Is Royal Caribbean really that much better?

[abisha]

I agree where the 2 lines have a lot of similarities, but there's definitely differences:

 

Level of service (stewards, dining room staff, etc.)...same, and they all work very hard.

 

Buffet: food quality and selections are very similar (I tend to like Carnival's a bit better). But Windjammer on Royal has doors closed for specific hours, whereas Carnival ships are connected to pool areas where you can always cut through them, and grab a refill from the drink dispenser 24/7. You cannot do this on Royal since the doors are closed (and they are given to you pre-poured in cups).

 

Ice cream machine...available 24/7 on Carnival, whereas on Royal they have specific hours where they are opened (by the pool) and you have to stand in rediculous long line to get to it..in the hot sun.

 

Shows/entertainment... way way way better on Royal. Carnival entertainment has really gone downhill (no more nice production shows). they do have pretty good comedy shows though, and nice live bands out on deck. But no comparison to what Royal has (if you've sailed on Oasis class, then you know what I mean).

 

Specialty restaurants... I think both lines do very well in this area.

 

Adult only areas...Royal's Solarium includes a pool in theirs. Carnival's only has a hot tub (except for the Sunshine). But Carnival also has the "round" beds and hammocks which is nice too.

 

For the most part, I found them to be very similar.

[indiaksue]

My cruising history says it all. We like Carnival so much better.

[poobears]

I've only cruise Carnival. I would cruise RC but so far Carnival has far won on price for the cruises we are taking so I've stuck with them. I have nothing against taking a RC cruise if it hit the right price.

 

My in laws will only cruise RC they recently cruised Carnival and my BIL said he hated he was bored the whole time because there was nothing to do. I'm not a 2 yr old I don't need constant entertainment so I'm not sure what he needed to keep him entertained or what he got on a typical RC cruise that he didn't get on Carnival. It was a family cruise with the other inlaws so if he was bored with his family around well that was probably more his attitude than anything. I've never been bored on a cruise. He says he will never cruise Carnival again due to that.

 

SILs say they would do it again but only if it was cheap because RC is much much better. I said RC is $1200 more for the cruise we want to take, what would make it $1200 better (honest question, a good answer may have made me give it a go), her answer was well the ship is prettier. I waited for the rest but no that was it. I said really that is worth paying $1200 more for and she said of course it is.

 

Okie Dokie then I will save my $1200 and put it towards another cruise. I'm not a bells and whistles type of person I guess, tons of stores, bars, specialty eateries, shows etc just aren't what I go for. I simply go to relax and recharge for a week and get to visit new ports. Give me a clean ship with decent basic food and a friendly staff and I'm happy.

[john91498]

I don't know if RCCL has a better marketing dept or what, but everytime I mention I'm going on a cruise on Carnival, I get a smug remark along the lines of, "Oh, didn't want to spend the money on a RCCL cruise?"

 

Heck, even people who have never taken a cruise in their life thinks RCCL is a better line than Carnival....weird...

[momonthego17]

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.

 

 

Ditto!

[poobears]

I don't know if RCCL has a better marketing dept or what, but everytime I mention I'm going on a cruise on Carnival, I get a smug remark along the lines of, "Oh, didn't want to spend the money on a RCCL cruise?"

 

Heck, even people who have never taken a cruise in their life thinks RCCL is a better line than Carnival....weird...

 

We get the same attitude and it's mostly from people who have never cruised in their life. Plus the whole Carnival is a party ship. I have no idea where people get that idea but I even see it here repeated over and over. I've been on 3, 4 and 5 day cruises I have never once seen anything I would ever consider a party cruise.

 

All of ours have been during the summer months so these big partiers must be on different ships than we are on or cruising different times. I'm sure if you hit spring break or certain short holiday cruises it's going to be more of a party ship but from talking to people you'd think it was beer pong all day lol

[nednrom]

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?

 

I wouldn't let your friends make you feel bad for selecting Carnival. We have cruised with all types of cruise lines and each has its own pros and cons. If you enjoy cruising you have to choose what's best for you -- when I want to book a cruise nowadays, I check for the pricing for most cruise lines on the dates I want for the same itinerary. I don't always select the most inexpensive, I also consider ship. So there is no Trashy/Classy line anymore and Carnival has worked hard to shake the booze cruise reputation off on the 7 day or longer cruises. We are taking Carnival for the third time in a row, because of the value and itinerary and ship. We miss the entertainment on Royal but we don't cruise only for the entertainment on board. It is after all what you make of it - as long as you and your group of friends have a great time, who cares what others think?

[Cuervosar]

Carnival = WalMart

Royal = Costco

Princess / Celebrity = Macy's

HAL = Bloomingdales

Azamara = R.E.I.

Crystal / Cunard / = Rolex ( as in if you don't have one, don't bother)

MSC = Probably Trader Joes

[slyone14]

Carnival = WalMart

Royal = Costco

Princess / Celebrity = Macy's

HAL = Bloomingdales

Azamara = R.E.I.

Crystal / Cunard / = Rolex ( as in if you don't have one, don't bother)

MSC = Probably Trader Joes

 

Agree with them all but switch Royal=Walmart. And Carnival=Target

[Cuervosar]

Agree with them all but switch Royal=Walmart. And Carnival=Target

 

I could see that.

[richstowe]

What RCCL does have is a better loyalty program which you certainly pay for . Well not me but those who get suckered in to these things . :D Personally it's not about Carnival vs Royal but about those 2 plus NCL , Princess , HAL , Celebrity and whoever else I wish to give my booking to . I have done well by keeping an open mind . Let the loyalist's pay extra for being loyal . Having said that I will pay a premium for say Celebrity but not a large premium .

I don't know if RCCL has a better marketing dept or what, but everytime I mention I'm going on a cruise on Carnival, I get a smug remark along the lines of, "Oh, didn't want to spend the money on a RCCL cruise?"

 

Heck, even people who have never taken a cruise in their life thinks RCCL is a better line than Carnival....weird...

Yes , very odd . Edited September 8, 2016 by richstowe

[slyone14]

No offense but this thread really should be closed. This is an argument that will never go anywhere at all and will only continue to cause a unneeded controversy.

[richstowe]

No offense but this thread really should be closed. This is an argument that will never go anywhere at all and will only continue to cause a unneeded controversy.

You are perfectly within your rights to ignore any and all threads you find controversial .

Personally I love them . :D

[abisha]

You are perfectly within your rights to ignore any and all threads you find controversial .

Personally I love them . :D

 

It's also good to inform people the similarities and differences between the lines.

[LaFrimaire]

My very first cruise was on Royal years ago and enjoyed bit, but for some reason just not feeling their vibe. The new ships are almost way too big and seems like you need a reservation for everything from shows to open dining. Our next cruise is on the Vista, which will be the biggest ship I'll ever be on. More curious about Princess, MSC or NCL. Not saying never to Royal since hear good things about it but things like price and itinerary need to line up.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[dmdiver]

Here's my take:

 

Royal has pretty ships with lots of marble & what my hubby considers boring decor. He had the same opinion of Princess. He doesn't mind the decor on Carnival. I could care less how the ship is decorated.

 

I thought the food was good on all three lines I've sailed.

 

Royal has a great adult Solarium pool area - absolutely love it! Carnival has the adult Serenity area, but it doesn't have a pool, just hot tubs. Not all Carnival ships offer an adult-only pool. I also think Royal's pool areas are more attractive, if that even matters to you.

 

Staff on Royal & Carnival are attentive, Princess staff (other than our steward) were pretty stand-offish & difficult to flag down when you wanted a drink refill by the pool.

 

Royal & Carnival both seem to have plenty of activities - here it will come down to what you like best. Royal has rock climbing walls, ice skating, flow rider, ziplining on certain ships. Carnival has ropes course on some ships, water slide of some sort on all ships. Both lines have mini golf, ping pong, trivia. Princess is pretty disappointing in the active arena.

 

Clientele - I find people to be pretty friendly overall. Carnival probably most outgoing people, followed by Royal, then Princess. I've seen horribly rude people on all three.

 

If you like 24/7 soft serve ice cream, go with Carnival. Royal shuts theirs down before the stated time & opens them later than the stated time. Princess doesn't do self serve & I have no idea what the hours were at the ice cream station.

 

There are kids' programs on both lines, but I don't know a lot about them. We only used them in 2003 and 2004 on Carnival.

 

Pricing - Carnival always seems to have the best pricing when I am ready to cruise. On rare occasions I have seen Royal cheaper, but it's just not been the right time for me. So, that's why most of my cruises have been with Carnival. Plus, they are in Galveston year round, so it is much easier for me.

[krehberg]

Having sailed on both in the past few years, I can't really say one is better than the other as they both offer fun experiences. Having only been on 2 of RCCL's larger classes, I can't speak for the older ships on their fleet but I truly enjoyed experiences on both:

 

RCCL Pros:

1) Huge ships with tons of onboard activities

2) Niche bars (wine bar, champagne bar and pub, etc) allow for access to a huge variety of different options for adult beverages. Wine bar has a menu full of wines be the glass and pub has a great selection of craft and international beers. Downside is lack of consistency. My DW isn't a wine drinker and couldn't get a fruity cocktail at the wine bar...had to go somewhere else.

2) More dining options, though really disappointed in the Chops experience

 

Carnival Pros:

1) Serenity areas on many ships allow for plenty of R&R

2) Except for Alchemy Bar, consistency of every bar....yes it comes with fewer choices than RCCL as a result but my DW and I can sit down and both get something we like since they can make the entire menu at almost every bar

3) Alchemy Bar - my favorite bar concept on either line

4) Food - actually prefer Carnival MDR food (maybe due to actually serving less people due to smaller ships?...but I can say, I just love, love, love Carnival soups. Over the last 10 years, they've added more "Homestyle" good (i.e. downgrade) options on the menu, but still overall still prefer CCL

5) Steakhouse - Of either line, I prefer the CCL steakhouse to any other specialty restaurant option.

 

I've found the crew and staff of both to be hard working crews trying to make our vacation enjoyable. I will gladly sail either...though now that I'll be Carnival Platinum on my upcoming April cruise and due to more year round options in Florida, will probably always lean toward CCL

Edited January 20, 2017 by krehberg

[jamesr3939]

Sailed many times on both and for me it's all about the itinerary and price. I love the Spa balcony suites on Carnival it's like having your own private yacht up there. But if you can afford it the Suite Sun Deck on RCL is killer.

 

I love that fact RCL doesn't make everybody buy the drink package. I like the suite perks better on RCL.

 

The last three trips on RCL we have done Oasis class and they are really cool.

 

We like the Chef's Table on both. The Carnival CT in the galley is a fun time. The specialty restaurants are excellent on both. We tend to like the selection better on the Oasis ship. But the Steakhouse on Dream and Magic can't be beat for meat. The Boca on Carnival rates right up there with any ship.

 

Sorry that's not a definitive answer!

[PlanoDebbie]

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?

 

There must be something about the Elation! That was my firs Carnival cruise and I never wanted to sail with them again. Carpeting throughout the ship had massive stains. Dirty dishes sat on the floor outside cabins for days. Several benches in the Lido dining area had rips and duct tape on them. Two employees got into a loud verbal argument about who's turn it was to sit at the top of the pool slide to monitor people going down the slide. It was awful.

 

A year later, I called a Travel agent to book a cruise on RCCL when she talked me into trying the Conquest. Reluctantly I agreed because it was cheaper and had bigger cabins. The Conquest was MUCH better than Elation.

 

We've sailed on most of the major cruise lines at least once. Price and location drives our decisions way more than cruise line. We did our first RCCL cruise last summer on the Allure of the Seas. MASSIVE ship. Their Lido dining room was far too small and often had long lines to get in it. Entertainment was far superior to ANY cruise we've ever taken. Full production of Momma Mia. Awesome high dive performance. Ice Skating show. Etc. We booked an inside balcony. I wouldn't waste money on an inside balcony again.

 

Every ship is personal preference on the type of activities you like to do. We would easily sail on any of our previous cruiselines and don't really have a favorite. Mostly it's what we have available in Galveston.

[wanderlust0713]

Our two most recent cruises were on the Carnival Paradise and the Allure of the Seas. While Royal Caribbean won in the ship design and entertainment department, we felt that we had an overall better experience on Carnival for half the price.

[Shipof6Fools]

In my experience I have found cruisers to be akin to pickup truck owners. There are some people who are super loyal to a certain brand of pickup truck, even to the point of being blind to problems or weak areas. From reading this thread and others I see the same patterns.

 

For me Royal has got me to stay with them for a few cruises because of the Kids Sail Free Promotions but I am going to try a different line after my Brilliance cruise. Deep down I like variety. I cannot understand some who blindly march down to the Toyota dealership every time they buy a new car because 20 years ago Toyota reliability was far above domestics.

[Mikew0805]

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?

 

Meh... I don't know anymore. I am booked on the Paradise in 10 days, and I am really only going on it because it was already booked before I sailed on Splendor. We had a good time and all... but something was just different. Lots of little things that really added up, and then I was on a couple RCI ships in late Nov/Early Dec.. and realized, this is more my taste now than CCL.

 

As for those with the party atmosphere comments.. I have seen more drunk and unruly behavior on RCI than on CCL. :rolleyes:

[rtw68]

We have sailed 6 times with Carnival, and one time with Royal.

 

Wanted to branch out and try a different cruise line. Honestly, there are more common things than differences between the lines.

 

Royal has larger ships (we were on the Freedom of the Seas), but smaller staterooms (not a huge amount).

 

Food was about the same in the MDR and the upcharge places with Carnival getting a slight edge. Bar service on Royal was a little worse than Carnival (bar staff was not as friendly).

 

We really enjoyed the sugar free flavored water options in the Coke Freestyle machines on Royal, we used those literally all week. Drink packages are more similar now with Royal getting an edge.

 

One thing that was nice about the Royal embarkation experience is we were on the ship so fast (we waiting in line for them to open the doors) I was amazed. Debarkation was similar between the two.

 

IMHO, there was just something that we missed about Carnival, I guess because we are so familiar with it. I don't prefer the middle promenade of the Royal ships because I like to be closer to the ocean (like the Dream class ships).

 

We have two more Carnival cruises booked in 2017 & 2018, but we may venture to another line perhaps. I really want to reach Platinum on Carnival which will most likely take two more cruises beyond 2018 to accomplish.