Contemplating a Caribbean cruise and questioning which is best, Royal or Carnival? We’re right here to assist with our comparability of Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival cruise line. We’ll inform you all about how these two well-liked selections stack up in opposition to one another so you may make an knowledgeable resolution.
Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival Fast Picks
Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival cruise line general: Is dependent upon the kind of expertise you need to have and your finances
Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival meals: Each have top-quality meals however Royal Caribbean has fewer included eating choices
Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival worth: Carnival is inexpensive
Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival for households: Each provide loads of actions and facilities for households, however Carnival wins because of its decrease value. Nevertheless, in case you have the finances, the household cabins on newer Royal Caribbean ships are unbelievable.
Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival for adults: Royal Caribbean provides a extra refined expertise than Carnival, so it is dependent upon the kind of cruise you need to have.
Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival Cruise Line Overview
There are each similarities and variations between Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Traces. Each have tons of exercise and leisure choices, from contests to casinos to night reveals of every type.
On a Royal Caribbean cruise, nevertheless, you’ll have a tendency to seek out some extra distinctive actions and superb choices (just like the world’s tallest waterslide, bumper automobiles, and ice skating). Carnival ships typically have extra customary facilities, however that’s altering considerably with the newer Carnival ships. Enjoyable new choices embody the primary rollercoaster at sea.
Within the U.S., each cruise strains depart from main U.S. cruise ports like Miami and Port Canaveral in addition to smaller cities like Galveston, New Orleans, and Tampa. Royal Caribbean has ports on each coast, together with areas within the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, South, Pacific Northwest, and West. Carnival has fewer U.S. departure factors than Royal Caribbean but in addition provides ports on all coasts. Each Carnival and Royal Caribbean have a number of itineraries within the western and eastern Caribbean.
Royal Caribbean visits greater than 300 locations and provides extra cruises in different components of the world along with the favored Caribbean and Mexico itineraries, equivalent to Asia, Europe, North America, Alaska, South America, North Africa/Arabian Gulf, Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific. Royal Caribbean additionally provides transatlantic and transpacific crossings in addition to an final world cruise.
Carnival focuses extra on the U.S., Caribbean, and Mexico, though they do have some cruises in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific, Asia, Bermuda, Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, and the Panama Canal. Carnival additionally provides some transatlantic and transpacific cruises.
Each Royal Caribbean and Carnival provide non-public islands, however at the moment Royal Caribbean’s is rather more spectacular (CocoCay has an enormous pool, eating places, and a large waterslide). Nevertheless, Carnival shall be opening a brand new non-public island in the Bahamas in 2025 that ought to compete properly.
Whereas each Royal Caribbean and Carnival have each smaller and mega-ships, Royal Caribbean’s are bigger. The truth is, Royal Caribbean has 5 of the world’s largest cruise ships together with the newly launched Icon of the Seas, which took the place of the Marvel of the Seas as the biggest cruise ship on the planet.
Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival Passengers
You’ll discover a mixture of ages on each cruise strains, however there are some variations. Most Carnival cruises are extra inexpensive, have a laidback really feel, and originate within the U.S., so that you’ll discover principally American youthful adults and households.
Royal Caribbean cruises draw extra folks from different nations along with Individuals, and their greater worth level interprets to a extra upscale ambiance. Nevertheless, the number of thrilling actions onboard signifies that loads of youthful adults and households take pleasure in these cruises as properly.
Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival for Households
Whereas Carnival has lengthy been a favourite for households because of their deal with being the “enjoyable ships” (and we think about them one of many best cruise lines for families), Royal Caribbean retains including superb facilities that make their ships extraordinarily well-liked. The most recent ships particularly have lots that attraction to households.
For instance, the brand new Icon of the Seas has the world’s largest waterpark at sea, 7 swimming pools, and the “Keep All Day” Surfside neighborhood for households. Lodging are additionally excessive, with particular household suites just like the 3-level Final Household Townhouse with an indoor slide, a cinema room, and a personal patio simply off of the Surfside space.
Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival for Adults
Carnival ships are fairly well-liked with households, particularly these with youthful kids. Adults who would take pleasure in Carnival cruises are usually those that like a celebration ambiance, equivalent to singles or pal teams. Nevertheless, Carnival ships do provide adults-only areas, so it’s attainable to have a extra romantic or “grown-up” expertise onboard a Carnival cruise.
Though Royal Caribbean has loads of family-friendly actions and facilities—particularly the newer ships—it’s a cruise line that appeals to lots of adults. The upper worth level additionally interprets to a extra upscale expertise. You’ll usually discover older passengers on a Royal Caribbean cruise, together with many couples who’re celebrating particular occasions like honeymoons and anniversaries.
Should you’re attempting to resolve on Carnival or Royal Caribbean for younger adults, it could rely upon what kind of cruise expertise you need. Should you’re curious about hanging out by the pool, having fun with tropical cocktails within the solar, and an informal good time, Carnival ships are higher for you. If you’d like a extra refined really feel, try a Royal Caribbean cruise.
Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival Actions
There are each similarities and variations in Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival actions on board the ship. As with every cruise line, the forms of actions and services accessible fluctuate relying on the particular ship you select. However usually, each have tons of choices, from films to reside recreation reveals to contests to casinos to night reveals of every type, together with comics, theater productions, reside music, and extra.
On a Royal Caribbean cruise, nevertheless, you can see some distinctive choices like mountain climbing partitions, zip strains, ice skating, Flowrider surf simulators, and bumper automobiles. In addition they have issues just like the world’s tallest waterslide. Additionally, you will discover shortened variations of Broadway reveals, outside Aqua Theaters with high-divers and acrobats, salsa dance golf equipment, and multimedia reveals.
Along with a wide range of leisure choices like reside music and reveals, Carnival ships typically have extra customary facilities like swimming swimming pools, waterslides, video arcades, mini-golf programs, and film theaters. Nevertheless, among the newer Carnival ships function distinctive facilities as properly. These embody Skybikes (suspended “pedal-powered go-mobiles” that you simply bike round a course, excessive within the air), IMAX theaters, outside ropes programs, the primary rollercoaster at sea, and the primary Sky Zone trampoline park at sea.
Carnival additionally provides Serenity Grownup-Solely Retreat areas and Cloud 9 Spas, in addition to libraries, artwork reveals and seminars, and sports activities like volleyball and basketball. Leisure consists of viewers participation reveals, trivia contests, comedy golf equipment, reside reveals with dancing and singing, and tons of reside music.
Each cruise strains provide all kinds of shore excursions to select from, and each have good kids’s applications with loads of actions for all ages.
Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival Cabins
Whereas each cruise strains provide all kinds of lodging, Royal Caribbean provides an even bigger choice than Carnival does. Nevertheless, the usual cabins on Carnival ships are among the many largest of any cruise line.
Luxurious suites on Royal Caribbean ships embody 2-story loft suites, 2-story Final Household Suites with slides and recreation rooms, and suites that include non-public concierges. The décor in Royal Caribbean cabins is extra luxurious, and over-the-top than in Carnival cabins.
On Carnival, you can see a wide range of cabin varieties however not as many as on Royal Caribbean. The look is laidback with shiny colours. Carnival ships provide massive Household Harbor suites in addition to suites that include entry to non-public retreat areas with lounge chairs and whirlpools.
The newer Carnival ships have extra luxurious choices. Staterooms are thoughtfully designed and have all kinds of recent facilities. For instance, the Excel Presidential Suite on the Mardi Gras has a separate lounge, eating space, and moist bar, plus an enormous balcony with seating and an out of doors scorching tub.
Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival Meals
The meals on each Royal Caribbean and Carnival is claimed to be glorious, and you may get a wide range of cuisines, from Asian to Mexican to Italian to Indian to steak and seafood to informal American fare, on each strains. Each cruise strains have partnerships with movie star cooks for a few of their eating places, together with Man Fieri and Emeril Lagasse on Carnival and Jamie Oliver on Royal Caribbean.
Each provide a mixture of locations to eat which are included in your worth, in addition to a la carte eating places that it’s important to pay further for. Nevertheless, there are fewer free selections on Royal Caribbean—it’s principally a buffet and major eating rooms.
On Carnival ships, there are extra free than paid restaurant selections, and you’ve got all kinds of retailers to select from. Royal Caribbean tends to have extra specialty eating places than Carnival, and they’re normally elegant and a bit costly.
Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival Drink Bundle
Neither Carnival or Royal Caribbean are all-inclusive cruise strains, so it would be best to think about buying a drink package deal prematurely. (Drink packages are a pay as you go quantity that buys you a sure variety of drinks per day, so that you’re not paying a premium worth onboard, and know prematurely how a lot you’ll be spending.)
There are drink packages for each nonalcoholic and alcoholic drinks on each Carnival and Royal Caribbean. Royal Caribbean has 4 drink packages: water, basic soda, refreshments, and deluxe. Carnival has 3 drink packages: bottomless bubbles for soda, a wine package deal, and an alcoholic beverage package deal.
Whereas the particular value can fluctuate relying on the ship, itinerary, and journey dates, Carnival’s drink packages are usually inexpensive.
Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival Value
A Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival value comparability reveals that whereas each cruise strains provide inexpensive choices, Royal Caribbean tends to be a little more expensive than Carnival Cruise Traces.
Not solely can you discover cheap fares for Carnival cruises, however On-board bills like drink costs and web charges are a bit decrease than these on Royal Caribbean.
Is Carnival the most affordable cruise line? In lots of instances, sure, cruises on Carnival are extra inexpensive than on different cruise ships. Nevertheless, this is dependent upon the itinerary; different cruise strains may be cheaper on sure routes.
Now that you simply’ve learn our comparability of Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival, are you able to e book a cruise? In that case you could need to try our Caribbean cruise packing list. And when you’d like assist planning your cruise, be at liberty to succeed in out to one in every of our expert travel advisors!
