Carnival Venezia vs Carnival Sunshine

The Carnival Venezia was built in 2019. The Venezia is part of Carnival's "Fun Italian Style" Program. This ship is on loan from sister company Costa cruises. It's similar to Carnival's Vista-class ships, but it has a distinct Italian style. It's 6 years newer than the Sunshine, which was built in 2013 and renovated in 2025. The Sunshine was previously known as the Destiny from 1996 - 2013, but was renamed after it went through huge renovations.

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 Venezia is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,061 feet long and 122 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.9 football fields, as wide as 2.3 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 14-story building. Compared to the Carnival Sunshine, the Venezia is 32% larger in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Carnival Venezia holds 36% more passengers than the Sunshine 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 Venezia has less space per person compared to the Sunshine.

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 Venezia has fifteen different dining options like Il Viaggio, Bonsai Sushi, and Bonsai Teppanyaki. Of those options, thirteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other seven options have an additional fee.

The Sunshine has one fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Blue Iguana Cantina, Seafood Shack, and JiJi Asian Kitchen. twelve of these restaurants are complementary and the other seven have an additional fee.

The Carnival Venezia has about the same number of dining options as the Carnival Sunshine.

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

Restaurants on Carnival Venezia & Sunshine

Bars and Drinks

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

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 Venezia and the Sunshine 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 Venezia has a total of 2 pools and 6 hot tubs. 2 of the hot tubs 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.

The Carnival Sunshine has the same number of pools as the Venezia and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Sunshine. 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. Neither the Venezia nor the Sunshine 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. The Venezia’s adult-only area is in the middle, while the Sunshine’s is in the front. 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. On the Venezia, 75% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Sunshine, only 73% 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 Venezia will likely be more expensive than on Carnival Sunshine.

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.

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