Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
The Carnival Conquest was built in 2002. It's 17 years older than the Sunrise, which was built in 2019 and renovated in 2024. The Sunrise was previously known as the Triumph from 1999-2019, but was renamed after it went through huge rennovations.
The Conquest is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 952 feet long and 116 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 13-story building. Compared to the Carnival Sunrise, the Conquest is 8% larger in terms of overall tons.
Carnival Conquest holds about the same number of passengers as the Sunrise 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 Conquest has more space per person compared to the Sunrise. 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.
Carnival Conquest | Carnival Sunrise | |
---|---|---|
Class | Conquest | Sunshine |
Gross Tonnage | 110,000 | 101,509 |
Length | 952 | 893 |
Beam/Width | 116 | 125 |
Passenger Decks | 13 | 13 |
Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,980 | 2,984 |
Crew | 1,150 | 1,108 |
Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.6 | 2.7 |
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 37 | 34 |
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Conquest has 16 different dining options like Pizza Pirate, The Chef's Table, and Seafood Shack. Of those options, 12 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 4 options have an additional fee.
The Sunrise has 4 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are The Chef's Table, Seafood Shack, and Blue Iguana Cantina. 14 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 6 have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Sunrise might be a better choice. It has 25% more dining options than the Conquest.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
Carnival Conquest | Carnival Sunrise | ||
---|---|---|---|
Blue Iguana Cantina | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Bonsai Sushi | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
Carnival Deli | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Coffee Bar | ✓ | ✗ | |
Cucina Del Capitano | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
Guy's Burger Joint | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Guys Pig and Anchor BarBQue | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
JavaBlue Cafe | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
Lido Buffet | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Lucky Bowl | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Pizza Pirate | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
Pizzeria del Capitano | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
Seafood Shack | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Steakhouse | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
Swirls | ✓ | ✓ | |
The Chef's Table | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
The Carnival Conquest has 2 more bars than the Carnival Sunrise.
Carnival Conquest | Carnival Sunrise | |
---|---|---|
Alchemy Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
Alfred's Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
Atrium Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
BlueIguana Tequila Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
Blues | ✓ | ✗ |
Cafe Fans | ✓ | ✗ |
Casino Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
Degas Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
Henri's Night Club | ✓ | ✗ |
Heroes Tribute Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
Java Blue Cafe | ✗ | ✓ |
Limelight Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
New World Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
Piano Bar 88 | ✗ | ✓ |
RedFrog Pub | ✗ | ✓ |
RedFrog Rum Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
Sky Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
SkyBox Sports Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
Vincent's | ✓ | ✗ |
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.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Conquest and the Sunrise below.
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 Conquest has a total of 2 pools and 4 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools and 2 of the hot tubs are adults only.
The Carnival Sunrise has the same number of pools as the Conquest and fewer hot tubs.
Carnival Conquest | Carnival Sunrise | |
---|---|---|
Total Pools | 2 | 2 |
Pools - General Access | 1 | 1 |
Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
Total Hot Tubs | 4 | 3 |
Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 2 |
Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 1 |
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. 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
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 Conquest. Only 70% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Sunrise, 71% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
Carnival Conquest | Carnival Sunrise | |
---|---|---|
Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✓ |
Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
Learn more | Learn more |
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 Conquest will likely be cheaper than on Carnival Sunrise.
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:
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.
Carnival | |
---|---|
Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 |
Tip added to drinks & services | 18% |
Soda Price | $3.00 |
Domestic Beer Price | $8.75 See drink menus |
Drink Package Price | $59.95 - $69.95 Learn more |
Internet Plan | $15.30 to $21.25 per device per day |
*Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. |
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Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
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