Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady vs Carnival Festivale

The Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady is a fairly new ship, being built in 2023. This is an adults-only ship; all guests must be 18 or older. It's 4 years older than the Festivale, which was built in 2027. The Festivale is named after the original ship that sailed with Carnival from 1977 - 1996. It has two unique zones not found on its sister ships. Unlike the first Excel Class ships, Festivale does NOT have a BOLT roller coaster, instead it has a waterpark called "Sunsation Point." The ship will sail from Port Canaveral starting in Spring 2027.

Comparison Overview

Ship Size

The Resilient Lady is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 912 feet long and 125 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.5 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 13-story building. Compared to the Carnival Festivale, the Resilient Lady is 40% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady holds 50% fewer passengers than the Festivale 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 Resilient Lady has more space per person compared to the Festivale. 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 Festivale uses a zone layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.

Virgin Voyages
Resilient Lady
Carnival
Festivale
ClassLadyExcel
Gross Tonnage110,000182,800
Length9121,130
Beam/Width125137
Passenger Decks1317
Passengers (double occupancy)2,7005,400
Crew1,1501,700
Passenger to Crew Ratio2.32.6
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)4135


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 Resilient Lady has twelve different dining options like Gunbae, Lick Me Til Ice Cream, and The Pizza Place. Of those options, twelve are complementary, or included with your cruise fare.

The Festivale has eleven more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Guys Pig and Anchor Smokehouse (Excel-ship), ChiBang, and Carnival Deli. nineteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Festivale might be a better choice. It has 92% more dining options than the Resilient Lady.

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

Virgin Voyages
Resilient Lady
Carnival
Festivale
Total Dining Options1223
Complimentary Dining Options:1219
Additional Fee Dining Options:09
% of Included Options100%61%
See the optionsSee the options

In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Resilient Lady serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. The Festivale serves the Pepsi family of products. That means Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, Mug Root Beer, and Mountain Dew.

There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Resilient Lady and the Festivale below.



Pools and Hot Tubs

The main pool on the Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady
The main pool on the Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady
Beach Pool on the Carnival Festivale
Beach Pool on the Carnival Festivale

Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady has a total of 2 pools and 6 hot tubs. 2 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 Festivale has more pools than the Resilient Lady and more hot tubs.

Virgin Voyages
Resilient Lady
Carnival
Festivale
Total Pools26
Pools - General Access23
Pools - Adults Only1
Pools - Exclusive2
Total Hot Tubs67
Hot Tubs - General Access45
Hot Tubs - Adults Only2
Hot Tubs - Exclusive20



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 Resilient Lady. Only 55% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Festivale, 65% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

Virgin Voyages
Resilient Lady
Carnival
Festivale
Acrobatic Show
Adult Only Relaxation Area
Arcade
Basketball
Brewery Tour
Casino
Comedy Club
Cooking Class
Dr Seuss Breakfast
Fitness Center
Group Fitness
Jogging Track
Mini golf
Outdoor gym
Pool-side Movies
Private Karaoke Rooms
Ropes course
Salon
Spa
Splash park
Tattoo Studio
Thermal Suites
Waterpark
Learn moreLearn more
Carnival is also known for its energetic theme parties which vary per ship.

Cruise Costs

Virgin Voyages 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.

Carnival, on the other hand, 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.

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.

Virgin Voyages
Resilient Lady
Carnival
Festivale
Base Daily Gratuities*
(Per Person Per Day)
Included$16.00
Tip added to drinks & servicesIncluded18%
Soda PriceIncluded$3.00
Domestic Beer Price$8.00
See drink menus
$8.75
See drink menus
Drink Package PriceNo drink package available$83 - $88
Learn more
Internet PlanBasic Wi-fi is included. Premium is $30/day and Work from Sea is $50/day.$18.70 to $23.80 per device per day
*Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates.

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