My opinion and yours: Carnival vs. Royal

[Tapi]

On a side note, Allure looks like it was designed by scion designers... a floating shoe box...

 

 

Don't know if you've seen it in person, but Allure is one of the most impressive and breathtaking ships I've ever seen. It doesn't look like a shoebox IMHO. One thing that you can't take away from Royal is how aesthetically pleasing their ships are, inside and out.

 

 

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[Havingfun2010]

For us, the only thing we liked about our one RC cruise was the balcony doors were sliding instead of hinged.

 

Half way through the one show we went to, the sound system failed and they canceled the show.

 

This can happen on any ship and on any cruise line.

 

Had to get tickets if you wanted to see the ice show.

 

Is this a negative. Would it be better to wait in line, and not get in, or have a reservation, and be guaranteed a seat? How is this a negative? Did you like the ice show? How about the other shows? What about the quality of the shows compared to RCCL?

 

 

If I want to see wood paneling, I can go to the K of C hall here in town. We like the glitz of Carnival which we don't see that often.

 

Sorry, no argument here. Most people like calm and quite colors but it is a mater of opinion. Not really sure where you found wood paneling on a ship, but ok.

 

The crew was ten times more friendly on Carnival than Royal. Cabin steward wasn't friendly at all. Always complaining and never showed up twice to make up the cabin. Excuse was that he was short handed.

 

You should make a statement that is believable. I have been on both ships, and maybe an individual was nicer, but really, the whole crew was 10 times nicer?

 

Just about everyone at some point in time have met a employee that was below standard. But one person should be used to rate an entire crew.

 

I actually had the same issue on a Carnival ship. I don't rate the experience however as "everyone is % times worse or better, just one person"

 

We aren't foodies so if anything Carnival gets that one because they had more food that was recognizable to us.

 

It is know fact that Carnival has been trying to change to a "Denny's" menu, but honestly, this statement makes people wonder where you eat on a regular basis. Because everything on a RCCL, is common food, nothing that is out of the norm. Granted, they don't have fried chicken, meatloaf, and hamburgers in the MDR, is is definitely still common food.

 

 

Health and Beauty section of stores on Royal was minimal whereas Carnival's is much larger.

 

Why would you be shopping on a ship for this? Unless you forgot something.

 

 

For us, Carnival suits us much more than Royal.

 

You really didn't give any great reason of what is different, and/or better other than you liked downgraded and simple food, liked to shop for beauty products on vacation, like dark/dated/glitzy colors. It would be nice if you can expand your thoughts on the different areas.

Edited August 10, 2014 by Havingfun2010

[RWolver672]

You really didn't give any great reason of what is different, and/or better other than you liked downgraded and simple food, liked to shop for beauty products on vacation, like dark/dated/glitzy colors. It would be nice if you can expand your thoughts on the different areas.

 

I don't need to expand my thoughts. You have your opinions and I have mine. The OP didn't ask for great reasons, they only asked for opinions. If you don't like mine I can't help that.

 

Crews on Carnival always greeted us with at least a smile. On Royal, they wouldn't even acknowledge that you said Good Morning to them.

 

No we didn't go to the ice show. Didn't feel like standing in a line to get the tickets. On Carnival, if you want to go to a show, you walk in. Big difference.

 

On the AOS there was lots of dated paneling on the walls.

 

If you like Royal over Carnival, fine. Don't look down on others that don't. To each his own.

 

You asked "Why would you be shopping on a ship for this? Unless you forgot something." Why do you think they have those stores on the ship? As it happened, I came down with a cold and wanted cough drops. None to be had. Their health and beauty section was in a liquor store and consisted of four shelves.

Edited August 10, 2014 by RWolver672

[pe4all]

How is that comparison possible? The only reasonable comparison would be Carnival Platinum to Royal Caribbean Diamond. Carnival's Platinum requires 75 days, whereas Royal's Platinum requires a mere 30 points. You can't compare Royal's Diamond at 80 nights to Carnival's Diamond at 200 nights, which can be compared to Royal's Diamond Plus at 175. It's the same thing as comparing HHonors Gold at 20 stays, 40 nights or 75,000 base points to SPG Gold at 10 stays or 25 nights.

 

Benefits that you receive at 30 nights should not equate to those at 75 nights. You can't compare perks from a similarly named tier if the qualification requirements aren't anywhere near being similar to each other.

 

Carnival's loyalty program stinks. With 120 days sailed so far, we are plartinum no-where land till we hit 200 days. Would be Diamond on Royal...

[aaron3219]

My family and my in laws are going to try out RCCL next year.

 

We will be taking a Bermuda trip and the in laws will be doing a Bahamas trip with them.

 

They have sailed carnival twice. They enjoy carnival but want to try something different. We have once on carnival but want to try something different.

 

You guys are missing the great thing about all this. We have many cruise lines to choose from. Don't like one. Go to another one. Love one. Stay with it or enjoy what they all have to offer. Most people don't care about your opinions.

[RWolver672]

 

You guys are missing the great thing about all this. We have many cruise lines to choose from. Don't like one. Go to another one. Love one. Stay with it or enjoy what they all have to offer. Most people don't care about your opinions.

 

I agree 100%! Especially the last line.

[BSQ]

Using your categories

Ships - eh draw

Rooms - Carnival

MDR - Royal

Buffet - Carnival

Speciality Dining - n/a

Pools - Royal

Activities - draw

Service - Draw

nightlife - Carnival

Entertainment - Royal

 

How I compared them in my recent review:

 

Embarkation – Royal

Muster Drill - Royal

Main Dining Room - Royal

Buffet - Carnival

Buffet Service (busing tables) - Carnival

Bar Service - Carnival (hands down, no contest)

Bartenders – Carnival

Martinis – Carnival & Me (I learned from the best )

Soda package - Royal

Shows/entertainment - Royal

Promenade Deck - Carnival

Port Shopper experience - Royal

Overal Ship Décor – Royal though I missed the gaudy a little

Staterooms (space utilization) - Carnival

Adult pool area - draw.

Stateroom Stewards - draw

Excursion desk - draw

Guest services - draw

Senior Officer Visibility - Royal (the officers were everywhere)

Debarkation - Carnival (especially luggage handling)

Private Island - Half Moon Cay (though there was better snorkeling from shore at Coco Cay)

 

I thought both lines have delivered the vacation experience I was hoping to have on each sailing, and can't say I'd choose or recommend one over the other. It's simply finding the best fit for your own vacation style,

Edited August 10, 2014 by BSQ

[Gon2hwe]

One factor you missed was cost. I think Carnival wins that hands down. The Oasis class is the only ships worth paying more for.

[nhraformula00]

One factor you missed was cost. I think Carnival wins that hands down. The Oasis class is the only ships worth paying more for.

 

While I agree with this somewhat. Went on Oasis O.V. balcony cabin for 2, $ 2,300, 7 day. Next cruise Carnival Freedom O.V. balcony,8 day, $ 1,500. Was really not worth the extra $800. Yes the shows were better, ship is huge, never felt crowded except the buffet. The food was not any better, windjammer is too small and too crowded for a ship this size. Rooms are smaller, and did not like the bathroom setup with the sink. Royal Promade is just a larger area to spend more money. We went on this ship just to have been on one of the largest in the world.

[Anjanu]

I'm so glad that I came across this thread! The comparisons are a big help!

I am unhappy with Carnival and now after 21 cruises with Carnival, I'm ready to venture out and see what other cruise lines have to offer.

 

I was considering booking a 5-day on the Sunshine in December and decided to check out the Explorer of the Seas. An oceanview cabin on a 5-day Sunshine cruise going to 2 ports is more expensive then a 5-day on the Explorer of the Seas cruise that stops at 3 ports.

 

I don't care about becoming diamond with Carnival. I will always be platinum so whatever loyalty that I had for Carnival doesn't matter. It's time to move on.

[kwazi07]

I'm so glad that I came across this thread! The comparisons are a big help!

I am unhappy with Carnival and now after 21 cruises with Carnival, I'm ready to venture out and see what other cruise lines have to offer.

 

I was considering booking a 5-day on the Sunshine in December and decided to check out the Explorer of the Seas. An oceanview cabin on a 5-day Sunshine cruise going to 2 ports is more expensive then a 5-day on the Explorer of the Seas cruise that stops at 3 ports.

 

I don't care about becoming diamond with Carnival. I will always be platinum so whatever loyalty that I had for Carnival doesn't matter. It's time to move on.

You will love Royal! It is so nice. I have noticed that Sunshine has been very expensive lately, especially for being 18 years old!

 

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[mj cruiser]

Ive sailed both with our kids and really just love cruising....Our last couple were NCL and loved Getaway it had (for us) a bit of everything and we loved the outdoor promenade and the price was amazing...love all the different places to eat on NCL.... ok i know this is RCL v Carnival so for us:

 

Ships: Royal is amazing but I am looking forward to trying Breeze I love to try new ships!!

 

Buffet: Royal but I heard Breeze is really good

 

MDR: Carnival wins

 

Rooms: Carnival rooms seem bigger to me and the beds are great

 

Entertainment: Royal has better shows but I enjoy the dancing waiters on Carnival and it seems like the sailaways etc are more fun with Carnival

 

Kids club: I think it depends on the ages and other kids that they meet but my older son loved Carnival teen club. Ill let u know on our 5 yo when we get back from Breeze

 

Price: Carnival hands down

 

We like to try different lines I think they all have something different to offer. I have to say that NCL with their anytime dining works really well for our family and Getaway was really impressive as we have older and younger kids there was something for everyone. I'm hoping Breeze is the same!!

 

oh service: we have had better service on Royal but always find really wonderful people working on every cruise :)

[BettyPC]

I enjoy both lines!

[Moonarino]

I've been on Royal's two biggest ships, Oasis and Allure. I've been on a couple of Carnival's not-so-greats (IMHO) and also a couple of really nice ones.

 

So I think for Carnival it mostly depends on the ship. Triumph in 2008 is still one of my two most memorable cruises in regard to food and crew, as well as entertainment. But the other of my two favorites is Oasis, and I love the aft area of the Oasis class ships. But RC is not cheap, and after a day or so I've stopped noticing that Royal's decor may be a little more colorful or tasteful or whatever. (And the TV remote is just as sucky as the one on Carnival.)

 

Royal offers more alternative dining, which is great because their main dining room food and menus (in my experience) are thoroughly blah, or worse. (I've never had to send anything back to the kitchen on a Carnival cruise, but on Allure that happened twice in the same week.)

 

On balance, my feeling is that Royal as a whole is overrated and overpriced for a week's vacation. I prefer Carnival, but not just any Carnival ship.

[MrBanana1240]

Perfect way to put it. I'd love to try royal again for a week or something, but it's just too expensive. So I'll cruise carnival. I've never had a problem on any ship, but I've only done the spirit and conquest classes. but I remain loyal to both and I check both equally for cruises!

 

Thanks for your input, glad to see someone thinks similar to me!

 

 

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[CruisersNC]

Ships - RCCL

Itineraries - CCL

Cabins - close but I'll go with CCL

Dining Room - both equally disappointing

Buffet - RCCL hands down

Entertainment - RCCL by a bunch

Price - CCL by a wide and growing margin

[momof3cruisers]

Don't know if you've seen it in person, but Allure is one of the most impressive and breathtaking ships I've ever seen. It doesn't look like a shoebox IMHO. One thing that you can't take away from Royal is how aesthetically pleasing their ships are, inside and out.

 

 

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I have seen and sailed on Allure. I still think it's exterior is very unattractive. Interior is gorgeous, but very "interior" as in limited ocean views.

 

For me the lines balance out pretty well.

 

Royal gets Pts for buffet, room service selection, interior decor, teen club and a BIG point for allowing teens to participate In karaoke AND having it for all ages too.

 

Carnival gets points for slides (my kids like those better than the flow rider.) Main dining room, size of cabins, friendly service, better bar drinks.

 

They tie on entertainment for different reasons. On Royal, the production shows are far and away better. No contest. But on Carnival, we love the family friendly comedy shows and Royal didn't offer those and dancing options are better for us on Carnival. We also had fun equally with the various games and audience participation on each line. They were very different, but both good.

[VASOXFANN]

Ships: I prefer the décor of the Royal ships, and I was not a huge fan of Glory's lay out (having to go up a deck cross over, and go back down to get to the MDR :confused: ) Royal wins this hands down. Carnival 0 Royal 1

 

Rooms: Again, Royal gets the nod for decor, but Carnival's rooms are much bigger and include more storage space and robes. Size matters. Carnival takes this one.

Carnival 1 Royal 1

 

MDR: I liked the food on both, but Carnival's was better, and they deserve to take this category for their desserts.

Carnival 2 Royal 1

 

Buffet: A tie. Royal has more variety, but Carnival has a chocolate buffet and always-available soft serve ice cream and frozen yogurt :p

Carnival 3 Royal 2

 

Specialty dining: I can't fairly answer this one, as I haven't tried Carnival's yet. Royal's was outstanding. I'll let you know about Carnival's in a few weeks :D

 

 

Pools: Royal takes this. I don't like the teeny swimmin' holes on Carnival, and I'm a little old for water slides

Carnival 3 Royal 3

 

Activities: Another tie. I wasn't bored on either line.

Carnival 4 Royal 4

 

Service: Both have great service.

Carnival 5 Royal 5

 

Nightlife: Not my thing

 

Entertainment: Again, I can't fairly rate this one because my fiancé's back went out on our Carnival cruise, so we didn't go to any shows.

 

Mine ended up being a tie. Although I'll always love Royal because they were "my first" and I love the classic look of their ships (the normal ones, not the behemoths) when we look for cruises, we look at itinerary and price. Right now, we go with Carnival because they provide the best value for our money.

Edited September 11, 2014 by VASOXFANN

[BenjiRodney]

Carnival suits us better. Rooms are bigger, pricing is better, more activities scheduled than on the 2 Royal cruise we took. MDR much better imo took almost 3 hours one night on Grandeur. Like Carnivals steakhouses better. Like that Carnival keeps food available longer and does not charge for late night room service if you need a snack. Found the shows to be more entertaining, especially the Playlist productions. Love the water slides. Carnival takes it hands down for me.

 

 

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[dulcimergirl]

I respectfully disagree. I'd much rather cruise Carnival. I am not impressed with Oasis, yes, its large and has bells and whistles, but its to big. I will take a Spirit class anytime as far as layout is concerned.

But, I am old, and don't care for slides, surfing, boardwalk, or night life.

Just gimmee a cruise and get out of my way.

I get more benefits from being Platinum on Carnival. I can cruise more often also.

I will take it. The good thing is there is room for all who love cruising no matter which line you choose.

[buckirj1]

I've sailed Royal Caribbean twice, and didn't much like it either time. There's a very busy, almost frantic, vibe I haven't found on any of the other lines I've sailed. The cabin bathrooms on the Vision-class ships are ridiculous; I much prefer the showers on Carnival (and NCL and Cunard). I didn't like the level of service I received. Both times, RCCL seemed to have no idea how to treat a solo cruiser: I was variously butt-kissed and totally ignored, sometimes at the same meal. It's a shame, really, because RCCL has some very attractive pricing on itineraries I like on the right dates. I keep telling myself that I might like a different class ship better, but I'm hesitant to pull the switch.

 

On the other hand, I liked all my Carnival cruises, except for the last one. Even that last one wasn't so much a bad cruise as a boring cruise, since it happened right around the time when entertainment changed, and cutbacks started to become noticeable. I also stopped sailing Carnival when they were doing everything possible to alienate solo cruisers. Looks like they've since backed away from that position, and things are better for solo folks now. I can definitely see myself giving Carnival another try; there's still a lot to like.

 

All told, I like NCL best, but pricing on anything other than a last-minute cruise is proving prohibitive. YMMV.

[CruzCrazy]

I'm so glad that I came across this thread! The comparisons are a big help!

I am unhappy with Carnival and now after 21 cruises with Carnival, I'm ready to venture out and see what other cruise lines have to offer.

 

I was considering booking a 5-day on the Sunshine in December and decided to check out the Explorer of the Seas. An oceanview cabin on a 5-day Sunshine cruise going to 2 ports is more expensive then a 5-day on the Explorer of the Seas cruise that stops at 3 ports.

 

I don't care about becoming diamond with Carnival. I will always be platinum so whatever loyalty that I had for Carnival doesn't matter. It's time to move on.

 

I think this is very legitimate problem with Carnival's past guest loyalty program. Once you hit platinum, it's hard to see the incentive to sail with them if you consider just the loyalty program...the platinum perks are okay but not worth staying with Carnival over another cruise line, and there's too much gap between the platinum and diamond levels, so there's no incentive to take several more Carnival cruises to work toward reaching the next level.

 

I'm also platinum on Carnival, but we chose Oasis of the Seas for our most recent cruise. They offered a fantastic Police/Fire discount that was too good to pass up. We had originally planned to cruise on the Breeze, but for less money we were almost forced by the hands of fate to try Royal/Oasis. I did say at one point before booking the Oasis, "but we're platinum on Carnival..." and realized as soon as I said it that it was not worth mentioning. Sad but true.

 

I did a comparison review just last week http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2143547 and came to the conclusion that I like both cruise lines and wouldn't hesitate to sail on Royal again. I'd actually be willing to pay a few hundred more for Oasis/Allure as compared to some of the newer Carnival ships, but not as much as say $1000 more for comparable cabins/itineraries. We still want to try the Breeze, but if Oasis or Allure runs a good discount again, we will probably jump on it. Prices right now are a little steep, however. It's a moving target, as always.