Differences between Carnival and Royal Caribbean

[chicklily41]

I have also asked this on the Royal Caribbean thread. A group of us are planning a trip in October and it looks like our options are either Freedom of the Seas 7 day cruise from Port Canaveral, An 8 day on Carnival Conquest out of Fort Lauderdale or a 6 day on Carnival Breeze out of Miami. We have been on the Carnival Dream and Glory and a Disney cruise, but not yet on Royal Caribbean. The ports are new to many of us going, so we are more concerned with the differences in the ships. Can anyone tell me the big advantages or disadvantages to any of these options?

[petesweet]

We loved our Freedom of the Seas cruise, and all of our Carnival cruises (none of the bigger ships) have been great. No complaints about either line. I do think RCCL has prettier ships, but then I haven't been on the newest of the Carnival line.

 

Hope you get some answers that are more helpful.

 

Happy sails.

 

Kathy

[A&Jfamily]

I have also asked this on the Royal Caribbean thread. A group of us are planning a trip in October and it looks like our options are either Freedom of the Seas 7 day cruise from Port Canaveral, An 8 day on Carnival Conquest out of Fort Lauderdale or a 6 day on Carnival Breeze out of Miami. We have been on the Carnival Dream and Glory and a Disney cruise, but not yet on Royal Caribbean. The ports are new to many of us going, so we are more concerned with the differences in the ships. Can anyone tell me the big advantages or disadvantages to any of these options?

 

 

Glory and Conquest are all sister ships - may have a few subtle differences here and there but nothing too major. Breeze is sister to Dream...but a few more differences, but again, subtle. You can go to the website and look at what is available on each ship.

 

While it has been a long time since I cruised RCI, my impression was their staff, while functional, was blah. They weren't fun nice and out going like the CCL staff. They never smiled. I also think that you will find that on many of the RCI ships, the general agreement is their performance shows are better than CCL. I prefer the food on CCL...and the price. More bang for buck.

 

Personally, if I could do a longer cruise, that would ALWAYS win out for me. So unless something in particular is taking you to a port (like a few days in Disney). Or unless you were trying to go to a particular port that you hadn't been to. You can have fun on any ship, especially when traveling with friends and loved ones. So we cruise for the destinations and not the ship.

 

 

 

 

 

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[Cruzinbabe06]

My opinion is if you've never tried RCCL, give them a try.

 

You said it's stopping at some ports you haven't been too. That's going to add to the excitement. New Cruise Line, New Ports.

 

Carnival has more food options by the pool, which my family prefer.

 

RCCL ships are beautiful. Surly crewmembers can be found on any line. They're human.

 

Good luck with your decision.

[Rinderoo]

Done both and prefer Carnival, and here's why...

 

On Carnival, I can do my own laundry. On the RCI family of ships I must send it out. As silly as this sounds, for me, laundry is a dealbreaker. On Princess I am Elite and can send it out at no cost; on HAL they have a reasonably priced laundry package. There are no guest laundry areas on RCI (or NCL for that matter.)

 

The Carnival Breeze is awesome and not a lot of extra costs once you board as there is so much to do. Even Bonsai Sushi is really reasonable and its pretty tasty. The Breeze had to have been the best ship I've ever sailed. (No Oasis or Allure for me: just too big. Way too big.)

 

I find staff and crew on Carnival to be friendly and engaging; on RCI they did not seem to be as interactive with the passengers. This is likely ship-specific though as work atmosphere is a top-down thing.

 

Dress code: Carnival doesn't really have formal nights; they have "Elegant Night". I don't have to pack anything really fancy, and the dress code has relaxed enough to go with airline bag fees. I DO wear shorts in the dining room and am not ashamed to say it. Lately the staff in the dining rooms look better than the passengers, which is just fine with me.

 

Price: My present cruises are usually during school breaks and I have yet to find a RCI cruise that beats the balcony with Carnival.

 

Food: I have not had anything on Carnival which came out of the galley inedible. Wish I could have said that for RCI! But food is subjective and NO ONE starves on a cruise ship. Props to RCI for Johnny Rockets though-- Guy's Burgers come in second but is not available on all ships.

 

Ship activities: Love all the things they offer on Carnival, from the Chef's Table to trivia every day. RCI ships have some cool features though like ice rinks and flowriders and the rock wall.

 

Entertainment: the new ships of Carnival (Dream, Magic, Breeze) have very contemporary entertainment and I have yet to see a bad performance on Carnival. On RCI, I was not as thrilled with the production shows but they were fine. The new RCI ships has lots of entertainment options.

 

So... both are good. You have to decide what you want on a ship. Are you going to stay on board and use the ships activities, or are ports your main focus? My ship choices change when I look at itineraries. For longer cruises with more sea days, I want more things on the ship. For a short cruise where I'm off the ship every day and just eating and sleeping there, it becomes less of an issue. But I go back to whether or not I can do laundry or pay for it to be done at a reasonable price.

[Cruzinbabe06]

My opinion is if you've never tried RCCL, give them a try.

 

You said it's stopping at some ports you haven't been too. That's going to add to the excitement. New Cruise Line, New Ports.

 

Carnival has more food options by the pool, which my family prefer.

 

RCCL ships are beautiful. Surly crewmembers can be found on any line. They're human.

 

Good luck with your decision.

[cruzeluver]

I have been on Freedom of the Seas and Carnival Glory (sister to Carnival Conquest). Based on ship alone, Freedom wins. Not even close. More and better options of activities for everyone from the kids through the adults (on board surfing, ice skating, ice shows, rock climbing, plus a ton of bars/lounges for the adults). Gorgeous ship free of the tacky Farcus interiors to be found on Conquest. Far better entertainment. Freedom had some of the best, most professionally produced shows we have seen at sea.

 

I am not saying the others would be bad options by any means, its just the Freedom is so much more, for me.

Edited February 22, 2015 by cruzeluver
spelling

[Love2Cruz2015]

I prefer Carnival....I've only been on one RC and it was the Majesty so probably not a good indicator of RC ships in general. I was also on Disney recently, and again, Carnival wins in the food department and on the friendliness of staff (though I didn't come across any bad behavior on Disney, I thought their dining room staff was less than so so and not very engaged like they are on Carnival).

Now if you ask my 5 y/o, she'd probably have a different opinion, but I say Carnival all the way if you want to have fun!

[Tapi]

Someone will undoubtedly say that these cruise lines are "more alike than not", which I agree with if you're easy to please and are perfectly happy as long as you have a cabin, food, drink, and some sort of entertainment. But in my opinion, these cruise lines are VERY different. Whether these differences are important (or even noticeable) to you is a different story. But I find big differences in:

 

- Ship size and design

- Decor

- Quality of professional entertainment

- Focus on daily activities

- Selection of stateroom categories

- Onboard shopping experience

- Use of technology throughout the ship

- Past Guest program

- Variety of itineraries and regions of the world covered

- Selection of dining venues

- Children's program

 

These are just some differences that come to mind, and in my opinion, some of them can be huge. I know the ones that stand out for us.

 

While we've had a wonderful time on our Carnival cruises, I think that Royal takes the cruising experience a few notches higher. We will gladly dig a bit deeper in our pockets for the Royal experience.

Edited February 22, 2015 by Tapi

[MsAbs]

I've traveled on both RC and Carnival. I've done one RC and 3 Carnival cruises. That's not because I did NOT like RC. It's because I can afford Carnival. Keep in mind that Carnival is economical. RC is like Double Tree or Ritz. That isn't a bad refection on Carnival. They have EXCELLENT service and great food, entertainment and accommodations. We had a blast on our last Carnival cruise on Sunshine. This is a refurbished ship that use to be the Destiny. They did a great job updating the ship. I would go on it again in a heartbeat.

 

So what do you expect from your cruise? If you want luxury, then be sure and book RC or one of the luxury liners. If you don't mind economy, then I recommend Carnival any day.

 

Note: if you are childless, you will want to book the cruises with no slide or wave simulators. The least kids accommodations; the less kids. I'm not trying to diss on kids, but if you want a quiet kids free cruise then you should check out how many kids activities are available. Same of someone with kids. You want the cruise with the big water slide that accommodates to families. Some of Carnival's ships have the "Serenity" deck that is great for couples w/o kids. Check to see if the ship offers this if that's what you are into.

 

Hope this helps.

[A&Jfamily]

Someone will undoubtedly say that these cruise lines are "more alike than not", which I agree with if you're easy to please and are perfectly happy as long as you have a cabin, food, drink, and some sort of entertainment. But in my opinion, these cruise lines are VERY different. Whether these differences are important (or even noticeable) to you is a different story. But I find big differences in:

 

- Ship size and design

- Decor

- Quality of professional entertainment

- Focus on daily activities

- Selection of stateroom categories

- Onboard shopping experience

- Use of technology throughout the ship

- Past Guest program

- Variety of itineraries and regions of the world covered

- Selection of dining venues

- Children's program

 

These are just some differences that come to mind, and in my opinion, some of them can be huge. I know that they have been for us.

 

While we've had a wonderful time on our Carnival cruises, I think that Royal takes the cruising experience a few notches higher. We will gladly dig a bit deeper in our pockets for the Royal experience.

 

 

From what I have seen I think this is a very fair assessment. And you pay for what you get. And if you like the shows, glow rider, difference in decor etc the RCI choice would be a very good one. But we cruise to relax and those things are minor, to us, and when getting two rooms, Carnvial wins out on cost. When we cruise, RCI is priced out of our market. So it really is a subjective assessment as to what is important to each cruiser.

[Kristi Williamson]

There are about 100 threads on both forums outlining people's opinions about these two lines, so no need to go into that again here. (just go up top to the search buttons and type in the exact same phrase that you've titled this one)

 

However, the specific ships you're interested do have some differences.

 

The Breeze is our favorite Carnival ship and Freedom of the Seas is our favorite class of RCCL ship. If it was a toss up, I'd definitely take the seven day on FoS, simply for the extra day and the beauty of that size ship without being one of RCCL Oasis class giants. Conquest is a sister ship to Glory, so you already know what you're getting there, but I do love that extra day on an 8 dayer!

 

Neither line is "better" to us and we do think they have their share of differences. We like Carnival's rooms, bedding and food better. RCCL...those ships, though. They're works of art and we love the Viking lounge and those views. :)

 

You're not gonna go wrong, either way, but there's no way I'd take a 6 day over a 7-8 day. Ever. :D

 

As a side note: Port Canaveral is also our favorite terminal to leave from, so that might also sway me. They've got it down to a science.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Glory and Conquest are all sister ships - may have a few subtle differences here and there but nothing too major. Breeze is sister to Dream...but a few more differences, but again, subtle. You can go to the website and look at what is available on each ship.

 

While it has been a long time since I cruised RCI, my impression was their staff, while functional, was blah. They weren't fun nice and out going like the CCL staff. They never smiled. I also think that you will find that on many of the RCI ships, the general agreement is their performance shows are better than CCL. I prefer the food on CCL...and the price. More bang for buck.

 

Personally, if I could do a longer cruise, that would ALWAYS win out for me. So unless something in particular is taking you to a port (like a few days in Disney). Or unless you were trying to go to a particular port that you hadn't been to. You can have fun on any ship, especially when traveling with friends and loved ones. So we cruise for the destinations and not the ship.

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

A lot has changed on RCI in the last 15 years since you cruised with them.

 

It might be time to give them another shot.

 

I sailed on NCL in 1993 and I didn't have as good a cruise so i didn't book NCL again until about 3 years ago and have gone on a couple more with NCL since and have 1 more booked.

 

15 years is a long time in the cruise world.

 

There are about 100 threads on both forums outlining people's opinions about these two lines, so no need to go into that again here. (just go up top to the search buttons and type in the exact same phrase that you've titled this one)

 

However, the specific ships you're interested do have some differences.

 

The Breeze is our favorite Carnival ship and Freedom of the Seas is our favorite class of RCCL ship. If it was a toss up, I'd definitely take the seven day on FoS, simply for the extra day and the beauty of that size ship without being one of RCCL Oasis class giants. Conquest is a sister ship to Glory, so you already know what you're getting there, but I do love that extra day on an 8 dayer!

 

Neither line is "better" to us and we do think they have their share of differences. We like Carnival's rooms, bedding and food better. RCCL...those ships, though. They're works of art and we love the Viking lounge and those views. :)

 

You're not gonna go wrong, either way, but there's no way I'd take a 6 day over a 7-8 day. Ever. :D

 

As a side note: Port Canaveral is also our favorite terminal to leave from, so that might also sway me. They've got it down to a science.

 

If you like the Viking Lounge on RCI then you will be disappointed on Oasis and Allure if you book a cruise on those ships as it is gone on Oasis and soon to be gone on Allure.

 

Bill

[arkjeweler]

We have been on 4 RCL cruises and just booked our 3rd on Carnival. The reason we switched over to Carnival is the price. I personally think that RCL is a step up from Carnival. We have enjoyed every day of every cruise we have taken and everyone has a personal opinion. I just think the decor, food, entertainment, activities are a little bit better than Carnival.

[chicklily41]

Thank you so much for all of the input! Decisions, decisions...:)

[Lerin]

I'd do the 8 day cruise because it's longer :D

[MCFTJCH2V]

I have also asked this on the Royal Caribbean thread. A group of us are planning a trip in October and it looks like our options are either Freedom of the Seas 7 day cruise from Port Canaveral, An 8 day on Carnival Conquest out of Fort Lauderdale or a 6 day on Carnival Breeze out of Miami. We have been on the Carnival Dream and Glory and a Disney cruise, but not yet on Royal Caribbean. The ports are new to many of us going, so we are more concerned with the differences in the ships. Can anyone tell me the big advantages or disadvantages to any of these options?

 

You can't beat an RCCL ship. Carnival STILL has nothing that even comes close.

 

The lack of crowds and an expansive "lido" deck with full size pools and an enforced no save chair policy is a plus plus.

 

Service and entertainment are still ample and enjoyable.

 

They just don't have Guys burgers, which seems to be a CCL top of the list offering now.

[legion3]

Someone will undoubtedly say that these cruise lines are "more alike than not", which I agree with if you're easy to please and are perfectly happy as long as you have a cabin, food, drink, and some sort of entertainment. But in my opinion, these cruise lines are VERY different. Whether these differences are important (or even noticeable) to you is a different story. But I find big differences in:

 

- Ship size and design

- Decor

- Quality of professional entertainment

- Focus on daily activities

- Selection of stateroom categories

- Onboard shopping experience

- Use of technology throughout the ship

- Past Guest program

- Variety of itineraries and regions of the world covered

- Selection of dining venues

- Children's program

 

These are just some differences that come to mind, and in my opinion, some of them can be huge. I know the ones that stand out for us.

 

While we've had a wonderful time on our Carnival cruises, I think that Royal takes the cruising experience a few notches higher. We will gladly dig a bit deeper in our pockets for the Royal experience.

 

Tell me about the kids programs, although Camp Ocean is new on the Breeze, I would like to try RCCL, what were the differences you and your kids noticed?

[Tapi]

Tell me about the kids programs, although Camp Ocean is new on the Breeze, I would like to try RCCL, what were the differences you and your kids noticed?

 

 

Sure. My kids started cruising at 12 months of age, so they were too little for Camp Carnival. Royal has the Royal Babies and Tots program which is offered to kids as young as 6 months old. That made a HUGE difference between our son's first cruise aboard Carnival and his second cruise aboard Royal. We could actually drop our son off at any time between 8am and midnight (not that we ever left him there that long, but it was nice to drop him off for a few hours while mom and dad had a nice dinner, watched a show, or just took a little break from parent duties).

 

Now that my kids are both old enough for both cruise line's kids programs, the playing field is a bit more even, but I still find that Royal offers a more comprehensive program:

 

- Fisher Price and Crayola sponsored activities, both with and without parent participation

- Kid's H2O Zone, with temperature controlled, specially treated, and separately filtered water, including actual swimming pools where small children in Swimmers are allowed.

- Dedicated Adventure Ocean TV channel in our cabin, offering children's programming 24 hours a day.

- A much more comprehensive and expanded toy lending program.

- My Time Family Dining which offers expedited dining at the main dining room, and then those kids wishing to go to Adventure Ocean are escorted by their staff straight from the MDR.

- Kids water park ashore at Royal Caribbean's private destinations, like at Labadee.

- The Dreamworks Experience on select ships, with parades, stage shows, ice shows, and breakfasts with characters from their most popular movies, like Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, and How to Train Your Dragon.

- The Boardwalk area on the Allure with its carousel was an absolute hit with our son.

 

The one thing to keep in mind is that, depending on the ship, some things may be offered and some may not. For example, the Allure of the Seas offered the Dreamworks Experience but the Enchantment of the Seas did not. And the kids water area was also understandably smaller. But both had Royal Babies and Tots facilities as well as My Family Time Dining among other things. So do your research before you book.

Edited February 24, 2015 by Tapi

[jp30338]

Walmart/Target

Ford/Honda

Canival/Royal Carribbean

[guxu]

The last time (last summer) I was on a RCCL ship, after the Windjammers was closed at 9:00pm (not only will they close the buffet line, they will also close the door.), the Lido deck pretty much turned into a ghost town. I never saw such a quiet lido deck on any Carnival ships.

 

The Park café did open late. But every night after 10:00pm, they ran out of most food. The only thing available was flour chips.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

(No Oasis or Allure for me: just too big. Way too big.)

 

I agree with most of what you said but curious why no Oasis or Allure? Have you tried them? They personally are my favorite ship ever as the ship is the destination and they do a fantastic job at crowd control. They actually feel less crowded than any other ship I've been on even though they have twice the passengers. The only time you feel the crowd is embarkation & debarkation when rooms need to be vacant and lack of open restaurants & bars.

 

To OP: I'm platinum on Carnival and been on 3 RCI and soon to be 4th (Oasis in May) and I have to say I am a Carnival girl at heart. I'm not necessarily knocking down RCI because I have enjoyed all my cruises regardless of the line. Go with itinerary/cost & don't worry so much about the cruiseline and never judge one cruise by all on that line. My first RCI cruise was not as good but I didn't let that stop me from booking another and I'm glad I did.

 

My opinion of Carnival over RCI:

-Carnival is more relaxed & laid back - less nose in the air people that I've experienced.

-Carnival has laundry facilities and even if all you need is to iron a shirt, you can do it without sending it off to be done & paying up the nose & worrying if it will arrive on time for dinner.

-Carnival staff does seem to go out of their way to be friendly...most of the time.

-Carnival ships are not as classy/pretty as RCI ships. No wow factor like you get when you step on a RCI ship. In fact, CCL can be quite gaudy.

-Carnival dress code is a little more relaxed. That can be a bad thing at times cuz the people dress inappropriately at times. Like elegant night in the MDR they come in shorts & a t-shirt or slutty outfit. RCI passengers usually dress nicely with maybe a couple that may not.

-Some RCI ships have ice shows which are really cool. Look for ships with the ice rink. The Quest show is also really fun.

-My Number One Reason Why I Prefer Carnival........the best karaoke ever. LOL:D

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I agree with most of what you said but curious why no Oasis or Allure? Have you tried them? They personally are my favorite ship ever as the ship is the destination and they do a fantastic job at crowd control. They actually feel less crowded than any other ship I've been on even though they have twice the passengers. The only time you feel the crowd is embarkation & debarkation when rooms need to be vacant and lack of open restaurants & bars.

 

To OP: I'm platinum on Carnival and been on 3 RCI and soon to be 4th (Oasis in May) and I have to say I am a Carnival girl at heart. I'm not necessarily knocking down RCI because I have enjoyed all my cruises regardless of the line. Go with itinerary/cost & don't worry so much about the cruiseline and never judge one cruise by all on that line. My first RCI cruise was not as good but I didn't let that stop me from booking another and I'm glad I did.

 

My opinion of Carnival over RCI:

-Carnival is more relaxed & laid back - less nose in the air people that I've experienced.

-Carnival has laundry facilities and even if all you need is to iron a shirt, you can do it without sending it off to be done & paying up the nose & worrying if it will arrive on time for dinner.

-Carnival staff does seem to go out of their way to be friendly...most of the time.

-Carnival ships are not as classy/pretty as RCI ships. No wow factor like you get when you step on a RCI ship. In fact, CCL can be quite gaudy.

-Carnival dress code is a little more relaxed. That can be a bad thing at times cuz the people dress inappropriately at times. Like elegant night in the MDR they come in shorts & a t-shirt or slutty outfit. RCI passengers usually dress nicely with maybe a couple that may not.

-Some RCI ships have ice shows which are really cool. Look for ships with the ice rink. The Quest show is also really fun.

-My Number One Reason Why I Prefer Carnival........the best karaoke ever. LOL:D

 

I have to agree with your first paragraph.

 

The Oasis was the best cruise we have ever taken.

 

The ship is the most innovative ship I have ever been on.

 

I was in awe the whole week we were on the ship.

 

I wish all ships we go to the same photo system they have on the Oasis too. No more looking throw thousands of pics for yours. just go to the carousel with your number on it and voila, your pics are all in one place.

 

Bill

[Tapi]

I agree with most of what you said but curious why no Oasis or Allure? Have you tried them? They personally are my favorite ship ever as the ship is the destination and they do a fantastic job at crowd control. They actually feel less crowded than any other ship I've been on...:D

 

 

I agree. I sailed on the Allure with A LOT of hesitation, and I was almost convincing myself not to like it. In a nutshell the experience was beyond amazing. And I quickly learned that the one thing that those who haven't sailed on these ships are worried about (the size/crowds) was the one thing that makes them amazing. They are wonderfully spacious and uncrowded. IMHO, our sailing on the Allure felt less crowded than our sailings on Fantasy class ships.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

Exactly. I cruised Allure and due to an unexpected head injury the night before boarding, I wasn't able to completely enjoy the ship (no ziplining over the boardwalk, no alcohol etc) so I am going on the Oasis this May. Can't wait. I'm booked on Carnival Freedom November and it will be my first time on the Freedom or Conquest class ship. I've cruised on many Fantasy class ships and Spirit & Pride & Splendor. Spirit class is my all time Carnival favorite while Oasis class on RCI is my overall favorite. I prefer Carnival Cruises but my overall favorite ships are RCI Oasis class.