Difference between Royal Carribbean and Carnival ?

[CruisinHelloKitty]

Hello, just made platinum on Carnival then suddenly they decide to implement cutbacks. I just booked a RC cruise for the Liberty of the Seas. If I may ask, for the people that have cruised on both, what are some of the differences ? Please excuse me if we are not allowed to ask this in this forum.

Edited March 17, 2016 by CruisinHelloKitty

[Clarea]

Some differences:

 

Royal has no equivalent to FTTF.

 

Royal has no equivalent to the Early Saver fare.

 

Royal's unlimited drink packages have no daily limit and do not have to be purchased by everyone in the stateroom.

[CruisinHelloKitty]

Thanks for the info! Do they have something like the VIFP program ? Also how is their youth program ?

[Clarea]

Thanks for the info! Do they have something like the VIFP program ? Also how is their youth program ?

If VIFP is Carnival's loyalty program, then yes, Royal has something called the Crown & Anchor society.

 

Here is some info about benefits:

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/cas/benefitsLoggedout.do

[champagne123]

Just my opinion.....RCCL is BETTER. :):):) Much better.

[cb at sea]

I think you will find them more similar, than different. RCI's ships have a better layout...easier to navigate. Cabins are a bit smaller, in most cases, than Carnivals. They both offer about the same product. It's an "either/or" thing, IMO!

[rance]

I liked the food on carnival better but I like the ships better at RC. They don't seem as crowded and pools are much better IMO.

[barbeyg]

We made some great friends on Carnival, but prefer RCCL. I find the entertainment better, like the sports oriented activities of RCCL, and prefer the look of the ship's better. RCCL caters more to our interests. Everyone is different, so you may feel differently.

 

The youth program is excellent with RCCL.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Midwestgal]

I'm a carnival cruiser and returned from a cruise on the Allure February 28th and I have to say if all of royal ships are as nice and as much fun as Allure I'm a big fan !

I thought the Allure was a well oiled machine and the only negative I found was the nasty food and poor layout of the Windjammer . What a ship!!

[Pipo]

* Royal Caribbean has a younger fleet

* Carnival has more ships.

* Royal Caribbean has itineraries all over the world. Carnival only sails in North, central America and Caribbean. Hawaii, and a few itineraries in Australia and Europe.

[mom2mnem]

I hav only been on 2 cruises --1 Royal and 1 Carnival. Pretty much what everyone else has said. We like the food on Carnival better and my kids felt they had more and better free selections. They like Royal for the atmosphere, shows, activities They felt like they made friends that they hung out with regularly on Royal vs Carnival. They liked the sports court on Royal better. Mine are teens and found the Royal teen clubs better. They thought the Carnival ship was nice. We book for the ports since we are new to the Caribbean and want to see as many as we can.( mostly did amusement parks, aquariums, national parks around the US until recently).

 

Lisa

[OCruisers]

All depends on which RCCL ship vs. which Carnival ship.

[Retired LEO]

I've been with RCI for 10 years and haven't looked back. They must be doing something right. :)

[John&LaLa]

Royal ships are taller. But that's not always a good thing. ;)

 

 

 

Royal also has a slightly older, more refined passenger

 

:eek:

 

[starfish216]

We have sailed on both lines, some of the ships we have sailed more than once. We live in NYC. We are in our late 50's and no longer have to sail with children or when school is out.

 

Carnival - Destiny, Pride, Inspiration, Sensation, Miracle, Glory and Freedom

 

Royal Caribbean - Explorer, Oasis, Radiance, Quantum and Anthem (coming May)

 

We started with Carnival about 15 years ago and about 5 years ago we tried Explorer of the Seas (we live 20 minutes from port). All I can say is we fell in love with RC and rebooked Explorer again for the following year. Since then we have sailed on various RC ships listed above.

 

Last year because of a good casino rate discount offer Carnival sent us and a free cabin for dad, we booked two Carnival cruises - one left from NYC and the other from Baltimore. We figured we liked Carnival in the past so what do we have to lose (except our money in the casino...lol). All I can say is even the free cruise offer they gave all of us at the end of our October cruise, it still couldn't convince us to pay for airfare to fly to Florida for that free cruise. The offer was good for sailings before April 2016, none were out of NY area. All members of our family in three separate cabins received the offer. None of us took it.

 

There is just something about RC that we love. The ships themselves and the entertainment. Maybe it's because we are older now but the guests on RC seem more maturer.

 

RC tends to clear the tables off quickly in the buffet and the pool area always appears clean since there are no tables around the pool deck. Where as on Carnival since they have tables out by the pool area the tables are always littered with dirty dishes. Just our observations.

 

What we do like about Carnival is the Comedy Club.

 

On both cruise lines the staff was very friendly, never an issue with cabin or cabin steward.

 

As for food, we always found something to eat on both lines.

 

For now RC is the way we prefer to sail, even over free offers from Carnival.

[wido78]

 

 

 

Royal also has a slightly older, more refined passenger

 

 

 

:eek:

 

 

 

 

 

That guy sails all the time and more or less lives on the flow rider. He was on our cruise a couple of years ago and was a riot. Damn good at the flow rider as well.

[beshears]

I don't have time to real all the postings, and I'm getting ready to do RCCL the 2nd of April, not because I want to, but because the date is better for the itinerary I want, than what Carnival offers.

 

I'm sure you will get all kinds of response, but I like Carnival's nice robe to wear, as well as their nice beds. That is just two things from me.

[CruisinHelloKitty]

Thanks everyone for all the good info !! I can't wait

[bell777]

I have been on 16 various RC ships and 3 of the latest Carnival ships (Breeze), the latest was last week on the Independence of the seas.

 

Carnival has better land customer service then the RCL.

 

Carnival honors the lowest price guarantee but RCL is like pulling teeth not good at all.

 

RCL has bigger and better ships.

 

RCL has the better Promenade on the the Explorer Class ships and bigger ships.

 

Carnival has better 24 hour pizza.

 

Carnival has free Guy burgers and burritos by the pool and RCl you have to pay for Johnny Rock.

 

RCL has more things to do like skating, FlowRider, and full court Basketball.

 

I prefer Carnival dining room and my husband RCL, food is never hot at Carnival dining room. Carnival better deserts.

 

Buffet on both or the same.

 

RCl has better show and mainly because of the Ice skating show

 

Carnival has much better comedy.

 

Price on Carnival is much better the RCL.

 

Carnival has much much much much better casino perks and incentives

 

RCL has Crown and Anchor Diamond member club with free drinks at night.

 

The drinks on Carnival are much cheaper then on RCL.

 

Carnival has better ports.

 

So based on the above Carnival is better but the ships are much nicer and have more to do on RCL so it depends on what you are looking for.

 

Forget internet on RCL it is awful and very expensive. Carnival is bit better.

 

Either way a vacation is alway fun and I may just try Princess next time

[BettyGiggles]

I really can't put my finger on it, the difference of the two cruise lines and only speaking for myself, it is almost like a little more "umph" or a tad more "sparkle" to RCCL. I love Carnival for the laidback family feel but felt different on Oasis on our first cruise with them in November. And only thanks to DH who has been wanting to try this huge ship since it first came out. It was his turn to pick.

We're going again next year with RCCL, he loves it more then I do but I am catching on quickly.

Will know after this next one more of a way describing the difference.;)

Edited March 18, 2016 by BettyGiggles

[time4u2go]

OP, you should probably post this question on the Carnival board as well, so you can have as many informed opinions as possible.

[QueenofKrakatoa]

RCI has better, nicer staff, better food, and better clientele. We went on a Carnival cruise when I was 16 (almost 15 years ago) when we still lived in Florida and it was terrible, mostly because of the other passengers. I know that's not really Carnival's fault, but there were other things about that cruise that just left a bad taste in my mouth. A few years later after I got married my husband and I took our first RCI cruise and we've cruised with them ever since. We also did our first Alaskan cruise on the Celebrity Solstice last year and it was phenomenal, so you could always try them. My favorite RCI cruises have been on the Freedom and the Allure.

[jonbgd]

Im going to compare

Carnival Platinum level(75 days)

and RCCL Diamond level(80 days)

both have a lot of the same perks

 

But here are where they are different

 

On CCL Platinum I can go directly to my cabin when boarding and one of the first to get luggage

on RCCl Diamond I have to wait till 1-130pm for access to cabin nothing special

On CCL Platinum have a dedicated line at customer service

On RCCL Diamond no special lines at CS

 

On RCCL Diamond free cocktails ,wine or beer for 3 hrs every night besides the 2 past guest parties

On CCL Platinum I free drink and 1 past guest party

 

On RCCL Diamond if sailing in balcony or above you get a $200-$325 balcony discount (depend on time of booking and length)

CCL Nothing

 

Also this is for everyone

On RCCL the Diamonds and above benefits cant be bought unless paying big bucks for a full suite

on CCL anyone can buy the FTTF depending on how many Platnums are on the sailing

 

when booking thru certain TA's

RCCL you can get free gratuities and or lots of OBC

CCL I think it is $25 or$50 max OBC

Edited March 18, 2016 by jonbgd

[Cuizer2]

Hello, just made platinum on Carnival then suddenly they decide to implement cutbacks. I just booked a RC cruise for the Liberty of the Seas. If I may ask, for the people that have cruised on both, what are some of the differences ? Please excuse me if we are not allowed to ask this in this forum.

 

I've been on eleven Carnival cruises and twelve Royal Caribbean cruises. The two lines are more alike than different. Royal Caribbean is making cuts backs also, and is now adding water slides that an adult can use to selected ships.

 

Both lines are family oriented. Royal Caribbean has rock walls on all ships and ice skating on its newer big ships. Royal Caribbean does not have any ropes courses. The cabin size is about the same between Carnival and Royal Caribbean's new ships. Royal Caribbean's older ships (pre 1999) cabins are smaller than Carnival's cabins. Royal Caribbean's showers have clam shell doors while Carnival has a shower curtain.

 

The passenger mix on both lines is about the same. However, in general, Royal Caribbean is more expensive than Carnival is. Royal Caribbean does not have any self service laundry rooms.

Edited March 18, 2016 by Cuizer2

[BenjiRodney]

You can tell from my signature what cruise line I prefer. However I will be on Vision of The Seas out of Tampa on April 2nd. Then then next four are back at home on Carnival.