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Carnival Valor vs Princess Cruises Royal Princess
The Carnival Valor was built in 2004. It's 9 years older than the Royal Princess, which was built in 2013 and renovated in 2018. This ship is the third to carry the Royal Princess name. It's also one of 3 ships that feature Princess' Watercolor Fantasy Show, an outdoor dancing fountain show.
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 Valor 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 Princess Cruises Royal Princess, the Valor is 23% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Valor holds 16% fewer passengers than the Royal Princess 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 Valor has less space per person compared to the Royal Princess.
| Carnival Valor | Princess Cruises Royal Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Conquest | Royal |
| Gross Tonnage | 110,000 | 142,229 |
| Length | 952 | 1,083 |
| Beam/Width | 116 | 126 |
| Passenger Decks | 13 | 19 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,980 | 3,560 |
| Crew | 1,180 | 1,346 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.5 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 37 | 40 |
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 Valor has twelve different dining options like Seafood Shack, Carnival Deli, and The Chef's Table. Of those options, thirteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other four options have an additional fee.
The Royal Princess has three more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Crown Grill, Sabatini's, and World Fresh Marketplace. ten of these restaurants are complementary and the other eight have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Royal Princess might be a better choice. It has 25% more dining options than the Valor.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Valor might be a better choice then the Royal Princess. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Carnival Valor | Princess Cruises Royal Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 12 | 15 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 13 | 10 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 4 | 8 |
| % of Included Options | 67% | 47% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Valor 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 Royal Princess serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, 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 Valor and the Royal Princess 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 Valor has a total of 2 pools and 4 hot tubs.
Princess Cruises Royal Princess has more pools than the Valor and more hot tubs.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Valor.| Carnival Valor | Princess Cruises Royal Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 4 | 7 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 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 both ships, 73% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare.
| Carnival Valor | Princess Cruises Royal Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Afternoon Tea | ✗ | ✓ |
| Animated fountain | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Art Auctions | ✗ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sports Court | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Carnival is considered 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.
Princess Cruises, on the other hand, is a premium cruise line. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 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. To get a good idea of how the pricing compares, visit the cruise line's website to price out the separate cruises or consult a travel professional.
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 Valor | Princess Cruises Royal Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $17.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.00 | $2.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.75 See drink menus | $6.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $83 - $88 Learn more | $77 -$100 |
| Internet Plan | $18.70 to $23.80 per device per day | $24.99 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Princess Cruises offers two packages to bundle onboard expenses. The Princess Plus package includes daily gratuities, the basic beverage package, 2 fitness classes, 2 casual dining meals, and internet for $60 per day per guest. The Princess Premier package upgrades to the premiere beverage package, wifi for up to 4 devices per guest, two specialty dining meals, unlimited casual dining meals, unlimited fitness classes, and a photo package for $80 per guest per day.
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Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
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