Which cruise line is better? Royal Caribbean or Carnival?

After something like 11 Carnival Cruises, we finally decided to try Royal Caribbean.  It was not a choice we took lightly.  I’m not sure we really even wanted to try it, but we wanted a Mediterranean Cruise and through all my research Royal Caribbean seemed like the best option. 

So, we went on a trial cruise.  What? I wanted to know what I needed to know before getting on the ship. And I’m glad I did because otherwise I would have been really short on body wash.

These are my thoughts and comments on the differences and similarities.  In no particular order: 

The bathrooms are bigger on Carnival Cruise ships verses Royal Caribbean.

Showering is more pleasant on Carnival.  The shower on Royal is ridiculously small, plus it does not have body wash or shampoo like Carnival.  There is a shampoo-conditioner combo.  Do any women actually use those?  But no body wash like I was expecting.  Plus shaving my legs was an adventure. 

Main dining room food is better on Royal Caribbean verses Carnival, but Carnival has more options.

Dinner is better on Royal. There are more options for food on Carnival in general, but the food is better in the main dining room on Royal.  And I liked that my dinner was not interrupted most nights by the waiters dancing.  I would rather get the meal done and move on to more entertaining things. 

There are more lunch choices on Carnival.  Guy’s Burgers, Asian, pizza, a deli, plus multiple lines are a bare minimum on Carnival and most ships also have their specialty Italian and Asian restaurants open (and free) for lunch.  Royal Caribbean only had the main buffet (the Windjammer) and Park Café open for lunch.  I heard a lot of great things about the Park Café, but it is basically only sandwiches. 

Carnival Cruises staterooms and cabins are bigger than those on Royal Caribbean

The cabins are larger on Carnival, but Royal has a lot of storage.  Carnival has a lot of open shelves, but Royal has more hidden cubbies.  Carnival usually has three closets instead of two.  And the balcony and balcony furniture are bigger on Carnival.  Okay – I think Carnival won that round. 

Royal Caribbean allows My Time Dining reservations

You can make reservations for My Time Dining on Royal.  This does put you on a schedule, but there is no waiting and you generally can get the same waiters each time, even if you are not eating at the same time every night.  Nobody wants to wait to eat dinner on a cruise and we always really enjoy having the same waiters every night.

Carnival’s onboard Hub app is more user-friendly but Royal Caribbean’s app has more information

Before you get on the cruise, you would think Carnival is going to win the technology contest. Carnival’s website wins hands down. The website for Royal is….challenging. But once you get on board the apps are both very functional. They work differently, but they both work effectively.

Royal Caribbean’s Solariums are better than Carnival’s Serenity areas

Some Carnival ships have an 18 & up pool area on the back of the ship, which is really nice for those of us who do not have kids. But that is only on a certain class of the ships on their fleet. All Carnival Cruise ships have a 21 & up Serenity area…which does not necessarily have a pool. This is a problem especially for those of us who tend to take our cruises in the Caribbean in the summer. On cooler weather cruises it doesn’t matter as much and the Serenity deck can be a nice place to hang out and chill. Because the serenity decks are very quiet, peaceful and out of the way of all the hubbub of a cruise ship.

Royal Caribbean’s kid-free pool is the solarium, which is either covered or has a retractable roof. Most seem to have a theme and are an interesting space. These are 16 & up areas and are still a very active part of the ship. There are no kids running around, but because they are a pool they can still be busy and lively. Also the fact that they are covered is a benefit for people who wish to stay out of the sun (or just don’t want to have to bother with sunscreen).

The atmosphere is different on Royal Caribbean verses Carnival, but that also depends on the exact ship you’re on and where it’s going!

The vibe is very different.  Carnival is a party ship.  We’re really not party people (bedtime – 10pm!), but there is something fun about the atmosphere.  Maybe if we had started on Royal instead of the other way around, we would think Carnival was too much.  Royal is just muted.  It’s very calm.  There were LOTS of kids on the ship (almost half the passengers were under 17), but it was much less hectic. 

My conclusion is that it depends on what you want.  What type of food are you looking for?  What type of vibe are you looking for? 

For me, which one to choose depends on the price, the itinerary, and the embarkation port.

What to read next:

Looking to take it a step up? Check out this review of Royal Caribbean verses Celebrity

Looking for more information about Carnival Cruises? Check these out:

What is included on a Carnival Cruise

Ultimate Guide to Food on a Carnival Cruise