Mariner of the Seas vs Miracle

The Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas was built in 2003. It was renovated in 2018. Mariner of the Seas was Amplified in 2023 which added many new features, restaurants, and attractions to this ship. It's 1 year older than the Miracle, 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

Ship Size

The Mariner of the Seas is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,020 feet long and 157 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.8 football fields, as wide as 3 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 14-story building. Compared to the Carnival Miracle, the Mariner of the Seas is 58% larger in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas holds 57% more passengers than the Miracle 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 Mariner of the Seas has the same amount of space per person as the Miracle.

	Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas	Carnival Miracle
Class	Voyager	Spirit
Gross Tonnage	139,863	88,500
Length	1,020	963
Beam/Width	157	106
Passenger Decks	14	12
Passengers (double occupancy)	3,344	2,124
Crew	1,200	910
Passenger to Crew Ratio	2.8	2.3
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)	42	42

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 Mariner of the Seas has eleven different dining options like Johnny Rockets, Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, and Dog House. Of those options, nine are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other seven options have an additional fee.

The Miracle has one fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Bonsai Sushi, Carnival Deli, and Blue Iguana Cantina. eleven of these restaurants are complementary and the other four have an additional fee.

The Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas has about the same number of dining options as the Carnival Miracle.

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

	Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas	Carnival Miracle
Total Dining Options	11	10
Complimentary Dining Options:	9	11
Additional Fee Dining Options:	7	4
% of Included Options	36%	60%
	See the options	See the options

Bars and Drinks

The Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas has 5 more bars than the Carnival Miracle. The Mariner of the Seas has 15 bars like Playmakers, Pool Bar and The Plaza Bar. On Mariner of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 10 different bars such as Alchemy Bar, Dr Frankenstein's Lab Dance Club and Heroes Tribute Bar.

Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas	Carnival Miracle
•Boleros • Casino bar • English Pub • Jazz Club • Playmakers • Pool Bar • R Bar • Schooner Bar • Sky Lounge • Solarium Bar • Star Lounge • Suite Lounge • The Bamboo Room • The Plaza Bar • Viking Crown Lounge	•Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Dr Frankenstein's Lab Dance Club • Gotham Lounge • Heroes Tribute Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Mad Hatter's Ball • RedFrog Pub • Sam's Piano Bar

In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Mariner 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 Miracle 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 Mariner of the Seas and the Miracle 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 Mariner of the Seas has a total of 3 pools and 5 hot tubs.

The Carnival Miracle has the same number of pools as the Mariner 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 Mariner of the Seas.

	Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas	Carnival Miracle
Total Pools	3	3
Pools - General Access	2	2
Pools - Adults Only	1	1
Pools - Exclusive	0	0
Total Hot Tubs	5	3
Hot Tubs - General Access	3	2
Hot Tubs - Adults Only	2	1
Hot Tubs - Exclusive	0	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 Mariner of the Seas, 75% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Miracle, only 71% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.

	Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas	Carnival Miracle
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 - musical review	✓	✓
Spa	✓	✓
Splash park	✗	✓
Water slides	✓	✓
	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.

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 Mariner of the Seas	Carnival Miracle
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.

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