In the event you’re contemplating a cruise with Royal Caribbean or Carnival Cruise Line, you are taking a look at an reasonably priced big-ship expertise with a number of actions.
These two firms are the most important within the cruise trade, every with two dozen ships carrying hundreds of thousands of passengers a 12 months. They’re in style for a motive: Their ships provide one thing for everybody, from youngsters to seniors.
Let’s go head-to-head, Carnival versus Royal Caribbean, to spotlight their similarities and variations and enable you to select the road that is best for you.
For extra cruise information, critiques and ideas, join TPG’s cruise newsletter.
Measurement of ships
Each Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean have two sizes of megaships. Their smaller ships carry 3,000 to 4,000 passengers; their bigger ones are enormous and carry greater than 5,000 company. Royal Caribbean wins the battle of dimension, with 5 of the world’s largest ships — together with Wonder of the Seas and new Icon of the Seas, the 2 largest cruise ships afloat.
Associated: The 8 classes of Carnival Cruise Line ships, explained
Royal Caribbean’s largest lessons — Oasis Class and Icon Class — are so massive they’re divided into neighborhoods. Oasis Class ships characteristic a Central Park with real trees and a Boardwalk space with a carousel, slides that drop a number of decks and a particular theater for high-diving reveals.
To not be outdone, Carnival’s largest ships — Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee — are divided into zones, akin to Mardi Gras’ French Quarter with a stay jazz membership.
Irrespective of the dimensions, all of the ships of each traces qualify as floating resorts, with onboard casinos, swimming pools, stay leisure, elaborate spas, vigorous dance golf equipment, a number of bars — and crowds.
Day by day Publication
Reward your inbox with the TPG Day by day e-newsletter
Be part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s consultants
Associated: The 6 classes of Royal Caribbean ships, explained
Cabins and suites
Each traces cite with satisfaction their value vary for all vacationers, however you will discover every excels in a distinct lodging space.
Royal Caribbean is a greater possibility if you would like an enormous choice of cabin classes. The cruise line provides every part from tight inside cabins with digital balconies (an LED display screen that appears just like the ocean) to fancy two-story loft suites. Its largest ships have essentially the most room alternative, and you may guide suites with views of the high-diving present or the ships’ Royal Promenade, Central Park or Boardwalk areas. The soothing decor is sort of a Marriott or Hilton lodge, good and barely upscale.
Associated: Everything you want to know about Royal Caribbean cabins and suites
Carnival wins for the dimensions of its commonplace cabins, that are the most important within the trade. The decor is often shiny and informal. Specialty cabins on choose ships embrace Household Harbor cabins, with entry to a shared household lounge, and Havana suites, with daytime entry to a personal pool space. The most recent ships have extra suites than earlier vessels.
Associated: Everything you want to know about Carnival cabins and suites
Foods and drinks
When taking a look at eating choices on Royal Caribbean versus Carnival, Carnival has the sting for considerable included choices, and Royal Caribbean leads with its variety of extra-fee specialty restaurants.
Carnival followers will inform you the meals on board is nice, and most journey writers will agree the road shines on this space — together with extra-fee choices, akin to impressive steakhouses and JiJi for Asian delicacies. Carnival’s lineup of free eats is spectacular — headlined by poolside burgers by Meals Community star Man Fieri, but in addition together with Mexican, barbecue, wonderful Italian-style pizza and Shaq’s fried hen.
In the event you like Indian delicacies, you’re in for a deal with with scrumptious vegetarian dishes on the primary eating room menu every night time. On choose ships, Carnival has its personal New Orleans bistros by Emeril Lagasse and breweries the place the drink is accompanied by Fieri’s barbecue (for a price).
Most of Royal Caribbean’s free meals is present in its Windjammer Market (the buffet) and fundamental eating rooms, the main target once more on regular delicacies you’d anticipate finding at a lodge. Ships provide quite a lot of extra-fee eating places, with specialties starting from sushi to steak. A shining level in these various venues is Jamie’s Italian, in partnership with British superstar chef Jamie Oliver. You can also pay for a burger and milkshake at Johnny Rockets on Royal Caribbean’s bigger ships.
Associated: The ultimate guide to cruise ship food and dining
Youngsters actions
Each cruise traces have well-established applications to maintain your youngsters blissful, so you may get some downtime to calm down and do grown-up issues. Each traces host greater than 1,000,000 kids a 12 months. The camp-like applications embrace age-appropriate actions like arts and crafts, films and sports activities and funky golf equipment for tweens and youths.
Royal Caribbean’s Journey Ocean program (for ages 3-12) contains a possibility for teenagers to turn into Licensed Jr. Journey Scientists. There are additionally Royal Infants and Royal Tots choices for these vacationers with infants and toddlers, and funky hangouts for tweens and youths.
Carnival’s Camp Ocean program (for ages 2-11) has some actions designed to coach youngsters concerning the ocean. Carnival additionally has a partnership with Dr. Seuss that features encouraging kids to learn the basic books and get to know the characters in a participatory parade, throughout story occasions and at an extra-fee Inexperienced Eggs and Ham Breakfast hosted by the Cat within the Hat. Tweens and youths have separate lounges with video video games, cozy seating and versatile areas for video games or dancing.
Associated: 5 best cruise lines for families
Onboard sights
Energetic cruisers take notice: Royal Caribbean is an modern firm and pushes the envelope on actions. All of the cruise line’s ships have mountaineering partitions, and lots of have FlowRider surfing simulators.
Among the many exercise selections on numerous ships are ice skating rinks, carousels, zip traces, miniature golf, laser tag, escape rooms, waterslides, simulated skydiving setups, a 10-story thrill slide called Ultimate Abyss, a mechanical arm that lifts a London Eye-style pod excessive above the ship for views and different mind-blowing options. The bigger the ship, the extra onboard actions you will discover.
Carnival cannot fairly compete on this division, however its ships do not lack issues to do. It is identified for its WaterWorks water parks with a number of waterslides and splash areas for little youngsters, in addition to for Bolt, the first roller coaster at sea (discovered solely on Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee).
On choose ships, you will see that out of doors ropes programs the place you may stroll a plank off the ship (whereas in a harness), a top-deck journey involving pedaling a dangling recumbent bike, miniature golf, Imax theaters and indoor trampoline parks.
Associated: The 10 wildest attractions you’ll find on a cruise ship
Leisure
Royal Caribbean and Carnival take totally different approaches to onboard leisure as effectively, although you will by no means be bored on both line.
Royal Caribbean produces actual Broadway reveals (albeit shortened variations), akin to “Grease,” “Hairspray” and “Cats” on its largest ships. Choose ships characteristic modern efficiency areas; you will discover out of doors reveals starring acrobats and high-divers on the line’s AquaTheaters and ice skating reveals at its ice skating rinks.
Multimedia reveals in high-tech Two70 theaters on the Quantum Class ships characteristic performers and robotics. A preferred late-night hangout spot is the Boleros salsa dance membership.
Carnival additionally excels at stay leisure, however its model is totally different from Royal Caribbean’s. As an alternative of Broadway musicals, it provides 35- to 45-minute high-tech Playlist Productions, that includes singers and dancers performing to authentic compilations of acquainted tunes. Carnival places a giant emphasis on comedy; the road’s Punchliner Comedy Golf equipment host greater than 27,000 stay performances a 12 months, which makes Carnival the most important employer of comics on this planet.
Carnival additionally places collectively its personal stay bands and musical acts — whether or not jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, present band or classical — that entertain at numerous bars and public areas all through its ships.
Whereas each traces provide a roster of video games and contests — suppose Battle of the Sexes, the Newly (and Not So Newly)wed Recreation and a few model of an grownup scavenger hunt — Carnival has shipboard variations of the favored present “Household Feud.” It is also identified for viewers participation video games across the pool and rollicking music trivia.
Associated: Which cruise ship activities should you book ahead of time?
Who’s on board?
Carnival’s focus is reasonably priced modern cruising for everybody, with an emphasis on enjoyable. Its “Enjoyable Ships” present an off-the-cuff and carefree expertise; the gang consists largely of American, younger and young-at-heart adults and their households. Lots of people come aboard on the lookout for enjoyable occasions — however do not suppose it is a haven for debauchery. It is nonetheless a household cruise line.
Since Carnival sails from many U.S. ports, you will discover {that a} excessive share of cruisers on board hail from close by states and have pushed to the ship — which means totally different ships can have totally different vibes and passenger bases.
Royal Caribbean’s crowd is a mixture of worldwide vacationers and people from North America, together with {couples}, households and singles from all walks of life. You will discover night time owls on Royal Caribbean, too, although the gang is a tad extra upscale and fewer rowdy than on Carnival. That is partly as a result of Royal Caribbean ships have a better share of costly suites on board and entice vacationers who can afford to pay for that sort of luxurious.
Itineraries
Carnival ships largely cruise in North America, with voyages within the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Alaska, Canada/New England and the Mexican Riviera (from California). The road provides restricted sailings in Europe.
Associated: The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Carnival ship
Royal Caribbean places a lot emphasis on North America — the Caribbean, Bahamas (together with the road’s personal extravagant personal island, Perfect Day at CocoCay), Alaska, Canada/New England and the Mexican Riviera — but in addition sails a number of areas in Europe. Its ships could be present in different worldwide locations, akin to Australia, New Zealand, China and Singapore.
Associated: The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Royal Caribbean ship
Backside line
As a first-time cruiser, you may’t go unsuitable with both Royal Caribbean or Carnival Cruise Line. Decide Royal Caribbean in case you are on the lookout for modern sights and a barely extra upscale environment. Select Carnival if you would like nice meals and to have a blast in an off-the-cuff atmosphere at a extra reasonably priced value.
Planning a cruise? Begin with these tales:
Trending Merchandise
