Differences between Royal Caribbean and Carnival

A group of us are planning a trip in October and it looks like our options are either Freedom of the Seas 7 day cruise from Port Canaveral, An 8 day on Carnival Conquest out of Fort Lauderdale or a 6 day on Carnival Breeze out of Miami. We have been on the Carnival Dream and Glory and a Disney cruise, but not yet on Royal Caribbean. The ports are new to many of us going, so we are more concerned with the differences in the ships. Can anyone tell me the big advantages or disadvantages to any of these options?

A group of us are planning a trip in October and it looks like our options are either Freedom of the Seas 7 day cruise from Port Canaveral, An 8 day on Carnival Conquest out of Fort Lauderdale or a 6 day on Carnival Breeze out of Miami. We have been on the Carnival Dream and Glory and a Disney cruise, but not yet on Royal Caribbean. The ports are new to many of us going, so we are more concerned with the differences in the ships. Can anyone tell me the big advantages or disadvantages to any of these options?

Have not been on Carnival or Disney so can't offer comparisons.:o We love cruising with RCCL, especially on the Freedom class!:cool: This October, for Halloween (costumes optional but more fun for us), a group of us will be on the Independence from FLL, so maybe you might join us!;) Look for our thread for October 25, 2015!!

We've only sailed Carnival once. Big differences we noticed is that on Carnival we could wear shorts to the MDR, which we really enjoyed! Made for a very relaxing cruise and plenty of extra space in our luggage! Carnival had a much better buffet selection including a deli and wok station that was pretty good.

We did find Carnival to be loud...meaning live, loud music everywhere. Found it difficult to find a comfortable and relaxing place to enjoy a pre-dinner drink. We also like RCCL ship layout and design to be nicer than Carnival. Service is pretty comparable on both lines.

I would be curious to see some other responses to this question as well.

Royal is closer to Carnival than Disney. You will have a good time on any of the three.

That said, there are differences that are a matter of personal taste. Some of my opinions follow.

Ships: Carnival more colorful and casino like. Royal ships have a more refined decor and a few more bells and whistles (depending on ship)

Standard Cabins: Carnival larger. Otherwise similar (however, see above about decor)

Food: There are differences between the lines, but overall it is close enough to call a tie.

Service: Good on both.

Entertainment: I'd give Royal the edge here on production shows. Carnival has more comedy.

Overall atmosphere: Carnival more relaxed (see shorts in MDR). Royal more formal.

In the end, you can try for yourself. Your personal tastes will determine your preference.

We have cruised on both Carnival and RCI. I really don't find much difference in the two...food is about the same...staterooms...service is excellent on both cruise lines. I find RCI more elegant, more sophisticated, where Carnival is more of a wild party atmosphere. Also...the photography is much better on Carnival. I'm not sure why but RCI left much to be desired. We love taking pics on formal nights and Carnival had MUCH nicer backdrops, many more backdrops to choose from, and overall quality of the pictures is much better on Carnival. We always buy several pics when we are on a Carnival cruise...they always turn out beautiful. On our last RCI cruise, we took a total of over 60 pictures and I didn't purchase one of them. Bad lighting, bad poses, etc. Other than that, I had a great time on RCI as well as Carnival. If photography isn't important to you (lol) I think you will enjoy either cruise line.

I've been on both (albeit one cruise with RCI, and another in a few months) and pretty much agree with dplusd and davey jones on all their points. The decor on CCL is much more, uh, "bold" although with their long time designer Joe Farcus concentrating pretty much on Costa these days, you can see a change in Carnival design and decor starting with the Breeze toward much a more subdued and relaxing atmosphere (I noticed you're considering Breeze). Also, and I know this depends on itinerary, ship, time of year, etc., we've found RCI to be a bit more expensive but I think you get more for that additional expense particularly in the suite category. As others have said, you probably won't go wrong with choosing either.

As a repeat cruiser on Carnival, we decided to do something different and booked on RCI, sailing next week. I had not realized they the MDR required long pants on Royal and that will probably be a deal breaker for me going forward.

The other concern I have is the adults only area on RCI (at least the Jewel of the Seas) is under a covered dome they they don't seem to open. That means one has to choose between no kids and sitting in the Sun. CCL (the ships I've been on) have nice outdoor areas that are adult only.

Regardless I will weigh in once I return.

-F-

Royal isn't policy. It is "suggested attire". I see poeple wear shorts to dinner all the time. Perhaps only on formal night will you be denied but I doubt even that. Very few will care what you wear on other nights although I would think nice shirts and collared shirt would be better than a tee-shirt etc.

As a repeat cruiser on Carnival, we decided to do something different and booked on RCI, sailing next week. I had not realized they the MDR required long pants on Royal and that will probably be a deal breaker for me going forward.

 

The other concern I have is the adults only area on RCI (at least the Jewel of the Seas) is under a covered dome they they don't seem to open. That means one has to choose between no kids and sitting in the Sun. CCL (the ships I've been on) have nice outdoor areas that are adult only.

 

Regardless I will weigh in once I return.

 

-F-

Royal is closer to Carnival than Disney. You will have a good time on any of the three.

 

That said, there are differences that are a matter of personal taste. Some of my opinions follow.

 

Ships: Carnival more colorful and casino like. Royal ships have a more refined decor and a few more bells and whistles (depending on ship)

 

Standard Cabins: Carnival larger. Otherwise similar (however, see above about decor)

 

Food: There are differences between the lines, but overall it is close enough to call a tie.

 

Service: Good on both.

 

Entertainment: I'd give Royal the edge here on production shows. Carnival has more comedy.

 

Overall atmosphere: Carnival more relaxed (see shorts in MDR). Royal more formal.

 

In the end, you can try for yourself. Your personal tastes will determine your preference.

I agree with Davy Jones on everything except I think service has improved the last couple years with Carnival making it better than RCCL.

Burt

Unless something has changed recently, Carnival has no band playing on the pool deck anymore. The last time I sailed it was some goofy dj spinning rap tunes by the pool. It annoyed me to no end. I really enjoy the live band playing by the pool on RCCL.

I much prefer the Royal Solarium over the Carnival Serenity (adult only areas, or should I say 16+ for Royal) as Royal always has a pool and hot tub in theirs. If you are looking for somewhere to relax on sea days this may matter to you.

Carnival is more of a party ship, and their crowd tends to be a little less formal than Royal (I'm not saying this makes the cruise any more or less "fun"). This isn't to say it is a huge gap, but in my opinion it is noticeable if you pay attention to such things.

Food is subjective really. I've found good things on both lines, although I prefer the layout of Royal buffets (more divided, stations, etc).

Royal isn't policy. It is "suggested attire". I see poeple wear shorts to dinner all the time. Perhaps only on formal night will you be denied but I doubt even that. Very few will care what you wear on other nights although I would think nice shirts and collared shirt would be better than a tee-shirt etc.

This varies from ship to ship on RCI. I have been on two RCI ships out of four that absolutely, definitely did not allow shorts for dinner. And this was on sailings to the Bahamas and Caribbean.

I've found as many differences between different ships on the same line as I have between lines. Plus, much of the differences in "personality" can be attributed as much to the time of year and the itinerary as anything else.

That said, if things like a ropes course, flow-rider, big water slides, rock-climbing wall, comedy club, karaoke, etc. make a difference to you, then you really just need to investigate each line and each SHIP to see which has what.

A group of us are planning a trip in October and it looks like our options are either Freedom of the Seas 7 day cruise from Port Canaveral, An 8 day on Carnival Conquest out of Fort Lauderdale or a 6 day on Carnival Breeze out of Miami. We have been on the Carnival Dream and Glory and a Disney cruise, but not yet on Royal Caribbean. The ports are new to many of us going, so we are more concerned with the differences in the ships. Can anyone tell me the big advantages or disadvantages to any of these options?

We recently returned from the Allure. Our last 2 cruises we can compare it against was the Carnival Breeze & the Disney Magic.

If you were going on the Allure.. I'd say Allure hands down over the Breeze just for the experience of it.

But to compare the Freedom to the Breeze... hmmm thats a tough one. Our personal opinion.

I'd do the Breeze. The Breeze is a far nicer ship then the Freedom in our eyes. But that also depends on what you like to do on board and whether there are any kids with you.

The atmosphere is the same. One does not have a "Party atmosphere" over the other. They are more similar than different.

We found the food selection & buffet far better on Carnival.

We found our cabin to be much more narrower on RCL.

Entertainment on Royal was TOP notch.

Hmmm what specific concerns do you have?

I think it is more appropriate to compare ship to ship (and length of cruise) versus line to line. There are huge differences in ships for each line. The older Carnival ships would be look pale in comparison to newer Royal ships and perhaps vice versa. Since you are comparing to Freedom of the Seas you are talking about one of the biggest in the fleet (and until recently was the largest class of ship afloat). Longer cruises will be less likely to feel like a party ship. Shorter cruises would have a much higher chance of a party crowd. Haven't been on the Breeze or Conquest but have been on many Carnival ships and many Royal ships. Money aside I would go Royal if it was Freedom class or Oasis class but this depends on your interests (drinkers/bars being important to you, activity interests such as doing the flow rider/rock climbing wall, and interest in seeing shows). As far as clientele, food, service, etc. I think the differences are less than some suggest but I do agree that Royal ships appear more refined but I don't dislike the look and feel of Carnival (it is just different which is fine). If you really want to be wowed in a way you can't be on Carnival try Oasis class. In the end, it is a week of sun and the ocean, how could you go wrong either way. Have fun.

A group of us are planning a trip in October and it looks like our options are either Freedom of the Seas 7 day cruise from Port Canaveral, An 8 day on Carnival Conquest out of Fort Lauderdale or a 6 day on Carnival Breeze out of Miami. We have been on the Carnival Dream and Glory and a Disney cruise, but not yet on Royal Caribbean. The ports are new to many of us going, so we are more concerned with the differences in the ships. Can anyone tell me the big advantages or disadvantages to any of these options?

A group of us are planning a trip in October and it looks like our options are either Freedom of the Seas 7 day cruise from Port Canaveral, An 8 day on Carnival Conquest out of Fort Lauderdale or a 6 day on Carnival Breeze out of Miami. We have been on the Carnival Dream and Glory and a Disney cruise, but not yet on Royal Caribbean. The ports are new to many of us going, so we are more concerned with the differences in the ships. Can anyone tell me the big advantages or disadvantages to any of these options?

When you say "group," how many are you talking about? Once you get over 8 cabins, you can work with the group department and get the benefits of a group. (Including one free berth for every 8 cabins.) I currently have two group cruises booked on Royal Caribbean. I attempted to work with Carnival, and found it excessively difficult. They would not put things in writing for me, only wanted to give quotes by phone, passed me around from person to person, and never got back to me when they said they would. With Royal Caribbean, I have one contact who is amazing!

While I cannot share the details of the final contracts, I can tell you that Royal Caribbean offers better benefits by FAR! (My first group is 12 cabins, and my second group is 200.)

More hot chicks on carnival

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Have not been on Carnival or Disney so can't offer comparisons.:o We love cruising with RCCL, especially on the Freedom class!:cool: !

We have only sailed on the RCCL and really love the service.

As a repeat cruiser on Carnival, we decided to do something different and booked on RCI, sailing next week. I had not realized they the MDR required long pants on Royal and that will probably be a deal breaker for me going forward.

 

The other concern I have is the adults only area on RCI (at least the Jewel of the Seas) is under a covered dome they they don't seem to open. That means one has to choose between no kids and sitting in the Sun. CCL (the ships I've been on) have nice outdoor areas that are adult only.

 

Regardless I will weigh in once I return.

 

-F-

I have done 4 Royal cruises in the past three months and can assure you there were plenty of men and women in the dining room wearing jeans - even shorts - and no one said a word. I even saw jeans and t-shirts on formal nights.

A group of us are planning a trip in October and it looks like our options are either Freedom of the Seas 7 day cruise from Port Canaveral, An 8 day on Carnival Conquest out of Fort Lauderdale or a 6 day on Carnival Breeze out of Miami. We have been on the Carnival Dream and Glory and a Disney cruise, but not yet on Royal Caribbean. The ports are new to many of us going, so we are more concerned with the differences in the ships. Can anyone tell me the big advantages or disadvantages to any of these options?

The service/food onboard is comparable in RCCL & Carnival.

Cabins:

If you book a balcony, Carnival feels larger. Carnival also has (Breeze and some others) cabins directly on the LIDO deck, which is GREAT, GREAT, GREAT.

If you book a junior suite or suite, RCCL is the way to go if it's all about the cabin - much larger (Carnival wastes the extra space on a dressing area in front of the bathroom instead of actual living space).

The ship itself:

We love Carnival better. Royal feels like a giant floating mall. Carnival is a ship and you can see the ocean from several points wherever you are on the ship (in most cases...the Breeze is the best of the best). I also love the movies on the LIDO deck on a lot of the Carnival ships.

The main buffet area and venues throughout the ship are MUCH BETTER and able to accommodate the people than RCCL. All those people on RCCL and 10 chairs in the coffee shop, taking laps around the buffet area to find a seat forever during a sea day is heck!

The activities are about the same on both ships - trivia and bean bag tosses. You don't get any upper level learning activities until you get up to Celebrity.

The regular SHOWS on Carnival are far and above better than RCCL....BUT, RCCL's Ice Show is the best of the best!

RCCL's room service products are better, although it's hard for them to keep them warm, regardless, because of the distance they travel. RCCL offers eggs, bacon, french fries, etc.. Carnival does not.

If you have any more specific questions, please feel free to ask. I may not have thought of everything! :p

My DW & I were on the Oasis two weeks ago. I wore shorts in the MDR every evening which of course included two formal dinners. No problems, no questions.

Although I was in the great minority, most diners dressed exceptionally well. I was comfortable & we were treated to our usual expedited service. Forty five minutes from seating to leaving. Precisely what we asked for.

So, a cruise is what you make it on any line. It's all about attitude. Have a good one!!

Be Well,

fmhealth

It is not as much the cruise line as much as what you are looking for. Only you can answer that. Go for the size of the ship you want. A small, more intimate type or a large ship with lots of whistles and activities. Personally, I like the smaller ships better. I feel the staff is better. Another difference between Royal and Carnival is the type of people on board, in my opinion. Again, it is only my opinion, but I feel Royal attracts quieter clientele whereas Carnival is more a party atmosphere. Not as bad as it was in the 80s but loud and wild.

I feel like I need to chirp in here. After 35 cruises with RCL, I finally had the opportunity to try out Carnival. Mind you, it was free and in a suite or I would have NEVER gone on Carnival again. SOOO... although I thought it would be horrible, it actually wasn't bad. Now that doesn't mean that I would ever travel on one of their ships again, it was just that I was a little more pleased than I thought I'd be.

The one thing I loved about Carnival was that they brought the towel animals back (I know that is a touchy subject for the RCCL's out there), but I LOVED seeing so many creative ones that I had never seen before. Loved that little treat!

I also loved the movies at the pool, much like Princess. Thought that was outstanding.

The entertainment was just ok, but their comedy club was exceptional..at the level you'd find on the twins Oasis and Allure. IMHO though, there's no comparison between Royal's over the top entertainment and Carnival's. Royal wins hands down.

Now the suite experience was absolutely ZILCH on Carnival, and that alone really put me off about Carnival. No perks period. That's ridiculous and the suites weren't even as nice as Royal's. Unbelievable. No concierge, no CL, nothing. Nada. No reserved seating. No express line at customer service.

Hated those stupid slides. That made the ship look tacky to me. The pool areas were practically non existent in comparison to what you'd find on RCL, and although I liked the Serenity Spa area, it certainly wasn't upscale nor quiet. I also hated the fact that there was no live Caribbean music on the pool deck.

On another note, I felt there was NOTHING to do during the day as far as cooking demos, crafty things to do, dances to learn, or in general anything other than bingo. Big whoop.

So it's about what you like. I thought Carnival was tacky and not as upscale as Royal, but it wasn't horrendous. Still a little too "college crowd type of cruise." Just never again. Liked Princess and Celebrity too but Royal is my favorite.

Royal is far from upscale

It's way more upscale than Carnival. I didn't think Celebrity was too upscale either.