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Carnival Paradise vs Celebrity Silhouette
The Carnival Paradise was built in 1998. It was renovated in 2023. It's 13 years older than the Silhouette, which was built in 2011 and renovated in 2020. While the Celebrity Silhouette has a lawn club like most of it's sister ships, it's mostly exclusive to suite guests or those willing to pay extra.
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 Paradise is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 855 feet long and 103 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.4 football fields, as wide as 1.9 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 10-story building. Compared to the Celebrity Silhouette, the Paradise is 42% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Paradise holds 29% fewer passengers than the Silhouette 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 Paradise has less space per person compared to the Silhouette.
| Carnival Paradise | Celebrity Silhouette | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Fantasy | Solstice |
| Gross Tonnage | 70,367 | 122,000 |
| Length | 855 | 1,033 |
| Beam/Width | 103 | 121 |
| Passenger Decks | 10 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,052 | 2,886 |
| Crew | 920 | 1,285 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 34 | 42 |
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 Paradise has nine different dining options like Carnival Deli, Blue Iguana Cantina, and Pizza Pirate. Of those options, twelve are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other two options have an additional fee.
The Silhouette has three more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are The Porch, Craft Social, and AquaSpa Cafe. eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Silhouette might be a better choice. It has 33% more dining options than the Paradise.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Paradise might be a better choice then the Silhouette. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Carnival Paradise | Celebrity Silhouette | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 9 | 12 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 12 | 8 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 2 | 9 |
| % of Included Options | 78% | 25% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Carnival Paradise has 5 fewer bars than the Celebrity Silhouette. The Paradise has 10 bars like America Piano Bar, BlueIguana Tequila Bar and Punchliner Comedy Club. On Paradise, you can grab a drink at 15 different bars such as Craft Social, Ensemble Lounge and The Retreat Lounge.
| Carnival Paradise | Celebrity Silhouette |
|---|---|
| •America Piano Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Casino Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Leonardo Lounge • Punchliner Comedy Club • RedFrog Rum Bar • Rex Dance Club • Rotterdam Bar | •Cafe al Bacio • Casino Bar • Craft Social • Ensemble Lounge • Entertainment Court Bar • Il Secondo Bacio • Martini Bar • Mast Bar • Passport Bar • Pool Bar • Quasar • Sky Lounge • Sunset Bar • The Retreat Lounge • World Class Bar |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Paradise 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 Silhouette serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Paradise and the Silhouette 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 Paradise has a total of 1 pools and 4 hot tubs.
Celebrity Silhouette has more pools than the Paradise and more hot tubs.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? two of the hot tubs are adults only on Paradise.| Carnival Paradise | Celebrity Silhouette | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 1 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 0 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 4 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 |
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 Paradise, 73% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Silhouette, only 56% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Carnival Paradise | Celebrity Silhouette | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Beyond the Podium Talk Series | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bingo | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lawn Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✗ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Carnival is considered 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.
Celebrity, on the other hand, is a premium cruise line. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 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. To get a good idea of how the pricing compares, visit the cruise line's website to price out the separate cruises or consult a travel professional.
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 Paradise | Celebrity Silhouette | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $18.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.00 | $4.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.75 See drink menus | $8.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $83 - $88 Learn more | $55 - $99 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. | ||
Celebrity Cruise Lines offers an "All Included" program. Guests who book a cruise using this promotion will have wifi and alcohol included. Some sailings are available without this program so pay attention when booking. Typically prices are lower if they don't include "Always Included." The wifi and alcohol package are the base levels and can be upgraded for an additional cost.
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