Carnival cruiser tries Royal Caribbean for the first time. Shares small comparison.

[Joebucks]

I have only cruised with Carnival in the past. I always meant to try other lines sooner. With large itinerary choices, lower prices (special offers), and the enjoyment we had in the past, it kept working out to stick to Carnival. For this cruise, we decided it was time to try something different. So we did a 5-day out of Galveston on the Voyager of the Seas. I refuse to do the 2000-passenger ships anymore, when possible. Having done previous 4 and 5-day cruises, I fully understood it is not the ship with all of the bells and whistles. 

 

Let me first say I had a great time. It is a good product. It is more similar to Carnival than it is different. I plan to sail with Royal again, preferably on Oasis or larger. I always try to consider both sides and remove as much bias as I can. However, I must say that from what I have experienced, Royal Caribbean is overrated. Royal fans often pretend that it was a brand created by the gods. Honestly, I could not recall many areas where it felt superior to Carnival. Let alone the additional price it commanded.

 

Food
I can't stand people complaining about the food and how everything is inedible. It happens on most lines. There is plenty of complementary food available, and I always find options that are fine. Overall, I'd say the MDR and buffet were similar between the two brands. We ended up doing more buffet than ever before because we chose anytime dining. I really missed the quick meals you get on Carnival's lido, such as the Burgers and Tacos. The burger I had in the Windjammer was dry and lacked the options and sauces. The breakfast MDR menu on Royal was about as basic as you could get for breakfast. Carnival's Sea Day brunch handily trumps it. I'd say the Carnival pizza was slightly better. Carnival's Deli also stomped the promenade "deli" options. People have been whining and crying that there aren't enough food options on Carnival outside of peak hours. Somehow, that was worse here. Maybe the specialty dining is better on Royal? I did not experience those, so I cannot comment.

 

The room

This was an older ship. However, it still felt like an experience I had over 5 years ago. Two outlets in the room, no usb, small TV, older looking all around. We got a balcony room. The balcony was standard. This room was noticeably smaller than the Carnival rooms I've had as of late. We also had 3 people and had to use the upper pullout bed, which is not my favorite. Carnival's couches were big enough to flip into another bed. This couch was not. Bathrooms were about the same. The glass door was nicer than the usual shower curtain. There was a bit less closet space for clothes. 

 

Entertainment
This is the area I was probably most excited about on Royal, as I have heard much bragging of their world-renowned performances. Maybe I missed something, but this was not my experience. I think one huge advantage here was the ice skating rink. That show was pretty cool and was also another nice theater when needed. The stage shows I watched were mostly average. There was only 1 comedian who did 3 shows throughout the 5 days. He was great. However, being a big fan of comedy, I prefer Carnival's higher frequency of comedians. A 5-day usually has at least 2 comedians, doing equal or more shows each. 

 

Bars
I'd say overall, the experience was about equal. However, Royal did not have an experience that matched Alchemy for me. Schooner was the closest (and I really liked Schooner a lot). The Pig and Whistle was also a cool bar experience that spilled into the promenade. I think the Tavern was supposed to be the sports bar. It was a nice venue, but did not seem to me to have that sports bar energy that Carnival has. 

 

Other Venues
I really did enjoy the open promenade as a whole. Having most of the stuff centrally located or close was nice. I might consider that as an advantage as Carnival often has things all over the place. If you are a kid, I'd say the Flowrider and Rock climbing are advantages. I did not use those. While the Solarium is not my #1 preference, I could definitely understand why it has such value. Not everyone wants to be in the sun, especially at all times. We never really had issues finding seating anywhere on the main deck. In some of the smaller venues were tougher to find seats at night, which is fairly common.

 

Again, let me restate: I had a great time. More things were similar than they were different. I also understand a lot of my wishes would be solved in an Oasis class. However, when I do shorter cruises, that is not always a viable option. Nor do I expect it to become my first choice to get some of the things I already enjoy at double the price. 

 

Honestly, I believe there are a few reasons why people talk so highly about Royal, and I have my theories:
- Their marketing team is good. They have the best loyalty program, and people LOVE boasting about and consuming their free stuff. The diamond drink vouchers are an outstanding perk. On the topic of marketing, some people have negative perceptions about Carnival, without experiencing it.

- The crowd seemed a bit better than I would normally find on a 5-day cruise. I'm not sure if that was due to it being Galveston (first time) or Royal. 

 

Other than this, honestly, I could not find many times where I was like "wow this is better than Carnival." Which should be happening at a higher price point. 

 

You may now commence attack on me

[Ocean Boy]

Appreciate your comparisons. It is nice to read your perspective. As far as entertainment goes, it is the Oasis and Icon class ships that you have to turn to in order to find what everyone raves about. The Aqua Theater with its diving shows is amazing. The ice shows, as you found out, are also on the Voyager and Freedom class ships. 

[firefly333]

39 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

I have only cruised with Carnival in the past. I always meant to try other lines sooner. With large itinerary choices, lower prices (special offers), and the enjoyment we had in the past, it kept working out to stick to Carnival. For this cruise, we decided it was time to try something different. So we did a 5-day out of Galveston on the Voyager of the Seas. I refuse to do the 2000-passenger ships anymore, when possible. Having done previous 4 and 5-day cruises, I fully understood it is not the ship with all of the bells and whistles. 

 

Let me first say I had a great time. It is a good product. It is more similar to Carnival than it is different. I plan to sail with Royal again, preferably on Oasis or larger. I always try to consider both sides and remove as much bias as I can. However, I must say that from what I have experienced, Royal Caribbean is overrated. Royal fans often pretend that it was a brand created by the gods. Honestly, I could not recall many areas where it felt superior to Carnival. Let alone the additional price it commanded.

 

Food
I can't stand people complaining about the food and how everything is inedible. It happens on most lines. There is plenty of complementary food available, and I always find options that are fine. Overall, I'd say the MDR and buffet were similar between the two brands. We ended up doing more buffet than ever before because we chose anytime dining. I really missed the quick meals you get on Carnival's lido, such as the Burgers and Tacos. The burger I had in the Windjammer was dry and lacked the options and sauces. The breakfast MDR menu on Royal was about as basic as you could get for breakfast. Carnival's Sea Day brunch handily trumps it. I'd say the Carnival pizza was slightly better. Carnival's Deli also stomped the promenade "deli" options. People have been whining and crying that there aren't enough food options on Carnival outside of peak hours. Somehow, that was worse here. Maybe the specialty dining is better on Royal? I did not experience those, so I cannot comment.

 

The room

This was an older ship. However, it still felt like an experience I had over 5 years ago. Two outlets in the room, no usb, small TV, older looking all around. We got a balcony room. The balcony was standard. This room was noticeably smaller than the Carnival rooms I've had as of late. We also had 3 people and had to use the upper pullout bed, which is not my favorite. Carnival's couches were big enough to flip into another bed. This couch was not. Bathrooms were about the same. The glass door was nicer than the usual shower curtain. There was a bit less closet space for clothes. 

 

Entertainment
This is the area I was probably most excited about on Royal, as I have heard much bragging of their world-renowned performances. Maybe I missed something, but this was not my experience. I think one huge advantage here was the ice skating rink. That show was pretty cool and was also another nice theater when needed. The stage shows I watched were mostly average. There was only 1 comedian who did 3 shows throughout the 5 days. He was great. However, being a big fan of comedy, I prefer Carnival's higher frequency of comedians. A 5-day usually has at least 2 comedians, doing equal or more shows each. 

 

Bars
I'd say overall, the experience was about equal. However, Royal did not have an experience that matched Alchemy for me. Schooner was the closest (and I really liked Schooner a lot). The Pig and Whistle was also a cool bar experience that spilled into the promenade. I think the Tavern was supposed to be the sports bar. It was a nice venue, but did not seem to me to have that sports bar energy that Carnival has. 

 

Other Venues
I really did enjoy the open promenade as a whole. Having most of the stuff centrally located or close was nice. I might consider that as an advantage as Carnival often has things all over the place. If you are a kid, I'd say the Flowrider and Rock climbing are advantages. I did not use those. While the Solarium is not my #1 preference, I could definitely understand why it has such value. Not everyone wants to be in the sun, especially at all times. We never really had issues finding seating anywhere on the main deck. In some of the smaller venues were tougher to find seats at night, which is fairly common.

 

Again, let me restate: I had a great time. More things were similar than they were different. I also understand a lot of my wishes would be solved in an Oasis class. However, when I do shorter cruises, that is not always a viable option. Nor do I expect it to become my first choice to get some of the things I already enjoy at double the price. 

 

Honestly, I believe there are a few reasons why people talk so highly about Royal, and I have my theories:
- Their marketing team is good. They have the best loyalty program, and people LOVE boasting about and consuming their free stuff. The diamond drink vouchers are an outstanding perk. On the topic of marketing, some people have negative perceptions about Carnival, without experiencing it.

- The crowd seemed a bit better than I would normally find on a 5-day cruise. I'm not sure if that was due to it being Galveston (first time) or Royal. 

 

Other than this, honestly, I could not find many times where I was like "wow this is better than Carnival." Which should be happening at a higher price point. 

 

You may now commence attack on me

I dont pay more for royal than carnival, I do group pricing and solo discounts so for me carnival is more $$$$.

 

I got in on carnivals birthday half price sale so my last cruise was a carnival journey cruise, which still wasnt inexpensive. I do love the burgers and fast food on carnival. Love carnivals pizza. There are some ships on royal with pay food I've enjoyed lately too with obc I got from booking and owning rcl stock. Mariner coming in has playmakers, not free, but for $20 good. Not expensive. 

 

On carnival I missed my free drinks and wifi. Carnival doesn't discount excursions. I went ouch as I purchased excursions last month on carnival. Full priced. Missed rcls dynamic pricing. The freebies do equal out for me what carnival offers with free fast food I love.

 

I consider them equal. I've often said I wish I could combine both and have carnivals fast food for free on royal. When carnival gives me 25% off as a solo I'll book more often. But I was just on a 14 day carnival journey cruise in January and much enjoyed it. Great ports. I have seen several posts where people have booked mardi gras. Out of pc its competitive in pricing, jubilee out of Galveston to me not as competitive priced with my solo pricing.

 

I just turned diamond on carnival so you know I sail both, just lately solo pricing royal was less out of texas .. pc maybe carnival will win.

[twangster]

Seems about right.  

 

As you already noted Oasis class is a logical next step.  Voyager was first in its class but now over 25 years old it's an old ship.  Way back in the day it was mind blowing. Now?  Not so much but from a core cruise ship experience the basic bones and layout make it an easy ship to sail.  

 

Royal has never been into the comfort food that Carnival includes on a complimentary basis but food is personal and my doctor doesn't like me eating all that comfort food anymore so while I recognize that Carnival excels in this area, it's not something I can indulge in anymore.

 

Oasis class is in a league of its own.  Something everyone should try at least once.  

 

Thanks for your review and comparison. 

[edrussell]

Definitely no attack from me and in fact I'd actually agree with most of your observations.  Full context we have 7 RCCL cruises under our belts with ships ranging from Wonder (most recent cruise) to Enchantment and Grandeur.  We have 1 Carnival sailing (Venezia) and we have 6 more Carnival sailings booked with NO RCCL cruises.  The primary reason being we sail via Casino COMP and the offers from RCCL are terrible lately.

 

Specific observations from your post ring true with us, comedians, no comparison whatsoever.  We've never really seen any comedian on RCCL that comes even close to Carnival.  Not even close.  That said though Carnival prides itself on comedians and they are up front about it.  I believe RCCL only puts on comedy out of a feel of necessity rather than desire.  Pizza (yes, yes VERY subjective I know), but the pizza on Venezia was lightyears above any Pizza I've had on any RCCL ship (most recently the pizza at Sorento's on Wonder was downright terrible).  Rooms, well I strongly feel that is going to end up being more a factor of the ship itself than anything else.  Food in the MDR, our experience on Venezia easily matches any RCCL ship and in fact tops many of them.  The check in feature via the APP on Carnival makes My time MDR experiences so much better.

 

People do get so emotionally attached to 'their brand' and that is 100% natural.  We've never been overly loyal to one brand, especially so as the loyalty rewards mean little to nothing to us.  The C & A program on RCCL seems to garner a lot of emotional attachment and to each their own but I'll never get that.  Truth is both brands have something to offer and if one doesn't work for you, the the other might.  All that said though until you actually get out there and sail both of them you can't make an educated comment on them, especially in a comparison.

 

[theotherchad]

It's always nice to see an honest comparison. You are far from the first person to note that Carnival's burgers, fries and pizza (and sometimes desserts) beat RCCL hands down.

 

The biggest factor that skews a perception though can be the crowd onboard, and that varies as much with the length of the itinerary as it does with the cruise line or the ship. 

 

The shorter the cruise, the younger and rowdier the crowd, in general. 7 day cruises are the most even, between young, old, the ones who dress  up and the ones who definitely do not, etc. 

 

5 Day cruises aren't too different, but go down to a 4 or a 3 day? It's gonna be a party. That can be seen as a positive, "hey everybody is dancing and drinking having a good time" or a negative, "what a drunkfest that was."

 

In contrast, cruises longer than 7 day tend to skew MUCH older. Not that there aren't younger cruisers on those sailings, but they are in the minority. 

[Max and Ruby]

I first started sailing with Carnival and I would like to go back at some point.  Actually booked a Havana cabana in 2020, but of course that cruise didn't happen.  What keeps me with Royal lately is the extra point for being a solo cruiser and the Cape Liberty port.  I see Venezia sailing out of NYC and once I get someone on board with going on that cruise I will try it.  Also want to try that Havana cabana cabin category sometime as well.

[happy cruzer]

Mdr on carnival seems to have better traditional dining times.  And for us a better menu.  We do the mdr on carnival and upd on rccl.

[cruisinlawn]

Kudos to JoeBucks...I feel this is a fair review/opinion and agree with most of your thoughts.  We sail all of the lines, currently have future sailings booked on 4 different lines. For us, we book for various reasons...the itinerary, the ship, the cost, whom we're sailing with, etc.    Cruising is just like anything else, they all have their cheerleaders and critics. Many don't even compare similar ships...even within the same fleet. Thanks for posting, Enjoy!

[mets07]

Very fair review. We have sailed Carnival Horizon and Venezia (and many more Royal). Agree that the complimentary food options on Carnival far outshine Royal's.

 

And on our recent 12-night Venezia, there were probably six different comedians and sometimes 4 shows a day. We did not go all the time, but enjoyed that experience and the variety of times of day available. 

 

My (Your) time dining was great. You checked in on the app, it gave you the time estimate for the current wait and then you could decide when to check-in. So we could do that from our favorite bar and then walk into the dining room when we were notified our table was ready. 

 

It is always going to be difficult for us to miss our included loyalty program drinks on Royal. So, we always have to take that into consideration.  And some of the entertainment on larger Royal ships is hard to beat. 

 

Finally, we have had not had any issue with Carnival guests. Friendly and fun. I'm sure there are some exceptions on every ship. 

 

Thanks for the feedback.

 

 

 

 

[Norwich Cruiser]

We recently returned from a Caribbean carnival cruise and although we’ve cruised many more times with Royal think you’ve given an extremely fair assessment.

 

We’ve always thought the cruise lines were more similar than not and at present time we think that the food especially the on deck burgers and MDR on Carnival and in all most other venues is definitely better than what Royal is offering.

 

Entertainment is similar Carnival is probably that little better on most ships except on “ o “ class where Royal is probably better than what Carnival is offering.

[Thisguylikestocruise]

Looking at the prices on the Carnival website, wow Royal Caribbean really is higher priced. Not sure what we get from that higher price?🧐 

[nhraformula00]

I have been on 15 Carnival cruises and 7 Royal. Only 2 on Royal post Covid19. Pre Covid I would say that Royal was a much better option for us. Pre covid Royal was slightly more $$$. Post Covid they are much more expensive. Carnival has nothing to compare with Oasis class ships, the bigger the better IMOP. Shows on Oasis are fantastic. Food I rate about the same. Royal has a lot less announcements over the intercom. I find them annoying.  The gym on Royal are huge, never felt crowded. We have our first Princess cruise coming up in May. Going to give them a try. 

[wampuscat7]

I’ve been on 4 Carnival sailings, one on Royal and one on NCL. I would say this is a very fair review. Carnival’s casual eateries are way better than Royal’s, especially the pizza and burgers. We had better food and service in Royal’s buffet than Carnival’s but better food and service in Carnival’s MDR. 

 

Our next cruise is booked on Royal despite the price difference, which is considerable. Why? We only travel via cruise once every two or three years and want the best vacation rather than the best value. The Oasis class ships are amazing. We love the aqua show, the ice skating show, the wide variety of family and kid activities, and the neighborhoods. Central Park is one of my favorite locations on any ship, and we love the different pool areas. We also prefer Royal’s private islands to Carnival’s.

[MechE31]

I agree with your review overall. There are a lot of aspects I prefer on carnival including the food and activities run by the cruise staff. Royal has the edge on large scale entertainment for Oasis class. 

 

The reason I'm holding off on booking more carnival is the crowd. On our last carnival cruise (Mardi gras spring break 2022), the teenagers took over the ship. They did a lot of very inappropriate things and their parents were nowhere you be found. As the parent of pre teens that cruise with us, this is not the crowd we want to associate with. We've done 8 carnival cruises and always had some issues with the crowds, but the teens on the last one were the breaking point. 

 

I also don't love the Mardi gras atrium for entertainment. Without the turnover of a main theater, people camp there for hours on end and we couldn't find seats at any of the atrium entertainment without skipping early dinner. This may change on less crowded sailings. 

[jean87510]

I agree with the review.  

 

We did a 3 day on the Indy out of Port Canaveral, attended a work conference in Savannah then a 4 day out of Jacksonville on the Elation.  Crowds were the same although the Elation crowd was better behaved.  Food overall much better on Carnival.  Service for our room better on Indy (room attendant on Elation never once cleaned our room or gave us new towels.  We had to call housekeeping).  Entertainment was better on Elation to the point we actually for the 1st time in 30 plus cruises, sat and watched the pool area activities on the 1 sea day.  People were much friendlier and fun on Carnival.  I found some Royal people always seemed mad about something and always look miserable.  

[LobsterStalker]

3 hours ago, jean87510 said:

I agree with the review.  

 

We did a 3 day on the Indy out of Port Canaveral, attended a work conference in Savannah then a 4 day out of Jacksonville on the Elation.  Crowds were the same although the Elation crowd was better behaved.  Food overall much better on Carnival.  Service for our room better on Indy (room attendant on Elation never once cleaned our room or gave us new towels.  We had to call housekeeping).  Entertainment was better on Elation to the point we actually for the 1st time in 30 plus cruises, sat and watched the pool area activities on the 1 sea day.  People were much friendlier and fun on Carnival.  I found some Royal people always seemed mad about something and always look miserable.  

What Did he do ?

Guard the door

Doorman?

[Joanne G.]

17 hours ago, Thisguylikestocruise said:

Looking at the prices on the Carnival website, wow Royal Caribbean really is higher priced. Not sure what we get from that higher price?🧐 

 My recent cruises have been on Carnival.  But a friend and I are going on the Anthem of the Seas this summer.  @Joebucks, I appreciate your comparison.

 

Carnival for me and my long-time cruise companion (my sister) has proven to be a great value.  We tried it after previous cruises on NCL, HAL, Princess, and the Serenade of the Seas, and we've stuck with it almost exclusively since then. 

 

 As for what might be behind the price differences, which of course vary tremendously among ships and itineraries and special promos, my thoughts are the amusement park features and elaborate entertainment options on Royal - which I have not actually experienced and only read about.   Those things are not important to us.   Service, condition of the ships, cabin size, and food have all been fine for us.   It's my understanding that Carnival doesn't offer much in the way suite perks, so that's probably a factor, too, in different prices for the higher category cabins.  

 

Carnival in Europe is a particularly good value compared to the other mainstream lines, though they have had only one ship in Europe recently, so not a lot of choice.   My friend and I picked the Anthem for a Norway fjord itinerary because Carnival isn't offering one this year, and it was a good value compared to the other lines going to Norway.  I am looking forward to a different experience and making my own comparison.  😀

 

 

[jasong38501]

Love this review. I agree with most of it looking at it as a frequent Carnival cruiser who is new to Royal. I think Carnival does a much better job trying to provide the same experience on their older ships as you would get on the newest. While Royal has "amped" some ships, Carnival has a similar initiative called "Funship 2.0". It has been completed on their entire US based ships. The only exception is the Luminoso they recently transferred from Costa. 

I'm currently booked on only Royal because the casino offers are better for me right now on Royal, but I would be open to either company in future. 

[jean87510]

4 hours ago, LobsterStalker said:

What Did he do ?

Guard the door

Doorman?

I have no idea.  He or she did not receive any extra tips from us.  I know the Tip Gods will strike me down but it was one of the few times, if not only time, we did not care to tip our room attendant.  And we had a suite!  I will give Royal the edge on the suite treatment as Carnival was terrible.  

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

We have quite a few Carnival sailings under our belts, with a fair # of Royal cruises (on the Allure at the moment - 3 night!). One place where Royal shines (on Oasis and new class ships) is the suite lounge and Coastal Kitchen. Even though we have in the past, I don't see us sailing on any prior class of ship with Royal. Kind of the same way I feel about Excel class on Carnival.

 

We presently have the Utopia booked for later this year (again, a 3/4 night Oasis class ship!) and then the Star for '26. The Star is nearly $2k/per person for a 7-nt inside (not what we booked), so it's a significant premium.

 

A comment was made about the passengers -- when we left Pt. Canaveral yesterday, the (Carnival) Liberty left on their 3-nt as well. We've sailed on that very itinerary several times, and hands down you can tell a difference. Everything else being equal - and in general -  on Carnival you're going to see a difference in how people perceive "Cruise Casual" attire. You're also going to see more undesirable behavior (language and such). Again, each sailing (on any ship) will have variances and unique characteristics, but there are baseline differences nonetheless.

Tom

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

2 hours ago, jasong38501 said:

...

I'm currently booked on only Royal because the casino offers are better for me right now on Royal, but I would be open to either company in future. 

 

I got a little break on this (Allure) sailing - getting an Aqua Theater suite for about $2k. What I like about Royal, anyone at Club Royale Prime level gets free drinks when playing and can also purchase chips at the table with no surcharge. Having said that, I've enjoyed a few great casino bookings on Carnival, getting up to $2,000 OBC, and CHEERS (Drinks on Us Everywhere). There's some real value there.

 

So - pros and cons, as is always the case!
 

Tom

[chill6x6]

Really….if not staying in a suite, there is really not much reason to sail Royal. More/better suite perks was the whole reason I started with Royal. No doubt Carnivals balcony cabins are better as is their included food options. If I didn’t like suites, I probably would have never made the change.