Carnival Elation vs Carnival Glory

The Carnival Elation was built in 1998. It was renovated in 2020. It's 5 years older than the Glory, which was built in 2003 and renovated in 2024.

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 Elation is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 855 feet long and 103 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.4 football fields, as wide as 1.9 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 10-story building. Compared to the Carnival Glory, the Elation is 36% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Carnival Elation holds 31% fewer passengers than the Glory 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 Elation has less space per person compared to the Glory.

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 Elation has ten different dining options like The Chef's Table, Carnival Deli, and Guy's Burger Joint. Of those options, twelve are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other three options have an additional fee.

The Glory has two more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Seafood Shack, Mongolian Wok, and Pizza Pirate. thirteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other four have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Glory might be a better choice. It has 20% more dining options than the Elation.

Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.

Restaurants on Carnival Elation & Glory

Bars and Drinks

The Carnival Elation has 3 fewer bars than the Carnival Glory.

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 Elation and the Glory 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 Elation has a total of 1 pools and 4 hot tubs.

Carnival Glory has more pools than the Elation and the same number of hot tubs.

Looking to get away from the kids onboard? Try relaxing in the Serenity Adult-only area, for guests 21 and older only. Neither the Elation nor the Glory has an adult-only pool but they do have adult-only hot tubs. The Serenity Area on both ships is unenclosed and open to the elements. The Elation’s adult-only area is in the back, while the Glory’s is in the front. Typically, the back of the ship has less wind and better views than the front of the ship.

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. You might up paying more while on board the Elation. Only 70% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Glory, 75% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

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 Elation will likely be cheaper than on Carnival Glory.

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.

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