Cruise Spotlight
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Carnival Liberty vs Carnival Spirit
The Carnival Liberty was built in 2005. It was renovated in 2025. It's 4 years newer than the Spirit, which was built in 2001 and renovated in 2025.
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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 Liberty is considered a medium ship. Coming in at 952 feet long and 116 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 13-story building. Compared to the Carnival Spirit, the Liberty is 24% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Liberty holds 40% more passengers than the Spirit based on double occupancy (two people per room). At full capacity, Carnival Liberty holds 52% more passengers than the Spirit.
When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Liberty has less space per person compared to the Spirit.
| Carnival Liberty | Carnival Spirit | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Conquest | Spirit |
| Gross Tonnage | 110,000 | 88,500 |
| Length | 952 | 963 |
| Beam/Width | 116 | 106 |
| Passenger Decks | 13 | 12 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,974 | 2,124 |
| Passengers (maximum occupancy) | 3,966 | 2,610 |
| Crew | 1,160 | 930 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.4 | 2.8 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 28 | 34 |
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 Liberty has fourteen different dining options like The Chef's Table, Chicken, Waffles, and Waves, and Blue Iguana Cantina. Of those options, fourteen are complimentary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.
The Spirit has one fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Bonsai Sushi, Pizza Pirate, and Carnival Deli. Twelve of these restaurants are complimentary and the other six have an additional fee.
The Carnival Liberty has about the same number of dining options as the Carnival Spirit.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Liberty might be a better choice than the Spirit. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on Carnival Liberty & Spirit
| Restaurant | Carnival Liberty | Carnival Spirit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Included | |||
| Blue Iguana Cantina | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Carnival Deli | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Chicken, Waffles, and Waves | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Guy's Burger Joint | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Lido Buffet | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Mongolian Wok | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Pizza Pirate | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Swirls | ✓ | ✓ | |
| A la carte | |||
| All Things Wings | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Bonsai Sushi | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Cherry on Top | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Coffee Bar | ✓ | ✗ | |
| JavaBlue Cafe | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Seafood Shack | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Flat fee | |||
| Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Steakhouse | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| The Chef's Table | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Bars and Drinks
The Carnival Liberty has 3 more bars than the Carnival Spirit.
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.
You can check out the recent bar menus for the Liberty and the Spirit below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Carnival
Liberty
2
pools
4
hot tubs
Carnival
Spirit
3
pools
2
hot tubs
| Liberty | Spirit | |
|---|---|---|
| General-access pools | 1 | 2 |
| Adults-only pools | 1 | 1 |
| General-access hot tubs | 2 | 1 |
| Adults-only hot tubs | 2 | 1 |
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Carnival Liberty has a total of 2 pools and 4 hot tubs.
Carnival Spirit has more pools than the Liberty and fewer hot tubs.
Looking to get away from the kids onboard? Try relaxing in the Serenity Adult-only area, for guests 21 and older only. Only the Spirit has an adult-only pool in its Serenity Area (it's a full-depth pool). The Serenity Area on both ships is unenclosed and open to the elements. The Liberty's adult-only area is in the front, while the Spirit's is in the back. Typically, the back of the ship has less wind and better views than the front of the ship.
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, featuring places like 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. Both ships have about the same share of included activities: 73%
| Carnival Liberty | Carnival Spirit | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| 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 |
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 Liberty will likely be more expensive than on Carnival Spirit.
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 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 understand what you might spend onboard a Carnival ship.
| Carnival | |
|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $17.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.25 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $83 - $88 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $18.70 to $23.80 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | |
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