Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Sun Princess vs Elation
The Princess Cruises Sun Princess is a fairly new ship, being built in 2024. Sun Princess is the first in a whole new class of cruise ship for Princess Cruises. It's the 3rd ship to be sailing under the Sun Princess name. It's 26 years newer than the Elation, which was built in 1998 and renovated in 2020.
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 Sun Princess is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,133 feet long and 126 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 21-story building. Compared to the Carnival Elation, the Sun Princess is 149% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
The Princess Cruises Sun Princess holds more than double the amount of people as the Elation 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 Sun Princess has more space per person compared to the Elation. 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.
| Princess Cruises Sun Princess | Carnival Elation | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Sphere | Fantasy |
| Gross Tonnage | 175,500 | 70,367 |
| Length | 1,133 | 855 |
| Beam/Width | 126 | 103 |
| Passenger Decks | 21 | 10 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 4,300 | 2,052 |
| Crew | 1,592 | 920 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 2.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 41 | 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 Sun Princess has 21 different dining options like The Catch by Rudi, Umai Teppanyaki, and International Cafe. Of those options, 9 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 12 options have an additional fee.
The Elation has 6 fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Blue Iguana Cantina, Carnival Deli, and Guy's Burger Joint. 12 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 3 have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Sun Princess might be a better choice. It has 40% more dining options than the Elation.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Elation might be a better choice then the Sun Princess. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Princess Cruises Sun Princess | Carnival Elation | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 21 | 15 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 9 | 12 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 12 | 3 |
| % of Included Options | 43% | 80% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Sun 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 Elation 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 Elation 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 Princess Cruises Sun Princess has a total of 5 pools and 11 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 1 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 Elation has fewer pools than the Sun Princess and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Elation. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
| Princess Cruises Sun Princess | Carnival Elation | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 5 | 1 |
| Pools - General Access | 4 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 0 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 11 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 10 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 1 | 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 Sun Princess. Only 62% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Elation, 70% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Princess Cruises Sun Princess | Carnival Elation | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Afternoon Tea | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Art Auctions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Royal Afternoon Tea | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spellbound by Magic Castle | ✓ | ✗ |
| 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 Sun Princess | Carnival Elation | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | $64.99 - $84.99 | $59.95 - $69.95 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $24.99 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. | ||
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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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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