My husband and I have been on about a dozen cruises, 1/2 with Royal and 1/2 with Carnival. We love them both. Royal wins on dining room food and slightly better service. We've taken my kids on only Carnival - mainly because of itineraries on the dates we're tied to and the casual food options. 5 days on the Paradise was enough because it was a smaller ship with less to do. 7 days on the Vista was great and we're looking forward to 7 days on the Vista. The Family Harbor Lounge on the Vista was a huge hit when my boys were 7 & 10. They'd get ready for dinner, we'd send them to the lounge, right next door, then my DH & I would get ready. We had a Cove Balcony room that was plenty big & decorated very family friendly. The only thing I didn't like was that I heard noise from above our room (I'm a very light sleeper though). I also agree with the comments that Royal and Carnival have a lot of similar guests and it really depends on the length of the cruise. The quietest cruise DH & I have ever been on was a 9 day Panama Canal Cruise on Carnival. I'm sounding like a broken record here, but do the longer cruise, less time at Universal. We went to Universal last year. (boys 14 & 11) We bought tickets for 2 days, and got 3 days free. 2 days was enough to see everything. We went back for a third 1/2 day, but then the kids had had enough. Riding the same ride over & over just isn't as exciting. Plus it will cost more & not be as easy as being on a cruise ship. Good luck with whatever choice you decide!