Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival

[cdamion]

I have only sailed Carnival and want to book a different line next time. I am considering NCL, Royal Caribbean or Princess.

 

For those that have sailed RCCL and Carnival, please tell me the differences between the lines. Obviously I expect pro RCCL when I post in the RCCL boards, but I want to know why you prefer RCCL to Carnival. I appreciate the info. I don't have a specific ship in mind, probably voyager or freedom class.

[caribbeanboy]

Do a small research there are tons of comparisons between the 2 lines.

[lhall85917]

We have found most lines more alike than different, where we find the differences are in the ships themselves. Carnival ships are more vibrant (sometimes gaudy) than what we've seen on other lines as far as decorations. We loved the Valor (sailed when it was fairly new) and really disliked the Miracle (way too tacky). Our first Royal trip was a couple of weeks ago and we'll be back. The ship was gorgeous, service wonderful and we had a wonderful time.

 

For a longer, more "special" vacation such as our Europe trip we will probably stick to NCL for now because we have worked our way up to earning a few more amenities but more importantly, they have wonderful suite perks that the other lines don't have.

[SeafordCruiser]

I posted this back in February but here goes again...

HAHAHA the decor..oh yeah...you get used to it on Carnival. HOWEVER the ship's (Carnival Freedom etc ) layout are not nearly as good as RCCL. the Carnival Freedom had Dining Rooms in the middle and the aft so you could NOT walk through on Decks 4 and 3 ...very annoying. The Havana Cigar Room stunk so badly when you walked by and you had to go thru it to go to the Internet Cafe!

The Dining room was on Level 3 and all closed in at least where they sat us. We asked for a table of 8-10 and got one for four. The food was fine (I think I didnt get sick from it but not sure)..The casual dining not nearly as good as the Windjamer for dinner but had many interesting options for lunch. The ship was kept VERY COLD...really...had to walk around with sweatshirt on!! The ship wasnt running rampant with kids though and it was winter recess!!

Being sick continually didnt help my frame of mind but needless to say NEVER AGAIN...Unfortunately RCL cruise to Panama and Costa Rica was longer than I was able to go so I went Carnival and still didnt see the Panama Canal...fever vomiting and chills are not good cabin mates!!(sorry)..I wrote to Carnival to tell them about all the sicknesses on board and all they kept reiterating is that they were giving me nothing. Finally I flately stated I wanted nothing from them not even a free cruise just wanted to let them know what happened to many people on board. AND YES you can can sick on ANY ship. I know. I know.

Needless to say, As you can see I've been on MANY cruises, mostly Royal but also Celebrity and Carnival more than once. It will take a lot for me to switch, especially since we are RCCL Platinum and enjoy those little perks....Guess we're loyal to Royal... __________________

[DustFSU]

The ships between both are different. Carnival is more for younger families and RCCL is for the older crowd. Yes, Carnival ships are bright on the inside, but we don't get paid millions to design these ships, so it really doesn't matter. I have had better food on Carnival ships before, so the food is kind of hit or miss. I like both of the cruise lines, so you can put me on any ship, if its newer and I am set. Some of the old Carnival ships are really old and I don't go on those anymore even though people still seem to like them. Service seems to be about the same to me. Even though I don't like to dress up for dinner, I do anyways cause its only for a week. Carnival in the past couple of years has kind of slacked off though with allowing people in with jeans or shorts after the first night. RCCL seems like the want to keep the elegance of their nice dinning rooms with people dressed up. The shows on both lines to me seem about the same to me. Some are good and some aren't the greatest, but are still fun to go see. I haven't been any of the RCCL class ships with the flow riders, but I think that is a pretty cool idea, especially if you have teens. The RCCL windjammer breakfast food has a better variety of things to chose from. I like the big screens that Carnival has on their Lido decks on the bigger class ships. Those are my two cents. I know I like some of the same things about each cruise line, but I love going on cruises no matter what I go on.

[Dave85]

RC's ships blow Carnival's out of the water, there's just no comparison. They'll also feel significantly less crowded and you'll notice that they're significantly better laid out. ...also there's that WOW factor the first time you board one of the newer RC ships! You get more of an "ohhhh?" factor on Carnival.

 

Don't get me wrong -- I love Carnival too and have sailed on them a lot recently. If you're looking to try another line though, definitely try RC if the price is right.

[TEXASMUNK]

But the difference is simple. My wife will not eat in the Carnival Dining Room...so we live in the Steak House....that is how bad the food has been on Carnival..

 

Just one set of opinions.

[snownyet]

Food is highly subjective, Ive enjoyed carnivals food as much as HAL or princess, although carnival did seem to have less variety.We do find carnivals buffets boring but the burgers and other food from the grill and specialty stations is great. The above posters comments to me are unusual as it seems the general consensus is carnival does have better food in the MDR than RCCL. We're sailing carnival/RCCL B2B in June so I guess I'll find out for myself.

[Dave85]

Food is highly subjective, Ive enjoyed carnivals food as much as HAL or princess, although carnival did seem to have less variety.We do find carnivals buffets boring but the burgers and other food from the grill and specialty stations is great. The above posters comments to me are unusual as it seems the general consensus is carnival does have better food in the MDR than RCCL. We're sailing carnival/RCCL B2B in June so I guess I'll find out for myself.

 

Yeah, Carnival has a pool side grill which RC does not... They get the gold star for that one.

[matj2000]

This is a very interesting question. I wonder why nobody has ever thought to ask it before?

[Crystalkrt]

RC's ships blow Carnival's out of the water, there's just no comparison. They'll also feel significantly less crowded and you'll notice that they're significantly better laid out. ...also there's that WOW factor the first time you board one of the newer RC ships! You get more of an "ohhhh?" factor on Carnival.

 

Don't get me wrong -- I love Carnival too and have sailed on them a lot recently. If you're looking to try another line though, definitely try RC if the price is right.

 

HAHAHAH!!!! True!!! you get that 'oohhhh?" on Carnival.

We really go WOW when you board RCL.

[printingchick]

I cruised six times on Carnival (see my signature), on smaller, older ships and on large, new ships. My first cruise on Valor was just weeks after her maiden voyage. Loved Valor - cruised twice on that ship.

 

I tried Royal Caribbean for reasons that had nothing to do with a lack of satisfaction with Carnival. In fact, I was one of those annoying people who swore that people who paid more to cruise with another line were either ignorant or snobs! How could anything be better than a Carnival cruise??!!

 

I wish I could adequately communicate the impression Adventure of the Seas, my first RCL cruise, made on me. Yes, from a surface level, the two lines are very similar. But you'll notice the differences the second you board.

 

If you've ever sailed on some of Carnival's older ships that were LONG over-due for a dry-dock, you'll appreciate how much better RCL maintains their fleet. The sort of wear-and-tear damage I saw on Carnival would never be acceptable on RCL.

 

As everyone will tell you, the decor is much more classy on RCL. As someone who has visited Vegas twice, I'm not opposed to neon and chrome. But it is a little overboard on Carnival. I'm on vacation and I want at least somewhere to go to just RELAX.

 

The main dining room on both lines are very similar. Food and service varies ship to ship, depending on the staff.

 

Regarding casual dining, each line has some advantages:

 

Carnival's buffet is one big line - standard cafeteria style.

 

Royal's buffet is split up into sections - a salad section, an Asian section, a deli section, a grill section, etc. You're able walk from one area to another, taking what you want from that section. This splits up the crowd better, rather than having just one long line. I think it works a lot better. Royal's buffet area also has servers, who will help you locate a table, fetch you drinks (even from the bar) or help you find things.

 

Both ships offer other casual dining areas in other locations, such as pizza, deli, etc.

 

All the Carnival ships I've been on have had outdoor dining options for the buffet.

 

If you choose a larger RCL ship (Voyager or Freedom - I don't know about Oasis), you don't really have an outdoor dining option other than to take your food out on a lounger by the pool. Radiance and Vision class include outdoor dining areas, which I REALLY like.

 

All the Carnival ships have water slides that can be used by adults or kids.

RCL waterslides are in the kid pool areas only. No water slides for grown ups. Sad...

 

Various RCL ships do, however, feature grown-up friendly entertainment such as in-line skating track, ice skating rink, FlowRider, rock-climbing wall, etc. Both lines have mini-golf offered on most of their ships.

 

RCL ships are, in general, wider than other ships, which make the stairwells and hallways feel less cramped.

 

CCL cabins, in general, are a little larger than RCL's. CCL allows guests to use their robes in OV cabins and above. RCL only offers free use of RCL bath robes to suite guests.

 

CCL: Hairy Chest Contest

RCL: Sexy Legs Contest

 

I found a lot more ACTIVE (as opposed to BINGO-type) activities offered on RCL. I was sometimes bored on Carnival, which may have forced me into the shops, which was perhaps their plan. I'm NEVER bored on RCL. It may be personal preference and I just happen to enjoy RCL's activities more. I've always felt that Carnival depended a lot on their party atmosphere to entertain.

 

I've found the staff to be more friendly on RCL. Service is great on both lines. However, in general, I've felt like the crew seemed more friendly and genuine on RCL - like they want to KNOW you, not just entertain you.

 

Carnival encourages passengers to book early (and NOT change their minds) with their early-saver program. It's something I wish RCL would adopt.

 

RCL tends to start out higher, then adjust their prices on less popular sailings. If you're not cruising during holidays or school breaks, you'll very likely see your price go DOWN. RCL will match the lower published price, even after you've booked. However, you have to ASK for the reduction. It's not automatic. I think I snagged three price drops on my last cruise, resulting in a savings of about 24% per person!! That means I sailed for LESS on RCL than a comparable CCL voyage would have cost.

 

I would absolutely consider a Carnival cruise again, but I consider myself pretty loyal to Royal at this point. My preference would be for an RCL ship over a CCL ship. I guest that's what you'd expect to hear on the Royal Caribbean threads!

 

ENJOY!!!

[Barbiegator]

We enjoyed both cruise lines. Think the desserts are much better on Carnival but don't like the cafeteria lines in buffet.

[printingchick]

We enjoyed both cruise lines. Think the desserts are much better on Carnival but don't like the cafeteria lines in buffet.

 

Great point. Forgot about that. The desserts are better on Carnival. My sweet-tooth daughter will attest!

[Jolimont]

But the difference is simple. My wife will not eat in the Carnival Dining Room...so we live in the Steak House....that is how bad the food has been on Carnival..

 

Just one set of opinions.

OK, my I express my opinion that your wife might try living a little outside of her perfect little bubble of a world?

[Cruising89143]

The biggest difference for me was the ships themselves, past guest benefits and the crew. Much better on RCI. Haven't been on Carnival since September of 04. I know for a fact that they have not improved in the ship department. All one has to do is read the reviews and threads about the Dream. Regardless, nothing they are doing is working to make me want to cruise with them again any time soon.

[Cuizer2]

I have only sailed Carnival and want to book a different line next time. I am considering NCL, Royal Caribbean or Princess.

 

For those that have sailed RCCL and Carnival, please tell me the differences between the lines. Obviously I expect pro RCCL when I post in the RCCL boards, but I want to know why you prefer RCCL to Carnival. I appreciate the info. I don't have a specific ship in mind, probably voyager or freedom class.

 

I have been on five Carnival cruises and six Royal Caribbean cruises. I have two Carnival cruises booked and one Royal Caribbean cruise booked.

 

The food in the main dining room on Carnival is a little better than the food in the main dining room on Royal Caribbean. The service on Royal Caribbean is a little better than the service on Carnival. The standard cabins on Carnival are a little bigger than the standard cabins on Royal Caribbean. I like the showers on Carnival better than Royal Caribbean. The newer Royal Caribbean ships have more space per person than Carnival has.

 

Royal Caribbean's bigger ships have more for the kids (or young at heart) than Carnival does. However, I have not been on the Carnival Dream, Carnival Magic, or any of the Fantasy class ships with the mini water park yet. However, none of the Royal Caribbean water slides (Radiance class or Voyager, Explorer & Adventurer) are very good. Carnival has very good water slides (as does NCL - I've been on two NCL ships).

 

The passengers on both lines are very similar, as are the activities. So, while the two lines are different, you will find that they are also very similar.

[lovelife]

CCL cabins, in general, are a little larger than RCL's. CCL allows guests to use their robes in OV cabins and above. RCL only offers free use of RCL bath robes to suite guests.

 

Actually, we always get robes as RCCL Platinum members and have never stayed in a suite or had to ask for them.

[ocean waves]

i have sailed on rccl 5 times and enjoyed each one. i just did a last minute cruise on carnival and i must say i was a bit dissapointed in some aspects and surprised in others. first off the decor is a bit much,naked ladies floor to ceiling is questionable at best since kids sail too, almost all of the decor throughout the ship was a bit distastefull. the adult pool area did not come close to rccl's, no shade unless you wanted to sit most of the day by the bar on a metal chair. on rccl you have lounge chairs by the windows and can enjoy a relaxing time gazing out at the ocean and if you want to sit in the sun the pool has a nice overflow area where you can relax with a cold drink in hand, it also has a nice theme to it not just a small hole in the deck feeling. also adults only was not enforced at any time for the pool or the hotub. the buffet was major confusion. everything was scattered between two different dining areas and the lines way too long. the area that served the hamburgers and hotdogs was most of the time serving cold food. i think rccl has much more to offer in their daily activities than carnival. alot of times there wasn't too much too do during the day except for bingo. the evening shows were not kid friendly either. on the good side i found the ship to be very clean, the cabin (an inside) was bigger, the crew very friendly and helpful. getting on and off the ship was so easy (sailed out of baltimore). all in all we had a good time since we were on vacation and it is what you make of it.

[spencercoop]

Both lines have mini-golf offered on most of their ships.

 

CCL cabins, in general, are a little larger than RCL's. CCL allows guests to use their robes in OV cabins and above. RCL only offers free use of RCL bath robes to suite guests.

 

All Carnival ships have mini-golf. All cabins on all Carnival ships have robes in the cabin.

[stargate fan]

I cruised six times on Carnival (see my signature), on smaller, older ships and on large, new ships. My first cruise on Valor was just weeks after her maiden voyage. Loved Valor - cruised twice on that ship.

 

I tried Royal Caribbean for reasons that had nothing to do with a lack of satisfaction with Carnival. In fact, I was one of those annoying people who swore that people who paid more to cruise with another line were either ignorant or snobs! How could anything be better than a Carnival cruise??!!

 

I wish I could adequately communicate the impression Adventure of the Seas, my first RCL cruise, made on me. Yes, from a surface level, the two lines are very similar. But you'll notice the differences the second you board.

 

If you've ever sailed on some of Carnival's older ships that were LONG over-due for a dry-dock, you'll appreciate how much better RCL maintains their fleet. The sort of wear-and-tear damage I saw on Carnival would never be acceptable on RCL.

 

As everyone will tell you, the decor is much more classy on RCL. As someone who has visited Vegas twice, I'm not opposed to neon and chrome. But it is a little overboard on Carnival. I'm on vacation and I want at least somewhere to go to just RELAX.

 

The main dining room on both lines are very similar. Food and service varies ship to ship, depending on the staff.

 

Regarding casual dining, each line has some advantages:

 

Carnival's buffet is one big line - standard cafeteria style.

 

Royal's buffet is split up into sections - a salad section, an Asian section, a deli section, a grill section, etc. You're able walk from one area to another, taking what you want from that section. This splits up the crowd better, rather than having just one long line. I think it works a lot better. Royal's buffet area also has servers, who will help you locate a table, fetch you drinks (even from the bar) or help you find things.

 

Both ships offer other casual dining areas in other locations, such as pizza, deli, etc.

 

All the Carnival ships I've been on have had outdoor dining options for the buffet.

 

If you choose a larger RCL ship (Voyager or Freedom - I don't know about Oasis), you don't really have an outdoor dining option other than to take your food out on a lounger by the pool. Radiance and Vision class include outdoor dining areas, which I REALLY like.

 

All the Carnival ships have water slides that can be used by adults or kids.

RCL waterslides are in the kid pool areas only. No water slides for grown ups. Sad...

 

Various RCL ships do, however, feature grown-up friendly entertainment such as in-line skating track, ice skating rink, FlowRider, rock-climbing wall, etc. Both lines have mini-golf offered on most of their ships.

 

RCL ships are, in general, wider than other ships, which make the stairwells and hallways feel less cramped.

 

CCL cabins, in general, are a little larger than RCL's. CCL allows guests to use their robes in OV cabins and above. RCL only offers free use of RCL bath robes to suite guests.

 

CCL: Hairy Chest Contest

RCL: Sexy Legs Contest

 

I found a lot more ACTIVE (as opposed to BINGO-type) activities offered on RCL. I was sometimes bored on Carnival, which may have forced me into the shops, which was perhaps their plan. I'm NEVER bored on RCL. It may be personal preference and I just happen to enjoy RCL's activities more. I've always felt that Carnival depended a lot on their party atmosphere to entertain.

 

I've found the staff to be more friendly on RCL. Service is great on both lines. However, in general, I've felt like the crew seemed more friendly and genuine on RCL - like they want to KNOW you, not just entertain you.

 

Carnival encourages passengers to book early (and NOT change their minds) with their early-saver program. It's something I wish RCL would adopt.

 

RCL tends to start out higher, then adjust their prices on less popular sailings. If you're not cruising during holidays or school breaks, you'll very likely see your price go DOWN. RCL will match the lower published price, even after you've booked. However, you have to ASK for the reduction. It's not automatic. I think I snagged three price drops on my last cruise, resulting in a savings of about 24% per person!! That means I sailed for LESS on RCL than a comparable CCL voyage would have cost.

 

I would absolutely consider a Carnival cruise again, but I consider myself pretty loyal to Royal at this point. My preference would be for an RCL ship over a CCL ship. I guest that's what you'd expect to hear on the Royal Caribbean threads!

 

ENJOY!!!

 

You have given a very fair and unbiased opinion and I happen to agree on most points.

 

We have sailed on two Royal Caribbean (also LOVED Adventure of the Seas) and four Carnival ships.

 

From personal experiences, I'd also like to add:

For those who enjoy running/jogging outside, the outside track on Carnival ships are dedicated for that purpose, while the tracks on Royal Caribbean are in the middle of a deck and surrounded by deck chairs. I've had people standing in the middle of the jogging track talking, drinking, and just in the way. It breaks momentum every time I have to politely tell people I'm coming through.

 

The Royal Promenade on Royal Caribbean ships is a sight to behold. Each Carnival ship has an Atrium in the center that is usually many decks high and topped with a beautiful glass window.

 

The 24-hour pizza on Carnival ships makes for easy snacking anytime. I honestly do not remember if Royal Caribbean has a 24-hour snack venue.

 

We love cruising, so we will continue to sail both lines, and may even try some others. I like to say that we don't just eat at Chili's we like to visit Olive Garden, Applebees, and Panera too. :D

[jmom5]

All Carnival ships have mini-golf. All cabins on all Carnival ships have robes in the cabin.

What I like better about RCCL when it comes to mini-golf and things like that (sports court, etc.) is that it is always open. Carnival's mini-golf closed every night at 6pm (at least on the Carnival Freedom last Sept.) and the sports court also closed at 6pm - not to mention that Carnival "sports court" had a huge raised window in the middle of it looking down at the buffet so it made it impossible to play any real games on it. The RCCL sports courts and mini-golf is lighted so it is open til late. Also, the waterslides weren't open past 6 either and not open on port days, that was kind of a disappointment.

As far as the robes, platinum members and above get them in their cabin on RCCL, but anyone can request the robes from their stateroom attendant and get them to use for the week.

[printingchick]

What I like better about RCCL when it comes to mini-golf and things like that (sports court, etc.) is that it is always open. Carnival's mini-golf closed every night at 6pm (at least on the Carnival Freedom last Sept.) and the sports court also closed at 6pm - not to mention that Carnival "sports court" had a huge raised window in the middle of it looking down at the buffet so it made it impossible to play any real games on it. The RCCL sports courts and mini-golf is lighted so it is open til late. Also, the waterslides weren't open past 6 either and not open on port days, that was kind of a disappointment.

As far as the robes, platinum members and above get them in their cabin on RCCL, but anyone can request the robes from their stateroom attendant and get them to use for the week.

 

Just to clarify, I was comparing the ships for a first time RCL cruiser. A couple people mentioned that some C&A members get free use of robes without being quartered in suites, however the OP would not qualify for that benefit. As I recall, OV and above get robes on Carnival, even if it is their first cruise.

 

You Jmom5 makes a good point about limited hours on the two ships. As I recall, even Carnival's hot tubs and pools close at night. No late night sports or swimming.

 

However, they do have food available round the clock. On most RCL ships, I believe there is a gap from somewhere around 2AM-6AM where you'd have no options but room service for food and that room service would require a surcharge of $3.95 be paid for late night service.

[momonthego17]

We have a cruise booked with Carnival and another on RCI about a month later. I haven't sailed with Carnival yet, but one difference is that you are allowed to bring a bottle of wine per legal-age guest. That's a nice perk and I wish RCI would do the same.

[spencercoop]

Just to clarify, I was comparing the ships for a first time RCL cruiser. A couple people mentioned that some C&A members get free use of robes without being quartered in suites, however the OP would not qualify for that benefit. As I recall, OV and above get robes on Carnival, even if it is their first cruise.

 

You Jmom5 makes a good point about limited hours on the two ships. As I recall, even Carnival's hot tubs and pools close at night. No late night sports or swimming.

 

However, they do have food available round the clock. On most RCL ships, I believe there is a gap from somewhere around 2AM-6AM where you'd have no options but room service for food and that room service would require a surcharge of $3.95 be paid for late night service.

 

Even the interior rooms have robes on Carnival.