Carnival Sunshine vs Carnival Horizon

The Carnival Sunshine was built in 2013. It was renovated in 2025. The Sunshine was previously known as the Destiny from 1996 - 2013, but was renamed after it went through huge renovations. It's 5 years older than the Horizon, which was built in 2018.

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 Sunshine is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 893 feet long and 125 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.5 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 13-story building. Compared to the Carnival Horizon, the Sunshine is 23% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Carnival Sunshine holds 24% fewer passengers than the Horizon based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or tons of ship compared to number of passengers, the Sunshine has the same amount of space per person as the Horizon.

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 Sunshine has fourteen different dining options like Guy's Burger Joint, Bonsai Sushi, and Pizzeria del Capitano. Of those options, twelve are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other seven options have an additional fee.

The Horizon has five more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Guys Pig and Anchor Smokehouse, Guy's Burger Joint, and Pizzeria del Capitano. fifteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Horizon might be a better choice. It has 36% more dining options than the Sunshine.

Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.

Restaurants on Carnival Sunshine & Horizon

Bars and Drinks

The Carnival Sunshine has 1 fewer bar than the Carnival Horizon.

In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Pepsi family of products. That means Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, Mug Root Beer, and Mountain Dew, although the selection can vary by ship.

You can check out recent the bar menus for the Sunshine and the Horizon 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 Sunshine has a total of 2 pools and 3 hot tubs.

Carnival Horizon has more pools than the Sunshine and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Horizon. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.

Looking to get away from the kids onboard? Try relaxing in the Serenity Adult-only area, for guests 21 and older only. Neither the Sunshine nor the Horizon has an adult-only pool but they do have adult-only hot tubs. The Serenity Area on both ships is unenclosed and open to the elements. They’re both located in the front of the ship.

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. These are the Carnival editions with featuring places Pizza Pirate and mini-golf.

Cruise Ship Coloring Book for Kids 3-5 - Carnival Edition

Let's Get Cruising Activity Book for Kids 6-8 - Carnival 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. On the Sunshine, 73% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Horizon, only 62% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.

Cruise Costs

Carnival is 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.

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 Sunshine will likely be cheaper than on Carnival Horizon.

The cost will also vary depending on the type of cabin you book. You can see the differences between the Carnival cabins and how to choose the best one here:

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 understand what you might spend onboard a Carnival ship.

We sailed aboard the Carnival Horizon

Follow along on our sailing on the Carnival Horizon. 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.

Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Miami

Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day

Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Amber Cove

Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Grand Turk

Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Sea Day

Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 6 - Nassau

5 Hits & Misses of the Carnival Horizon

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