When one looks at Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (abbreviated CCL and RCCL respectively), one sees two very different cruise lines each with its own style as well as some overlapping ones. What I am curious about, are the side by side comparisons in various areas, such as comfort, amenities, overall fun, suitability for each age group, and simple class to class comparison.
Comfort
RCCL has recently begun upgrading various things fleetwide. RCCL has begun to introduce flat-screens in all rooms, Wi-Fi connectivity, and higher thread count. RCCL has also in recent years imposed a curfew for minors under the age of 17 after 1 am.
CCL, unlike RCCL, has no curfew for minors, and therefore some can be seen wandering the ship late into the night on some of the more highly populated cruises. Carnival has, however, started an “evolutions of fun” program in which many of its smaller ships will be receiving upgrades such as new pools, new slides, improved spas, children’s areas etc...
The edge (by age group):
Teens and Underaged Minors
Any minor’s best bet in terms of comfort is going to go to CCL. Carnival maintains a fun environment for a vacation with no restrictions at all on when or what to do (except perhaps dinner in which both cruise lines follow traditional assigned seating)
Adults
Adults fall into a split between the two. I’ve found that some older adults (not seniors, but older nonetheless) prefer a more quiet and relaxed environment while cruising, but others (the younger crowd) prefers to party and just have a great time. RCCL might cater to the older crowd’s needs better than CCL in some ways, as well as vice versa, so this category is really a split between the two that comes down to personal preference.
Senior Citizens
Seniors, last, but certainly not least, are in an interesting situation. One cannot imagine a senior citizen enjoying too much partying, but then again, there are always exceptions. For seniors I would look more towards Carnival than anything. Carnival usually has the better prices, and as I’ve personally found out, seniors are happy so long as they are on a boat and know where to find everything. In terms of comfort, it’s no different…Carnival has fairly decent sized staterooms, more than enough activities to keep them pleased, and more or less a fun festive environment.
Amenities
Royal Caribbean has many choices when it comes to amenities; surfing, basketball, volleyball, dodgeball, golf, minigolf, a running track, ice-skating, rollerblading, rock-climbing, and even a water park onboard some its ships (Freedom Class) and these are in addition to the basic 3+ pools. The remainder of the fleet still retains some of the amenities, like voyager class only differs from the freedom class in that it has no surfing or water park. Some of the smaller ships only have a pool, golf, basketball/volleyball/dodgeball, and perhaps minigolf. In addition to these, RCCL introduces several industry firsts, such as a pizzeria and a barbershop; most ships on the line also feature an improved adult’s only spa/retreat area. Other features include a casino and a promenade modeled what appears to be a street straight out of a city.
Carnival has the basic amenities such as pools, casinos, and a grand atrium, but comes nowhere near close with other amenities. Basketball courts, running tracks, shuffleboard, and ping-pong can be found on most ships. Some of the newer ships feature a spinoff of Princess Cruise Line’s “Movies Under the Stars” and have a big-screen TV for movies and other entertainment purposes looking down on the main pool. However, Carnival does have waterslides on most if not all ships. Some of the older ships (Fantasy Class) are currently in the process of improving the Lido Deck area with new pools and restaurants, longer slides, a spray park. The Evolutions of Fun upgrade which is Carnival’s name for the improvements also includes a new adult’s only retreat onboard all Fantasy Class ships.
The Edge:
All around Royal Caribbean maintains the edge for amenities. There is simply no way to beat out a company introducing multiple industry firsts every few years. Carnival, however, is not too far overshadowed. The “Evolutions of Fun” upgrade is sure to leave a lasting impression on most; and, the big-screen TV and waterslides leave something unique to the line. Royal Caribbean held us in the surfing, rock climbing, ice-skating, promenade, and various other smaller amenities that one would not expect to see onboard a Carnival ship.
The Final Word:
For people who prefer adventure and constant activity, Royal Caribbean is the line for you. RCCL maintains a relaxed environment while still having all the basics and keeping you moving and exploring.
For people who like to party or just cruise in general, Carnival suits you best. Carnival is best known as the “fun ships” and these ships live up to their name. Every year CCL comes up with something new and exciting to do and its gets noticed.
Both cruise lines have their ups and downs and each caters to different types of people. RCCL seems to edge towards the adventurous as well as easy-going people while Carnival aims for the people who just want to have fun…without having to do something stupid. Both feature a host of different amenities and comforts.
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