Freedom of the Seas vs Sunrise

The Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas was built in 2006. It was renovated in 2025. It's 13 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 Freedom of the Seas is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,112 feet long and 185 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.1 football fields, as wide as 3.5 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 14-story building. Compared to the Carnival Sunrise, the Freedom of the Seas is 54% larger in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas holds 32% more 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 Freedom 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 Freedom of the Seas	Carnival Sunrise
Class	Freedom	Sunshine
Gross Tonnage	156,271	101,509
Length	1,112	893
Beam/Width	185	125
Passenger Decks	14	13
Passengers (double occupancy)	3,934	2,984
Crew	1,447	1,108
Passenger to Crew Ratio	2.7	2.7
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)	40	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 Freedom of the Seas has fourteen different dining options like Windjammer, Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, and Chef's Table. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.

The Sunrise has one more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are The Chef's Table, Carnival Deli, and Blue Iguana Cantina. Fourteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other six have an additional fee.

The Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas has about the same number of dining options as the Carnival Sunrise.

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

	Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas	Carnival Sunrise
Total Dining Options	14	15
Complimentary Dining Options:	10	14
Additional Fee Dining Options:	9	6
% of Included Options	36%	60%
	See the options	See the options

Bars and Drinks

The Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas and Carnival Sunrise both have 12 bars to choose from during your sailing. The Freedom of the Seas has 12 bars like Boleros, English Pub and Playmakers. On Sunrise, you can grab a drink at 12 different bars such as Heroes Tribute Bar, Piano Bar 88 and RedFrog Rum Bar.

Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas	Carnival Sunrise
•Boleros • Casino Bar • English Pub • Playmakers • R Bar • Schooner Bar • Solarium Bar • Star Lounge • Suite Lounge • The Lime & Coconut • The Plaza Bar • Viking Crown Lounge	•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 • Serenity Pool Bar

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. Most Royal Caribbean ships also have Coke Freestyle machines where you can make 100 different flavor combinations.

You can check out recent the bar menus for the Freedom 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 Freedom of the Seas has a total of 3 pools and 5 hot tubs.

Carnival Sunrise has fewer pools than the Freedom of the Seas and fewer hot tubs.

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

	Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas	Carnival Sunrise
Total Pools	3	2
Pools - General Access	2	2
Pools - Adults Only	1	0
Pools - Exclusive	0	0
Total Hot Tubs	5	3
Hot Tubs - General Access	3	2
Hot Tubs - Adults Only	2	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. On the Freedom of the Seas, 80% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Sunrise, only 71% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.

	Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas	Carnival Sunrise
Adult Only Relaxation Area	✓	✓
Arcade	✓	✓
Basketball	✓	✓
Casino	✓	✓
Climbing Wall	✓	✗
Comedy Club	✗	✓
Dr Seuss Breakfast	✗	✓
Fitness Center	✓	✓
FlowRider	✓	✗
Ice Skating	✓	✗
Jogging Track	✗	✓
Laser Tag	✓	✗
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 Freedom 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 Freedom of the Seas	Carnival Sunrise
Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day)	$18.50	$17.00
Tip added to drinks & services	18%	20%
Soda Price	$3.50	$3.25
Domestic Beer Price	$7.49 See drink menus	$8.25 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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