If you happen to’re contemplating a cruise with Royal Caribbean or Carnival Cruise Line, you are taking a look at a big-ship expertise with plenty of actions.
These two corporations are the biggest within the cruise business, every with two dozen ships carrying tens of millions of passengers a 12 months. They’re standard for a cause: Their ships supply one thing for everybody, from children to seniors.
Let’s go head-to-head, Carnival versus Royal Caribbean, to spotlight their similarities and variations and aid you select the road that is best for you.
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, carrying greater than 5,000 visitors. Royal Caribbean wins the battle of dimension, with seven of the world’s largest ships — together with Icon of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas, the 2 largest cruise ships afloat.
Associated: The 7 classes of Royal Caribbean ships, explained
Royal Caribbean’s largest courses — Oasis Class and Icon Class — are so massive that they’re divided into neighborhoods. Ships in each of those courses function a Central Park with real trees and a particular theater for high-diving exhibits. Oasis Class ships every have a Boardwalk space with a carousel and a slide that drops a number of decks. Icon Class ships have separate sections for younger households, thrill seekers and adults on the lookout for a seaside membership scene.
To not be outdone, Carnival’s largest ships — Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee — are divided into zones, comparable to Mardi Gras’ French Quarter with a stay jazz membership.
Irrespective of the scale, all of the ships of each strains qualify as floating resorts, with onboard casinos, swimming pools, stay leisure, elaborate spas, vigorous dance golf equipment, plenty of bars and, sure, crowds.
Associated: The 8 classes of Carnival Cruise Line ships, explained
Each day E-newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Each day publication
Be part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s consultants
Cabins and suites
Each strains cite with satisfaction their worth vary for all vacationers, however you will discover every excels in a special lodging space.
Royal Caribbean is a greater possibility in order for you an enormous number of cabin classes. The cruise line provides the whole lot 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 selections, and you may e book 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: Royal Caribbean cruise ship cabin and suite guide: Everything you want to know
Carnival wins for the scale of its commonplace cabins, that are the biggest within the business. The decor is usually vivid 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 non-public pool space. The latest ships have extra suites than earlier vessels.
Associated: Everything you want to know about cabins and suites on Carnival Cruise Line ships
Food 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, comparable to impressive steakhouses and JiJi for Asian delicacies. Carnival’s lineup of free eats is in depth — headlined by poolside burgers by Meals Community star Man Fieri but in addition together with Mexican, barbecue, wonderful Italian-style pizza and Shaquille O’Neal’s fried hen.
If you happen to like Indian delicacies, you might be in for a deal with with scrumptious vegetarian dishes on the principle 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 payment).
Associated: Carnival cruise food: The ultimate guide to restaurants and dining on board
Most of Royal Caribbean’s free meals is present in its Windjammer Market (the buffet) and predominant eating rooms, once more specializing in typical lodge delicacies. Ships supply a wide range of extra-fee eating places, with specialties starting from sushi to steak.
Shining stars amongst these different venues are Jamie’s Italian, in partnership with British celeb chef Jamie Oliver, and The Mason Jar, for tummy-filling Southern consolation meals. You can also pay for a burger and a milkshake at Johnny Rockets on a few of Royal Caribbean’s bigger ships.
Extra experiential eating choices embrace Royal Railway — Utopia Station, which delivers a family-friendly immersive “eatertainment” expertise in a vintage-style prepare automobile on Utopia of the Seas. Particular sound and visible results transport diners to the Wild West (with somewhat onboard hijinks alongside the best way). Or, if an unique Nineteen Thirties-inspired supper membership is your vibe, e book a desk on the Empire Supper Membership (on Icon of the Seas) or the Lincoln Park Supper Membership (on Star of the Seas, launching in August 2025).
Associated: Royal Caribbean food: The ultimate cruise guide to restaurants and dining on board
Children actions
Each cruise strains have well-established packages to maintain your children blissful, so you will get some downtime to chill out and do grown-up issues. Each strains host greater than 1,000,000 kids a 12 months. The complimentary camplike packages embrace age-appropriate actions like arts and crafts, films, sports activities and funky golf equipment for tweens and teenagers.
Royal Caribbean’s Adventure Ocean program (for ages 3 to 12) options expansive children golf equipment with areas for artwork, video video games, energetic play, theatrical productions and science experiments. Moreover, themed events, nightly discos and scheduled sports activities actions present tweens and teenagers with vigorous methods to attach with their friends in their very own onboard hangout or across the ship. The Royal Infants & Tots Nursery (referred to as “AO Infants” on some ships) is a enjoyable house for the youngest cruisers, providing age-appropriate toys and actions led by licensed little one care specialists.
Carnival’s Camp Ocean program (for ages 2 to 11) consists of some actions designed to coach children in regards to the ocean. Carnival additionally has a partnership with Dr. Seuss that encourages kids to learn basic books. Children can 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 teenagers have separate lounges with video video games, cozy seating and versatile areas for video games or dancing.
Associated: The 5 best cruise lines for families
Onboard sights
Lively cruisers take observe: Royal Caribbean is an revolutionary firm and pushes the envelope on actions. All of the cruise line’s ships have mountain climbing partitions, and lots of have FlowRider surfing simulators.
Among the many exercise selections on varied ships are ice skating, carousel rides, zip lining, miniature golf, laser tag, escape rooms, zipping down waterslides, simulated skydiving, flying down a 10-story thrill slide called Ultimate Abyss and using in a mechanical arm that lifts a London Eye-style pod excessive above the ship for views, amongst different mind-blowing choices. 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 recognized for its WaterWorks water parks with a number of waterslides and splash areas for little children, 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 can see outside ropes programs the place you possibly can stroll a plank off the ship (whereas in a harness), a top-deck experience involving pedaling a dangling recumbent bike, miniature golf, Imax theaters and even an indoor trampoline park.
Associated: The 10 wildest attractions you’ll find on a cruise ship
Leisure
Royal Caribbean and Carnival additionally take completely different approaches to onboard leisure, although you will by no means be bored on both line.
Royal Caribbean produces actual Broadway exhibits (albeit shortened variations), comparable to “Grease,” “Hairspray” and “Cats,” on a few of its greatest ships. Choose ships function revolutionary efficiency areas; you will discover outside exhibits starring acrobats and high-divers on the line’s AquaTheaters and ice skating exhibits at its ice skating rinks.
Multimedia exhibits in high-tech Two70 theaters on the Quantum Class ships function performers and robotics. The Boleros salsa dance membership is a well-liked late-night hangout spot. Do not miss the themed parades that happen on the Royal Promenade.
Carnival additionally excels at stay leisure, however its fashion is completely different from Royal Caribbean’s. As a substitute of Broadway musicals, it provides 35- to 45-minute high-tech Playlist Productions, that includes singers and dancers performing to unique 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 biggest 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 varied bars and public areas all through its ships.
Each strains supply 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), and Carnival has shipboard variations of the favored present “Household Feud.” It is also recognized 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 inexpensive up to date cruising for everybody, with an emphasis on enjoyable. Its “Enjoyable Ships” present an informal and carefree expertise; the group consists principally 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 many cruisers on board hail from close by states and have pushed to the ship — which means completely different ships can have completely 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 may discover night time owls on Royal Caribbean, too, although the group 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 pricy suites on board and appeal to vacationers who can afford to pay for that kind of luxurious.
Itineraries
Carnival ships principally cruise in North America, with voyages within the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada and New England, Alaska and the Mexican Riviera (from California). The road provides restricted sailings in Europe.
Associated: The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Carnival Cruise Line ship
Royal Caribbean places a lot emphasis on North America — the Caribbean, the Bahamas (together with the road’s personal extravagant non-public island, Perfect Day at CocoCay), Canada and New England, Alaska and the Mexican Riviera — but in addition sails a number of areas in Europe. Its ships might be present in different worldwide locations, comparable to Australia, New Zealand, Japan (crusing from China) and Singapore.
Associated: The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Royal Caribbean cruise
Backside line
As a first-time cruiser, you possibly can’t go incorrect with both Royal Caribbean or Carnival Cruise Line. Decide Royal Caribbean if you’re on the lookout for revolutionary sights and a barely extra upscale ambiance. Select Carnival in order for you nice meals and to have a blast in an informal setting at a extra inexpensive worth.
Planning a cruise? Begin with these tales:
Trending Merchandise
