Cruise Spotlight
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Carnival Pride vs Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas
The Carnival Pride was built in 2002. It was renovated in 2023. It's 22 years older than the Utopia of the Seas, which was built in 2024. The Utopia of the Seas is the first Oasis-class ship to run on LNG, a cleaner burning fuel.
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 Utopia of the Seas, the Pride is 63% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Pride holds 62% fewer passengers than the Utopia 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 Utopia 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.
The Utopia of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Carnival Pride | Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Spirit | Oasis |
| Gross Tonnage | 88,500 | 236,860 |
| Length | 963 | 1,188 |
| Beam/Width | 106 | 211 |
| Passenger Decks | 12 | 16 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,134 | 5,668 |
| Crew | 930 | 2,290 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 2.5 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 42 | 41 |
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 Guy's Burger Joint, Bonsai Sushi, and Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse. Of those options, 10 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 5 options have an additional fee.
The Utopia of the Seas has 15 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Royal Railway - Utopia Station, Starbucks, and Chops Grille. 15 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 15 have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Utopia of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 100% more dining options than the Pride.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Pride might be a better choice then the Utopia of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Carnival Pride | Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 15 | 30 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 10 | 15 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 5 | 15 |
| % of Included Options | 67% | 50% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Carnival Pride has 8 fewer bars than the Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas. The Pride has 11 bars like Alchemy Bar, Raphael Lounge and RedFrog Rum Bar. On Pride, you can grab a drink at 19 different bars such as Casino Bar, Music Hall and Pesky Parrot.
| Carnival Pride | Royal Caribbean Utopia 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 | •Boleros • Cantina Fresca • Casino Bar • English Pub • Giovanni's Wine Bar • Music Hall • Pesky Parrot • Playmakers • Rising Tide Bar • Schooner Bar • Solarium Bar • Spotlight Karaoke • Suite Lounge • The Attic • The Lime & Coconut • The Mason Jar • The Vue Bar • Trellis Bar • Wipeout Bar |
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 Utopia 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 Utopia 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 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.
Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas has more pools than the Pride and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Utopia of the Seas. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
| Carnival Pride | Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 5 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 3 | 7 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 2 |
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 Pride. Only 71% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Utopia of the Seas, 84% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Carnival Pride | Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Aquatheater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Carousel | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Kid's Play Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Laser Tag | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Zip Line | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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 cheaper than on Royal Caribbean Utopia 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 Utopia 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 | $59.95 - $69.95 Learn more | $70 - $125 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $15.30 to $21.25 per device per day | $17 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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Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
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