Carnival Legend vs Vision of the Seas

The Carnival Legend was built in 2002. It was renovated in 2026. It's 4 years newer than the Vision of the Seas, which was built in 1998 and renovated in 2021.

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 Legend is considered a small ship. Coming in at 963 feet long and 106 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.7 football fields, as wide as 2 tractor-trailers, and the same height as a 12-story building. Compared to the Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas, the Legend is 13% larger in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Carnival Legend holds about the same number of passengers as the Vision of the Seas based on double occupancy (two people per room). At full capacity, Carnival Legend holds about the same number of passengers as the Vision of the Seas.

When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Legend has more space per person compared to the Vision of the Seas. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.

	Carnival Legend	Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas
Class	Spirit	Vision
Gross Tonnage	88,500	78,340
Length	963	915
Beam/Width	106	106
Passenger Decks	12	11
Passengers (double occupancy)	2,134	2,050
Passengers (maximum occupancy)	2,680	2,514
Crew	930	742
Passenger to Crew Ratio	2.9	3.4
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)	33	31

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 Legend has twelve different dining options like Blue Iguana Cantina, Pizza Pirate, and Bonsai Sushi. Of those options, twelve are complimentary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.

The Vision of the Seas has three fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Chops Grille, Chef's Table, and Windjammer. Eight of these restaurants are complimentary and the other six have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Legend might be a better choice. It has 33% more dining options than the Vision of the Seas.

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

	Carnival Legend	Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas
Total Dining Options	12	9
Complimentary Dining Options:	12	8
Additional Fee Dining Options:	5	6
% of Included Options	58%	33%
	See the options	See the options

Bars and Drinks

The Carnival Legend has 5 more bars than the Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas. The Legend has 12 bars like Alchemy Bar, Billie's Piano Bar and Legends' Cafe. On Vision of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 7 different bars such as Pool bar, Schooner Bar and Solarium Bar.

Carnival Legend	Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas
•Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • Billie's Piano Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Casino Bar • Firebird Lounge • Heroes Tribute Bar • Legends' Cafe • Medusa's Lair Dance Club • Odyssey Lounge • RedFrog Pub • Serenity Pool Bar	•Casino Bar • Pool bar • R Bar • Schooner Bar • Solarium Bar • Some Enchanted Evening Lounge • Viking Crown Lounge

In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-Cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barq's 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 the recent bar menus for the Legend and the Vision of the Seas below.

Pools and Hot Tubs

	Legend	Vision of the Seas
General-access pools	2	1
Adults-only pools	1	1
General-access hot tubs	1	4
Adults-only hot tubs	1	2

Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Carnival Legend has a total of 3 pools and 2 hot tubs.

Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas has fewer pools than the Legend and more hot tubs.

Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and one of the hot tubs are adults only on Legend.

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 Legend, 69% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Vision of the Seas, only 62% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.

	Carnival Legend	Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas
Adult Only Relaxation Area	✓	✓
Arcade	✓	✓
Basketball	✓	✗
Casino	✓	✓
Climbing Wall	✗	✓
Comedy Club	✓	✗
Dr Seuss Breakfast	✓	✗
Fitness Center	✓	✓
Jogging Track	✓	✗
Mini golf	✓	✗
Pool-side Movies	✗	✓
Shows - musical review	✓	✓
Spa	✓	✓
Splash park	✓	✗
Water slides	✓	✗
	Learn more	Learn more

Carnival is also known for its energetic theme parties, which vary by ship.

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 Legend will likely be more expensive than on Royal Caribbean Vision 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 may 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 Legend	Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas
Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day)	$17.00	$18.50
Tip added to drinks & services	20%	18%
Soda Price	$3.25	$3.50
Domestic Beer Price	$8.25 See drink menus	$7.49 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.

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