Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Liberty of the Seas vs Valor
The Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas was built in 2007. It was renovated in 2026. It's 3 years newer than the Valor, which was built in 2004 and renovated in 2025.
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 Valor, the Liberty of the Seas is 40% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas holds 27% more passengers than the Valor 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 Liberty of the Seas has more space per person compared to the Valor. 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 Liberty of the Seas | Carnival Valor | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Freedom | Conquest |
| Gross Tonnage | 154,407 | 110,000 |
| Length | 1,112 | 952 |
| Beam/Width | 185 | 116 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,798 | 2,980 |
| Crew | 1,360 | 1,180 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.8 | 2.5 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 41 | 37 |
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 fourteen different dining options like Sorrento's Pizza, Vintages Wine Bar, and Giovanni's Table. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other ten options have an additional fee.
The Valor has two fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Blue Iguana Cantina, Seafood Shack, and Pizza Pirate. Thirteen 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 17% more dining options than the Valor.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Valor 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 Valor | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 14 | 12 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 10 | 13 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 10 | 4 |
| % of Included Options | 29% | 67% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas has 3 fewer bars than the Carnival Valor. The Liberty of the Seas has 11 bars like Schooner Bar, Star Lounge and Vintages. On Valor, you can grab a drink at 14 different bars such as Casino Bar, One Small Step Dance Club and Paris Hot Bar.
| Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas | Carnival Valor |
|---|---|
| •Casino Bar • English Pub • Olive or Twist • R Bar • Schooner Bar • Solarium Bar • Star Lounge • Suite Lounge • The Lime & Coconut • The Plaza Bar • Vintages | •Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Casino Bar • Eagle Aft Lounge • Heroes Tribute Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Lindy Hop Piano Bar • One Small Step Dance Club • Paris Hot Bar • Prometheus Bar • RedFrog Rum Bar • Serenity Pool Bar • Winston's 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 Liberty of the Seas and the Valor 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 Valor 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 Valor | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 0 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 7 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | 4 |
| 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 Liberty of the Seas, 76% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Valor, only 75% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas | Carnival Valor | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Laser Tag | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✗ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| 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 Liberty of the Seas will likely be more expensive than on Carnival Valor.
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 Valor | |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
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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