Radiance of the Seas vs Carnival Miracle

The Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas was built in 2001. It was renovated in 2026. It's 3 years 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 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. It's about the same size as the Carnival Miracle.

Number of Passengers

Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas holds about the same number of passengers as 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 Radiance of the Seas has the same amount of space per person as the Miracle.

	Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas	Carnival Miracle
Class	Radiance	Spirit
Gross Tonnage	90,090	88,500
Length	962	963
Beam/Width	106	106
Passenger Decks	12	12
Passengers (double occupancy)	2,143	2,124
Crew	894	910
Passenger to Crew Ratio	2.4	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 Radiance of the Seas has eleven different dining options like Giovanni's Table, Izumi Sushi & Hot Rocks, and Chops Grille. 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 The Chef's Table, Carnival Deli, and Bonsai Sushi. Eleven of these restaurants are complementary and the other four have an additional fee.

The Royal Caribbean Radiance 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 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 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 Radiance of the Seas and Carnival Miracle both have 11 bars to choose from during your sailing. The Radiance of the Seas has 11 bars like Casino Bar, Singapore Sling's and Sky Bar. On Miracle, you can grab a drink at 11 different bars such as Atrium Bar, Heroes Tribute Bar and Serenity Pool Bar.

Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas	Carnival Miracle
•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	•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 • Serenity 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 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 Radiance of the Seas has a total of 2 pools and 3 hot tubs.

Carnival Miracle has more pools than the Radiance of the Seas and the same number of hot tubs.

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 Miracle
Total Pools	2	3
Pools - General Access	1	2
Pools - Adults Only	1	1
Pools - Exclusive	0	0
Total Hot Tubs	3	3
Hot Tubs - General Access	2	2
Hot Tubs - Adults Only	1	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. 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 Miracle, 71% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

	Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas	Carnival Miracle
Adult Only Relaxation Area	✓	✓
Arcade	✓	✓
Basketball	✓	✗
Casino	✓	✓
Climbing Wall	✓	✗
Comedy Club	✗	✓
Dr Seuss Breakfast	✗	✓
Fitness Center	✓	✓
Jogging Track	✗	✓
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. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas will likely be cheaper than on Carnival Miracle.

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 Miracle
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.

Want to Stay Up-To-Date on All Things Cruising?

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

About Cruise Spotlight
Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
Learn more about Cruise Spotlight.