Carnival Splendor vs Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas

The Carnival Splendor was built in 2008. It was renovated in 2024. It's 7 years newer than the Radiance of the Seas, which was built in 2001 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 Radiance of the Seas, the Splendor is 26% larger in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Carnival Splendor holds 41% more passengers than the Radiance 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 Radiance of the Seas.

	Carnival Splendor	Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas
Class	Conquest	Radiance
Gross Tonnage	113,300	90,090
Length	952	962
Beam/Width	116	106
Passenger Decks	13	12
Passengers (double occupancy)	3,012	2,143
Crew	1,150	894
Passenger to Crew Ratio	3.2	2.4
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)	38	42

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 Mongolian Wok, Mad Sizzle, and JavaBlue Cafe. Of those options, twelve are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.

The Radiance of the Seas has one fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Chef's Table, Dog House, and Izumi Sushi & Hot Rocks. nine of these restaurants are complementary and the other seven have an additional fee.

The Carnival Splendor has about the same number of dining options as the Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas.

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

	Carnival Splendor	Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas
Total Dining Options	12	11
Complimentary Dining Options:	12	9
Additional Fee Dining Options:	5	7
% of Included Options	58%	36%
	See the options	See the options

Bars and Drinks

The Carnival Splendor has 3 more bars than the Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas. The Splendor has 14 bars like Atrium Bar, Casino Bar and RedFrog Rum Bar. On Splendor, you can grab a drink at 11 different bars such as English Pub, Jakarta Lounge and Schooner Bar.

Carnival Splendor	Royal Caribbean Radiance 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 • Champagne Bar • English Pub • Jakarta Lounge • Lobby Bar • Pool bar • Schooner Bar • Singapore Sling's • Sky Bar • The Colony Club • Viking Crown Lounge

In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means 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 Radiance 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.

The Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas has the same number of pools as the Splendor and fewer 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 Radiance of the Seas
Total Pools	2	2
Pools - General Access	1	1
Pools - Adults Only	1	1
Pools - Exclusive	0	0
Total Hot Tubs	4	3
Hot Tubs - General Access	2	2
Hot Tubs - Adults Only	2	1
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. You might up paying more while on board the Splendor. Only 69% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Radiance of the Seas, 70% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

	Carnival Splendor	Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas
Adult Only Relaxation Area	✓	✓
Arcade	✓	✓
Basketball	✓	✓
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 Radiance 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 Radiance of the Seas
Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day)	$16.00	$18.50
Tip added to drinks & services	20%	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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