Sal

About 3 yrs ago we went on the Carnival Fantasy 4-day Bahama cruise and didn't like it at all. Food was terrible. All we ate was pizza and salad. Ship was not all that.Rooms sucked. I even felt confined to the ship. We are thinking about trying another cruise for the 2nd time- Voyager or Adventurer of the Seas. I'm really nervous about booking another cruise period since we did not like the first one on the Fantasy. Some people have said the longer 7 day cruises are better. What are your thoughts. (help!!)

matt

Sal:

Your experience on Carnival should not be considered a cruise. We "won" a trip on Carnival Bahama Cruise and it was a nightmare. We enjoy cruising but never on Carnival.

MaryK

You should have a great time on any other cruise line that Carnival. We took one cruise on Carnival (7 days) and my husband and I promised ourselves that we wouldn't go on that line again. It was awful

Frank

In general the Fantasy is a good first cruise. It is a smaller ship (60,000 tons I think), it only is 3 or 4 day cruise, it is Carnival's training ground for its staff (so the service is the worst of all Carnival's ships).

Thus, your future can only look brighter. You are thinking on taking a cruise on the Voyager or Adventure? Well, these are some of the largest ships in the world. So, you will obviously see a size difference. Also, the Fantasy was built in 1991 and the other two you mention are only a couple of years old.

So, you will be talking about apples and oranges.

xman(the real)

RCCl is not better than Carnival when it comes to the short cruises. These are usually filled with the discount shopper. the longer cruises are better.

xman

RCCL is so much better than Carnival it's not even close.

yman

The fake xman loses credibility with anyone who has sailed both RCCL and Carnival.

Both lines cater to discount cruisers and are similar. In general longer cruises result in better service. It is easier for a cabin attendant to get to know you and your lieks and dislikes on a 7-day cruise than on a 3-day cruise.

linda

Sal,
I have done short cruises on RCI and Carnival. had the same feelings as you did! RCI was a bit better, IMO. (Jubilee and Sovereign)However, the longer cruises were great. I loved the Grandeur and we just returned from the Voyager. We booked a sister ship the day after our return. Apples and oranges isn't a good comparison. How about hot dogs and filet mignon? You will love the Voyager class ships. They are spectacular, and you never feel confined nor overwhelmed. The Adventurer's port is Puerto Rico. There are more Spanish speaking people on this ship. You may want to check out reviews at cruisereviews.com, cruisecritic.com or epinions.com. I can't say enough good things about our trip!

xman(the real)

As Yman put it very plainly. Both RCCL and Carnival are pretty much the same on short cruises. The shorter cruises attract the bargain hunter types. Guess where else the shop/ Bargain basement stores. Their attitudes and presentation reflect all of this.

So to the FAKE xman I say P

The longer cruises cost a little more, but are usually worth it.

Even Paul will agree on this one.

cd

We've been on two cruises but I need someone to tell me what RCCL stands for please.

RCCL

CD: Royal Caribbean Cruise Line also referred to as Royal Caribbean International (RCI)

cd

Thank you.

cd

Does anyone know what kind of reputation Royal Olympic Cruises have?

Champ

Yes, Carnival is definately the Walmart of cruise lines. Don't expect anything from a cruise line if you shop price alone. RCCL and Royal are better.

I haven't been in the cruise forum for a year. Paul is still slithering around in here it seems. yuck.

Paull Therault

Sorry Champ I am going to "yuk" you out again.

Have to agree with the real xman that both RCCL and Carnival will cater to the party crowd for the short inexpensive cruises. For the longer cruises RCCL is a tad "dressier" but not a dramatically different cruise experience. They are both mass-market cruise lines.

To reply to cd ..... Royal Olympic has a fine reputation as a Greek cruise line. No reason to fear their ships but I would advise cruising with their two newest Voyager or Explorer. Their older Eprotiki ships are very shop-worn and tattered. Great for Europeans who are not fussy. I cruised their Voyager in the Med. and found it wonderful. Quite a speedboat.

Paul

cd

Thanks Paul!

xxx

Royal Oplympic SUCKS

Sal

Topper

Missy

First of all, for the record The Fantasy is not at all a small ship. 60,000 tons is way off. When it came out is was considered one of the first "mega ships". Granted, their are others larger now, but many smaller.

I have cruised on the Fantasy and Ecstasy as well as Nordic Empress and Sovereign of the Seas (RCI) for short cruises. To say they are the Walmart of cruise ships is accurate, however leading people to believe that the food is horrible is pretty dramatic. There are many options at all three meals to accomodate most tastes.

If you want to really enjoy a more upscale atmosphere try Celebrity Cruise Lines (owned by RCI). They are delightful and food is oh so yummy!

deedles

What are you people smoking out there? How pampered do you think you can be on ANY ship that holds over 2000 people. Maybe you should learn to research your vacations before you just book one. Carnival is a great line and it's hardly the "wal-mart" of cruises. What a bunch of clowns!