Ahh Mom's thinking about a Carinval cruise...

[concour]

Having cruised both I found that there were a lot of similarities. Would not hesitate to go on Carnival again if the ports and price was right. The biggest problem would be having to wear sunglasses at all times. They, Carnival, really needs to get rid of their interior designer.

[Cruising89143]

I think it all depends on the individual. I much prefer the experience that RCI delivers over that of Carnival. Have cruised both lines many times and have no desire at all to cruise with Carnival again.

 

Try them and judge for yourself. That is the only way that you will know for sure. Stepping away from RCI made me miss even more.:)

[TreasureQuest]

The price would have to be awfully good at this point to get me to consider Carnival. Here one the boards we tend to anticipate just how good a cruise can be, but if a cruise goes wrong, I want to be sailing with a cruise line that has a track record of trying to accommodate it's passengers. I've heard relatively good things about RCI.

 

I'm still pretty stunned by the shabby treatment doled out to the folks who just got off the Conquest. And to make matters worse, the posters on the Carnival boards were pretty brutal to those who posted complaints about their issues.

 

Although I'm platinum on RC, I'd like to try other lines. My experience on NCLA was wonderful and I'd consider Princess or NCL. But I don't think I'd go on Carnival. I suppose that doesn't make me very open-minded, but some risks aren't worth taking.

[FLCruiseGirl]

A while back we booked a Category 11 suite on the Carnival Valor for May 2009. It was about the same price as most of the D1's that we were looking at on RCL. We've been on many RCL cruises (we're Diamonds), and I think they're getting a little overpriced. The quality also seems to be going down. We thought it was time to give Carnival a try - again.

 

We took one Carnival cruise many years ago - maybe 20 - and I don't remember any of the details, except that the food was awful. I also remember saying I'd never book another cruise on Carnival. I've been reading so many good things about them lately that we decided to check it out. I figure that it's been so long since the first cruise with them that it's probably a completely different company now - hopefully for the better.

[DonnaK]

 

Most people who dump on Carnival have never sailed on one of their ships or haven't cruised on them in so long their viewpoint is 20 years old.

 

.

 

We surely don't fall into this generalization.

 

We sailed on the Miracle when it was a few months old, 4 years ago. Now, Miracle is supposed to be one of the most well-liked ships on their most favorable Spirit-class.

 

This ship, and the whole Carnival experience, can't hold a candle to RCI. It was horrible, especially in the area of sub-par service, the ship not being large enough for the number of passengers aboard, the awkward lay-out of the ship, and many other issues. My tweens/teens were bored out of their minds, and were whining to go home. Click on the review in my signature for the details. We would not recommend Carnival to our friends, nor would we sail it again, no matter how cheap the fare is. YUCK!

[SeafordCruiser]

Loyal to Royal yet never had a bad Carnival cruise...You'll enjoy either one especially at your age...Go have FUN!!!!:)

[honeywell]

This was from an article written in 2005 about disappearances at sea. However, millions of people cruise each year and this is mostly a crime free vacation. I would not let that weigh in my decision making process. An excerpt from the article states,

 

"That eight of the 11 incidents found since 2000 occurred on Carnival Cruise Lines ships could be a result of its dominant position in the market. The company's fleet of 20 ships can hold more than 48,000 passengers, de la Cruz said.

 

De la Cruz said that the totals compiled by The Business Journal underrepresent incidents involving other cruise lines. "I really don't think the non-Carnival statistic is accurate and unfortunately it paints a skewed picture," she wrote in a June 1 e-mail."

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2005/06/06/story1.html

[ivycruise]

I'm glad I finally stopped listening to people who had negative opinions of XXX line. Didn't seem to matter, many disparaged every line. I had no desire to try it again after my Disney cruise with all the negativity. Finally, circumstances occurred where I pretty much had to go along for a Carnival cruise on the Glory. I had a blast, the family had a blast and my teenage daughter loved the 15-17 club. Will do a different itinerary with them in 2009.

 

Also had a blast on our RCCL cruise, same results for all of us, and planning to do more with them soon, still contemplating which port, price etc.

 

You need to just try it for yourself so you have a basis for comparison.

[WishIwerethere]

Most people who dump on Carnival have never sailed on one of their ships or haven't cruised on them in so long their viewpoint is 20 years old.

 

She's your mother......let her cruise where she wants to cruise. You are her child' date=' show some respect for her wishes.[/quote']

 

Wrong on first point -Right on second.

 

RCI can't be beat (IMO) but your mom deserves consideration.

[mariloum]

8 Carnival

 

4 RCI

 

1 Disney

 

10 Celebrity

 

Loved them all - there are good things and bad things on all cruises, if your really picky you will fine something wrong on every cruise.

 

Try it you will like it.

 

Marilou

[RoofingPrincess]

3 cruises on Royal, 1 on Princess, 1 on Carnival.

So far, I prefer Royal. I'd sail on Carnival again before Princess, though.

The service on Carnival wasn't quite as good as on Royal. When I entered my cabin, there was a whole pile of dirty glasses on the desk, left from the prior guest(s). Several hours later, they were still there. When I paged the cabin attendant, he came quickly, said he'd thought they were mine, then blamed his assistant as he took them away. That was the last I saw of him for the rest of the cruise. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but there were days that it was nearly noon by the time my room was made up, and on the last full day (at sea), it was after 1 pm. Sorry, just not up to my expectations. Food and entertainment were acceptable. I could've lived without having the dining room waiters sing or dance EVERY night, though.

Plus, my Carnival cruise was on the Ecstasy, which I felt was well laid-out (MUCH better than the Caribbean Princess) but decorated in a very gaudy, jarring fashion. The dining room ceilings felt really low, and in the one we were assigned to, there were all kinds of lights in the ceiling that flashed different colors. Just not my cup of tea.

I felt the Caribbean Princess was not well laid-out -- there always seemed to be traffic jams. Plus I've been spoiled by RCCL ships into wanting an atrium area more than 3 stories tall! :) In addition, that cruise had 4 at-sea days, and there were not many activities listed on those days. It seemed like there was one activity at any given time, take it or leave it -- compared to several choices on both RCCL and CCL.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

So my family has always traveled with RCI. I've always planned to travel with them becuase I love the line. But this Jan we are going on a cruise and my mom said that we might take Carinval....I liked a couple cruises I saw and they are affordable, but its not RC.

 

What do other RCI fans think of Carnival.

I'll be able to tell you next year!;) Our CC buddies who we have cruised with twice on RCI are loyal Carnival cruisers & they have convinced us to join them on the Glory in 2010. I was hesitant, but the more I read about the ship & the itinerary the more impressed I am. Now I'm looking forward to it. One plus - it will be nice to have a change of pace on the menus & shows. Our next three cruises are on three different cruise lines!:cool: (Also, I bet there are still chocolates on the pillows & they are not charging $14.95 for a steak in the main dining room!;))

[GoodAsGold]

G'ma, I like your style! Two thumbs up!

 

 

 

As a hard-core Carnival traveler with 61 of their cruises under my belt - and having sailed on their ships since 1977' date=' I can say that you and your family will have a great time.

 

Overall, I've 200+ cruises in my history, many of those on RCCL ships - my last was in 2005.

 

I enjoy RCCL very much and have always had a good time. I also enjoy Carnival and find the experiences very similar....with a similar demographic, similar entertainment, etc.

 

I am a "hardcore" Carnival cruiser because they have better solo rates than any others....and, for the past 15 years, I've cruised solo - except once a year when I take my grandson. Their ships are great, food is great, entertainment and itineraries very nice.

 

Most people who dump on Carnival have never sailed on one of their ships or haven't cruised on them in so long their viewpoint is 20 years old.

 

She's your mother......let her cruise where she wants to cruise. You are her child, show some respect for her wishes.[/quote']

[GoodAsGold]

I'm 57 and have sailed on three different Carnival 4 night cruises, as well as two 7 day sailings. Not one time did I encounter anything that even remotely resembled a party or overly drunk, young people. Well....actually now that I think back, on our first cruise on the Tropicale we sat at a table with 5 other women. Three of them we nicknamed The Golden Girls. One night the oldest of the group (she was in her late 70s) was winning big at the slots. Everytime she won, she bought a drink. She had to be helped by a crew member back to her cabin. LOL I wouldn't classify her as one of those 'young party types'. Seriously, I think the Party Boat label given to Carnival a long time ago no longer applies to most of their ships. Sure, a 3 day cruise would tend to be more "active". But that also applies to RCI short cruises.

 

On every cruise I've sailed on, whether it be Carnival, Princess or NCL, I've always seen the same mix of passengers. Families, singles, couples, kids, some college students. The ones that might attract a bit of an older crowd are those 10 days and longer and off-season. I did notice more scooters in the hallway on my first 10 day cruise. :)

[GoodAsGold]

Hmmmm...seems to me RCI has had some myterious stories, too. ;)

 

 

What happend?!?!?

 

My boss told me that people go missing from their ships.....is that actually true. I know people come up missing on all the lines at one point or another. But he said that he's heard a lot about how Carnival looses people....

[GoodAsGold]

Good for you, mariloum! Variety is the spice of life. So is an open mind. :) You sound like a fun person to cruise with.

 

 

8 Carnival

 

4 RCI

 

1 Disney

 

10 Celebrity

 

Loved them all - there are good things and bad things on all cruises, if your really picky you will fine something wrong on every cruise.

 

Try it you will like it.

 

Marilou

[MrPete]

So my family has always traveled with RCI. I've always planned to travel with them becuase I love the line. But this Jan we are going on a cruise and my mom said that we might take Carinval....I liked a couple cruises I saw and they are affordable, but its not RC.

 

What do other RCI fans think of Carnival.

 

I read more people trying their first Carnival cruise coming off actually enjoying it more for their personal reasons.

 

Perception doesn't match reality. We've done it the other way, and overall still like Carnival better. But we still love them both.

 

Even Burger King clientel swear on BG stuff cause that's all they've ever had, until they try McDonalds.

[medic123]

I have only sailed on the Fascination, so comparing apples to apples. That cruise and the Sovereign are about equal. I choose the Sovereign only due to Coco Cay. I really like the extra beach day. The food and service were about equal. The carnival cabins were alot bigger. So go with Moms decision and a good attitude and you will have a great time.

[halos]

I have cruised both lines, and find pros and cons in both of them. No one will have fun on any cruise line with a closed mind. So go with a open mind and you will have a blast.

 

Thank you for a good response. :)

 

 

 

 

Die hard RC fan here who is now a die hard Carnival cruiser too! Both my DH and I like Carnival better for several reasons. Will we still cruise RC, sure leaving on one end of Oct. But I always look at Carnival first. Next 2 after this one are on Carnival. Their food is excellent, cabins bigger. Our staff on our last cruise was top notch. When we were on the AOS and told our tablemates about our 1st Carnival cruise a few bashed us......well they never had even sailed on them. You will be so surprised. I Don't mind if people give a honest review after being on them, but judging without sailing them isn't really fair.

I can't wait to try other lines also. It is nice to have variety!!:)

 

My feelings exactly!

The worst thing about the bashing is that it comes from folks who sailed CCL years ago, or worse, never at all. Their product has improved dramatically over the past 25 years...unlike other lines which seem to be on the way down in many areas...(like food on Royal, for instance ;)

 

The ONLY way you'll know if you like a line is to go in and try it with an open mind. Carnival isn't much different from Royal. I have NO idea why RCI loyalists seem to think their product is superior.

It isn't better, it's different.

The one and ONLY edge I will give to Royal is their ships are gorgeous. Carnival's are not. But Carnivals' food is much better (with the exception of our very first CCL cruise back in 1991 when the food was mediocre) and the service has always been excellent as well. The shows and entertainment about equal (basic cruise entertainment)

But, if you need the rock climbing walls and ice skating, then Carnival won't work for you, because they won't have this.

 

Carnival consistantly fills a lot of ships. let's be real, obviously there are quite a few people who sail it enough that would disagree with the disparaging remarks made here.

But you'll only know for sure if you try it yourself.

 

personally, I love cruising. I am addicted to CRUISING. I have no addiction to any line. I've loved every one I've tried so far. They each offer something different...which is GOOD!! You don't get bored if you have variety!

 

I say go for it. You may be pleasantly surprised. ;)

 

Oh, and it might be a good thing to go over to the Carnival Boards and peek around...ask about the ships your Mom is interested in. ;)

[Cruising89143]

Thank you for a good response. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

My feelings exactly!

The worst thing about the bashing is that it comes from folks who sailed CCL years ago, or worse, never at all. Their product has improved dramatically over the past 25 years...unlike other lines which seem to be on the way down in many areas...(like food on Royal, for instance ;)

 

The ONLY way you'll know if you like a line is to go in and try it with an open mind. Carnival isn't much different from Royal. I have NO idea why RCI loyalists seem to think their product is superior.

It isn't better, it's different.

The one and ONLY edge I will give to Royal is their ships are gorgeous. Carnival's are not. But Carnivals' food is much better (with the exception of our very first CCL cruise back in 1991 when the food was mediocre) and the service has always been excellent as well. The shows and entertainment about equal (basic cruise entertainment)

But, if you need the rock climbing walls and ice skating, then Carnival won't work for you, because they won't have this.

 

Carnival consistantly fills a lot of ships. let's be real, obviously there are quite a few people who sail it enough that would disagree with the disparaging remarks made here.

But you'll only know for sure if you try it yourself.

 

personally, I love cruising. I am addicted to CRUISING. I have no addiction to any line. I've loved every one I've tried so far. They each offer something different...which is GOOD!! You don't get bored if you have variety!

 

I say go for it. You may be pleasantly surprised. ;)

 

Oh, and it might be a good thing to go over to the Carnival Boards and peek around...ask about the ships your Mom is interested in. ;)

 

It's all about having an opinion. In some peoples opinion one cruise line is better/superior than the other. Doesn't make them right or wrong. Doesn't make you right or wrong when you say that they are equal or that Carnival has better food. I am one of those that feel RCI is better than Carnival. For what I'm looking for in an overall cruise experience, RCI delivers a much better product than that of Carnival.

 

It's also very funny that the Carnival crowd always likes to throw in that famous "well the ones that bash us are the ones that have never tried the product". LMAO!!!!! They seem to get their panities in a wad much easier over there when someone makes a negative comment and even goes so far to say that it's bashing. Yet when the question is asked about the two lines over on the Carnival board you hear this famous line "why should I try RCI when I can get the same thing on Carnival for less". So much for being open minded eh.;)

[halos]

. I am one of those that feel RCI is better than Carnival. For what I'm looking for in an overall cruise experience, RCI delivers a much better product than that of Carnival.

 

 

So RCI is better for YOU. That doesn't make it a better line. ;) I don't claim that Carnival is better. I'm not a loyalist. I find that boring.

 

I heard that Celebrity was better...'hands down far superior than all the rest'

......it was my least favorite cruise. That doesn't mean that it is Worse, it means I personally did not find it appealing. That is why the OP needs to decide for themselves. That is my only objective in posting on this thread...to make the OP see that he/she will only know for sure when he/she tries the a cruise line.

[Cruising89143]

So RCI is better for YOU. That doesn't make it a better line. ;) I don't claim that Carnival is better. I'm not a loyalist. I find that boring.

 

I heard that Celebrity was better...'hands down far superior than all the rest'

......it was my least favorite cruise. That doesn't mean that it is Worse, it means I personally did not find it appealing. That is why the OP needs to decide for themselves. That is my only objective in posting on this thread...to make the OP see that he/she will only know for sure when he/she tries the a cruise line.

 

 

It does to me and that is my "opinion" just like it's your "opinion" that Carnival has better food. Just because someone thinks that one cruise line is better over the other does not make them a loyalist, it means that they prefer one line over the other.:rolleyes:

[firefly333]

So RCI is better for YOU. That doesn't make it a better line. ;) I don't claim that Carnival is better. I'm not a loyalist. I find that boring.

 

Why bash someone for their opinion? Everyone should be allowed their own opinion without being bashed.

 

The OP after all asked for people's opinions how she would like Carnival. I agree that you have to try a cruiseline to know how it suits you, but all cruiselines have pluses and minuses.

[halos]

Why bash someone for their opinion? Everyone should be allowed their own opinion without being bashed.

 

The OP after all asked for people's opinions how she would like Carnival. I agree that you have to try a cruiseline to know how it suits you, but all cruiselines have pluses and minuses.

 

I didn't bash...how is that statement a bash? :confused:

I guess it's a bash because I'm on the Royal boards and not a Royal Loyal??? ;)

To me, cruising on the same line all the time would be boring.

I'm just saying that saying an entire line is better for you is fine, that's your opinion. But one is not better than the other, they are just different, and one may be better for each individual than the other, but certainly not the whole.

All cruiselines have pluses and minuses is my whole point.

 

I guess I feel obligated to point out to people that the only way to know is to try something yourself. If I had continued listening to other people, I'd have never experienced one of my favorite cruises and on the other hand if I hadn't listened to the 'superiority complex' of some other posters on other boards, I possibly may NOT have been so utterly disappointed in one of my other cruises.

[karkee07]

Why bash someone for their opinion? Everyone should be allowed their own opinion without being bashed.

 

The OP after all asked for people's opinions how she would like Carnival. I agree that you have to try a cruiseline to know how it suits you, but all cruiselines have pluses and minuses.

 

Thank You, it's nice to see some people knew where I was coming from!

 

haha the way people freak out is highly amusing.

 

I am more then willing to try a diffrent line, just a bit nervous because I love everything I've done with RCL so far. I am confident on that cruise line, obviously.

 

We almost booked an NCL cruise, then rethought the CC cruise and decided finally back on RCL.

 

I was looking forward to trying a new line, but I am most comfortable with a RCL. And CocoCay is my favorite place so far.

 

I am glad that we stuck with RCL, but I will try a diffrent line, maybe in 2010(talking my mom into a 7night, lol)