Carnival vs. Royal Caribbean (Updated for 2024): 11 BIG Differences Between the Cruise Lines 

I've cruised on both but overwhelming more on Royal Caribbean. I'm now 75 and I find Carnival is by far more of a party atmosphere. My time of drinking and partying all night are in my rear view mirror. Certainly there are revelers on RC as well but I find far less than Carnival. I also believe the entertainment is more plentiful and better on Royal. For those reasons and others, I choose to cruise with Royal Caribbean.

I like non biased comparisons videos. Gr8 job.

Royal carribean has increased prices enormously

Loved this, would like to see more videos like this. Like room and specialty dinning head to head comparison.

Be advised that Galveston, Texas, a cruise port for Carnival, has no airport. To get there you must fly into Houston International or Hobby airport. From there, yu must take a bus for $100 to the port. Just something to keep in mind.

I’ve sailed both lines, but overall, Carnival gets my vote. Incidentally, I’m a senior citizen, so the “Carnival is for 20-30 year olds” doesn’t ring true. I think Royal builds a beautiful ship, and has the edge on “looks”. It comes off as more elegant. Now to the food…I’ll take the Carnival selections any day. Then there’s the big elephant in the room: sleeping. Carnival has some of the most comfortable beds on the seas, bar none. And the cabin steward will jump through hoops to make that even better, from a topper (not that the comfy mattress needs one) to a super plush blue blanket. Ahhhh. I would gladly go on another Royal cruise, and probably will sometime. But my ❤ belongs to Carnival.

Thanks for this video. I've sailed on both and enjoy both. Different atmosphere on each of them. Royal Caribbean has a wow factor in the ships and entertainment but Carnival wins you over with the fun vibes and included food. Can't go wrong with neither.

Great video. I think you really hit the nail on the head

I have not cruised on either but did a cruise on Princess Discovery. On that trip, we got free packages for beverages, WiFi, and gratuity, although we still tipped more. Also, we're in our 60s, and this cruise to Alaska was a slower pace than Carnival. We had the best time.

Good information - thanks. I have only sailed on RC once some 15 years ago and I remember it being a classy affair.

Thanks for the video. I have sailed both but I like Carnival better due to more choices of inclusive dining.

Platinum on Varnival and have never sailed RC. That changes this July. 1st RC cruise is booked and we are excited to try them out. Thanks for the info.

Brilliant video - you’ve clearly spent a long time researching for this one! I’d agree with your findings on pricing - having spent a few weeks on both lines recently, Carnival is for sure cheaper, but about the amount you’re quoting!

We are Diamond members on RC and have really noticed a deline in the food quality overall. Carnival has the Havanna neighborhood which we liked very much.

You didn't mention that your drink package works on royals private islands

I’ve been on Norwegian, Carnival and Royal. We will only sail on Royal. I found the food, entertainment, and service top notch.

I've sailed with both lines. Royal Caribbean ships generally have more traditional, elegant, interiors, whereas Carnival ships can be gaudy. However, I'd rate the price inclusive food to be superior on Carnival and I've noticed a deterioration of the main dining room food on RC although their Windjammer food quality remains good. More loyalty perks on RC, particularly Diamond and Diamond plus lounges, good for snacks and a free bar service during their opening hours. So, probably 50:50 overall depending upon personal preferences.

Great video!!

Nice work! Carnival is a lot of fun and that’s what it’s all about when on vacation.

Very well presented.

❤❤❤❤ great direct video

Drinks packages can be such a rip off especially if you don't drink and your roommate does! I have watched other videos about Cocoa Key and how expensive it is. They price you to death there! Thank you! I wish these cruise lines would not neglect the smaller ships. I have NO desire to sail on a mega ship. I've sailed on the Disney Magic and twice on a Carnival ship that held about the same, around 2,000 passengers.

Soon to be diamond on Carnival but I like them both! Book the deal and then the location. Slowly moving towards smaller ships.

I sailed Carnival Mardi Gras and shortly after RC Quantum last year . Had drink packages on both. I was shocked at how superior Carnival’s drink selection and premium offerings were for liquor, wine and beer. It wasn’t even close, and this is coming from an RC fan. Carnival’s drink package is significantly better even with the 15 drink cap. Why doesn’t anyone talk about this?!

I’d LOVE a zombie game on a cruise ship like these

I’ve sailed 3 times on Carnival, 2 times on Royal, and 1 time on Norwegian. I find Carnival to be more fun, better food overall, equal to Royal and NCL for entertainment, and for carnival, less nickel and dime-ing, and overall more affordable. All 3 are great, but I’m still young at heart though 55, and I can both relax and have more fun on Carnival.

Great video i love Carnival cruises,but I like the medium ships ,around 3,500 passengers.

We definitely prefer RC, as we actually greatly enjoy the bigger ships because they seem to come with a wider variety of activities and despite there being more people, we find they feel less congested overall.

I think you have to evaluate why you cruise. Then what are your expectations during your cruise? It is about preferences.

Good info, thanks for posting.

I just went on back to back sailings, Carnival Vista, then Harmony of the Seas. Carnival absolutely destroyed Royal with food VARIETY and held its own, if not had better food in the MDR. There wasn't many options on Royal period, especially late at night except the pizza which was nasty. And Carnival has Guys Burgers, Pig and Anchor, and other options. Royal had one spot for ice cream that wasnt always open. THE ENTERTAINMENT on Royal was way better....wayyyy better. The wow factor of the ship on Harmony was a plus. The lines for food and having to reserve shows on Royal sucked. And I had more "fun" on Carnival, although Royal wasn't terrible and was definitely a good cruise. I was a little disappointed in Royal, I expected better. I think its all down to what you like. Cant really go wrong with either.

We're going on the RC Adventure of the Seas this fall. Going to St. Marten, St. Croix, San Juan and Coco Cay. I've only been on one cruise and that was on the Carnival ship Fantasy when it first launched. I see it was retired not long ago. The AOTS looks like an awesome ship.

RC drink package pricing seems to want the same $$ per cruiser per cruise. 11-nights it was around $60, but 3 nights it's 90+

I've sailed both, and was surprised to find that the food in the main dining room was better on Carnival.

Very good video! I like to say that Carnivals ships all have a more “familiar” feel than Royal , which I seem to prefer. It doesn’t feel like you have to spend 3 days completely re- learning a new ship . Just thought I’d add that Keep up the great work

Never sailed on carnival but thinking about trying them. Mardi gras or celebration

I would say their loyalty programs are vastly different. I will say I generally cruise Carnival more just because I’m not a personal fan of these mammoth ships Royal has and the cost. However, Royals Crown and Anchor loyalty program is quite better than Carnivals VIFP program

I have sailed on Carnival (Diamond) and Royal (Diamond) as well and I love both cruise lines. Carnival is a lot of fun but after while it is the same predictable stuff on most of their ships. The entertainment is good and the food varies from ship to ship. They do have ample free options and their Sea Day Brunch is awesome. They have had problems with fighting (too many drinks?), drugs and some gnarly behaviors (naked on elevators), but their response time to such actions has gotten better. I sailed on the Jubilee and had a wonderful experience and the ship is beautiful, but I have to admit I was not overly wowed. A lot to see and do and am able to attend many activities, great new restaurants, but the food on the Lido is still just okay. I have to give Carnival credit, they have the best cruise directors of all. On the other hand, the mega RCCL are just awesome. The Allure and the Harmony are great, food is great, the floating bars, the Central Park area, ice skating, water shows and other shows in the theater are phenomenal. My only complaint is I never got a chance to see the comedians on the Allure. I love the Starbucks, Ice cream Shops, carousels and Hot Dog shops. There was always something to do and the sandwich and pizza cafe was open late. They had adult areas where kids could not go and I appreciated that. That is about as large a ship I can tolerate. When there over 4,000 people it gets too crowded. I am not going on the Icon, Utopia or any other of their new mega ships unless they come to Galveston. I like their smaller ships but they don’t provide as much fun as Carnival. It all depends on which ship you sail and the crowd on the ship. This year I have and will be spending more time on RCCL, Princess and Norwegian.

I like Carnival's standup, MDR food (for the money), and enthusiasm of first time cruisers. I like Royal's shows and attractions, Royal Promenade. Beyond that, I have no interest in sailing either line again.

Food is better on Royal, the FUN is better on Carnival. I felt like Royal nickel and dimed a lot. Everything you want worth eating you have to pay. I could not get seating in the adult only section on either ship. I have an Alaskan cruise planned on Royal this September so this is the last chance they will get to WOW me. I got the suite so a couple of hours in the evening drinks are free which is enough for me since I don't drink much. I get easily tired of cruising with Carnival because the food/menus are the same, the setup is mostly the same and there is nothing new. The overcrowding is a pain and I find myself staying in my room more. I really want to check out Celebrity Cruises.

Who wants to go on a cruise to get on a roller coaster and go-carts. Those are land activities. Thats why I stick to older boats way more deck space

I’ve sailed and like both. I tend to do more on Carnival due to the locations. Airfare can cost as much as the cruise so for me, a nice option has been the ability to drive to several different ports. With that being said, if you catch the right deals, you can make prices just as cheap to fly.

There is one thing you did not take into account... Royal regularly runs sales that give 40%-50% off things like the drink package and excursions. If you watch and take advantage of those sales, Royal's add-ons become significantly cheaper.

I totally agree

My wife and I; at this point prefer NCL. We are both in our mid-60s and can afford the NCL Haven when avalible.

Royal is a higher price point but is definitely a higher class of people. Especially with the kids on the ships. In my opinion.

Did two Carnival cruises in Jan 24 on both food and entertainment has gone down hill. The deal breaker for me was i got cut on the ship and they offered to sell me a bandaid. I am going to try RC this fall can't be any worse than my last two Carnival cruises.

Chef table on Carnival, they give you a free photo of the experience. Where Royal does not. Both experiences are excellent. Carnival now really wants you to use your APP where Royal has a lot of cruises that have the info by the elevator and on the TV from the ships I have been on to date.

Can you share the avg prices excluding the new Icon? The rate of the icon is almost 5 times more than other 7 night RC cruises

I’ve sailed on both Carnival & Royal. The best way to differentiate between the two is to compare them to two national retailers that compete. Carnival is like Walmart & Royal is like Target. If your only goal is to get a box of cereal then it doesn’t really matter much in the same way if your only goal is to go in a cruise to get to certain destinations. However the Walmart you go to can vary widely from nice to trashy while Target is fairly consistent not realty being either. In many ways the two cruise lines are just like that. For me, the two worse cruises I’ve had & the two best cruises I’ve had were both on Carnival whereas all of my cruises on Royal were enjoyable but still in between the ones I had with Carnival. Both are perfectly fine just like Walmart & Target but just like I’ll go to Target before Walmart I would chose Royal before Carnival.

In 1969 I sailed the SS Raffaello from Europe to NYC as a four-year-old. I don’t remember much. Sorry. In 1975 it was bought by the Shah of Iran, used as barracks, and in 1983 it was partially sunk during the Iran-Iraq war. There it remained. I am grateful that my parents got me off the ship in 1969. It had no water slides or go carts.

I’m a Royal Caribbean guy, I also like Princess Cruises, Carnival is 3rd on my list.

So basically everything about Royal is bigger including prices and less places to eat than Carnival

Me and my wife stay with Carnival for the people ( vibe ) people who cruise. Carnival seem to be a lot more open to having a good time with anyone. I find that people on Royal are more reserved and less open to fun times with strangers. People call Carnival "Wal-Mart of the seas." But I think it more that Carnival is the Everyman, working class cruise line. Royal is more of a middle class white collar cruise line. I want to spend time getting to know my new temporary family. Not hang out at a resort / theme park on the water.

We cruise both and like both. We like carnival's included food, comedy club, and fun vibe but their older ships aren't that nice. We like royal's ships and entertainment but hate how their pricing for extras changes daily.

The spa offerings. We noticed RC isn't big at all in this area. Their spa areas are very small and boring. Carnival has nice thermal large spas with bigger facilities offering more options and relaxation catering to the guest who wants to be pampered.

My family has cruised on carnival, Norwegian. And Royal Caribbean, a total of 14 cruises. My wife and I with 4 kids. Absolutely. Love carnival because it's fun and there's always lots of stuff we found. A lot of downtime when there was nothing on the schedule, especially on royal caribbean, large gaps in the schedule with nothing that was appealing to do activity wise.

Been on both. A cruise is it's own theme. It should not be an amusement park. If I wanted that, I'd go to one. What I want is want to don't get anywhere else - socializing, dressing up & relaxing. Therefore, I much prefer Carnival, but even they are ruining the cruise industry by catering to people Lee Iacoca referr ed to as "Joe Lunchbucket."

I've only cruised with carnival and Disney. I preferred carnival.

I like comedians and Carnival Comedy Club is fun. Family comedy and late night comedy. Half hour shows several times most days. Minimum 2 comedians and they pick up and drop them off at different ports so they change a lot. Fun.

I don't want to look up 5 stories when I'm in the pool and this really turned me off from Royal....Carnival ships always have a view of the ocean and you feel like your really at sea. Both have good and bad issues, but I after sailing both I will go with Carnival again. Bigger is not always better....

good job

Love love carnival. Never been on RC

I live in Iowa. I have to fly no matter what port I go to. I left from Miami once, New Orleans, Ft Lauderdale twice and my next one leaves from Galveston. I've been on the Carnival Glory twice, Caribbean Princess, Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas and my next one is on Jewel of the Seas.

This is my 2 cents. Carnival is much more of a party atmosphere vs Royal Caribbean being a feature based atmosphere. Carnival has a party pretty much most of the time you are sailing and has many more intuitive activities like game shows and trivia. Royal on the other hand has more focus on the features of the ship, the wave runner, rock climbing, ice skating, and so on. Generally, the parties are more reserved on Royal because they aren't the emphasis. This can be problematic on either side depending on what you want out of your vacation. Because there are more parties, you run the risk of fights vs Royal, but if you aren't a trill seeker you can get bored on a Royal Caribbean ship. Royal's customer service is much worse than Carnival is. Carnival tries to make you are having fun whereas Royal treats you as if you should be happy on their ship because of what it has and how big it is. Food: depending on the ship, Royal's selection can be very limited whereas Carnival tries to give you the exact same experience no matter what ship you are on. I personally hated my food choices on Royal, especially after dinner and the Windjammer were closed. Carnival gives you great 24 hour pizza, Royal doesn't. Also, I would think you'd have to take into the differences in the two corporations than their respective lines. Carnival Corp has separate lines that give you overseas options whereas Royal has celebrity and a luxury line that sails overseas. So if you want Europe for example, Carnival will give you costa, if you want the pacific, then you have princess, and so on. So there isn't a need for Carnival Corp to sail their north American ships overseas.

** for the newbies out there welcome and FYI if you buy those bottles of alcohol on board Royal they will hold until disembarkation. You cannot buy a bottle at the store on board and drink it on the ship on Royal (havent sailed Carnival, comment if you know policy) Alcohol bottles are generally cheaper though in store on board then on land due to tax/ duty free (Royal alcohol shop is only open at sea - avoids paying duty/tax in ports). You can bring an unopened TSA approved bottle of wine or champagne 750 ml on embarkation if legal drinking age on royal 1 per person in carry on / personal luggage - idk Carnival's policy. Multiple sailings you can do 1 per sailing and they will store extras and bring to stateroom 1 at start of each new sailing :)

My 2 pennies... * Carnival is waaay cheaper. However, gotta be careful not to choose the cheapest ones or you'll get that type of crowd. But you can take 2 Carnival cruises for the price of 1 RC cruise * Carnival's has a wider variety of food and much better imo. I've heard a good amount of people claim RC has better food, I have not seen that in my experiences * Poolside food on Carnival is Guys burgers, Shaqs Big Chicken, or pizza. RC is hot dogs and pizza * Dinner and buffet food is also much better on Carnival * Carnival is much more lively. Not just the "party" atmosphere that people mention. But music is constantly being played throughout the ship. The director is much more prevalent on Carnival, you rarely hear from the director on RC cruises * Agree on the private island tho. Celebration Key is not yet open for Carnival, but RC's Coco Key is the best island and beach I've even been to. Not to mention great food on this island (and free)

Royal has far better suite perks in my opinion. I know that doesn't matter to many people - but if it applies to you - I consider it a real differentiator. The increased cost of the suites on Royal is at least partially offset by included internet and complimentary drinks in the suite lounge.

Been on many cruises we are platinum on carnival and emerald on royal i found entertainment on royal was better but the food on carnival main dining seams better but Windjammer is far better than the buffet on carnival. As i no longer drink i feel the royal was more mellow. We went on second sailing of the icon and that is hands down the best ship we have been on never felt crowded and so much to do didnt even feel like i was on a ship

Id like to try cruising with royal, but carnival is just more affordable for me

Carnival drink package is 69.95 per day

I cruised for my first time last summer on Carnival and leaving on my second cruise with them next month. I would like to go on Royal Caribbean one day just to have a new experience, but I think I would prefer Carnival more. Still, Royal Caribbean seems like fun in other ways, so I don't think I'd be disappointed. Thanks for the non biased comparison.

I've only sailed on Royal Caribbean one time and that was in Alaska. The main difference between RCL and Carival is the quality of the experience.

Went on RCL Radiance nov 2023, going on carnival celebration 2024

The included food on Royal has gotten terrible - especially in the Windjammer. They seem to be bailing on the included food and focusing more on specialty dining. Their focus on families has gotten to be overbearing, as there is nowhere to get away from screaming children. Even the specialty restaurants have become absolutely chaotic with large families with screaming children. Carnival still gives you nice included dining options, and it doesn’t feel like you’re at the circus.

Elevators! Carnival Mardi gras had 8 small elevators had to wait for 7to 10 minutes at a time.

I am first time planning for carnival from miami Florida to Bahamas? Which cruise type is best? For many days or night stay is beneficial for visit. ? Which is most economical way to book cruise from Miami to Bahamas? ... Please reply if anyone know

Do Royal Caribbean Quantum Class vs Carnival Vista class

Those are the only two cruise lines I have ever been on and I always have more fun on the Carnival Cruises then Royal Caribbean.

Tried Carnival once. I'm sorry, but when sailing is delayed because people are already passed out drunk, miss muster (this was pre-covid) and no one can find them, AND having to step over people who are passed out on dance floors, it's not a good experience. The trash bags coming out of the theater after a show reminded me of the 1986 Philly garbage strike. Did I mention the receptacle didn't work in the cabin, and their EM said it was our USB hub? Strange how it'd work everywhere else on the ship. They had us stay in our cabin for a day waiting for another EM, who never showed. (Turned out to be a loose terminal connection above the cabin.) Customer service through this was hit or miss. It was a bad enough experience that I'm not sure we'd ever want to cruise Carnival again. That being said, RC's prices have skyrocketed and the itineraries are very repetitive for the ports we can more easily access. We need a third, comparable, option.

I've sailed more on RCCL than Carnival, but Carnival was good and was less obnoxious after the STOP on college and like immature clients by raising the cost a couple hundred dollars. That being said, my husband proposed to me on RCCL. We went on a 5 year anniversary and they phooked it up Big Time. Torn at this point. Also, you left out a major port for both at Port Canaveral

On RC right now. Big downside is food is the same in all restaurants and similar over every day. Restaurant food quality is lower than NCL and Carnival. EVERYTHING is an upsell. No internet (600/week). No soda. No quality dinner items. No CocoCay activities (You get a free chair and burger bar)

First off, we will never cruise Carnival again... even if it is for free. Our last Carnival cruise was from "Rome" to Miami on a newer ship. This was 8 years ago and by far, by way far the worst cruise we have ever taken. Not that all was bad. The crew was great, the cruise director and their staff were great, personable and very friendly. The food was great when it was available. The accommodations were good as well. The problems we encountered were not so good. The décor was horrendous. Mid 1960s with Mylar wallpaper, pink, silver and brown... Uggh! There wasn't a comfortable chair on the ship. I am an early riser while my wife isn't so I will leave the stateroom and head up to the Lido deck for coffee which isn't available until 0700. This was a Transatlantic cruise and we had 11 days at sea and we started to run out of food, (only certain items), half way to St. Maarten. The social staff were never provisioned with enough things to accommodate their offerings. The ship had 4 ports of call, 3 of them in Spain. Why not one in another country? Enough for now.

Have you ever been on Mariner of the seas awesome 👍

I've sailed on both . I don't buy the deluxe food package. I think that Carnival has a better selection of food overall.

Msc baby best bang for your buck, I still do ccl, but buffet and mdr same all around.

They have one thing in common: they're both greedy corporations 😅😂 As Texan, I like to cruise out from Galveston; so, I don't have to fly. But it looks as RC only has western Caribbean, but not eastern Caribbean (Bahamas) cruise from Galveston. Carnival has many Bahamas cruise year round.

The 'party' atmosphere on Carnival is a big turnoff for my H and me. I f we want that atmosphere, we'll just stay home and go to the club. RC gives us enough of party, social, events, class, great food, and things to do around the ship for all ages. We also enjoy meeting people from around the world and not just majority of Americans; not too impressed with them lately :P

One more thing, didn't get good service in the MDR unless the Head Waiter was standing at the table. Doesn't happen on Carnival.

I have cruised both, I'm platinum with Both, I enjoy both Brands. Carnival has better perks for those that like the casino. Example, thus year I have 3 sailings on Carnival,1. The Celebration, 2. The Jubilee and 3 Europe on the Legend. All of these are Elite cruises with some nice perks included like the drink package ,airport pick up etc. Royal to me has better tasting food, even the buffet choices.

I personally prefer Carnival over Royal Caribbean.

I would really like to see a tiered pricing for the drink package. I’ll never drink 15/day or spend $60/day on drinks. Would be nice if they offered a $30/day package, half the drinks. That I would buy. But nope not $60/day.

look at number of passengers to M^2 of public space-shops space

Thank you for the thorough breakdown on the two lines. I’ll be taking my very 1st cruise this summer with my family of 5 and I am really concerned about those extra costs. I was also torn the two lines but I think Carnival maybe the way to go this time around.

Went on both cruise lines. Carnival has better tasting food than does RCCL. My wife loves to be entertained and thought that Carnival had better entertainment. Carnival has several restaurants open with late hours. RCCL did not. When I came out of the casino RCCL had their 22 hour restaurant closed. Carnival had at least one restaurant opened 24-hours. Not a big drinker. No more than two drinks a day and never when in the casino. The service on RCCL isn't as good as on Carnival. When my wife and I went to a specialty restaurant they kept my sail and sign card for more than 1/2 hour. When I complained to the manager about this. He claimed no person that worked in that restaurant had been in my stateroom. He didn't have a good reason why his staff held onto my sail & sign card for more than 1/2 hour. Did complain to the Pursers Desk. Never again on RCCL.

I have taken about 40 cruises on multiple lines. The difference between Carnival and Royal Carib is so stark they should not be compared. When traveling with kids, RC is the best line out there. They do a great job of catering to both kids and adults. On the other hand, Carnival is no longer a "fun style" cruise. Since Covid, Carnival has bottomed out. It used to be a fun based cruise as opposed to a sophisticated cruise... but now it just caters to the bottom of the barrel. My last Carnival cruise, there were so many grossly overweight people driving motorized carts that you could not walk around without waiting fo a line of them to pass by. The one before that, on dress up night there were people wearing torn T shirts and thowing food over our head at the table on the other side of us. Waiters would not stop them and when we asked to move we were told no other tables were available. As there was an EEO convention on board, the entire crew made it clear that no one else mattered. The two lines are drasically different. In fact Carnival is drastically different than the "fun cruise" reputation they had previously built. I just wish there were more lines catering to old fashioned, adult oriented cruises for when we travel without kids.

I find the food on RC better tasting than Carnival and the overall ship appearance, restaurants, stores, and activities to be more "luxurious" on RC than Carnival...perhaps that would be the reason for the difference in price.

Carnival reminds me of the same people shopping at Costco the day before a Florida hurricane.

You should also cover the west coast for these info vids. Not everybody lives in the east.

I just sailed on RC and it’s really nice but extremely boring probably because it had a lot of old people so will probably try carnival but coco Kay is amazing