Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
The Carnival Splendor was built in 2008. It was renovated in 2024. It's 1 year older than the Dream, which was built in 2009.
The Splendor is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 952 feet long and 116 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.6 football fields, as wide as 2.2 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 13-story building. Compared to the Carnival Dream, the Splendor is 11% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Carnival Splendor holds 17% fewer passengers than the Dream 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 Splendor has more space per person compared to the Dream. 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 Splendor | Carnival Dream | |
---|---|---|
Class | Conquest | Dream |
Gross Tonnage | 113,300 | 128,000 |
Length | 952 | 1,004 |
Beam/Width | 116 | 122 |
Passenger Decks | 13 | 14 |
Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,012 | 3,646 |
Crew | 1,150 | 1,367 |
Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.2 | 2.7 |
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 38 | 35 |
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Splendor has twelve different dining options like JavaBlue Cafe, Pizzeria del Capitano, and Seafood Shack. Of those options, twelve are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.
The Dream has two more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Carnival Deli, Blue Iguana Cantina, and Seafood Shack. fourteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other five have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Dream might be a better choice. It has 17% more dining options than the Splendor.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
Restaurant | Carnival Splendor |
Carnival Dream |
|
---|---|---|---|
Included | |||
Blue Iguana Cantina | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
Carnival Deli | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Guy's Burger Joint | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Guys Pig and Anchor BarBQue | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
Lido Buffet | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Masala Tiger | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
Mongolian Wok | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Pizzeria del Capitano | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Swirls | ✓ | ✓ | |
A la carte | |||
Bonsai Sushi | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
Coffee Bar | ✗ | ✓ | |
JavaBlue Cafe | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
Mad Sizzle | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
Seafood Shack | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Flat fee | |||
Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
Steakhouse | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
The Chef's Table | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
The Carnival Splendor has 2 more bars than the Carnival Dream.
Carnival Splendor | Carnival Dream | |
---|---|---|
Alchemy Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
Atrium Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
BlueIguana Tequila Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
Burgundy Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
Caliente Night Club | ✗ | ✓ |
Casino Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
El Morocco Aft Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
Grand Piano Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
Java Blue Cafe | ✓ | ✗ |
Juice and Java | ✓ | ✗ |
Our House Sports Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
Plaza Cafe | ✗ | ✓ |
Red Carpet Dance Club | ✓ | ✗ |
RedFrog Pub | ✓ | ✗ |
RedFrog Rum Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
Rendezvous | ✗ | ✓ |
Sam's Piano Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
Sunset Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
The Cool Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
The Song | ✗ | ✓ |
Topside Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
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 Splendor and the Dream below.
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Carnival Splendor has a total of 2 pools and 4 hot tubs.
The Carnival Dream has the same number of pools as the Splendor and more hot tubs.
Looking to get away from the kids onboard? Try relaxing in the Serenity Adult-only area, for guests 21 and older only. Only the Splendor has an adult-only pool in its Serenity Area (it’s a full-depth pool). The Serenity Area on both ships is unenclosed and open to the elements. The Splendor’s adult-only area is in the back, while the Dream’s is in the middle. Typically, the back of the ship has less wind and better views than the front of the ship.
Carnival Splendor | Carnival Dream | |
---|---|---|
Total Pools | 2 | 2 |
Pools - General Access | 1 | 2 |
Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 0 |
Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
Total Hot Tubs | 4 | 8 |
Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 6 |
Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 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
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 both ships, 69% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare.
Carnival Splendor | Carnival Dream | |
---|---|---|
Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✓ |
Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
Learn more | Learn more |
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.
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:
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. |
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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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