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Carnival Vista vs Norwegian Epic
The Carnival Vista was built in 2016. It was renovated in 2024. The Carnival Vista was the first cruise ship to have a working brewery on board. It's 6 years newer than the Epic, which was built in 2010 and renovated in 2025.
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 Vista is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,055 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 15-story building. Compared to the Norwegian Epic, the Vista is 14% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Vista holds about the same number of passengers as the Epic 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 Vista has less space per person compared to the Epic.
| Carnival Vista | Norwegian Epic | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Vista | Epic |
| Gross Tonnage | 133,596 | 155,873 |
| Length | 1,055 | 1,081 |
| Beam/Width | 122 | 171 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 14 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,934 | 4,100 |
| Crew | 1,450 | 1,724 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 2.4 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 33 | 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 Vista has nineteen different dining options like Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, Bonsai Teppanyaki, and Pizzeria del Capitano. Of those options, fifteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.
The Epic has two fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are The Great Outdoors, La Cucina Italian, and Moderno Churrascaria. eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other fourteen have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Vista might be a better choice. It has 12% more dining options than the Epic.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Vista might be a better choice then the Epic. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Carnival Vista | Norwegian Epic | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 19 | 17 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 15 | 8 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 9 | 14 |
| % of Included Options | 53% | 18% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Carnival Vista has 2 fewer bars than the Norwegian Epic. The Vista has 14 bars like Fahrenheit 555 Bar, Java Blue Cafe and Serenity Pool Bar. On Vista, you can grab a drink at 16 different bars such as Headliners Comedy Club, Sake Bar and Spice H2O.
| Carnival Vista | Norwegian Epic |
|---|---|
| •Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Fahrenheit 555 Bar • Havana Bar • Heroes Tribute Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Limelight Lounge • Ocean Plaza Bar • Piano Bar 88 • RedFrog Pub and Brewery • RedFrog Rum Bar • Serenity Pool Bar • Tides Pool Bar | •Atrium Bar • Bliss Ultra Lounge • Cascades Bar • Epic Theater Bar • Headliners Comedy Club • Maltings Beer & Whiskey Bar • O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill • Posh Beach Club • Sake Bar • Shakers Martini & Cocktail Bar • Skyy Vodka Ice Bar • Spice H2O • Starbucks • The Cavern Club • The Haven Bar • Waves Pool Bar |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Vista 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 Epic serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Vista and the Epic 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 Vista has a total of 3 pools and 6 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 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.
Norwegian Epic has more pools than the Vista and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Epic. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? two of the hot tubs are adults only on Vista.| Carnival Vista | Norwegian Epic | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 5 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 0 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 2 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 13 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 | 5 |
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 Vista, 65% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Epic, only 59% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Carnival Vista | Norwegian Epic | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bowling Alley | ✗ | ✓ |
| Brewery Tour | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| IMAX Theater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ice Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Outdoor gym | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ropes course | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Skyride | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sports Square | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Carnival and Norwegian 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 Vista will likely be more expensive than on Norwegian Epic.
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 Vista | Norwegian Epic | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.00 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.75 See drink menus | $7.50 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $83 - $88 Learn more | 106 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $18.70 to $23.80 per device per day | $29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Norwegian Cruise Line offers a More at Sea fare. Through this program, guests receive open bar, a discount on excursions, some free internet, and some meals at specialty restaurants. If you book using this promotion, you'll be responsible for the gratuities on the dining and drink package. If you won't be using these options, booking a "sail away" rate that doesn't include the More at Sea benefits is considerably cheaper. Also, most of these benefits are the base packages; you can spend more to upgrade to better alcoholic drinks or faster/more wifi.
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