Royal Caribbean

You'll find that different cruise lines have more in common than things that are different. The boarding process, food, entertainment, and basic amenities are fairly similar. That said, each cruise line has it's strengths, weaknesses, and unique features. Here's a break down of how Royal Carribean stacks up based on our experiences.

• Entertainment - Royal Caribbean has a clear edge here. Most ships offer an ice show that's definitely work seeing, live bands, a pub guitarist. Oasis class ships also have a diving show, and Broadway shows such as Hairspray, Chicago, etc. There are some comedy shows, but there's less variety than on Carnival.

• On Board Activities - Royal Caribbean has trivia, but not nearly as much as Carnival. It also lags in deck parties which are not well attended or as 'fun' in our opinion. It varies by ship, but most offer things like a rock climbing wall, flo-rider, bumper cars, ice skating, the Abyss slide, etc. They also still have the Crazy Quest, the raunchy adult oriented crowd participation show.

• Food - This is best described as similar but different. The set up is just like Carnival with sit down dining or a buffet. The entrees are different but comparable, although most people do give a slight edge to Royal. The dinner buffet is notably better. The late-night pizza is notable worse, but available until 3 a.m. There also are specialty restaurants on each ship for an upcharge.

• Casino - Very similar to Carnival and other cruise lines.

• Drink and Food Package - The starting price for the drink package is higher than Carnival, but Royal almost always offers discounts of 20-40% off that. Importantly, you can cancel without penalty so if the price drops you simply cancel and rebuy at the lower price. Expect to pay roughly $65-$90 a day for the drink package (Carnival currently about $80/day) pre gratuity. You also can purchase specialty dining packages and get significant discounts in advance. The drink package on Royal is unlimited (no 15 drink limit).

• Rooms - Differ by ship but overall very similar with interior, oceanview, balcony, and suites. We found the Carnival bedding slightly more comfortable, but they will provide you with a mattress topper which helps upon request to your room steward.

• Ship differences - The signature feature is the Royal Promenade, which runs down deck 5 and serves as a center for nightlife. Here you'll find the guitar pub, a Latin dance club, karaoke, a piano bar, and usually live bands and a dance club nearby.

• Internet - Most find the Royal app to be superior. It works well on the ship, and you can sign in and see (and sometimes book) some of the activities even before you board the ship. Internet is usually fast and reliable if you pay for it.

• Cruise guests - Royal tends to skew older (only a few years on average), although you'll see lots of families when kids are out of school. Like Carnival, people tend to be friendly, but it's common for frequent Royal cruisers to look down on Carnival.

• Crew - You'll find the crew to be just as friendly as hard working as Carnival and other cruise lines. The cruise director is not nearly as visible as Carnival, and Royal relies on the entertainment to sell itself.

Overall, we've had great experiences on both Carnival and Royal and have enjoyed taking advantage of the strengths of each one. For Royal, it's definitely some of the shows and the experiences that each ship offers that are worth checking out. The new food options will be a nice change for those who have started to memorize some of the long time Carnival entrees (to be fair Royal Caribbean also repeats menu items).