Carnival vs. Royal Caribbean

[rotman253]

Hey,
We are 2 families with kids ranging 4-12yo , we want to go on a cruise from Miami to Mexico and I see that both Royal and Carnival has cruises that match our dates (they are both Oct. 9th - 15th)

Royal is with Allure of the seas and Carnival is with Horizon.
My question is: overall, which one is better?

I'm thinking about Room size, activities for children, food quality etc.

 

p.s
It's not my first time cruising, we already did 3 cruises but all of them were Royal, our last one was with Harmony of the seas which is basically the same as Allure so I think I know the ship.

Thanks for helping 

[Essiesmom]

I haven’t sailed Royal, but I have sailed Carnival and many others.  Are any of these children yours?  And if so, did they sail Harmony with you?  If so, what sorts of activities did they enjoy the most?  Go to the Carnival board and ask what activities kids on those ships enjoyed the most.  Although many people say the lines are more alike than different, the Oasis class ships have more attractions than those of most other cruise lines…so if some of those things are what the kids enjoyed, stick with Royal.  EM

[klfrodo]

I normally would have said Carnival because they are the "Fun" ships and the activities people work very hard to ensure everyone is having "Fun".

But, since you threw the Allure into the scope,,,, The Allure every time for kids and adults.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

On 5/14/2022 at 10:23 AM, rotman253 said:

Harmony of the seas which is basically the same as Allure

Allure doesn't have the water or dry (Abyss) slides like Harmony. Other than that, we love Allure (going on it in 2 weeks for the 2nd time).

Can't advise on Carnival, because we've never been on a Carnival ship. DH refuses to step foot on one after all the disastrous stories about their ships.

[Spike89]

Oh, what a question.....

I've sailed on BOTH Carnival and Royal many times.  The real issue is that things are CHANGING so fast.

My last cruises were within the last 3 months, and I found such a difference with Carnival from years past to the point I was really disappointed. Now, let me give you my 2 cents.

The Horizon and Allure are both wonderful ships and some of the best in any fleet, so you have options and will enjoy either.  You didn't say how old your kids are, so I'll assume they are between 6 and 16 for purposes of my answers.

I like to sail this way:  Either get a family type of suite, or get 2 rooms that are adjoining, or if the kids are older, you splurege on the verandah/balcony and give the kids an interior across the hall (hint, you can get them a connecting interior, or a next door cabin at front of ships usually on the lower decks.  I haven't looked at exact Horizon or Allure deck plan prior to answering.

Carnival:  

Pros:    Kids love the atmosphere, the constant music and fun around the pool area.  It's fun to hang out on deck, let the kids swim and you can get burgers at Guy's Burger, the Lido buffet, or the Blue Iguana tacos.  The drinks are lower priced on Carnival.  The comedy shows are MUCH better on Carnival.  I find that the major "broadway" type shows are slightly better on Carnival.  The piano bar and the promenade decks are always fun for adults.  on the Horizon, there is a Family Harbor area (Get FJ, FA, FE type cabins) - some have 2 bathrooms, VERY nice as women get their own area).  The Kids love this.  It's also a way to grab a quick sandwich or small bite after coming in from shore excursion.  The pricing is better, not just the cruse ticket, but photos, extras (like candy, pie pieces, coffees, etc.).  Rooms are generally bigger (say 184 sq ft to 174) - not exact numbers, but you get the idea...  I find the talent better or there is just MORE (last sailing, there were a total of 4 comedians, (to 1 on the Royal sailing, both 7 day journeys).  The family suite area is very useful with xBoxes, small food, drinks, and a place to chill.. - kids hang out there and you have some peace knowing they are just down the hall

Bingo is a bigger on Carnival.

Cons:  Main dining has gone downward in a bad way.  The options are more limited, and the portion sizes have shrunk.  They NO LONGER USE TABLECLOTHS!  I hate that last bit.  They are understaffed right now.  May not be when you sail.  But they are down to only cleaning ONCE per day (Royal does 2x).  You can get more  party crowds on Carnival.  Last cruise there was this group of 20 somethigns, walking around with big speakers blasting rap and it screwed up my concentration at the casino even....  Carnival hides incidents (per my recent experience) of accidents and major issues and becomes difficult to deal with after initial response.  (All cruise ships are basically immune under maritime laws)

They have stopped tournaments (slots, blackjack, poker) which were really popular.

Royal:  

Pros:      The surf simulator is a huge hit with teens (and even to 8 years old I'd say).  The Allure is one of the largest cruise ships on the sea (shorter by 3 feet of the Symphony), and is a destination in of itself.  My kids right now prefer the Vista (Horizon is a Vista Class), but they haven't been on the Oasis Class).  The water show is awesome and you should see this.  The ice skating is fun for kids that aren't from the north, or even those can get practice in... limited times during COVID, but still on the ship.  The food is good, restarant and the room service has actually improved a bit.  The Royal is a step higher than Carnival on the ladder, I'd say that Royal is between Carnival and Holland on expectations and "class."    It's say that the spaces are nicer.  The ship is quieter and the crowds are more subdued.  

Cons:  They are more expensive.  Everything is a bit more on board, and you find that they are tapping you for small things (coffee is more, you might want to get a danish or something, that's a bit of a hit, and so on and so forth).  Drinks are .25 to $2 more.  Wine can be a lot more per glass that we found (note, not on the drink program).  The entertainment wasnt' as good as Carnival in our family's opinion.  Shows were "old" and 60 themes and other themes didn't work well with kids (or in fact even us, who grew up in the 70s and 80s). 

 

So, what's the recommednation?  My kids would say "Let's try the Allure, but we'd rather sail on Carnival."  I'd say, if you are trying to go low cost, or party atmoshphere, or gambling, then Carnival is the choice.  If you want to go for the ship and the meals, and you have some more money, then Royal is the way I'd lean.

Edited May 18, 2022 by Spike89

[Itchy&Scratchy]

On 5/14/2022 at 10:23 AM, rotman253 said:

We are 2 families with kids ranging 4-12yo

 

they did say how old the kids are. 🙂

2 hours ago, Spike89 said:

You didn't say how old your kids are, so I'll assume they are between 6 and 16 for purposes of my answers.

🙂

[Cruise a holic]

On 5/14/2022 at 10:23 AM, rotman253 said:

Hey,
We are 2 families with kids ranging 4-12yo , we want to go on a cruise from Miami to Mexico and I see that both Royal and Carnival has cruises that match our dates (they are both Oct. 9th - 15th)

Royal is with Allure of the seas and Carnival is with Horizon.
My question is: overall, which one is better?

I'm thinking about Room size, activities for children, food quality etc.

 

p.s
It's not my first time cruising, we already did 3 cruises but all of them were Royal, our last one was with Harmony of the seas which is basically the same as Allure so I think I know the ship.

Thanks for helping 

Royal Caribbean, especially the quantum and Oasis class ships are so much better then Carnival.  The entertainment, food, facilities are superior to carnival.  You will be glad you decided on royal- especially with children.

[Spike89]

Sorry I missed the kids ages in my response.  I had eye surgery recently and am missing capturing some words in my reading or take time to write and may have left and came back; However, there's no need to go around correcting every little thing someone writes that's not germane to the conversation since it was covered anyway.  Like I said, my kids like Carnival more, but there's a lot to consider as many people make cruise decisions based upon budget.  A 4 year old may enjoy the Dr. Suess and the Carnival club more than the Royal, never know... until you've sailed both (and do recommend that at some point).  And, comparing a fleet (or even a whold class) to a specific sailing  isn't the correct way in my opinion to view things.   It may be location (ports) it goes, the weather encountered, the time of the year, how old the ship is, how long since refurbished, COVID response, etc... I noticed that there were few people that had problems with the table cloths, but that was a major issue for me, so to each their own!  Either way, sounds like you have a great vacation coming up!!!  I do recommend that you sail on an Oasis Class Ship (Oasis, Allure, Symphony), a Mardi Gras class  ship (Mardi Gras, Celebration, Jubilee) for sure on your bucket list.  Also, if the budget allows, try to catch a Disney before the kids get too old.  

Edited May 20, 2022 by Spike89

[oyme]

On 5/18/2022 at 9:15 AM, Itchy&Scratchy said:

Allure doesn't have the water or dry (Abyss) slides like Harmony. Other than that, we love Allure (going on it in 2 weeks for the 2nd time).

Can't advise on Carnival, because we've never been on a Carnival ship. DH refuses to step foot on one after all the disastrous stories about their ships.

Funny we felt that way about Royal for a bit. We'd read events at sea and it seemed Royal was on there a lot there for awhile. Maybe not recently, I haven't been reading events at sea for awhile. It seemed like Princess, Carnival, and Celebrity came up the least but Royal, HAL, and MSC were mentioned often.

[kelkel2]

Honestly, I haven’t cruised on Royal, but I have on carnival pre-kids and choosing carnival for our kids’ first cruise was an easy choice for us.
They have family harbor rooms on their newest ships which include a special lounge for snacks, games, ice cream etc.

Waterworks is amazing

They have a variety of food places my kids will be willing to eat at including guy’s burgers and shack’s chicken (mardi gras only for now)

I feel like Carnival’s. 3rd and 4th person rate is reasonable

we just really like carnival and we’ve never not had a wonderful time.

I’m sure you can have a wonderful time on both RCL and Carnival with that age group!

 

[rshosho84]

I've sailed on both Carnival and Royal with kids and I will choose the Quantum or Oasis class ships on RC every time. It also appears that Carnival may have paused their kids clubs for under 5s. The site is very conflicting regarding this and when I spoke on the phone with them I also could not get an actual response. Carnival is "fun" but Royal is too. I also didn't notice much of a price difference on board. There was plenty of free coffee, flavored waters, and juices to drink that were free.