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Carnival Celebration vs Celebrity Equinox
The Carnival Celebration was built in 2022. The Celebration is named after the original Celebration that sailed with Carnival from 1987 - 2008. It has two unique zones not found on its sister ships: The Gateway, an area dedicated to travel and Carnival's history, and 820 Biscayne which has a retro-Miami vibe. It's 13 years newer than the Equinox, which was built in 2009 and renovated in 2019.
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
- See Our Detailed Cruise Blog
Ship Size
The Celebration is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,130 feet long and 137 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.1 football fields, as wide as 2.6 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 17-story building. Compared to the Celebrity Equinox, the Celebration is 50% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Celebration holds 88% more passengers than the Equinox 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 Celebration has less space per person compared to the Equinox.
The Celebration uses a zone layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Carnival Celebration | Celebrity Equinox | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Excel | Solstice |
| Gross Tonnage | 183,521 | 122,000 |
| Length | 1,130 | 1,033 |
| Beam/Width | 137 | 121 |
| Passenger Decks | 17 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,374 | 2,852 |
| Crew | 1,735 | 1,290 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.6 | 2.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 35 | 43 |
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 Celebration has twenty-eight different dining options like Emeril's Bistro 1397, Miami Slice, and The Chef's Table. Of those options, nineteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.
The Equinox has thirteen fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Mast Grill, AquaSpa Cafe, and Le Petit Chef at Qsine. nine of these restaurants are complementary and the other six have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Celebration might be a better choice. It has 87% more dining options than the Equinox.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Celebration might be a better choice then the Equinox. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Carnival Celebration | Celebrity Equinox | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 28 | 15 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 19 | 9 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 9 | 6 |
| % of Included Options | 68% | 60% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Celebration 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 Equinox serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like 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 Celebration and the Equinox 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 Celebration has a total of 6 pools and 7 hot tubs. 2 of the pools 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.
Celebrity Equinox has fewer pools than the Celebration and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Equinox. 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 and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Celebration.| Carnival Celebration | Celebrity Equinox | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 6 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 2 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 7 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 |
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 Celebration. Only 61% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Equinox, 67% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Carnival Celebration | Celebrity Equinox | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | β | β |
| Arcade | β | β |
| Basketball | β | β |
| Beyond the Podium Talk Series | β | β |
| Bingo | β | β |
| Brewery Tour | β | β |
| Casino | β | β |
| Comedy Club | β | β |
| Cooking Class | β | β |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | β | β |
| Fitness Center | β | β |
| Hot Glass Show | β | β |
| Jogging Track | β | β |
| Lawn Club | β | β |
| Mini golf | β | β |
| Outdoor gym | β | β |
| Outdoor movies | β | β |
| Pool-side Movies | β | β |
| Roller Coaster | β | β |
| Ropes course | β | β |
| Shows - musical review | β | β |
| Spa | β | β |
| Splash park | β | β |
| Thermal Suites | β | β |
| Water slides | β | β |
| 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.
Celebrity, 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 Celebration | Celebrity Equinox | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $18.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.00 | $4.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.75 See drink menus | $8.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $83 - $88 Learn more | $65 - $95 |
| Internet Plan | $18.70 to $23.80 per device per day | $19 to $30 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Celebrity Cruise Lines offers an "All Included" program. Guests who book a cruise using this promotion will have wifi and alcohol included. Some sailings are available without this program so pay attention when booking. Typically prices are lower if they don't include "Always Included." The wifi and alcohol package are the base levels and can be upgraded for an additional cost.
We sailed aboard the Carnival Celebration
Follow along on our sailing on the Carnival Celebration. We take you through every aspect of our sailing, from getting to the port to debarking the ship. See the schedule of events, menus, what excursions we did, and what we really thought about the ship.
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Miami
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Cozumel
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Costa Maya
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Roatan
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 6 - Sea Day
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 7 - Sea Day
5 Hits and Misses on Carnival Celebration
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