Carnival Encounter
Carnival Cruise Line
The Carnival Encounter was built in 2002 and is among Carnival's 31 ships in its fleet. The Encounter is included in the cruise line's Grand Class. In the cruise ship stats below you'll find the Encounter vs all of the other Carnival ships.
Carnival Encounter Size
How big is the Carnival Encounter? Below, you’ll find all of the relevant cruise ship stats, specs and dimensions for the Carnival Encounter. Included in these statistics are passenger capacity, length, year built, year renovated, cost to build, gross tonnage, engine info, number of rooms, deck counts and more!
Carnival Encounter
Carnival Encounter Capacity
Passenger Capacity refers to the total number of people that the Carnival Encounter can accommodate. Of course, there are also crew members on board. Below, find the total onboard capacity, including staff and cruise guests.
Carnival Encounter Passenger Capacity: The passenger capacity for the Carnival Encounter is 2,600 guests. The average capacity for the 31 active ships in Carnival’s fleet is 4,085 passengers. The passenger capacity range for all Carnival ships has a minimum of 2,606 guests and a maximum of 6,630 passengers.
Carnival Encounter Crew Members: Staff on the Carnival Encounter include 1,100 members. That's a guest to staff ratio of 2.4 to 1. The average Carnival ship includes 1,226 employees and has a passenger to staff ratio of 3.3 to 1.
Carnival Encounter Passenger and Crew Capacity
vs Carnival Fleet
Carnival Encounter Length
How long is the Carnival Encounter? From end to end, the Encounter length equals 951 feet (290 meters). Compare that to the average ship length of all 31 active vessels in Carnival’s fleet, measuring 982 feet (299 meters).
The smallest Carnival ship (in terms of length) measures 855 feet (261 meters) from end to end. The longest vessel spans 1,130 feet (344 meters). Our chart below shows the length of the Carnival Encounter vs all other active Carnival Cruise Line ships.
Carnival Encounter Length
vs Carnival Fleet
Carnival Encounter Built Date
When was the Carnival Encounter Built? The Carnival Encounter was built in 2002 and joined the cruise line’s Grand Class.
Carnival includes 31 active ships. The oldest in the fleet was built in 1996 while the newest ship was built in 2028. The average Carnival ship is 16 years old and the median build date for all active ships is 2007
When was the last Carnival Encounter Dry Dock? The Encounter experienced dry dock improvements in 2025.
Renovations include the following: Before entering service for Carnival Cruise Line in March 2025, the Carnival Encounter, formerly Pacific Encounter, underwent a significant refurbishment in Melbourne. The work focused on rebranding and modernization, including the installation of new Carnival logos, the rollout of the onboard HubApp for guest communication, and the replacement of more than 12,000 square meters of carpet throughout the ship. The project also served as a transition period for the crew, with 96 percent of the original P&O staff remaining onboard while receiving Carnival-specific training. Additionally, new entertainment casts began rehearsals for upcoming Carnival shows as part of the ship’s re-launch preparation. This makeover marked the vessel’s transformation from P&O Cruises Australia to Carnival’s fleet, aligning it with the brand’s style and operational standards ahead of its debut sailing from Brisbane in March 2025.
Carnival Encounter Deck Plans
The Carnival Encounter has a total of 13 passenger decks. The lowest level available to guests is Deck 4. The highest passenger deck is Deck 17.
What does the Carnival Encounter offer in terms of things to do? The ship features 11 restaurants, 12 bars, 0 shows, 24 activities, and 13 other features for your enjoyment.
Click below to access deck plans for the Carnival Encounter. The resulting page will provide a floor plan and summary of all things to do offered on that level of the ship.
Frequently Asked Questions
Carnival Encounter Info
You will find the Carnival Encounter Casino on Deck 6 of the ship.
You will find the Carnival Encounter buffet on Deck 14 of the ship.
Before entering service for Carnival Cruise Line in March 2025, the Carnival Encounter, formerly Pacific Encounter, underwent a significant refurbishment in Melbourne. The work focused on rebranding and modernization, including the installation of new Carnival logos, the rollout of the onboard HubApp for guest communication, and the replacement of more than 12,000 square meters of carpet throughout the ship. The project also served as a transition period for the crew, with 96 percent of the original P&O staff remaining onboard while receiving Carnival-specific training. Additionally, new entertainment casts began rehearsals for upcoming Carnival shows as part of the ship’s re-launch preparation. This makeover marked the vessel’s transformation from P&O Cruises Australia to Carnival’s fleet, aligning it with the brand’s style and operational standards ahead of its debut sailing from Brisbane in March 2025.
The ship belongs to the Carnival class of ships known as the Grand class.
The ship features 11 restaurants, 12 bars, 24 activities, 0 shows and 13 other venues for your enjoyment. You can click on our ship deck plans or details pages for a full list of activities, sorted by feature type.
The Carnival Encounter has a total of 13 passenger decks. The lowest deck is Level 4. The upper most passenger deck is Level 17.
We're often asked how many passengers are on the Carnival Encounter. The ship's capacity is 2,600. When comparing the occupancy to the average Carnival passenger capacity, you'll find that the average ship in the fleet holds 4,158 guests. Feel free to look at our graph above to see where this ship falls in line with all other live Carnival ships.
The Carnival Encounter was built in 2002. Carnival includes 31 active ships. The oldest in the fleet was built in 1996 while the newest ship was built in 2028. The average Carnival ship is 16 years old and the median build date for all active ships is 2007
Each of Carnival's ships offers a unique layout with features and activities catered to all. Whether the Carnival Encounter is right for you will depend on your individual preferences. Do you prefer a larger or smaller ship with many or fewer guests? Are you hoping for many family activities or entertainment options for an older clientele. Our deck maps layout and activities list provide a helpful guide to what you'll find on board. Feel free to explore the see if this ship is suited towards your preferences.
From end to end, the Carnival Encounter length equals 951 feet (290 meters). Compare that to the average ship length of all 31 active vessels in Carnival fleet, measuring 992 feet (302 meters). Please see our size comparison chart above to see how this ship falls in line with all other active ships in the fleet.