Royal Caribbean vs Carnival

[AngieC]

Hi Everyone. We just booked our first cruise with Royal Caribbean, Adventure of the Sea for March. I have sailed on 3 cruises with Carnival.

How do these cruise line compare? Thanks!

[Triciken]

From what I have heard is much more detail on royal carribean with a better kids program to keep them busy and the food is better.

[shirleygr]

I've sailed Carnival 5 or 6 times (see my signature below) and been on RC 4 times. I like RC better. I find the ships to be more attractive, the service to be a step up, and the food about on par. The entertainment is equally good. I think you will be happy with Adventure of the Seas. It has so many amenities to offer. Have a great cruise.

[TexasMom2]

I've never sailed on Carnival (want to someday) but if you liked it, you will probably like the Adventure. It's a big ship but you don't feel crowded. The promenade is a great place to get a snack, shop, have a casual cocktail and people-watch. You must see the ice show and Quest is a hoot. We loved Johnny Rockets and didn't mind the surcharge. The best cruise is the cruise you choose!

[cruzetime]

Basically the product is the same. They are the Mass Market Cruiselines. I have sailed both, outgrown both. The decor is more to my taste on RCI, the food better on Carnival, the entertainment neck 'n neck. The cabins are plainer on Carnival, but substantially larger.

[NoVa Mimi]

We began cruising with Carnival, and moved up to Royal Caribbean. Royal Caribbean has nicer ships, IMHO. Not all the neon and Las Vegas feel, but loads of fun!! Something for everyone to do. They have a great past guest program with $ off for Crown and Anchor members as well as little gifts and some coupon books. I'm sure we'll try another cruise line at some point in the future, it just won't be Carnival again.

[superjerryw]

You will also notice a difference in the passengers. Royal Caribbean passengers live in mansions, have a Mercedes and a Cadillac Escalade parked in front, name their kids Muffy and Brighton, wear clothes by Armani and Vera Wang and drink the finest champagne. Carnival passengers live in trailers, have two rusted out cars parked in front, name their kids Billy Ray and Lisa Sue, wear Walmart coveralls and drink from a jug.....:eek:

[raytownlady]

I have been curious about the differences between the 2 lines so far we have only cruised on RCI and now because of a great price we're going on CCL next Jan. The ship we're sailing on is one of the older so of course it won't compare to the Mariner but I will judge it against our experience on the newly refurbished Sovereign.

[mtchg]

(I still love them both),

 

I'd have to agree on Cruztime's points. Much as some RCI enthusiasts would

disagree, Carnival gets the edge on main dining room fare. It's tastier.

 

However, Royal gets the nod on general service.

 

Carnival ships late 90's on are exciting and beautiful in their own way..

but Royal Caribbean is the winner with "Contemporary Classy" oldest to newest..fleetwide.

 

Show lounge Vegas/Broadway style shows, virtually identical. However for

comedians and solo acts, etc..Royal will spend more on some "name" acts

from time to time, though usually a tad past their prime.

 

Nite time entertainment, Carnival has more nightly lounge acts hired independantly to perform evey nite..usually of the 60's-80's type party music.

RCI has "theme nite"..only one Rock n Roll..other nites Country...then Big Band.

The quality of the Big Band was always good..the Rock no Roll and Country musicianship range from mediocre to embarassing (to me). I think Carnival does better here.

 

Both have paino-bar type entertainers. CCL performers cater to a slightly younger audience..with 70's and 80's singalongs and sometimes an "adult only" sing along at midnite. RCI's piano bar folks do more standards and love songs from the 50's (But not exclusively, just cuts a little older). Both are good, it just depends on your taste. I like the fact Carnival gives an entire lounge to just the piano-bar....RCI puts them in the Schooner (GREAT bars,

by the way)Lounge.

 

 

Every ship in the Carnival fleet gives different names to their lounges, even if they are similar in design from ship to ship. I like that Royal Caribbean has

some that are uniform in name, though they vary in design somewhat. The

famous Schooner bars and Windjammer (buffet dining) come to mind. No matter what ship you are boarding, these familiar names give you the feeling you are returning 'home' to an old friend.

 

Carnival cabins oldest to newest offer larger cabins for the minimum categories than RCI, but Royal's are still very comfy with plenty of storage,

and the newer Royal ships are more comparable.

 

RCI roomservice..more selection with hot food and dining room menu available during meal times. Not so CCL...cold menu only.

 

Carnival's famous 24 hour pizza is wonderful. RCI?....it's improving.

 

RCI's pool area more consistent and nice fleetwide. Pool areas on the older

Holiday and Fantasy class Carnival ships evoke images of a less than modern

YMCA atmosphere. Destiny, Spirit and Conquest class are

more comparable..the Carnival slides are kind of fun, though.

 

Both lines offer a great "bang for the buck", and a nice vacation value..which is why they are the biggest cruise lines in the industry.

The service on either is not really "white-glove", but considering hundred dollar a day rates (or less) for minimum categories, pretty good.

 

RCI offers a superior repeater cruise reward system. Carnival is a little

looser with upgrades for repeaters, but not much else.

 

 

Mitch

[cruzobsessed]

are you made out of asbestos??!! you are sooooo gonna get flamed for that one!!!

for the record...have only cruised with royal caribbean and my kids are not named spiffy, kicky, and buffy!! i drive a toyota sienna and i live in a modest split level!!!

can't wait to read what the "carnival" cruisers have to say!!!:D

[TnMDougherty]

You will also notice a difference in the passengers. Royal Caribbean passengers live in mansions, have a Mercedes and a Cadillac Escalade parked in front, name their kids Muffy and Brighton, wear clothes by Armani and Vera Wang and drink the finest champagne. Carnival passengers live in trailers, have two rusted out cars parked in front, name their kids Billy Ray and Lisa Sue, wear Walmart coveralls and drink from a jug.....:eek:

Pardon me if I take offense to that. I have sailed Carnival 5 times. I've never set foot in a trailder. My cars are new and my children have one name each. The only jug I drink from says 2% on it and has a picture of a missing child on the other side.

I suppose now since I am booked on RCCL that I'm required to move to a different neighborhood, upgrade my automobiles, and rename my children?

 

Seems to me you've never been on either line, or were not a great observer of the masses.

[TupeloHoney]

Pardon me if I take offense to that. I have sailed Carnival 5 times. I've never set foot in a trailder. My cars are new and my children have one name each. The only jug I drink from says 2% on it and has a picture of a missing child on the other side.

I suppose now since I am booked on RCCL that I'm required to move to a different neighborhood, upgrade my automobiles, and rename my children?

 

Seems to me you've never been on either line, or were not a great observer of the masses.

 

Okay, before we all start getting too worked up, my guess is that superjerryw is teasing. By all means, superjerryw, if you were serious, correct me. I'm thinking he/she was just playing up the stereotypes.

[atlcple2]

We have cruised Carnival 3 times (Fantasy, Pride & Spirit), Caribbean Princess once and will be on the Mariner in less than 2 weeks. I will give my opinion about RCCL vs. Carnival when we return, but I can tell you that comparing the cruises we have been on with Carnival vs. Princess, we found them very comparable. I will give Carnival the edge on the food. We had wonderful meals every night in the dining room as well as breakfast/lunch on Lido during the day. Hands down, Carnival has the best food. Princess caters to couples, which was very nice. We had a champagne balcony breakfast one morning... $25 extra... and it was delightful! I think that Carnival has more night life... Princess was DEAD at night. Everything else was great on both lines...service, room steward, ship, etc. We did enjoy the adult only pools on Princess as well as the movies under the stars. I have read a lot of posts about how Carnival is the low end of cruises and say that if you have not been on the newer, larger ships and are comparing cruises on older ships, it isn't really fair. We love Carnival and will no doubt cruise them again. We chose the Mariner for our next cruise because we are taking 2 kids (11 & 13) with us and they will enjoy the rock climbing wall, ice skating rink, inline skating and Carnival ships just don't offer those activities.

[tngirl1979]

I have sailed both RCI and CCL. I personally prefer RCI, but that does not mean that I do not like CCL. I felt that the overall experience on RCI was better, slightly but better. I will compare some of the points below.

 

- RCI does have a little more upscale travelers (not saying the person above is correct but they are a little more upscale). CCL does have wonderful specials on cruises but when the price gets too low, so does some of the travelers. We noticed this on our Elation cruise. There were some people who looked as though they did not care about personal hygiene (and I am not talking about the man deciding not to shave. I mean down right smelly and dirty). I never ran into that on RCI (not saying that I won't in the future). You also receive a slight bit older crowd which does not like to party like the younger crowd on CCL.

- I would not say that RCI has wonderful white glove service but it is a LOT closer than CCL. CCL was a more laid back atmosphere with the service. I think a lot of this has to do with pre-paid tips. CCL has pre-paid tips which I feel lead to sloppy service. RCI has the option but the service staff still works for their tips.

- The ship's decor is classier as past posters have commented on RCI. CCL has a Vegas neon blow you away look. RCI has a beautiful wood and brass feel.

- Food on both lines were about equal. I would say that I enjoyed RCI's desserts more (due to the fact I am allergic to chocolate and CCL had mounds of chocolate and nothing else).

- I really enjoyed the complementary toiletries in the rooms on CCL. It was a great touch to have travel size items for your guests. I know that RCI does not do this and would be a great touch if they picked this up.

- The beds on RCI were softer and the blankets better. CCL bedding was below standard in my opinion.

- I felt that CCL's Elation rocked a little more than RCI's Majesty. Both ships about the same size, but CCL not as smooth sailing.

 

All in all they were both wonderful vacations. I have just determined with my DH that we prefer cruise credits with RCI going forward. We may try Celebrity since they will be equal in cruise credits. Who knows what the future will bring, this time next year we may not like either line.

 

Hope everyone realizes that cruising is in the eyes of the beholder just like beauty, one bad taste can ruin it all.

[superjerryw]

Okay, before we all start getting too worked up, my guess is that superjerryw is teasing. By all means, superjerryw, if you were serious, correct me. I'm thinking he/she was just playing up the stereotypes.

 

Of course I was joking. I posted the same response to this same question a few months ago and there wasn't a single person that didn't realize that. Most people picked up he joke and ran with it.....

[miclane001]

Basically the product is the same. They are the Mass Market Cruiselines. I have sailed both, outgrown both. The decor is more to my taste on RCI, the food better on Carnival, the entertainment neck 'n neck. The cabins are plainer on Carnival, but substantially larger.

 

I agree with every point except that I would cruise either of them again without hesitation.

[superjerryw]

Quote:

Originally Posted by superjerryw

You will also notice a difference in the passengers. Royal Caribbean passengers live in mansions, have a Mercedes and a Cadillac Escalade parked in front, name their kids Muffy and Brighton, wear clothes by Armani and Vera Wang and drink the finest champagne. Carnival passengers live in trailers, have two rusted out cars parked in front, name their kids Billy Ray and Lisa Sue, wear Walmart coveralls and drink from a jug.....:eek:

 

 

Pardon me if I take offense to that. I have sailed Carnival 5 times. I've never set foot in a trailder. My cars are new and my children have one name each. The only jug I drink from says 2% on it and has a picture of a missing child on the other side.

I suppose now since I am booked on RCCL that I'm required to move to a different neighborhood, upgrade my automobiles, and rename my children?

 

Seems to me you've never been on either line, or were not a great observer of the masses.

 

You might want to hold off on moving to a different neighborhood and upgrading your car until you sail on RCCL and determine if it's right for you...

[mtchg]

... I "got" your post (with a big guffaw) right away.

 

It perfectly expresses the silly, unrealistic stereotypes (perhaps based

on a small kernel of truth from decades ago) that some of each cruiseline's

detractors have for the other.

 

Before I sailed on Royal Caribbean, I heard more folks on board the many Carnival ships I enjoyed...describe the typical Royal passenger that way (snooty and boring)..in addition to describing nightlife as "dead"....folks asleep by 9pm. I was so

glad that when I tried RCI, I discovered the fallacy of that.

 

In turn, on the three Royal Caribbean adventures I have taken so far, when

the subject of Carnival comes up...WOW...the "trailer-trash" stereotypes

start flying. As a veteran of multiple Carnival cruises, I'd have to say I never

felt out of place ,ever. I've been called a lot of things, but "trailer-trash",

or "redneck" is not one of them.

 

What I have found true for BOTH cruiselines is: the longer the cruise, the

older, and in some cases a little more "well-healed" (i.e.money)..the shorter

the cruise, younger,"less-healed" (if that's a word), and perhaps more

party attitude. But these are not universal truths, and a nice mix of all

kinds of folks can be found on both most of the time.

 

 

Mitch

[56 chevy cruise]

My wife and I sailed of the Carnival Ship Sensation, we left the weekend after 9-11 and the next year we sailed on RCCL Grandeur of the Seas. To us no contest we did not enjoy the Carnival experience at all food, service, or the entertainment. RCCL Grandeur could not have been better. We enjoyed it very much. Just my .02 worth

[brn2crz]

Ok...Jerry..Thats it...I am not taking your insults anymore..

 

Everyone knows that Armani & VW are so 1990's ..

 

Its DKNY,Peter Som & Dolce & Gabbana or Nothing...

 

Also... Escalades and Navigators are completly PC..

 

We do nicely in the H2 & Mini Hum ..Thank YOU!!

[alphakitty]

- The beds on RCI were softer and the blankets better. CCL bedding was below standard in my opinion.

 

 

I agree with the posters for the most part. There are differences, minor differences between the two lines. Food is better on Carnival, decor is better on RCCL. They have leather-clad menus on Carnival, paper on RCI. It really is just a matter of preference.

 

One thing about the above quote. Carnival just recently instituted their "Comfort Bed" fleet wide. I have to say they win hands down over RCI now on the beds. The new bedding and beds are just soooo comfy! DH said they sucked the awake out of him.

[superjerryw]

Ok...Jerry..Thats it...I am not taking your insults anymore..

 

Everyone knows that Armani & VW are so 1990's ..

 

It's all relative. I've been on some cruises where the passengers were so old they were wearing zoot suits and spats.....:eek:

[MAGNUM PI]

ANGIEC:

 

This is a no-brainer.

 

Answer is: Royal Caribbean.

 

My family of 6, went on a Serenade of the Seas cruise-last February.

The Serenade and RCCL is awesome.

 

Last week, we went on a Carnival cruise. Similiar southern caribbean itinerary. Completely different experience. Miserable. The ship/passengers/crew did NOT make it a "Fun Ship", as they advertise.

 

How can there be such a difference is your cruise experience? Like night & day.

 

I agree with many of JERRYW's comments about the passengers. he is NOT joking. Carnival is in a class by itself-rock bottom, IMO. Poor food quality/service, try to find a crew member, hallway carpeting with water stains/leaks, ship decor that looks like the Kid's Club designed it,etc.

 

Please benefit from my last week's experience. TAKE A RCCL CRUISE-you will not be disappointed.

[Cruising89143]

My cruising history with both lines. Carnival 16 times and six times on RCI. For me my days with Carnival are probably over. I know that you never say never but at this time RCI has all that I'm looking for in a cruise vacation.

 

IMHO RCI is a step above Carnival when all is said and done. RCI's level of service and friendly crew blow Carnival out of the water. It was hard to even get a smile from a Carnival crew member much less a hello or good morning.

 

I find that they are about even in food as Carnival has much better pizza but I love the Windjammer and room service menus compared to Carnival.

 

Entertainment is again about even. I do think that RCI has better Vegas style shows. Carnival has better individual lounge acts.

 

Rooms on the older RCI vessels are smaller compared to Carnival but the Voyager class ships are basically the same size. Carnival has the new comfortable bedding fleet wide but RCI is going to start changing out the fleets this spring with the Freedom being the first ship with the new upgraded bedding.

 

I feel that the guests on RCI respect the dress code a lot more than the passengers on Carnival. I have yet to see anyone in the Windjammer in their P.J's or bathrobes.:eek:

 

RCI also has a nice past guest program which is something that Carnival is lagging on but I have heard reports that they may be getting ready to start their own. Way past due. I have found that most of the people choose Carnival due to price but I am a firm believer that you get what you pay for. Carnival does deliver for the price but I would rather pay a little more and be satisfied with my cruise experience.

 

Both cruise lines are good and each fills a niche but again in my opinion, RCI is a better product with all things considered.

[lucy2800]

I just wanted to let you all know that after spending a week on the newest of the Carnival Ships, myself and my group of 28 left very impressed! The Liberty is beautiful! This ship was everything I had read in the many reviews I found. The service, food, extremely comfortable beds, the large cabins, shows, activities and anything else you can think of pertaining to the ship were awesome! If you don't have plans to sail on the Carnival Liberty soon, you certainly should look into making them. The passengers were very pleasant and they all had their front teeth too!!!! LOL

 

:D