Cruise Spotlight
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Carnival Venezia vs Princess Cruises Majestic Princess
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 2 years newer than the Majestic Princess, which was built in 2017 and renovated in 2025. Majestic Princess was originally designed for the Chinese market. Because of this intent, the ship was unique to the Princess fleet with some additional features and unique restaurants, but during a 2025 drydock, most of the unique restaurants were replaced with Princess' standard offerings. It also has a great indoor pool for cooler weather cruising. Majestic Princess is 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 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 Princess Cruises Majestic Princess, the Venezia is 6% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Venezia holds 14% more passengers than the Majestic 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 Venezia has less space per person compared to the Majestic Princess.
| Carnival Venezia | Princess Cruises Majestic Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Venice | Royal |
| Gross Tonnage | 135,500 | 143,700 |
| Length | 1,061 | 1,083 |
| Beam/Width | 122 | 126 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 19 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 4,072 | 3,560 |
| Crew | 1,424 | 1,346 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.9 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 32 | 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 Venezia has fifteen different dining options like Carnival Deli, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, and Il Viaggio. Of those options, thirteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other seven options have an additional fee.
The Majestic Princess has three fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are International Cafe, Main Dining Room, and The Catch by Rudi. eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Venezia might be a better choice. It has 25% more dining options than the Majestic Princess.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Venezia might be a better choice then the Majestic Princess. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Carnival Venezia | Princess Cruises Majestic Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 15 | 12 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 13 | 8 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 7 | 9 |
| % of Included Options | 53% | 25% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Venezia 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 Majestic 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 Venezia and the Majestic 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 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 Princess Cruises Majestic Princess has the same number of pools as the Venezia and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Majestic Princess. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? two of the hot tubs are adults only on Venezia.| Carnival Venezia | Princess Cruises Majestic Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 0 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 |
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 Venezia. Only 75% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Majestic Princess, 78% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Carnival Venezia | Princess Cruises Majestic Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Animated fountain | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Art Auctions | ✗ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Outdoor gym | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ropes course | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| 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 Venezia | Princess Cruises Majestic 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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