04/09/2024
Opinions from an avid Carnival cruiser, Denise Kennedy....
"I always see people asking the difference between Carnival vs Royal. My husband and I are avid Carnival cruisers, but recently my family and I decided to try the Allure of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) over spring break.
I have made notable differences and noted them by category đ
Carnival is cheaper. Much cheaper! The cruise fairs, the food, the experience, the everything.
The hub app- Carnivals app seems to be a little more user friendly, but I love that Royals app and itinerary is available as soon as you book your cruise. With carnival you canât see anything until you get on the ship and connect to the shipâs wifi. On Royal the chatting option is free whereas on Carnival each family member pays 5 bucks.
Embarking- Royal has this down to an art! We had a 12:00 check in appointment and got on the ship with no delay, no problems, no wait, and no stress. Easy Peasy. Honestly, despite we are Platinum with Carnival it was still easier getting on the Royal ship because they have so many staff.
The ship- When we sailed with Royal we was in the Allure and all I can say is, Oh my gosh! Itâs gorgeous! The ship is set up to where when youâre walking through the main floors you would never even know you are on a ship. I canât tell you enough about how amazing the ship was on Royal! I love Carnival but they donât come close to a ship comparison.
Staterooms- Royals staterooms are bigger, not by a ton, but it was noticeable. The bathrooms on Royal are three times the size as Carnivals.
On Royal we stayed in an interior balcony cabin and it was a whole new experience! Our room was at the back of the ship. We could look to the right to see the main stage for the water show and the ocean out the back. Beneath us we could see the boardwalk that had Johnny Rocket, a carousel, a hot dog stand, bars and more. It was literally an awesome view. None of Carnivals ships have interior balconies yet.
Main dining room- Carnivals main dining is much easier to get into. Their âmy time diningâ is just that. If you donât make reservations with Royal itâs virtually impossible to get in to dine with out standing at the door of the restaurant waiting for an hour or greater waiting for an available table after everyone with reservations has been seated. So take my advice if youâre on a Royal cruise, make reservations for your main dining! Royals main dining is much more elegant. They have cloth table cloths. The tables are set up the way Carnivals used to be. They have staff everywhere and because of this the waiters are able to give you undivided attention. I know food is always matter of opinion, but itâs my opinion that Carnivals main dining food is much better than Royals.
The entertainment- Carnivals shows are much easier to get into for sure. On Royal you have to make reservations (most did ahead of time when they booked their cruise) and while this is suitable for some, we are âfly by the seat of our pantsâ kind of family while on vacation, so this was not very accommodating for us. We did get to see the water show, but only because we could see it from our balcony. With that said it was a GREAT show to say the least.
Itinerary- Carnival hands down has the best itinerary, specifically with their fun squad. I love seeing them all over the ship creating positive energy and making everyone smile. This is a huge part of cruising I think. Royals cruise director was never to be seen and any of the events we attended was so overcrowded it wasnât even enjoyable. On Carnival I feel like there are personal interactions with the staff and cruise directors.
Water parks- Maybe it was the Royal ship we choose, but Carnival definitely has better water parks. I just wish there was a way Carnival could accommodate the smaller children who arenât potty trained. Itâs miserable for families that have a toddler and a child potty trained because of this. The toddler has to sit and watch the sibling play or neither gets to play. I understand the whole reason behind it, I just wish there was a better solution to this (and no leaving our children at home is not an option).
Restaurants- Iâm going to have to go with Carnival on this one. Royals restaurants are expensive. Itâs 50 bucks a person (without gratuities) to eat at the Italian restaurant on the Royal ship! To me thatâs a bit pricey.
Gratuityâs- While Iâm an avid tipper and a huge believer in gratuityâs Royal charges you 18.00 per person per day, they add gratuityâs when you make dining reservations or buy a drink package, then gratuityâs are expected when you get the service. Again I donât mind tipping at all, but tipping three times is a little excessive I think.
Casino- Without a shadow of a doubt Carnivals casinos are better. On Royal the craps table has no âspecial betâ, the odds are payed different than any other casino I have ever been in, and the dealers are incredibly strict on the way the dice is thrown. They made the game not fun to be honest. On Carnival the casino is always packed, up beat, and for the most part the dealers and casino hosts are friendly and welcoming.
With all that said at the end of the day Iâm still a Carnival cruiser. Royal does have its perts, I do love the abundance of staff, the fancy dining areas, and the gorgeous ships, but I also understand to keep cruising affordable corners had to be cut. I would rather pay Carnivals prices than Royals any day. At this point Iâm staying with Carnival" â¤ď¸
