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Carnival Dream vs Carnival Tropicale
The Carnival Dream was built in 2009. It's 19 years older than the Tropicale, which was built in 2028. The Tropicale is named after the original ship that sailed with Carnival from 1982 - 2001. It has two unique zones not found on its sister ships. Unlike the first Excel Class ships, Tropicale does NOT have a BOLT roller coaster, instead it has a waterpark called "Sunsation Point." The ship will debut in 2028.
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 Dream 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 Carnival Tropicale, the Dream is 30% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Dream holds 32% fewer passengers than the Tropicale 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 Dream has the same amount of space per person as the Tropicale.
The Tropicale uses a zone layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Carnival Dream | Carnival Tropicale | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Dream | Excel |
| Gross Tonnage | 128,000 | 182,800 |
| Length | 1,004 | 1,130 |
| Beam/Width | 122 | 137 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 17 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,646 | 5,400 |
| Crew | 1,367 | 1,700 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 35 | 35 |
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 Dream has fourteen different dining options like Pizzeria del Capitano, Carnival Deli, and Blue Iguana Cantina. Of those options, fourteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.
The Tropicale has nine more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Street Eats, Big Chicken, and Bonsai Teppanyaki. nineteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Tropicale might be a better choice. It has 64% more dining options than the Dream.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
Restaurants on Carnival Dream & Tropicale
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 Dream and the Tropicale 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 Dream has a total of 2 pools and 8 hot tubs.
Carnival Tropicale has more pools than the Dream and fewer hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Tropicale. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
Looking to get away from the kids onboard? Try relaxing in the Serenity Adult-only area, for guests 21 and older only. Only the Tropicale has an adult-only pool in its Serenity Area (it’s a full-depth pool). The Serenity Area on both ships is unenclosed and open to the elements. The Dream’s adult-only area is in the middle, while the Tropicale’s is in the front. Typically, the back of the ship has less wind and better views than the front of the ship.
| Carnival Dream | Carnival Tropicale | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 6 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 0 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 2 |
| 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. 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. On the Dream, 69% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Tropicale, only 65% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Carnival Dream | Carnival Tropicale | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Brewery Tour | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cooking Class | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Outdoor gym | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Waterpark | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
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 Dream will likely be cheaper than on Carnival Tropicale.
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.
| 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 | $83 - $88 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $18.70 to $23.80 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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