Cruise Spotlight
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Carnival Pride vs Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas
The Carnival Pride was built in 2002. It was renovated in 2023. It's 6 years newer than the Grandeur of the Seas, which was built in 1996 and renovated in 2021.
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 Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas, the Pride is 20% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Pride holds about the same number of passengers as the Grandeur 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 Pride has more space per person compared to the Grandeur 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 Pride | Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Spirit | Vision |
| Gross Tonnage | 88,500 | 73,817 |
| Length | 963 | 916 |
| Beam/Width | 106 | 106 |
| Passenger Decks | 12 | 11 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,134 | 1,992 |
| Crew | 930 | 760 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 42 | 37 |
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 Blue Iguana Cantina, Bonsai Sushi, and JavaBlue Cafe. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.
The Grandeur of the Seas has one fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Windjammer, Giovanni's Table, and Chef's Table. eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other six have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Pride might be a better choice. It has 11% more dining options than the Grandeur of the Seas.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Pride might be a better choice then the Grandeur of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Carnival Pride | Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 10 | 9 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 10 | 8 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 5 | 6 |
| % of Included Options | 50% | 33% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Carnival Pride has 3 more bars than the Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas. The Pride has 11 bars like BlueIguana Tequila Bar, Raphael Lounge and The Piazza Cafe. On Pride, you can grab a drink at 8 different bars such as Solarium Bar, South Pacific Lounge and Viking Crown Lounge.
| Carnival Pride | Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas |
|---|---|
| •Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • Beauties Nightclub • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Butterflies Lounge • Heroes Tribute Bar • Ivory Piano Bar • Raphael Lounge • RedFrog Pub • RedFrog Rum Bar • The Piazza Cafe | •Casino Bar • Island Bar • Pool bar • R Bar • Schooner Bar • Solarium Bar • South Pacific Lounge • Viking Crown Lounge |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Pride 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 Grandeur 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 Pride and the Grandeur of the Seas 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.
Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas has fewer pools than the Pride and more hot tubs.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and one of the hot tubs are adults only on Pride.| Carnival Pride | Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 2 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 1 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | 2 |
| 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.
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. On the Pride, 71% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Grandeur of the Seas, only 62% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Carnival Pride | Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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 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 Pride will likely be more expensive than on Royal Caribbean Grandeur 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 Pride | Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $18.50 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 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 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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