Carnival Encounter vs Carnival Luminosa

The Carnival Encounter was built in 2002. It was renovated in 2025. The Carnival Encounter is a rebranded ship, previously sailing as Star Princess with Princess Cruises and the Pacific Encounter for P&O Australia. It has been brought into the Carnival family and they added things like the HUB app and Camp Ocean, but it missing several key Carnival elements. For example, they charge for pizza outside of lunch hours and there is no complimentary soft serve ice cream or burgers. It's 7 years older than the Luminosa, which was built in 2009 and renovated in 2022. The Carnival Luminosa originally sailed with Carnival's sister cruise line, Costa Cruises. Because of that, it will have some differences compared to other Spirit-class ships and will be missing some Carnival signature items like Guy's Burger Joint.

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 Encounter is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 951 feet long and 118 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 14-story building. Compared to the Carnival Luminosa, the Encounter is 17% larger in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Carnival Encounter holds 17% more passengers than the Luminosa 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 Encounter has the same amount of space per person as the Luminosa.

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 Encounter has ten different dining options like Waterfront Restaurant, Dragon Lady, and Angelo's. Of those options, six are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.

The Luminosa has one fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Pizzeria del Capitano, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, and Carnival Deli. ten of these restaurants are complementary and the other four have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Encounter might be a better choice. It has 11% more dining options than the Luminosa.

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

Restaurants on Carnival Encounter & Luminosa

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 Encounter and the Luminosa 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 Encounter has a total of 4 pools and 8 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 2 of the hot tubs 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.

Carnival Luminosa has fewer pools than the Encounter and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Luminosa. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.

Looking to get away from the kids onboard? Try relaxing in the Serenity Adult-only area, for guests 21 and older only. Only the Luminosa has an adult-only pool in its Serenity Area (it’s a full-depth pool). Only Luminosa specifies an open-air (non-enclosed) adult-only area. adult-only area is in the back, while location is unspecified.

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 Encounter, 60% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Luminosa, only 58% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.

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 Encounter will likely be cheaper than on Carnival Luminosa.

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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