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Ship comparison

Carnival Magic vs Liberty of the Seas

The verdict

Which should you choose?

Carnival Magic is a large Carnival Cruise Line ship carrying 3,690 passengers, in service since 2011. Liberty of the Seas is a large Royal Caribbean ship carrying 3,634 passengers, in service since 2007.

Choose Carnival Magic if you want more of a party: it outscores Liberty of the Seas for party (8.0 vs 6.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores.

Choose Liberty of the Seas if you want a more romantic trip, more adventure and nature or better-rated staterooms: it outscores Carnival Magic for romantic (4.0 vs 2.0), adventure & nature (4.0 vs 2.0) and staterooms (7.5 vs 6.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores.

Side by side

Specifications

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

Carnival MagicLiberty of the Seas
Cruise line Carnival Cruise Line Royal Caribbean
Ship size Large Large
Maiden voyagenewer highlighted 2011 (better) 2007
Last refurbishedmore recent highlighted 2018 (better) 2015
Gross tonnage 130,000 154,407
Passengers 3,690 3,634
Crew 1,367 1,360
Passengers per crew memberfewer is better 2.7 2.7
Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier 35.2 42.5 (better)
Decks 17 18
Length 1,004 ft 1,112 ft
Beam 122 ft 184 ft
Speed 29 mph 25 mph
Cruiseable ratingout of 10 8 / 10 8 / 10
Cruises on sale 10 26
Upcoming sailings 72 140
Cruise lengths 6 to 8 nights 4 to 15 nights
Fares fromlower highlighted $320 (better) $349

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 1 of the ten, Liberty of the Seas on 6, with 3 level.

  • Active Carnival Magic: 7.0 Liberty of the Seas: 7.0
  • Adventure & nature Carnival Magic: 2.0 Liberty of the Seas: 4.0
  • Cultural Carnival Magic: 6.0 Liberty of the Seas: 6.0
  • Dining Carnival Magic: 5.5 Liberty of the Seas: 6.0
  • Entertainment Carnival Magic: 7.6 Liberty of the Seas: 7.8
  • Family friendly Carnival Magic: 8.0 Liberty of the Seas: 8.0
  • Party Carnival Magic: 8.0 Liberty of the Seas: 6.0
  • Romantic Carnival Magic: 2.0 Liberty of the Seas: 4.0
  • Spa & fitness Carnival Magic: 7.0 Liberty of the Seas: 8.0
  • Staterooms Carnival Magic: 6.0 Liberty of the Seas: 7.5

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 $320.

Royal Caribbean

Liberty of the Seas

Liberty of the Seas is packed with experiences found in all of Royal Caribbean's Freedom class of ships, as well as new offerings created to stir your imagination. Share a high five with Shrek as part of The DreamWorks Experience.

Highlights

  • 30 different cupcakes at the Cupcake Cupboard
  • Shooting some hopes in the onsite basketball court
  • Gaming at the Vegas-style Casino Royale
  • Complimentary ice-skating shows

Sailing now

26 cruises on sale, from $349.

Questions

Carnival Magic or Liberty of the Seas?

Which is bigger, Carnival Magic or Liberty of the Seas?

Liberty of the Seas is bigger at 154,407 gross tons, against 130,000 gross tons for Carnival Magic. Carnival Magic carries 3,690 passengers and Liberty of the Seas carries 3,634.

Which ship is newer, Carnival Magic or Liberty of the Seas?

Carnival Magic is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2011 against 2007 for Liberty of the Seas.

Which has more space per passenger?

Liberty of the Seas, with 42.5 gross tons per passenger against 35.2 on Carnival Magic. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.

Which has more crew per passenger?

They are level, with one crew member for every 2.7 passengers.

Which is better for families?

They score the same for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 8.0 out of 10.

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