Royal Caribbean Cruiselines

Cruise profile: Royal Caribbean and its larger than life ships

As part of our occasional series profiling the big cruise companies, SeaView’s cruise expert David Simpson gives the lowdown on Royal Caribbean's family-friendly ships...

Royal Caribbean International has always been a cruise line with big ideas. And none come bigger than the two most recent additions to the fleet, Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.

They both weigh in at a staggering 225,000 tons, carry 5,400 guests and are the largest cruise ships  afloat by a mile. They are the flagships of a fleet of colossal vessels, the baby being Legend of the Seas at a mere 69,000 tons.

RCI - or Royal Caribbean Cruise Line as it used to be known - has also pushed the boundaries of cruise innovation over the past 25 years, being the first to introduce the soaring atriums found today on most modern ships, then following on with a host of entertainment features such as ice rinks, water parks, rock walls, zip line, and carousels.

Nighttime entertainment is glitzy and aimed at the largely American clientele, so expect the casinos to be hard at work.

Cruising with Royal Caribbean isn't for the faint-hearted, although, despite their size, you can usually find a quiet corner of the ship to hide away from it all.

The cabins on the newer vessels are extremely spacious - another aspect of modern-day cruising that RCI pioneered - and continue to grow, with many boasting large sliding windows and balconies.

The food, served in a staggering array of different venues ranging from dress-up to dress-down, is pretty good considering it has to be produced on such a large scale, but don't expect Cordon Bleu.

Royal Caribbean strives to find a product to suit everyone - and generations of children, parents and grandparents will testify to that, although the seniors may tire of the 'Milton Keynes at Sea' enormity of it all after a while.

But you still need to do your homework when picking a cruise to suit you. Gargantuan ships aren't to everyone's taste - even if they do offer more activities than the ports of call.

Carnival vs Royal Caribbean - Cruise Reviews Forums

I am 23 and my boyfriend is 24 and we are trying to plan a cruise trip. Let me first state that my family and I are from the caribbean so the ports of call are not as important to me (but they are to my boyfriend since he has never been out of the country). However, I have never been to Nassau as an adult and that is where we are planning on going. Since we are still young...we are still in that drinking/partying stage (but not excessively). We don't mind kids or the older crowd but what do you guys suggest for someone our age? I know everyones experience is difference but I would like just a little advice because we are having a hard time choosing between the two because they are so similar in price/duration/ports of call It would help if you told us what ships you're looking at. Since you only mentioned going to Nassau, it sounds like you're looking at a short cruise. Which if that's the case both cruise lines use their older ships. The cruise experience will be quite similar on those ships. However; if you're looking at the larger newer ships then there's bigger differences. Please give us more information. Based on my experiences on both cruise lines, it sounds like, given your ages, that Carnival might be closer to meeting your expectations. Both cruise lines have many similarities, but it does seem to me that the average age of any given Carnival passenger is younger than the run-of-the mill Royal Caribbean passenger. I am 41 and my wife is 38 and we seem to fit in pretty well on Royal Caribbean and we do seem a bit older than average on Carnival, although that has never been a problem in any way. I agree with Brad and Sandy, too. Let me throw another suggestion in, NCL I'm in my 50s and my hubby's in his 60s, however, for the shorter cruises, all of these lines seem to have a great mix of age groups. They all offer good clubs/dancing/activities. We still enjoy having fun, and we've always had a good time on any of these lines. The shorter cruises tend to have younger crowds, so I think you'll be able to have a great time on any of them. Just my opinion and everyone has their own but this is a no brainer. I have been on both Carnival and Royal Caribbean and hands down Royal Caribbean is the best. Better food, better entertainment, better rooms. Don't get me wrong, we cruise in both of them. Just went on a carnival cruise last month but we love Royal Caribbean and have never been disappointed with them. Can't wait for the Allure in October!

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