Cruise Spotlight
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Disney Destiny vs Carnival Celebration
The Disney Destiny is still being built and will debut in 2025. The Disney Destiny is inspired by stories of heroes and villains. You'll enter the ship through the Grand Hall which is themed after Marvel's Black Panther. Outside the ship, you'll see Spider-man painting the name on the stern. The Destiny is still under construction and Disney hasn't released all the details yet. It's 3 years newer than the Celebration, which was built in 2022. The Celebration is named after the original Celebration that sailed with Carnival from 1987 - 2008. It has two unique zones not found on its sister ships: The Gateway, an area dedicated to travel and Carnival's history, and 820 Biscayne which has a retro-Miami vibe.
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
- See Our Detailed Cruise Blog
Ship Size
The Destiny is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,119 feet long and 128 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.1 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 15-story building. Compared to the Carnival Celebration, the Destiny is 22% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Disney Destiny holds 26% fewer passengers than the Celebration based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Destiny has more space per person compared to the Celebration. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.
The Celebration uses a zone layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Disney Destiny | Carnival Celebration | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Wish | Excel |
| Gross Tonnage | 144,000 | 183,521 |
| Length | 1,119 | 1,130 |
| Beam/Width | 128 | 137 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 17 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 4,000 | 5,374 |
| Crew | 1,555 | 1,735 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.6 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 36 | 35 |
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 Destiny has 10 different dining options like 1923, Marceline Market, and Pride Lands. Of those options, 5 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 5 options have an additional fee.
The Celebration has 17 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Blue Iguana Cantina, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, and JavaBlue Cafe. 19 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 8 have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Celebration might be a better choice. It has 170% more dining options than the Destiny.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Celebration might be a better choice then the Destiny. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Disney Destiny | Carnival Celebration | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 10 | 27 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 5 | 19 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 5 | 8 |
| % of Included Options | 50% | 70% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Destiny serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. The Celebration serves the Pepsi family of products. That means Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, Mug Root Beer, and Mountain Dew.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Celebration 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 problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.
The Disney Destiny has a total of 8 pools and 3 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools and 1 of the hot tubs are adults only. 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.
Carnival Celebration has fewer pools than the Destiny and more hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Celebration. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
| Disney Destiny | Carnival Celebration | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 8 | 6 |
| Pools - General Access | 6 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 2 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 3 | 7 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 | 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 Destiny, 83% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Celebration, only 61% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Disney Destiny | Carnival Celebration | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Brewery Tour | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✗ | ✓ |
| Character experiences | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Cooking Class | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Kid's Play Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Movie Theater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Outdoor gym | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Roller Coaster | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
| Salon | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✗ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water Coaster | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Disney 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.
Carnival, on the other hand, 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.
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.
| Disney Destiny | Carnival Celebration | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $14.50 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | Included | $3.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $6.50 | $8.75 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | No drink package available | $59.95 - $69.95 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $12 - $36 per device per day | $15.30 to $21.25 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
With Disney Cruises, soda is included for meals, but will have an extra cost at bars and throughout the day. While no drink packages are available, you can preorder bottles of wine or beer at a discount.
We sailed aboard the Carnival Celebration
Follow along on our sailing on the Carnival Celebration. We take you through every aspect of our sailing, from getting to the port to debarking the ship. See the schedule of events, menus, what excursions we did, and what we really thought about the ship.
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Miami
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Cozumel
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Costa Maya
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Roatan
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 6 - Sea Day
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 7 - Sea Day
5 Hits and Misses on Carnival Celebration
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