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Ship comparison

Carnival Magic vs Costa Fascinosa

The verdict

Which should you choose?

Carnival Magic is a large Carnival Cruise Line ship carrying 3,690 passengers, in service since 2011. Costa Fascinosa is a large Costa Cruises ship carrying 3,800 passengers, in service since 2011.

Choose Carnival Magic if you want a better-rated spa and gym, a more active cruise or better-rated entertainment: it outscores Costa Fascinosa for spa & fitness (7.0 vs 2.0), active (7.0 vs 2.0) and entertainment (7.6 vs 3.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores.

Choose Costa Fascinosa if you want a lower starting fare, more adventure and nature or more cruises to choose from: it outscores Carnival Magic for adventure & nature (3.0 vs 2.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores, its cruises start from $95 (vs $393) and it has 147 cruises on sale (vs 10).

Side by side

Specifications

marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.

Carnival MagicCosta Fascinosa
Cruise line Carnival Cruise Line Costa Cruises
Ship size Large Large
Maiden voyagenewer highlighted 2011 2011
Last refurbishedmore recent highlighted 2018 2018
Gross tonnage 130,000 113,200
Passengers 3,690 3,800
Crew 1,367 1,110
Passengers per crew memberfewer is better 2.7 (better) 3.4
Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier 35.2 (better) 29.8
Decks 17 14
Length 1,004 ft 950 ft
Beam 122 ft 118 ft
Speed 29 mph 25 mph
Cruiseable ratingout of 10 8 / 10 (better) 7 / 10
Cruises on sale 10 147
Upcoming sailings 79 255
Cruise lengths 6–8 nights 1–35 nights
Fares fromlower highlighted $393 $95 (better)

Bliss scores

How they rate, out of 10

Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. Carnival Magic leads on 9 of the ten, Costa Fascinosa on 1.

  • Active Carnival Magic: 7.0 Costa Fascinosa: 2.0
  • Adventure & nature Carnival Magic: 2.0 Costa Fascinosa: 3.0
  • Cultural Carnival Magic: 6.0 Costa Fascinosa: 5.0
  • Dining Carnival Magic: 5.5 Costa Fascinosa: 2.0
  • Entertainment Carnival Magic: 7.6 Costa Fascinosa: 3.0
  • Family friendly Carnival Magic: 8.0 Costa Fascinosa: 5.0
  • Party Carnival Magic: 8.0 Costa Fascinosa: 5.0
  • Romantic Carnival Magic: 2.0 Costa Fascinosa: 1.0
  • Spa & fitness Carnival Magic: 7.0 Costa Fascinosa: 2.0
  • Staterooms Carnival Magic: 6.0 Costa Fascinosa: 2.0

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Magic

At 1,004 feet, Carnival Magic continued Carnival's Dream class tradition, with food and entertainment space in the Ocean Plaza, the splashy stylings of Carnival WaterWorks and The Lanai, a convenient and scenic half-mile outdoor wraparound promenade deck.

Highlights

  • Exclusive teens-only Club O2
  • Waterslides at Carnival WaterWorks
  • Mini golf course at SportSquare
  • Relaxing in Serenity Adult-Only Retreat

Sailing now

10 cruises on sale, from $393.

Questions

Carnival Magic or Costa Fascinosa?

Which is bigger, Carnival Magic or Costa Fascinosa?

Carnival Magic is bigger at 130,000 gross tons, against 113,200 gross tons for Costa Fascinosa. Carnival Magic carries 3,690 passengers and Costa Fascinosa carries 3,800.

Which ship is newer, Carnival Magic or Costa Fascinosa?

Both made their maiden voyage in 2011.

Which has more space per passenger?

Carnival Magic, with 35.2 gross tons per passenger against 29.8 on Costa Fascinosa. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.

Which has more crew per passenger?

Carnival Magic, with one crew member for every 2.7 passengers against one for every 3.4 on Costa Fascinosa.

Which is better for families?

Carnival Magic scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 8.0 out of 10, against 5.0 for Costa Fascinosa.

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