Carnival Splendor vs Rhapsody of the Seas

The Carnival Splendor was built in 2008. It was renovated in 2024. It's 11 years newer than the Rhapsody of the Seas, which was built in 1997 and renovated in 2025.

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 Rhapsody of the Seas, the Splendor is 44% larger in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Carnival Splendor holds 51% more passengers than the Rhapsody 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 Rhapsody of the Seas.

	Carnival Splendor	Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas
Class	Conquest	Vision
Gross Tonnage	113,300	78,491
Length	952	916
Beam/Width	116	106
Passenger Decks	13	11
Passengers (double occupancy)	3,012	1,998
Crew	1,150	765
Passenger to Crew Ratio	3.2	2.6
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)	38	39

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, Mongolian Wok, and Seafood Shack. Of those options, eleven are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other six options have an additional fee.

The Rhapsody of the Seas has three fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Chops Grille, Chef's Table, and Izumi Sushi & Hot Rocks. Eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other six have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Splendor might be a better choice. It has 33% more dining options than the Rhapsody of the Seas.

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

	Carnival Splendor	Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas
Total Dining Options	12	9
Complimentary Dining Options:	11	8
Additional Fee Dining Options:	6	6
% of Included Options	50%	33%
	See the options	See the options

Bars and Drinks

The Carnival Splendor has 8 more bars than the Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas. The Splendor has 15 bars like El Morocco Aft Lounge, RedFrog Pub and The Cool Lounge. On Rhapsody of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 7 different bars such as Casino Bar, Pool bar and R Bar.

Carnival Splendor	Royal Caribbean Rhapsody 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 • Serenity Pool Bar • The Cool Lounge • Topside Bar	•Casino Bar • Pool bar • R Bar • Schooner Bar • Shall We Dance Lounge • Solarium Bar • 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 Rhapsody 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 Rhapsody of the Seas has the same number of pools as 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 Rhapsody 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	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 Rhapsody of the Seas, only 62% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.

	Carnival Splendor	Royal Caribbean Rhapsody 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 Rhapsody 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 Rhapsody of the Seas
Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day)	$17.00	$18.50
Tip added to drinks & services	20%	18%
Soda Price	$3.25	$3.50
Domestic Beer Price	$8.25 See drink menus	$7.49 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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