Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Carnival Spirit vs Carnival Conquest
The Carnival Spirit was built in 2001. It's 1 year older than the Conquest, which was built in 2002.
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 Spirit 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 Conquest, the Spirit is 20% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Spirit holds 29% fewer passengers than the Conquest 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 Spirit has more space per person compared to the Conquest. 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 Spirit | Carnival Conquest | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Spirit | Conquest |
| Gross Tonnage | 88,500 | 110,000 |
| Length | 963 | 952 |
| Beam/Width | 106 | 116 |
| Passenger Decks | 12 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,124 | 2,980 |
| Crew | 930 | 1,150 |
| 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 Spirit has 15 different dining options like Blue Iguana Cantina, Bonsai Sushi, and JavaBlue Cafe. Of those options, 12 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 3 options have an additional fee.
The Conquest has 1 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Seafood Shack, Blue Iguana Cantina, and Carnival Deli. 12 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 4 have an additional fee.
The Carnival Spirit has about the same number of dining options as the Carnival Conquest.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
Restaurants on Carnival Spirit & Conquest
| Carnival Spirit | Carnival Conquest | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Iguana Cantina | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Bonsai Sushi | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Carnival Deli | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Cherry on Top | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Coffee Bar | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Guy's Burger Joint | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| JavaBlue Cafe | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Lido Buffet | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Pizza Pirate | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Seafood Shack | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Steakhouse | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Swirls | ✓ | ✓ | |
| The Chef's Table | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
Bars and Drinks
The Carnival Spirit has 2 fewer bars than the Carnival Conquest.
| Carnival Spirit | Carnival Conquest | |
|---|---|---|
| Alchemy Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Alfred's Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Atrium Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| BlueIguana Tequila Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Blues | ✗ | ✓ |
| Cafe Fans | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dancin' Dance Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Deco Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Degas Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Henri's Night Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| RedFrog Pub | ✓ | ✗ |
| RedFrog Rum Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shanghai Piano Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sky Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| SkyBox Sports Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| The Fountain Cafe | ✓ | ✗ |
| Versailles Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Vincent's | ✗ | ✓ |
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 Spirit and the Conquest 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 Spirit 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 Conquest has fewer pools than the Spirit and more hot tubs.
| Carnival Spirit | Carnival Conquest | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 3 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| 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. 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 Spirit, 71% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Conquest, only 70% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Carnival Spirit | Carnival Conquest | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| 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 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. To get a good idea of how the pricing compares, visit Carnival's website to price out the separate cruises or consult a travel professional.
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 | $7.75 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $59.95 - $69.95 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $12.75 to $18.70 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | |
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