Carnival Dream vs Royal Caribbean Hero of the Seas

The Carnival Dream was built in 2009. It was renovated in 2026. It's 17 years older than the Hero of the Seas, which was built in 2026. Hero of the Seas will start sailing in August 2027. It'll feature many of the same restaurants and attractions as its sister-ships Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas plus The Royal Railway, two new pools, and extended adult-only areas. The Hero of the Seas is still under construction and Royal Caribbean hasn't released all the details yet.

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 Royal Caribbean Hero of the Seas, the Dream is 49% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Carnival Dream holds 36% fewer passengers than the Hero 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 Dream has less space per person compared to the Hero of the Seas.

The Hero of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.

	Carnival Dream	Royal Caribbean Hero of the Seas
Class	Dream	Icon
Gross Tonnage	128,000	248,663
Length	1,004	1,198
Beam/Width	122	216
Passenger Decks	14	18
Passengers (double occupancy)	3,646	5,654
Crew	1,367	2,350
Passenger to Crew Ratio	2.7	2.4
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)	35	45

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, Seafood Shack, and The Chef's Table. Of those options, fourteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.

The Hero of the Seas has nine more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Chops Grille, Windjammer, and Orleans Parish Supper Club. Fifteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other fourteen have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Hero of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 64% more dining options than the Dream.

If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Dream might be a better choice then the Hero of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.

	Carnival Dream	Royal Caribbean Hero of the Seas
Total Dining Options	14	23
Complimentary Dining Options:	14	15
Additional Fee Dining Options:	5	14
% of Included Options	64%	39%
	See the options	See the options

Bars and Drinks

The Carnival Dream has 14 fewer bars than the Royal Caribbean Hero of the Seas. The Dream has 13 bars like Plaza Cafe, RedFrog Rum Bar and Serenity Pool Bar. On Hero of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 27 different bars such as Cantina Fresca, English Pub and The Overlook.

Carnival Dream

Royal Caribbean Hero of the Seas

•Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Burgundy Lounge • Caliente Night Club • Casino Bar • Plaza Cafe • RedFrog Rum Bar • Rendezvous • Sam's Piano Bar • Serenity Pool Bar • Sunset Bar • The Song

•1400 Lobby Bar • Aquadome Market Bar • Basecamp Bar • Boleros • Bubbles • Cantina Fresca • Casino Bar • Desserted Milkshake Bar • Dueling Pianos • English Pub • Giovanni's Wine Bar • Lou's Jazz 'N Blues • Music Hall • Playmakers • Rye & Bean • Schooner Bar • Spotlight Karaoke • Swim & Tonic • The Grove Bar • The Hideaway Bar • The Hideaway Swim-up Bar • The Lemon Post • The Lime & Coconut • The Lime & Coconut: Frozen • The Overlook • Trellis Bar • Windjammer Bar

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. 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 Dream and the Hero 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 Carnival Dream has a total of 2 pools and 8 hot tubs.

Royal Caribbean Hero of the Seas has more pools than the Dream and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Hero of the Seas. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.

Tired of loud kids and splashing? two of the hot tubs are adults only on Dream.

	Carnival Dream	Royal Caribbean Hero of the Seas
Total Pools	2	9
Pools - General Access	2	5
Pools - Adults Only	0	3
Pools - Exclusive	0	1
Total Hot Tubs	8	9
Hot Tubs - General Access	6	7
Hot Tubs - Adults Only	2	1
Hot Tubs - Exclusive	0	1

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 Dream. Only 69% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Hero of the Seas, 74% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

	Carnival Dream	Royal Caribbean Hero of the Seas
Adult Only Relaxation Area	✓	✓
Aquatheater	✗	✓
Arcade	✓	✓
Basketball	✓	✓
Carousel	✗	✓
Casino	✓	✓
Climbing Wall	✗	✓
Comedy Club	✓	✓
Crown's Edge	✗	✓
Dr Seuss Breakfast	✓	✗
Escape Room	✗	✓
Fitness Center	✓	✓
FlowRider	✗	✓
Ice Skating	✗	✓
Jogging Track	✓	✗
Laser Tag	✗	✓
Mini golf	✓	✓
Pool-side Movies	✓	✗
Shows - musical review	✗	✓
Spa	✗	✓
Splash park	✓	✓
Thermal Suites	✓	✗
Water slides	✓	✗
Waterpark	✗	✓
	Learn more	Learn more

Carnival is also known for its energetic theme parties which vary per ship.

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 Dream will likely be cheaper than on Royal Caribbean Hero 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 Dream	Royal Caribbean Hero of the Seas
Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day)	$17.00	$18.50
Tip added to drinks & services	20%	18%
Soda Price	$3.25	$3.50
Domestic Beer Price	$8.25 See drink menus	$7.49 See drink menus
Drink Package Price	$83 - $88 Learn more	$77 - $118 Learn more
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.

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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