Carnival vs RCC or Norwegian
 

We recently went on our first cruise , Carnival Legend -7 day western Caribbean, and had a fabulous time. The ship, room, and food beat our expectations. However, friends are telling us we really need to try RCC or Norwegian. Are these really that much nicer and worth the extra money?

As far as room, food and service, Carnival is about on par with RC and in general better than NCL. RC new large ships are unique and are worth extra money.

I agree w/ above. The newer RCI ships are amazing. The reviews for NCL are generally more inconsistent.

My parents been on NCL and they loved it. They like the free-style theme NCL has on their cruises. On Carnival, they met my family's needs. The locations of activities, the staff, the food, and the rooms are great. I like in the future to go on the Carnival Magic. I have this friend who tells me RCC is his favorite cruiseline and urges me to try it. And I do want to try it in the future. My advice is to research the cruises and see where you want to go and what cruises available and the offers they have.

I have been to all three (and also HAL) and none of them are really that far ahead of the others. If I have to point out anything is HAL food is better than the rest. The rooms are usually better as well. I tried a Med cruise with NCL and LOVED the free-style dining; their after show parties were fantastic. Carnival mix of ages is also better; more fun, but also more drunks. RCCL's ships are gorgeous with great facilities. If it comes down to a tie, I'll go for best route.