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Carnival Pride vs Carnival Sunshine
The Carnival Pride was built in 2002. It was renovated in 2023. It's 11 years older than the Sunshine, which was built in 2013. The Sunshine was previously known as the Destiny from 1996 - 2013, but was renamed after it went through huge rennovations.
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 Sunshine, the Pride is 14% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Pride holds 29% fewer passengers than the Sunshine 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 Sunshine. 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 Pride | Carnival Sunshine | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Spirit | Sunshine |
| Gross Tonnage | 88,500 | 102,853 |
| Length | 963 | 893 |
| Beam/Width | 106 | 125 |
| Passenger Decks | 12 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,134 | 3,002 |
| Crew | 930 | 920 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 3.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 42 | 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 Pride has 15 different dining options like Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, JavaBlue Cafe, and Bonsai Sushi. Of those options, 10 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 5 options have an additional fee.
The Sunshine has 4 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Guy's Burger Joint, Pizzeria del Capitano, and Cucina Del Capitano. 12 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 7 have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Sunshine might be a better choice. It has 27% more dining options than the Pride.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
Restaurants on Carnival Pride & Sunshine
| Carnival Pride | Carnival Sunshine | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Iguana Cantina | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Bonsai Sushi | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Carnival Deli | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Cherry on Top | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Cucina Del Capitano | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Guy's Burger Joint | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| JavaBlue Cafe | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| JiJi Asian Kitchen | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Lido Buffet | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Pizzeria del Capitano | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Seafood Shack | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Steakhouse | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Swirls | ✓ | ✓ | |
| The Chef's Table | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Bars and Drinks
The Carnival Pride has 2 fewer bars than the Carnival Sunshine.
| Carnival Pride | Carnival Sunshine | |
|---|---|---|
| Alchemy Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Atrium Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Beauties Nightclub | ✓ | ✗ |
| BlueIguana Tequila Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Butterflies Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Havana Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Heroes Tribute Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ivory Piano Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Java Blue Cafe | ✗ | ✓ |
| Limelight Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ocean Plaza Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Piano Bar 88 | ✗ | ✓ |
| Raphael Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| RedFrog Pub | ✓ | ✓ |
| RedFrog Rum Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shake Spot | ✗ | ✓ |
| SkyBox Sports Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| The Piazza Cafe | ✓ | ✗ |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Pepsi family of products. That means Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, Mug Root Beer, and Mountain Dew, although the selection can vary by ship.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Pride and the Sunshine 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 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 Pride has a total of 3 pools and 3 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools and 1 of the hot tubs are adults only.
Carnival Sunshine has fewer pools than the Pride and the same number of hot tubs.
| Carnival Pride | Carnival Sunshine | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 3 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
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. You might up paying more while on board the Pride. Only 71% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Sunshine, 73% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Carnival Pride | Carnival Sunshine | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Outdoor gym | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✗ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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 Pride will likely be cheaper than on Carnival Sunshine.
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.
| Carnival | |
|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.75 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. | |
We sailed aboard the Carnival Pride
Follow along on our sailing on the Carnival Pride. 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.
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
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