One of the easiest differences to spot was the price. Joey’s Royal Caribbean cost about $700 more than the Carnival cruise.
Inside the Royal Caribbean (L) and Carnival (R) rooms. Joey Hadden/Insider, Monica Humphries/Insider
Joey’s seven-day cruise was originally priced at $3,000, but she purchased it on sale for $2,000 including gratuities.
Even at the sale price, it was still $700 more than Monica’s cruise, which cost $1,288 including gratuities.
Joey’s higher price was due to two main factors. First, she purchased a mid-tier, ocean-view room. Meanwhile, Monica sailed in the Carnival Vista’s cheapest room option: an entry-level interior stateroom.
An interior room on a Royal Caribbean ship can be between $50 and $500 cheaper than an ocean view room, according to Royal Caribbean Blog, so even if Joey had booked one, it likely still would have cost more than Monica’s stateroom did.
Royal Caribbean also charged Joey a single supplement fee, which is an extra fee that cruise lines charge single travelers as it helps them make up for the revenue that would have come has there been a second person on board, according to the LA Times. As a result, Joey’s cruise cost double what it would have been per person had she been traveling with a buddy.
Monica was not charged any additional fees for traveling solo, likely because the ship was running at partial capacity during its July 2021 sailing. According to USA Today, Carnival does charge a single supplement for solo cruisers but often runs promotions that waive the fee.
Carnival Cruise Interior Cabin Vs Royal Caribbean Ocean-View, Photos
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