Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Firenze
- Cruises
- 46
- From
- $213
Ship comparison
Carnival Firenze vs MSC Bellissima
MSC Cruises
MSC Bellissima
- Cruises
- 37
- From
- $237
The verdict
Which should you choose?
Carnival Firenze is a mega Carnival Cruise Line ship carrying 4,126 passengers, in service since 2024. MSC Bellissima is a mega MSC Cruises ship carrying 4,500 passengers, in service since 2019.
Choose Carnival Firenze if you want a more family-friendly ship or a newer ship: it outscores MSC Bellissima for family friendly (9.0 vs 7.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and its maiden voyage was in 2024 (vs 2019).
Choose MSC Bellissima if you want better-rated dining, more culture or a more romantic trip: it outscores Carnival Firenze for dining (7.0 vs 5.0), cultural (7.0 vs 5.0) and romantic (6.0 vs 5.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores.
Side by side
Specifications
marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.
| Carnival Firenze | MSC Bellissima | |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | Carnival Cruise Line | MSC Cruises |
| Ship size | Mega | Mega |
| Maiden voyagenewer highlighted | 2024 (better) | 2019 |
| Gross tonnage | 135,156 | 171,598 |
| Passengers | 4,126 | 4,500 |
| Crew | 1,424 | 1,400 |
| Passengers per crew memberfewer is better | 2.9 (better) | 3.2 |
| Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier | 32.8 | 38.1 (better) |
| Decks | 14 | 18 |
| Length | 1,061 ft | 1,036 ft |
| Beam | 122 ft | 141 ft |
| Speed | 21 mph | 25 mph |
| Cruiseable ratingout of 10 | — | 8 / 10 |
| Cruises on sale | 46 | 37 |
| Upcoming sailings | 84 | 87 |
| Cruise lengths | 3–16 nights | 2–13 nights |
| Fares fromlower highlighted | $213 (better) | $237 |
Bliss scores
How they rate, out of 10
Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. Carnival Firenze leads on 1 of the ten, MSC Bellissima on 4, with 5 level.
- Active
- Adventure & nature
- Cultural
- Dining
- Entertainment
- Family friendly
- Party
- Romantic
- Spa & fitness
- Staterooms
Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Firenze
Carnival Firenze began sailing year-round from Long Beach, Calif., in 2024 with Mexican Riviera cruises packed with fun-filled Italian-themed entertainment and restaurants.
Sailing now
46 cruises on sale, from $213.
MSC Cruises
MSC Bellissima
Launched in March 2019, MSC Bellissima is the sleek new megaship from MSC Cruises, following in the steps of its sister, MSC Meraviglia, which debuted in June 2017.
Sailing now
37 cruises on sale, from $237.
Questions
Carnival Firenze or MSC Bellissima?
Which is bigger, Carnival Firenze or MSC Bellissima?
MSC Bellissima is bigger at 171,598 gross tons, against 135,156 gross tons for Carnival Firenze. Carnival Firenze carries 4,126 passengers and MSC Bellissima carries 4,500.
Which ship is newer, Carnival Firenze or MSC Bellissima?
Carnival Firenze is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2024 against 2019 for MSC Bellissima.
Which has more space per passenger?
MSC Bellissima, with 38.1 gross tons per passenger against 32.8 on Carnival Firenze. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.
Which has more crew per passenger?
Carnival Firenze, with one crew member for every 2.9 passengers against one for every 3.2 on MSC Bellissima.
Which is better for families?
Carnival Firenze scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 9.0 out of 10, against 7.0 for MSC Bellissima.
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