Carnival Cruise Line ship classes: compare the current fleet
Compare 29 current Carnival Cruise Line ships by class, with detailed guides, ship differences, photographs, cabin advice and official deck plans.
Jump to a section
Carnival’s largest ships add rides and restaurants, but several smaller ships have facilities worth seeking out. Sunshine has a multi-level Serenity retreat and Ji Ji Asian Kitchen; Radiance has Big Chicken. Check the named ship alongside its class before comparing fares.
The September 2026 operating fleet has 29 ships. The eleven guides below separate Luminosa from the original Spirit sisters and include the two Australian-market ships, Adventure and Encounter. Their dining and onboard terms differ from the US product.
What matters for your decision
- 29 current ships are covered across 11 class, subgroup or one-ship guides.
- Compare Havana, Terrazza and Cloud 9 Spa benefits by category; they provide different kinds of access.
| Class or design | Ships | Distinctive features | Limit or difference to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excel | 3 | BOLT, WaterWorks and included food counters across three ships. | BOLT costs extra and has height and weight limits. |
| Vista | 3 | SkyRide and WaterWorks on all three; Havana rooms are available. | Vista and Horizon have IMAX; Panorama has Sky Zone. Both indoor attractions cost extra. |
| Venice | 2 | Italian-themed spaces, Tomodoro and Terrazza rooms. | No SkyRide or BOLT; Terrazza accommodation has a minimum age of 12. |
| Dream | 3 | Outdoor Lanai, Cove Balconies and Cloud 9 Spa hydrotherapy. | Dream lacks the ropes course and Cucina found on Magic and Breeze. |
| Splendor | 1 | Covered pool, WaterWorks and Cloud 9 Spa hydrotherapy. | An Australian departure can add substantial flights and hotel costs for US travelers. |
| Conquest | 5 | Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, comedy and stage shows. | Conquest has Twister; the other four have WaterWorks. |
| Spirit | 4 | WaterWorks and Carnival’s casual food in a smaller layout. | Miracle has Bonsai Sushi Express; the other three have the fuller sushi restaurant. |
| Luminosa variant | 1 | Covered pool and Cloud 9 Spa hydrotherapy. | No waterslides, Guy’s Burger Joint or BlueIguana Cantina. |
| Sunshine | 3 | Sunshine has multi-level Serenity and Ji Ji; Radiance has Big Chicken. | These are rebuilt older ships; the current-name debut is not the construction date. |
| Fantasy | 2 | WaterWorks, Guy’s and BlueIguana on Elation and Paradise. | Limited balcony inventory and no standalone steakhouse. |
| Adventure design | 2 | Waterfront, Angelo’s and Dragon Lady dinners; Byron Beach Club rooms. | Australian product terms differ from the US fleet; paid dining includes Fahrenheit 555. |
Excel: roller coasters, waterparks and the widest dining choice
All three Excel ships have BOLT, WaterWorks and several themed food areas. The first dinner at each of Chibang! and Cucina del Capitano is included; repeat dinners cost extra. BOLT also has a separate charge and rider restrictions. Decide which of those additions you would use over a week.
Ships covered: Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, Carnival Jubilee.
Vista: SkyRide and Havana accommodation
Vista and Horizon have paid IMAX cinemas; Panorama substitutes paid Sky Zone trampoline sessions. All three offer SkyRide, WaterWorks and Havana accommodation. A family choosing for one indoor activity should settle that difference before comparing cabins.
Ships covered: Carnival Vista, Carnival Horizon, Carnival Panorama.
Venice: Italian public rooms and Terrazza cabins
Venezia and Firenze combine Italian-themed public rooms with Carnival entertainment and Terrazza accommodation. Both have Tomodoro; Firenze also has Il Mercato. Neither inherits Vista’s SkyRide or Excel’s BOLT. Look at the deck plan for the pool and dining layout you prefer.
Ships covered: Carnival Venezia, Carnival Firenze.
Dream: the Lanai, waterpark and familiar Carnival dining
Dream, Magic and Breeze have Cove Balcony accommodation and the outdoor Lanai. Magic and Breeze add a ropes course and Cucina del Capitano; Dream has neither. All three have Cloud 9 Spa facilities, including a hydrotherapy pool, with access determined by the room or pass purchased.
Ships covered: Carnival Dream, Carnival Magic, Carnival Breeze.
Splendor: an Australian cruise with a substantial spa
Splendor combines a covered pool with a substantial Cloud 9 Spa and hydrotherapy pool. It is an Australian cruise option, so a US traveler should compare flights and hotel costs before treating a low cruise fare as the cheapest trip.
Ships covered: Carnival Splendor.
Conquest: pools, comedy and casual food across five ships
Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, shows and comedy give the five ships a familiar Carnival routine. The water attractions differ: Conquest has the Twister slide, while Glory, Valor, Liberty and Freedom have WaterWorks. None has SkyRide or BOLT.
Ships covered: Carnival Conquest, Carnival Glory, Carnival Valor, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Freedom.
Spirit: Carnival entertainment in a less sprawling layout
The four original Spirit sisters combine WaterWorks and Carnival’s included casual food with a less sprawling layout. Sushi service is one restaurant difference: Miracle has Bonsai Sushi Express, while Spirit, Pride and Legend have the fuller Bonsai Sushi venue.
Ships covered: Carnival Spirit, Carnival Pride, Carnival Legend, Carnival Miracle.
Luminosa: scenery and entertainment with a different activity lineup
Luminosa has a covered pool and Cloud 9 Spa hydrotherapy facilities, but no waterslides, Guy’s Burger Joint or BlueIguana Cantina. Its included dining still covers the main dining room, buffet, pizza and deli. Choose it for the itinerary and those facilities, with the activity limits understood.
Ships covered: Carnival Luminosa.
Sunshine: three rebuilt ships with different layouts
Sunshine, Sunrise and Radiance were transformed from Destiny, Triumph and Victory. Sunshine’s multi-level Serenity and Ji Ji Asian Kitchen differ from Radiance’s Big Chicken. Their conversion dates describe major rebuilds, not newly constructed ships.
Ships covered: Carnival Sunshine, Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Radiance.
Fantasy: Elation and Paradise keep the attraction list simpler
Elation and Paradise offer WaterWorks, Guy’s Burger Joint and BlueIguana Cantina in Carnival’s smallest current designs. Neither has a standalone steakhouse. Compare the limited balcony inventory and the actual departure with a larger ship before assuming smaller means cheaper.
Ships covered: Carnival Elation, Carnival Paradise.
Adventure: former P&O Australia ships with their own venues
Adventure and Encounter use included Waterfront, Angelo’s and Dragon Lady dinners. Fahrenheit 555 replaced Luke’s Bar & Grill in May 2026, and Bonsai Sushi Express adds another paid choice. Byron Beach Club benefits and Australian onboard terms need a separate comparison from Havana or US Carnival packages.
Ships covered: Carnival Adventure, Carnival Encounter.
Havana, Terrazza or a Cloud 9 Spa room?
Price the actual occupancy and acceptable cabin categories on the same basis. Include transport, hotel nights, required charges and the extras you expect to use. A specialty restaurant, private deck or youth activity has value only when the intended traveler can and will use it.
Photograph and resources
The photograph shows Mardi Gras at the date recorded in its credit. It illustrates the vessel, not a guarantee of its current paintwork, cabins or latest refit. Original photograph and attribution; photograph license.
Compare all eight lines’ ship-class collections, or browse Carnival Cruise Line sailings.
Your decision checklist
- List the Carnival attractions that matter, including any height or age limits.
- Compare Havana, Terrazza, Family Harbor and spa rooms by their actual benefits.
- Use Australian terms for Adventure, Encounter or an Australian departure.
Questions travelers ask
How many current ships does Carnival Cruise Line have in this guide?
29, checked for September 23, 2026. The roster excludes future ships and vessels that have completed service for the brand.
Are these all official class names?
Carnival markets ten classes. We provide eleven guides because Luminosa has enough differences from the original Spirit sisters to warrant its own comparison.
Does every Carnival ship have Guy’s Burger Joint and waterslides?
No. Luminosa lacks Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina and waterslides. Adventure and Encounter also have a different Australian-market restaurant lineup. Check the named ship rather than transferring a US sister-ship list.
Official sources and further reading
Sources checked September 23, 2026. Explore the original policies, destination guidance and provider information behind this article. Each description explains what you will find at the source.
- Carnival Cruise Line fleetFleet context; future bookable ships are excluded from this operating roster.
- Carnival official ships-by-class chart (earlier edition)Design-family context, including Luminosa within Spirit. This earlier chart predates Adventure and Encounter; the current roster is checked against individual ship pages. Renamed-ship dates need not mean original construction.
- Carnival Australia introduces Adventure and EncounterShip features and layouts; booking-specific operation and inclusions can vary.
- Photograph: Mardi GrasMardi Gras · 2026 · Jack Adamenko · CC0; Wikimedia thumbnail, displayed to fit the page.