Carnival Luminosa vs Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas

The Carnival Luminosa was built in 2009. It was renovated in 2022. The Carnival Luminosa originally sailed with Carnival's sister cruise line, Costa Cruises. Because of that, it will have some differences compared to other Spirit-class ships and will be missing some Carnival signature items like Guy's Burger Joint. It's 7 years older than the Ovation of the Seas, which was built in 2016.

Comparison Overview

Ship Size

The Luminosa is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 964 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 Ovation of the Seas, the Luminosa is 45% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Carnival Luminosa holds 46% fewer passengers than the Ovation of the Seas based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Luminosa has more space per person compared to the Ovation 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
Luminosa
Royal Caribbean
Ovation of the Seas
ClassSpiritQuantum
Gross Tonnage92,720168,666
Length9641,138
Beam/Width106136
Passenger Decks1214
Passengers (double occupancy)2,2604,180
Crew9261,500
Passenger to Crew Ratio2.42.8
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)4140


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 Luminosa has 14 different dining options like JavaBlue Cafe, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, and Carnival Deli. Of those options, 10 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 4 options have an additional fee.

The Ovation of the Seas has 7 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Izumi, Sorrento's Pizza, and Cafe Promenade. 12 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 9 have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Ovation of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 50% more dining options than the Luminosa.

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

Carnival
Luminosa
Royal Caribbean
Ovation of the Seas
Total Dining Options1421
Complimentary Dining Options:1012
Additional Fee Dining Options:49
% of Included Options71%57%
See the optionsSee the options

Bars and Drinks

Piano Bar 88 on the Luminosa
Piano Bar 88 on the Luminosa
Royal Caribbean's Boleros
Royal Caribbean's Boleros

The Carnival Luminosa has 1 fewer bar than the Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas. The Luminosa has 9 bars like Altair Nightclub, Atrium Bar and Sunset Bar. On Luminosa, you can grab a drink at 10 different bars such as Boleros, Casino Bar and Vintages.

Carnival
Luminosa
Royal Caribbean
Ovation of the Seas
•Alchemy Bar
• Altair Nightclub
• Atrium Bar
• Casino Bar
• Java Blue Cafe
• Limelight Lounge
• Ocean Plaza Bar
• Piano Bar 88
• Sunset Bar
•Bionic Bar
• Boleros
• Casino Bar
• English Pub
• Music Hall
• Pool Bar
• Schooner Bar
• Sky Bar
• Solarium Bar
• Vintages

In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Luminosa 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 Ovation 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 Luminosa and the Ovation of the Seas below.



Pools and Hot Tubs

The main pool on Royal Caribbeans Ovation of the Seas
The main pool on Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas

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 Luminosa has a total of 2 pools and 4 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools and 2 of the hot tubs are adults only.

Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas has more pools than the Luminosa and more hot tubs.

Carnival
Luminosa
Royal Caribbean
Ovation of the Seas
Total Pools23
Pools - General Access12
Pools - Adults Only11
Pools - Exclusive0
Total Hot Tubs46
Hot Tubs - General Access24
Hot Tubs - Adults Only22
Hot Tubs - Exclusive0


cruise coloring book

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 Luminosa. Only 58% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Ovation of the Seas, 73% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

Carnival
Luminosa
Royal Caribbean
Ovation of the Seas
Adult Only Relaxation Area
Arcade
Basketball
Bionic Bar
Bumper Cars
Casino
Climbing Wall
Comedy Club
Dr Seuss Breakfast
Fitness Center
FlowRider
Indoor Sky Diving
Jogging Track
North Star
Pool-side Movies
Shows - musical review
Spa
Splash park
Thermal Suites
Learn moreLearn 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 Luminosa will likely be cheaper than on Royal Caribbean Ovation 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
Luminosa
Royal Caribbean
Ovation of the Seas
Base Daily Gratuities*
(Per Person Per Day)
$16.00$18.50
Tip added to drinks & services18% 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 Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas

Follow along on our sailing on the Royal Caribbean Ovation 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.

Ovation of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Seattle

Ovation of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day

Ovation of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Juneau

Ovation of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Skagway

Ovation of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Sitka

Ovation of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 6 - Sea Day

Ovation of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 7 - Victoria

Ovation of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 8 - Debarking in Seattle

6 Hits & Misses of Ovation of the Seas

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