Carnival Adventure vs Carnival Splendor

The Carnival Adventure was built in 2000. It was renovated in 2025. The Carnival Adventure is a rebranded ship, previously sailing as Golden Princess with Princess Cruises and the Pacific Adventure for P&O Australia. It has been brought into the Carnival family and they added things like the HUB app and Camp Ocean, but it missing several key Carnival elements. For example, they charge for pizza outside of lunch hours and there is no complimentary soft serve ice cream or burgers. It's 8 years older than the Splendor, which was built in 2008 and renovated in 2024.

Comparison Overview

• Ship Size
• Number of Passengers
• Food and Restaurants
• Bars and Drinks
• Pools and Hot Tubs
• Ship Features and Activities
• Cruise Costs
• Onboard Costs

Ship Size

The Adventure is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 951 feet long and 118 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.6 football fields, as wide as 2.2 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 14-story building. It's about the same size as the Carnival Splendor.

Number of Passengers

Carnival Adventure holds 12% fewer passengers than the Splendor based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Adventure has more space per person compared to the Splendor. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.

Food and Restaurants

Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.

The Adventure has ten different dining options like Waterfront Restaurant, Angelo's, and Dragon Lady. Of those options, six are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.

The Splendor has two more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Carnival Deli, Mongolian Wok, and Masala Tiger. twelve of these restaurants are complementary and the other five have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Splendor might be a better choice. It has 20% more dining options than the Adventure.

If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Splendor might be a better choice then the Adventure. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.

Restaurants on Carnival Adventure & Splendor

In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Pepsi family of products. That means Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, Mug Root Beer, and Mountain Dew, although the selection can vary by ship.

There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Adventure and the Splendor below.

Pools and Hot Tubs

Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Carnival Adventure has a total of 4 pools and 8 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 2 of the hot tubs are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.

Carnival Splendor has fewer pools than the Adventure and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Splendor. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.

Looking to get away from the kids onboard? Try relaxing in the Serenity Adult-only area, for guests 21 and older only. Only the Splendor has an adult-only pool in its Serenity Area (it’s a full-depth pool). Only Splendor specifies an open-air (non-enclosed) adult-only area. adult-only area is in the back, while location is unspecified.

Cruise Coloring and Activity Books for Kids
Get your kids ready for their cruise or keep them entertained while on board with our custom made coloring and activity books. These are the Carnival editions with featuring places Pizza Pirate and mini-golf.

Cruise Ship Coloring Book for Kids 3-5 - Carnival Edition

Let's Get Cruising Activity Book for Kids 6-8 - Carnival Edition

Ship Features and Activities

Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. You might up paying more while on board the Adventure. Only 60% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Splendor, 69% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

Cruise Costs

Carnival is a mainstream cruise line. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.

Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Carnival Adventure will likely be cheaper than on Carnival Splendor.

The cost will also vary depending on the type of cabin you book. You can see the differences between the Carnival cabins and how to choose the best one here:

Onboard Costs

Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.

Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.

The table below will help you understand what you might spend onboard a Carnival ship.

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