Cruise Spotlight
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Rhapsody of the Seas vs Beyond
The Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas was built in 1997. It was renovated in 2025. It's 25 years older than the Beyond, which was built in 2022. The Celebrity Beyond is a step up from its siblings, with an additional deck and more outdoor space. It still features the "Magic Carpet," a moving platform that makes using water tenders a breeze while in port, or adds outdoor dining space while at sea. This Edge-class of ship is known to feel quite different than the rest of the Celebrity fleet as it's less geared towards traditional cruise passengers.
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 Rhapsody of the Seas is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 916 feet long and 106 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.5 football fields, as wide as 2 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 11-story building. Compared to the Celebrity Beyond, the Rhapsody of the Seas is 44% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas holds 39% fewer passengers than the Beyond based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Rhapsody of the Seas has less space per person compared to the Beyond.
| Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas | Celebrity Beyond | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Vision | Edge |
| Gross Tonnage | 78,491 | 140,600 |
| Length | 916 | 1,073 |
| Beam/Width | 106 | 128 |
| Passenger Decks | 11 | 17 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 1,998 | 3,260 |
| Crew | 765 | 1,416 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.6 | 2.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 39 | 43 |
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 Rhapsody of the Seas has nine different dining options like Giovanni's Table, Chef's Table, and Chops Grille. Of those options, eight are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other six options have an additional fee.
The Beyond has eleven more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Rooftop Garden Grill, Le Voyage, and Blu. eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other twelve have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Beyond might be a better choice. It has 122% more dining options than the Rhapsody of the Seas.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Beyond might be a better choice then the Rhapsody of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas | Celebrity Beyond | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 9 | 20 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 8 | 8 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 6 | 12 |
| % of Included Options | 33% | 40% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas has 6 fewer bars than the Celebrity Beyond. The Rhapsody of the Seas has 7 bars like Casino Bar, R Bar and Viking Crown Lounge. On Rhapsody of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 13 different bars such as Eden Bar, Magic Carpet Bar and The Club.
| Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas | Celebrity Beyond |
|---|---|
| •Casino Bar • Pool Bar • R Bar • Schooner Bar • Shall We Dance Lounge • Solarium Bar • Viking Crown Lounge | •Cafe al Bacio • Craft Social • Eden Bar • Il Secondo Bacio • Magic Carpet Bar • Martini Bar • Mast Bar • Oceanview Bar • Pool Bar • Sunset bar • The Club • The Retreat Pool Bar • World Class 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 Rhapsody of the Seas and the Beyond 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 Rhapsody of the Seas has a total of 2 pools and 6 hot tubs.
Celebrity Beyond has more pools than the Rhapsody of the Seas and the same number of hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Beyond. 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 two of the hot tubs are adults only on Rhapsody of the Seas.| Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas | Celebrity Beyond | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 5 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 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 Rhapsody of the Seas. Only 62% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Beyond, 67% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas | Celebrity Beyond | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Beyond the Podium Talk Series | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bingo | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Eden Entertainment Space | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Outdoor movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Rooftop Garden | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Royal Caribbean is considered a mainstream cruise line. 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.
Celebrity, on the other hand, is a premium cruise line. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 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. To get a good idea of how the pricing compares, visit the cruise line's website to price out the separate cruises or consult a travel professional.
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 Rhapsody of the Seas | Celebrity Beyond | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.50 | $18.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $4.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus | $8.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 - $118 Learn more | $55 - $99 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 per device per day | $19 to $30 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.
Celebrity Cruise Lines offers an "All Included" program. Guests who book a cruise using this promotion will have wifi and alcohol included. Some sailings are available without this program so pay attention when booking. Typically prices are lower if they don't include "Always Included." The wifi and alcohol package are the base levels and can be upgraded for an additional cost.
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