Cruise Spotlight
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Caribbean Princess vs Encounter
The Princess Cruises Caribbean Princess was built in 2004. It was renovated in 2024. It's 2 years newer than the Encounter, which was built in 2002 and renovated in 2025. The Carnival Encounter is a rebranded ship, previously sailing as Star Princess with Princess Cruises and the Pacific Encounter for P&O Australia. It has been brought into the Carnival family and they added things like the HUB app and Camp Ocean, but it missing several key Carnival elements. For example, they charge for pizza outside of lunch hours and there is no complimentary soft serve ice cream or burgers.
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 Caribbean Princess is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 952 feet long and 158 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.6 football fields, as wide as 3 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 19-story building. It's about the same size as the Carnival Encounter.
Number of Passengers
Princess Cruises Caribbean Princess holds 19% more passengers than the Encounter 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 Caribbean Princess has less space per person compared to the Encounter.
| Princess Cruises Caribbean Princess | Carnival Encounter | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Caribbean | Adventure |
| Gross Tonnage | 112,894 | 108,865 |
| Length | 952 | 951 |
| Beam/Width | 158 | 118 |
| Passenger Decks | 19 | 14 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,140 | 2,636 |
| Crew | 1,200 | 1,100 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.6 | 2.4 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 36 | 41 |
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 Caribbean Princess has eleven different dining options like International Cafe, Main Dining Room, and Coffee and Cones. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other four options have an additional fee.
The Encounter has one fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Dragon Lady, Angelo's, and Waterfront Restaurant. six of these restaurants are complementary and the other five have an additional fee.
The Princess Cruises Caribbean Princess has about the same number of dining options as the Carnival Encounter.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Caribbean Princess might be a better choice then the Encounter. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Princess Cruises Caribbean Princess | Carnival Encounter | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 11 | 10 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 10 | 6 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 4 | 5 |
| % of Included Options | 64% | 50% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Caribbean 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. The Encounter 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 Encounter 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 Princess Cruises Caribbean Princess has a total of 4 pools and 7 hot tubs.
The Carnival Encounter has the same number of pools as the Caribbean Princess and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Encounter. 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? One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Caribbean Princess.| Princess Cruises Caribbean Princess | Carnival Encounter | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 7 | 8 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 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. On the Caribbean Princess, 80% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Encounter, only 60% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Princess Cruises Caribbean Princess | Carnival Encounter | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Afternoon Tea | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Art Auctions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| Edge Adventure Park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Putting green | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✗ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sports Court | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Princess Cruises 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.
| Princess Cruises Caribbean Princess | Carnival Encounter | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $17.00 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $2.50 | $3.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $6.25 | $8.75 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 -$100 | $83 - $88 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $24.99 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. | ||
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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About Cruise Spotlight
Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
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