Royal v. Carnival v. Princess v. Celebrity

TTnoles

Hi All!

We are starting to look into our HM and I have a question out there for you!!  I have cruised with RC, NCL, and Carnival before (have to say I love Carnival!) but the last cruise that my FI and I took with Carnival there seemed to be some....uh....rather unsavory characters on board.   We are looking to cruise for the HM but we want a ship that has a.) lots to do in regards to gambling, nightlife, and entertainment b.) fewer children c.) not too many old people either...are our standards too high?

I know cruising is what you make it but I have heard that Princess/Celebrity tends to attract an older crowd while Carnival is mostly families.  I know we will have kids on board, but not TOO many would be nice.  I feel like Royal Carribean is the happy medium, but not sure...any advice would be great!

cfibelkorn

Not sure but we went with Royal Caribbean for those very same reasons. 

I heard Carnival was younger crowd (kids and party people). Princess is really romantic but geared more towards older people.

We are 21 and 26 and we though Royal Caribbean would be best  

SuMmErKuTiE

I answered similarly the other day to a knottie who asked us to compare Carnival to Royal Caribbean:

I've been on both, and I would vote Royal Caribbean hands down! Everything about RC was superior to Carnival.. the rooms, the decor, the food, the onboard activities, the other guests (not nearly as many kids), the staff, the onboard entertainment, and overall care for their guests. I had a lot of fun on Carnival as well, but it was my first cruise so I thought everything was amazing, but everyone kept telling me "Wait til you go on a Royal Caribbean cruise!" They were right! Would I go on Carnival again? Sure.. but I definitely prefer RC.

No matter what, cruising is a blast! But if you're looking for activities but want to cut back on kids running around everywhere I would go with Royal Caribbean. It also depends on when you go, if it's in the summer or during a school vacation there will be kids everywhere. HTH!

leigh44

I agree on everything SuMmErKuTiE said. After crusing both, I will always cruise Royal!

Laura & Bryan

I am also loyal to royal    But I also think that, in regards to children and elderly, the cruise you pick determines that a lot.  Longer cruises tend to have older folks, school vacation cruises are packed with children, etc.  I haven't cruised princess or celebrity, but from what I've heard, there is a little less to do and it is geared more towards relaxation and personal attention.  So if you want nightlife and gambling and activities, I think you're deciding between RCL and Carnival.  Just pick a great itinerary and a great ship -- any cruise is a fabulous vacation!