Comparing Royal carribean to NCL to Carnival

DH and I are 38 with three boys (ages 5, 5, and 4). In the last 4 months we have sailed NCL Epic, Carnival Magic, and last week RC Navigator of the Seas.

Room: We had a family ocean view on carnival magic and RC. We had the family haven suite on NCL…which was fabulous and really can't compare with the other two so I won't. Our bathroom on RC did not get refurbished. The toilet was chipped in multiple areas and stained….ewwww. Our bathroom was dated and small. I was not impressed with RC. On Carnival magic we had two bathrooms and this is nice with 5 in a room. The room was larger on RC compared to Carnival. The storage would have been more efficient if RC would have added shelves to the closets. On RC our family OV overlooked the helicopter pad and beyond that we had an ocean view. We had two windows on RC..but we had to keep them closed for privacy as people could look in from the helicopter pads. Because of the bathroom situation for us…Carnival's room was better.

Windjammer Cafe: With 3 young children…buffets are always a nightmare. On RC having the drinks already poured was a nice touch. On carnival and RC we got offered help twice. On carnival a drink cart comes around and offers refills and pastries…that's a nice touch. Service was the same on both ships. Food options were better on carnival..but this is just personal preference. We though the food was tastier on carnival. NCL's service was lacking compared to the above two ships.

Activities: SAME…RC has the ice skating rink and rock climbing wall. Carnival has the sky course and rock climbing wall. NCL has the bowling alley and climbing structure for kids. SAME for all three

SHOWS: NCL had the best shows. RC got second place. Carnival third place.

Kids Club: We were in the young club (ages 3 to 5) on all three ships. Carnival wins. Carnival offered a structured schedule but allowed some leniency for the kids who might want to color or play with toys instead. RC was very strict…you had to participate in what they were doing…no other option. NCL had free play the first hour of all opening times…so three times a day you had 1 hour of free play. Carnival was open first cruise day. RC and NCL did not open until the second day of cruising. RC and NCL close from 12 to 2 and again from 5 to 7. If you leave your child in the club on a port day, NCL charges to feed your child. Carnival will give your child a mat, blanket, and pillow to sleep on. RC will leave your child on a bench (we witnessed this multiple times with other children). NCL will not allow your child to sleep in the club…you have to come get them. Our boys will be 6 next week and we have a 4 year old. RC offered to move our boys to the older group…but they also said once we move them they can't come back to this side…I thought that strict. Overall vibe: Carnival really gets it…they want your children to have a good time and they want them to come back..they will bribe them with candy and do whatever it takes…I didn't get this vibe from RC or NCL. CARNIVAL WINS!!!! Having said that…my kids had a blast in all three clubs.

Casino: We only play blackjack at the tables. RC opens their tables at 12 pm. We like to gamble but can only do this when the kids are in the club…but the club is closed from 12 to 2 so that was a schedule conflict for us. On the NCL epic we felt like we were gambling in a hallway…we just didn't like the lay out of this ship. Also the payouts are not as great on the NCL epic. NCL epic kept all but one table open for high rollers. RC and Carnival had two $6 tables. Smoke was the same on all ship casinos…I liked that Carnival had nonsmoking tables.

Main Dining: Taste is personal preference and relative. I will only say that the service was the same on all three ships. They all offered great ambiance in the main dining area.

Fog delay: On carnival we didn't get off the ship until 6pm and on RC we got at 1pm. Carnival handled the delay better. They kept service going as if we were still their guests. They even let us sleep in and told us to pretend it was a dream and we could keep our cabins. RC shut down completely! You had to vacate your room as normal. They had breakfast but that ended at 9. You could not find food on the ship. My young boys were getting hungry at 11:30 but there was no food to be found. I heard from another passenger that he had the drink package and they wouldn't even refill his cup with soda. I did hear that they had cookies in one of the lounges, but that's not enough. Shame on RC for this one! If felt like being kicked out the door…we have served you for the time you paid and now we are DONE! RC could have handled this better.

pool layout: On Royal carribean there was nothing by the main pool…only ice cream. If you wanted food you had to go inside the windjammer. On the magic they have a grill right by the pool…so you could get in line wet! Also the drink station wasn't too far in either. Also on RC…once windjammer closed…you had to go to deck 5 to get water…unless you go upto a bar I suppose. It's minor…but with three young kids…these little things matter.

Movie night: I liked that RC played Frozen and Smurfs on the big screen…they had a good variety of movies for all ages. Carnival gave us popcorn

Overall Vibe: RC is of arrogance, Carnival is more modest and fun, and NCL is somewhere in between.

Overall: There is no doubt that RC's decor is prettier..but that's not enough for me to pay more then other cruise lines. I didn't feel their service was any better to warrant the extra cost in sailing with them. In fact at times their service was lacking compared to carnival magic. With young kids carnival was best for us. Would I sail RC again? Maybe….is it worth the extra cost? NO! Having said that…I had a blast on all three…cruising is FUN!

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