Carnival vs. Royal Caribbean: Which Is Better?

Above, yours truly on the cruise to Havana, Cuba in 2019. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

TheTravel has posted an article comparing Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean. They ask, "Which is better?"

Personally, I have cruised once with Royal Caribbean and never on Carnival. I enjoyed the Royal Caribbean cruise to Key West, Florida and Havana, Cuba in April 2019. I have no complaints.

The article begins with:

With so many cruise lines to choose from, finding the right one can feel overwhelming—especially for first-time cruisers. Two of the most popular options, Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line, often come up in the conversation. Carnival recently surpassed Royal Caribbean in total number of ships, but more doesn’t always mean better. So, which cruise line truly delivers the better experience?

Both cater to a wide range of travelers, from families with young kids to couples and retirees, and each offers a packed schedule of activities across dozens of ships. In 2025, both lines are also making bold moves with their private island offerings—Carnival is launching Celebration Key in the Bahamas, while Royal Caribbean expects to bring 3.5 million guests to its popular Perfect Day at CocoCay.

In this article, we’ll compare Royal Caribbean and Carnival side-by-side, exploring their differences, similarities, and what makes each a favorite among millions of cruisers every year.

To read the full article, go here. 

Cruise Passenger Dies After Fatal Jet Ski Accident

Above, yours truly on a jet ski at Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas last summer.

A female jet-skier was killed at a private island owned by the Carnival Corporation. She was part of a Carnival cruise to Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas.

A friend and I jet-skied last August at a similar Bahamas cay owned by Norwegian Cruise Line. 

According to Cruise Blog:

According to Eyewitness News, an investigation is underway following the tragic accident that took place on March 22, 2025. 

Police in Eleuthra were contacted by the island's manager shortly after 1:00pm. Once they arrived on Half Moon Cay, the officers conducted an initial investigation that revealed the British/Czechoslovakia national allegedly lost control of her jet ski and collided with a rock. 

Though medical personnel were on the scene, they weren't able to revive the passenger. She was pronounced deceased by the local medical doctor. 

If the jet ski she was riding was like the ones we used, it is easy to see how she lost control of it. Those are more powerful machines compared to one I rode in Lake Havasu several years ago.  

To read more, go here.

How To Spot Fake Travel Agents and Cruise Scams

Above, a cruise ship docked at Freeport, Bahamas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There's an old saying about monetary transactions: Buyer Beware!

That about sums it up about scammers who victimize unwary travel and cruise customers. There are scams out there with people posing as travel agents. 

The Points Guy has posted an article on how to spot fake travel agents and cruise scams. 

It begins with:

When L. Williams chose to take a Caribbean cruise, she booked it with a travel agent employed by Carnival Cruise Line. Well, at least she thought she was booking with Carnival. It turns out the person who made her reservation wasn't a cruise consultant at all — he was a scammer.

Unfortunately, it would be five years before Williams discovered she'd lost $3,500 to that crook posing as a travel agent.

You read that right. Five years.

To read more, go here. 

Royal Caribbean and Carnival: Which Is Better?

Above, aboard Royal Caribbean's cruise to Cuba in 2019.

To date, I have only been on three cruises.

The first was in 2001 when my mom, daughter and I cruised to Alaska with Celebrity Cruise Line. Then, in 2019, I went on Royal Caribbean's cruise to Key West and Havana. Last August, I went on a cruise to the Bahamas with Norwegian Cruise Line.

The Cruise blog posted an article comparing Royal Caribbean and Carnival and which is the better value for the money.

They begin with:

Royal Caribbean and Carnival are two of the most popular cruise lines in operation with, collectively, over 50 ships at sea. Though I've been sailing with Royal Caribbean since I was 10, I recently began my journey with Carnival to explore why the "FUN" ship brand attracts millions of passengers annually.

Both lines offer unique experiences and cater to different styles of cruising. Royal Caribbean, for example, is known for its innovative and jam-packed ships. 

To see which cruise line is better for the money, go here. 

Royal Caribbean Has a New “Short Getaway” Ship

Above, Royal Caribbean's former ship, Majesty of the Seas,
 docked in Havana Port in 2019. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When friend Mitch Geriminsky and I were discussing taking a cruise this summer, my criteria was that the cruise has to be of shorter duration (4 to 5 days) on a smaller ship and not on any "behemoths" that cruise lines have been currently introducing.

The idea of spending more than five days aboard a ship with 1,500 to 2,000 others (especially after COVID) is not appealing to me. 

Therefore, we settled on a four-day cruise to the Bahamas board the Norwegian Sky, a smaller ship that accommodates about 2,000 people by Norwegian Cruise Lines. 

Abovc, Norwegian's ship, Norwegian Sky, docked in Nassau last month. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I am not alone, it appears. According to an article in the Caribbean Journal, the trend lately are cruises of shorter duration. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity are targeting travelers favoring shorter duration cruises. Royal Caribbean has a new ship tailored for short-duration cruising.

We took a cruise to Key West and Havana, Cuba in 2019 that was five days in duration with Royal Caribbean aboard their former ship, Majesty of the Seas, a ship that accommodated 2,000. That was sufficient enough for me.

They wrote:

Cruise passengers are looking for shorter trips. That seems to be the trend of late, with cruise giant Royal Caribbean making a major push to cater to what it calls “short getaway” itineraries. 

The company calls it “flipping the script on short getaways,” with the upcoming debut of the new Utopia of the Seas ship in Port Canaveral next week. 

To read more, go here.

Major Cruise Lines Dropping Mask Mandates

Above, our group aboard a Cuba-bound Royal Caribbean cruise ship in 2019.

Several cruise ship lines are dropping mask mandates. While they are doing so, some of them are still recommending masks while on board.

TravelPulse has posted an article on what each cruise lines are doing. 

They start with (with two of several cruise lines spotlighted):

As the vast majority of cruise lines met Friday’s deadline to opt into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) COVID-19 Cruise Ship Program, several major companies announced they would ease mask mandates onboard.

According to Reuters, Carnival Cruise Line announced last week facial coverings would no longer be mandatory on voyages starting on March 1, but the masks would still be recommended overall and required at specified venues and events.

Carnival officials also said they would offer more flexibility in pre-cruise testing requirements and permit children under five to sail without any need for vaccine or exemption.

Royal Caribbean International lifted onboard mask protocols for areas of ships that only permit vaccinated passengers, saying that “venues designated for vaccinated guests only, such as select bars, lounges, restaurants, shows and Casino Royale” would no longer require masks.

To read more, go here. 

Carnival's Massive Cruise Ship Arrives In Florida

Above, Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas, at Havana Port, was big enough. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

On average, cruise ships carry around 2,000 passengers, give or take.

Imagine a cruise ship that will carry over 6,000 people! 

Commentator Neal Boortz Tweeted:

Can you even imagine being on a cruise ship that holds 6500 passengers? Imagine the boarding process, and the crowds it would produce at destinations. Thanks, but no.

Cruise ships are already "floating petri dishes" with so many people crammed into a limited area. Humongous cruise ships would really be major sources of the spread of disease and illnesses.

Well, that's not stopping Carnival Cruise Line from building a gigantic cruise ship that was just delivered.

From AJC:

Carnival’s new cruise ship arrived Friday at Port Canaveral, and like its name, did so in style.

The new ship, Carnival Mardi Gras, was escorted into the port by two other Carnival ships.

Hundreds gathered to the area to welcome the massive cruise ship, which can hold 6,465 people and weighs a whopping 180,800 tons.

 As Boortz said, "Thanks, but no."

To read more and see a photo of the ship, go here.