Cruise Spotlight
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Carnival Radiance vs Disney Destiny
The Carnival Radiance was built in 2020. It was renovated in 2024. The Radiance was previously known as the Victory from 2000-2020, but was renamed after it went through huge renovations. It's 5 years older than the Destiny, which was built in 2025. The Disney Destiny is inspired by stories of heroes and villains. You'll enter the ship through the Grand Hall which is themed after Marvel's Black Panther. Outside the ship, you'll see Spider-man painting the name on the stern. The Destiny is still under construction and Disney hasn't released all the details yet.
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 Radiance is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 893 feet long and 125 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.5 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 13-story building. Compared to the Disney Destiny, the Radiance is 30% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Radiance holds 25% fewer passengers than the Destiny 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 Radiance has less space per person compared to the Destiny.
| Carnival Radiance | Disney Destiny | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Sunshine | Wish |
| Gross Tonnage | 101,509 | 144,000 |
| Length | 893 | 1,119 |
| Beam/Width | 125 | 128 |
| Passenger Decks | 13 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,984 | 4,000 |
| Crew | 1,108 | 1,555 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 34 | 36 |
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 Radiance has twenty different dining options like Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, JavaBlue Cafe, and Guys Pig and Anchor BarBQue. Of those options, fourteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other six options have an additional fee.
The Destiny has ten fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Pride Lands, Enchante by Chef Arnaud Lallement, and Worlds of Marvel. five of these restaurants are complementary and the other five have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Radiance might be a better choice. It has 100% more dining options than the Destiny.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Radiance might be a better choice then the Destiny. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Carnival Radiance | Disney Destiny | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 20 | 10 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 14 | 5 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 6 | 5 |
| % of Included Options | 70% | 50% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Radiance 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 Destiny serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Radiance and the Destiny 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 Radiance has a total of 2 pools and 3 hot tubs.
Disney Destiny has more pools than the Radiance and the same number of hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Destiny. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? one of the hot tubs are adults only on Radiance.| Carnival Radiance | Disney Destiny | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 8 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 6 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 0 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 3 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 2 |
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 Radiance. Only 71% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Destiny, 83% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Carnival Radiance | Disney Destiny | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✗ |
| Character experiences | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Kid's Play Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Movie Theater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ropes course | ✓ | ✗ |
| Salon | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✗ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water Coaster | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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.
Disney, 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 Radiance | Disney Destiny | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.00 | Included |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.75 See drink menus | $6.50 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $83 - $88 Learn more | No drink package available |
| Internet Plan | $18.70 to $23.80 per device per day | $12 - $36 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
With Disney Cruises, soda is included for meals, but will have an extra cost at bars and throughout the day. While no drink packages are available, you can preorder bottles of wine or beer at a discount.
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