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Independence of the Seas vs Celebration
The Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas was built in 2008. It was renovated in 2018. It's 14 years older than the Celebration, which was built in 2022. The Celebration is named after the original Celebration that sailed with Carnival from 1987 - 2008. It has two unique zones not found on its sister ships: The Gateway, an area dedicated to travel and Carnival's history, and 820 Biscayne which has a retro-Miami vibe.
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 Independence 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 Celebration, the Independence of the Seas is 16% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas holds 28% fewer passengers than the Celebration 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 Independence of the Seas has more space per person compared to the Celebration. 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 Celebration uses a zone layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas | Carnival Celebration | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Freedom | Excel |
| Gross Tonnage | 154,407 | 183,521 |
| Length | 1,112 | 1,130 |
| Beam/Width | 185 | 137 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 17 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,858 | 5,374 |
| Crew | 1,440 | 1,735 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 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 Independence of the Seas has thirteen different dining options like Windjammer, Chops Grille, and Chef's Table. Of those options, nine are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.
The Celebration has ten more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Seafood Shack, Miami Slice, and Bonsai Sushi. nineteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Celebration might be a better choice. It has 77% more dining options than the Independence of the Seas.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Celebration might be a better choice then the Independence of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas | Carnival Celebration | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 13 | 23 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 9 | 19 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 9 | 9 |
| % of Included Options | 31% | 61% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas has 3 fewer bars than the Carnival Celebration. The Independence of the Seas has 14 bars like Playmakers, Solarium Bar and The Plaza Bar. On Independence of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 17 different bars such as Alchemy Bar, Piano Bar 88 and Serenity Pool Bar.
| Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas | Carnival Celebration |
|---|---|
| •Boleros • Casino Bar • Champagne Bar • English Pub • Olive or Twist • Playmakers • Pool Bar • Schooner Bar • Sky Lounge • Solarium Bar • Star Lounge • Suite Lounge • The Plaza Bar • Vintages | •Alchemy Bar • Aquaria • Bar 820 • Fahrenheit 555 Bar • Golden Jubilee • Guy's Pig and Anchor Brewhouse • Havana Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Latitudes • Limelight Lounge • Piano Bar 88 • Punchliner Comedy Club • RedFrog Tiki Bar • Serenity Pool Bar • The Watering Hole • Tides Pool Bar • Tropicale Bar |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Independence 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 Celebration 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 Independence of the Seas and the Celebration 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 Independence of the Seas has a total of 3 pools and 7 hot tubs.
Carnival Celebration has more pools than the Independence of the Seas and the same number of hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Celebration. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Independence of the Seas.| Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas | Carnival Celebration | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 6 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 2 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 7 | 7 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
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 Independence of the Seas, 72% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Celebration, only 61% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas | Carnival Celebration | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Brewery Tour | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Cooking Class | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Laser Tag | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Outdoor gym | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Roller Coaster | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✗ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| 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. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas will likely be cheaper than on Carnival Celebration.
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 Independence of the Seas | Carnival Celebration | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Carnival Celebration
Follow along on our sailing on the Carnival Celebration. 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.
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Miami
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Cozumel
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Costa Maya
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Roatan
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 6 - Sea Day
Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 7 - Sea Day
5 Hits and Misses on Carnival Celebration
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