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Liberty of the Seas vs Luminosa
The Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas was built in 2007. It was renovated in 2016. It's 2 years older than the Luminosa, which was built in 2009 and renovated in 2022. The Carnival Luminosa originally sailed with Carnival's sister cruise line, Costa Cruises. Because of that, it will have some differences compared to other Spirit-class ships and will be missing some Carnival signature items like Guy's Burger Joint.
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 Liberty 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 Luminosa, the Liberty of the Seas is 67% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas holds 68% more passengers than the Luminosa based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or tons of ship compared to number of passengers, the Liberty of the Seas has the same amount of space per person as the Luminosa.
| Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas | Carnival Luminosa | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Freedom | Spirit |
| Gross Tonnage | 154,407 | 92,720 |
| Length | 1,112 | 964 |
| Beam/Width | 185 | 106 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 12 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,798 | 2,260 |
| Crew | 1,360 | 926 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.8 | 2.4 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 41 | 41 |
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 Liberty of the Seas has twelve different dining options like Chef's Table, Giovanni's Table, and Sorrento's Pizza. Of those options, nine are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eight options have an additional fee.
The Luminosa has three fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are JavaBlue Cafe, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, and Carnival Deli. ten of these restaurants are complementary and the other four have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Liberty of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 33% more dining options than the Luminosa.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Luminosa might be a better choice then the Liberty of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas | Carnival Luminosa | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 12 | 9 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 9 | 10 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 8 | 4 |
| % of Included Options | 33% | 56% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas has 6 more bars than the Carnival Luminosa. The Liberty of the Seas has 15 bars like Olive or Twist, Solarium Bar and The Plaza Bar. On Liberty of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 9 different bars such as Casino Bar, Limelight Lounge and Ocean Plaza Bar.
| Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas | Carnival Luminosa |
|---|---|
| •Boleros • Casino Bar • English Pub • Olive or Twist • On Air Club • Pool Bar • R Bar • Schooner Bar • Sky Bar • Solarium Bar • Squeeze • Star Lounge • Suite Lounge • The Plaza Bar • Vintages | •Alchemy Bar • Altair Nightclub • Atrium Bar • Casino Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Limelight Lounge • Ocean Plaza Bar • Piano Bar 88 • Sunset Bar |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Liberty 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 Luminosa 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 Liberty of the Seas and the Luminosa 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 Liberty of the Seas has a total of 3 pools and 7 hot tubs.
Carnival Luminosa has fewer pools than the Liberty 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 Liberty of the Seas.| Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas | Carnival Luminosa | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 7 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 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 Liberty of the Seas, 81% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Luminosa, only 58% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas | Carnival Luminosa | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ✓ | ✓ |
| 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.
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 Liberty of the Seas | Carnival Luminosa | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Liberty of the Seas
Follow along on our sailing on the Royal Caribbean Liberty 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.
Liberty of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Bayonne
Liberty of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day
Liberty of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Bermuda
Liberty of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Bermuda Still
Liberty of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Final Sea Day
5 Hits and Misses on Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas
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