Part1: The Ultimate Comparison: Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival - From the eyes of a Loyal to Royal Cruising Family

Loyalty Programs and Credit Card Perks

When choosing between Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Lines, a significant factor to consider is their respective loyalty programs: the Crown & Anchor Society and the Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) Club. Both programs offer a variety of tiered benefits that aim to reward frequent cruisers with exclusive perks and incentives.

The Crown & Anchor Society by Royal Caribbean is structured into six tiers, starting with Gold and moving up to Pinnacle Club. Members accumulate points based on the number of nights they cruise and their stateroom category. Benefits include discounts on future bookings, priority boarding and disembarkation, access to exclusive events, and complimentary services like laundry. Higher tiers enjoy more substantial perks, such as behind-the-scenes tours and suite privileges, free drinks per night and we got lapel pins once we turned Emerald, which just makes you feel a little special for sure. Notably, Pinnacle Club members are afforded the highest level of luxury, with perks like a free 7-night cruise for reaching 700 cruise points. You can climb the Royal Tier ladder faster if you book Jr. Suites or higher, or travel with sister companies like Celebrity or Silverseas.

Carnival's VIFP Club operates similarly, featuring five tiers beginning with Blue and culminating at Diamond. Points are also awarded based on cruise nights, and benefits increase with status. Early benefits include members-only offers and priority check-in. As members progress to higher tiers like Platinum and Diamond, they gain access to priority reservations, complimentary in-cabin water bottles, laundry service, and exclusive parties. Diamond members enjoy additional luxuries such as guaranteed seating times for dining and a dedicated hotline for priority support.

For additional savings and perks, both cruise lines offer branded credit cards, which provide further perks to cardholders. These can be great tools if you use them wisely and responsibly.

Royal Caribbean's Visa Signature® Card gives users the chance to earn MyCruise® Rewards points, which can be redeemed for onboard credits, cruise discounts, and even free sailings. Cardholders also enjoy perks like discounts at affiliated partner locations and no foreign transaction fees. Similarly, the Carnival® World Mastercard® allows cardholders to rack up FunPoints®, redeemable for onboard credits, cruise reservations, and special offers. Unique benefits include 10% back on shore excursions booked through Carnival and a low introductory APR on balance transfers.

Current offers can include 20,000-30,000 points just for signing up. Below is are screen shots from Aug. 2024

Royal’s card offers great rewards, such as free cruises, onboard credits, branded merch and more. Spending money with Royal builds your points faster. The card is backed by Bank of America and I have had several opportunities for 0% transfers 6-12 months on the 0%apr. It’s a solid card. Carnival’s card offers 6 month 0% interested on Carnival purchases, like cruise fare, excursions and pre-cruise planner purchases. Carnival also offer rewards, OBC, gift cards, travel perks you can buy with your points. Spending money with carnival gets you more points.

I now have both cards, Carnivals has been strictly used for this upcoming trip where I’ve booked 4 rooms, all paid off within the 6 month 0% interest window. Plus onboard credits issued to the kids, our shore excursion, flights/transfers, it’s be set to my onboard spending account and I’ll end up with enough points to cash in for $500 onboard credits, my plan is to use the credits in the casino and see if we get any free cruise offers down the road.

Ultimately, both loyalty programs and credit card perks are designed to enhance the cruising experience, offering advantages that can make a substantial difference in value and enjoyment. Potential cruisers might prefer Royal Caribbean's extensive tier-based rewards or Carnival's straightforward and fun-centric approach, depending on individual preferences and cruising habits.

Pre-Booking in Their Cruise Planner

Cruise Planner tools are extremely important to me. I enjoy a good cruise and I tend to book up to 2 years in advance. This gives me plenty of time to pay off the cruise before final payment (typically 90 days before our sail date). The pre-cruise planner also allows me to book and pay in advance most aspects of our cruise. We try very hard to not spend any extra money on our cruises, outside of a modest casino budget and tour guide tips, we can pretty much pre pay for all other aspects. Neither my husband nor I are souvenir people, and don’t really take much cash into port with us.

When planning a cruise vacation, the pre-booking options offered by Royal Caribbean and Carnival are crucial elements in shaping the overall experience. Both cruise lines provide robust online cruise planners, which allow passengers to reserve various amenities and activities before embarking on their voyage. These tools are designed to enhance convenience and ensure guests can make the most of their time onboard.

Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner is lauded for its comprehensive array of pre-booking options. Guests can secure shore excursions, specialty dining reservations, spa treatments, and beverage packages well in advance. This not only guarantees availability but often comes with the benefit of early-bird discounts. The interface is notably user-friendly, allowing passengers to easily navigate through options and tailor their itinerary to personal preferences. Additionally, Royal Caribbean frequently offers bundled packages that provide significant savings, particularly in specialty dining and beverage packages.

Carnival Cruise Lines also offers a pre-booking system through its Fun Planner. This tool allows passengers to book similar amenities, including shore excursions, specialty dining, spa services, and various drink packages. While the variety of options is commendable, some users find the interface slightly less intuitive compared to Royal Caribbean's platform. However, Carnival compensates with more to buy. You can add in room decorations, gifts, sunblock, beer and wine, on cruise money - I like this feature as we travel with our adult children and I like gift them OBC. Carnival makes this much easier than Royal.

Specialty items like room decor seem to be priced the same between both lines, averaging about $70s a package. Royal has better pricing on souvenir drink cooler bags. Currently soda and water bags $40 soda and $35 for water Beer bags are $60. Where Carnival soda bags are $55 and water bags are $56, beer bags are a whopping $75, $15 more than Royals.

Overall, both cruise lines provide extensive pre-booking systems aimed at enhancing the cruising experience. Royal Caribbean stands out with a more streamlined and user-friendly platform, while Carnival entices with competitive pricing and promotions. Ultimately, the choice between the two may come down to individual preferences for interface usability and specific package deals. Taking advantage of these pre-booking options can significantly elevate the cruising experience by ensuring everything from dining reservations to shore excursions are seamlessly organized in advance.

Food, Kid Programs, and Entertainment

When comparing Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Lines, the diversity and quality of their dining options are keystones in delivering a memorable culinary experience for guests. Royal Caribbean boasts a plethora of dining venues, with complimentary options such as the Main Dining Room and Windjammer Café, delivering various international cuisines. Specialty dining venues like Chops Grille and Jamie's Italian further elevate the dining experience, albeit at an additional cost. The quality remains consistently high, ensuring guests enjoy a memorable gastronomic journey.

Carnival Cruise Lines matches well with its own extensive array of dining options. Complimentary venues like the Dining Room and Lido Restaurant offer diverse menus comprising classic to contemporary dishes. Specialty dining at venues such as Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse and Cucina del Capitano adds a touch of gourmet adventure for those willing to splurge. Accessibility to these dining venues is a breeze, with many open around the clock, making sure every craving is promptly satisfied.

Turning towards kid programs, Royal Caribbean emphasizes comprehensive child engagement through its Adventure Ocean Youth Program. Catering to diverse age groups, from tots to teens, the program offers supervised activities such as scavenger hunts, science experiments, and dance parties. For the youngest travelers, Royal Babies & Tots provides babysitting services and tailored activities. Similarly, Carnival's Camp Ocean splits children into age-appropriate groups, presenting a mix of educational activities and fun events. Carnival's Night Owls service also ensures parents can enjoy some adult time while professionals engage their children in themed parties and games.

Entertainment is another pillar where both cruise lines excel. Royal Caribbean offers Broadway-caliber shows, ice-skating performances, and high-diving aqua shows, appealing to both families and adult audiences. Enrichment activities such as cooking classes and wine tasting sessions diversify the onboard experience. Carnival Cruise Lines, in comparison, keeps its guests amused with spectacular live performances, stand-up comedy acts, and family-friendly movie nights. Daytime activities range from poolside games to engaging workshops and seminars, ensuring something for everyone.

In essence, both Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Lines deliver a rich tapestry of dining options, kid programs, and entertainment, ensuring a delightful onboard experience for all ages. The fine balance of variety, quality, and accessibility contributes to an unforgettable cruise adventure.

To be continued….

I haven’t always enjoyed the cruising life. In fact I like to think I am still relatively new to the whole world. But one thing I’ve learn, it pays to be loyal to a brand. My first cruise was on Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the sea out of Galveston. I was amazed and overwhelmed. There is literally something for everyone and still to much to do and see and eat in 7 nights onboard. Needless to say I was completely sucked in. The next year we tried Princess. Another love and win for cruise life. I found princess wasn’t as exciting and it did not feel as overwhelming either. The adult pool was up front and rocked like a wave pool at sea, which I enjoyed. Next, was a Celebrity cruise, 9 days Alaska, which added to my Crown and Anchor points with Royal Caribbean. Then a complimentary Royal Cruise with their Casino Royale program. Followed by a Royal Caribbean Alaska cruise. . . Yeah, I’m hooked alright.

The perks keep coming too. Now as Emerald status with frequent visits to the casinos, we get offers all the time for comped rooms. This make it very hard to break away from Royal or Celebrity.

Since I sell travel as a part time gig, I get asked all the time about Carnival. As of today, I have not even sailed once. That will change in December of 2024, when we have our first Carnival caribbean cruise. I am really excited to sail on Carnival Breeze and enjoy our spa room perks. Breeze has a thermal spa area that is unlike anything on Royal Ships, those I’ve sailed. We just got back from a Viking Expedition trip through the Great Lakes and I literally lived in the spa. I know Carnival will have thousand more guest onboard then our Viking ship of 378 vs Breeze’s 3,690, so the spa will get crowed at times. I do plan on swinging by often and maxing out the most of our spa balcony room.

I am starting a little early on comparing Royal and Carnival and will update this post as I learn more.

For now, I wanted point out the things I know.

We have the Carnival Breezed booked for December 2024 and a Royal Caribbean Casino comp booked for August 2025. Already the online planer for Royal has offered better “sales” promos then I’ve seen for Carnival. Carnivals alcohol drink package CHEERS, has not once been on sale since I’ve booked (September 2023). In fact, it went up since booking, fleet wide price increase right before 2024. Currently, Royal has a buy one get the second one 1/2 off. Carnivals CHEERS package is $82 a person per day and Royals is discounted to $75 per person per day (claiming it normally $105pp/pd). Which has definitely doubled since we last purchased this package in 2022… Royal’s Deluxe drink package is UNLIMITED, where carnival caps you at 15 alcoholic beverages a day and I am not sure about the other drinks, fresh squeeze juices, specialty teas and coffees, sodas, etc. We’ve purchased Royals package on other trips but as the pricing keeps going up, we are finding it harder and harder to commit to. I don’t see us buying the Cheers package on our 5 day trip.

We recently booked our Royal cruise only because it was a “free” 6 night balcony with an overnight stay in Cabo, thought we’d try something new. Royal offer sales frequently in the pre-cruise planner and already show shore excursions at discounted rates and special dining venues are 10-15% off right now. Again, I don’t see many sale with Carnival cruise planner which I have been a bit disappointed in. When I do see them, it’s been buy more then one spa treatment or excursion and get discounts. Example, booking 3 spa visits in the cruise planner, you can get 10-15% off certain treatments. Or buy 1 shore excursion get 10% off buy two or more get 20% off.

Let us move on and see how else these two giants compare. I’ll do my best to not be bias :)

Part two: How did Carnival do in the eyes of a Loyal to Royal Cruising family?