Cruise Spotlight
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Carnival Splendor vs Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
The Carnival Splendor was built in 2008. It was renovated in 2024. It's 8 years older than the Harmony of the Seas, which was built in 2016.
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
- See Our Detailed Cruise Blog
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 Harmony of the Seas, the Splendor is 50% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Splendor holds 45% fewer passengers than the Harmony of the Seas 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 Harmony of the Seas.
The Harmony of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Carnival Splendor | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Conquest | Oasis |
| Gross Tonnage | 113,300 | 226,963 |
| Length | 952 | 1,188 |
| Beam/Width | 116 | 216 |
| Passenger Decks | 13 | 16 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,012 | 5,497 |
| Crew | 1,150 | 2,200 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.2 | 2.5 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 38 | 41 |
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 17 different dining options like Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, Carnival Deli, and The Chef's Table. Of those options, 12 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 5 options have an additional fee.
The Harmony of the Seas has 9 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Vitality Cafe, Wonderland, and Chef's Table. 14 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 12 have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Harmony of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 53% 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 Harmony of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Carnival Splendor | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 17 | 26 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 12 | 14 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 5 | 12 |
| % of Included Options | 71% | 54% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Carnival Splendor has 6 fewer bars than the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas. The Splendor has 14 bars like Juice and Java, RedFrog Pub and RedFrog Rum Bar. On Splendor, you can grab a drink at 20 different bars such as Boleros, Casino Bar and Dazzles.
| Carnival Splendor | Royal Caribbean Harmony 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 | •Bionic Bar • Boleros • Casino Bar • Dazzles • English Pub • Mast Bar • On Air Club • Pool Bar • Rising Tide Bar • Sabor Bar • Sand Bar • Schooner Bar • Solarium Bar • Suite Lounge • Suite Sun Deck Bar • The Attic • Trellis Bar • Vintages • Wipeout Bar • Wonderland |
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 Harmony 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 Harmony 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 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 Splendor has a total of 2 pools and 4 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools and 2 of the hot tubs are adults only.
Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas has more pools than the Splendor and more hot tubs.
| Carnival Splendor | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 0 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 4 | 10 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 8 |
| 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.
Cruise Ship Coloring Book for Kids 3-5
(Carnival Edition) (Royal Caribbean Edition)
Let's Get Cruising Activity Book for Kids 6-8
(Carnival Edition) (Royal Caribbean 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. You might up paying more while on board the Splendor. Only 69% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Harmony of the Seas, 77% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Carnival Splendor | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Aquatheater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bionic Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Carousel | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✗ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thrill Slide | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Zip Line | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
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 cheaper than on Royal Caribbean Harmony 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 Harmony 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 | $59.95 - $69.95 Learn more | $70 - $125 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $15.30 to $21.25 per device per day | $17 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.
We sailed aboard the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
Follow along on our sailing on the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas. We take you through every aspect of our sailing, from getting to the port to debarking the ship. See the schedule of events, menus, what excursions we did, and what we really thought about the ship.
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Fort Lauderdale
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Costa Maya
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Cozumel
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Sea Day
5 Hits and Misses on Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
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