained twice to security they made them stop and at 2:30 a.m. on the second night they found a room for us away from the party. Both ships are terribly glitzy and cheap looking. There was a topless section which we both found offensive. There were a bunch of (again) drinkers in one of the hot tubs everyday with a hose and a funnel pouring beer into each other and no one stopped them. One of the girls lost her top several times. There were children around and again, no one said anything to her. One night my husband was walking the deck and a young girl was laying on the top of a stack of chaise's and had passed out. Don't know how she climbed up there. The stack was leaning toward the rail. It took 3 security people to get her off the stack she was so drunk. If the ship hit bad seas she would have been fish food. Food was the worst I have had in 31 cruises. We saw roaches around the drink machine on the Fantasy and reported it. Service was very poor both times and the most of the crew were not even smiling. We tell people that ask about Carnival that they are like a VW, they get you from point A to point B but we would much rather ride in a Cadillac. RCL is not that much of a step up but at least the ships don't look like the County Fair with the glitz and glimmer. We normally try to go Celebrity, Princess or Holland. It appears that Celebrity, Princess and Holland have a different type of crowd that use them. They are a little more expensive but most of the people dress formal on formal night, don't drink insanely as much as the cheaper lines and in general are better behaved. Having said that the only naked person I have encountered in a hallway was on Holland America. They have been romancing the younger crowd (I guess they got tired of wheelchairs and walkers) so now they do get a bit more of a party bunch, obviously. The first Holland cruise we took there were 18 children all total on board. I suppose you get what you pay for as well. We have said we would not go on Carnival again if they gave the cruise for free. Now other people we know go Carnival all the time and are tickled with it but I think they stay pickled as well. Could be we were just unlucky both times.

[kc320]

As other's have said, if the in-laws are going..then go with RCL.. end of discussion..

 

If not, then choose the cruise that best fit's what you are looking for. I have been on 2 Carnival cruises, after the 1st one (Senasation, 7 nt) I didn't care if I never set foot on a Carnival cruise again.. the staff, food & service just didn't do it for us. A few years later we were on the Glory during her inaguaral year... totally different experience.. I had people asking me if I needed anything when I had breakfast in the buffet..just seemed to be much friendlier.. the pizza on Carnival is waaaay better in my opinion.. dining room service is better on RCL... we were actually surprised on Carnival to only have 1 knife, 1 fork & 1 spoon for dinner... used to the multi piece service on RCL.. I am currently diamond on RCL so I do get more perks and they are generally my line of choice....however IF Carnival had a cruise that interested me that I couldn't get with RC then I would be on it in a heartbeat...

[cruisinhs]

I have sailed with Carnival three times and wouldn't hesitate going back to them. Our upcoming cruise on RCCL will be our first, so I have nothing to compare it to. I loved the food on Carnival, thought the people were great, etc. We met so many nice people each time we cruised. I never noticed anything "low class" about Carnival at all. I'm sure that I will love the RCCL cruise as much as the ones on Carnival, but I can hardly believe that someone would describe it so harshly.

[EscapeCruises]

Here's my dilemma:

 

Me and my wife are looking at some eastern/western caribbean cruises on the Carnival Glory/Legend.

 

My in-laws swear up and down that we should avoid Carnival at all costs and go RCL instead. The in-laws claim Carnival's food is lousy vs. Royal Caribbean. They also claim Carnival gets a more "low class" clientele than RCL. Not sure where they're getting their information on the food--I've read good and bad about the food on both cruise lines.

Mike

 

I've been on Carnival twice, Norwegian twice - they are about the same as far as class of ship. I can have a great time no matter where you put me, but, I do prefer Royal Caribbean; even over Princess in a way. (Princess has better food, but less entertainment)

 

I've been on the Voyager Class ships 3x and Freedom Class once.

Next Cruise is Liberty of the Seas, Oct 25th from Miami. I am really looking forward to it. It's a fundraising cruise too, which makes it even better.

You should join our roll coll and come cruise with us

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=552846

[trislow]

Having recently been on both lines, I think I prefer RCCL over CCL but only slightly. If the cost meant the difference between going and not going, I would go CCL, I have also noticed a few more interesting itineraries on CCL. The food is mostly better on RCCL and the decor is much more tasteful on RCCL but the staterooms are nicely appointed on both, and the activities are pretty equal on both.

[pepsicruiser]

There are differences and I have been on both lines and totally like RCI better. I do not think CCL has bad food at all. It really is a hit or miss thing from cruise to cruise and it very subjective. CCL does have been grill food that is avail to anyone outside around the pool. RCI makes you cover up and put shoes on to go get even water in the windjammer.

Here are some big differences that we found:

RCI layout of the ships are better and the traffic flow is better. You never have to go up to go down to go across like on CCL. That is very annoying. CCL ships are not as pretty and the decor seems a lot cheaper... gaudy in some cases. The cabins are bigger on CCL but the storage and use of space is better on RCI. The balcony cabins on RCI are sliding doors so you can leave it open to hear the ocean while you sleep. On CCL it is open or shut or put a chair there to hold the door open. On RCI the artwork on all decks are amazing to see , on CCL just blah. The theaters on CCL are like little love seats on the main level. They also serve drinks all through the shows which may be good if you want drinks for tha hour, but very disruptive to all people around that wait staff who is constantly walking in and out of the rows. On RCI they stop bar servcie as the lights go down, and the seats are individual, like in movie theaters. There is a adult only pool on RCI and none on CCL. We also cruise on value season so it is never overrun by kids, but without that adult area on RCI I would not be able to sit on the side of the pool and not get splashed or run into by the few kids who are there and running and jumping along the sides. There is more adult late night shows on CCL and their entertainment is top notch.

The major diff in the dining room is that on RCI they only sing to you one day( whew) and on CCL they dance every night. This holds you up because they do it before dessert. It was cute the first time, but by the 2nd cruise and every night it become old. I really did not care to see the staff walking around and wiggling or jumping on the serving areas and dancing.... The style of service differs a bit, with CCL they leave all the crumbs on the table and on RCI they clear the crumbs before dessert. It is a nice touch.

I do agree that the party ship has an old reputation of being all young. That is not true at all. The median age was over 50 when we sailed on them, but it was a different crowd. The RCI crowd is a bit quieter I think. Also, on CCL they are always pushing the drinks and on RCI they do not. You can sit near the pool and not be badgered every 5 min on RCI, where on CCL they are in your face telling you to drink since it is your vacation.

 

I love RCI because of the layouts of the ships, ease of getting around and the beauty of them. Plus there is more to do while on board if you like the rock climbing, and all of the other stuff. I think you need to try them both so you can tell the difference. You will not have a bad cruise on CCL , as long as you stick with the newer ships...but to me, they do not compare to a RCI cruise.

 

I totally agree with this post on ALL aspects. The one reason I do stay with RCCL (as there are so many lines in this category of cruise ships) is I get tooooo many discounts ie:diamond, coupons, obc for booking onboard, stock etc. So the way I look at it I get the best deals on RCCL. I overlook the chairhogs, sail when school is on and try to avoid other negative aspects of sailing RCCL.

[Cruising89143]

Ask this question over here and the majority will tell you RCI. Ask the question on the Carnival board and the results will be just the opposite. For the ones that have never cruised on Carnival and knock it, you will find just as many on the Carnival board that have never cruised RCI and knock it.

 

I cruised Carnival 16 times over 11 years. You can look at my sig line and see where my next cruises are going to be. There is a difference IMHO. One is better but again that is me. Try them both for yourself and make your own decision.

[PrettyLA]

The main differences to me are the ships are nicer and better maintained on RCCL and the service is much better on RCCL.

 

I like Royal Caribbean more but you will have fun on whatever you decide.

[alwalaska]

There are differences and I have been on both lines and totally like RCI better. I do not think CCL has bad food at all. It really is a hit or miss thing from cruise to cruise and it very subjective. CCL does have been grill food that is avail to anyone outside around the pool. RCI makes you cover up and put shoes on to go get even water in the windjammer.

Here are some big differences that we found:

RCI layout of the ships are better and the traffic flow is better. You never have to go up to go down to go across like on CCL. That is very annoying. CCL ships are not as pretty and the decor seems a lot cheaper... gaudy in some cases. The cabins are bigger on CCL but the storage and use of space is better on RCI. The balcony cabins on RCI are sliding doors so you can leave it open to hear the ocean while you sleep. On CCL it is open or shut or put a chair there to hold the door open. On RCI the artwork on all decks are amazing to see , on CCL just blah. The theaters on CCL are like little love seats on the main level. They also serve drinks all through the shows which may be good if you want drinks for tha hour, but very disruptive to all people around that wait staff who is constantly walking in and out of the rows. On RCI they stop bar servcie as the lights go down, and the seats are individual, like in movie theaters. There is a adult only pool on RCI and none on CCL. We also cruise on value season so it is never overrun by kids, but without that adult area on RCI I would not be able to sit on the side of the pool and not get splashed or run into by the few kids who are there and running and jumping along the sides. There is more adult late night shows on CCL and their entertainment is top notch.

The major diff in the dining room is that on RCI they only sing to you one day( whew) and on CCL they dance every night. This holds you up because they do it before dessert. It was cute the first time, but by the 2nd cruise and every night it become old. I really did not care to see the staff walking around and wiggling or jumping on the serving areas and dancing.... The style of service differs a bit, with CCL they leave all the crumbs on the table and on RCI they clear the crumbs before dessert. It is a nice touch.

I do agree that the party ship has an old reputation of being all young. That is not true at all. The median age was over 50 when we sailed on them, but it was a different crowd. The RCI crowd is a bit quieter I think. Also, on CCL they are always pushing the drinks and on RCI they do not. You can sit near the pool and not be badgered every 5 min on RCI, where on CCL they are in your face telling you to drink since it is your vacation.

 

I love RCI because of the layouts of the ships, ease of getting around and the beauty of them. Plus there is more to do while on board if you like the rock climbing, and all of the other stuff. I think you need to try them both so you can tell the difference. You will not have a bad cruise on CCL , as long as you stick with the newer ships...but to me, they do not compare to a RCI cruise.

 

 

I think a lot of what you mentioned has more to do with the individual ships than the cruise line. As far as the ship layouts go, we have not been on Carnival, but we are going on the Explorer next year and you can not cross from foreward to aft on either the 2nd or the 3rd floor and that can be a pain. I believe the 4th floor is the casino, so we will have to cut through there, or go all the way up to 5 and back down to go certain places.

 

We were on the Sovereign of the Seas last year and the seats in the theater were love seats, at least in some areas and I was annoyed by waiters walking in front of me with drinks after the lights went out. I'm sure each cruise and ship is a little different. We also had waiters singing to us two nights on a 4 day cruise (I don't really care one way or the other) and I haven't had any waiter other than on Disney clean the crumbs off for me between courses.

 

There is also a huge difference in cabin layout and size depending on the ship you chose.

 

I did really enjoy our Sovereign cruise. I have been leary of Carnival because of their party reputation. I was on the Carnival area of CC when we were planning our Alaska cruise and I didn't think the personalities on the boards would be a good match for our family. Maybe someday I will give them a fair try.

[Sue L]

I did 3 Carnival and so far 3 RCCL. The biggest difference to me is service. We had very similar issues with shore excursions on both lines and the whole proof for us was how the issues were handled. Carnival personnel were rude and combative and never followed up and they were the Shore Excursion desk employees. We had a miserable excursion due in part to their ineptitude and not following through.

 

The RCCL purser's desk staff member, straightened out the problem (because shore desk closed) and not only did it quickly and efficiently, but followed up the next day to make sure the outcome had been satisfactory.

 

When people say they are the same they must be looking at different criteria then we are , we want wonderful service and RCCL fits the bill for us.

[Mammado]

My favorite line to date is Celebrity, but I love experiencing different ships, lines, etc. Only have one RCCL cruise and two CCL cruises to compare. First Carnival cruise was almost 20 years ago, it was my first cruise, so it probably doesn't really count. We sailed on the Serenade to Alaska in 2004 and on Carnival Glory in 2006. We thought the food on Carnival was better. Service was about even. Cabins were about even (balconies on both). Kids program was more structured on RCCL, Carnival wasn't very organized and the counselors weren't great. But the biggest difference we found was in some of the people that sailed on Carnival. We found evidence of willful distruction of property aboard the Carnival ship. Deliberate scratches and markings in the elevators. Things broken around the ship, that would have had to have been broken by someone on purpose. Food and trash was just left all over the place. We would be walking up the stairs and someone would have just put a drink glass down, because they could. Stuff like that. Also, at the late night comedian show on Carnival, some drunks decided to heckle the comedian, to such and extent that he walked off the stage. I am sorry, but security should have removed the pax before the comedian ever got to the point of walking off.

 

Because of those things my husband says that he will never sail on another Carnival ship. We didn't notice these things on RCCL.

 

We have now booked RCCL for 2009, so we will see!