Carnival Valor vs Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas

The Carnival Valor was built in 2004. It was renovated in 2025. It's 6 years newer than the Vision of the Seas, which was built in 1998 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 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 Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas, the Valor is 40% larger in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Carnival Valor holds 45% more passengers than the Vision 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 Valor has less space per person compared to the Vision of the Seas.

	Carnival Valor	Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas
Class	Conquest	Vision
Gross Tonnage	110,000	78,340
Length	952	915
Beam/Width	116	106
Passenger Decks	13	11
Passengers (double occupancy)	2,980	2,050
Crew	1,180	742
Passenger to Crew Ratio	2.5	2.8
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)	37	38

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 Carnival Deli, The Chef's Table, and Blue Iguana Cantina. Of those options, thirteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other four options have an additional fee.

The Vision of the Seas has three fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Giovanni's Table, Chef's Table, and Chops Grille. 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 Valor might be a better choice. It has 33% more dining options than the Vision of the Seas.

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

	Carnival Valor	Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas
Total Dining Options	12	9
Complimentary Dining Options:	13	8
Additional Fee Dining Options:	4	6
% of Included Options	67%	33%
	See the options	See the options

Bars and Drinks

The Carnival Valor has 6 more bars than the Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas. The Valor has 13 bars like Atrium Bar, BlueIguana Tequila Bar and Java Blue Cafe. On Valor, you can grab a drink at 7 different bars such as Pool bar, Some Enchanted Evening Lounge and Viking Crown Lounge.

Carnival Valor	Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas
•Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Casino Bar • Eagle Aft Lounge • Heroes Tribute Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Lindy Hop Piano Bar • One Small Step Dance Club • Paris Hot Bar • Prometheus Bar • RedFrog Rum Bar • Winston's Bar	•Casino Bar • Pool bar • R Bar • Schooner Bar • Solarium Bar • Some Enchanted Evening Lounge • Viking Crown Lounge

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 Vision of the Seas serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like 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 Valor and the Vision 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 Valor has a total of 2 pools and 6 hot tubs.

The Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas has the same number of pools as the Valor and the same number of hot tubs.

Tired of loud kids and splashing? two of the hot tubs are adults only on Valor.

	Carnival Valor	Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas
Total Pools	2	2
Pools - General Access	2	1
Pools - Adults Only	0	1
Pools - Exclusive	0	0
Total Hot Tubs	6	6
Hot Tubs - General Access	4	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 Valor, 73% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Vision of the Seas, only 62% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.

	Carnival Valor	Royal Caribbean Vision 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	✗	✓
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 Valor will likely be more expensive than on Royal Caribbean Vision 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 Valor	Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas
Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day)	$16.00	$18.50
Tip added to drinks & services	18%	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.

Want to Stay Up-To-Date on All Things Cruising?

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

About Cruise Spotlight
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.
Learn more about Cruise Spotlight.