Carnival vs Royal Caribbean?

[oldbluff]

Carnival beats Royal Carribean for us.

 

Of course we flip-flop between Carnival and Holland America Line, but that is a different thread. :)

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

The first thing you will notice is that Royals ship are head and shoulders above Carnival. They don't sail old rust buckets, i.e. the Fantasy class.

 

Funny how I sailed on the monarch of the seas approximately 5 years ago and I would have to say the fantasy class ships are far more enjoyable to be on than that was. I mean, at least carnival has 24 hour pizza and ice cream. Lol.

[Tapi]

I just got off of Royal's Enchantment yesterday. I have compared them in my mind as they are both older and smaller ships.

 

They did have an outdoor big screen but I would have rather had live music all day instead of watching the Lego Movie each day in the afternoon.

 

We will be on the Enchantment in a month! Our last Royal sailing was on the Allure, so going from newest and biggest to one of the smallest and oldest is probably going to be a bit of a shock. But we're looking forward to it nonetheless! Our last Fantasy-class ship sailing (on the Fascination) was probably one of the most disappointing cruises we've ever taken, so I can only hope that the Enchantment doesn't rank even lower than that!

 

About the Lego Movie, that will be absolutely wonderful for my Lego-addicted, 4 year old son! He's nuts for anything Lego right now. In fact, we're spending 2 nights in Central Florida pre-cruise to visit Legoland Florida! :eek:

[momoftwinboys09]

You will have a great time on the Enchantment! Like I said it would take a lot for me to have a bad cruise. There was nothing wrong with the Lego movie but for me if I'm by the pool, I'd prefer music. The Fascination was our 1st cruise in 2011 and we loved it! It does seem like Carnival caters more to kids but we were kids free on the Enchantment so I really can't say on that. We wanted a trip to relax and that is what we got! It was great. It just seemed to me that for us Carnival was the route we will still take next time. I am glad that I got to experience Royal. But Carnival seemed to invite us on the ship and welcome us all week as opposed to Royal just seemed to be going their job. Have a wonderful time though and be sure and let me know what you thought when you come back!

 

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[lcgvol]

We just went on our first RC cruise in March after 5 on Carnival. There are differences but I think it also depends on the ship. We were on the Liberty and it was beautiful. However the food in the buffet was not as good as Carnivals. The dining room food was equal in my opinion. Room service on that ship had a fee after 10 pm($4 I think). The pizza was awful, kind of reminded me of the frozen kind. Ice cream was only available from 9 am-6pm all but one day and then it was 9 pm. I missed my midnight soft serve! Ben and Jerry's was open late but it wasn't cheap.

I also missed the towel animals, only had them two nights out of 6. Also no robes in the cabin and no chocolates on our pillows. No one addressed us by name like they have on Carnival.

There were a LOT of older people, which surprised me since it was spring break. I even took a picture of all the electric scooters which were lined up and down the entry to the MDR.

The entertainment was so/so. The ice show, however was amazing! The ship had a lot of fun things , flow rider, rock climbing wall, and ice rink. I did miss the comedy clubs on Carnival.

It was a great cruise just different. I missed a lot of the amenities Carnival has. I would definitely go on RC again, maybe on a different ship. I just booked my next spring break cruise back on Carnival.

[big al]

We go back and forth between the two and I think the difference is negligible. The age of the crowd, behavior and how they dress has more to do with the port and time of year than the cruise line. I think food is better on Carnival, but others in my party think differently. I think Carnival has more music around the ship, but I kind of like the RCL production shows better. I think the crew on Carnival is a bit more friendly but not enough to be noticeable. They each have their own games and game shows that vary slightly between each other, but you still have art auctions, towel animals, bingo, trivia and pool games on both.

 

I can't really tell much difference between the ships and the ship decor. I think you'll see little things that you may slightly prefer one over the other, but either way, they are both awesome vacations.

 

Oh and there may be differences in what they charge for various things, but in the end, my closing bill is about the same.

 

 

You can't tell the difference between the ships and decor???? Are you kidding???? That is THEE biggest difference I can think of between the 2 cruise lines...CCL ships are very neonie, lots of glitz, lots of colored bulbs flashing ( less on the Dream class)...RCI ships have more soft colors, much easier on the eyes..on CCL, I feel like I have to wear sunglasses 24/7..Joe Farkas, who designed most of the CCL ships before the Dream class, I'm convinced was on LSD when he chose the colors..every atrium was like Las Vegas...too much for me..for me, I loved the Royal Promenade on RCI, the Viking Crown Lounge, the British Pub, Schooner Bar, Ice-skating shows, and on the Oasis class, there's NOTHING like the AquaPark diving shows, IMO, the most spectacular shows at sea..also Hairspray was THEE best musical production show I've seen on my 29 cruises ( 6 Carnival, 12 RCI, 2 Disney, 5 NCL, 1 each HAL, Celebrity, & Princess, and 1 Celebration Cruise Lines) , and Saturday Night Fever on the Liberty Of The Seas was also terrific..I don't like at all, that Carnival has gone to a DJ for music at the pool- sorry, a Caribbean reggae band is a must for me on a cruise..again, on the Oasis ships and Freedom ships, you can hear live music in the British Pub, Schooner Bar ( piano), Viking Crown Lounge, Boleros ( latin), Pharaoh's Palace ( Freedom class) all have live music...

 

As far as food goes, food is subjective, but I find MDR food on every line except Disney & Celebrity are pretty mediocre..most is like catered food. food you'd find at a wedding..I don't cruise for food anyway..we go to the alternative restaurants at least 1-2x on a 7 night cruise..here, I believe NCL is by far the best, and Carnival lags behind other than their steakhouse, which is wonderful...CMC for dessert is fantastic, and overall, I thought the MDR food on CCL has been much improved over the last 10 years...service also is subjective, but I do NOT find crew on RCI to be any less friendly than others..Disney here the best IMO for service...Disney also has fantastic musicals at night..all 4 shows on my recent Disney Dream cruise last November were SPECTACULAR...singing, dancing, the music, arrangement, all were A+...some people don't go to shows for whatever reason- we love good entertainment, and IMO, a review of a cruise is not complete or accurate without a review of all the entertainment on a cruise..it is one of the 4-5 reasons why we cruise..the others are: to be at sea, and enjoy the wonders of the amazing sea ( like sitting on our balcony sipping a drink and chillin'...aaaahhh..) , to see great live entertainment , to go to exotic ports of call , and very important- to get away from work & home and not have to cook, clean, go to work, etc...we do NOT go on a cruise to: meet dining staff or waiters, meet strangers at dinner with whom we have nothing in common with, get drunk every night, or dress up for formal nights and go to dinner.. and although we love to eat, as long as the food is decent, I'm fine with that...I have a saying..if you want to eat, go to the buffet..if you want to eat better, go to the MDR..if you want to enjoy your meal in a romantic setting without dining with 1000 other people in a bright, noisy hall, then go to an alternative venue..both RCI Oasis class and the new NCL ships ( Breakaway & Getaway) both have over 25 dining options...I like options..for dining, for entertainment, for cabins...I hope with the new CCL Vista coming out in a few years, CCL will go back to live music at the pool, and have more dining options, both free and $$...just MHO...

 

Big Al

[Oak Hill Cruisers]

We like both Carnival & RCI. Several RCI transatlantics & B2Bs got us lot of cruise credits/points and we just love the Diamond Lounge. Next year, the Concierge Lounge.

 

We tend to book the longer cruises and we like the sea days and hiding from the madding crowd in the Diamond Lounge with free specialty coffees and our Kindles.

[Rh2458]

I personally didn't see enough of a difference between the two lines other than price to really have anything but price, and itinerary become the determining factor on which line I choose. For price alone I can't see sailing on anything but Carnival in the future because so far I haven't seen RC able to compete price wise with Carnival. I understand the "you get what you pay for" mentality, however as I stated earlier we really didn't see a difference otherwise.

[Tapi]

I personally didn't see enough of a difference between the two lines other than price.

 

 

The list of differences is pretty extensive. However, whether someone notices (or cares for) these differences is a different story. For those who do notice, the price difference is well worth it.

 

Some people are satisfied with the basics that these 2 cruise lines deliver equally well, and for them, there's no reason to pay extra. Personally, I consider the differences to be huge. Everything from ship design, layout and decor, children's program offerings, quality of entertainment, number of dining selections, healthy alternatives, more active forms of entertainment, loyalty program tiers and perks, regions of the world where they call on, use of technology onboard the ships, selection of stateroom categories, suite perks, and attention to detail just to name a few. Even on our last, cheapie, short Bahamas cruise, we were wowed at how different Carnival and Royal have become.

 

 

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[kevinsgirl88]

You don't pay extra for rock wall or florider.

 

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[aenglish1609]

I think that there are differences in the cruise lines, HOWEVER, anyone who states that the differences make one line much better than the other, is just crazy...

I like Carnival for several things that matter to me, but I would never say that RCL is bad, by any stretch of the imagination. And anyone who says they love RCL, yet hate Carnival is just being ridiculous. I think you should go on both lines(as well as others if you want/can) and decide what is most important to YOU. There are differences yes, but I believe the differences are much more about people's preferences. Either cruise line, you should have a great time.

[aenglish1609]

The list of differences is pretty extensive. However, whether someone notices (or cares for) these differences is a different story. For those who do notice, the price difference is well worth it.

 

Some people are satisfied with the basics that these 2 cruise lines deliver equally well, and for them, there's no reason to pay extra. Personally, I consider the differences to be huge. Everything from ship design, layout and decor, children's program offerings, quality of entertainment, number of dining selections, healthy alternatives, more active forms of entertainment, loyalty program tiers and perks, regions of the world where they call on, use of technology onboard the ships, selection of stateroom categories, suite perks, and attention to detail just to name a few. Even on our last, cheapie, short Bahamas cruise, we were wowed at how different Carnival and Royal have become.

 

 

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Again, this is mostly preferences... Most of the things you listed above, I think are better on Carnival, where as you like RCL better. If you are trying to say that one is clearly better than the other than you are far too biased...

[CanadianCruiser38]

Cruised Carnival Dream, Magic and Breeze AND RCL Oasis and Allure of the Seas

 

Oasis and Allure are amazing ships. Huge! So much to see and do.

 

Rooms (I've always booked a balcony room)

Same although I prefer the RCL shower and balcony doors (doors slide shut like they do on the Breeze....Dream and Magic SLAM shut)

 

Food

MDR same

Buffet and poolside options go to Carnival by a mile

 

Entertainment

Cruise Directors - Carnival

Main Theatre - RCL

Comedy - Carnival since they offer family friendly shows, RCL does not

 

Price

Carnival - since they're more affordable....but if you haven't been on the Oasis or Allure, you have to if you can....massive and gorgeous ships and the cost is priced appropriately.

 

Overall Experience

Carnival - based on my 5 cruises in past 3 years. Booked on the Breeze for Feb because of this

[dbenlee]

I think that there are differences in the cruise lines, HOWEVER, anyone who states that the differences make one line much better than the other, is just crazy...

I like Carnival for several things that matter to me, but I would never say that RCL is bad, by any stretch of the imagination. And anyone who says they love RCL, yet hate Carnival is just being ridiculous. I think you should go on both lines(as well as others if you want/can) and decide what is most important to YOU. There are differences yes, but I believe the differences are much more about people's preferences. Either cruise line, you should have a great time.

 

Well said! Thank you!

[BenjiRodney]

I have completed 10 on Carnival and 2 on Royal, for me the choice is clear which I prefer. I have not received the same feeling that I get on Carnival on the 2 Royal Cruises. Service, food, staff have treated us better on Carnival than on Royal, and the price difference is amazing, it may be that our Royal Cruises were to Alaska and Bermuda. But our next Alaska cruise on Carnival next year is an 8 night cruise in a balcony that is cheaper than the ocean view was on Royal in 2012 for a 7 night cruise. We loved Alaska and Bermuda, but we were not "wow'ed" by Royal on either trip. For that reason and the prices, he next two cruises are on Carnival. We are staying with what we enjoy. JMO

 

 

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[cruisinfanatic]

Cruised Carnival Dream, Magic and Breeze AND RCL Oasis and Allure of the Seas

 

Oasis and Allure are amazing ships. Huge! So much to see and do.

 

Rooms (I've always booked a balcony room)

Same although I prefer the RCL shower and balcony doors (doors slide shut like they do on the Breeze....Dream and Magic SLAM shut)

 

Food

MDR same

Buffet and poolside options go to Carnival by a mile

 

Entertainment

Cruise Directors - Carnival

Main Theatre - RCL

Comedy - Carnival since they offer family friendly shows, RCL does not

 

Price

Carnival - since they're more affordable....but if you haven't been on the Oasis or Allure, you have to if you can....massive and gorgeous ships and the cost is priced appropriately.

 

Overall Experience

Carnival - based on my 5 cruises in past 3 years. Booked on the Breeze for Feb because of this

Don't know what RCL cruise directors you had, but the ones I had were some, if not the best on any ship. I can honestly say that in all of my Carnival cruises except 1, I have never had a cruise director that was really great. On royal there were several.

As far as comedy, sure wish Royal had the many nightly shows that Carnival does. The main shows on Royal where there is a comedian are family. The late night ones are not.

Edited September 17, 2014 by SeaUs

[Tapi]

If you are trying to say that one is clearly better than the other than you are far too biased...

 

 

There are some things were I believe Carnival and Royal are similar, and there are some things where I believe Carnival excels (and I've commented about them before). But I don't have any notion that these cruise lines are SO similar that the price difference is not warranted.

 

There are some things that are subjective and personal (like food taste, crew interaction, overall feel), etc but there are many things that are very objective, and those differences are what I'm referring to. That's not being biased. Just some hard facts.

 

- 2-3 alternative dining venue OR 24?

- Playlist productions OR full Broadway productions, Cirque du Soleil quality performances, and the Dreamworks experience?

- Kids program that starts at age 2 OR at 6 months of age, with Fisher Price an Crayola sponsored activities, and a dedicated TV channel?

- No pools for children that aren't potty trained OR a full water park including separately filtered and temperature controlled pools?

- Grand Suite with priority embarkation OR Royal Loft Suite with a long list of suite perks?

- Revamped loyalty program that removed perks and downgraded people OR revamped loyalty program that added more perks and added more tiers?

- No loyalty perks extended to other cruise lines under the Carnival corporation OR similar loyalty status extended to the other cruise line under the Royal brand?

- Paper maps and Fun Times OR paper Cruise Compass plus interactive touch screens in cabins and throughout the ship, listing activities, maps, venues, and directions?

- 130,000 ton ship evolved from the same class conceived 20 years ago OR 225,000 ton ship built from the ground up along with cruise terminals designed specifically to alleviate crowding an enhance the cruise experience?

- Itineraries in 5 regions mostly concentrated in the Caribbean and the Bahamas, OR itineraries worldwide?

 

Once again, some people may not care about any of these differences and they may honestly consider these cruise lines to be completely similar. But for those who DO care, the differences are very significant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[cruisinfanatic]

I have completed 10 on Carnival and 2 on Royal, for me the choice is clear which I prefer. I have not received the same feeling that I get on Carnival on the 2 Royal Cruises. Service, food, staff have treated us better on Carnival than on Royal, and the price difference is amazing, it may be that our Royal Cruises were to Alaska and Bermuda. But our next Alaska cruise on Carnival next year is an 8 night cruise in a balcony that is cheaper than the ocean view was on Royal in 2012 for a 7 night cruise. We loved Alaska and Bermuda, but we were not "wow'ed" by Royal on either trip. For that reason and the prices, he next two cruises are on Carnival. We are staying with what we enjoy. JMO

 

 

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If you think service is significantly different from one line to another of the 2 you've sailed, you're very wrong. Have never seen it on all my cruises. Food is subjective and will differ from ship to ship regardless of company. You forgot entertainment where Royal is far superior. You get what you pay for. If you want to go to the local fair instead of the State fair and you're fine with that, fine with me.

[Cruzaholic41]

I am Diamond on Carnival and Pinnacle on RCI. That means I cruise a lot on both lines. One thing I cannot disagree with more is the sentiment these 2 lines are more alike than different. I whole heartedly disagree with that. In my opinion and experience, RCI and CCL are dramatically different and there are no 2 alike cruises between them where price should be the deciding factor.

 

Not once have I been on a RCI Radiance Class ship and said to myself - hmmmm, this feels like Carnival. Likewise, not once have I been on a Conquest Class ship and said to myself - hmmmm, this feels like RCI. Those are just examples, but the same applies to the other ship classes as well. I've had those feelings between NCL and CCL, but not RCI.

 

Tapi - I think you said it best. You've been around here and reviewing long enough where everyone should know you are not a biased cheerleader of any one line. I agree with your comparisons and I also agree that RCI has done a great job distancing itself ahead of Carnival in many, many areas.

[aenglish1609]

There are some things were I believe Carnival and Royal are similar, and there are some things where I believe Carnival excels (and I've commented about them before). But I don't have any notion that these cruise lines are SO similar that the price difference is not warranted.

 

There are some things that are subjective and personal (like food taste, crew interaction, overall feel), etc but there are many things that are very objective, and those differences are what I'm referring to. That's not being biased. Just some hard facts.

 

- 2-3 alternative dining venue OR 24?

---Only on the Oasis or Allure, which are MUCH bigger than any Carnival ship, other than that, they are pretty even

- Playlist productions OR full Broadway productions, Cirque du Soleil quality performances, and the Dreamworks experience?

---Again, mostly on the big ships... When I was on Independence of the Seas, the shows were TERRIBLE, compared to the ones on Carnival, which included the Fun Force, which is still the best show I have seen on a cruise ship yet...

- Kids program that starts at age 2 OR at 6 months of age, with Fisher Price an Crayola sponsored activities, and a dedicated TV channel?

---This I can't argue with, but is not relevant to the majority of people cruising

- No pools for children that aren't potty trained OR a full water park including separately filtered and temperature controlled pools?

--- I have no idea about this, however I do know that Carnival Water park, is much better than RCL's

- Grand Suite with priority embarkation OR Royal Loft Suite with a long list of suite perks?

---This may be the most ridiculous thing I have read in a long time... Are you really comparing these two?? A typical Grand Suite on Carnival is a few thousand dollars, a Royal loft suite is over 15,000!!! Come on now, that is just crazy...

- Revamped loyalty program that removed perks and downgraded people OR revamped loyalty program that added more perks and added more tiers?

--- I disagree with this, yes it initially did downgrade some people, but overall I think it works better, and if you look at the two programs, they offer very similar perks...

- No loyalty perks extended to other cruise lines under the Carnival corporation OR similar loyalty status extended to the other cruise line under the Royal brand?

--- This is only relevant if you are choosing to go with the other cruise lines, but I see you point on this one

- Paper maps and Fun Times OR paper Cruise Compass plus interactive touch screens in cabins and throughout the ship, listing activities, maps, venues, and directions?

--- That is strictly an opinion, I love the funtimes, I hope Carnival keeps them around, I like being able to have it all right there, rather than go to a specific location, and use a touchscreen, so this all subjective...

- 130,000 ton ship evolved from the same class conceived 20 years ago OR 225,000 ton ship built from the ground up along with cruise terminals designed specifically to alleviate crowding an enhance the cruise experience?

---Again, why are you comparing RCL's biggest ship?? Yes, everyone knows the Oasis and Allure are much bigger than anything Carnival has to offer, but they are also much bigger than anything else RCL offers... Also, the longest boarding time I have had thus far is on RCL, but that was only a little bit longer

- Itineraries in 5 regions mostly concentrated in the Caribbean and the Bahamas, OR itineraries worldwide?

--- This is mainly due to Carnival spreading out these other areas among other lines, but I understand what you are saying, however I do think Carnival will keep expanding to these other areas in the future...

 

Once again, some people may not care about any of these differences and they may honestly consider these cruise lines to be completely similar. But for those who DO care, the differences are very significant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sorry, but this does show clear bias... You are comparing smallest Carnival to the biggest RCL in some of these areas, how is that not biased??

[Tapi]

You are comparing smallest Carnival to the biggest RCL in some of these areas, how is that not biased??

 

 

Uh, my comparisons were based on the biggest and newest ships each cruise line has since I considered them to be representative of the best that each cruise line has to offer. Not my fault that these cruise lines are so different these days, (although some people keep insisting that they are soooo similar). :rolleyes:

 

What do you want me to do, compare one of Carnival's largest and newest ships with one of Royal's older and smaller Voyager class ships to make the comparison more alike and so that the differences between the two cruise lines aren't so apparent?

 

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Edited September 17, 2014 by Tapi

[kwazi07]

Sorry, but this does show clear bias... You are comparing smallest Carnival to the biggest RCL in some of these areas, how is that not biased??

A GS on carnival is comperable to a GS on Royal, yet Royal has many more perks.

 

If any of you guys didn't know, I am the OP. This was posted before my Royal cruise. After that cruise, I can say that I LIKE Carnival but LOVE Royal.

 

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[kwazi07]

Uh, my comparisons were based on the biggest and newest ships each cruise line has since I considered them to be representative of the best that each cruise line has to offer. Not my fault that these cruise lines are so different these days, (although some people keep insisting that they are soooo similar). :rolleyes:

 

What do you want me to do, compare one of Carnival's largest and newest ships with one of Royal's older and smaller Voyager class ships to make the comparison more alike and so that the differences between the two cruise lines aren't so apparent?

 

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Like!

 

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[Tapi]

This may be the most ridiculous thing I have read in a long time... Are you really comparing these two?? A typical Grand Suite on Carnival is a few thousand dollars, a Royal loft suite is over 15,000!!! Come on now, that is just crazy...??

 

 

That is EXACTLY the point that I've been trying to make!! What these two cruise lines offer is so different, that many times there's NO COMPARISON! How can I compare a Carnival top suite with a Royal Caribbean top suite? I can't! Carnival doesn't offer anything quite like it. Even a Captain's Suite doesn't have any perks besides priority embarkation.

 

But hey! If we ignore all the things that are different, yes, these two cruise lines are like identical twins! :D

 

 

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Edited September 17, 2014 by Tapi

[equavian knight]

I've sailed on Carnival 3 times and RCI twice and can say the I enjoyed BOTH!!

 

Looking forward to the Glory 10/25/14