Cruise Spotlight
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Carnival Encounter vs Celebrity Constellation
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. The Celebrity Constellation was built in 2002.
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 Celebrity Constellation, the Encounter is 20% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Encounter holds 21% more passengers than the Constellation 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 Encounter has less space per person compared to the Constellation.
| Carnival Encounter | Celebrity Constellation | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Adventure | Millennium |
| Gross Tonnage | 108,865 | 91,000 |
| Length | 951 | 965 |
| Beam/Width | 118 | 106 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 11 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,636 | 2,184 |
| Crew | 1,100 | 1,022 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.4 | 2.1 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 41 | 42 |
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 Constellation has four fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Le Petit Chef at Qsine, Tuscan Grille, and Oceanview Cafe. eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other three have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Encounter might be a better choice. It has 67% more dining options than the Constellation.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
| Carnival Encounter | Celebrity Constellation | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 10 | 6 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 6 | 8 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 5 | 3 |
| % of Included Options | 50% | 50% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Encounter serves the Pepsi family of products. That means Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, Mug Root Beer, and Mountain Dew, although the selection can vary by ship. The Constellation serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, 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 Constellation 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.
Celebrity Constellation has fewer pools than the Encounter and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Constellation. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools are adults only on Encounter.| Carnival Encounter | Celebrity Constellation | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 8 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 6 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 |
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 both ships, 60% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare.
| Carnival Encounter | Celebrity Constellation | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bingo | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✗ |
| Edge Adventure Park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Outdoor movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Carnival is considered 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.
Celebrity, on the other hand, is a premium cruise line. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 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. To get a good idea of how the pricing compares, visit the cruise line's website to price out the separate cruises or consult a travel professional.
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 Encounter | Celebrity Constellation | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $18.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.00 | $4.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.75 See drink menus | $8.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $83 - $88 Learn more | $65 - $95 |
| 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. | ||
Celebrity Cruise Lines offers an "All Included" program. Guests who book a cruise using this promotion will have wifi and alcohol included. Some sailings are available without this program so pay attention when booking. Typically prices are lower if they don't include "Always Included." The wifi and alcohol package are the base levels and can be upgraded for an additional cost.
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