Jumping ship from Royal to Carnival

[SCOOP]

Hi HB,

I remember your posts on RCCL side of cruise critic. We have jumped ship too to Carnival. We have done 6 RCCL. Our kids, 13,10 and 5 have gone on only one cruise with us and they are going with us in Aug on Carnival Freedom. I did alot of research and it did not take a whole lot of time to figure out that I got more for my buck with Carnival, especially with the kids. We were also at the point where we had to try something different also. After reading the many posts...I am looking forward to Carnival Liberty!

BTW for quick comparisons on price,date, itinerary etc just go to Orbitz and find a cruise and naviagte around what you think you like instead of going to one cruise ship company's web page.

Scoop

[SCOOP]

I meant Carnival Freedom not Liberty

[#1BradyFan]

We too have to give Carnival a chance!!! we had no complaints with any of our Royal cruises but the price difference between Royal and Carnival is crazy :eek:

So next May 2010 we are giving Freedom a try- my main concern is the food as my DH is sooo picky- but from what I've read, he has nothing to worry about!

We are a group of 10 adults so far and hopefully will add to that!!:)

[HB Cruiser]

Thanks for the advice on using Orbitz. It helped a lot.

 

Can a Carnival expert explain the major diffs between the balcony categories? Not interested in the sweets, just balconies.

 

Tim

[katiel53]

We are Diamond Plus on RCI, but like to sail from Pt Canaveral. We wanted to do a cruise the end of February, but since Mariner left for the west coast, we decided to sail on Carnival's Glory as RCI had no ship there for 7 night cruises. We absolutely loved Glory.

 

The food was far better than RCI. Far more choices for lunch than RCI has. Our cabin, an 8D was a bit smaller than a regular balcony on Royal. On Royal we either get a D1 or JS.

 

The casino on Glory seemed to me to be larger than those on RCI also. I can only say good things about our Glory trip. So much so, that we canceled our Liberty of the Seas cruise and booked Glory again. Then for our 25th anniversary, we decided to go on Carnival Dream.

 

I think for Western Caribbean cruises, Freedom's itinerary is no where near as good as Glory or Dream. I also like going to Nassau on the Eastern route instead of RCI's private island. I realize many people love the private island and if I were traveling with children, I'm sure I would too. I guess I have been to Coco Cay many times and it's not of interest to me. I like going to Atlantis Casino in Nassau better, lol.

 

Anyway, I don't think you will be disappointed if you sail a new(er) Carnival ship. The ships aren't as pretty as RCI ships, but they are a lot of fun.

 

Enjoy.

[chewslak]

Tim,

 

My family (wife and 2 kids) recently went on a RCL cruise - a short 3 day one - just to get away for a long weekend. The only cruise that fit into our schedule was the RCL Monarch of the Seas out of Pt. Canaveral. This was our first time on RCL, we both have been on at least 6 cruise a piece and we consider ourselves nearly experts because we choice cruise wisely and dont want to waste our money.

 

We personally think that we made a huge mistake taking that cruise (we actually have another one booked on Carnival this summer) to erase this memory. To start, let me say that maybe this is due to the age of the ship but the room size, OMG, is so much larger on Carnival. They proclaim to have the largest rooms on the seas. RCL we fealt like we were sleeping in a closet - small rooms!! Now, my wife and I only have stayed in interior rooms on various decks - if we want to see outside we go up on deck. I totally understand the aspect of having fresh air when you need it ASAP!! The showers have more room, there is a gift basket in the bathroom of things to use (not on RCL). We fealt that the room stewards were friendlier on Carnival and the overall community space on the RCL ship seemed to be a waste, could have used in the rooms. RCL didnt serve food 24 hr. a day, they closed down areas and RS was an additional charge after a certain period, not on CCL, food avail. all the time somewhere. Also, it seems that RCL wants to charge additional for things - ice cream and anything other than water, tea and lemonade. FREE, FREE, FREE on CCL - soft serve ice cream, fruit juices all day, coffee.

 

I personally wanted to go on the new Oasis of the Seas, but after going on the Monarch of the Seas, I'm not sure. RCL ships are larger, but I would rather have the amenities vs the larger ship.

 

I cant really suggest any newer CCL ships except for the Carnival Liberty - this was our Wedding Cruise so it was nice for us. Hope this helps.

[ColoradoMom!!]

I didn't want to start a new thread on this touchy subject, but I just have to ask. I really want to go on the Valor :). We are not cruise snobs, food snobs, balcony snobs, or any other snobs . . . except . . . smoke snobs. I read a few reviews that said it is truly impossible to get away from the smoke smell. Please comment. I didn't have any problem on the Mariner - not that people didn't smoke, but I didn't smell it everywhere. I enjoyed the trivia for example on the Mariner, and don't recall it being in a smoke filled room.

 

Thanks.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I cruised on Princess for the first time last year and now I am convinced that changing cruise lines occassionally is a good thing - it keeps things new. We are Platinum on RCI and will be sailing RCI again in September. However, there is no longer any big incentive for us to get to Diamond. So we are open to new lines.

 

We are currently booked on the Sapphire Princess for next year. However, we have good friends who are booked on the Splendor (same itinerary) and we are considering joining them. So for those who have cruised Princess and Carnival - the savings for the Carnival Cruise is considerable (the Mariner is even more expensive for the same category room). I could pay for half of an Alask cruise for my DD & I a few months later with the price difference. Will I be disappointed in Carnival after RCI and then Princess? Or should I just consider it another new adventure?:)

 

BTW, it is nice to see some familiar screen names over here from the RCI forum!:p

[Drew B]

I didn't want to start a new thread on this touchy subject, but I just have to ask. I really want to go on the Valor :). We are not cruise snobs, food snobs, balcony snobs, or any other snobs . . . except . . . smoke snobs. I read a few reviews that said it is truly impossible to get away from the smoke smell. Please comment. I didn't have any problem on the Mariner - not that people didn't smoke, but I didn't smell it everywhere. I enjoyed the trivia for example on the Mariner, and don't recall it being in a smoke filled room.

 

Thanks.

 

It will really depend on the week you happen to go, your sensitivity, not to mention how you like to spend your time. I did a B2B on the Valor, and one week had heavy smoke (but really only bad in the casino and the piano bar) and the other week had little smoking anywhere (at least that I could see). Then again, I smoke, so I wouldn't even notice if there was a little smoke (like one cigarette being smoked on the other side of the room) - I would only notice if the smoke got heavy.

[halos]

I didn't want to start a new thread on this touchy subject, but I just have to ask. I really want to go on the Valor :). We are not cruise snobs, food snobs, balcony snobs, or any other snobs . . . except . . . smoke snobs. I read a few reviews that said it is truly impossible to get away from the smoke smell. Please comment. I didn't have any problem on the Mariner - not that people didn't smoke, but I didn't smell it everywhere. I enjoyed the trivia for example on the Mariner, and don't recall it being in a smoke filled room.

 

Thanks.

 

My personal experience (which may be different from others) is that there have been more smokers (for some reason) on my CCL cruises than on the other lines I have sailed.

BUT...as irritating as cigarette smoke is to me, it has never been an issue. CCL has a designated smoking 'side' of the ship. The only place it is usually an issue is in the casino and some bars. MY cabin has never been a problem, nor the dining areas :) Hope that helps you.

[firefly333]

I didn't want to start a new thread on this touchy subject, but I just have to ask. I really want to go on the Valor :). We are not cruise snobs, food snobs, balcony snobs, or any other snobs . . . except . . . smoke snobs. I read a few reviews that said it is truly impossible to get away from the smoke smell. Please comment. I didn't have any problem on the Mariner - not that people didn't smoke, but I didn't smell it everywhere.

 

Just my experience, but since RCL no longer allows smoking in the cabins, a lot of smokers jumped ship. Before they started the current smoking policy, there were always lots of smokers up on deck by the pool in the early morning I hung out with to chat. Now there are hardly any smokers. I think less smokers book RCL now that they cant smoke in their staterooms. just my two cents.

[firefly333]

I personally wanted to go on the new Oasis of the Seas, but after going on the Monarch of the Seas, I'm not sure. RCL ships are larger, but I would rather have the amenities vs the larger ship.

 

Seriously, the older RCL ships do have tiny cabins. One has already been sent to Spain, 2 left? Majesty and Monarch. Comparing the Monarch with Oasis, seems like you might want to research a little more, as the cabins on Oasis are going to be roughly comparable to Carnival in size. apples and oranges. We did SOV and said never again with that class of ship. Luckily I knew only those 3 older ships had cabins that small.

[Leafpeeper]

We enjoy cruising on different cruiselines just for variety. I could never stick with just one line. We like seeing different decor, different restaurants, and different production shows. We like NCL,RCCL, Carnival, and Princess. There are things we like on each cruiseline. I can't imagine just cruising on the same cruiseline over and over.

 

New Carnival ships offer the outdoor movies, which we love. DH enjoys the casino most on Carnival ships because of the special tables game rates. I used to like the aft pools on the older Carnival ships, but now these ships have waterslides, which attracts more noise. I do prefer ships that offer adults only pools and enforce this rule.

 

I was happy to see RCCL add the anytime dining option because we simply like having choices. I personally prefer quiet dinners in a small venue with soft lighting. I don't like large dining rooms with lots of people. I booked another Carnival cruise today but will hope my ship will offer anytime dining by the time we sail. We hate an assigned time to eat because we like to be flexible. RCCL offers a hot menu for dinner on room service, which I use alot during my cruises. I wish other cruiselines did too. Here's hoping all cruiselines keep offering more places to dine.

 

We like Carnival prices and enjoy their kareoke every night in the same room. Many cruiselines have it different nights in different lounges at different times. That confuses me. Right now we tend to book Carnival for cruises less than a week because we don't like dining in the same restaurant night after night. If the newer ships offered reduced prices for early bird diners, we may consider a longer cruise.

 

I do wish Carnival had more specialty restaurants because I like dining in different places at affordable rates. NCL seems to offer the best deals with 3 specialty restaurants that charge $10-$15pp.

 

I recommend trying a different cruiseline whenever possible.

[Arizona Laura]

I cruised on Princess for the first time last year and now I am convinced that changing cruise lines occassionally is a good thing - it keeps things new. We are Platinum on RCI and will be sailing RCI again in September. However, there is no longer any big incentive for us to get to Diamond. So we are open to new lines.

 

We are currently booked on the Sapphire Princess for next year. However, we have good friends who are booked on the Splendor (same itinerary) and we are considering joining them. So for those who have cruised Princess and Carnival - the savings for the Carnival Cruise is considerable (the Mariner is even more expensive for the same category room). I could pay for half of an Alask cruise for my DD & I a few months later with the price difference. Will I be disappointed in Carnival after RCI and then Princess? Or should I just consider it another new adventure?:)

 

BTW, it is nice to see some familiar screen names over here from the RCI forum!:p

 

Hi Ginny.

Wasn't even looking for you and here you are.

Nice surprise.

 

I am not jumping ship from RCL but hey I am not Diamond and not a Royal Champion (not implying anything negative)..I have nothing to lose. I am just broadening my horizons.

My first cruise was on the Victory had a wonderful time but landed up on Royal and will have at the end of the month 2 bookings with them. One on the Radiance in Sept and one on the Mariner in 2011. It is primarily because of the people from CC RCL boards I wanted to cruise with that I made those decisions along with sticking to the MR cruises for a while.

 

We made the decision to go with Carnival on the Splendor in February because of being a newer ship and there were some things about Carnival we liked and wanted to revisit the cruise line again.

 

I will weigh all factors in making my cruising decisions. I never see it strictly being one cruise line.

 

I also recognize some RCL posters over here too.:)

 

Laura

[Kurbanfan]

I personally wanted to go on the new Oasis of the Seas, but after going on the Monarch of the Seas, I'm not sure. RCL ships are larger, but I would rather have the amenities vs the larger ship.

 

 

 

Comparing the Monarch to the Oasis is like comparing the Holiday with the Liberty..........you might want to do some more research;)

Actually I don't think you could compare any ship in any cruiseline to the Oasis.........

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Comparing the Monarch to the Oasis is like comparing the Holiday with the Liberty..........you might want to do some more research;)

Actually I don't think you could compare any ship in any cruiseline to the Oasis.........

I have to agree on that one. The Monarch is a much older ship and has the smallest staterooms in the fleet! Plus very few balconies - only JS and above. Comparing a Monarch and Majesty cruise experience to any other ship in the RCI fleet is not a fair comparison. OTOH, the monarch's crew & service was some of the best I have ever experienced - at least when she was in LA.:)

[Kurbanfan]

I have to agree on that one. The Monarch is a much older ship and has the smallest staterooms in the fleet! Plus very few balconies - only JS and above. Comparing a Monarch and Majesty cruise experience to any other ship in the RCI fleet is not a fair comparison. OTOH, the monarch's crew & service was some of the best I have ever experienced - at least when she was in LA.:)[/quote]

 

 

And I totally agree with you here......:)

[Sunny AZ Girl]

And I totally agree with you here......:)

That is why so many of us were so sad to see her leave the left coast....:( However, I don't think I would have been at all happy sqeezed into one of those teeny outside cabins for 7 days or longer...not after experiencing the other ships in the fleet!:eek: For a 3 or 4 night cruise she was a great get away for a very low price most of the time. But the time has come to move on and try out other ships and other lines!;)

[dclark]

Comparing the Monarch to the Oasis is like comparing the Holiday with the Liberty..........you might want to do some more research;)

Actually I don't think you could compare any ship in any cruiseline to the Oasis.........

 

I compared the RCL Explorer to the CCL Ecstacy and in food and service, Ecstacy was way better, despite being older and smaller.

CCL gives more for less than RCL, regardless of ship.

[Kurbanfan]

I compared the RCL Explorer to the CCL Ecstacy and in food and service, Ecstacy was way better, despite being older and smaller.

CCL gives more for less than RCL, regardless of ship.

 

Food is very subjective and as for service.......depending on who you get for waiters and room steward it could very well differ even on the same sailing according to the reviews........

And as far as ship itself.......nothing even in the making comes close to the Oasis.......

And unless you have been on every ship your last sentence holds no truth IMO........

But I have to say you are the third person on here that has said the food stinks on the Explorer.......

[HB Cruiser]

Food is very subjective and as for service.......depending on who you get for waiters and room steward it could very well differ even on the same sailing according to the reviews........

And as far as ship itself.......nothing even in the making comes close to the Oasis.......

And unless you have been on every ship your last sentence holds no truth IMO........

But I have to say you are the third person on here that has said the food stinks on the Explorer.......

 

I have read this same thing about the food on Explorer. As a matter of fact, we met someone on Mariner that happened to be on our very Explorer cruise that stated the same that they thought the food was as bad as they ever had. Fortunately for us, don't know why, but our take on the food was different. Our's was wonderful. Probably one of the top three of the 15+ we have taken.

 

I have to also agree on the cabin size on Monarch as well as all the Sovereign class. They are extreemly small but come on, how much time is spent in a cabin on a 3/4 day cruise? We only spend enough time to sleep, shower, and change clothes on those short cruises.

 

As far as comparing the Sovereign class to any other class is not a fair comparison. Any class of RCCL ships has much larger cabins than the Sov class.

 

Thanks for all the info folks. Keep it commin, you might get me to try Carnival!

 

Tim

[sammee]

I'm on the Jump Ship dillemma too. I'm booked for aug 28 on the Explorer, but looking at an August trip on the Fascination. I can cut the cost in 1/2 and just about cover the tips. It's not so much about the money, I'm only an hour away from Cape Liberty, but it will be a day's drive to Jacksonville. WE've only been on one cruise, the explorer, so I have no idea what we can expect in comparison. We're not in much of a position here, hubby's hours were cut, so the change will be a necessity unless I can win another contest to cover the extra $1500 for Explorer.

 

Now maybe somebody can hype me up and tell me how much more I'll love the Fascination and Bahamas, than Bermuda & Explorer, or down me how much I'll hate it, lol.

[WeBeCruisin']

I'd do the Splendor in a heartbeat! It's newer than Mariner, and $700 cheaper! :)

 

Great idea! In fact, I think I'll do just that in 9 days! :D

[Texaspepper]

We have cruised several times with "the other guys" ;) and are thinking of changing to another line to get a different experience. We have been very loyal to RCCL for a variety of reasons but just thinking we might change.

 

Can any of you offer advice a ship and category we might be interested in? We will only cruise with a balcony (wife has clostrophobia (sp) and has to have one) and are only interested in the newer ships. We were interested in I think the Freedom/Independence, not sure which one she is, out of Ft. Lauderdale for Memoral Day 2010 but it is only a six day and want a 7 day or longer.

 

I am sure you all have been asked this several times but would like some honest answers.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Tim

 

Living in Ft Worth, TX, Galveston is our port of choice. Carnival Conquest sails year round. RCL Voyager of the Seas sails Dec 15th - Mid April. Ship preference is Voyager. Cleaner with better layout of the ship. Got to love the Viking Lounge at sunset. Conquest has a better walk up grill on the Lido deck. Fresh made hamburgers and such. RCL has a "pre-fab pre-cooked" hamburger on the back of Windjammer. Meat sitting in warmer pans.

 

When we can't sail RCL we sail Carnival and not disappointed. (That's my wife's opinion):confused: Me, I think the food is a cut above on RCL. . love the lunch dinning experience and the pool deck BBQ, Chili cookouts. Yes, room service is better on RCL.