Carnival or Royal Caribbean to the Western Caribbean?
 

My daughter(28), son(17) and I are considering a cruise in December. We have excellent rates on both these lines, which is the best for food, recreation, etc.? Any and all info. appreciated! <BR> <BR>Thanks, <BR>Ann

My husband and I sailed 14 days in April 2001 on RCL through Southeast Asia...the cruise of a lifetime on a well known cruiseline. The food was not horrible, certainly edible (most evenings) but definitely not up to par with the other cruises (this was our 7th cruise) which offer great cuisine. It wasn't "Spago's" which I have come to expect it was more "Sizzlers". <BR> <BR>Entertainment consisted of a hula hoop girl, a juggler (who kept droppping things) and has been singing acts that kept singing the same broadway show tunes night after night. <BR> <BR>Recreation was difinitely set for the older folks - line dance classes etc. but they did have a killer fitness program. The aerobic classes were good. The disco was empty everynight but the ballroom dance floor was hopping. <BR> <BR>We do not plan on sailing RCL again ...we've never sailed on a Carnival so I can't give you a true comparison...but our RCL experience was not worth what we paid. <BR>

I've never sailed on Carnival, however, I did recently sail RCCL on a Western Caribbean itinerary. I had no real complaints, but learned that I like other parts of the Caribbean better. Service, food, and activities should suit you clan well. 10 years ago I would have believed Carnival was a step down from RCCL, but I tend to think they are similar lines now. RCCL has changed to compete head on with Carnival now that they have Celebrity to appeal to the more 'upscale' cruise fans.

Went with RCCL to Alaska last August, and did the Western Caribbean with Carnival in February. Very comparable, we have a teenager that really enjoyed the RCCL's teen activities(this is highly dependant on the group of kids though), on the other hand the Carnival Triumph(sister ship of the Destiny) was a brand new ship and beautiful with larger state rooms than the Rhapsody. Trade off really, enjoyed both immensely. The food is not gourmet , but I found both to be of the same calibre, good but not great. Service virtually the same. I guess your expectations may decide much of this. The RCCL ship was the Rhapsody of the Seas. Both were good value for the money. The Carnival Triumph had a slight edge because it was brand new. If you have more questions drop me an e-mail. Soon though we are leaving in a week for a Western Med. cruise with RCCL.

Ann...definately go Royal Caribbean. You will be very disappointed with Carnival. There are a lot of "Carnival Bashers" on this web site, but there is a reason for it.

Ann, I've sailed Carnival and Royal Carribean. RCCL is definatley a step above Carnival.

I've sailed Carnival and Royal Carribean. Carnival is definatley a step above RCCL.

<BR>Hi Ann, <BR> <BR>I believe RCCL is a tad dressier than Carnival and the decor is a bit more elegant. The older Carnival ships are extremely eclectic. <BR> <BR>The food on RCCL has been improving but it still is not as good as it was 10 years ago. <BR> <BR>I believe Carnival is more fun than RCCL and the entertainent is more exciting than RCCL. <BR> <BR>Otherwise the cruise experience is the same. <BR> <BR>Paul

OH LOOK...ANOTHER PAUL OPINION!!

We did a Southern Carrib on RCL's Majesty of the Seas and have done Western Carrib 4 times, the most recent on Carnival Sensation in April with an 11 yr old, and two teens in tow. The absolute best with kids is Carnival. And the food is better than RCL, consistently. RCL is fine for adults, with ballroom dancing, champagne bars, etc. But the teens want the action on Carnival. We have cruised Carnival 5 times, always pleased. HAL once. Princess twice, RCL once. Best service: HAL, with lots of older people. Liked RCL for all the nooks and cranny's that never made you feel you were with 1500 people. Princess had the smallest staterooms of any we have cruised.

Ann - I've sailed on RCCL but not on Carnival. But from what I've read and heard, service and food will be comparable between the lines, and the facilities will be roughly comparable in terms of variety and what's available. Carnival cabins are larger than RCCL cabins, at least on the newer ships. <BR> <BR>The differences seem to be the decoration and design of the ships, and the kind of passengers on board. For me, those two things are very important. RCCL ships are very pleasant, modern, and spacious. The Vision-class ships and their newest ships have lots of windows and light. Think "Marriott Hotel". Carnival ships (from what I read and see on cruise websites) are darker, neon-filled designs combining Chuck-E-Cheese and Vegas. And the designs attract different kinds of people. You have to think about which kind you are.

I have done both lines on this route, approximately one year apart. I do feel that we had the better experience with RCCL as it was a more sedate, dressier ambiance. The food, in my opinion, was much better on RCCL, but the room was a bit smaller even though it was layed out better and had more storage. I guess it depends what you want out of a cruise: If you want to party, go carnival. If you want a quieter cruise with good value and party time if you want it, RCCL. My biggest gripe was the only disco Grandeur of the seas was in the upper circular floor and was too small. Otherwisw we had a great time with RCCL!

Well, let me tell you about the cruise from hell dear. We sailed Carnival Fantacy in June of this year. I wouldn't get on another Carnival ship unless it was a free trip and even then not without an inspection. They should change their slogan to the Dirtiest Ships in the Business. I sent a 4 page letter to the CEO who pretty much said to bad sweetie here is 15% off your next Carnival cruise, oh and we each get $25 dollars in Carnival bucks. Whoopie! I told them to shove it in their port hole. They were remodeling, the ship decks were closed at night for power sanding and stripping and the rooms and dining rooms were filthy. They haven't changed the carpets or linnens since this ship first sailed 10 years ago.We also went without water for more than half a day. This was our last family vacation since our oldest is off to Military School. It was not something to remember and we spent over $700 a person! My advice is run from Carnival and run fast!!

I couldn't agree with you more. Our last cruise was to Hawaii on a Carnival ship and let me tell you, you think your's was bad, I could right a book. It's bad enough the ship was terrible, but the staff and service were the pits, not to mention the terrible food. <BR>This was a while back, but it about ruined cruising forever for us. <BR>If they gave me a free cruise, I wouldn't take the chance again, not with all of the other choices that are out there these days. <BR>Run don't walk from them.........but you can always right a letter and get that wonderful 15% discount off the next cruise that you won't take with them, and then there is the form letter that comes along with it. <BR>ME <BR>

Ann, <BR>Now, back to the original question. The lines are very similar but the ships vary greatly within each line so it might help to know which ships and some of us would be happy to give opinions on those specific ones if you like. It is very hard to compare an entire line as some people have been on and old Carnival and a new RCCL ( or vice versa ) and that doesn't help a lot. We just had a great cruise on Imagination to the Western Caribbean. We've also been on Mercury on that route. Mercury's food and service were better. The kids liked Imag. better and it was more fun.

Bottom line is: Stick to the newest ship you can get your hands on. The cruise lines tend to pay more attention to detail. The older ones always seem to be treated like the red headed bastard step child. <BR> <BR>Both these cruise lines resemble Atalantic city in one way ot another. If that's your thing, go for it. If this is your last vacation with your children for a while. Try something else. <BR> <BR>One thing I've learned from cruising and these posting boards is that unless you get a brand new boat it's a crap shoot.

Thanks for your response to my statement. I am glad I wasn’t just being picky. But sorry everyone else has had a bad time too. For all of you who got that lovely 15% off form letter I was told my a gentleman at the Maritime Bureau of Miami FL that Carnival has all the State Gov. agencies in their pocket so it does no good to complain to them. He suggested I write to my congress man and to the US Maritime Bureau in Washington DC , and Maritime Safety Office Washington DC. He told me to send a copy of the letter I wrote to Carnival along with it. You can bet I am going to do this because I am sick of being screwed by big business. It was my understanding that since these ships are registered with foreign countries Carnival does not have to comply with US health codes not to mention the tax issue. So he said if enough people complain to the Senators and Congress they will do something about it and stop the ships from coming into port. And since Americans are about 95 % of their business they cant afford to do that. So let your voice be herd on Capitol Hill !!! Remember it is an election year for some of them! Thanks for your time. Annie

Hello Ann: <BR> <BR>I've sailed both cruise lines and I would recommend Royal. You won't regret it. <BR> <BR>Paul

Hey Paul, I think these people were pretty specific in their comments concerning Carnival. How do you respond to that? Are they all wrong as well? <BR> <BR>And now you change your tune stating cruise RCCL. Make up your mind Paul.

Dear Ann, <BR> <BR>I've sailed on both Carnival & RCCL 2X each. They rate RCCL a tad above Carnival but frankly, I see very little difference. You can't go wrong either one you choose. Carnival puts out the best shows. Crowd is livelier aboard Carnival. If you're going on a newer RCCL ship that has the over-sized staterooms, they tend to be roomier than the standard in most ships. Otherwise, all cabins are almost similar. I will go with the cheaper of the two because you can't lose either way.