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Carnival Jubilee vs Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
The Carnival Jubilee is a fairly new ship, being built in 2023. The Jubilee is Carnival's newest ship. It's named after the original Jubilee that sailed with Carnival from 1986 - 2004. It has two unique zones not found on its sister ships, The Shores, a beach-themed area, and Currents which explores the depths of the ocean. It's 7 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 Jubilee is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,130 feet long and 137 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.1 football fields, as wide as 2.6 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 17-story building. Compared to the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas, the Jubilee is 19% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Jubilee holds about the same number of passengers as 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 Jubilee has less space per person compared to the Harmony of the Seas.
The Jubilee uses a zone layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded. The Harmony of the Seas employs a similar concept but they're called neighborhoods.
| Carnival Jubilee | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Excel | Oasis |
| Gross Tonnage | 182,800 | 226,963 |
| Length | 1,130 | 1,188 |
| Beam/Width | 137 | 216 |
| Passenger Decks | 17 | 16 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,400 | 5,497 |
| Crew | 1,700 | 2,200 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.6 | 2.5 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 35 | 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 Jubilee has 27 different dining options like Seafood Shack, Guys Pig and Anchor Smokehouse (Excel-ship), and JavaBlue Cafe. Of those options, 19 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 8 options have an additional fee.
The Harmony of the Seas has 1 fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are 150 Central Park, Vintages Wine Bar, and Dog House. 14 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 12 have an additional fee.
The Carnival Jubilee 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 Jubilee 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 Jubilee | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 27 | 26 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 19 | 14 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 8 | 12 |
| % of Included Options | 70% | 54% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Carnival Jubilee has 3 fewer bars than the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas. The Jubilee has 17 bars like Center Stage, Fahrenheit 555 Bar and The Watering Hole. On Jubilee, you can grab a drink at 20 different bars such as Suite Sun Deck Bar, The Attic and Wipeout Bar.
| Carnival Jubilee | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas |
|---|---|
| •Alchemy Bar • Center Stage • Fahrenheit 555 Bar • Grand View • Guy's Pig and Anchor Brewhouse • Havana Bar • Inks, PH. D • Java Blue Cafe • Limelight Lounge • Marina Bar • Piano Bar 88 • Punchliner Comedy Club • RedFrog Tiki Bar • Serenity Pool Bar • The Golden Mermaid • The Watering Hole • 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 Jubilee 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 Jubilee 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 problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.
The Carnival Jubilee has a total of 6 pools and 7 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools and 2 of the hot tubs are adults only. 2 of the pools 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.
Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas has fewer pools than the Jubilee 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.
| Carnival Jubilee | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 6 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 0 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 2 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 7 | 10 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | 8 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 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 Jubilee. Only 63% 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 Jubilee | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Aquatheater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bionic Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Brewery Tour | ✓ | ✗ |
| Carousel | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cooking Class | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Kid's Play Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Outdoor gym | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Roller Coaster | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ropes course | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✗ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thrill Slide | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Carnival Jubilee will likely be more expensive than on Royal Caribbean Harmony 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 Jubilee | 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 | $59.95 - $69.95 Learn more | $70 - $125 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $15.30 to $21.25 per device per day | $17 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 Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
Follow along on our sailing on the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas. 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 ship.
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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