Cruise Spotlight
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Star of the Seas vs Horizon
The Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas is still being built and will debut in 2025. Star of the Seas will start sailing in Summer 2025. It'll feature many of the same restaurants and attractions as its sister-ship Icon of the Seas. The Star of the Seas is still under construction and Royal Caribbean hasn't released all the details yet. It's 7 years newer than the Horizon, which was built in 2018.
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 Star of the Seas is considered an extra large size ship. Coming in at 1,198 feet long and 216 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.3 football fields, as wide as 4.1 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 18-story building. Compared to the Carnival Horizon, the Star of the Seas is 88% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas holds 42% more passengers than the Horizon 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 Star of the Seas has more space per person compared to the Horizon. 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.
The Star of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas | Carnival Horizon | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Icon | Vista |
| Gross Tonnage | 250,800 | 133,596 |
| Length | 1,198 | 1,055 |
| Beam/Width | 216 | 122 |
| Passenger Decks | 18 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,610 | 3,960 |
| Crew | 2,350 | 1,450 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.4 | 2.7 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 45 | 34 |
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 Star of the Seas has twenty-nine different dining options like Playmakers, Windjammer, and Izumi Hibachi & Sushi. Of those options, fourteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other fifteen options have an additional fee.
The Horizon has four fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Guy's Burger Joint, Guys Pig and Anchor BarBQue, and JiJi Asian Kitchen. sixteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Star of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 16% more dining options than the Horizon.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Horizon might be a better choice then the Star of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas | Carnival Horizon | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 29 | 25 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 14 | 16 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 15 | 9 |
| % of Included Options | 48% | 64% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas has 10 more bars than the Carnival Horizon. The Star of the Seas has 24 bars like Playmakers, The Grove Bar and The Lime & Coconut. On Star of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 14 different bars such as Alchemy Bar, Serenity Pool Bar and SkyBox Sports Bar.
| Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas | Carnival Horizon |
|---|---|
| •Basecamp Bar • Boleros • Bubbles • Cantina Fresca • Casino Bar • Desserted Milkshake Bar • Dueling Pianos • English Pub • Giovanni's Wine Bar • Lou's Jazz 'N Blues • Music Hall • Playmakers • Rye & Bean • Schooner Bar • Spotlight Karaoke • Swim & Tonic • The Grove Bar • The Hideaway Bar • The Lemon Post • The Lime & Coconut • The Lime & Coconut: Frozen • The Overlook • Trellis Bar • Windjammer Bar | •Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Fahrenheit 555 Bar • Guy's Pig and Anchor Brewhouse • Havana Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Limelight Lounge • Ocean Plaza Bar • Piano Bar 88 • RedFrog Rum Bar • Serenity Pool Bar • SkyBox Sports Bar • Tides Pool Bar |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Star 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 Horizon 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 Star of the Seas and the Horizon 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 Star of the Seas has a total of 7 pools and 10 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 1 of the hot tubs are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.
Carnival Horizon has fewer pools than the Star of the Seas and fewer hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Horizon. 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 Star of the Seas.| Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas | Carnival Horizon | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 7 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 5 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 0 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 10 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 8 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 1 | 2 |
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 Star of the Seas, 79% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Horizon, only 62% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas | Carnival Horizon | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Aquatheater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Brewery Tour | ✗ | ✓ |
| Carousel | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| IMAX Theater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Laser Tag | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Outdoor gym | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ropes course | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Skyride | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thrill Theater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Waterpark | ✓ | ✗ |
| 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 Star of the Seas will likely be more expensive than on Carnival Horizon.
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 Star of the Seas | Carnival Horizon | |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
We sailed aboard the Carnival Horizon
Follow along on our sailing on the Carnival Horizon. 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.
Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Miami
Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day
Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Amber Cove
Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Grand Turk
Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Sea Day
Carnival Horizon - Cruise Blog - Day 6 - Nassau
5 Hits & Misses of the Carnival Horizon
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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.
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