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| Feature | Royal Caribbean International | Carnival Cruise Line | Norwegian Cruise Line |
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| Style | Contemporary | Contemporary | Contemporary |
| The vibe | Energetic, family-friendly and packed with headline attractions; think floating theme park with a good Broadway show at night. | Laid-back, loud in the best way and unpretentious; flip-flops, burgers by the pool and a comedy show after dinner. | Flexible and lively, with a Las Vegas-meets-resort feel; dinner whenever you want, in whatever you packed. |
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| Fleet size | 30 (as of October 2026) | 29 (as of March 2025) | 21 (as of March 2026) |
| Founded | 1968 | 1972 | 1966 |
| Parent company | Royal Caribbean Group | Carnival Corporation & plc | Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings |
| Gratuities | Royal Caribbean adds an automatic gratuity of $18.50 per person per day for most cabins (including junior suites) and $21 per person per day for higher suite categories. An 18% gratuity is added to bar and specialty dining purchases, and 20% to spa and salon services. You can prepay gratuities when you book or let them post to your onboard account. (as of 2026-10-13) | Carnival adds recommended gratuities of $17 per person per day for standard cabins and $19 per person per day for suites. Children under 2 are exempt. You can prepay gratuities before sailing or have them charged to your Sail & Sign account. (as of 2026-10-13) | NCL adds a daily service charge of $20 per person per day for most cabins and $25 per person per day for suites and The Haven. Children under 3 are exempt. A 20% gratuity is added to bar purchases and some specialty venues. (as of 2026-10-13) |
| Dress code | Daytime and most evenings are casual. Most sailings include one or more optional dress-up nights (Royal Caribbean calls them formal or dress-your-best nights) where many guests wear cocktail dresses or a jacket, but it is not enforced in the buffet or casual venues. Shorts and tank tops are fine around the pool; the main dining room asks for a bit more polish at dinner. | Most evenings are cruise casual: shorts are fine at the buffet and casual spots, with nice shorts, jeans or slacks preferred in the main dining room at night. Most sailings have one or two cruise elegant nights where guests dress up a bit, though a suit or gown is never required. | Resort casual every night. There are no formal nights; some sailings have an optional dress-up evening. Swimwear is not appropriate in the restaurants, and main dining rooms and specialty restaurants ask for a neater resort-casual look at dinner, so pack a pair of slacks or nice jeans and a collared shirt or sundress. |
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| Loyalty program | Crown & Anchor Society | Carnival Rewards (replaced the VIFP Club) | Latitudes Rewards |
| US/Canada homeports in our guides | 15 | 13 | 13 |
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