Carnival vs Royal Caribbean

[jimbo5544]

14 minutes ago, cmich068 said:

I am Diamond on RCCL, I have cruised once on Carnival in 2015 (Breeze) and am cruising Carnival again in 2020 (Panorama). They're more similar than they are different, especially comparing new ships to new ships. 

 

Royal is better at nickel and diming you, more upcharge activites/venues, drink prices are more expensive. Slight edge to Royal for MDR, but big edge for Carnival for fast casual/buffet like Guy's, Blue Iguana, etc which Royal doesn't come close to (they are trying though with the AMP'D ships)

 

Public spaces are somewhat larger and better utilized on Royal (though this rapidly changing for the worse as they cram more cabins into ships at drydocks), whereas the staterooms themselves are generally better equipped and more reasonably sized on Carnival. 

 

Royal's production shows are better, Carnival's comedy club is better but going back to my last point re venues, often the venue is too small to comfortably sit everyone who is interested - would be nice to see Carnival put comedy in a larger venue. 

 

I appreciate Carnival tends to spread pools, hot tubs, etc around the ship as opposed to Royal concentrating everything in one place, but then again Royal has pools in the Solariums while only one Carnival ship has a pool on the Serenity deck.  

 

 

Nice post, agree across the board.  

[TNcruising02]

1 hour ago, Theosprey247 said:

I surprised so many people choose to eat at the buffet.

The great thing about a cruise is that there are options for everyone.  My husband and I prefer to go to every Carnival comedy show that's not a repeat, so we don't want to spending large periods of time at sit down dinners.  We like to be out and about around the ship instead of stuck inside a restaurant. Also, we prefer to dress casually for our cruises.  

I can't imagine why anyone would purchase the beverage package and drink 15 drinks a day!  Even if some are not alcoholic, that's a lot of liquid.  The only time I have ever had that much liquid was preparing for a colon exam.  LOL.  The calories alone in massive amounts of alcohol are scary.  I also can't imagine hauling formal clothing on a cruise.  However, I understand that dressing up, the beverage packages,  and nice dinners are a huge part of cruising for many people.  Different strokes for different folks.

[jimbo5544]

2 hours ago, TNcruising02 said:

The great thing about a cruise is that there are options for everyone.  My husband and I prefer to go to every Carnival comedy show that's not a repeat, so we don't want to spending large periods of time at sit down dinners.  We like to be out and about around the ship instead of stuck inside a restaurant. Also, we prefer to dress casually for our cruises.  

I can't imagine why anyone would purchase the beverage package and drink 15 drinks a day!  Even if some are not alcoholic, that's a lot of liquid.  The only time I have ever had that much liquid was preparing for a colon exam.  LOL.  The calories alone in massive amounts of alcohol are scary.  I also can't imagine hauling formal clothing on a cruise.  However, I understand that dressing up, the beverage packages,  and nice dinners are a huge part of cruising for many people.  Different strokes for different folks.

I can agree that options are a good thing.  I have no issue with people making the choice. To eat at Lido, but that said, still surprised at the NUMBER of people that do so.

[klfhngr]

They're both about the same.. Have done BOTH about 8 times each, from small Royal ships, to Mariner to Allure/Symphony and CCL from Tropicale, Jubilee, Spirit, Valor, Splendor, etc. Besides Royal ships being larger, I feel that they are more similar than different (in regards to food, entertainment, stuff to do, service).

 

We've also done NCL and X, and I can say that those are definitely different.

Edited November 25, 2019 by klfhngr

[crzndeb]

1 hour ago, jimbo5544 said:

I can agree that options are a good thing.  I have no issue with people making the choice. To eat at Lido, but that said, still surprised at the NUMBER of people that do so.

I travel solo, so the only time I eat in MDR is maybe a couple of times if friends are on board. I don’t like the noise or the wait, or wasting food, which normally happens if I eat there. Eating other places allows me to sample a few items that might look good. Dinner is usually my lightest meal of the day, so just a little something in the evening works for me.

[jimbo5544]

44 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

I travel solo, so the only time I eat in MDR is maybe a couple of times if friends are on board. I don’t like the noise or the wait, or wasting food, which normally happens if I eat there. Eating other places allows me to sample a few items that might look good. Dinner is usually my lightest meal of the day, so just a little something in the evening works for me.

Again, options are a good thing, giving people the ability to do what works best for them on their cruise.  Your reasons and likes are just as valid as anyone else’s.  My comment on the quantity of people I have observed, showed me another item into how cruising continues to evolve.  Gone are the days of cookie cutter solutions. 

[TNcruising02]

People do cruise for all kinds of reasons and have varied expectations.  My husband and I cruise to enjoy being out on the ocean, exploring different ports, and relaxing.  When we are not exploring, we really like the comedy shows and lounging while listening to audio books.  Getting dressed up, long sit down meals, and drinking heavily isn't appealing to us..  I am just as happy having a veggie burrito with chips and salsa than an expensive cut of steak.  The food just needs to be tasty to me.  It's very low on the list of why I cruise, so fancy meals just aren't important to me. We are probably in the minority, but it's the way we roll.  

[Aquahound]

On 11/23/2019 at 7:36 AM, Cruisin'allovertheworld said:

 

It is so tempting to stay with Royal Caribbean simply because of the rewards programme but I am not someone who prefers the same thing over and over again.
 

 

I highly recommend changing things up over brand loyalty.  I'm not saying there's anything wrong with those who choose to stay loyal but as a former loyalist (of RCI), I've found much more enjoyment in trying new things. I still love RCI but I haven't cruised them in 5 years.  

 

RCI's better entertainment was mentioned but in my experience, that only applies to RCI's Freedom Class and newer.  I think you'll find Spirit's entertainment to be very similar to RCI Radiance and maybe a half step lower than RCI Mariner (because of Studio B on Mariner).  Carnival does have better comedy shows due to the dedicated comedy club, which is a standard on the line.  

 

I think MDR food quality is exactly the same.  However, I think RCI has the better buffet and Carnival has the better steakhouse.  I definitely recommend the steakhouse!

 

I say go for it.  And then for cruise #4, try yet another line.  Enjoy. 😊

Edited November 26, 2019 by Aquahound

[cmich068]

On 11/25/2019 at 11:01 PM, Aquahound said:

 

I highly recommend changing things up over brand loyalty.  I'm not saying there's anything wrong with those who choose to stay loyal but as a former loyalist (of RCI), I've found much more enjoyment in trying new things. I still love RCI but I haven't cruised them in 5 years.  

 

To each their own, but the loyalty program on Royal is a big reason why I keep coming back. Having access to the Diamond Lounge for me means not buying a drink package or a substantially lower bar tab, which is a significant savings. Carnival's loyalty program doesn't even come close in that regard, even at the higher tier levels. 

 

Doesn't preclude me from going on other lines from time to time but probably a 4-1 or 5-1 ratio. And on that front, it's nice Royal gives reciprocal status on Celebrity - something else that would be nice for Carnival Corp's many lines to figure out. 

Edited November 27, 2019 by cmich068

[jimbo5544]

18 minutes ago, cmich068 said:

 

To each their own, but the loyalty program on Royal is a big reason why I keep coming back. Having access to the Diamond Lounge for me means not buying a drink package or a substantially lower bar tab, which is a significant savings. Carnival's loyalty program doesn't even come close in that regard, even at the higher tier levels. 

 

Doesn't preclude me from going on other lines from time to time but probably a 4-1 or 5-1 ratio. And on that front, it's nice Royal gives reciprocal status on Celebrity - something else that would be nice for Carnival Corp's many lines to figure out. 

While this is straying off topic, Carnival tried to implement reciprocal loyalty status several times.  Due to the complexity, the many different lines it will not happen. 

[stetucke]

On 11/23/2019 at 9:53 AM, Garf said:

I have sailed on 17 CCL, 5 RCL and 3 NCL, For me, I  like the vibes on Carnival better, it's more fun. The food and shows on NCL, to me is a litter better than CCL. RCL food to me is below par, Compared to CCL and NCL.

I would disagree. I've always found the food better on RCL and NCL. I think the itinerary and  ship are huge factors. The older a ship gets it seems to become a training ship for newer employees across all lines. My next cruise is CCL because on the itinerary. The other 2 do not have a southern cruise regularly (or in the time frame I want to go) so the line decision kind of made itself this time. 

[john91498]

My kids like Carnival as they have a much better kids program. The kids also like the water parks on the Carnival ships.

We're sailing on the new Panorama next August.

[xDisconnections]

On 11/25/2019 at 12:50 PM, Theosprey247 said:

I surprised so many people choose to eat at the buffet.

 

On 11/25/2019 at 2:18 PM, jimbo5544 said:

It is almost shocking

Honestly, the buffets on Princess and Royal Caribbean are much better than on Carnival and provides a perfectly acceptable and suitable replacement to the MDR if one were to choose. It’s really disappointing though that the Windjammer closes at 8:30pm. 

Edited November 27, 2019 by xDisconnections

[jimbo5544]

23 minutes ago, xDisconnections said:

 

Honestly, the buffets on Princess and Royal Caribbean are much better than on Carnival and provides a perfectly acceptable and suitable replacement to the MDR if one were to choose. It’s really disappointing though that the Windjammer closes at 8:30pm. 

We never went to Windjammer for anything other than breakfast and a lite lunch.  Frankly found nothing out of the ordinary, in fact was a little disappointed with the for pay opportunities for breakfasts drink (to be honest, Carnival offers that now as well) the free drinks put at least a while before (so much so that they separated in the glass) and the congealed burgers sitting in a pool of I do not know what at lunch time.  Hopefully dinner was better than that.  While I have toured several Princess ships, have not sailed on one to date.  Came close with an Alaskan cruise.

Edited November 27, 2019 by jimbo5544

[xDisconnections]

1 minute ago, jimbo5544 said:

We never went to Windjammer for anything other than breakfast and a lite lunch.  Frankly found nothing out of the ordinary, in fact was a little disappointed with the for pay opportunities for breakfasts drink (to be honest, Carnival offers that now as well) the free drinks put at least a while before (so much so that they separated in the glass) and the congealed burgers sitting in a pool of I do not know what at lunch time.  Hopefully dinner was better than that.

Dinner is much better in the Windjammer than lunch. This past cruise’s lunch options do have me strongly considering the Unlimited Dining Package for my Allure TA as it seemed to be more of the same options and were very limited.

 

I guess we’ll see how I feel about Carnival’s lunch items in just a few days.

[jimbo5544]

8 hours ago, cmich068 said:

 

To each their own, but the loyalty program on Royal is a big reason why I keep coming back. Having access to the Diamond Lounge for me means not buying a drink package or a substantially lower bar tab, which is a significant savings. Carnival's loyalty program doesn't even come close in that regard, even at the higher tier levels. 

 

Doesn't preclude me from going on other lines from time to time but probably a 4-1 or 5-1 ratio. And on that front, it's nice Royal gives reciprocal status on Celebrity - something else that would be nice for Carnival Corp's many lines to figure out. 

I have been dragged into the Diamond lounge on the Oasis by my son in law, it is a nice feature.  

[jimbo5544]

1 minute ago, xDisconnections said:

Dinner is much better in the Windjammer than lunch. This past cruise’s lunch options do have me strongly considering the Unlimited Dining Package for my Allure TA as it seemed to be more of the same options and were very limited.

 

I guess we’ll see how I feel about Carnival’s lunch items in just a few days.

I had forgotten about that, the Victory I think. I had only briefly looked at that package, be interested to hear about it, as well as your Carnival cruise.  I can put in a word or two to a common friend of you would like?

[xDisconnections]

4 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

I had forgotten about that, the Victory I think. I had only briefly looked at that package, be interested to hear about it, as well as your Carnival cruise.  I can put in a word or two to a common friend of you would like?

It’ll actually be the Liberty instead! I’m really excited to see how Carnival has changed and to see how it compares to my new preferences that I have enjoyed with Princess and Royal. It’s coming up very soon.

 

Our common friend promised to send me a little something special if I were to ever sail with Carnival again if it’s who I’m thinking of but I don’t need any strawberries 😉 

Edited November 27, 2019 by xDisconnections

[jimbo5544]

34 minutes ago, xDisconnections said:

It’ll actually be the Liberty instead! I’m really excited to see how Carnival has changed and to see how it compares to my new preferences that I have enjoyed with Princess and Royal. It’s coming up very soon.

 

Our common friend promised to send me a little something special if I were to ever sail with Carnival again if it’s who I’m thinking of but I don’t need any strawberries 😉 

Please do not go comparing the Liberty to ALLURE THO....not a fair comparison. 

[BNBR]

5 hours ago, xDisconnections said:

Dinner is much better in the Windjammer than lunch. This past cruise’s lunch options do have me strongly considering the Unlimited Dining Package for my Allure TA as it seemed to be more of the same options and were very limited.

 

I guess we’ll see how I feel about Carnival’s lunch items in just a few days.

 

Definitely do the UDP on Allure.  It's a phenomenal bargain on this class of ship.  Especially with all the sea days on a TA.

[brilliantseas]

Your experience may vary, but...

 

I strongly prefer Carnival over Royal Caribbean, based upon limited experience with the latter. I've done 14 cruises with Carnival (Platinum!), one with Royal Caribbean, one with Disney, and have a January sailing booked on NCL. My one experience with Royal Caribbean was on Independence of the Seas. 

 

My experience on Carnival varies widely by ship. The new Vista class ships are stunning (by Carnival standards), the Dream class has a great layout that never feels too crowded. My experiences on the Horizon rivaled that of what I experienced on Disney Cruise Line in terms of the upscale feel and service, although the Disney ships sail with half the number of passengers and have a much more relaxed feel overall. The Fantasy class and Spirit class ships also provide for a small ship feel, by modern standards, but appear a bit worn around the edges and have a feel of early-90s Vegas. The Conquest class ships also have the Joe Farkas 90's Vegas feel, but I try to avoid them as I do not like the tiered pool deck layout and positioning of the retrofitted Serenity deck areas. 

 

What I find consistent from ship to ship is good quality food in the main dining room, and excellent entertainment outside of the main show lounge. I won't comment on the buffet food as I tend to stick to the "specialty" lido deck concepts, such as Blue Iguana Cantina and the deli. Carnival's Punchliner Comedy Club is a primary attraction for me, as is the free/not-for-fee Serenity area for adults only. They also do a nice job of filling out the daytime and evening entertainment schedules. 

 

Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas was well laid out and was very well maintained, if not a bit more upscale in appearance (in comparison to Carnival ships of the same age). We enjoyed the Royal Promenade in the evenings, however found that there was surprisingly little (or none!) live entertainment in the late afternoon and early evening. We usually like to enjoy some live music while waiting for dinner, but on Independence of the Seas, much of the live music did not start until after 8:00 PM. Although the ship's multi-story dining rooms were beautiful, we found the food to be sub-par when compared to either Carnival or Disney.

 

The other major detractor from our Royal Caribbean experience were the lines! We gave Independence of the Seas a try over Thanksgiving a few years ago, hoping to try out some of the unique features of the ship, such as the Flowrider surf machines and the ice rink, but the lines were so long that we never got to enjoy them. Ice skating hours are extremely limited, and we ended up waiting nearly an hour in line before giving up because it was nearly time for our dinner reservations, and the Flowrider wait was generally in excess of 45 minutes, too long for me! 

 

We did enjoy the live music at the Dog & Badger Pub after dinner, and the location along the Royal Promenade was nice for people watching, but the location comes at the sacrifice of space inside the lounge, and we sometimes found it hard to find a seat. 

 

To break it down:

 

Ship Size: varies by class

Ship Atmosphere: varies by class (Carnival Horizon is my current favorite)

Ship Condition: edge to Royal Caribbean, at least for the mega-ships

Daytime Entertainment: Carnival

Main Dining Room Food: Carnival

Specialty Dining: Royal Caribbean beats Carnival, although Disney's Palo trumps them both!

Buffets: Tie (Disney beats both)

Specialty Quick Service (deli, tacos, burgers, pizza, etc.): Carnival

Main Theater Shows: Royal Caribbean (Disney beats both)

Live Music / Lounges: Carnival

Comedy Shows: Carnival

 

Overall, I'd give Royal Caribbean another chance only to try the Oasis class ships. Aside from that, I'll stick with Carnival unless I find a good solo price on Norwegian (like my January sailing, Norwegian Escape was half the price of any 7-night Carnival sailing) or one of the new MSC ships. 

[BNBR]

3 hours ago, brilliantseas said:

Your experience may vary, but...

 

I strongly prefer Carnival over Royal Caribbean, based upon limited experience with the latter. I've done 14 cruises with Carnival (Platinum!), one with Royal Caribbean, one with Disney, and have a January sailing booked on NCL. My one experience with Royal Caribbean was on Independence of the Seas. 

 

My experience on Carnival varies widely by ship. The new Vista class ships are stunning (by Carnival standards), the Dream class has a great layout that never feels too crowded. My experiences on the Horizon rivaled that of what I experienced on Disney Cruise Line in terms of the upscale feel and service, although the Disney ships sail with half the number of passengers and have a much more relaxed feel overall. The Fantasy class and Spirit class ships also provide for a small ship feel, by modern standards, but appear a bit worn around the edges and have a feel of early-90s Vegas. The Conquest class ships also have the Joe Farkas 90's Vegas feel, but I try to avoid them as I do not like the tiered pool deck layout and positioning of the retrofitted Serenity deck areas. 

 

What I find consistent from ship to ship is good quality food in the main dining room, and excellent entertainment outside of the main show lounge. I won't comment on the buffet food as I tend to stick to the "specialty" lido deck concepts, such as Blue Iguana Cantina and the deli. Carnival's Punchliner Comedy Club is a primary attraction for me, as is the free/not-for-fee Serenity area for adults only. They also do a nice job of filling out the daytime and evening entertainment schedules. 

 

Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas was well laid out and was very well maintained, if not a bit more upscale in appearance (in comparison to Carnival ships of the same age). We enjoyed the Royal Promenade in the evenings, however found that there was surprisingly little (or none!) live entertainment in the late afternoon and early evening. We usually like to enjoy some live music while waiting for dinner, but on Independence of the Seas, much of the live music did not start until after 8:00 PM. Although the ship's multi-story dining rooms were beautiful, we found the food to be sub-par when compared to either Carnival or Disney.

 

The other major detractor from our Royal Caribbean experience were the lines! We gave Independence of the Seas a try over Thanksgiving a few years ago, hoping to try out some of the unique features of the ship, such as the Flowrider surf machines and the ice rink, but the lines were so long that we never got to enjoy them. Ice skating hours are extremely limited, and we ended up waiting nearly an hour in line before giving up because it was nearly time for our dinner reservations, and the Flowrider wait was generally in excess of 45 minutes, too long for me! 

 

We did enjoy the live music at the Dog & Badger Pub after dinner, and the location along the Royal Promenade was nice for people watching, but the location comes at the sacrifice of space inside the lounge, and we sometimes found it hard to find a seat. 

 

To break it down:

 

Ship Size: varies by class

Ship Atmosphere: varies by class (Carnival Horizon is my current favorite)

Ship Condition: edge to Royal Caribbean, at least for the mega-ships

Daytime Entertainment: Carnival

Main Dining Room Food: Carnival

Specialty Dining: Royal Caribbean beats Carnival, although Disney's Palo trumps them both!

Buffets: Tie (Disney beats both)

Specialty Quick Service (deli, tacos, burgers, pizza, etc.): Carnival

Main Theater Shows: Royal Caribbean (Disney beats both)

Live Music / Lounges: Carnival

Comedy Shows: Carnival

 

Overall, I'd give Royal Caribbean another chance only to try the Oasis class ships. Aside from that, I'll stick with Carnival unless I find a good solo price on Norwegian (like my January sailing, Norwegian Escape was half the price of any 7-night Carnival sailing) or one of the new MSC ships. 

 

I hear ya about the lines.  How would you compare the line for ice skating and flowrider on your Carnival sailings?  Were they much shorter and quicker than on Royal?

Edited November 28, 2019 by BNBR

[30scruiser]

I’ve been on a Carnival Spirit class ship (Pride) and Royal Radiance class (Brilliance) and prefer Carnival.  The size and age is similar (smaller, older).

 

I thought the MDR food was better on Carnival. Although I did find the dancing each night annoying.

 

The buffet food was better on Royal but I didn’t care because if I was eating on the lido on Carnival I would rather eat the burritos, burgers, pizza, etc which were all amazing and much better than anything on Royal.

 

We didn’t order room service but I believe Carnival still has free items available before 10pm if that’s important to you.

 

the production shows are reportedly worse but we’re not production show people. We typically just go to comedy shows so I like that Carnival has a dedicated comedy club and multiple shows most nights.

Cabins are noticeably bigger with good storage.

 

staff were more personable in my experience.

 

We had avoided Carnival for years because I thought it was an inferior product, but I actually personally found it to be much better for less money.

 

 

[tlw440]

We have sailed on Carnival 20 times and once on RCL. The one on RCL was the Freedom of the Seas, very nice ship but as others have said we like the vibe on Carnival better. 

[Cruisin'allovertheworld]

OP here. Thank you everyone.
 

The carnival cruise I/we were considering is based in Australia.

 

I am fairly confident that carnival would work for us as a result of the comments.