Royal Caribbean vs Carnival Cruise line. Which is better?

Question

Royal Caribbean vs Carnival Cruise line. Which is better?

Answer 1

I'd say that the better one is the one offering the best price and itinerary.   They tend to offer very similar things!  In my opinion, if you pay less for the same or similar cruise, you'll have more "struttin' money" and have a better time!  

Bigger ships are usually better than smaller, newer better than older.  Since Royal has the Freedom class, super-big and brand-new, you might aim towards those 3 ships (Freedom, Liberty, and Independence) if all else were equal, altho it generally won't be - they charge premium prices for those generally.

One other tiny benefit in Royal's column:  If cruises are your favorite vacation and you want to stick with one cruise line to accrue VIP status faster, Royal Caribbean's VIP perks are way better than Carnival.  Once you've reached Diamond level, you get concierge level service, which includes free cocktails every night in the VIP lounge and other niceties.  You have to go on about 12 cruises to get this however.  (Less than that if you book suites or take cruises longer than 7 nights.)

Answer 2

I have not been on a Royal cruise but I've been many times on a Carnival cruise and it's great. There really isn't anything they will deny you. The rooms are pretty big and so comfortable. They clean them so well. The ships are beautiful, food is out of this world and there is free room service availabe and a 24 hr pizzaria. Entertainment is so much fun and everyone is so nice. Hope I was of some help.

Answer 3

I personally like Royal Caribbean better, because there seems to be more onboard activities.  RC ships really cater to those who want to stay active on the ship as well as in ports.  They offer a variety of activities and amenities like rock climbing, some even have ice skating rink and golf.  Carnival is the "fun" ship, and the crowd is usually younger and rowdier.  So it really depends on what you want, a younger louder crowd.  Usually, RC is a little above Carnival.

Answer 4

The only thing worse than Carnival is Disney...take anything else!  Princess is my family's favorite.

Answer 5

I've been on both and Carnival wins hands down.  There's just so much more going on board the ship for fun.  So, go Carnival is you want things happening, otherwise, it really doesn't matter.  Although you'll find younger people on Carnival then on RC.

Answer 6

Carnival is great- we had a great time but it is more a partier type of Cruise, not too expensive,  Royal Caribbean is a step up.  But to the person who said don't take Disney?  She must not have taken a Disney cruise because that is the creme de la creme in cruises.  You won't find one more luxurious that Disney.

Answer 7

Have been on both and prefer Royal Caribbean. They are nothing alike. Royal Caribbean has larger ships with more amenities ie. ice skating rink, movie theater, rock climbing wall, billiards room. They also have a lot more onboard activities than carnival. The few activities carnival has usually cost, while royal has a good mixture of free and fee based activities. Also their ships are more modern and very well maintained. The food on RC is very appetizing with a lot of variety. And the staff on royal are friendly and seem to really enjoy their job.

Answer 8

The two lines are very similar.  Some people believe Royal Caribbean is a step above Carnival.  However, I have been on both and they are very similar.

Both are family friendly and both target the same demographic.

All the Carnival ships have a water slide.  All the Royal Caribbean ships have a rock climbing wall.  Some of Royal Caribbean's ships are really big, and they have features that the Carnival Ships do not have.  

I believe the food on Carnival is a little better than the food on Royal Caribbean.  Service on both is about the same.

The standard cabins on Carnival are a little bigger than the standard cabins on Royal Caribbean.