Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Carnival Horizon vs Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
The Carnival Horizon was built in 2018. It's 2 years newer than the Harmony of the Seas, which was built in 2016.
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
- See Our Detailed Cruise Blog
Ship Size
The Horizon is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,055 feet long and 122 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.9 football fields, as wide as 2.3 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 15-story building. Compared to the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas, the Horizon is 41% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Horizon holds 28% fewer passengers than the Harmony 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 Horizon has less space per person compared to the Harmony of the Seas.
The Harmony of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Carnival Horizon | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Vista | Oasis |
| Gross Tonnage | 133,596 | 226,963 |
| Length | 1,055 | 1,188 |
| Beam/Width | 122 | 216 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 16 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,960 | 5,497 |
| Crew | 1,450 | 2,200 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 2.5 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 34 | 41 |
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 Horizon has nineteen different dining options like Bonsai Teppanyaki, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, and Bonsai Sushi. Of those options, fifteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.
The Harmony of the Seas has one more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Sorrento's Pizza, Vitality Cafe, and Cafe Promenade. fourteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other twelve have an additional fee.
The Carnival Horizon has about the same number of dining options as the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Horizon might be a better choice then the Harmony of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Carnival Horizon | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 19 | 20 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 15 | 14 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 9 | 12 |
| % of Included Options | 53% | 40% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Carnival Horizon has 6 fewer bars than the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas. The Horizon has 14 bars like Alchemy Bar, Limelight Lounge and Serenity Pool Bar. On Horizon, you can grab a drink at 20 different bars such as Casino Bar, Mast Bar and On Air Club.
| Carnival Horizon | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas |
|---|---|
| •Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Fahrenheit 555 Bar • Guy's Pig and Anchor Brewhouse • Havana Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Limelight Lounge • Ocean Plaza Bar • Piano Bar 88 • RedFrog Rum Bar • Serenity Pool Bar • SkyBox Sports Bar • Tides Pool Bar | •Bionic Bar • Boleros • Casino Bar • Dazzles • English Pub • Mast Bar • On Air Club • Pool Bar • Rising Tide Bar • Sabor Bar • Sand Bar • Schooner Bar • Solarium Bar • Suite Lounge • Suite Sun Deck Bar • The Attic • Trellis Bar • Vintages • Wipeout Bar • Wonderland |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Horizon 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 Harmony of the Seas serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like 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 Horizon and the Harmony 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 Horizon has a total of 3 pools and 6 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.
The Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas has the same number of pools as the Horizon and more hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Harmony of the Seas. 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? two of the hot tubs are adults only on Horizon.| Carnival Horizon | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 0 | 0 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 10 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 8 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 | 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.
Cruise Ship Coloring Book for Kids 3-5
(Carnival Edition) (Royal Caribbean Edition)
Let's Get Cruising Activity Book for Kids 6-8
(Carnival Edition) (Royal Caribbean 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 Horizon. Only 62% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Harmony of the Seas, 77% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Carnival Horizon | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Aquatheater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bionic Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Brewery Tour | ✓ | ✗ |
| Carousel | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✗ | ✓ |
| IMAX Theater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ice Skating | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Outdoor gym | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ropes course | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Skyride | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thrill Slide | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thrill Theater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Zip Line | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
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.
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 Horizon | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $18.50 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.00 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.75 See drink menus | $8.25 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.
We sailed aboard the Carnival Horizon and Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
We sailed aboard both of these ships. Follow along on our sailings at the links below. We take you through every aspect of our sailing, from getting to the port to debarking the ship. See the schedule of events, menus, what excursions we did, and what we really thought about the ships.
Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Miami
Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day
Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Amber Cove
Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Grand Turk
Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Sea Day
Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 6 - Nassau
5 Hits & Misses of the Carnival Horizon
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Fort Lauderdale
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Costa Maya
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Cozumel
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Sea Day
5 Hits and Misses on Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
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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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