I don't really understand the crowd who thinks Chrono Cross works better without CT cause while major events are kind of explained in game, the final antagonist and why everything went to hell in a handbasket is pretty much directly the result of CT. Hell the whole point of CC is basically to answer the few lingering questions left unanswered in CT. Though I guess I'm odd cause I'm also one of the few Chrono fans that likes both games even if I feel CC has more misfires.

Technically you can understand CC's plot without playing CT, but you kind of lose the impact of some of the story elements cause the Orphanage section doesn't really mean anything to you if you never played Trigger, and certain major character name drops and appearances also lose any relevance since they are out of context.

I say play them in order but I'm a stickler for crap like that.