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Carnival Adventure vs Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady
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 24 years older than the Brilliant Lady, which was built in 2024. This is an adults-only ship; all guests must be 18 or older. The exterior of the ship was was slightly tweaked so it can go through the Panama Canal, opening different itineraries compared to its sister ships.
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 Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Adventure holds about the same number of passengers as the Brilliant Lady based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or tons of ship compared to number of passengers, the Adventure has the same amount of space per person as the Brilliant Lady.
| Carnival Adventure | Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Adventure | Lady |
| Gross Tonnage | 108,865 | 110,000 |
| Length | 951 | 912 |
| Beam/Width | 118 | 125 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,636 | 2,700 |
| Crew | 1,100 | 1,150 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.4 | 2.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 41 | 41 |
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 Angelo's, Waterfront Restaurant, and Dragon Lady. Of those options, six are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.
The Brilliant Lady has two more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are The Test Kitchen, The Wake, and The Pizza Place. Twelve of these restaurants are complementary.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Brilliant Lady 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 Brilliant Lady might be a better choice then the Adventure. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Carnival Adventure | Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 10 | 12 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 6 | 12 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 5 | 0 |
| % of Included Options | 50% | 100% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, 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 Brilliant Lady 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.
Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady has fewer pools than the Adventure and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Brilliant Lady. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools are adults only on Adventure.| Carnival Adventure | Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 8 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 6 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | ||
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 | 2 |
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. On the Adventure, 60% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Brilliant Lady, only 55% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Carnival Adventure | Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Acrobatic Show | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✗ |
| Edge Adventure Park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Group Fitness | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Private Karaoke Rooms | ✗ | ✓ |
| Salon | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✗ | ✓ |
| Tattoo Studio | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Carnival is considered 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.
Virgin Voyages, on the other hand, is a premium cruise line. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 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. To get a good idea of how the pricing compares, visit the cruise line's website to price out the separate cruises or consult a travel professional.
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 compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.
| Carnival Adventure | Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $17.00 | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | Included |
| Soda Price | $3.25 | Included |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus | $8.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $83 - $88 Learn more | No drink package available |
| Internet Plan | $18.70 to $23.80 per device per day | Basic Wi-fi is included. Premium is $30/day and Work from Sea is $50/day. |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
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