We sailed in an interior cabin on Carnival and an ocean-view room on Royal Caribbean. We'd only book one again.

09.09.2024 - 22:25 / insider.com / Royal Caribbean / Monica Humphries

When it comes to cruising, Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line are often mentioned in the same sentence. The two cruise lines are competitors and are among the world's most popular cruise lines. Business Insider reporters went on both.

In April 2022, Joey Hadden took her first cruise on board Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, one of the largest cruise ships in the world that can hold about 7,000 guests. During Joey's seven-night voyage, the ship sailed to Roatán, Honduras; Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico; and Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas.

In July 2021, Monica Humphries joined 2,700 vaccinated passengers on the Carnival Vista, the first Carnival ship to depart the US since the pandemic began. Due to COVID-19, it purposefully sailed at partial capacity but can hold 3,934 passengers. The seven-night trip embarked from Galveston, Texas, and made stops in Mahogany Bay, Honduras; Belize; and Cozumel, Mexico.

The reporters spent their week on their respective ships in different stateroom types. On the Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, Joey slept in a mid-tier, ocean-view room. Monica, on the other hand, spent seven nights in an entry-level standard interior room.

The rooms and ships are inherently different. Take a look at how their accommodations varied in price, amenities, and size, and why we thought the Royal Caribbean room was ultimately worth the upgrade.