Royal vs Carnival

[hammer000]

So this be my first cruise on Royal Caribbean, which is on the Oasis. I've been on Carnival in the past, most recently the carnival liberty. From what I've read in the past, many people say that RC has an advantage in terms of entertainment, and Carnival for the food, mainly MDR and buffet. Of course, I believe I read that mainly on the Carnival board. I do remember the buffet being quite good on the carnival liberty.

Just wondering what people on these boards feel about the food in general. I definitely want to try some of the specialty restaurants. Cheers!

[Vitality08]

A difference I saw on the RC cruise I went on was that the dinner portions in the MDR seems to be larger and more in line of what dinner should be. I felt satisfied from my meal and couldn't even dream of desert where as on Carnival I feel the portions are smaller and I always have desert.

 

Another difference was that the food came out hot. On my previous Carnival cruise (Sept. 2011) the food came lukewarm at best, although I didn't notice this to be the case on my most recent Carnival cruise. (June 2013)

[BeachChik]

I have read lots of comparisons. Overall many state that carnivals food is better. I personally didn't think one was better than the other. It was comparable on both lines. Not gourmet food by any means but still good. I did miss the 24 hour ice cream when we went on royal. I would always grab a cone on carnival when we were wandering the ship at night. :D

 

The only extra we did was Johnny rockets on royal so I can't comment on specialty dining food.

[jamesr3939]

I have only done one Carnival (Spirit) and 3-4 RCL cruises. I did find the food on Carnival a little better than RCL in the MDR. I think the buffet on RCL was better than Carnival. I felt the specialty restaurants on Carnival were much better than RCL. Entertainment/shows/ship board activities better on RCL (LOTS & Mariner). Next cruise is on the Oasis so I am looking forward to see her.

[Topo Gigio]

Royal's buffet blows Carnival's buffet out of the water.

[matj2000]

Another Carnival vs Royal topic started already?

Its only been 3 days.

Use the search function and you can see this question asked 500 times.

Here is a start...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1875411&highlight=carnival

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1831997&highlight=carnival

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1800736&highlight=carnival

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1741401&highlight=carnival

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1738282&highlight=carnival

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1772668&highlight=carnival

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1621156&highlight=carnival

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1587201&highlight=carnival

[MrFunInTheSun]

Dinning room is about equal in IMHO with the exception of Carnivals "Comfort Food". Royal Caribbean wins hands down with their Windjammer and other sources of food around ship during peak times.

 

Royal Caribbean wins hands down with entertainment. More live music along with live music on pool deck where Carnival has gone more the DJ route. Also the night clubs on Carnival cater more to the 20 something's unless your in a Carnival Piano bar. Carnival on some of their ships have the upper leg with the piano bar and that experience.

 

Royal Caribbean's night club environment mixes it up and is more enjoyable for the not so 20 something's.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Please excuse any typographical errors.

[firefly333]

Royal's buffet blows Carnival's buffet out of the water.

 

Especially at night during dinner time. I ate up in the buffet all week on RCL and thought the buffet was really good on RCL, but skimpy at best on Carnival. slim pickings at night.

 

Do be sure and try the beef sandwiches in the deli on Oasis, they are really great.

 

I think each has some things I like, though I lean toward RCL overall because of their ships and entertainment which I think blows Carnival away.

[JimAOk1945]

Royal Caribbean wins every time. Just my opinion.

[yogimax]

Other than warm chocolate melting cake, RCCL wins hands down. Carnival's "comfort food" is a joke, especially the inedible meatloaf.

[Blue Line]

You will love the Oasis!!! If I can recommend the chefs table and 150 Central Park for you and your significant other... Have fun!

[flyawayca]

I've only sailed RCCL once and Carnival 3 times so I can't compare multiple ships.

 

From my experience on the Voyager OTS versus my Carnival cruises I think that Carnival has better food in the MDR, but I give RCCL a slight lead on the buffet. Carnival's portions are a little smaller in the MDR but that isn't something I would even think about because you can always ask for more.

 

As for entertainment. On Voyager vs. Carnival I liked Carnival more. But I'm a huge fan of the comedy clubs and RCCL just lacks there a little. HOWEVER you are going on the Oasis. In this case I think the entertainment on the Oasis and Allure would win hands down on entertainment any day. There is no comparison on the major ships versus the "regular" ones on any cruise line.

 

RCCL wins the style award from me though. Their ships are just so nice and pretty. I love the promenades.

 

I think you will enjoy RCCL if you enjoyed Carnival. I have yet to find a cruise I haven't enjoyed. You won't go hungry. The food will be good. Especially in the specialty restaurants. Have fun!

[ehfl]

On both lines, the MDR is just banquet food....there's simply no other way to feed thousands of people at the same time. It's not bad at all on either line, but it's what you might find at a large wedding or convention...nothing special. The specialty restaurants on RCL are quite good. On the Oasis class ships, 150 Central Park is a very nice dining experience.

 

RCL has gone mostly trans-fat, so some of the baked goods may not have the texture you might be used to on Carnival. They may be better for you, but for things like pizza, it's harder to get the crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside feel when using more natural ingredients rather than processed products that were more common in the past.

[Dave85]

Food is subjective so everyone will have a different opinion.

 

My fiancee and I agreed that the food was noticably better (all around) on the Carnival Breeze than the Oasis (our last two ships on their respective lines), but everything else was better on the Oasis.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[cruisinfanatic]

Been on multiple Carnival and RCL ships over the years. If you compare menus on both in the last 2 years (both changed), RCL wins easily in the MDR. Carnivals selections for the most part are not good and fewer choices than on RCL. Deserts on both are usually nothing to get excited about. Some nights Carnival will only have 2 choices besides lo cal.

Choc melting cake on Carnival that many rave about? Buy a brownie mix and cook it half way.

 

For lunch Carnival has a great grill outside that you can get a great hamburger. They also have Fish & Chips on many ships that I like. For lunch, I'll give my preference to Carnival unless there is a carver selection I like on RCL

 

For breakfast, I'm not a big eater. Throw a bowl of Rice Krispies with some bacon and sausage at me, and I'm ok till lunch. Trouble is on Carnival you can't get a carton of real Vit D milk. Just 1%, 2%, and skim. YUCK!

 

Entertainment?

As a previous poster said Carnival is great because they have at least 4 comedians that rotate shows all week. Ech does a PG and an R version of their act. Usually very goon. If you're not a big fan of comedians, it's RCL easy.

 

Ships?

RCL EASY. The easiest ships to get around that you'll find

 

Loyalty?

RCL easy again. After only one cruise, you'll get coupons good for free internet etc.

 

Prices?

Carnival often wins this.

A cruise for 2 on Carnival for 7 nights in an inside can often be had for $800 including tax. Just remember you get what you pay for.

[griffy116]

Staff on Royal will win, hands down, every time. They go above and beyond to satisfy your every need, always with a smile.

[Maxiecat3]

I've never cruised on Carnival, but from what I've read on both boards, people seem to think that RCI has a better room service menu (more selections).

 

Gregg

[dolfansam]

Dinning room is about equal in IMHO with the exception of Carnivals "Comfort Food". Royal Caribbean wins hands down with their Windjammer and other sources of food around ship during peak times.

 

Royal Caribbean wins hands down with entertainment. More live music along with live music on pool deck where Carnival has gone more the DJ route. Also the night clubs on Carnival cater more to the 20 something's unless your in a Carnival Piano bar. Carnival on some of their ships have the upper leg with the piano bar and that experience.

 

Royal Caribbean's night club environment mixes it up and is more enjoyable for the not so 20 something's.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Please excuse any typographical errors.

 

I agree, the MDR is a push food wise between the two. Although I do miss the warm chocolate melting cake while on RCCL:D. The Windjammer blows the Lido Buffet out of the water. Although I will admit I do love the Deli on the Pride. I do like that you can get a hot breakfast delivered to your room on RCCL whereas on Carnival you get cereal and bagels. The Room Service on RCCL has a better variety for other times of the day also.

 

I would say the best food I have had was on Celebrity. Princess 2nd (Love Boat Dream is a must), Royal 3rd, Carnival a close 4th and Holland America a very distant 5th.

[angelinaxox1]

I tend to find the food on most cruiselines to be about the same. I may like some things better to eat on one, but then find something better to eat on the other. I eat in the main dining room for dinner and when it is is open for breakfast and lunch, I eat there as well. I am usually satisfied with my meals. Unlike one of the previous posters who doesn't like the warm chocolate melting cake on Carnival, I can say it is one of my two favorite desserts on any cruise ship (Disney's Mickey ice cream bars is the other) and I like that it is available all the time. I love plain chocolate desserts and have a hard time finding desserts I like on RCCL besides a scoop of ice cream.

[JimAOk1945]

I love to eat. Food is a very important part of my cruise experience. :D We have been on three different cruise lines. They all have their good points. But, to me, the number one consideration is the itinerary.

[Tapi]

Our opinion:

 

-MDR: Carnival

-Buffet: Royal

-Steakhouse: Carnival

-Room Service: Royal

 

Royal does provide a much wider selection of alternative restaurants which we appreciated. Some are great, some not so much. Even if all the restaurants aren't great, it's still nice to have options. Our favorite was Giovanni's Table.

[asylum575]

We were disappointed with our last Carnival cruise. No hot food with room service and marginal buffet.

Haven't been on RCCL in a few years. Celebrity was two years ago and it was great.

Hoping to have a great cruise next week on Explorer

 

 

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