Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Celebration
- Cruises
- 19
- From
- $310
Ship comparison
Carnival Celebration vs Icon of the Seas
Royal Caribbean
Icon of the Seas
- Cruises
- 14
- From
- $820
The verdict
Which should you choose?
Carnival Celebration is a mega Carnival Cruise Line ship carrying 5,374 passengers, in service since 2022. Icon of the Seas is a mega Royal Caribbean ship carrying 5,610 passengers, in service since 2024.
Choose Carnival Celebration if you want a lower starting fare: its cruises start from $310 (vs $820).
Choose Icon of the Seas if you want better-rated entertainment, more space per passenger or more crew per passenger: it outscores Carnival Celebration for entertainment (10.0 vs 7.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores, it has 44.7 gross tons per passenger (vs 33.5) and it has a crew member for every 2.4 passengers (vs 3.1).
Side by side
Specifications
marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.
| Carnival Celebration | Icon of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | Carnival Cruise Line | Royal Caribbean |
| Ship size | Mega | Mega |
| Maiden voyagenewer highlighted | 2022 | 2024 (better) |
| Gross tonnage | 180,000 | 250,800 |
| Passengers | 5,374 | 5,610 |
| Crew | 1,735 | 2,350 |
| Passengers per crew memberfewer is better | 3.1 | 2.4 (better) |
| Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier | 33.5 | 44.7 (better) |
| Decks | 19 | 20 |
| Length | 1,130 ft | 1,192 ft |
| Beam | 137 ft | 213 ft |
| Speed | 20 mph | 25 mph |
| Cruiseable ratingout of 10 | 8 / 10 | 8 / 10 |
| Cruises on sale | 19 | 14 |
| Upcoming sailings | 70 | 76 |
| Cruise lengths | 7 to 8 nights | 6 to 9 nights |
| Fares fromlower highlighted | $310 (better) | $820 |
Bliss scores
How they rate, out of 10
Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. Carnival Celebration leads on 0 of the ten, Icon of the Seas on 6, with 4 level.
- Active
- Adventure & nature
- Cultural
- Dining
- Entertainment
- Family friendly
- Party
- Romantic
- Spa & fitness
- Staterooms
Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Celebration
Carnival Celebration, the first megaship from Carnival Cruise Line with 5,374 passengers (double occupancy), debuted in November 2022 with short splash-and-dash sailings to the Caribbean out of Miami.
Sailing now
19 cruises on sale, from $310.
About Carnival Celebration Plan my cruise on Carnival Celebration
Royal Caribbean
Icon of the Seas
The massive Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's newest megaship, made its maiden voyage in January 2024 as the world's largest cruise ship, clocking in with a gross tonnage of 250,800. It carries a whopping 5,610 passengers at double capacity, though the ship can squeeze in up to 7,600.
Sailing now
14 cruises on sale, from $820.
Questions
Carnival Celebration or Icon of the Seas?
Which is bigger, Carnival Celebration or Icon of the Seas?
Icon of the Seas is bigger at 250,800 gross tons, against 180,000 gross tons for Carnival Celebration. Carnival Celebration carries 5,374 passengers and Icon of the Seas carries 5,610.
Which ship is newer, Carnival Celebration or Icon of the Seas?
Icon of the Seas is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2024 against 2022 for Carnival Celebration.
Which has more space per passenger?
Icon of the Seas, with 44.7 gross tons per passenger against 33.5 on Carnival Celebration. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.
Which has more crew per passenger?
Icon of the Seas, with one crew member for every 2.4 passengers against one for every 3.1 on Carnival Celebration.
Which is better for families?
Icon of the Seas scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 9.0 out of 10, against 8.0 for Carnival Celebration.
Still deciding?
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