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Now, Carnival is switching gears — no doubt because the giant ships unveiled by some other lines have been enormously popular with cruisers. In general, Carnival ships are large but, aside from two exceptions, they're not giants by today's standards. Over the past two years, Carnival has begun operating its first two truly giant ships in years — the 181,808-ton, 5,282-passenger Mardi Gras and the 183,521-ton Carnival Celebration.
Carnival Cruise Ships by Age (from newest to oldest)

It is part of the Fantasy class and sailed its inaugural cruise on December 6, 1998. Carnival Paradise underwent a dry dock in October 2023 and is fully updated with all the latest Carnival features. The Carnival vessel is also a Spirit-class cruise ship, but slightly larger.
What are the three newest Carnival Cruise Line ships?
The Carnival Sunshine is a milestone cruise ship – not just for Carnival but for all cruise lines. She was built in 1996 as the first-ever cruise ship to exceed 100,000 gross tons. She launched as the Carnival Destiny, but was refitted in 2013 and became the Carnival Sunshine, the first ship in the fleet to have all of Carnival’s Fun Ship 2.0 upgrades. Carnival Freedom was the last of the Conquest-class ships to launch, and she features the same venues and activities as her sister ships. There’s loads to do, and plenty of places to eat and drink, including all the Carnival favourites.

What Was the Size of Former Carnival Ships?
Sunshine Class ships epitomize our evolution, having been transformed to include features from the Fun Ship 2.0 program. Carnival Sunshine, along with its sister ships Carnival Sunrise and Carnival Radiance, offers diverse dining and entertainment choices. The age of vessels spans from the Carnival Fantasy in 1990 to the anticipated Carnival Jubilee set for 2023. Aging ships often have a smaller size and fewer modern amenities than the newer, larger vessels. Since 1972, Carnival has been sailing the vast oceans of the world, delivering incredible vacation experiences to millions of happy passengers.
Photos Show the Difference Between Carnival and Royal Caribbean Ships - Business Insider
Photos Show the Difference Between Carnival and Royal Caribbean Ships.
Posted: Thu, 15 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
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New Cruise Ships on Order - Cruise Critic
New Cruise Ships on Order.
Posted: Thu, 22 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Others prefer the added amenities that come with the bigger ships. All of these ships hold about 4,000 passengers each, based on double occupancy. If cruising in a more intimate environment is your preference, you'll want to look at some of Carnival's older classes of ships including the Spirit and Fantasy classes. For many years, Carnival steered clear of the big ship trends in the industry.
To find your specific Carnival Cruise ship, feel free to use our menu below. Clicking on any will let you quickly jump to that ship's stats.
The Carnival Liberty has a construction date of 2005 and a total size of 110,000 gross tons. The ship measures 952 feet (290 meters) in length and falls in line as number 14 among Carnival's 26 active cruise ships. At full capacity, the Carnival Liberty holds 4,916 passengers. That includes 3,756 cruise vacationers and 1,160 staff members. The Carnival Glory has a construction date of 2003 and a total size of 110,000 gross tons. The ship measures 952 feet (290 meters) in length and falls in line as number 13 among Carnival's 26 active cruise ships.
For instance, Carnival Dream and Carnival Magic both feature ropes courses on their top decks while Carnival Breeze has a 4D "thrill theater." These innovations first debuted on Dream-class ships. All four vessels in the Vista and Venezia classes have water parks with waterslides on their top decks, as well as miniature golf courses, ropes courses and multiple pool areas. They're also known for their pedal-powered, suspended-in-the-air SkyRide attractions. Designed to take Carnival's "fun ship" shtick to a new level, the ships are so big that, as noted above, they have room for roller coasters on their top decks — a cruise industry first. They also have a far broader array of suites than earlier Carnival vessels.
Restaurants and dining
Each ship comes loaded with entertainment, dining venues, and comfortable accommodations. The diverse fleet allows passengers to select a ship that fits their desired balance of intimacy and grandeur, and each class of ship presents a unique set of features. From aquatic parks to thrilling rollercoasters, the size of the ship often dictates the range of activities available during your voyage. The Splendor is unique in the Carnival fleet as it has no sister ships because it was originally built for Costa Cruises. It is a mid-sized vessel that accommodates over 3,000 passengers across over 1,500 luxury staterooms.
The ship features 1,130 staterooms, ensuring that every guest has a comfortable and enjoyable stay on board. The ship features 1,492 staterooms, ensuring that every guest has a comfortable and enjoyable stay on board. The ship features 1,321 staterooms, ensuring that every guest has a comfortable and enjoyable stay on board. The ship features 1,490 staterooms, ensuring that every guest has a comfortable and enjoyable stay on board.
The 2017 and 2020 refurbishments spruced things up, adding modern dining, bars, and entertainment, including a cool water park and mini-golf. Carnival Cruise Line has one of the biggest gaps between its youngest and oldest cruise ships. The oldest ship in the fleet (Carnival Ecstasy) entered service in 1991 and the latest ship (Marda Gras) entered service in 2021 – three entire decades later. Gross registered tonnage (GRT) doesn’t measure how much the cruise ship weighs but the total space inside.
In a departure from Carnival's American-focused business model, the Australia sailings are aimed mostly at the local Australian market, though they are open to American travelers. Note that the Carnival fleet is scheduled to grow over the next year with two more new vessels. As noted above, the line has ordered another sister vessel to Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration that will be ready to sail in late 2023. Where you won't find Carnival ships, notably, is in Asia, South America or, for the most part, Europe. Unlike other big cruise brands such as Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises, Carnival doesn't spread its vessels around the world to draw a fly-in crowd. Aimed squarely at Americans, its trips are all about cruising close to home at a reasonable price.
The majority of the Spirit Class ships weigh in at 88,500 GRT. Of course, ship size as well as interior design and at-sea offerings can vary from ship to ship. This guide to Carnival Cruise ships will give you a clearer idea of the size, age, and difference between ship classes across the fleet. The Carnival Paradise, built in 1998, is a splendid ship that boasts a total size of 70,367 gross tons. The Carnival Radiance, built in 2000, is an impressive ship that boasts a total size of 101,509 gross tons. The Carnival Freedom, built in 2007, is a magnificent ship that boasts a total size of 110,000 gross tons.
She’s considered a Vista/Spirit hybrid, but officially she’s marketed as part of the Spirit Class. Registered in Panama and with an investment of $1 billion, the Carnival Celebration epitomises fun and entertainment at sea. The ship also features delectable dining at the Seafood Shack, Shaq’s Big Chicken and Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse.
Sailings range from two to nine days out of Port Canaveral, so you can get a taste of what a cruise is like without committing to a more traditional weeklong sailing. Expect an onboard brewery, incredible restaurants, and family-friendly fun. Besides the obvious size differences between big and small cruise ships, smaller ships also tend to be older than their larger counterparts. Smaller ships don't have space to offer as many attractions as huge vessels, but Carnival invested $500 million over five years to make its fleet more uniform, regardless of ship size. The experience on these two ships will be completely different! On the Carnival Celebration, you'll be lucky to experience half of the venues on this largest, active Carnival cruise ship.