Royal Caribbean vs Carnival
The age-old cruise debate, Carnival vs Royal Caribbean. I have cruised both Royal Caribbean and Carnival in the past year and honestly, there are only slight differences between them, in my opinion. The question is, what is more important for you?
I cruised Utopia of the Seas which is a Royal Caribbean Oasis Class ship that started construction in 2020 and set sail in July 2024 out of Port Canaveral. I have also sailed Carnival Celebration which is a part of Carnivals Excel Class. It began construction in 2021 and set sail in late 2022. On both cruises I had an ocean view balcony.
I sailed on the Celebration in May for 8 days to Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and the Dominican Republic and the Utopia in January for 4 days to Nassau and Coco Cay, Royal Caribbeans private island.
“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. – H. Jackson Brown Jr.”
Pros and Cons At a Glance
Royal Caribbean
- Spacious rooms
- Modern design
- Bigger shows
- Private Island
Carnival
- Less expensive
- Better food
- More structured
Aerial shot from aft of Utopia of the Seas showing private Island Coco Cay (Yes, it was a perfect day!)
In transparency, I paid more for the three nights on Utopia of the Seas than I did for 7 nights on the Celebration and that is a big factor to me. They call it the “ultimate weekend” which leaves big shoes to fill. However, their shows were spectacular from the ice-skating show to the 80’s water show, and the sleek modern design rivaled the Celebration. Utopia offers bigger rooms that are laid out in a more user-friendly way (giving you more room when first walking into the cabin by have the living area first vs the bed first).
The Celebration was a great ship, in fact, I am going to be sailing it again. It is modern compared to the lower classes of Carnival’s fleet. I like how carnival gives you printed versions of the daily activities, so it is very easy to plan your days. Royal Caribbean highly relies on their app to see daily happenings, which can have you glued to your phone more than you planned. There are many small happenings throughout the days to stay busy, especially on sea days.
In conclusion, the age-old debate comes down to opinion. Both cruise lines offer different pros and cons. Reach out to me to learn more about either cruise line!
Carousel of photos from Carnival Celebration
Carousel of photos from Utopia of the Seas
