Carnival Tropicale vs Carnival Pride

The Carnival Tropicale is a fairly new ship, being built in 2028. The Tropicale is named after the original ship that sailed with Carnival from 1982 - 2001. It has two unique zones not found on its sister ships. Unlike the first Excel Class ships, Tropicale does NOT have a BOLT roller coaster, instead it has a waterpark called "Sunsation Point." The ship will debut in 2028. It's 26 years newer than the Pride, which was built in 2002 and renovated in 2023.

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 Tropicale is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,130 feet long and 137 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.1 football fields, as wide as 2.6 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 17-story building. Compared to the Carnival Pride, the Tropicale is 107% larger in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

The Carnival Tropicale holds more than double the amount of people as the Pride 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 Tropicale has less space per person compared to the Pride.

The Tropicale uses a zone layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.

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 Tropicale has twenty-three different dining options like Rudi's Seagrill, Emeril's Bistro 1396, and Seafood Shack. Of those options, nineteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.

The Pride has thirteen fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, The Chef's Table, and JavaBlue Cafe. ten of these restaurants are complementary and the other five have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Tropicale might be a better choice. It has more than double the amount of dining options than the Pride.

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

Restaurants on Carnival Tropicale & Pride

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.

There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Tropicale and the Pride 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 Tropicale has a total of 6 pools and 7 hot tubs. 2 of the pools are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.

Carnival Pride has fewer pools than the Tropicale and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Pride. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.

Looking to get away from the kids onboard? Try relaxing in the Serenity Adult-only area, for guests 21 and older only. Both the Tropicale and the Pride have full-depth adult-only pools in the Serenity area. The Serenity Area on both ships is unenclosed and open to the elements. The Tropicale’s adult-only area is in the front, while the Pride’s is in the back. Typically, the back of the ship has less wind and better views than 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. You might up paying more while on board the Tropicale. Only 65% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Pride, 71% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

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 Tropicale will likely be more expensive than on Carnival Pride.

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 Pride

Follow along on our sailing on the Carnival Pride. 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 Pride - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Baltimore

Carnival Pride - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day

Carnival Pride - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Another Sea Day

Carnival Pride - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Half Moon Cay

Carnival Pride - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Nassau

Carnival Pride - Cruise Blog - Day 6 - Freeport

Carnival Pride - Cruise Blog - Day 7 - Final Sea Day

5 Hits & Misses of the Carnival Pride

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