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While the food options differ between Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival provides more options included in the price of your cruise. Royal Caribbean’s main dining room features a varied menu with options like lobster bisque, filet mignon, and baked Alaska. Regardless of which cruise line you choose, both offer a great selection of onboard activities to keep you busy. Most Carnival ships focus on the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and Mexico, offering only a limited number of cruises to Europe, Alaska, or Hawaii. Whether you're thinking of booking a cruise to relax or you're someone who's always on the go, you won't be disappointed with Royal Caribbean or Carnival.
Carnival Cruise Line & Royal Caribbean Draw a Similar Demographics
Dive-In Movies offered poolside on select ships with outdoor LED screens (most of the fleet). Royal Caribbean offers a large variety of cabin categories, especially on its newest ships. Innovative cabin options include Virtual Balcony inside cabins with giant LED screens that give the impression of floor-to-ceiling windows. Assuming both cruise lines can fit your date, destination and amenity preferences, Royal Caribbean comes out ahead. This is particularly true if your budget can accommodate the higher cost for interior cabins and/or you aren’t traveling with kids. Among its offerings are Playmakers Bar & Arcade, which pairs drinks with arcade games, and Boleros, a Latin-themed nightclub with music, dance and cocktails.
Royal Caribbean for Families
If you want flexibility and lots of free dining options, go with Carnival. If you want lots of specialty dining options, and free-flowing drinks — and don’t mind paying for them — go with Royal Caribbean. Choosing the best cruise line between Royal Caribbean and Carnival ultimately depends on what you value most in a vacation. Royal Caribbean leads with its innovative ships and adrenaline-pumping activities, making it ideal for those seeking a high-tech, adventure-filled journey.
Carnival Cruise Line Fleet
Understandably, if you want to try the biggest ships with the best features, you’ll need to pay more. While Royal Caribbean has slightly more to offer during the day on the latest ships, Carnival is still excellent. It might come down to whether you’re more excited by a roller coaster at sea, or by a surfing or skydiving simulator. The food options on both cruise lines are very similar – whatever type of cuisine you enjoy, you’ll be well catered to. Most cruise ship balcony staterooms are higher up a ship, but Cove Balcony cabins on a Carnival ship are a little lower – they’re the closest you can safely get to the water.
Carnival Spirit Ship Tour
It will cost $4 for a pair of pants or skirt and another $4 for a long sleeve shirt. Royal Caribbean should definitely be your pick if you want to see great shows. Although Carnival’s comedy shows are very popular as well and there’s usually a family-friendly option. I looked at every Royal Caribbean and Carnival cruise departing from the U.S. from the past year of 2023 through the spring of 2025 to break down which ports are used most often by these two cruise lines. Carnival offers more departure ports from the United States, especially when sailing from smaller ports like Mobile, AL or New Orleans, LA. Royal Caribbean also has dynamic pricing for some things, so the Deluxe Beverage package will cost anywhere from $56 to $105 per day, depending on the ship and dates of the cruise.
Royal Caribbean is your place to go for truly “wow”-worthy entertainment and activities. No matter which ship you sail on, you’re sure to find near-endless ways to stay busy and have fun. Newer ships in the Quantum-class offer the SeaPlex, an indoor entertainment center with activities such as roller skating and trapeze classes.
Best Cruise Ship Family Cabins
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On formal nights, Joey spotted several people in t-shirts and shorts having dinner. Carnival Cruise Line is also developing a new “port destination,” Grand Bahama Port, on the south side of Grand Bahamas. The port will be able to accommodate two of Carnival’s largest ships at a time and will feature a nature reserve, an interior pool, beach access, and lots of food options. Royal Caribbean really turned heads when it turned it’s private island at CocoCay into an action-packed water park with some of the tallest water slides in North America. Thermal suite access has an extra surcharge for both cruise lines (unless you book a spa cabin), and this might not even be an area of interest for you. It’s just something to keep in mind for those wanting to spend a lot of time in the spa.
Wonder of the Seas Central Park: A Unique Blend of Nature and Luxury
When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. Royal Caribbean and Carnival take different approaches to onboard entertainment as well, though you'll never be bored on either line.
On Carnival ships, there are more free than paid restaurant choices, and you have a wide variety of outlets to choose from. Royal Caribbean tends to have more specialty restaurants than Carnival, and they are usually elegant and a bit expensive. Carnival also offers Serenity Adult-Only Retreat areas and Cloud 9 Spas, as well as libraries, art exhibits and seminars, and sports like volleyball and basketball. Entertainment includes audience participation shows, trivia contests, comedy clubs, live shows with dancing and singing, and tons of live music. For example, the new Icon of the Seas has the world’s largest waterpark at sea, 7 pools, and the “Stay All Day” Surfside neighborhood for families. Accommodations are also over the top, with special family suites like the 3-level Ultimate Family Townhouse with an indoor slide, a cinema room, and a private patio just off of the Surfside area.
If you want a more sophisticated feel, check out a Royal Caribbean cruise. Royal Caribbean cruises draw more people from other countries in addition to Americans, and their higher price point translates to a more upscale atmosphere. However, the variety of exciting activities onboard means that plenty of younger adults and families enjoy these cruises as well.
These unique rooms might give you the chance to enjoy a balcony view at a lower cost, or you could opt for a themed suite that adds an extra touch of magic to your journey. The Carnival Vista also had thoughtful interiors, with designs geared toward creating a casual and lively atmosphere. However, the only area where Monica spotted art displayed was during an auction where guests could bid on and buy different works. The Carnival Vista didn't require passengers to reserve shows ahead of time. Instead, guests could arrive early for the best seat in the house, or come in the middle of a show and grab any open seat. While Joey's ship had more activities thanks in part to its larger size, Monica thought it didn't seem like anyone could get bored on the Carnival Vista either.
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Wonder of the Seas' main buffet, Windjammer, served breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Joey's sailing. Always full of guests, the buffet offered a wide variety of options for each meal, from French toast to falafel. A DIY taco bar, all-you-can-eat pizza, and unlimited soft-serve were also available.
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 cruise lines offer many sailings to popular destinations like the Bahamas and the Caribbean. Still, Royal Caribbean dominates in the size category which also allows for more amenities than almost any other line.
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