Difference between Royal Caribbean and Carnival

[JOHN 57]

Hello, I have sailed with Carnival twice, but not with Royal Caribbean yet. I was wondering, what is the difference. Thank you, John

[ugh07]

in reality their differences are far fewer than their similarities.

[Retired LEO]

Pretty much the same.

[BleednBlu]

We've been on both lines and like RCI better because of the ships. These ships are awesome and so easy to get around on. My wife loves the royal promenade so much she wont go on a ship without one.

Tom

[Cindy]

I've cruised on both lines, although I've only been on Carnival once. In my experience and for the things we like to do on a cruise, the overall experience was very similar.

If I was going to choose a cruise based only on the ship itself (decor and layout), I would choose Royal Caribbean in a heartbeat. However, that's not the only reason I choose a ship. In my opinion, the food on our Carnival cruise was vastly superior to what we've gotten on our recent RCCL cruises. Both my husband and I thought the quality, flavor, variety, and presentation of the food on Splendor this summer was outstanding. Another thing that is important to us is wine, and we really enjoyed being able to bring some aboard with us this summer. We liked Carnival enough to give another CCL ship a try. Our upcoming Conquest cruise should be a good basis of comparison for us, since it's out of Galveston sailing the same itinerary we've been doing on the Voyager.

[kooljamming]

Hello, I have sailed with Carnival twice, but not with Royal Caribbean yet. I was wondering, what is the difference. Thank you, John

 

Decor. RCCL has some of the most stunning, amazing ships to sail the high seas. The rest is really down to preference. Of the three line I prefer RCC because it has the lively vibe of Carnival with even a more elegant, wow look than Princess. I loved the food (MDR) and beds on Carnival!

[mamasue]

I'd shop itinerary and price..... we've had great cruises on both lines, and some great cruises on NCL too.

If there was no difference in price or itinerary.... I'd choose RCCL, because the ships have more on then...... but it wouldn't be a deal-breaker!

[jonbgd]

Having just got off the RCCL Radiance of the Seas and being Platinum with Carnival and have been very loyal to the Carnival corp and their other cruise lines

I would have to say comparing the same size ship Carnival Spirit class I would have to say .............................................................ummm..................................................................................................ummmm...............................................................................

The food is hit and miss on both in the MDR and Buffett

Service in the Windjammer or buffet on RCCL was better

Steaks better on Carnival especially the Steaks in the supper clubs I dont think RCCL uses Prime steaks in Chops as Carnival does in their for fee choices

But Portofino was amazing service and food

The beds are more comfortable on Carnival

Customer service was better on RCCL

Decor wasnt as loud as Carnival more elegant on ROS

Cabins are larger on Carnival

 

We are booked next month on another RCCL so we did like them alot

Im also booked for Carnival next Thanksgiving

 

I would say dont be hesitant to try another cruise line There are some great prices and new Itineraries to try

 

WE are from now on not limiting ourselves to one cruise line or another

[sjcruiser]

Both lines are pretty much the same, but I enjoyed the food on RCCL better. The EOS was also very quiet and felt empty of times. Due to the dhilly weather, and rough seas on sea days, and at all other times, I did not experience the "fun ship atmosphere" like on Carnival. It was a very relaxing vacation.

[rubrrick]

Having just got off the RCCL Radiance of the Seas and being Platinum with Carnival and have been very loyal to the Carnival corp and their other cruise lines

I would have to say comparing the same size ship Carnival Spirit class I would have to say .............................................................ummm..................................................................................................ummmm...............................................................................

The food is hit and miss on both in the MDR and Buffett

Service in the Windjammer or buffet on RCCL was better

Steaks better on Carnival especially the Steaks in the supper clubs I dont think RCCL uses Prime steaks in Chops as Carnival does in their for fee choices

But Portofino was amazing service and food

The beds are more comfortable on Carnival

Customer service was better on RCCL

Decor wasnt as loud as Carnival more elegant on ROS

Cabins are larger on Carnival

 

We are booked next month on another RCCL so we did like them alot

Im also booked for Carnival next Thanksgiving

 

I would say dont be hesitant to try another cruise line There are some great prices and new Itineraries to try

 

WE are from now on not limiting ourselves to one cruise line or another

 

 

Great comparison.........we think that the food overall is better on Carnival.

 

However, we enjoy suites, and Carnival does not have anything to compare with the Grand Suites, Owners Suite and the Royal Suite on RCCL.

 

If we are willing to pay for upgraded suites, Carnival does not have the space in their suites.......and that is all that needs to be said.

 

Rick

[7thheavengtr]

I have sailed both numerous times

 

1 - Royal Caribbean's ships are the best designs and functionality

(Voyager class, Freedom Class & Oasis Class)

 

2 - Food is equal on most ships, I believe it comes to the head chef and what he decides to make, however there are WAY more options for a variety of food on RCCL (most free, some not)

 

3 - Service was better on all lines I traveled except carnival. Carnival was a least friendly staff of all cruises I have traveled.

 

4 - On the class ships stated on RCCL, the pools are all fresh water and open 24 hours.. not the case on carnival (a.k.a. the "fun ship"???????)

 

To me it's completely worth the extra couple bucks to travel on the RCCL ships.

[Loyal2RCCL]

I agree, the food is slightly better on CCL, but that's not enough for me to sail them. I don't like the design or decor of the CCL ships and I find their crew is not as friendly as RCCL's. I also think the CCL ships are not as well maintained or as clean.

 

One thing about CCL that really annoyed me was they stacked and tied down the pool deck chairs every day at around 5pm and the pools were not open 24 hrs.

[mondas42]

From a European point of view Carnival don't do a large amount of Mediterranean or European cruises, whereas RCI do

[compman9]

Drinking areas - More on RCCL

Food lunch - Carnival by miles

Food dinner - Carnival

Ship layout & decor - RCCL by miles

Fun & community feel - Carnival

Rooms - virtually identical, RCCL has marginally better bathrooms and Carnival generally has a slightly larger room

Entertainment - RCCL has far more options

Little extras, like robes etc. - Carnival

 

Cruising - try both, go on all cruise lines and ignore the preferences above, they are merely mine!

[BND]

More similar than not. Both have their plusses and minuses and I agree with most people's opinions so far. Carnival -much better food and beds. RCI-better decor, prices-Carnival. It's a cruise and I'm glad to see we have no Carnival bashing going on here so far which is probably because everyone who has posted has actually BEEN on both lines.

[rollie]

Having not been on CCL since 1997, I was very suprised to see many of the responses. I have a feeling that many of the responses may have been different a few years back. We may just have to rethink CCL.

 

Rollie

[silentbob007]

I have sailed both numerous times

 

2 - Food is equal on most ships, I believe it comes to the head chef and what he decides to make, however there are WAY more options for a variety of food on RCCL (most free, some not)

 

4 - On the class ships stated on RCCL, the pools are all fresh water and open 24 hours.. not the case on carnival (a.k.a. the "fun ship"???????)

 

To me it's completely worth the extra couple bucks to travel on the RCCL ships.

 

The Voyager-class ships I've been on have had salt water pools (at least in the Solarium) I believe ... can't speak for the rest.

 

As for food, I've never felt that RCCL had more options (not including Oasis). On Voyager and Freedom class, you have Cafe Promenade (with or and Sorrentos), 2 specialty restaurants, and then the buffet and dining room. On Carnival you only have one specialty restaurant but also have a deli (with to-order sandwiches, not pre-made like CP), sushi (not just on the buffet), a to-order grill (not just on the buffet), etc ... seems pretty similar to me and I really do miss the deli on RCCL ships.

[The Big Booper]

Carnival ships have a much lower space per person and when you think that the standard Carnival ship has slightly bigger cabins then Royal, the available public space makes them feel even more crowded.

 

Royal does not put a dining room in the middle of the ship so you don't run into blocked corridors and have to hump up and down staircases to move around. The ice rink on the big ships is on the lowest passenger level where by and large nobody walks thru...

 

The Promenade derided by the Royal haters as the mall is nothing more then a much widened shopping corridor that is far more functional then the skinny winding shopping corridors found on all cruise ships, including Royal's Radiance and Vision class ships.

 

Carnival might have a more varied buffet but is it really worth standing on line anywhere from 30 minutes to nearly an hour, as people on the new Dream are reporting? Not my favorite way to pass the time on a sea day.

 

and finally..........................

 

 

NO COLOR WARS on Royal :D

[sisocialworker]

Carnival ships have a much lower space per person and when you think that the standard Carnival ship has slightly bigger cabins then Royal, the available public space makes them feel even more crowded.

 

Royal does not put a dining room in the middle of the ship so you don't run into blocked corridors and have to hump up and down staircases to move around. The ice rink on the big ships is on the lowest passenger level where by and large nobody walks thru...

 

The Promenade derided by the Royal haters as the mall is nothing more then a much widened shopping corridor that is far more functional then the skinny winding shopping corridors found on all cruise ships, including Royal's Radiance and Vision class ships.

 

Carnival might have a more varied buffet but is it really worth standing on line anywhere from 30 minutes to nearly an hour, as people on the new Dream are reporting? Not my favorite way to pass the time on a sea day.

 

and finally..........................

 

 

NO COLOR WARS on Royal :D

 

booper..what are the color wars?

[kooljamming]

Carnival ships have a much lower space per person and when you think that the standard Carnival ship has slightly bigger cabins then Royal, the available public space makes them feel even more crowded.

 

Royal does not put a dining room in the middle of the ship so you don't run into blocked corridors and have to hump up and down staircases to move around. The ice rink on the big ships is on the lowest passenger level where by and large nobody walks thru...

 

The Promenade derided by the Royal haters as the mall is nothing more then a much widened shopping corridor that is far more functional then the skinny winding shopping corridors found on all cruise ships, including Royal's Radiance and Vision class ships.

 

Carnival might have a more varied buffet but is it really worth standing on line anywhere from 30 minutes to nearly an hour, as people on the new Dream are reporting? Not my favorite way to pass the time on a sea day.

 

and finally..........................

 

 

NO COLOR WARS on Royal :D

 

My, my, I can't wait to see what the wait is going to be on the Oais:eek:.

Where are the dining room on RCCL?. I liked the idea of one in the middle of the ship, not having to walk too far from either end. Honestly with all the decent food on CCL, humping the stairs was really fun but I have strong legs. What are color wars, the glitz I like because I love Vegas, but my eyes are not overly sensitive. Bigger cabins...that's nice!

 

BTW, have you sailed on Carnival recently, you did not say?

I am trying RCCL after 2x on Princess this year and 2x on Carnival last. Looking forward to meeting nice people who have sailed and enjoyed all ships. See you on deck!

Thanks

[pkrchkr]

We got spoiled on our 1st Royal cruise then tried Carnival only kept going with them because the discounts kept getting bigger as the mistakes and problems did.Try being served food that was eaten off of not once but twice in the same cruise or being hurded down to the infirmary to get your temperature tested without proper quarentine areas.We are going back to Royal for the classiness of the staff and the standards of which they treat the guests as well as each other.Yes Carnival is less expensive and may have large cabins, and cheaper prices but at what cost really.. Nice post tho great way to get opinons...:)

[The Big Booper]

My, my, I can't wait to see what the wait is going to be on the Oais:eek:.

Where are the dining room on RCCL?. I liked the idea of one in the middle of the ship, not having to walk too far from either end. Honestly with all the decent food on CCL, humping the stairs was really fun but I have strong legs. What are color wars, the glitz I like because I love Vegas, but my eyes are not overly sensitive. Bigger cabins...that's nice!

 

BTW, have you sailed on Carnival recently, you did not say?

Thanks

 

In the last 4 years, we have been on Fascination, Legend and Victory.

 

The color wars, they pretend the dining room is divided into color sections and everyone seems to try to yell the loudest and somebody figures out which section is the loudest. Right out of camp. What is fun at 8 years old....................

 

Not to mention that the asst waiters nightly have to jump on the food serving podiums and dance when the scratchy music starts, never mind that part of your order is sitting there getting cold or warm (main dish or ice cream dessert).

 

From what I have read the Oasis will have 20 restaurants but we will not book until the prices come down and we already have our 2010 and early 2011 travel laid out.

 

The dining rooms on Royal and Celebrity are all stacked at the rear of the ship, either 3 or 2 levels. The main theater and the big lounge is located at the forward end of the ship.

 

Royal's ship design is the best in terms of moving large amounts of people around. We were on the Independence in 2008 on a TA with 4,000 people, most adults, and never felt crowded unless we hit the Promenade for the 70's disco night or 80's Brit invasion night.

[printingchick]

Please reference my signature and note that I have actually done more cruises with Carnival than with Royal Caribbean. I read somewhere that people tend to stick with whatever cruise line they start out with. We fall in love with the cruise experience and that admiration extends to the cruise line.

 

While I would not hesitate to cruise on Carnival again for the right price and itinerary, I would consider myself a "Loyal Royal" now. The fact that I use a Royal Caribbean credit card means that I can usually sail less expensively on Royal (considering the points factor). However, I do own stock in both RCL and CCL, so I can get the share-holder benefit from either one.

 

The two cruise lines are similar in that they both market to a younger, more casual passenger. They mirror many popular activities such as the hairy chest/sexy legs contest, ice carving demo, belly-flop contest and Bingo. There are also some significant differences.

 

Carnival's decor tends to be much more LOUD and Vegas-style. While I've visited Vegas twice and enjoy chrome and neon as much as the next person, I find I tend to prefer the more toned down decor on Royal Caribbean. I may like the night club and/or casino to be decorated in a more flamboyant fashion, I like the public areas to feel more relaxing. Part of my vacation is spent in party mode, but part is spent in relaxation mode. And I prefer to avoid a burnt orange theme in my cabin!!

 

I believe Royal markets to a more active passenger. While I prefer Carnival's symbol - the big red fin - to Royal Caribbean's symbol - the rock climbing wall - the wall is a statement about the type of cruiser RCL is targeting. On various ships in the fleet, RCL has the FlowRider surfing pool, in-line skating park, ice skating rink, boxing ring, golf simulator and full sized basketball court. On my first cruise on RCL, I was introduced (as a spectator) to the crew versus passenger dodge ball game. Even the ship's captain participated. On FOS this year, they had a crew versus passenger water volleyball game in addition to the dodge ball game.

 

Even though I wouldn't consider myself a particularly sporty person, I find myself enjoying more activities on RCL's sea days. I often found myself bored during sea days on Carnival. I think CCL tends to count on their party atmosphere providing the good times. I love my frozen tropical cocktails, but I can't just sit in the sun and drink all day. I like to DO STUFF!

 

I find the RCL staff more outgoing and friendly. On six Carnival cruises, I've NEVER had a captian I could remotely imagine playing in a dodge ball game. The captain usually only spoke at public events or over the intercom. I've found the cruise directors on Carnival, while entertaining, are often not that interested in getting to know the passengers. My cruise directors on RCL have seemed to really care about being available to just shoot the breeze with the passengers. I like that.

 

Other specifics:

• Food is comparable. Royal Caribbean does a better job organizing the buffet area to avoid lines. I also like that waitstaff is available in the buffet area to help you find a table or get your drinks for you. However, on most RCL ships, there is no outdoor dining at the buffet. I like taking my breakfast outside. Also, if you like to eat breakfast in the main dining room, Carnival varies its menu from day to day. In my experience, Royal does not.
  
• Royal Caribbean does a really EXCELLENT job maintaining its fleet. That's something most people probably don't notice, but if you've sailed on the older, smaller Carnival ships, you will. You won't find torn up carpet on the mini-golf greens on a Royal Caribbean ship. The entire fleet could pass for brand new.
  
• The hallways are wider on similarly sized RCL versus CCL ships. Look at the ships in port. Notice how really WIDE RCL ships tend to be.
  
• Standard cabins are generally a little larger on Carnival vessels.
  
• Carnival provides robes in all cabins for use by their guests. Royal Caribbean provides this amenity for suite guests only.
  
• Royal Caribbean offers more "pay extra" options on board than I remember Carnival offering. In addition to the specialty restaurants, some of RCL's fleet offers a Johnny Rockets retro burger restaurant ($4.95 cover charge for whatever you want to eat) and Ben & Jerry's ice cream (they also still have free soft-serve by the pool, but they offer gourmet ice cream as a pay-extra option). Some folks feel too nickel-and-dimed by these options. We just avoid the extras!
  

[kooljamming]

We got spoiled on our 1st Royal cruise then tried Carnival only kept going with them because the discounts kept getting bigger as the mistakes and problems did.Try being served food that was eaten off of not once but twice in the same cruise or being hurded down to the infirmary to get your temperature tested without proper quarentine areas.We are going back to Royal for the classiness of the staff and the standards of which they treat the guests as well as each other.Yes Carnival is less expensive and may have large cabins, and cheaper prices but at what cost really.. Nice post tho great way to get opinons...:)

 

Since we travel to see beautiful places and meet wonderful people, then the chance to be away from home doing this is PRICELESS! I would be the first on a tug boat just to experience waterfalls, ruins, beaches, and amazing landscape and history. The ship is merely a means of transportation, the means to a wonderful end/place. Given the choice and price, I would choose RCCL as the mode of transport because getting there is HALF the fun.

 

Big B...you are getting all homesick for Carnival again:D I loved it, twice last year, but I promise to behave on RCCL in February

[MrPete]

I have found that RCCL focuses on the ships, while Carnival focuses on the people. At the end of the cruise, I can distinctly see how I felt, as opposed to what I saw.

 

Everything else is so close between the two lines, that people start comparing pizza.

 

Personally, I like the food, and the availability of it, better on Carnival.