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Carnival Breeze vs Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas
The Carnival Breeze was built in 2012. It's 4 years newer than the Independence of the Seas, which was built in 2008 and renovated in 2018.
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 Breeze is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,004 feet long and 122 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.8 football fields, as wide as 2.3 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 14-story building. Compared to the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas, the Breeze is 17% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Breeze holds about the same number of passengers as the Independence of the Seas based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Breeze has less space per person compared to the Independence of the Seas.
| Carnival Breeze | Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Dream | Freedom |
| Gross Tonnage | 128,000 | 154,407 |
| Length | 1,004 | 1,112 |
| Beam/Width | 122 | 185 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 14 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,690 | 3,858 |
| Crew | 1,386 | 1,440 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 35 | 40 |
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 Breeze has 22 different dining options like Mongolian Wok, The Chef's Table, and Guy's Burger Joint. Of those options, 15 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 7 options have an additional fee.
The Independence of the Seas has 4 fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Fish & Ships, Chops Grille, and Windjammer. 9 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 9 have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Breeze might be a better choice. It has 22% more dining options than the Independence of the Seas.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Breeze might be a better choice then the Independence of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Carnival Breeze | Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 22 | 18 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 15 | 9 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 7 | 9 |
| % of Included Options | 68% | 50% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Carnival Breeze has 4 fewer bars than the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas. The Breeze has 10 bars like Atrium Bar, BlueIguana Tequila Bar and Liquid Night Club. On Breeze, you can grab a drink at 14 different bars such as Champagne Bar, Olive or Twist and Pool Bar.
| Carnival Breeze | Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas |
|---|---|
| •Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Casino Bar • Limelight Lounge • Liquid Night Club • Piano Bar 88 • Plaza Cafe • RedFrog Pub • RedFrog Rum Bar | •Boleros • Casino Bar • Champagne Bar • English Pub • Olive or Twist • Playmakers • Pool Bar • Schooner Bar • Sky Lounge • Solarium Bar • Star Lounge • Suite Lounge • The Plaza Bar • Vintages |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Breeze serves the Pepsi family of products. That means Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, Mug Root Beer, and Mountain Dew, although the selection can vary by ship. The Independence of the Seas serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. Most Royal Caribbean ships also have Coke Freestyle machines where you can make 100 different flavor combinations.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Breeze and the Independence of the Seas 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 problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.
The Carnival Breeze has a total of 2 pools and 8 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 2 of the hot tubs are adults only.
Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas has more pools than the Breeze and fewer hot tubs.
| Carnival Breeze | Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 0 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 8 | 7 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 6 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
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.
Cruise Ship Coloring Book for Kids 3-5
(Carnival Edition) (Royal Caribbean Edition)
Let's Get Cruising Activity Book for Kids 6-8
(Carnival Edition) (Royal Caribbean 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. On the Breeze, 73% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Independence of the Seas, only 72% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Carnival Breeze | Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Laser Tag | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Outdoor gym | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ropes course | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✗ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Carnival and Royal Caribbean are both considered "Mainstream" cruise lines. 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 Breeze will likely be more expensive than on Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas.
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 Breeze | Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $18.50 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.00 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.75 See drink menus | $8.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $59.95 - $69.95 Learn more | $70 - $125 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $15.30 to $21.25 per device per day | $17 to $30 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing, which means the pricing for many things will vary per sailing. The daily gratuities and tip are consistent across the fleet, but the pricing for the drink package, internet, and excursions will change. The only way to know your price is to consult the Royal Caribbean cruise planner once you're booked.
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