Hero of the Seas vs Dream

The Royal Caribbean Hero of the Seas is still being built and will debut in 2026. Hero of the Seas will start sailing in August 2027. It'll feature many of the same restaurants and attractions as its sister-ships Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas plus The Royal Railway, two new pools, and extended adult-only areas. The Hero of the Seas is still under construction and Royal Caribbean hasn't released all the details yet. It's 17 years newer than the Dream, which was built in 2009 and renovated in 2026.

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 Hero of the Seas is considered an extra large size ship. Coming in at 1,198 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 18-story building. Compared to the Carnival Dream, the Hero of the Seas is 94% larger in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Royal Caribbean Hero of the Seas holds 55% more passengers than the Dream 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 Hero of the Seas has more space per person compared to the Dream. 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 Hero of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.

	Royal Caribbean Hero of the Seas	Carnival Dream
Class	Icon	Dream
Gross Tonnage	248,663	128,000
Length	1,198	1,004
Beam/Width	216	122
Passenger Decks	18	14
Passengers (double occupancy)	5,654	3,646
Crew	2,350	1,367
Passenger to Crew Ratio	2.4	2.7
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)	45	35

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 Hero of the Seas has twenty-three different dining options like Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, Basecamp, and Royal Railway - Hero Station. Of those options, fifteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other fourteen options have an additional fee.

The Dream has nine fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Blue Iguana Cantina, The Chef's Table, and Bonsai Sushi. Fourteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other five have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Hero of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 64% more dining options than the Dream.

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

	Royal Caribbean Hero of the Seas	Carnival Dream
Total Dining Options	23	14
Complimentary Dining Options:	15	14
Additional Fee Dining Options:	14	5
% of Included Options	39%	64%
	See the options	See the options

Bars and Drinks

The Royal Caribbean Hero of the Seas has 14 more bars than the Carnival Dream. The Hero of the Seas has 27 bars like Desserted Milkshake Bar, Lou's Jazz 'N Blues and Spotlight Karaoke. On Dream, you can grab a drink at 13 different bars such as Atrium Bar, Burgundy Lounge and Casino Bar.

Royal Caribbean Hero of the Seas

Carnival Dream

•1400 Lobby Bar • Aquadome Market Bar • Basecamp Bar • Boleros • Bubbles • Cantina Fresca • Casino Bar • Desserted Milkshake Bar • Dueling Pianos • English Pub • Giovanni's Wine Bar • Lou's Jazz 'N Blues • Music Hall • Playmakers • Rye & Bean • Schooner Bar • Spotlight Karaoke • Swim & Tonic • The Grove Bar • The Hideaway Bar • The Hideaway Swim-up Bar • The Lemon Post • The Lime & Coconut • The Lime & Coconut: Frozen • The Overlook • Trellis Bar • Windjammer Bar

•Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Burgundy Lounge • Caliente Night Club • Casino Bar • Plaza Cafe • RedFrog Rum Bar • Rendezvous • Sam's Piano Bar • Serenity Pool Bar • Sunset Bar • The Song

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 Hero of the Seas and the Dream 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 Hero of the Seas has a total of 9 pools and 9 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 Dream has fewer pools than the Hero of the Seas and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Dream. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.

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

	Royal Caribbean Hero of the Seas	Carnival Dream
Total Pools	9	2
Pools - General Access	5	2
Pools - Adults Only	3	0
Pools - Exclusive	1	0
Total Hot Tubs	9	8
Hot Tubs - General Access	7	6
Hot Tubs - Adults Only	1	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. On the Hero of the Seas, 74% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Dream, only 69% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.

	Royal Caribbean Hero of the Seas	Carnival Dream
Adult Only Relaxation Area	✓	✓
Aquatheater	✓	✗
Arcade	✓	✓
Basketball	✓	✓
Carousel	✓	✗
Casino	✓	✓
Climbing Wall	✓	✗
Comedy Club	✓	✓
Crown's Edge	✓	✗
Dr Seuss Breakfast	✗	✓
Escape Room	✓	✗
Fitness Center	✓	✓
FlowRider	✓	✗
Ice Skating	✓	✗
Jogging Track	✗	✓
Laser Tag	✓	✗
Mini golf	✓	✓
Pool-side Movies	✗	✓
Shows - musical review	✓	✗
Spa	✓	✗
Splash park	✓	✓
Thermal Suites	✗	✓
Water slides	✗	✓
Waterpark	✓	✗
	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 Hero of the Seas will likely be more expensive than on Carnival Dream.

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 Hero of the Seas	Carnival Dream
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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