Cruise Spotlight
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Harmony of the Seas vs Vista
The Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas was built in 2016. The Carnival Vista was built in 2016 and renovated in 2024. The Carnival Vista was the first cruise ship to have a working brewery on board.
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
- See Our Detailed Cruise Blog
Ship Size
The Harmony of the Seas is considered an extra large size ship. Coming in at 1,188 feet long and 216 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.3 football fields, as wide as 4.1 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 16-story building. Compared to the Carnival Vista, the Harmony of the Seas is 70% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas holds 40% more passengers than the Vista 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 Harmony of the Seas has more space per person compared to the Vista. 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.
The Harmony of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | Carnival Vista | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Oasis | Vista |
| Gross Tonnage | 226,963 | 133,596 |
| Length | 1,188 | 1,055 |
| Beam/Width | 216 | 122 |
| Passenger Decks | 16 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,497 | 3,934 |
| Crew | 2,200 | 1,450 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.5 | 2.7 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 41 | 33 |
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 Harmony of the Seas has 26 different dining options like Dog House, Sorrento's Pizza, and Chops Grille. Of those options, 14 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 12 options have an additional fee.
The Vista has 1 fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Carnival Deli, Blue Iguana Cantina, and Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse. 16 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 9 have an additional fee.
The Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas has about the same number of dining options as the Carnival Vista.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Vista might be a better choice then the Harmony of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | Carnival Vista | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 26 | 25 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 14 | 16 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 12 | 9 |
| % of Included Options | 54% | 64% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas has 6 more bars than the Carnival Vista. The Harmony of the Seas has 20 bars like Boleros, Suite Lounge and Wonderland. On Harmony of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 14 different bars such as BlueIguana Tequila Bar, Piano Bar 88 and Tides Pool Bar.
| Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | Carnival Vista |
|---|---|
| •Bionic Bar • Boleros • Casino Bar • Dazzles • English Pub • Mast Bar • On Air Club • Pool Bar • Rising Tide Bar • Sabor Bar • Sand Bar • Schooner Bar • Solarium Bar • Suite Lounge • Suite Sun Deck Bar • The Attic • Trellis Bar • Vintages • Wipeout Bar • Wonderland | •Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Fahrenheit 555 Bar • Havana Bar • Heroes Tribute Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Limelight Lounge • Ocean Plaza Bar • Piano Bar 88 • RedFrog Pub and Brewery • RedFrog Rum Bar • Serenity Pool Bar • Tides Pool Bar |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Harmony 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 Vista 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 Harmony of the Seas and the Vista 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 Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas has a total of 3 pools and 10 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 2 of the hot tubs are adults only.
The Carnival Vista has the same number of pools as the Harmony of the Seas and fewer hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Vista. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
| Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | Carnival Vista | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 0 | 0 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 10 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 8 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 2 |
Cruise Coloring and Activity Books for Kids
Get your kids ready for their cruise or keep them entertained while on board with our custom made coloring and activity books.
Cruise Ship Coloring Book for Kids 3-5
(Carnival Edition) (Royal Caribbean Edition)
Let's Get Cruising Activity Book for Kids 6-8
(Carnival Edition) (Royal Caribbean Edition)
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 Harmony of the Seas, 77% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Vista, only 65% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | Carnival Vista | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Aquatheater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bionic Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Brewery Tour | ✗ | ✓ |
| Carousel | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| IMAX Theater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Outdoor gym | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Skyride | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Zip Line | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
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.
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 Harmony of the Seas | Carnival Vista | |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
We sailed aboard the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
Follow along on our sailing on the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas. We take you through every aspect of our sailing, from getting to the port to debarking the ship. See the schedule of events, menus, what excursions we did, and what we really thought about the ship.
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Fort Lauderdale
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Costa Maya
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Cozumel
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Sea Day
5 Hits and Misses on Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
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