The Grand Turk port is nice for a cruise stop and seems to be more and more where things are going with private/semi private ports. In 10 years or so I think this will be the norm for many cruise ports, where you start to lose some of the uniqueness and charm of seeing the actual country destination and getting a controlled beach/pool/bar/shopping experience. Good in some ways, disappointing in others.
I've sailed a couple of times on newer Carnival ships (Breeze, Horizon) and had a great time - these ships don't compare favorably with Oasis/Quantum class, but match up decently with amped Voyager class ships IMO. Carnival really beats Royal on complimentary food options- we were able to have lunch at the Asian, Italian, BBQ, Mexican, and Guy's Burger for no charge which were all excellent and better than the equivalent Royal offerings. Royal specialty dining has a significant leg up on Carnival. Main dining rooms seem to be a wash for us. Overall I think Carnival provides the better food value and caters more to American tastes where Royal has a more international approach.
We also really liked the party vibe on Carnival - it seems like on Royal (non-Oasis class) things are shutting down after 9:30/10 (most food venues close, pool deck empty, etc) whereas Carnival will have more late night deck parties/comedy club and late night buffets (24-hour ice cream!). I'm not talking about drunk/smashed out of your mind type partying (you can see that on different cruises), but just good fun with lots of people active and engaged by the cruise staff. The Alchemy Bar on Carnival ships is also a great experience. Overall, Royal will try to entertain you with the ship features, while Carnival relies more on staff and activities to generate this. Both can result in great cruises.
Some people have said in this thread that it's a Walmart (Carnival), vs. Target (Royal) experience. I can see where that's coming from, but I think they are starting to become more similar than not, especially with the new Mardi Gras class ships. Same goes for Norwegian with their Breakaway+ class and the new MSC ships - the quality of ships has really changed significantly in the past 10 years for all mass market lines.
I had only sailed Royal (8 voyages) up until 3 years ago and looked down at Carnival and wondered if I would "fit in with THOSE types of people". Well...after sailing, my thoughts are "I am one of THOSE people"! I had a great time...if I had been on an older garish ship like the Glory then maybe my thoughts would be different. I ultimately see more convergence here in the next few years rather than differences as the new shipbuilding wars intensify and the older ships get forced out of the fleets faster (Sovereign class, Vision Class, Carnival Fantasy class). Carnival introducing a roller coaster and Norwegian a go-kart track on new megaships (plus their exclusive premium cabin areas) are a signal they are not content to sit behind Royal's lead in innovation.
