Why Royal Caribbean instead of Carnival??

[Shaded Lady]

So I've only ever cruised on Carnival... more due to convenience since I know the product and know what to expect. There seems to be a real 'us vs them' rivalry between the fans of the 2 cruiselines. We are cruising on the Carnival Vista in June but I'm looking at booking our 2020 cruise, and I want to make sure I'm making the best decision for our cruise dollars.

 

I like to cruise out of Galveston since it's convenient but am willing to travel to another port if it's worthwhile... we prefer 7 day cruises, just because... we like to get Faster to the Fun when it's available because we like to board early. We usually eat 5/6 out of 7 meals in the MDR, maybe once or twice in a specialty restaurant, maybe once in the Lido buffet for dinner.

 

So I would love to hear from cruisers who've experienced both cruiselines (not just cheerleaders for either side!) about what I could expect if I were to book a cruise, for example, out of Galveston on Liberty of the Seas? I've heard that RCCL nickels & dimes you on dining, that the MDR is not that great, so you end up eating in the 'extra charge' dining options... is that true? (not that Carnival isn't going the same direction!!)

 

My hubby and I are not rockwall climbers, wave surfers or ice skaters, so a lot of the glitzy activities I've seen onboard don't appeal to us- what else does RCCL have to offer? are their shows any good? Do they have comedy shows?

 

Please- don't slam Carnival just because... I'm only interested in hearing the real differences based on your experiences, not perceived biases... thanks in advance for your kind opinions!

[bradenj21]

I have done 3 cruises on RC and 3 cruises on Carnival. I have been on both lines "mega ship" - Vista for Carnival and Oasis for Royal and I have been on their "smaller" ships. To be completely honest? Nothing compares to Oasis class ships - but that is the ship, not specifically the cruise line. Apples to Apples they are, in my humble opinion,  very very similar... the difference, as far as I'm concerned, truly lies in each ship/staff - not the actual cruise line. 

 

Food is very similar. Spa is identical. Activities? Royal might have a heads up (but you said it didn't really matter to you). I like the layout of the RC ships I've been on slightly better (I think the venues are slightly more "comfortable"). 

 

Check in?  Same. Now that Royal has "the key" you won't really miss the FTTF benefits (other than early access to your room). It is more expensive but also includes internet. I'd say FTTF wins ever so slightly for me because of early access and priority at guest services. 

 

I don't think you would be unhappy with Royal. For me, it all boils down to the ship you pick and what you want out of a vacation. 

 

Only downside is you'd be starting your points over - this may or may not matter to you depending on how close you are to your next level on Carnival. 

[cementhands]

12 minutes ago, Shaded Lady said:

So I've only ever cruised on Carnival... more due to convenience since I know the product and know what to expect. There seems to be a real 'us vs them' rivalry between the fans of the 2 cruiselines. We are cruising on the Carnival Vista in June but I'm looking at booking our 2020 cruise, and I want to make sure I'm making the best decision for our cruise dollars.

 

I like to cruise out of Galveston since it's convenient but am willing to travel to another port if it's worthwhile... we prefer 7 day cruises, just because... we like to get Faster to the Fun when it's available because we like to board early. We usually eat 5/6 out of 7 meals in the MDR, maybe once or twice in a specialty restaurant, maybe once in the Lido buffet for dinner.

 

So I would love to hear from cruisers who've experienced both cruiselines (not just cheerleaders for either side!) about what I could expect if I were to book a cruise, for example, out of Galveston on Liberty of the Seas? I've heard that RCCL nickels & dimes you on dining, that the MDR is not that great, so you end up eating in the 'extra charge' dining options... is that true? (not that Carnival isn't going the same direction!!)

 

My hubby and I are not rockwall climbers, wave surfers or ice skaters, so a lot of the glitzy activities I've seen onboard don't appeal to us- what else does RCCL have to offer? are their shows any good? Do they have comedy shows?

 

Please- don't slam Carnival just because... I'm only interested in hearing the real differences based on your experiences, not perceived biases... thanks in advance for your kind opinions!

We started cruising on Carnival when we were 40. And throughly enjoyed it. Then one day in port I looked up at a Celebrity ship with tennis and basketball court and said someday. Long story short we enjoyed Celebrity for a while but found not enough activities.

So we enjoyed Princess and then RCL. 14 cruises out with RCL. Several with NCL.

One and done with HAL. We’ll be back when older.

Loyalty program with RCL is great. Now diamond. 4:30 to 8 pm lounge with drinks. Elite on Celebrity gets us 2 bags laundry plus drinks lounge in evening. 

I would recommend giving RCL a try. You can always go back to Carnival. And I would never bash anyone’s preferences. To each his own.

But once you get all the perks of RCL and enjoy the activities it’s hard to try out others.

[bradenj21]

Both lines have comedy shows and are equally entertaining (some comedians were better than others but that isn't Royal or Carnival).

 

Royal has Broadway quality shows on their Oasis class... and I loved the Aqua shows there as well. 

 

Both ships have their versions of The Quest (a comedy show on its own) and Love and Marriage. 

 

Carnival has Lip Sync battle if that's your jam. 

 

Based on the shows that I've seen, I'd say Royal has the heads up - but only on their mega ships (with the exception of Cats... 🤣🤣🤣). Vista had good entertainment but not as good as Oasis. 

[Bee Guy]

3 minutes ago, cementhands said:

But once you get all the perks of RCL and enjoy the activities it’s hard to try out others.

  

^^^ This.

[BND]

We've done 5? cruises on Carnival (have to look at my signature) and  ~20 on Royal (one on Celebrity).  We find RCI has a better loyalty program and just a different vibe onboard.  I will say Carnival has much better food choices.  The pizza is much better on Carnival and Guy's Burgers and Blue Iguana are both great options.  Our boarding and debarking experiences  have been much easier and quicker on RCI.  We also felt more crowded on Carnival.  And we've been on Carnival Glory, Fantasy, Miracle and Sunshine.  On Royal we've been on Oasis class, Vision Class, Freedom class, Voyager class and Quantum class.   So, a real variety.  The last Carnival cruise we did was because friends asked us.  We had no plans to go back to Carnival and have no future plans to.

Edited March 23, 2019 by BND

[OCruisers]

Since you've enjoyed your Carnival cruises, feel sure you will also like RCCL.  

[Jahquis27]

I have gone on both and like both equally. To me it depends on what you are looking for. I think the cruise directors and entertainment staff are much more upbeat and engaging on Carnival. For fun and more activities or events Carnival it is. If you are looking for a more laid back and relaxing cruise, Royal is the way to go. Food depends on each person and what they like. I think every ship cooks differently. You will have a great time if you choose Royal. It never hurts to give something different a try to see if that brand is a match for you and your vacation needs. I know others are talking about perks. However since this would be your first, this would not matter. Overall both brands are fantastic and provide my family with a great vacation. Royal won this upcoming cruise. We will be sailing on Adventure out of NY this May. Last 2 cruises were on Carnival.

[Joebucks]

In my opinion

 

Royal for grand ships, broadway shows, and loyalty program

 

Carnival for food choices, fun atmosphere, cheaper prices

 

Like I said with the loyalty program, Royal's is better. I wouldn't get too caught up in that though. Many people will tell you that the free drinks in the evening are some kind of money saver. I don't completely agree with that if you've spent more on your cruise. But if you work your way up, it's a nice thing to have, but not guaranteed to be there.

 

Also, I'd say that when people talk about Carnival, they talk about the entire fleet. With Royal, they talk about the biggest ones. Royal's small boats are lacking.

[LeeW]

Not a Carnival cruiser, but we are stockholders.  We do like Royal (11 cruises) but prefer the smaller ships to the mega.  About the only they we don't like about Royal is that they don't stack OBC from various sources - pretty much you can only get one type.

 

You won't need FTTF on Royal - boarding for everyone starts around 11. 

 

We have eaten exactly once in a specialty restaurant in 45 cruises and it was on Princess - the main dining rooms on Royal are fine and if you don't like the main courses that day you can order the steak or lobster from the specialty menu for an extra charge.  MyTime dining doesn't require reservations, but these are easy to do online if you like to eat at the same table with the same waiters.

 

The mega ships have spectacular shows but the smaller ships have decent shows, just more typical of a cruise ship.  No reservations required for anything on the smaller ships.  Some of the megas have a comedy club that only seats a few hundred people and you must have reservations.  Other ships just have shows in the main theater.

 

Buffet is ok, although we think they put the same food out every day with different labels for lunch.  Hours are not as long as other ships we have been on - they do close between meals.  Also, most ships don't have much to eat around the pool deck.  Things like Wipeout cafe (on Oasis) seem to have limited hours.  No burger joint for free, so we just get our burgers/fries in the buffet.

 

Rock wall and Flowrider are there, and free.  We don't but 65 year old BIL takes a Flowrider lesson each cruise and spends a lot of time out there.  We like water slides but have yet to go on a ship that has them (Liberty is on our list and sailing soon on Navigator).

 

[Clarea]

Other RC vs Carnival threads:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2623665-rccl-versus-carnival-and-a-little-ncl-my-observations/?do=findComment&comment=56552589

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2621100-some-questions-from-a-carnival-cruiser/?do=findComment&comment=56498267

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607724-rcl-vs-carnival/?do=findComment&comment=56210714

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2602168-royal-caribbean-liberty-of-the-seas-or-carnival-vista/?do=findComment&comment=56128449

 

[Big_G]

I don't think the rivalry is as strong as it use to be but we did the Royal, Princess, Carnival, and Celebrity circuit only to settle back with Royal and Celebrity. We like Royal's and Celebrity's ships and suite programs. It's been about 10 years since we sailed Carnival so I'm pretty sure they've upped their game. As much as I keep up on Carnival and Princess news, they haven't drawn me back yet. It's been a long time since we've sailed a small Royal ship so I can't help there but I highly recommend Oasis, Freedom, and Voyager class ships.

[JoeFan]

For my family with a 16 year old daughter and 14 year old son, it was the activities and shows.

Carnival has the sky bike which I read was down all the time and some water slides. 

HOS has rock wall, 2 flowriders, ice skating, zip line.

We did Anthem a couple of years ago and the Queen show was fabulous. 

 

Carnival does have some major pluses. Guys burgers is awesome and FREE. Their pizza was really, really good and much better than Anthem. And the Breeze has soft serve 24x7. Anthem had frozen yogurt during the day at the pool.

 

The food was also better on Anthem than the Breeze.

 

We are booked first time on HOS this August and really looking forward to the dive and ice shows.

[ShillyShally]

I've done a few Carnival but far more Royal - our last Carnival though had far better comedians and piano bar than our most recent Indy cruise on Royal.  We enjoyed the deluxe beverage package better on Royal as it's unlimited with no time limit between drinks (not for slamming drinks but just to get a bottle of water with a drink).  I like the ship layout better for most of Royal ships over Carnival but felt the activities staff on Carnival were more upbeat.  You really can't go wrong between them though and I love Liberty - that's one of my favorite class on Royal so I think you'll have a great time!

[SRQbeachgirl]

We've done both several times. RCI has better shows. Carnival has better food options that don't cost extra. Overall, the two lines have more similarities than differences. It usually comes down to itinerary and cost for us.

[mdwcruises]

Royal's larger ships have more unique designs and somewhat less crowded even on their worst days.  If you are interested at all, do experience the Oass class at least once.  

 

That said I have always had a lot of fun on Carnival ships too. 

[trippintex]

4 minutes ago, mdwcruises said:

Royal's larger ships have more unique designs and somewhat less crowded even on their worst days.  If you are interested at all, do experience the Oass class at least once.  

 

That said I have always had a lot of fun on Carnival ships too. 

 

[mugtech]

Did Carnival once, brand new ship on a TA.  Found the main theatre was inferior in structure and in entertainment.  The food options were better, but not enough to draw me to Carnival.  To sail Carnival again for me it would require a unique or superior itinerary, which I have not noticed these past two years.  We prefer longer than 7 day cruises or b2b, much better selection on RCI.  Looking forward to more Asia cruises, Carnival has next to nothing in the Pacific.

 

[trippintex]

loyal to royal pays off 315 days nice ships real good crew and the perks are the best by way way way better  We have  190 day with carnival and carnival has way better free food  alot better but no perks 

[DustFSU]

I have enjoyed reading everyone's comparison.  Like a few said, try RCCL I would try a Oasis class ship.  They are pretty amazing to see and cruise on.  Also on any cruise the specialty restaurants like Chops will be one the of the best meals for the price then a place back home for the value.  Carnival ships crew and passengers do seem more lively, but you can still have fun on a RCCL.  The water show is pretty amazing on  the Oasis class.  Best part of any cruise for me is the variety of shows, activities and trying new menu items that I would never try at home.  Whatever you pick I don't think you can go wrong in my book.  If you put me on a ship for 7 days, any line and ship sounds good to me!  Can't wait for my sailing and first time on another Oasis class the Harmony in September.  Happy cruising!!!!

[A2Mich]

Why RCI?  Because Carnival SUCKS!  

 

In all seriousness, we were Carnival cruisers for quite a while, and we always had a great time.  As someone else above posted about Celebrity, we were docked next to a Royal Caribbean ship one time, and thought how much more elegant and stately the RCI ship looked compared to the Fantasy class ship we were on.  I personally enjoy the design and decor of Royals ships over Carnival.  But, would we sail on Carnival again?  Absolutely.  Many times, we’ve found RCI prices to end up fairly close to Carnival cruises for comparable itineraries,  most comparable cabin, and closest sailing date.  Other times, we’ve found Carnival to actually be higher, and sometimes Royal would be higher. We have 3 kids (two will be teens on next cruise), and we enjoy the huge variety of options to entertain them and keep them busy that RCI seems to specialize in, and that Carnival is really trying to achieve.  Carnival’s issue as far as that is concerned is the smaller size of their ships compared to what RCI has been cranking out since the late 90’s.  We like the style of RCI, but certainly wouldn’t count Carnival out.

[twangster]

Ten on Carnival across a number of classes from smallest to their newest and largest (at that time).   Since that time about three years ago I've completed over thirty on RCI on the smallest to the largest.  I should probably do CCL again just to see what's changed over the past few years.  

 

I enjoy the variety of ships that Royal offers and the ability to sail beyond America and have that cruise count in the loyalty program.  Royal has much more diverse itineraries compared to CCL (excluding the Carnival Corp family of brands that does no sharing of loyalty between brands).  While Carnival has other sibling brands that do other regions, Royal has their own ships sailing in different regions.  Both have old and small ships, only Royal has mega ships.  Carnival's largest ships are still smaller than Royal's medium sized ships.  More ship equates into more to do.   Oasis class ships are something that every cruiser should experience once. 

 

Food is personal.  I won't provide thoughts on that because only you know what tickles your tastebuds.  I'm not a foodie and like things from both that unique to each.  

 

I never had a bad CCL cruise because I don't sweat small stuff that happens on any cruise.  Ship happens on all cruise lines.  

 

For what I seek Royal has a better loyalty program.  YMMV.   I'm three cruises from Carnival Platinum but have no plans at present to achieve that level on CCL.

 

If you are fortunate enough to afford suites, Royal has a much better product with better benefits, especially on newer ships.  On CCL if sailing in a suite once you leave the cabin your benefits are few.  

 

Royal does tend to be more expensive.  For some people low cost is what makes a cruise line great.  No judgement, so be it.  

 

On CCL the FTTF is often required because in my opinion CCL created a chaotic boarding process then introduced FTTF to overcome it.  On Royal "The Key" isn't required by any one unless you find value in what it offers.  Royal doesn't have a chaotic boarding process so you don't need 'The Key' like you do need FTTF on CCL.

 

We are fortunate to have many choices of cruise ships and cruise products.  You need to sample some of each to know what works best for you.  "Best" like food is highly subjective.   If you plan to sample a different cruise line research is key.  Sailing the smallest ship of another brand and judging the entire fleet by that one old ship isn't fair regardless of the cruise line in question.

 

[ElectricBallroom]

I’ve been on both and have found that the entertainment on Royal was better. Beyond that, it’s pretty close to being same-same. 

 

When we were shopping for the cruise that we did last week, the real determinant was that Royal has the private island, Coco Cay.