Is Royal Caribbean really that much better?

[Carleeb12]

I am booked for my 4th Carnival cruise next year. We travel as a large group (over 20) every time, and Carnival has always been the best value and we are comfortable with how things operate, so that is what we have chosen. We have always enjoyed our cruises (with the exception of the second one on the Elation, which was fine, but not great), but whenever I am asked what cruise line I am going on and I mention Carnival, I am then usually given the rundown about how Royal Caribbean is so much better...from the ships, to the entertainment, to the food. Basically, Carnival = Trashy, and Royal Caribbean = Classy. It makes me feel 1. lame for booking with Carnival, and 2. that I'm missing out. So am I?

[JJCruisn]

Don't get me wrong, some of RCL's new ships are massive and technologically advanced and offer some amazing experiences at sea. My first cruise experience was with RCL, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Since then I have gone on 5 Carnival cruises and I can say that I personally prefer Carnival over RCL. For me the price also plays apart, I find RCL overpriced. Worth checking out once at least once maybe.

[LewLewBelle]

We have sailed one time on Carnival... Pride inaugural year (2002)and 2 times on Royal (2010 & 2016) I will tell you Carnival is more of a "Party" ship atmosphere where as Royal seems more laid back. We had fun on both cruise lines! There are things we like about Royal that Carnival doesn't offer but price is also something to consider if you need to budget.

 

We just got off Royal's Grandeur of the Seas and didn't like the lack of activities verses our Freedom of the Seas cruise. We decided to book Pride for this Sept because price and port location come into play :)

 

Another thing Carnival doesn't offer is a unlimited non alcoholic drink package. Royal does for $19 per day. Bottled water, fresh juices,soft drinks and non alcoholic drinks.

 

We also like the 24 hour pool and hot tub option on Royal but again some people don't want to swim at 1 am. We do occasionally after late shows.

 

Both cruise lines have their pluses an minuses. I can't remember them from our Pride sailing back in 2002. I just know the atmosphere is more family laid back on Royals. This however could have all changed with Carnival since it has been a few years back now :)

 

I have pastor friends who take their families on Carnival so I know if it was not a decent place to be they wouldn't book year after year :)

 

Hope this helps :) Anyday on a ship is better than land!!!

[RubyGold]

I love carnival, I've been on 6 cruises since 2013 with them. I've only done 2 on Royal in that time but thoroughly enjoyed them.

 

I wouldn't say royal is classy. Still your typical working class type in my experience. Like the poster above said, Carnival is more fun party and royal is more chilled out.

 

Royal does have the megaships, I've been on harmony so can't speak for the rest. I loved it, but it's more like a resort holiday than a cruise. There are very few places you can actually see the ocean and it's easy to feel removed from the cruise ship experience. But still very enjoyable none the less!

 

If you find prices matching then give them a try, at least then you'll have your own answer for next time!

[joeyancho]

RCCL ships are amazing. Carnival nor any cruise line can come close in that respect. However the rest is basically the same. If you want an upscale experience in every way, try Princess. The price is in between RCCL and carnival. The ship's are very well done and the food and entertainment is terrific. The clientele is a step above. After 34 cruises on RCCL and carnival we tried Princess. It is our favorite.

[klfrodo]

13 cruises

First 11 with Carnival

Last 2 with Royal

 

6 of 1, half dozen of the other

 

We choose based on itinerary now.

 

Food, entertainment, etc. all the same with minor variations.

Atmosphere? Carnival is more FUN and energetic. I have found some GREAT people on Royal but I've also run into more people who are pretentious.

[Computer Nerd]

9 cruises with ccl, 3 cruises with rccl. rccl is a good cruise line but you are missing out on absolutely nothing and in most aspects, carnival provides a better cruise.

[loveJake]

We have cruised RCI 2xs, Carnival more. I think the entertainment was better on RCI, the ice show sealed that for me. The food in the MDR was better than Carnival, I thought. Loved the deli sandwiches for late snacks, but the pizza was no good. I did love the soda package with the machines all over. Our cabin seemed bigger on RCI. But we will still sail Carnival and Princess, have a cruise booked on both coming up. The new RCI ships are huge and sometimes we like the smaller ships. We are not completely loyal to anyone cruise line, we like to sail on different lines.

[LMaxwell]

I think carnival has better food and larger standard rooms. However, I am willing pay up to 70% of the cost of RCI for Carnival. Once Carnival costs more than 70% of a comparable RCI cruise, I'd rather pay the difference for RCI. I just feel it is a "nicer" product and like their ships more. Often times there is price parity so for longer cruises RCI wins. Carnivals shorter cruises tend to undercut RCI on price. We get great perks on RCI that are worth some real dollars to us as well.

[cdnmr]

Have cruised 9 times with carnival, twice with royal.

 

While the ships and services were comparable we wont sail with royal again. On both cruises we ran into way too many folks who believed they were as elite as their cruise status.

 

People who refused to wait in line for elevators to empty roped off areas by the pool not open to all passengers to reaching through buffet lines and just plain rudeness of so many passengers.

 

Final straw was the maitre d' immediately seating passengers who walked up with tip envelopes while dozens of people with reservations stood in line waiting.....

[RWolver672]

13 cruises

 

Food, entertainment, etc. all the same with minor variations.

Atmosphere? Carnival is more FUN and energetic. I have found some GREAT people on Royal but I've also run into more people who are pretentious.

 

We have to agree. We've been on 8 Carnival cruises and 1 Royal. We'd never do Royal again. The fellow cruisers seemed too stuffy to us. Wouldn't even nod or look you in the eye when they passed you. On Carnival, everybody is always striking up a conversation with you. Like klfrodo said, "Carnival is more FUN and energetic".

 

We would never go on one of Royal's mega ships. The Dream was too big to suit us. We'll stick with the Triumph and Conquest Class.

 

I had someone on here post that if we didn't like the AOS, we should try another one of their ships. We look at it like we've done eight Carnival cruises and enjoyed every one of them. We tried Royal and didn't like it. Why would we want to try it again. We only cruise every other year and look forward to them. Why take the chance if we know we'll like Carnival.

[Velvetwater]

After being happy Carnival cruisers and not so happy Celebrity cruisers we decided to try RCL for a special Birthday cruise.

 

We were impressed with Royal (almost as much as we have been with Carnival) but for different reasons.

 

Carnival gets more cruise basics right -Food options, larger cabins, robes, atmosphere, better value drinks, more day activities (although this could be CD dependent though), better customer service and so on.

 

 

Whereas Royal has got the wow factor with shows and its ships...it also has more varied cruises around the world. We also liked the different drinks packages as we are more wine/beer types.

 

 

I personally do not think RCL is worth £300 extra per cruise and I am not desperate to be on a mega ship but I do like Royal a lot. If the price was right I would book them again.

[nealstuber]

RCCL ships are amazing. Carnival nor any cruise line can come close in that respect. However the rest is basically the same. If you want an upscale experience in every way, try Princess. The price is in between RCCL and carnival. The ship's are very well done and the food and entertainment is terrific. The clientele is a step above. After 34 cruises on RCCL and carnival we tried Princess. It is our favorite.

 

 

We tried Princess for the first time after 23 cruises mostly on Carnival and RCCL . We were very disappointed.

[Tapi]

I'm platinum on both Royal and Carnival. I wouldn't call Royal "classy" but their ships do have a more contemporary vibe that make them feel more elegant. But the overall experience is still mass market.

 

In general, I consider Royal to (overall) be a notch or two above Carnival, mostly because of their impressive ship design, awesome entertainment, large stateroom category selection, dining venue selection, better room service menu, loyalty perks, kids program & facilities, and real suite perks (for those who do suites). Also there's absolutely no denying that Carnival offers nothing like the Oasis, Freedom, or Quantum class.

 

But even when comparing older ships, like Royal's Vision class with Carnival's Fantasy class, there's a noticeable difference. For example, we've done short Bahamas cruises on both cruise lines. Our cruise on the Carnival Sensation felt like a cheap getaway on an old and outdated ship while our cruise on the Enchantment of the Seas rivaled some longer cruises that we've taken on larger and newer ships. The Enchantment's Solarium, Park Cafe, Chop's Grille, kid's Aqua park, updated technology throughout the ship, and even getting a scoop of Ben & Jerry's ice cream or a Starbucks cup of coffee were a handful of things that we normally don't find on short cruises aboard older ships, yet Royal delivered all of them.

 

With all of that said, there are plenty of things that Carnival does better than Royal. We've enjoyed our cruises on both of these cruise lines but for various reasons. As someone mentioned above, if the price is right, I'll go with Royal, but if there's a significant price difference, then Carnival will be just fine.

[Tapi]

We tried Princess for the first time after 23 cruises mostly on Carnival and RCCL . We were very disappointed.

 

 

Our experience on Princess was absolutely fantastic. Easily one of the best cruises that we've ever taken and, ironically, it was cheaper than Carnival. While I don't consider Royal to be "classy", I do consider Princess to fit that description.

Edited July 14, 2016 by Tapi

[IsanTom]

I'm not sure if either one is more expensive! Carnival is a fun ship. Very relaxing and good food and very casual! RCI is more activities, bigger in some cases, food also very

good and many choices. RCI better and cheaper beverage packages, but smaller cabins than Carnival. I prefer RCI because they have more destinations and cruises on the Med!

[abby1257]

I have cruised 8 times with Carnival and only 1 time with Royal Caribbean. I have never met or seen such snobby people and staff as I witnessed on Royal Caribbean..service was TERRIBLE....bars were 10 minute wait...even with 3 people in the line....the food was no better than Carnival....people thought they were just way above other people...NEVER NEVER EVER AGAIN will I cruise with Royal Caribbean...just my opinion...People say.."Oh...you just had one bad experience....Royal isn't like that"...REALLY? APPARENTLY THEY ARE! ONE TOO MANY BAD EXPERIENCES FOR MY LIKING...Hello CARNIVAL...SEE YOU REAL SOON!

[Nic6318]

I am booked for my 4th Carnival cruise next year. We travel as a large group (over 20) every time, and Carnival has always been the best value and we are comfortable with how things operate, so that is what we have chosen. We have always enjoyed our cruises (with the exception of the second one on the Elation, which was fine, but not great), but whenever I am asked what cruise line I am going on and I mention Carnival, I am then usually given the rundown about how Royal Caribbean is so much better...from the ships, to the entertainment, to the food. Basically, Carnival = Trashy, and Royal Caribbean = Classy. It makes me feel 1. lame for booking with Carnival, and 2. that I'm missing out. So am I?

 

Hi Carleeb

 

You said it yourself, you have enjoyed all your past cruises. I think that's what the goal is.

 

By all means you should try other cruise lines to see the differences and if you have a preference.

 

The type of conversations that you have describe has have been going on for ages. :) What is quite amazing is that very often, if you ask, the people making these statements will often admit they have never sailed with Carnival.

 

The bottom line is that these cruise line are more similar than different. If someone tries to put down your choices for whatever reason, that is their problem.

 

whatever cruise line you choose

have a great cruise

[Tapi]

...but smaller cabins than Carnival.

 

 

Only if you book inside or standard ocean views. On pretty much every other category, Royal has either equal or larger (sometimes ridiculously larger) staterooms than Carnival.

[dd likes to cruise]

If I would you, I'd try Royal. The big difference to me was on the Carnival cruise I took, (Sensation I think) I felt like I was in a Large Pink and Purple Nightclub - pink and purple everywhere and unless we were on the pool deck I never saw the water. Vision of the sea had windows around the main open area that made me know I was on a ship compared.

 

Dependent on your ages, Carnival might suit you group better also.

 

Food was good on both, but I found more options offered on Royal in the MDR.

 

Are the prices really that different?

[sgttami]

I was a die hard RCL fan and wouldn't sail Carnival because I heard horror stories about it but decided to give it a try in 2014....and ended up on Splendor 5X that year and just got off Sunshine this week.

 

No, Royal isn't better OR worse. I think the ships and decor are prettier which makes it seem more "upscale" but for me, that's about it when comparing CCL to RCL.

 

If RCL had the Radiance class (smaller) ships from NY/NJ, I probably would continue to sail them but those mega ships aren't my thing and for now, I like to cruise without flying so CCL it is.

 

I've met some great people and some jerks on both lines but I will give the nod to CCL for being friendlier and more FUN.

 

Food, entertainment etc. varied from excellent to pitiful from night to night on both lines so I can't say that one is better than the other as far as that.

 

As people differ, so do opinions and you'll get plenty of opinions when it comes to cruising (LOL)

 

I'm just happy to be at sea!

[Tapi]

...we ran into way too many folks who believed they were as elite as their cruise status.

 

People who refused to wait in line for elevators to empty roped off areas by the pool not open to all passengers to reaching through buffet lines and just plain rudeness of so many passengers.

 

Final straw was the maitre d' immediately seating passengers who walked up with tip envelopes while dozens of people with reservations stood in line waiting.....

 

 

I always find these comments about how people on Carnival are "oh so nice, friendly, well behaved and down to earth", and how people on Royal are "oh so stuffy, pretentious, poorly behaved, rude, elitist", etc, etc to be more of a generalization and biased opinion than reality. Personally, I've found ALL of the traits described above on ALL of the cruise lines I've sailed on. There's no rhyme or reason from one cruise line to another or from one sailing to another, even on the same cruise line. We've experienced friendly and down to earth on an Alaska cruise aboard Holland America to stuffy and elitist on the Holiday out of Mobile on Carnival [emoji23].

 

To the OP, I personally believe that, if you go expecting fellow cruisers to be a certain way just because you're sailing on a particular cruise line, you will definitely find it. You will focus on the handful of people that fit the stereotype rather than on the other thousand of passengers sailing with you. Go with an open mind, smile, and be willing to meet people that may have nothing in common with you.

[winddawn]

I am booked for my 4th Carnival cruise next year. We travel as a large group (over 20) every time, and Carnival has always been the best value and we are comfortable with how things operate, so that is what we have chosen. We have always enjoyed our cruises (with the exception of the second one on the Elation, which was fine, but not great), but whenever I am asked what cruise line I am going on and I mention Carnival, I am then usually given the rundown about how Royal Caribbean is so much better...from the ships, to the entertainment, to the food. Basically, Carnival = Trashy, and Royal Caribbean = Classy. It makes me feel 1. lame for booking with Carnival, and 2. that I'm missing out. So am I?

It occurs to me that the question really isn't which cruise line is better, but instead the question is why are my friends acting like this toward me?

 

Comparing Carnival to Royal Caribbean is like comparing apples to oranges and asking which is better. Cruising preference like most everything else is subjective. Carnival emphasizes value and caters to value seeking customers. Royal Caribbean caters to a different type of customer which doesn't mind spending more. But hey, we all cruise on the same water! Many people are turned off by the sheer size of RC's ships, while some others love the behemoth of the seas experience. I'm sure lots of Carnival customers would tell you that they couldn't care less if their ship has a rock-climbing wall. In reality both lines have things they do very well, and some other things that could use improvement.

 

It sounds to me like your friends are a little condescending which I would not find attractive in a so-called friendship. You shouldn't have to defend to your friends why you enjoy what you do. True friends would be happy for you that you have found something in your life to share with your family that you all enjoy together. Perhaps your friends are more of the keep-up-with-the Jones crowd. And from your comments, it doesn't sound like that's important to you.

 

If I were in your shoes, and a so-called friend said something like that to me, I'd just look them in the eye and smile and say, "Bless Your Heart." I certainly would not feel compelled to explain why I like Carnival. (That's the southerner in me!)

 

I hope you enjoy your future Carnival cruises with your large group that you all seem to enjoy. You're truly blessed to have so many friends and family that you get to share life's experiences with. Your friends just fail to understand that. IMO, you're not missing out, but it sounds like maybe your friends are, but not by which cruise line they choose. They're missing out because they don't understand what's truly important in life.

Edited July 14, 2016 by winddawn

[klfrodo]

It occurs to me that the question really isn't which cruise line is better, but instead the question is why are my friends acting like this toward me?

 

Comparing Carnival to Royal Caribbean is like comparing apples to oranges and asking which is better. Cruising preference like most everything else is subjective. Carnival emphasizes value and caters to value seeking customers. Royal Caribbean caters to a different type of customer which doesn't mind spending more. But hey, we all cruise on the same water! Many people are turned off by the sheer size of RC's ships, while some others love the behemoth of the seas experience. I'm sure lots of Carnival customers would tell you that they couldn't care less if their ship has a rock-climbing wall. In reality both lines have things they do very well, and some other things that could use improvement.

 

It sounds to me like your friends are a little condescending which I would not find attractive in a so-called friendship. You shouldn't have to defend to your friends why you enjoy what you do. True friends would be happy for you that you have found something in your life to share with your family that you all enjoy together. Perhaps your friends are more of the keep-up-with-the Jones crowd. And from your comments, it doesn't sound like that's important to you.

 

If I were in your shoes, and a so-called friend said something like that to me, I'd just look them in the eye and smile and say, "Bless Your Heart." I certainly would not feel compelled to explain why I like Carnival. (That's the southerner in me!)

 

I hope you enjoy your future Carnival cruises with your large group that you all seem to enjoy. You're truly blessed to have so many friends and family that you get to share life's experiences with. Your friends just fail to understand that. IMO, you're not missing out, but it sounds like maybe your friends are, but not by which cruise line they choose. They're missing out because they don't understand what's truly important in life.

 

Very well stated

[cmukid87]

These threads always end up in arguments...really it comes down to preference and pricing.

 

I'm sure each has their strong points, weak spots, etc. I prefer Carnival because it is a known to me and I have always found fits in my price range in my desired sailing date range...therefore I cruise Carnival. I do always check prices for my dates on all major lines.