Cruise Spotlight
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Disney Destiny vs Carnival Legend
The Disney Destiny is a fairly new ship, being built 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. It's 23 years newer than the Legend, which was built in 2002 and renovated in 2024.
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 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 Legend, the Destiny is 63% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Disney Destiny holds 87% more passengers than the Legend 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 Destiny has less space per person compared to the Legend.
| Disney Destiny | Carnival Legend | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Wish | Spirit |
| Gross Tonnage | 144,000 | 88,500 |
| Length | 1,119 | 963 |
| Beam/Width | 128 | 106 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 12 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 4,000 | 2,134 |
| Crew | 1,555 | 930 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.6 | 2.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 36 | 42 |
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 ten different dining options like Marceline Market, Palo Steakhouse, and Worlds of Marvel. Of those options, five are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.
The Legend has one more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are JavaBlue Cafe, Bonsai Sushi, and Carnival Deli. twelve of these restaurants are complementary and the other four have an additional fee.
The Disney Destiny has about the same number of dining options as the Carnival Legend.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Legend 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 Legend | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 10 | 11 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 5 | 12 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 5 | 4 |
| % of Included Options | 50% | 64% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Disney Destiny has 2 more bars than the Carnival Legend. The Destiny has 13 bars like Concierge Lounge, Cove Cafe and Lookout. On Destiny, you can grab a drink at 11 different bars such as Alchemy Bar, Billie's Piano Bar and RedFrog Pub.
| Disney Destiny | Carnival Legend |
|---|---|
| •Cafe Merida • Cask & Cannon • Concierge Lounge • Cove Bar • Cove Cafe • Currents • De Vil’s • Lookout • Saga • The Haunted Mansion Parlor • The Rose • The Sanctum • Triton Lounge | •Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • Billie's Piano Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Casino Bar • Firebird Lounge • Heroes Tribute Bar • Legends' Cafe • Medusa's Lair Dance Club • Odyssey Lounge • RedFrog Pub |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means 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 Legend 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 Disney Destiny has a total of 8 pools and 3 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.
Carnival Legend has fewer pools than the Destiny and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Legend. 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? One of the pools and one of the hot tubs are adults only on Destiny.| Disney Destiny | Carnival Legend | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 8 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 6 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 3 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 1 | |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| 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 Legend, only 69% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Disney Destiny | Carnival Legend | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✗ | ✓ |
| Character experiences | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Kid's Play Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Movie Theater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Salon | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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 Legend | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $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 | $83 - $88 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $12 - $36 per device per day | $18.70 to $23.80 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.
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