Carnival Pride vs Carnival Horizon

The Carnival Pride was built in 2002. It was renovated in 2026. It's 16 years older than the Horizon, which was built in 2018.

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 Pride is considered a small size 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 Carnival Horizon, the Pride is 34% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Carnival Pride holds 46% fewer passengers than the Horizon 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 Pride has more space per person compared to the Horizon. 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.

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 Pride has ten different dining options like The Chef's Table, JavaBlue Cafe, and Bonsai Sushi. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.

The Horizon has nine more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Bonsai Teppanyaki, Cucina Del Capitano, and Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse. Fifteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Horizon might be a better choice. It has 90% more dining options than the Pride.

Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.

Restaurants on Carnival Pride & Horizon

Bars and Drinks

The Carnival Pride has 2 fewer bars than the Carnival Horizon.

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 Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.

You can check out recent the bar menus for the Pride and the Horizon 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 Pride has a total of 3 pools and 2 hot tubs.

The Carnival Horizon has the same number of pools as the Pride and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Horizon. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.

Looking to get away from the kids onboard? Try relaxing in the Serenity Adult-only area, for guests 21 and older only. Only the Pride 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 Pride’s adult-only area is in the back, while the Horizon’s is in the front. 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 with featuring places 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. On the Pride, 71% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Horizon, only 62% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.

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 Pride will likely be cheaper than on Carnival Horizon.

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 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 understand what you might spend onboard a Carnival ship.

We sailed aboard the Carnival Pride and Carnival Horizon

We sailed aboard both of these ships. Follow along on our sailings at the links below. 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 ships.

Carnival Pride - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Baltimore

Carnival Pride - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day

Carnival Pride - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Another Sea Day

Carnival Pride - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Half Moon Cay

Carnival Pride - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Nassau

Carnival Pride - Cruise Blog - Day 6 - Freeport

Carnival Pride - Cruise Blog - Day 7 - Final Sea Day

5 Hits & Misses of the Carnival Pride

Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Miami

Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day

Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Amber Cove

Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Grand Turk

Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Sea Day

Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 6 - Nassau

5 Hits & Misses of the Carnival Horizon

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