Carnival vs. Royal (guess who wins?)

[MISSSNOOPYGIRL]

I promised you all I would update you on my thoughts of Royal vs. Carnival. So here goes...

 

Food is very similar, although if I had to choose, Royal has slightly better food and Carnival has better desserts in the MDR. Royal had a "warm chocolate melting cake" that was chewy and just not good. Their cherries jubilee was not as good as Carnival's either. However Royal's MDR service was much faster which I loved! (Carnival puts you to sleep with their slow pace). Terrible coffee all around Royal Caribbean. TERRIBLE pizza as well. It just LOOKED unappetizing. Carnival's pizza is really phenomenal (I am from Chicago, I think I am a fair judge). I missed the silly entertainment in Carnival's MDR. (Royal entertained us only 2 nights on a 7 day cruise). At mealtimes at the buffet, Royal always had waters and juices pre-poured and on trays for you to just grab. I liked this much better. Beats waiting in line when you were hungry while everyone grabbed cups, filled them with ice, then filled them with drinks. However it was hard to find water/ice at non meal times (luckily we brought portable water bottles which we filled at every meal time).

 

Royal ships are easier to navigate. You don't need to go down then up then sideways just to get where you need to be :) I love how they had small ship models/maps on display near the elevators.

 

Royal has better organized parties/fun (Quest game, silent party), although Carnival does seem to be a bit more of a younger, more fun crowd. (I am 38 for reference). Hardly anyone ever danced at the disco on Royal and that made me sad. Sail away on Royal is hardly a party.

 

I NEVER encountered a line on Royal. Not to board, not to debark, not for food anywhere, not for THE THEATER/COMEDY CLUB (glares at Carnival Sunshine). NEVER had a problem finding a place to sit at mealtimes (again tricky at times on Sunshine!) However chair hogs are equally universal. If this is Royal Caribbean all the time I am loving it!

 

I missed Carnival's fish and chips and burritos. Royal never had any SNACKS (well unless you count the pizza but that was inedible to me). I missed my favorite on Carnival, Alchemy bar (you can have Guy's Burgers, I rarely eat burgers)

 

I loved Royal's mini movie theater on Jewel of the Seas (though I take away coolness points for having to buy $2 bags of popcorn.) I highly prefer this over those giant, obtrusive deck TV/movie screens but know I am in the minority and Jewel of the Seas is getting one soon.

 

Royal seems to make more effort and cleanliness/sanitation if you can believe it.

 

Royal's rooms and showers were smaller and beds less comfortable. As the husband said, "a large person would be in contact with the wall during the entire shower"

 

Royal has no constant annoying announcements onboard! This made me happy. You got maybe one a day, and that was usually from the captain.

 

Mostly things were more the same than different, down to the same soft serve ice cream machines, wonderful gyms, general layout, photo gallery, towel animals, muster, and great service by all of the staff.

 

Overall, for someone my age, CARNIVAL WINS!! The Sunshine and the annoying cutbacks caused me to look elsewhere, but as they say, the grass is not always greener. I'd say the average age on Jewel of the Seas was 55 and I just prefer a bit of a younger, more fun crowd (not 21 year old spring breakers, but mid 30's). Carnival is just more fun, more silly, even down to their marketing, and I really missed that silliness. Royal does seem to have more interesting and varied itineraries, as well as those mega ships, so I would definitely try them again...when I am older.

Edited February 27, 2016 by MISSSNOOPYGIRL

[Rocket3D]

We cruised Carnival a few years ago.

 

The best food we ever had was the Carnival

Steak houses...really put Royal's Chops and

Portofino, at that time, to shame.

 

Talking presentation, taste and tenderness.

 

Same 3 criteria I use to score BBQ. Trained

BBQ judge with Florida BBQ Association and

also Kansas City BBQ Society.

 

Some of the worst recently is Giovannis on Royal.

Reason: limited selection, hate those horrible reduction

sauces, bland, add no flavor to dish....but they are

cheap to make.

 

The rule of thumb for judging is if is slathered with

sauce, it is a cover up.

 

:D

[FloridaGram]

I liked your review and it did not sound like Carnival was going to win! We were on the Sunshine in Jan and only saw the sun on our last day but we still enjoyed our cruise on her. We have learned after 24 cruises to get places early so we never had a problem getting into shows but I know what you mean about ht comedy club. It is bad on every ship though.

 

I got off the Liberty on a Friday and left again the following Monday on the Enchantment of the Seas a year ago to compare. I think Royal has a bit more fancy decor but that does not affect my cruise one way or the other. Food was about the same, my husband thought Carnival was better. The rooms are so much smaller on RC. We laughed when we saw the sofa in our room, it looked like an oversized chair. Again, not a deal breaker, but I would prefer the larger room of Carnival.

 

That said, usually Carnival is several hundred dollars cheaper so that is usually the deciding thing for me. I prefer going more often. Entertainment did seem to be better on Royal and I am not done with them, but will definitely go on Carnival more often, especially since we got Platinum last cruise and the check in process was awesome!

 

We do have the Allure of the Seas booked for an extended family cruise in June. There will be something for everyone! We are 60's if that means anything to anyone. We don't

participate in some of the silly things on Carnival but they are fun to watch!

 

Thanks for taking the time to write your review.

[STANCPA44]

I was on the Carnival Splendor for two weeks in January and one week on the Allure.

 

Sorry but the main room dining on the Splendor was pathetic. The entrees for most part was not very good. The lasagna was a lump of ground beef in sauce with one noodle and microwaved cheeses, the spares ribs was very cheap cut with a horrible barbeque sauces, and the prime rib was the worst prime rib I had on cruise ship.

I do admit that the deserts were somewhat better than Royal and that the Mongolian Wok and the Deli at lunch was very good.

:cool:

[DM_KidAtHeart]

I promised you all I would update you on my thoughts of Royal vs. Carnival. So here goes...

 

 

 

Food is very similar, although if I had to choose, Royal has slightly better food and Carnival has better desserts in the MDR. Royal had a "warm chocolate melting cake" that was chewy and just not good. Their cherries jubilee was not as good as Carnival's either. However Royal's MDR service was much faster which I loved! (Carnival puts you to sleep with their slow pace). Terrible coffee all around Royal Caribbean. TERRIBLE pizza as well. It just LOOKED unappetizing. Carnival's pizza is really phenomenal (I am from Chicago, I think I am a fair judge). I missed the silly entertainment in Carnival's MDR. (Royal entertained us only 2 nights on a 7 day cruise). At mealtimes at the buffet, Royal always had waters and juices pre-poured and on trays for you to just grab. I liked this much better. Beats waiting in line when you were hungry while everyone grabbed cups, filled them with ice, then filled them with drinks. However it was hard to find water/ice at non meal times (luckily we brought portable water bottles which we filled at every meal time).

 

 

 

Royal ships are easier to navigate. You don't need to go down then up then sideways just to get where you need to be :) I love how they had small ship models/maps on display near the elevators.

 

 

 

Royal has better organized parties/fun (Quest game, silent party), although Carnival does seem to be a bit more of a younger, more fun crowd. (I am 38 for reference). Hardly anyone ever danced at the disco on Royal and that made me sad. Sail away on Royal is hardly a party.

 

 

 

I NEVER encountered a line on Royal. Not to board, not to debark, not for food anywhere, not for THE THEATER/COMEDY CLUB (glares at Carnival Sunshine). NEVER had a problem finding a place to sit at mealtimes (again tricky at times on Sunshine!) However chair hogs are equally universal. If this is Royal Caribbean all the time I am loving it!

 

 

 

I missed Carnival's fish and chips and burritos. Royal never had any SNACKS (well unless you count the pizza but that was inedible to me). I missed my favorite on Carnival, Alchemy bar (you can have Guy's Burgers, I rarely eat burgers)

 

 

 

I loved Royal's mini movie theater on Jewel of the Seas (though I take away coolness points for having to buy $2 bags of popcorn.) I highly prefer this over those giant, obtrusive deck TV/movie screens but know I am in the minority and Jewel of the Seas is getting one soon.

 

 

 

Royal seems to make more effort and cleanliness/sanitation if you can believe it.

 

 

 

Royal's rooms and showers were smaller and beds less comfortable. As the husband said, "a large person would be in contact with the wall during the entire shower"

 

 

 

Royal has no constant annoying announcements onboard! This made me happy. You got maybe one a day, and that was usually from the captain.

 

 

 

Mostly things were more the same than different, down to the same soft serve ice cream machines, wonderful gyms, general layout, photo gallery, towel animals, muster, and great service by all of the staff.

 

 

 

Overall, for someone my age, CARNIVAL WINS!! The Sunshine and the annoying cutbacks caused me to look elsewhere, but as they say, the grass is not always greener. I'd say the average age on Jewel of the Seas was 55 and I just prefer a bit of a younger, more fun crowd (not 21 year old spring breakers, but mid 30's). Carnival is just more fun, more silly, even down to their marketing, and I really missed that silliness. Royal does seem to have more interesting and varied itineraries, as well as those mega ships, so I would definitely try them again...when I am older.

 

 

Interesting review. Thanks for taking the time.

 

In my experience, the older the RCI ship, the older the crowd on it on average. The newer ships have been built with more things to appeal to younger people. So you might consider trying again on one of newer ships.

[STANCPA44]

Please note that I am Platinum on Carnival, but I have not been on Carnival for several years so that my above dining comments should have some weight.

 

A few years ago Carnival entrees were similar to Royal, I went on Carnival for a change of culinary taste. And I thought that Royal entrees was not as good as they were a few years back, boy was I surprise about Carnival.

 

Also back then, Carnival had the best pizza by far, but they change it dramatically, they went from first place to last, amazing. Cold pizza on Royal is far better than a hot pizza on Carnival.

 

Stan:cool:

Edited February 27, 2016 by STANCPA44

[BecciBoo]

Thanks for your honest opinion.

 

I hated the food on Carnival, especially the raw chocolate cake. I much prefer the melting chocolate cake on RCCL....although the middle is supposed to be oozy, ya gotta bake it a little:rolleyes: And the most annoying thing about the MDR on Carnival is servers who jump up and dance on your table! I did not appreciate the "silliness" at all!

 

The Carnival ship we were on, Ecstacy, was the most filthy ship I have ever seen. We had issue after issue. There was a mop bucket with a dirty string mop in the corner of the Lido ladies room that stayed there all week! Hated that, you would never see that on RCCL. In short we couldn't wait to get off the ship....but different strokes for different folks. That's what makes the world go round.

[Mango Mike]

Somewhat confused. From your "mini review", most of your comments were in favor of Royal yet you say Carnival wins - ???

[HeidiHo]

As you can see in my signature, I have been on quite a few Carnival cruises and only recently started branching out to other lines. We just got off our first Royal Caribbean cruise 2 weeks ago. We were on the Navigator of the Seas.

 

I found too that both lines are more similar that dissimilar. I'm not going to go into detail but there are some things I like better on Carnival and some thing I like better on Royal. After trying Royal (and also Princess and NCL recently), I have decided I like them all. When it comes down to it, itinerary and price will be the deciding factor for future cruises