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MSC Seascape vs Carnival Radiance
The MSC Seascape was built in 2022. The MSC Seascape has a New York City-inspired theme complete with a 10-foot-fall replica of the Statue of Liberty at the heart of the casino and shopping area called Times Square. It's 2 years newer than the Radiance, which was built in 2020 and renovated in 2024. The Radiance was previously known as the Victory from 2000-2020, 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 Seascape is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,060 feet long and 135 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.9 football fields, as wide as 2.5 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 15-story building. Compared to the Carnival Radiance, the Seascape is 67% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
MSC Seascape holds 97% more passengers than the Radiance 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 Seascape has less space per person compared to the Radiance.
| MSC Seascape | Carnival Radiance | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Seaside EVO | Sunshine |
| Gross Tonnage | 169,400 | 101,509 |
| Length | 1,060 | 893 |
| Beam/Width | 135 | 125 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,877 | 2,984 |
| Crew | 1,648 | 1,108 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.6 | 2.7 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 28 | 34 |
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 Seascape has eleven different dining options like Kaito Teppanyaki, Marketplace Buffet, and Kaito Sushi Bar. Of those options, seven are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.
The Radiance has four more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Guys Pig and Anchor BarBQue, The Chef's Table, and Pizzeria del Capitano. fourteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other six have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Radiance might be a better choice. It has 36% more dining options than the Seascape.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Radiance might be a better choice then the Seascape. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| MSC Seascape | Carnival Radiance | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 11 | 15 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 7 | 14 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 9 | 6 |
| % of Included Options | 18% | 60% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The MSC Seascape has 8 more bars than the Carnival Radiance. The Seascape has 19 bars like Marina Bar, Shine Bar and Sports Bar. On Seascape, you can grab a drink at 11 different bars such as Alchemy Bar, Atrium Bar and RedFrog Pub.
| MSC Seascape | Carnival Radiance |
|---|---|
| •Casino Bar • Champagne Bar • Chef's Court Cocktail Bar • Horizon Bar • Infinity Bar • Jungle Pool Beach Bar • Le Cabaret Rouge • Loft Cafe • Marina Bar • MSC Yacht Club Grill & Bar • Seascape Bar • Shine Bar • Sky Bar • Sports Bar • The Uptown Lounge • The Wine Cellar • Top 19 Bar • Top Sail Lounge • Venchi 1878 Chocolate Bar | •Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Casino Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Limelight Lounge • Piano Bar 88 • RedFrog Pub • RedFrog Rum Bar • Siren Bar • SkyBox Sports Bar |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Seascape 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 Radiance serves the Pepsi family of products. That means Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, Mug Root Beer, and Mountain Dew.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Radiance 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 MSC Seascape has a total of 5 pools and 15 hot tubs. 2 of the pools and 3 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 Radiance has fewer pools than the Seascape and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Radiance. 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 are adults only on Seascape.| MSC Seascape | Carnival Radiance | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 5 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 0 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 2 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 15 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 12 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 3 | 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. You might up paying more while on board the Seascape. Only 54% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Radiance, 71% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| MSC Seascape | Carnival Radiance | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adventure Trail | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| F1 Simulator | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Glass Bridge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Robotron | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✗ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Theater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Zip Line | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
MSC and Carnival 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.
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.
| MSC Seascape | Carnival Radiance | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.00 | |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.75 See drink menus | |
| Drink Package Price | $46 - $85 | $83 - $88 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $17 - $27 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. | ||
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