Carnival Ships by Class [2022] Compare Size & Features

Our ULTIMATE Carnival Ships by Class post has all of the information you'll need to choose your next vacation!

Your experience will be heavily influenced by the class of ship you pick. Carnival has gone through massive changes in 2021. A few vessels were scrapped. Others have had their name changed. Some went through renovations. And a couple are soon to launch!

We have the latest and greatest info by Class. Here are some of the many pieces of info you'll find below.

Ship Stats: including size, capacity, speed, age & more Features: every Carnival feature and whether it's included on your ship Home Ports: see which class of ships is nearest you More: fun facts and tidbits you won't want to miss

Whether you're looking for your next vacation or sizing up a ship you've booked, we have the info you need.

The above infographic shows all Carnival Ships by Class. Make sure to save it to pinterest to refer to any time you're shopping for cruises.

We're just scratching the surface with that info above. The real meat and potatoes is below.

Feel free to click any of the Carnival ship classes below to jump to that section. No rush, though. We've got all day.

Carnival Ships by Class

The eight Carnival Ship Classes shown above each have a distinct vibe. Some are huge, others more intimate. A few are more geared towards families. Others offer venues catered more towards adults. A few have more character (realtor speak for "older") and some still have that "new ship smell."

You should be able to use the info below to find exactly what you're looking for. Be sure to take advantage of our detailed charts below. They list every Carnival feature offered. Click through the tabs to filter by type of venue (ex: Bars, Dining, etc). On each tab we show all Carnival venues in that category and whether that ship offer each.

Often we're asked if Carnival class affects price. The cost of a Carnival cruise isn't directly correlated with class. You won't find that the Fantasy Class is always more expensive than the Spirit Class or vice versa. It will all depend on the specific itinerary. To get a sense of pricing, please use our widget below. Play around with destinations and dates to see the resulting prices. Feel free to click through for all details.

Conquest Class Info

The first of Carnival’s Conquest Class was launched in 2002. The original Conquest ship was designed similar to the Destiny (now “Sunshine”) class of ships.

All ships among this class underwent significant renovations in the years spanning 2016 through 2019. The most notable change was a “lengthening” of each ship by roughly 60 feet! Most features were expanded and a new dining venue was added above the Lido deck. The number of passenger cabins was also increased.

Among the five ships in the Conquest Class, each have similar common areas. Yet, the decor varies among these and is consistent with the ships names.

One distinguishing characteristic of the Conquest Class is the patriotic theme you’ll find on each. This was influenced by the ships timing, having launched shortly after 9/11.

Departure Ports: Miami; New Orleans; New Orleans; Port Canaveral; Galveston

Included Ships: Conquest (2002); Glory (2003); Valor (2004); Liberty (2005); Freedom (2007)

Dream Class Info

The first of Carnival’s Dream Class was launched in 2009. The original Dream ship was designed similar to the Conquest class of ships with a few notable exceptions.

Most obvious was the massive, outdoor promenade on deck five. The venue featured outside cafes, a waterpark and jacuzzis lining the edge of the promenade. Dream Class ships were also the first to feature the Sky Course Ropes Course and the amazon 4D Theater.

When initially launched, the Dream Class was Carnival’s largest of the lot. This held true until the Vista Class came along.

The three ships in the Dream Class are similar, but the Magic and Dream are more identical to each other than the Dream. You’ll notice in our chart that there are some differences in features. The Magic and Breeze offer the ropes course, whereas the Breeze does not. The Breeze, however, does include the 4D theater not seen on the other two ships.

Departure Ports: Galveston; Miami; Port Canaveral

Included Ships: Dream (2009); Magic (2011); Breeze (2012)

Fantasy Class Info

The Fantasy Class is one of Carnival’s more mature family of vessels. The original Fantasy ship was introduced in 1990 and has had seven siblings added down the line.

It’s unsure whether Carnival planned to thin down the Fantasy Class, but that’s certainly been the case during 2020. The lock down has led to CCL retiring three Fantasy ships (Fantasy, Imagination & Inspiration). Additionally, the Fascination is in long term lay-up mode and has an unknown return date.

If we’re being honest, the Fantasy Class of ships aren’t the company’s “show ponies.” They’re older, smaller, and have less bells & whistles. That’s why you can typically find great cruise deals on this class of ships. It’s not uncommon to find cruises cheaper than $40 per day!

The Fantasy Class tends to sail short runs of less than five days. These are popular with repeat visitors and last-minute cruisers.

Departure Ports: Jacksonville; Mobile; Port Canaveral; Tampa

Included Ships: Ecstasy (1991); Sensation (1993); Elation (1998); Paradise (1998)

Spirit Class Info

The Spirit Class of Carnival ships includes four, active vessels. The first of which introduced in 2001 is, not surprisingly, the Carnival Spirit. She was followed by the Pride, Legend and Miracle.

Carnival’s sister brand, Costa Cruise Line, also has some Spirit Class ships. The Atlantica and Mediterranea are among the Spirit Class and similarly built.

In terms of size, the Fantasy Class of ships is smaller than the Triumph Class and larger than the Fantasy Class. Each ships holds just over 2k passengers.

You’ll find longer itineraries on Spirt Class ships. Typically 6-10 days and often longer.

Departure Ports: Brisbane; Tampa; Baltimore; San Diego, San Francisco

Included Ships: Spirit (2001); Legend (2002); Pride (2002); Miracle (2004)

Splendor Class Info

This poor ship sits alone in its own Splendor Class. It has no brothers or sisters and it appears she never will. Carnival had planned to remove the Splendor ship from its line in 2019. These plans were eventually scrapped. It’s likely she won’t be with the company for many more years.

The Splendor ship was launched in 2008 and served a bit in Europe until coming to Florida. Eventually the ship was moved to the west coast.

Significant renovations were completed on the Splendor in late 2019.

Departure Ports: Sydney

Included Ships: Splendor (2008)

Sunshine Class Info

The Sunshine Class in Carnival’s fleet includes three, active ships.

Originally, the class was launched as the Destiny Class in 1996. At this time, the Destiny was the largest passenger ship in the world!

In 2013 it went into dry dock where it received significant renovations. It floated out with all new bells and whistles and was renamed, the Sunshine.

The Destiny wasn’t the only ship in its class to go through such a change. The Triumph was born in 1999 and Victory in 2000. Like their sister, they went under the scalpel and came out anew. You may not even recognize these two pretty ladies, especially considering they too changed their names. The Triumph is now the Sunrise and the Victory goes by, “Sunrise.”

Departure Ports: Charleston; Miami; Long Beach

Included Ships: Sunshine (1996); Sunrise (1999); Radiance (2000)

Vista Class Info

When the Vista was first launched in 2016, it took the crown for largest Carnival Ship. Her reign continued for a few years until her sister trumped her in 2019. The Horizon is just slightly larger. The Panorama will soon launch as the Vista’s newest ship and take the torch for largest.

Vista class ships boasted more than size. Amazon new ship features were introduced. Some of the more notable include the IMAX Theater at Sea, Family Harbor, Dr Seuss at Sea and cabins with recreational space.

While the three ships are fairly consistent, there’s one big change to note. The Panorama chose not to include the IMAX theater in exchange for their SkyZone Trampoline Park!

You’ll find a wide variety of itineraries (length and destination) on these three ships.

Departure Ports: Galveston; Miami; Long Beach

Included Ships: Vista (2016); Horizon (2018); Panorama (2019)

XL Class Info

Carnival’s XL Class is the newest and most exciting addition. The first of the two planned ships was launched in 2021. The Mardi Gras is now the largest ship in Carnival’s fleet at 184k gross tons.

It’s common to mistake the XL Class name for a nod to its massive size. But, XL does NOT necessarily stand for “extra large.” This class of ships is actually a sub-class under Carnival Corporation’s Excellence Class of ships including some Costa, P&O and AIDA ships.

The XL class will be fueled by standard gas as well as liquid natural gas (LNG)! This allows for more environmental sustainability. The complexity has also led to the ship’s delay.

Departure Ports: Port Canaveral; Miami

Included Ships: Mardi Gras (2020); Celebration (2022)

If you like exploring our Carnival Ships by Class post, you'll also love our Carnival Ships by Size infographic! There you'll see the dramatic difference in the cruise line's fleet.

We hope that you've gotten a good sense of Carnival Ships by Class.

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