Carnival vs Royal Caribbean?

I have been on Carnival before and going on Royal soon, but mainly I am just wondering what the noticeable differences are. So, Carnival vs Royal?

P.s. I am also posting this on the RCCL boards for a balmced opinion.

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We gave up on RC years ago. Why? The food used to be GREAT, but they really had sub-par food the last time we went. Yes - RCs ships are beautiful inside, but I prefer the friendliness of the Carnival staff. As long as the ship is clean is all I care about. (Both lines are very clean.) RC's staff tend to be more standoffish. I just have a more relaxed time on Carnival. More laid back, better menus and entrees and MUCH better casinos on Carnival! I can hardly get a play back on Royal Caribbean's slots. I can play for hours on $50 on Carnival!

Have fun no matter which line you choose.

Taters

I have been on Carnival before and going on Royal soon, but mainly I am just wondering what the noticeable differences are. So, Carnival vs Royal?

P.s. I am also posting this on the RCCL boards for a balmced opinion.

 

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You will be paying for extras on RCCL that would be free on Carnival. You will also see a much "older" crowd on RCCL.

You will be paying for extras on RCCL that would be free on Carnival. You will also see a much "older" crowd on RCCL.

Pardon me, but what extras?

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You will be paying for extras on RCCL that would be free on Carnival. You will also see a much "older" crowd on RCCL.

All the lines have "extras" even Carnival. Some of the Carnival ships even have "older crowds" ;)

All the lines have "extras" even Carnival. Some of the Carnival ships even have "older crowds" ;)

On Royal, the extras seem to be the rock walls and active amenities.

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I have been on Carnival before and going on Royal soon, but mainly I am just wondering what the noticeable differences are. So, Carnival vs Royal?

P.s. I am also posting this on the RCCL boards for a balmced opinion.

 

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You will see shows worth going too on RC vs. Carnival. If you enjoy entertainment, there are more options then in Carnival.

Pardon me, but what extras?

 

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For example: On RCCL if you order room service past a certain time they charge you a fee plus a gratuity if you choose to add one. On Carnival you would just pay for the gratuity if you choose to add one.

You will see shows worth going too on RC vs. Carnival. If you enjoy entertainment, there are more options then in Carnival.

One thing I think I will miss on Royal is the nightly comedy. Other than that, Royal's shows seem more Broadway than Vegas. Also, noting on Carnival seems to compare to Chicago/Hairspray/Cats/Mama Mia on Royal.

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We gave up on RC years ago. Why? The food used to be GREAT, but they really had sub-par food the last time we went. Yes - RCs ships are beautiful inside, but I prefer the friendliness of the Carnival staff. As long as the ship is clean is all I care about. (Both lines are very clean.) RC's staff tend to be more standoffish. I just have a more relaxed time on Carnival. More laid back, better menus and entrees and MUCH better casinos on Carnival! I can hardly get a play back on Royal Caribbean's slots. I can play for hours on $50 on Carnival!

 

Have fun no matter which line you choose.

 

Taters

You will be paying for extras on RCCL that would be free on Carnival. You will also see a much "older" crowd on RCCL.

Older crowd? Totally depends on itinerary and length of the cruise. I've see some older crowds on Carnival and they weren't long cruises

For example: On RCCL if you order room service past a certain time they charge you a fee plus a gratuity if you choose to add one. On Carnival you would just pay for the gratuity if you choose to add one.

That fee is the gratuity

For example: On RCCL if you order room service past a certain time they charge you a fee plus a gratuity if you choose to add one. On Carnival you would just pay for the gratuity if you choose to add one.

That's only in the middle of the night. Probably to prevent drunk people from ordering and then not answering the door. IMO the only people that have a problem with this are the people that would not tip the room service person.

The same things that are free on carnival are free on royal. Royal just has additional pay options. Why some consider additional pay options a bad thing, I don't know.

You will be paying for extras on RCCL that would be free on Carnival. You will also see a much "older" crowd on RCCL.

Uh, what extras?

Much older?? :confused: I've even sailing on Carnival and Royal for 20 years now, Platinum on both, and the age demographics are basically identical.

For example: On RCCL if you order room service past a certain time they charge you a fee plus a gratuity if you choose to add one.

If I'm awake at 3am ordering room service, chances are that I'm drunk dialing. And if I'm truly hungry, the small after hours surcharge is money well spent.

Can you think of anything else that's free on Carnival that Royal charges for?

That fee is the gratuity

In the Captain's Corner on the Rhapsody of the Seas the Hotel Director said it is a fee and a gratuity if you choose to add one. RCCL does not automatically charge a gratuity for room service.

We go back and forth between the two and I think the difference is negligible. The age of the crowd, behavior and how they dress has more to do with the port and time of year than the cruise line. I think food is better on Carnival, but others in my party think differently. I think Carnival has more music around the ship, but I kind of like the RCL production shows better. I think the crew on Carnival is a bit more friendly but not enough to be noticeable. They each have their own games and game shows that vary slightly between each other, but you still have art auctions, towel animals, bingo, trivia and pool games on both.

I can't really tell much difference between the ships and the ship decor. I think you'll see little things that you may slightly prefer one over the other, but either way, they are both awesome vacations.

Oh and there may be differences in what they charge for various things, but in the end, my closing bill is about the same.

Much is so dependent on which Carnival ship vs. which RCCL ship.

Uh, what extras? Johnny Rockets and Room service to name a few.

 

Much older?? :confused: I've even sailing on Carnival and Royal for 20 years now, Platinum on both, and the age demographics are basically identical. Just the way I saw it on my cruises on the Rhapsody.

 

 

 

 

If I'm awake at 3am ordering room service, chances are that I'm drunk dialing. And if I'm truly hungry, the small after hours surcharge is money well spent. I think Room Service should be free no matter when you order it.

 

Can you think of anything else that's free on Carnival that Royal charges for?

That's only in the middle of the night. Probably to prevent drunk people from ordering and then not answering the door. IMO the only people that have a problem with this are the people that would not tip the room service person.

 

The same things that are free on carnival are free on royal. Royal just has additional pay options. Why some consider additional pay options a bad thing, I don't know.

I think room service should be free no matter when your order it. I don't think having additional pay options is a bad thing. But charging for a specialty hamburger is ridiculous IMO.

Read above.

I didn't know that Johnny Rockets is free on Carnival!

And about the late night room service fee, I don't see it as a way to produce revenue, but as a way to deter waste from people ordering and then not even opening the door. Not that I've EVER done that before! :o

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I think room service should be free no matter when your order it. I don't think having additional pay options is a bad thing. But charging for a specialty hamburger is ridiculous IMO.

Johnny rockets is a separate specialty restaurant. You can still get a burger for free just not from Johnny rockets. It's an optional thing if you want a different kind of burger. Not a big deal IMO and no different then carnival having for fee restaurants. As I already said, you can get the same free things on royal that you can on carnival.

Uh, what extras?

 

Much older?? :confused: I've even sailing on Carnival and Royal for 20 years now, Platinum on both, and the age demographics are basically identical.

 

 

 

 

If I'm awake at 3am ordering room service, chances are that I'm drunk dialing. And if I'm truly hungry, the small after hours surcharge is money well spent.

 

Can you think of anything else that's free on Carnival that Royal charges for?

:p Your so funny Tapi and always right on...

Johnny rockets is a separate specialty restaurant. You can still get a burger for free just not from Johnny rockets. It's an optional thing if you want a different kind of burger. Not a big deal IMO and no different then carnival having for fee restaurants. As I already said, you can get the same free things on royal that you can on carnival.

Same with Guy's on Carnival. You can still get a burger for free in the dining room that won't taste as good as Guy's. I consider Guy's a specialty hamburger joint for FREE.

Biggest difference is the decor. Much more understated, less in your face on Royal Caribbean. Honestly there wasn't much of a difference between the Carnival of today and Royal Caribbean, other than the decor and the price. There's a reason they are competitors; they're a lot alike trying to compete for business from the same people.

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There's a reason they are competitors; they're a lot alike trying to compete for business from the same people.

 

 

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IMHO, they used to be more direct competitors back when Royal launched the Sovereign and Vision class, and Carnival launched the Fantasy class. But today, these cruise lines are on diverging paths. Their newest ships couldn't be any more different. The regions of the world they cover, their marketing, itineraries, quality and quantity of onboard entertainment, loyalty programs, kids programs and facilities, alternative dining venues, suites and suite perks, are all very different these days.

Yes, there are some markets where they overlap (most notably in the Caribbean and the Bahamas), but Royal's global reach is vastly different than Carnival's more domestic reach (and before someone mentions the other cruise lines under Carnival CORP, I'm limiting my observations to Carnival Cruise Lines versus Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines individually).

They are no longer looking for the same guest. One wants to attract guests with the wow factor and charge more for it. The other one wants to attract guests with a more budget minded experience and by charging less for it. And both approaches are successful in their own way.

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IMHO, they used to be more direct competitors back when Royal launched the Sovereign and Vision class, and Carnival launched the Fantasy class. But today, these cruise lines are on diverging paths. Their newest ships couldn't be any more different. The regions of the world they cover, their marketing, itineraries, quality and quantity of onboard entertainment, loyalty programs, kids programs and facilities, alternative dining venues, suites and suite perks, are all very different these days.

 

Yes, there are some markets where they overlap (most notably in the Caribbean and the Bahamas), but Royal's global reach is vastly different than Carnival's more domestic reach (and before someone mentions the other cruise lines under Carnival CORP, I'm limiting my observations to Carnival Cruise Lines versus Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines individually).

 

They are no longer looking for the same guest. One wants to attract guests with the wow factor and charge more for it. The other one wants to attract guests by charging less.

 

 

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Could not agree more. We did Allure OS after 15 CCL cruzes. The food was close to un-edible but the entertainment blew CCL out of the water. Live music everywhere, production #`s~Spectacular! We paid for Jonnie Rockets and it was not even close to Guys. The buffet burgs would choke a hungry mule.

So decide what YOU want!