Cruise Spotlight
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Carnival Splendor vs Celebrity Edge
The Carnival Splendor was built in 2008. It was renovated in 2024. It's 11 years older than the Edge, which was built in 2019. The Celebrity Edge is the first ship to feature the "Magic Carpet," a moving platform that makes using water tenders a breeze while in port, or adds outdoor dining space while at sea. This Edge-class of ship is known to feel quite different than the rest of the Celebrity fleet as it's less geared towards traditional cruise passengers.
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 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 Celebrity Edge, the Splendor is 13% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Splendor holds about the same number of passengers as the Edge 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 Splendor has less space per person compared to the Edge.
| Carnival Splendor | Celebrity Edge | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Conquest | Edge |
| Gross Tonnage | 113,300 | 129,500 |
| Length | 952 | 1,004 |
| Beam/Width | 116 | 128 |
| Passenger Decks | 13 | 16 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,012 | 2,918 |
| Crew | 1,150 | 1,320 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.2 | 2.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 38 | 44 |
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 Splendor has twelve different dining options like Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, Masala Tiger, and JavaBlue Cafe. Of those options, twelve are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.
The Edge has seven more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Eden Cafe, Magic Carpet, and Mast Grill. eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other eleven have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Edge might be a better choice. It has 58% more dining options than the Splendor.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Splendor might be a better choice then the Edge. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Carnival Splendor | Celebrity Edge | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 12 | 19 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 12 | 8 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 5 | 11 |
| % of Included Options | 58% | 42% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Carnival Splendor has 4 more bars than the Celebrity Edge. The Splendor has 14 bars like Atrium Bar, RedFrog Rum Bar and Topside Bar. On Splendor, you can grab a drink at 10 different bars such as Il Secondo Bacio, Martini Bar and Sunset bar.
| Carnival Splendor | Celebrity Edge |
|---|---|
| •Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Casino Bar • El Morocco Aft Lounge • Grand Piano Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Juice and Java • Our House Sports Bar • Red Carpet Dance Club • RedFrog Pub • RedFrog Rum Bar • The Cool Lounge • Topside Bar | •Cafe al Bacio • Craft Social • Eden Bar • Il Secondo Bacio • Magic Carpet Bar • Martini Bar • Pool Bar • Sunset bar • The Club • The Retreat Pool Bar |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Splendor 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 Edge serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Splendor and the Edge 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 Splendor has a total of 2 pools and 4 hot tubs.
Celebrity Edge has more pools than the Splendor and the same number of hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Edge. 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 pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Splendor.| Carnival Splendor | Celebrity Edge | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 4 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 1 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 1 |
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 Splendor, 69% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Edge, only 67% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Carnival Splendor | Celebrity Edge | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Beyond the Podium Talk Series | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bingo | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✗ |
| Eden Entertainment Space | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Outdoor movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Rooftop Garden | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✗ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| 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.
Celebrity, 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 Splendor | Celebrity Edge | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $18.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.00 | $4.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.75 See drink menus | $8.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $83 - $88 Learn more | $55 - $99 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. | ||
Celebrity Cruise Lines offers an "All Included" program. Guests who book a cruise using this promotion will have wifi and alcohol included. Some sailings are available without this program so pay attention when booking. Typically prices are lower if they don't include "Always Included." The wifi and alcohol package are the base levels and can be upgraded for an additional cost.
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