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NCL has been the most notable innovator in the cruise industry for over 50 years. In fact, they were the first to eliminate set dining times and give cruisers the freedom to cruise on their own schedule to over 450 breathtaking destinations all around the world. Royal Caribbean’s prices tend to be higher during peak travel seasons like summer and holidays, while prices may be more affordable during off-peak times. Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean offer great options for families looking for a fun cruising experience. While the food options differ between Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival provides more options included in the price of your cruise.
lessons learned after trying Carnival for the first time
According to USA Today, Carnival does charge a single supplement for solo cruisers but often runs promotions that waive the fee. Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Lines are two of the world's most popular cruise lines, according to Cruise Web. The décor in Royal Caribbean cabins tends to be more upscale and luxurious, while Carnival cabins offer a more relaxed and casual atmosphere. Ultimately, the choice comes down to personal preference and what you value most in your cruise accommodation.
Carnival Prices
The seven-night trip embarked from Galveston, Texas, and made stops in Mahogany Bay, Honduras; Belize; and Cozumel, Mexico. Their menu boasts delectable dishes from celebrity chefs like Emeril Lagasse and Guy Fieri. These culinary maestros have added their unique touch to Carnival’s dining choices, ensuring that each meal is a memorable experience.
What's included and what's not
Both cruise lines offer plenty of options to keep passengers entertained, but the specific offerings vary depending on the ship and itinerary. But if you’re after great value, a fun atmosphere, and a cruise experience that delights with its variety of dining and entertainment options, Carnival will likely be your ship of choice. Both lines generously incorporate basic dining options and a diverse array of entertainment into the base fare, allowing guests to enjoy much of what the ship has to offer without additional costs. Newer Carnival cruise ships usually offer the best quality experience, so keep this in mind when planning your cruise vacation.
Which to Choose?
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But consider that you'll pay around $6 to $7 for a beer on all three ships, and a cocktail can run anywhere from $7 to $14 (in general, Harmony of the Seas has the highest drink prices). Among extra-charge restaurants, you'll find a flat fee of $38 per person at the signature steakhouse on Carnival Breeze, a tad less than the $43-per-person charge for the Chops Grille steakhouse on Harmony of the Seas. Disney Fantasy doesn't have a steakhouse, but its signature, adults-only Palo eatery is in the ballpark at an additional $40 per person. For the comparison, we looked at specific seven-night Eastern Caribbean sailings offered by each line out of Port Canaveral, Florida, at the beginning of August. We chose this routing because it allowed for one of the most apples-to-apples matchups you can make between the brands.
Activities & Entertainment
Specialty cabins on select ships include Family Harbor cabins, with access to a shared family lounge, and Havana suites, with daytime access to a private pool area. With 26 ships afloat and more to launch in 2023, Royal Caribbean boasts that their Oasis Class of ships are touted as the world's largest cruise ships. Sure, you could opt for specialty restaurants and exclusive activities, which would add to your overall expenditure. But if you’re content with the main dining room experience and the standard onboard activities, you’ll find Carnival’s pricing quite reasonable. Therefore, whether you’re planning a cruise for the first time or are an experienced cruiser, Carnival Cruise Line’s diverse pricing can accommodate your budget and desired experience.
Royal Caribbean Sports Decks
If you’re considering a cruise with Carnival, here’s everything you need to know about how the cruise line’s “fun ships” compare to Royal Caribbean’s fleet of innovative ships. In my experience, people either love to cruise with Carnival or they love to hate on Carnival. In all honesty, I used to be someone who scoffed at the idea of setting sail on a Carnival ship now that I am far removed from my college spring break days. These days, I much prefer to cruise with Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises.
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This is hard to compare because the cost varies depending on the date you’re traveling and where you’re going to. Like airlines and hotels, demand can vary, which means the price does, too. Its oldest ship is Carnival Sunshine, which made its first sailing in 1996. While ship size isn't always a deciding factor on which is better, Royal Caribbean tends to have larger ships with flashier amenities.
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Both lines also have spa-themed staterooms that allow special spa access and related amenities, but if you're traveling alone, Royal Caribbean is the only one of the two to offer solo cabins on some of its vessels. For other onboard features, Royal Caribbean wins for its plenteous amenities, even if its children’s programming isn’t as robust as what Carnival offers its passengers. Royal Caribbean, for example, is known for some high-tech amenities, such as its robotic bartenders, fast WiFi, app, luggage tracking and online check-in.
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Jesse Morris, Owner of We Book Travel, LLC, an independent agency in Avoya Travel Network, states, "Carnival is, most of the time, the lowest priced of the big three, but they offer significant value in certain areas." Still, when it comes to family-friendly attractions, neither Carnival Breeze nor Disney Fantasy comes close to offering the array of options available on Harmony of the Seas. Its insides are loaded with some of the most elaborate children's play areas at sea — all Disney themed, of course.
Both Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean have two sizes of megaships. Their smaller ships carry 3,000 to 4,000 passengers; their larger ones are huge and carry more than 5,000 guests. Royal Caribbean wins the battle of size, with five of the world's largest ships — including Wonder of the Seas and new Icon of the Seas, the two largest cruise ships afloat. Speaking of food, both lines offer free meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner in the onboard self-service buffets and waiter-served main dining rooms.
While this means the cabins may not be quite as nice, plenty of comfortable and well-appointed options exist, including balcony cabins and suites. Royal Caribbean’s main dining room features a varied menu with options like lobster bisque, filet mignon, and baked Alaska. They also have many entertainment options, including Broadway-style shows, ice skating performances, and acrobatic shows. Carnival’s VIFP Club is all about enhancing the fun aspect of cruising. Starting as a Blue member and progressing up to Diamond status, the program injects each cruise with extra joy through perks that range from complimentary beverages to priority boarding.
When it comes to cost, there’s no argument that Carnival offers the more affordable cruise fares. The cruise line’s entire reputation has been built on affordable cruises for the entire family. Pricing includes most of your dining venues and entertainment, and you can often find sales and promotions that allow you to cruise at an even lower cost. On Royal Caribbean, you can find a wide array of cabin styles, with some pretty cool features that you might not see with other cruise lines. These include the cruise line’s virtual balcony interior cabins that project real-time exterior views onto your interior wall, for the illusion of a floor-to-ceiling window.
On select ships, Carnival has its own New Orleans bistros by Emeril Lagasse and breweries where the drink is accompanied by Fieri's barbecue (for a fee). Carnival fans will tell you the food on board is great, and most travel writers will agree the line shines in this area — including extra-fee options, such as impressive steakhouses and JiJi for Asian cuisine. Carnival's lineup of free eats is impressive — headlined by poolside burgers by Food Network star Guy Fieri, but also including Mexican, barbecue, excellent Italian-style pizza and Shaq's fried chicken. Royal Caribbean's largest classes — Oasis Class and Icon Class — are so big they are divided into neighborhoods. Oasis Class ships feature a Central Park with real trees and a Boardwalk area with a carousel, slides that drop multiple decks and a special theater for high-diving shows. You might realize that Carnival and Royal Caribbean are not your only choices.
If you have younger kids, there is also Royal Babies and Royal Tots, which costs extra and is for toddlers between the age of 6 and 36 months years old. Another favorite onboard Carnival is the SeaDay Brunch, hosted into the early afternoon for those who stayed up past their bedtime. Some signature dishes include (possibly the best) 12-hour French toast topped with roasted peaches and skillet pancakes with freshly whipped ricotta.
Carnival also has plenty of evening entertainment from musical productions and Broadway-style shows to headlining entertainers and comedians. There are game shows, like Family Feud, that guests can be a part of for added fun. For a three-night Bahamas cruise, also departing from Miami in August 2023, Carnival has interior rooms starting at $274 per person before taxes and fees. When it comes to Carnival or Royal Caribbean, the prices hover in the same range — although on many dates and itineraries, Carnival tends to underprice Royal Caribbean.
