Radiance of the Seas vs Carnival Firenze

The Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas was built in 2001. It was renovated in 2026. It's 19 years older than the Firenze, which was built in 2020. The Firenze is part of Carnival's "Fun Italian Style" Program. This ship is on loan from sister company Costa cruises. It's similar to Carnival's Vista-class ships, but it has a distinct Italian style.

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 Radiance of the Seas is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 962 feet long and 106 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.7 football fields, as wide as 2 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 12-story building. Compared to the Carnival Firenze, the Radiance of the Seas is 34% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas holds 47% fewer passengers than the Firenze 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 Radiance of the Seas has more space per person compared to the Firenze. 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 Radiance of the Seas	Carnival Firenze
Class	Radiance	Venice
Gross Tonnage	90,090	135,500
Length	962	1,061
Beam/Width	106	122
Passenger Decks	12	14
Passengers (double occupancy)	2,143	4,072
Crew	894	1,424
Passenger to Crew Ratio	2.4	2.9
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)	42	32

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 Radiance of the Seas has eleven different dining options like Giovanni's Table, Dog House, and Chops Grille. Of those options, nine are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other seven options have an additional fee.

The Firenze has eight more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Il Viaggio, Guy's Burger Joint (Italian), and Carnival Deli. Seventeen of these restaurants are complementary and the other eight have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Firenze might be a better choice. It has 73% more dining options than the Radiance of the Seas.

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

	Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas	Carnival Firenze
Total Dining Options	11	19
Complimentary Dining Options:	9	17
Additional Fee Dining Options:	7	8
% of Included Options	36%	58%
	See the options	See the options

Bars and Drinks

The Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas has 2 fewer bars than the Carnival Firenze. The Radiance of the Seas has 11 bars like Casino Bar, Champagne Bar and Sky Bar. On Firenze, you can grab a drink at 13 different bars such as Moda Bar & Lounge, Piano Bar 88 and Versilla Pool & Bar.

Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas	Carnival Firenze
•Casino Bar • Champagne Bar • Jakarta Lounge • Lobby Bar • Non-smoking Casino Bar • Pool bar • Schooner Bar • Singapore Sling's • Sky Bar • The Colony Club • Viking Crown Lounge	•Amari Bar • Atrium Bar • Frizzante • Heroes Tribute Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Limelight Lounge • Moda Bar & Lounge • Pergola Bar • Piano Bar 88 • Rococo • Serenity Pool Bar • Tuscan Lounge • Versilla Pool & 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 Radiance of the Seas and the Firenze 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 Radiance of the Seas has a total of 2 pools and 3 hot tubs.

The Carnival Firenze has the same number of pools as the Radiance of the Seas and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Firenze. 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 one of the hot tubs are adults only on Radiance of the Seas.

	Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas	Carnival Firenze
Total Pools	2	2
Pools - General Access	1	2
Pools - Adults Only	1	0
Pools - Exclusive	0	0
Total Hot Tubs	3	6
Hot Tubs - General Access	2	2
Hot Tubs - Adults Only	1	2
Hot Tubs - Exclusive	0	2

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. You might up paying more while on board the Radiance of the Seas. Only 70% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Firenze, 75% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

	Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas	Carnival Firenze
Adult Only Relaxation Area	✓	✓
Arcade	✓	✓
Basketball	✓	✓
Casino	✓	✓
Climbing Wall	✓	✗
Comedy Club	✗	✓
Dr Seuss Breakfast	✗	✓
Fitness Center	✓	✓
Jogging Track	✗	✓
Mini golf	✓	✓
Outdoor gym	✗	✓
Pool-side Movies	✓	✓
Ropes course	✗	✓
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. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas will likely be cheaper than on Carnival Firenze.

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 Radiance of the Seas	Carnival Firenze
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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