RCCL vs Carnival - my opinion

[iluvbkk]

We sailed on the Carnival Freedom, 12-night Med cruise, last October. We were 3 adults and one pre-teen so we specifically chose Carnival because their cabins are larger. We thought the food was very good, especially the steak. The pizza and caesar salad is wonderful as is their deli selections. Our dining room waitress was fabulous. The excursions were not that good, however. Haven't been on RCI for some time but will be sailing on the Brilliance in Nov. Did, however, sail with RCI about 3 yrs ago on a 10 or 11-night Southern Carib cruise and the cabin was the size of a postage stamp...about 125 sq. ft. Horrible!

[RunnerNic]

ok i have a question... you can see in my signature that i've cruised 6 times with RCCl... we were/are considering the Carnival Dream for July 2010. Do you think it's worth it or should we stick with RCCL???

[OV8]

As a Las Vegas native how can one say "Carnival's ship was like Las Vegas on Steroids (although I've never been to Las Vegas...", if you've never been you don't have a point of reference to make this statement. In fact, RCCL's ships are closer to the kind of decor found in today's newer Las Vegas hotel/casinos (e.g. Palazzo, Encore, Wynn, Planet Hollywood, etc.). I'd describe Carnival's ship decor as Art Deco with unusual color combinations. I'd say Joe Farcus designs are "Miami Beach meets New York shopping mall".

 

 

Nah - more like Old Vegas on Crack.

[OV8]

ok i have a question... you can see in my signature that i've cruised 6 times with RCCl... we were/are considering the Carnival Dream for July 2010. Do you think it's worth it or should we stick with RCCL???

 

I would go for it in a heart beat.

Of course not every1 wants a new adventure - even if the brand encourages it - & just want the status quo.

Nothing wrong with that either! :)

[RunnerNic]

that's what i figure a new adventure!!

[A2Mich]

ok i have a question... you can see in my signature that i've cruised 6 times with RCCl... we were/are considering the Carnival Dream for July 2010. Do you think it's worth it or should we stick with RCCL???

 

Hi Nicole....I can't really compare Carnival and RCI, as we haven't taken our RCI cruise yet, but I can give you my perspective of Carnival.

 

If you have reasonable expectations and are not looking for absolute perfection, you should be fine on a Carnival cruise. As for the usual "gripes" from other posters.....the decor.....well, it can be....umm...different, yet elegant, in a strange way. I actually don't pay too much attention, as I'm more focused on having a good time. Cabin size....typical cabin size for any cabin (except suites) is 185 sq ft, though the Dream will have some new cabin categories. Food.....I've always found it to be quite good.....gourmet? No, but good. I never left the MDR hungry or disappointed.....the buffet can be kind of dicey at times, but there is always something to please everyone. Entertainment.....usually pretty good....the comedians generally have several shows....a clean, family version as well as a raunchier, adult-only version. Pool games range from funny to ridiculous, but there is always the usual bingo, art auctions, wine tastings. Pools are saltwater, though the pools on the Dream..not sure. Just so you won't feel too out of place, there will be the usual line cutting at the buffet, and of course the paperback novels and towels working on their tans (ie: saving of deck chairs since 2 am). The usual suspects also have extra charges (alcohol, soda/pop, upscale dining, gratuities, etc), as well as several loudspeaker announcements per hour about late-breaking fun, etc. I don't want to say that Carnival is low-class, as I don't feel it is, though I feel it may not be as classy as Princess, and can't compare it to RCI. I've met people from all walks of life and every income level on a Carnival cruise, so when you hear comments about Carnival cruisers being poor, lower-class, trailer park trash, losers, etc (insert other derogatory adjective here), it's not true. I've met people in my same income level, lower income levels, higher incomes, MUCH higher incomes, etc. I've met very nice people from all income levels and met some real jerks from all levels as well.....so just because Carnival 'may' be less expensive (which they may or may not be), it doesn't mean the people are bad or poor--there are good and bad people everywhere, on all levels of the food chain. Try the Dream...I don't think you'll be disappointed!

[RunnerNic]

thank you very much! i think we will try the dream!! hey it's a vacation right!?!?!?! and you will like Royal Caribbean!

[FireIce0010]

Carnival passengers Rock! Go Carnival!!

 

Just had my laugh for the day. They rock alright!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!;)

[FireIce0010]

I wish someone would give me a Carnival cruise so I could compare.

 

 

Trust me. You really do not want to go there.:)

[san4u2]

Thanks for the review we have been thinking about trying Carnival and this review was encouraging as long as we get a table right out front for dining :D.

[big_j]

We cruised RCCI for a few years, and tried Carnival for the first (and last) time last year. We're now back with RCCI, and plan to stay.

 

I don't think one line is especially "better" than the other ... it's just a question of whether the things that are important to you are superior on one line or other.

 

The two things that I particularly remember from Carnival are:

 

1) All the bars permitted smoking. We really dislike the smell of cigarettes, so we never went into the bars.

 

2) There are official photographers everywhere! They get in the way, you can't avoid them, passageways are choked with them ... very annoying.

[nycruiser80]

As a Las Vegas native how can one say "Carnival's ship was like Las Vegas on Steroids (although I've never been to Las Vegas...", if you've never been you don't have a point of reference to make this statement. In fact, RCCL's ships are closer to the kind of decor found in today's newer Las Vegas hotel/casinos (e.g. Palazzo, Encore, Wynn, Planet Hollywood, etc.). I'd describe Carnival's ship decor as Art Deco with unusual color combinations. I'd say Joe Farcus designs are "Miami Beach meets New York shopping mall".

 

 

 

New York shopping mall? That I don't understand....I lived and have grown up in the NYC metro area and no mall around here to my recollection comes close to looking like the interiors of a Carnival ship. I'm in the surburbs just to the north of the city and we have some malls but none like a Carnival ship. I have been to Vegas and Carnival ships let say echo some of the old and new Vegas hotels. When I think of Carnival (and I have cruised them 4 times) their decor is themed and rather in your face like some of the old Vegas hotels....Excalibur, NY/NY, MGM Grand. I stayed at the Wynn in Vegas (which I HIGHLY recommend that place in wonderful) and while it is whimsical and themed it is done with elegance IMO, just like the Bellagio, Palazzo.

 

Carnival to me is in a class of its own. It has hints of Vegas but their ships are very unique and while some of the decor is out there and a bit much its fun! In many ways the ship is a peice of artwork....very clever.

[amybeth4]

New York shopping mall? That I don't understand....I lived and have grown up in the NYC metro area and no mall around here to my recollection comes close to looking like the interiors of a Carnival ship. I'm in the surburbs just to the north of the city and we have some malls but none like a Carnival ship. I have been to Vegas and Carnival ships let say echo some of the old and new Vegas hotels. When I think of Carnival (and I have cruised them 4 times) their decor is themed and rather in your face like some of the old Vegas hotels....Excalibur, NY/NY, MGM Grand. I stayed at the Wynn in Vegas (which I HIGHLY recommend that place in wonderful) and while it is whimsical and themed it is done with elegance IMO, just like the Bellagio, Palazzo.

 

Carnival to me is in a class of its own. It has hints of Vegas but their ships are very unique and while some of the decor is out there and a bit much its fun! In many ways the ship is a peice of artwork....very clever.

 

Yeah, I didn't get the NY Shopping Mall reference either, having been to many a mall in Queens and Long Island, lol.

 

It's funny how people get offended when you mention Vegas. Vegas is all neon and glitz. Sure the Wynn and Bellagio are far from that (gorgeous) but certainly Vegas of "yore" was all crazy colors and neon. Like a Carnie ship. It's like every spot that was empty they put more krazy kolored lights! Not a fan.

 

It won't stop me from trying Carnival but I certainly won't be coming back and saying how beautiful the ship was, like I've done with RCI and Princess!

[BND]

We sailed on the Carnival Freedom, 12-night Med cruise, last October. We were 3 adults and one pre-teen so we specifically chose Carnival because their cabins are larger. We thought the food was very good, especially the steak. The pizza and caesar salad is wonderful as is their deli selections. Our dining room waitress was fabulous. The excursions were not that good, however. Haven't been on RCI for some time but will be sailing on the Brilliance in Nov. Did, however, sail with RCI about 3 yrs ago on a 10 or 11-night Southern Carib cruise and the cabin was the size of a postage stamp...about 125 sq. ft. Horrible!

 

Excursions are not cruiseline specific because the line doesn't run them. They all contract with the same companies and locations in each port. There's only so many excursions offered and those may vary, but not the providers for the most part.

[nycruiser80]

Yeah, I didn't get the NY Shopping Mall reference either, having been to many a mall in Queens and Long Island, lol.

 

It's funny how people get offended when you mention Vegas. Vegas is all neon and glitz. Sure the Wynn and Bellagio are far from that (gorgeous) but certainly Vegas of "yore" was all crazy colors and neon. Like a Carnie ship. It's like every spot that was empty they put more krazy kolored lights! Not a fan.

 

It won't stop me from trying Carnival but I certainly won't be coming back and saying how beautiful the ship was, like I've done with RCI and Princess!

 

I know I frequent Queens Center Mall, and the Westchester and Gallaria in White Plains and I don't see the resemblence. In any event I'm not sure why people would get offended about Vegas. Its glitzy no matter how you slice it but it is what it is....which is overindulgence and lots of fun. And Carnival is what its is which I think a very nice cruise line were the passengers get what they pay for. It is not the Ritz Carlton of the cruise industry and doesn't pretend to be. For that matter Carnival, RCI, Norwegian, Costa are not the Ritz and 4 seasons of the industry. They are mass market cruise lines that do their best to appeal to everyone. They each have differances I find in decor and staterooms but overall they are similiar. And I love them all!!!

[Captain Jake]

Hi Nicole....I can't really compare Carnival and RCI, as we haven't taken our RCI cruise yet, but I can give you my perspective of Carnival.

 

If you have reasonable expectations and are not looking for absolute perfection, you should be fine on a Carnival cruise. As for the usual "gripes" from other posters.....the decor.....well, it can be....umm...different, yet elegant, in a strange way. I actually don't pay too much attention, as I'm more focused on having a good time. Cabin size....typical cabin size for any cabin (except suites) is 185 sq ft, though the Dream will have some new cabin categories. Food.....I've always found it to be quite good.....gourmet? No, but good. I never left the MDR hungry or disappointed.....the buffet can be kind of dicey at times, but there is always something to please everyone. Entertainment.....usually pretty good....the comedians generally have several shows....a clean, family version as well as a raunchier, adult-only version. Pool games range from funny to ridiculous, but there is always the usual bingo, art auctions, wine tastings. Pools are saltwater, though the pools on the Dream..not sure. Just so you won't feel too out of place, there will be the usual line cutting at the buffet, and of course the paperback novels and towels working on their tans (ie: saving of deck chairs since 2 am). The usual suspects also have extra charges (alcohol, soda/pop, upscale dining, gratuities, etc), as well as several loudspeaker announcements per hour about late-breaking fun, etc. I don't want to say that Carnival is low-class, as I don't feel it is, though I feel it may not be as classy as Princess, and can't compare it to RCI. I've met people from all walks of life and every income level on a Carnival cruise, so when you hear comments about Carnival cruisers being poor, lower-class, trailer park trash, losers, etc (insert other derogatory adjective here), it's not true. I've met people in my same income level, lower income levels, higher incomes, MUCH higher incomes, etc. I've met very nice people from all income levels and met some real jerks from all levels as well.....so just because Carnival 'may' be less expensive (which they may or may not be), it doesn't mean the people are bad or poor--there are good and bad people everywhere, on all levels of the food chain. Try the Dream...I don't think you'll be

 

disappointed!

 

 

other than the announcements you've described RCCL perfectly

[Captain Jake]

Trust me. You really do not want to go there.:)

 

You have yet to give a single intelligent reason why we shouldn't

[printingchick]

I agree with the OP on all counts!

[ehfl]

If you really want to know how Carnival makes their melting cake, just do a search on the Carnival board. The recipe has been posted multiple times. And, no, it does not involved Hershey's syrup, nor does it taste like Hershey's.

 

 

1 - The recipe posted (see below) does not match the cake served. In the cake that they served, the chocolate was clearly separate from the cake (as in a traditional molten cake). In the recipe posted, the chocoate is mixed with the cake batter.

 

2 - Just because they post "a" recipe in a newsletter does not mean it is "the" recipe they use on board.

---

1 pound Dark Chocolate

1 pound Butter

10 Eggs

10 ounces Sugar

6 ounces Flour

 

Melt the chocolate and butter. Mix the eggs with the sugar and whisk for a few minutes;

add the flour. Combine the egg mixture with the melted chocolate and mix. Then pour into

individual greased molds. Bake directly in the oven at 400° F for 14 minutes.

Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and garnish with fresh fruit. Serve warm with ice cream.

Note: Please make sure that the eggs are at room temperature and the chocolate is warm enough while making the mixture.

[tanstaafl_2001]

I had the same experience on the Carnival Miracle - never considered mac and cheese to be fine dining. I found it dissapointing that 1/2 (1/3 maybe ??) of the menu was the same every night. I know a lot of people say that the food is better on CCL, but that has never been my experience. We've always found the food to be better on RCCL, even in the supper clubs. I'm not saying the food was bad on CCL, just better on RCCL.

 

We also found the food on Carnival to be a cut below RCI. I'm not a foodie, but I really believe that macaroni and cheese should not be a side dish on an adult menu in the main dining room. I also found the Carnival menu to offer less variety (or at least fewer tempting choices) than RCI.

[Cruzaholic41]

I know a lot of people say that the food is better on CCL, but that has never been my experience.

 

It has been my experience that the food is largely the same in quality. There are individual dishes that I think each line does better, but all in all, my taste buds rate the food the same.

[OV8]

I had the same experience on the Carnival Miracle - never considered mac and cheese to be fine dining.

 

We also found the food on Carnival to be a cut below RCI. I'm not a foodie, but I really believe that macaroni and cheese should not be a side dish on an adult menu in the main dining room. I also found the Carnival menu to offer less variety (or at least fewer tempting choices) than RCI.

 

 

Actually, some of the higher end restaurants HAVE been serving mac & cheese & derivations of it for many years now.

I believe Mortons comes to mind off the top of my head.

[nycruiser1975]

I actually found the Carnival "melting cake" to be pretty awfull. A traditional molten cake is done by putting a piece of real frozen chocolate into the middle of the cake where it melts when baked.

quote]

 

We actually like the melting cake, buy then we are not experts. It was the first time we ever had it. In addition it was our first cruise. Now we are addicted and now I depressed and wish I could afford another cruise soon. Then again, my only options are leaving from NYC or NJ and I don't think the waters would be calm after august. Did the Miracle and loved it. Should I cruise RCCL next and I see they are more expensive and the rooms are smaller. HELP!!!

[nycruiser1975]

Thanks for the comments, Neko. Pretty on par with what everyone else says.

 

What did you think about the difference in passengers? Anything noticeable?

 

DH and I are in in our mid 30's and New Yorkers who love to party and have fun. Would we enjoy RCCL? What kind of music is played in the clubs?

[critterchick]

I think Carnival's warm melting chocolate cake beats RCI's warm chocolate cake by a knockout.:) But I'm going to do more market research next weekend on Paradise.

 

Yep. Still better. And the food was uniformly superior than what I experienced on my beloved Monarch in June. But our cabin service sucked - we had a team that just couldn't get it together. In spite of asking us whether we were early or late seating (we were late) , they would come in as we were getting ready for dinner. They skipped our service altogether on Sunday morning - we were in and out of the cabin, but always made sure to find them and tell them we would be gone for an hour or so and they could make up the room. It never happened.

 

Last weekend's cruise was a lot rowdier than the one we took in February - I chalked it up to bachelor/ette party season being in full swing and that fact that there is now only one ship in the LA/Long Beach area to absorb them all. Still, it was no worse than the LA Groove Cruise that I took on Monarch last summer.

 

The music everywhere matched the decor - L-O-U-D. Even the Jimmy Buffet wanna be was overmiked to the point of feedback. I felt like my mother.:eek:

 

But we were with a good group (5 of us), the singles provided plenty of entertainment, especially our tablemates, 5 bachelors who were, in the words of one of ours, more bombed than Baghdad.