Is Royal Carribean or Carnival a better cruise line over all?

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ctelly22

I prefer Royal Caribbean over Carnival, have cruised both and rccl was a better value for my money. The ships are large and have more activities than carnival. The few activities carnival does offer they charge for. I had a problem finding things to do, and would often read or sleep to pass the time. Royal has a great mixture of free and fee based activities, and always has multiple activities going on. The problem I had was trying to squeeze in everything I wanted to do. Also the food was a lot better both at the buffet and in the dining hall. The food was always hot and there was a lot of variety, and the dining areas were clean and well maintained. The shows on rccl were excellent, compared to carnival. Also everyone says royal isn't a party ship but there was always a party somewhere. There were parties at the poolside and multiple lounges as well as the nightclub. Every night incl. the last night we partied until at least 4 in the morning, and there were a good mixture of teens and young adults as well as older people on the cruise. Also to me the staff on carnival seemed very unfriendly, were not helpful, and didn't seem to want to be there. While the staff on RC were very helpful friendly and truly seemed to enjoy their jobs. We would often see staff hanging out at the different ports and they would stop us to hold a conversation. Overall I felt RC was excellent and have already planned my next cruise with them.

ROYAL CARRIBEAN!!! Celebrity, Norweigen, Princess, and Royal Carribean are all very nice cruiselines.

Carnival is the bottom of the dung heap. It has terrible food, has few included items, its crowded, and there are photographers EVERYWHERE. think a floating amusement park.

Princess is owned by Carnival and is next up the rung. It is actually very nice, but some of its larger ships are overcrowded and its been sliding ever since Carnival bought them out a few years ago. The food is excellent and you can eat gourmet food free for every meal, if that takes your fancy. there is also a good buffet, but its not incredible.

I have only heard good things about Royal Carribean and Celebrity, which are not owned by Carnival.

Pleas, please please do not go on a carnival Cruise.

US_DR_JD

It would depend on what you are looking for. Everyone will have their favorites and it may be based on a single ship. Carnival like most cruise lines has several classes and ages of ships. Some are older and not as nice, the newer ships are comparable to most other cruise lines. RCCL has some very nice ships but they have problem areas also. I have sailed on multiple ships on both cruise lines and in general Carnival has larger staterooms and better entertainment. RCCL ships have nicer appointment. I have been on several cruises (more than 15 in past 5 years alone) and found that food on each cruise line can be hit and miss so just order something else if you get something you don't like.

jdtexas35

Royal Caribbean is much better if you don't want to party all the time and just want an excellent cruise with excellent service.
Carnival is more of a party cruise for younger crowds or those with kids.

herfinator

It depends what you want. As you can gather from a previous answer, Carnival really is more of a "party boat" type of atmosphere, while RC is more of an "upscale" atmosphere. Don't get me wrong, you'll get all the luxury you want on either line, but the clientele is different. Average age is older on RC than Carnival (true, no stereotype) but all ages are represented on each line. There are many options on board for fun, and very few people spend more time in their cabin than out of it. Plan to gain 10-15 pounds on a 5-7 day cruise, as the food is top-of-the-line and plentiful. RC is also, generally speaking but not always, a tad more expensive than Carnival. You will have fun (promise) on either cruiseline.
Have a great trip!

Bill in Kansas

RCL is more elegant, but less fun

Carnival is more relaxed and more fun

RCL typically has prettier ships and better food

Tostito

It depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking to drink and party then go with Carnival. If you going to relax, go with Royal Caribbean. Both are great cruise lines, but there are differences. The crowds are older with Royal Caribbean all around and younger people tend to go with Carnival (the 'fun ship').

shuk-yin

Royal Carribean has a better reputation.

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