Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival: Which big-ship cruise line must you select?

For those who’re contemplating a cruise with Royal Caribbean or Carnival Cruise Line, you are a big-ship expertise with numerous actions.

These two corporations are the biggest within the cruise business, every with two dozen ships carrying thousands and thousands of passengers a yr. They’re standard for a motive: Their ships provide one thing for everybody, from youngsters to seniors.

Let’s go head-to-head, Carnival versus Royal Caribbean, to focus on their similarities and variations and enable you to select the road that is best for you.

Dimension 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 company. 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.

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Royal Caribbean’s largest courses — Oasis Class and Icon Class — are so huge that they’re divided into neighborhoods. Ships in each of those courses function a Central Park with actual bushes and a particular theater for high-diving reveals. 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 seashore 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 reside jazz membership.

Irrespective of the scale, all of the ships of each strains qualify as floating resorts, with onboard casinos, swimming pools, reside leisure, elaborate spas, energetic dance golf equipment, numerous bars and, sure, crowds.

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Cabins and suites

Each strains cite with delight their value vary for all vacationers, however you may discover every excels in a special lodging space.

Royal Caribbean is a greater possibility if you need an enormous number of cabin classes. The cruise line affords all the pieces 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 probably the most room selections, and you’ll guide 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 resort, good and barely upscale.

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Carnival wins for the scale of its normal cabins, that are the biggest within the business. The decor is usually vibrant and informal. Specialty cabins on choose ships embody Household Harbor cabins, with entry to a shared household lounge, and Havana suites, with daytime entry to a non-public pool space. The most recent ships have extra suites than earlier vessels.

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Foods and drinks

When 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 eating places.

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 spectacular steakhouses and JiJi for Asian delicacies. Carnival’s lineup of free eats is intensive — headlined by poolside burgers by Meals Community star Man Fieri but additionally together with Mexican, barbecue, wonderful Italian-style pizza and Shaquille O’Neal’s fried hen.

For those who like Indian delicacies, you might be in for a deal with with scrumptious vegetarian dishes on the principle eating room menu every evening. 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 charge).

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Most of Royal Caribbean’s free meals is present in its Windjammer Market (the buffet) and fundamental eating rooms, once more specializing in typical resort delicacies. Ships provide 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 embody 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 just a little onboard hijinks alongside the way in which). Or, if an unique Nineteen Thirties-inspired supper membership is your vibe, guide 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).

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Youngsters actions

Each cruise strains have well-established packages to maintain your youngsters blissful, so you will get some downtime to chill out and do grown-up issues. Each strains host greater than 1,000,000 youngsters a yr. The complimentary camplike packages embody age-appropriate actions like arts and crafts, films, sports activities and funky golf equipment for tweens and youths.

Royal Caribbean’s Journey Ocean program (for ages 3 to 12) options expansive youngsters golf equipment with areas for artwork, video video games, lively play, theatrical productions and science experiments. Moreover, themed events, nightly discos and scheduled sports activities actions present tweens and youths with energetic 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 area 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 youngsters in regards to the ocean. Carnival additionally has a partnership with Dr. Seuss that encourages youngsters to learn basic books. Youngsters 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 youths have separate lounges with video video games, comfortable seating and versatile areas for video games or dancing.

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Onboard points of interest

Lively cruisers take notice: Royal Caribbean is an revolutionary firm and pushes the envelope on actions. All of the cruise line’s ships have mountaineering partitions, and lots of have FlowRider browsing 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 referred to as Final Abyss and driving 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 may discover.

Carnival cannot fairly compete on this division, however its ships do not lack issues to do. It is identified for its WaterWorks water parks with a number of waterslides and splash areas for little youngsters, in addition to for Bolt, the primary curler coaster at sea (discovered solely on Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee).

On choose ships, one can find out of doors ropes programs the place you’ll be able to stroll a plank off the ship (whereas in a harness), a top-deck trip involving pedaling a dangling recumbent bike, miniature golf, Imax theaters and even an indoor trampoline park.

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Leisure

Royal Caribbean and Carnival additionally take completely different approaches to onboard leisure, although you may by no means be bored on both line.

Royal Caribbean produces actual Broadway reveals (albeit shortened variations), comparable to “Grease,” “Hairspray” and “Cats,” on a few of its largest ships. Choose ships function revolutionary efficiency areas; you may discover out of doors reveals starring acrobats and high-divers on the line’s AquaTheaters and ice skating reveals at its ice skating rinks.

Multimedia reveals 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 reside leisure, however its fashion is completely different from Royal Caribbean’s. As an alternative of Broadway musicals, it affords 35- to 45-minute high-tech Playlist Productions, that includes singers and dancers performing to authentic compilations of acquainted tunes. Carnival places a giant emphasis on comedy; the road’s Punchliner Comedy Golf equipment host greater than 27,000 reside performances a yr, which makes Carnival the biggest employer of comics on the earth.

Carnival additionally places collectively its personal reside 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 provide a roster of video games and contests (assume: “Battle of the Sexes,” the “Newly (and Not So Newly)wed Sport” and a few model of an grownup scavenger hunt), and Carnival has shipboard variations of the favored present “Household Feud.” It is also identified for viewers participation video games across the pool and rollicking music trivia.

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Who’s on board?

Carnival’s focus is reasonably priced up to date cruising for everybody, with an emphasis on enjoyable. Its “Enjoyable Ships” present an off-the-cuff and carefree expertise; the gang consists largely 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 assume it is a haven for debauchery. It is nonetheless a household cruise line.

Since Carnival sails from many U.S. ports, you may 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 will discover evening owls on Royal Caribbean, too, although the gang 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 high-priced suites on board and entice vacationers who can afford to pay for that kind of luxurious.

Itineraries

Carnival ships largely 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 affords restricted sailings in Europe.

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Royal Caribbean places a lot emphasis on North America — the Caribbean, the Bahamas (together with the road’s personal extravagant personal island, Excellent Day at CocoCay), Canada and New England, Alaska and the Mexican Riviera — but additionally 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.

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Backside line

As a first-time cruiser, you’ll be able to’t go flawed with both Royal Caribbean or Carnival Cruise Line. Decide Royal Caribbean in case you are on the lookout for revolutionary points of interest and a barely extra upscale ambiance. Select Carnival if you need nice meals and to have a blast in an off-the-cuff surroundings at a extra reasonably priced value.

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