Carnival Breeze and Carnival Freedom are both great ships and you may be struggling to decide which to choose for your next vacation. In this guide, we’ll take a side-by-side look at these two ships to help you pick the best one for your cruise…
Ship Details
Carnival Breeze is a more modern ship than Carnival Freedom, although neither of them are particularly new. However, despite being five years older, Carnival Freedom did undergo a major refurbishment in 2019 which saw the addition of a new mini golf course and a 203-foot-long water slide, amongst other things.
Read more: Carnival Ships By Age
Carnival Breeze is 18% larger than Carnival Freedom. However, 23% more guests are allowed on board the Breeze, so the smaller Freedom may actually feel more spacious despite the smaller size.
| Feature | Carnival Breeze | Carnival Freedom |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Dream | Conquest |
| Year | 2012 | 2007 |
| Last Refurbished | 2017 | 2019 |
| Size | 130,000 GT | 110,000 GT |
| Guest Capacity | 3,690 | 2,980 |
| Length | 1,004 feet | 952 feet |
| Onboard Crew | 1,386 | 1,150 |
Itineraries
Carnival Breeze sails out of Galveston, Texas all year round, while Carnival Freedom sails out of Port Canaveral, Florida.
On the Breeze, you’ll find only back-to-back four- and five-day cruises to Cozumel, with occasional stops at Costa Maya or Progreso.
By contrast, Carnival Freedom offers a range of mainly Bahamas cruises, also four- and five-days. Most cruises call at one of Carnival’s private destinations, either Half Moon Cay or Celebration Key (or both!)
Which is Best?
Carnival Freedom has better itineraries than Carnival Breeze, but only because of the private resort calls. Although if you just want a short trip to Cozumel, then the Breeze is reasonably priced.
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Dining Options
Both Carnival Freedom and Breeze have a great selection of dining options. On the Breeze, you’ll find a few extra places to eat, like the Captain’s Pasta Bar and Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que which are both included in your cruise fare. For an extra fee, you’ll also get the option to eat at the Italian restaurant Cucina del Capitano.
The only other difference between the two is the Bonsai Sushi – on the Freedom, it’s the express version which means you can enjoy sushi to go, whereas on the Breeze you can enjoy sit-down service.
| Restaurant | Carnival Breeze | Carnival Freedom |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Hour Room Service | Free until 10 pm | Free until 10 pm |
| BlueIguana Cantina | Included | Included |
| Bonsai Sushi | Extra Charge | – |
| Bonsai Sushi Express | – | Extra Charge |
| Coffee Bar | Extra Charge | Extra Charge |
| Cucina del Capitano | Extra Charge | – |
| Dining Room | Included | Included |
| Dining Room Breakfast | Included | Included |
| Guy’s Burger Joint | Included | Included |
| Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que | Included | – |
| Lido Marketplace | Included | Included |
| Mongolian Wok | Included | Included |
| Pizza Delivery | Extra Charge | Extra Charge |
| Pizza Pirate | Included | Included |
| Seaday Brunch | Included | Included |
| Seafood Shack | Extra Charge | Extra Charge |
| Steakhouse | Extra Charge | Extra Charge |
| Steakhouse Selections | Extra Charge | Extra Charge |
| Swirls | Included | Included |
| The Captain’s Pasta Bar | Included | – |
| The Carnival Deli | Included | Included |
| The Chef’s Table | Extra Charge | Extra Charge |
Which is Best?
While both Carnival Freedom and Breeze have a huge selection of included and specialty dining options, the Breeze has a few more, making this the best ship of the pair in terms of food variety.
If you’d like to sample some of the specialty restaurants, this is a great way to spend any onboard credit you may have. Check out my guide – 12 Ways to Use Your Carnival Onboard Credit Like a Pro for more tips and ideas.
Bars
For somewhere to enjoy a drink, both ships have the same bars, including the RedFrog pub, BlueIguana tequila bar and the Casino Bar. The only difference is that Carnival Breeze also has the SkyBox sports bar where you can catch all the latest games on the big screens and check out the real-time scores and headlines on the panoramic ticker.
| Bar | Carnival Breeze | Carnival Freedom |
|---|---|---|
| Alchemy Bar | YES | YES |
| BlueIguana Tequila Bar | YES | YES |
| Casino Bar | YES | YES |
| Cheers! | YES | YES |
| Cruise the Vineyards | YES | YES |
| Exclusive Carnival Brews | YES | YES |
| RedFrog Pub | YES | YES |
| RedFrog Rum Bar | YES | YES |
| SkyBox Sports Bar | – | YES |
Which is Best?
If you’re a sports fan, then Carnival Freedom is the better option of the two ships as you won’t miss any of the latest sports news. However, if you’ve rather your other half didn’t spend all of their time glued to the big screen on vacation, then perhaps the Carnival Breeze is the better ship to choose.
Whichever ship you choose, make sure you check out my guide to Carnival drink packages to work out whether you should buy the package in advance or not.
Activities
Both Carnival Breeze and Carnival Freedom have so many activities to enjoy that you can never be bored. However, the larger and newer ship, Carnival Breeze has a few more things up on the top deck, including the SportSquare where you can play games like football and ping-pong as well as the high ropes course with epic views over the ocean.
| Activity | Carnival Breeze | Carnival Freedom |
|---|---|---|
| Alchemy Martini Tasting | Extra Charge | Extra Charge |
| Art Auctions | Included | Included |
| Art Exhibitions | Included | Included |
| Art Games | Included | Included |
| Art Seminars | Included | Included |
| Atrium | Included | Included |
| Basketball | Included | Included |
| Bingo | Extra Charge | Extra Charge |
| Cooking Demonstration | Included | Included |
| Games | Included | Included |
| Library | Included | Included |
| Make It With Michaels | Included | Included |
| Master the Martini | Extra Charge | – |
| Military Appreciation | Included | Included |
| Mini Golf | Included | Included |
| Mixologist Competitions | Included | Included |
| Ocean Plaza | Included | – |
| Pools | Included | Included |
| Serenity Adult Only Retreat | Included | Included |
| SkyCourse | Included | – |
| SportSquare | Included | – |
| Twister Waterslide | Included | Included |
| Volleyball | Included | – |
| WaterWorks | Included | Included |
Which is Best?
Although Carnival Freedom has been recently upgraded to add the waterpark with slides and a giant tipping bucket, the newer and larger Carnival Breeze still has the edge with more activities to enjoy on board.
Entertainment & Events
Both Carnival Breeze and Carnival Freedom have plenty of entertainment on offer throughout the day and late into the night.
The slightly larger ship, Carnival Breeze, features the Thrill Theater – a small 3D movie theater with moving seats and lots of special effects for total cinematic immersion. Tickets cost $5.50 each.
| Entertainment Venue | Carnival Breeze | Carnival Freedom |
|---|---|---|
| Dive-In Movies | Included | Included |
| Karaoke | Included | Included |
| Lip Sync Battle: Carnival | Included | Included |
| Live Music | Included | Included |
| Nightclub | Included | Included |
| Piano Bar | Included | Included |
| Playlist Productions | Included | Included |
| The Punchliner Comedy Club | Included | Included |
| Thrill Theater | Extra Charge | – |
On a Carnival cruise, you can attend a variety of organised events during your vacation. If you like to dress up in costume then don’t miss the White Hot Night on the Breeze and the 80s Night on the Freedom.
| Event | Carnival Breeze | Carnival Freedom |
|---|---|---|
| Mega Deck Party | Included | Included |
| 80s Night | – | Included |
| White Hot Night Party | Included | – |
| Groove for St. Jude | Extra Charge | Extra Charge |
| Holidays Aboard | Included | Included |
| Sailaway Party | Included | Included |
Which is Best?
When it comes to entertainment, there’s not much in it to distinguish between Carnival Breeze and Carnival Freedom. The Breeze has a slight edge because it has the 3D movie theater and White Night is always a great party that’s easy to dress for.
Kids Facilities
Carnival is definitely one of the best cruise lines for families and kids of all ages are sure to love the non-stop fun.
| Activity | Carnival Breeze | Carnival Freedom |
|---|---|---|
| Arts and Crafts | Included | Included |
| Build-A-Bear Workshop at Sea | Extra Charge | Extra Charge |
| Camp Ocean | Included | Included |
| Circle “C” | Included | Included |
| Club O2 | Included | Included |
| Dr. Seuss Bookville | – | Included |
| Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast | Extra Charge | Extra Charge |
| Night Owls | Extra Charge | Extra Charge |
| Seuss at Sea | Included | Included |
| Seuss-A-Palooza Parade | Included | Included |
| Seuss-a-palooza Story Time | Included | Included |
| Towel Animal Theater | Included | Included |
| Video Arcade | Extra Charge | Extra Charge |
| Zumbini | Included | Included |
Which is Best?
Carnival Breeze and Carnival Freedom are almost identical in terms of what they offer for kids. The only real difference is that Freedom features Dr. Seuss Bookville – a children’s library where kids can enjoy reading Dr. Suess books in fun surroundings.
Spa & Fitness
Whether you want to work up a sweat or lie back and relax, Carnival cruise ships offer plenty of spa and fitness facilities.
Like all of the newer Carnival cruise ships, Carnival Breeze features the Cloud9 spa which is an upgraded version of the regular Carnival spa that you’ll find on Carnival Freedom and the older ships.
Both ships offer a range of spa treatments for women and men as well as the dedicated ZSpa which is just for teens.
As well as the standard indoor gym, Carnival Breeze also features the SkyFitness gym, located outside on the top deck! With punching bags and a host of exercise bikes and machines, you can work out while enjoying the best views of the ocean.
| Facilities | Carnival Breeze | Carnival Freedom |
|---|---|---|
| Acupuncture | Extra Charge | Extra Charge |
| Cloud 9 Spa | Extra Charge | – |
| Cloud 9 Spa: Hydrotherapy Pool | Extra Charge | – |
| Cloud 9 Spa: Thermal Suite | Extra Charge | – |
| Facial Treatments | Extra Charge | Extra Charge |
| Fitness Center | Included | Included |
| Fitness Classes | Extra Charge | Extra Charge |
| Hair & Beauty Salon | Extra Charge | Extra Charge |
| Jogging Track | Included | Included |
| Massage | Extra Charge | Extra Charge |
| Medi-Spa | Extra Charge | Extra Charge |
| Men’s Spa Services | Extra Charge | Extra Charge |
| SkyFitness | Included | – |
| Spa Carnival | – | Extra Charge |
| ZSpa | Included | Included |
Which is Best?
If wellness is your thing, then there’s no question as to which ship is best. Carnival Breeze wins over Carnival Freedom thanks to the Cloud9 Spa and the outdoor gym.
The Overall Verdict
After comparing these two Carnival cruise ships in detail, I would say that Carnival Breeze is the better ship overall compared to Carnival Freedom. The Breeze is larger, newer and has a larger choice of restaurants, facilities and onboard activities.
However, when choosing between these ships you’ll really want to look at the itineraries. If you’re considering a short cruise to Mexico or the Caribbean, you’ll want to pay close attention to the ports of call on offer as well as working out the cost of getting to the port to begin your trip.
NEW DEALS JUST RELEASED!
See the latest Carnival cruise offers…
Related Posts:
- Carnival Cruise Ships by Size
- Carnival Cruise Suite Perks
- Carnival Dream Vs Carnival Breeze
- Carnival Cruise Ship Classes Compared
- Carnival Ships Ranked From Best To Worst
Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
