Which Mainstream Cruise Line is BEST? Royal, Norwegian, MSC, or Carnival?

Imagine booking your dream cruise on one of the 4 most popular lines… only to realise within hours of boarding it’s not for you – so many things are wrong. I don’t want that to happen to anyone, that’s why I’m going to compare these four, while they’re the biggest cruise lines in the world, all seem so similar, all promise fun, loads of on board venues, and great prices… but in reality, they’re very different. As you will discover.

I’m going to break down exactly what each does best, what they don’t do so well, and who they’re really for — so you can avoid an expensive mistake.

But before that let me explain what they all do have in common.

What Do They Have In Common?

The world’s four biggest lines based on passengers carried are Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, and Carnival.

Think of these four as the “resort” lines of the cruise world. Like land resorts, the ships are a destination themselves.

They are large carrying thousands of passengers, have dozens of venues, dining options range from casual burgers to fancy specialty restaurants, there’s Broadway and West End-level shows, an endless range of activities for wide range of interests, and a high-energy atmosphere.

They also have the lowest starting fares in cruising — sometimes from as low as $55 per person, per night in low season.

But here’s where the similarities end. Let me dive into their differences starting with what they are each best known for.

Best Known For (Good & Bad)?

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean is best known for having the biggest and most innovative ships in cruising today. Their mega ships are packed with surf simulators, zip lines, ice rinks, and have up to 6 different themed neighbourhoods.

Their biggest negative is some find their ships a bit overwhelming, noisy and too busy .

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian is best known for pioneering “freestyle cruising, with no fixed dining times or dress codes, tons of dining choices, strong entertainment, and the “Pride of America”, the only ship sailing Hawaii year-round.

They’re also seen as good for solos due to their Solo Studio cabins area and luxury seekers due to their suites-only The Haven area.

Their biggest negative is many feel they are constantly “nickel-and-dimed” on board, with extra charges for many things.

MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises is best known for providing a more European experience compared to the other three American one, their very competitive pricing with Kids travelling for free, and for the “Yacht club” their good value premium, ship-within- ship area.

Their biggest negatives are a reputation for poor customer service, inconsistent dining that does not always cater well for North American tastes, and all announcements and programs in six languages.

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival is best known for having what they call “The Fun Ships” which are affordable, lively, casual, with a focus on a party vibe and crowd-pleasing on deck activities.

Their biggest negative is a reputation for rowdy and bad behaviour on board, reinforced by new rules and bans occasionally introduced to tackle it.

With what they’re best known for in mind, let’s dive into more detail on their differences, starting with the fleet and itineraries, and then moving on to fares, cabins, dining, entertainment and who they are best for and why.

Fleet Size & Itinerary Differences?

Knowing the fleet and itinerary differences is key, as it may immediately narrow down which of these four lines are best suited to you based on where they can take you.

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean has the largest fleet with, at the time of recording, 28 ships carrying from 2,000 to 7,600 passengers.

They offer the widest global footprint, including the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada/ New England and South America, as well as offering several private destinations including Perfect Day at CocoCay, Labadee and Costa Maya.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian has the smallest fleet of the four, with 19 ships spread across six different classes but more on order.

They do though offer the second widest range of regions to cruise including Caribbean, Alaska, Hawaii, Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa. They also have private islands including Harvest Cay and Great Stirrup Cay.

MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises has a large fleet of 24 ships and growing fast with bigger ships like the new MSC World America, and MSC World Asia catering for up to 6,700 passengers.

They do sail several regions, but are very focused on the Mediterranean, and are building their routes in the Caribbean, Northern Europe, Middle East, South America, and Africa. They too have a private island: Ocean Cay.

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival has the second-biggest fleet with 27 ships and their ships are getting bigger and bigger with Carnival Jubilee carrying over 6,600 passengers.

They are mostly focused on the United States with many home ports and many short Caribbean, Bahamas, and Mexico itineraries. But they do sail Alaska, Australia, and some European routes, but have the smallest global footprint of all the lines.

Let me talk a little bit about pricing differences next.

Fare Differences?

All offer affordable fares across most grades, and Inside Cabins can sometimes start from as low as $55 per person per night out of season. But here are some notable differences.

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean fares tend to be higher than Carnival and MSC Cruises, especially for their newer ships where demand is always high, and I see their starting prices are usually closer to $90 per person. Their larger suite fares match those of ultra- luxury lines like Seabourn and Regent Seven Seas.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line pricing is similar to Royal Caribbean, and The Haven also often costs the same as a suite on those ultra luxury lines too.

MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises is usually on the lower end of pricing in this category, often the lowest in Europe and very competitive in the Caribbean, helped by their Kids Cruise Free offer.

The Yacht club is, as mentioned, the most affordable ship-within-ship across all categories, often just between $300 and $600 per night.

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival, broadly speaking, will often have the lowest average fares especially in the Caribbean, and MSC and them tend to be the lower priced compared to the other two.

What about cabins? Are there any big differences?

Cabin Differences?

All four offer a wide range from budget friendly Inside Cabins to High-end Suites, but each line has their own signature twists.

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean, partly because of the scale of their newer ship classes, has the widest range and types of cabins. They have some of the largest and most expensive suites on any line like the Multi-storey Ultimate Family Suites, Star Class butler suites, but also have innovative virtual balcony Inside Cabins, and cabins at every grade that can hold at least 6 guests to cater for families.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian also has a wide range and family cabins but their Solo Studios with private lounge, and The Haven luxury enclave with pool, lounge, and concierge are seen as their most stand out features.

MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises with their big focus on the family market has many multiple occupancy cabins at all grades, but their most notable cabin feature is the Yacht Club (luxury ship-within-a-ship) at the industry’s best prices for this, with butler, private restaurant, and pool.

Unlike all other line ship-within-ships, they are the only ones that have Inside Cabins as well as suites in it.

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival again with focus on family has many options for multiple occupancy, generally fewer suite options, but has the reputation for generally slightly larger standard cabins than average.

Next, I explore if there are big differences in dining you need to know about

Dining Differences?

While all four on the surface appear to have a broadly similar approach to dining, there are some key differences.

All have main dining rooms, a buffet, casual venues, and specialty restaurants, but there are nuances in style, choice and quality.

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean in my view is the most solid all-rounder. Standouts here include the Windjammer Buffet, El Loco Fresh, Johnny Rockets Burgers, Chop’s Grill, Izumi, Jamie’s Italian, and the themed Wonderland.

Norwegian

Norwegian offers the most flexibility and is more casual. Standouts here include: O’Sheehan’s, The Local, and the new Indulge Food Hall which is a great flexible addition. Their Specialty restaurants like Cagney’s, Le Bistro, Teppanyaki, and my favourite, the Food Republic are consistently good

MSC Cruises

MSC stands out from the other with their European-inspired cuisine, with good pasta and pizza from their Italian roots.
But as mentioned they get the harshest reviews about quality and consistency all of the four, mostly from North American travellers.

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival stands out most for their American Comfort food focus, with regular Carnival cruisers loving venues like Guy’s Burger Joint and Blue Iguana Cantina. Their main dining room and buffet menus usually have less variety than Royal Caribbean and Norwegian but its solid, probably reflecting their more value-based fares.

What about entertainment and activities? Where do they differ?

Entertainment & Activities Differences?

There are bigger differences in entertainment & activities among these four than many cruisers appreciate.

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean is the leader of the pack for entertainment. They have huge entertainment teams, over 250 on my last Symphony of the Seas trip serving up full Broadway productions, Ice Skating Shows, Aqua Theatre shows and activities like Waveriders, Zip Lines, Climbing Walls and skydiving simulators.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian has historically been very strong in big theatre shows, with some Broadway shows, like Beetlejuice I saw on Viva though they have started to cut back here with more in-house shows. They have a big live music focus, glitzy game shows, and late-night comedy and music.

MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises is probably the weakest of the four running shorter song and dance reviews to get around the 6-language approach, which also limits ability to run some traditional cruise favourites like trivia. They do have big themed nightly parties on the atrium along with other high energy performances there too earlier in the evenings.

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival has a more laid-back approach to entertainment with more focus on fun events to fit their “Fun Ships” promise, with Comedy clubs, deck parties, karaoke, pool games, and smaller-scale theatre production shows than some of the others.

So, bearing all this in mind, who are they aimed at and who is each best for and why?

Best For Differences?

As you will see they are best for quite different people.

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean is for cruisers who want a floating theme park with lots of big-scale entertainment and things to do, making them best for families with kids of all ages, multi-generational groups, and active action-seeking couples and friend groups.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise line is for cruisers who love flexibility, casual dress codes and busy music-focused nightlife making them best for independent-minded travellers, night owls and because of those dedicated areas, solos and luxury suite lovers who still want all the choices and entertainment a bigger ship offers.

MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises is for cruisers wanting a European experience, a more cosmopolitan and international crowd, and all on a budget, making them best for conscious travellers, especially families, and those wanting more luxury but at a more affordable price.

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival is for cruisers who want a lively high-energy, fun party atmosphere that is casual and affordable, making them best for budget conscious and sociable couples, friend groups and families, especially Americans as that is their key focus. They’re also great for those looking for short inexpensive breaks as they have many of these.

If you’ve decided that these resort value lines aren’t for you, why don’t you join me over in this article where I dive into premium cruise lines, including Holland America, Princess, Celebrity, and Virgin? See you over there.

 

Sign up to my Newsletter and never miss another post, and also get bonus tips, content, and offers not posted on the blog

Free and Premium Perk Options