Carnival Splendor vs Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas

The Carnival Splendor was built in 2008. It was renovated in 2024. It's 11 years newer than the Enchantment of the Seas, which was built in 1997 and renovated in 2021.

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 Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas, the Splendor is 37% larger in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Carnival Splendor holds 34% more passengers than the Enchantment 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 Splendor has more space per person compared to the Enchantment 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.

	Carnival Splendor	Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas
Class	Conquest	Vision
Gross Tonnage	113,300	82,910
Length	952	989
Beam/Width	116	106
Passenger Decks	13	11
Passengers (double occupancy)	3,012	2,252
Crew	1,150	852
Passenger to Crew Ratio	3.2	2.6
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)	38	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 Splendor has twelve different dining options like Seafood Shack, Mongolian Wok, and Mad Sizzle. Of those options, twelve are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.

The Enchantment of the Seas has five fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Chops Grille, Windjammer, and Chef's Table. eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other four have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Splendor might be a better choice. It has 71% more dining options than the Enchantment of the Seas.

If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Splendor might be a better choice then the Enchantment of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.

	Carnival Splendor	Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas
Total Dining Options	12	7
Complimentary Dining Options:	12	8
Additional Fee Dining Options:	5	4
% of Included Options	58%	43%
	See the options	See the options

Bars and Drinks

The Carnival Splendor has 8 more bars than the Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas. The Splendor has 14 bars like Casino Bar, Red Carpet Dance Club and RedFrog Pub. On Splendor, you can grab a drink at 6 different bars such as Casino Bar, Schooner Bar and Spotlight Lounge.

Carnival Splendor	Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas
•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	•Casino Bar • R Bar • Schooner Bar • Solarium Bar • Spotlight Lounge • Viking Crown Lounge

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 Enchantment 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 Splendor and the Enchantment 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 Carnival Splendor has a total of 2 pools and 4 hot tubs.

Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas has more pools than the Splendor and more hot tubs.

Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Splendor.

	Carnival Splendor	Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas
Total Pools	2	3
Pools - General Access	1	2
Pools - Adults Only	1	1
Pools - Exclusive	0	0
Total Hot Tubs	4	6
Hot Tubs - General Access	2	4
Hot Tubs - Adults Only	2	2
Hot Tubs - Exclusive	0	0

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 Enchantment of the Seas, only 67% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.

	Carnival Splendor	Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas
Adult Only Relaxation Area	✓	✓
Arcade	✓	✓
Basketball	✓	✗
Bungee Trampoline	✗	✓
Casino	✓	✓
Climbing Wall	✗	✓
Comedy Club	✓	✗
Dr Seuss Breakfast	✓	✗
Fitness Center	✓	✓
Jogging Track	✓	✗
Mini golf	✓	✗
Pool-side Movies	✓	✓
Shows - musical review	✗	✓
Spa	✗	✓
Splash park	✓	✗
Thermal Suites	✓	✗
Water slides	✓	✗
	Learn more	Learn more

Carnival is also known for its energetic theme parties which vary per ship.

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 Splendor will likely be more expensive than on Royal Caribbean Enchantment 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 Splendor	Royal Caribbean Enchantment 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	$83 - $88 Learn more	$77 - $118 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.

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.

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