Royal Caribbean and Carnival are the two largest cruise operators in the world,
with several similarities but also many major differences in what they offer.
Today, in our most comprehensive guide yet, we will lay out the key factors you should consider
when looking to book your next cruise. Regardless of if you are a first time traveller
or a seasoned cruiser, we hope you'll find this informative. You can enjoy
this video from start to finish or watch it by chapters linked in the description below.
Without further ado, let's get straight into it starting off with cruise prices.
Although Carnival and Royal Caribbean both offer affordable cruising options,
Carnival remains the unbeatable, cheapest major cruise line,
regularly offering $70-80 per person per night balcony cabins even on newer ships. The only
large cruise line coming close to competing with Carnival's budget prices is MSC, which
has recently expanded their Caribbean offerings as well. Additionally, Carnival offers especially
generous pricing for solo travelers - so if you are travelling alone keep an eye out for Carnival.
Royal Caribbean on the other hand has huge price differences between their ships.
While older vessels sail with similar prices to Carnival, in-season newer or
recently renovated vessels often sail way above $100 per person per night for a balcony cabin.
The bottom line is, while both offer competitive rates and good bang for your buck,
Carnival cruises will generally be cheaper.
When it comes to both cruise lines' fleets, we will start to see some major differences. Royal
Caribbean's approach to cruise ships is go big or go home. The company owns the five largest cruise
ships in the world, and its not even close. Bigger ships, means more space for unique amenities, like
onboard parks, more pools, and innovative features throughout. Royal Caribbean also invests heavily
in improving and renovating older ship classes, so even their oldest ships feel new and modern.
With its newest ship, the Mardi Gras, Carnival is now moving in the direction of larger ships
with comparable amenities as well, but much of its fleet still consists of small or mid-sized
cruise ships and with its oldest cruise ship now 30 years old, you might see some clear signs of
age onboard depending on the ship you sail on. So, regardless of what cruise line you sail with,
make sure to do your research and explore the ship beforehand to avoid any surprises.
This leads us to the next point: Onboard Amenities
One common theme in this video will be the juxtaposition of innovation and tradition.
Royal Caribbean, for instance, is a pioneer in onboard venues, with extremely well designed and
innovative onboard spaces. Many ships feature large Royal Promenades with stores and bars,
and large two-story venues, like the stunning Two70 lounge. So even though you can expect
similar types of amenities onboard all major cruise lines, Royal Caribbean will always try
to have it bigger and more innovative. The same goes for outdoor and sports spaces:
While most ships on both cruise lines have basketball courts and mini golf courses,
Royal Caribbean has many special, unique features, like Rock Climbing Walls, surfing simulators,
IFly skydiving simulators, ziplines, indoor ice skating rinks, and more. Quantum Class ships even
have the SeaPlex sports arena with bumper cars, trapeze classes, and roller skating.
Carnival is still trying to catch up with newer ships offering ropes courses, roller coasters,
or SkyRide, an aerial bike ride. Additionally, Carnival's newer ships
beat Royal Caribbean in terms of lower deck outdoor spaces.
The Carnival Vista for instance features a stunning aft pool and nice ocean-facing
promenades, something missing from all Royal Caribbean ships at the moment.
Both cruise lines have invested a lot in upgrading many of their ships
with big aquaparks and waterslides. So if that's a must for you, you will be covered regardless.
Related to onboard activites, we have entertainment. You can expect
all major cruise lines to offer a similar set of daily activities,
from poolside contests, to trivia, to music, to bingo. The major difference between Royal
Caribbean and Carnival, however, lies in their entertainment focus.
Carnival ships - known as the FUN SHIPS - all feature the Punchliner Comedy Club,
where you can consistently find some of the best comedic acts at sea. Additionally,
Carnival features more partying and nightlife activities compared to other cruise lines.
Royal Caribbean on the other hand focuses on elegant and high-tech entertainment.
While Carnival mostly features shorter 30min music shows, Royal Caribbean offers longer Broadway or
Broadway-style shows on many of their ships. They also have top-tier unique entertainment
options depending on the ship, including diving, acrobatics, and ice skating shows.
So depending on your preferences, you might prefer either one,
although both will probably not disappoint in this category.
Next, we have a big one: Food.
Both offer plenty of complimentary dining options, although Carnival's dining experience will feel
more casual and offer more American-focused dishes and poolside eateries, including
passenger-favorite Guy's Burger Joint, Tandoori Grill, and Blue Iguana Cantina, all free, while
Royal Caribbean has more variety when it comes to international foods and healthier options.
Another big difference are specialty dining options: While almost all restaurants onboard
Carnival ships are included, Royal Caribbean has many for-cost venues, including popular staples,
such as Jamie's Italian, award-winning Chops Grille steakhouse, and Wonderland, an imaginative
dining experience shown here, some of which can be quite expensive at $40-50 per person.
This brings us to onboard spending. Note that on both cruise lines you won't need
to spend any money onboard: much of the food and most entertainment will come included,
but also keep in mind that cruise lines make nearly 30% of their income from onboard expenses
and expect to pay extra for internet, spa treatments, most fitness lessons, gambling,
and shore excursions. Generally, you will spend less onboard a Carnival than on a Royal Caribbean
cruises. That is partially because there are budget-friendly amenities like self-service
laundromats and irons on Carnival ships that just aren't available on Royal Caribbean vessel,
but also because by and large things will just be slightly cheaper onboard Carnival.
When planning your cruise you might also realize that pre-cruise budgeting isn't
that straight-forward for Royal Caribbean cruises. That's because the cruise line,
unlike Carnival, uses dynamic pricing, meaning that onboard prices change by cruise depending
on the specific cruise ship, destination, dates, and length of the cruise.
This also applies to Drink Packages. The unlimited Beverage Package on
Royal Caribbean will cost anywhere from $63 to $89 per person per day.
Carnival's latest price, on the other hand, is $52 if booked online and $57 if purchased onboard.
Note, however, that Carnival does have a 15 alcoholic beverages limit in any 24-hour interval.
On the flip side, Royal Caribbean is more generous on the alcohol you can take with
you on embarkation day: The company will let you board with two wine bottles per adult,
versus Carnival's one 750ml bottle limit.
Moving on to staterooms, Carnival is known to have larger than average rooms
with bigger showers, but due to the age of the ships they often
also come with a generally older look and feel. Royal Caribbean, on the other hand,
has more modern and well-designed rooms making them feel bigger than they actually are,
but certain inside cabins do end up feeling crammed with sizes as small as 114 sq ft.
The company does offer a huge variety of both family-oriented cabins with connecting rooms
as well as many high-end options including two-story loft suites. Certain vessels also
feature virtual balconies in inside cabins, giving you live views from the outside.
Most Carnival ships stick solely with the traditional stateroom types,
although newer ships do feature family harbor rooms for families to enjoy.
A quite significant and important difference is the onboard atmosphere. When cruising on
Carnival you can expect a party-friendly fun ship with more outgoing passengers and casual dining.
Royal Caribbean aims to have more of a luxurious, grand, and adventurous atmosphere. The cruise line
has many upscale venues and a higher percentage of passengers participate in the formal,
dress up nights, whereas Carnival is more liberal with the dress code.
The atmosphere is definitely strongly related to passengers' demographics. While both cruise lines
mainly serve families, Carnival is also popular amongst college-age cruisers during breaks.
Royal Caribbean on the other hand is also frequented by couples in their 30s to 50s.
One thing to note is that Royal Caribbean also has longer cruises lasting almost two
weeks. Those cruises generally have less families with children and an overall older median age.
This brings us directly to the cruises themselves. As just mentioned, in addition to regular one-week
cruises, Royal Caribbean also offers some extended 8-14 day sailings. Carnival on the
other hand has many shorter 3-4 night getaways and almost no voyages longer than 9 days.
In terms of American departure ports, Carnival currently has the edge
with 18 different embarkation ports over Royal Caribbean's 12.
By visiting smaller ports, such as Mobeel, New Orleans,
Jacksonville, and Norfolk, Carnival can reduce passenger's expenses by avoiding flight costs.
In terms of International Cruises, however,
Royal Caribbean has the clear edge. Don't be fooled by its name: Royal Caribbean doesn't
just sail the Caribbean, but is also very active in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia.
Carnival is primarily focused on the US with a smaller presence in Australia as well, which
can also be seen as a benefit as all its ships are directly geared toward the American market.
Next up, we have private destinations. Carnival owns Half Moon Cay, a natural paradise in the
Bahamas, while Royal Caribbean owns Labadee, Haiti and Cococay, Bahamas, two stunning private islands
with many activities, special features, and beautiful stunning beaches. Royal Caribbean put
a huge investment in Cococay and it's paying off as for many cruises it's arguably the best private
cruising destination out there and a major reason for choosing the cruise line in the first place.
When it comes to onboard service, both cruise lines have similar crew-to-passenger ratios,
the standard 1:1.4. Although you might have different experiences from cruise to cruise,
crew members are generally extremely competent on both lines.
Lastly, both cruise lines have a loyalty program based on the number of days you've sailed with
each company. Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor System and Carnival's VIFP (Very Important Fun
Person) both offer similar perks, such as priority boarding, special events, and small branded gifts.
Overall, in summary here are the main differences:
Carnival is a very Budget-conscious,
family-friendly cruise line with a casual, party-like atmosphere.
Royal Caribbean is a more upscale, global company focusing on the "wow" factor
with big ships, high-tech entertainment and unique features.
Bottom line: It's vacation and you'll like love any cruise you go on.
We hope you enjoyed and if you have been on any of these cruise lines please leave
a comment down below and share your experience.
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some of our other videos linked below! Thanks for watching and as always, keep cruising.