Brilliance of the Seas vs Sunrise

The Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas was built in 2002. It was renovated in 2022. It's 17 years older than the Sunrise, which was built in 2019 and renovated in 2024. The Sunrise was previously known as the Triumph from 1999-2019, 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 Brilliance of the Seas is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 962 feet long and 106 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.7 football fields, as wide as 2 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 12-story building. Compared to the Carnival Sunrise, the Brilliance of the Seas is 11% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas holds 28% fewer passengers than the Sunrise 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 Brilliance of the Seas has more space per person compared to the Sunrise. 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.

	Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas	Carnival Sunrise
Class	Radiance	Sunshine
Gross Tonnage	90,090	101,509
Length	962	893
Beam/Width	106	125
Passenger Decks	12	13
Passengers (double occupancy)	2,142	2,984
Crew	848	1,108
Passenger to Crew Ratio	2.5	2.7
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)	42	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 Brilliance of the Seas has nine different dining options like Chef's Table, Izumi Sushi & Hot Rocks, and Giovanni's Table. Of those options, eight are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other six options have an additional fee.

The Sunrise has six more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Cucina Del Capitano, Seafood Shack, and The Chef's Table. 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 Sunrise might be a better choice. It has 67% more dining options than the Brilliance of the Seas.

If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Sunrise might be a better choice then the Brilliance of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.

	Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas	Carnival Sunrise
Total Dining Options	9	15
Complimentary Dining Options:	8	14
Additional Fee Dining Options:	6	6
% of Included Options	33%	60%
	See the options	See the options

Bars and Drinks

The Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas and Carnival Sunrise both have 11 bars to choose from during your sailing. The Brilliance of the Seas has 11 bars like Casino Bar, Jakarta Lounge and Pool bar. On Brilliance of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 11 different bars such as BlueIguana Tequila Bar, Heroes Tribute Bar and RedFrog Pub.

Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas	Carnival Sunrise
•Casino Bar • English Pub • Jakarta Lounge • Pool bar • R Bar • Schooner Bar • Singapore Sling's • Sky Bar • Starquest Nightclub • The Colony Club • Vintages	•Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Casino Bar • Heroes Tribute Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Limelight Lounge • New World Bar • Piano Bar 88 • RedFrog Pub • RedFrog Rum Bar

In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Brilliance of the Seas serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. Most Royal Caribbean ships also have Coke Freestyle machines where you can make 100 different flavor combinations. The Sunrise 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 Brilliance of the Seas and the Sunrise 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 Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas has a total of 2 pools and 3 hot tubs.

The Carnival Sunrise has the same number of pools as the Brilliance of the Seas and the same number of hot tubs.

Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and one of the hot tubs are adults only on Brilliance of the Seas.

	Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas	Carnival Sunrise
Total Pools	2	2
Pools - General Access	1	2
Pools - Adults Only	1	0
Pools - Exclusive	0	0
Total Hot Tubs	3	3
Hot Tubs - General Access	2	2
Hot Tubs - Adults Only	1	1
Hot Tubs - Exclusive	0	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 Brilliance of the Seas. Only 70% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Sunrise, 71% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

	Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas	Carnival Sunrise
Adult Only Relaxation Area	✓	✓
Arcade	✓	✓
Basketball	✓	✓
Casino	✓	✓
Climbing Wall	✓	✗
Comedy Club	✗	✓
Dr Seuss Breakfast	✗	✓
Fitness Center	✓	✓
Jogging Track	✗	✓
Mini golf	✓	✓
Pool-side Movies	✓	✓
Ropes course	✗	✓
Shows - musical review	✓	✗
Spa	✓	✗
Splash park	✗	✓
Thermal Suites	✗	✓
Water slides	✗	✓
	Learn more	Learn more

Carnival is also known for its energetic theme parties which vary per ship.

Cruise Costs

Royal Caribbean 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. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas will likely be cheaper than on Carnival Sunrise.

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.

	Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas	Carnival Sunrise
Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day)	$18.50	$16.00
Tip added to drinks & services	18%	18%
Soda Price	$3.50	$3.00
Domestic Beer Price	$8.25 See drink menus	$8.75 See drink menus
Drink Package Price	$77 - $118 Learn more	$83 - $88 Learn more
Internet Plan	$19 to $30 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.

Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing, which means the pricing for many things will vary per sailing. The daily gratuities and tip are consistent across the fleet, but the pricing for the drink package, internet, and excursions will change. The only way to know your price is to consult the Royal Caribbean cruise planner once you're booked.

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