Dare to compare: Carnival v Royal Caribbean fare check shows shock rise – and $79 a night bargains

• Royal Caribbean prices are on the rise in Australia, generally sitting at two and a half to three times those of Carnival Cruises.
• Carnival Cruises new ships remain slightly cheaper than Carnivals other ships in Australia and can be under $100 a night.
• Royal Caribbean now sits more at the level of Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises as a more premium price category.

An exclusive Cruise Passenger analysis of prices being charged in the Australian market show Royal Caribbean has moved strongly into the premium sector, and the Carnival fleet of four year-round ships are now the best budget value.

Over recent years, Aussies have had four options to choose between when looking for a value cruise, however, a Cruise Passenger deep dive revealed that now Aussies looking for a budget cruise are left with just one option.

Carnival Cruises now have four ships in its fleet, and there are two pieces of good news for Aussie cruisers.

The first is that for the 2025/2026 season, all four ships will sail for less than an average of $100 a day, and the second piece of good news is that the converted P&O ships, Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter will remain a a little bit cheaper.

Carnival Adventure will be 15% cheaper than Carnival Luminosa, and Carnival Encounter will be about 6.5% cheaper than Carnival Splendor.

Carnival Adventure will be about 15% cheaper than its Sydney counterpart, Carnival Splendor, and Carnival Encounter will be about 8% cheaper than Luminosa, also sailing out of Brisba.e 

While it’s good news that Carnival will be providing plenty of options for budget cruisers, with three of their four ships sailing year-round, the reality is that they’ll have no competition left at their price range.

P&O Australia has been laid to rest, but Norwegian Cruise Lines are also no longer sailing in Australia. Much more importantly, Royal Caribbean prices, particularly for their Quantum-class ship for 25/26, have jumped significantly. 

A Royal Caribbean Quantum-class ship is no longer a budget option for Aussies, rather coming in at premium prices, around the same as Princess Cruises or Celebrity Cruises, with Voyager of the Seas coming in slightly cheaper, but still a lot more expensive than Carnival ships.

While a trip out Sydney on Carnival Encounter will cost you an average of $87.25 a night, a trip on Anthem of the Seas will come in about three times the price on average, clocking in at $255.7 a night. 

Voyager of the Seas, a ship built in 1999, costs about $215.50 a night sailing out of Brisbane, compared, coming in at around two-and-a-half times the price of Carnival Adventure, which costs an average of $79.3 per night.

Anthem of the Seas comes out more comparable to ships like Crown Princess at $254.40 a night or Celebrity Edge at $247 a night. In fact, both actually come out slightly cheaper than Anthem of the Seas at current prices. 

This leaves Australian cruising in an interesting position. While cruisers often make decisions on price, they also have preferences and their own tastes, and now the reality is that those looking for a cruise holiday on the cheaper side of things may have four ships to choose from, but they’re all Carnival ships. 

Furthermore, Royal Caribbean fans will now have to accept that if they are opting for Royal Caribbean, they’re doing it for the Royal Caribbean experience, rather than the prices. As options that are generally considered more on the premium side of things, such as Celebrity or Princess, are now coming out almost equal in price.

This is especially significant given that Celebrity and Princess offer a lot more variation in itineraries than Carnival and Royal Caribbean, sailing to destinations all around Australia, as well as offering longer and more immersive cruises. 

Another factor: Princess is sailing far fewer ships this season, leaving the way open to Royal Caribbean to take up those who can’t get a princess suite.

The cheapest to most expensive cruise ships sailing here in Australia for the  25/26 season (Celebrity, Princess, Carnival, RC only) 

Carnival Adventure –  built 2001 – $79 per night

Coming in at number one is Carnival Adventure, with cruises starting from an average of just $79.3 per day for this cruise sailing out of Sydney. 

A three-night getaway starts from $289, and a four-night cruise to Tangalooma starts from just $302. 

Right now there’s even a nine-night cruise to Vanuatu starting from just $594, but a more common price would be a touch higher, such as an eight-night to Vanuatu that starts from $632.

If you’re looking to head north, a nine-night Barrier Reef cruise starts from $726.

Carnival Encounter – built 2002 – $87 per night

Carnival Encounter, sailing out of Brisbane, will also remain at a lower price point for now. A three-night cruise starts from $295, or a four-night to Airlie Beach starts from $364. For cruises slightly longer, a six-night to the Barrier Reef starts from $490 and an eight-night to Vanuatu kicks off from $635. 

Carnival Splendor – built 2008 – $93 per night 

Another great budget option out of Sydney, also sailing year-round, is Carnival Splendor. A three-night starts from $295 and a four-night cruise to Tangalooma from $386. 

A five-night cruise down to Tasmania will cost $528, or an eight-night to Vanuatu will start from just $628.

It’s also the last real budget option for a New Zealand cruise, with trips starting from $858 for a 10-night cruise.

Carnival Luminosa – built 2009 – $95 per night

The other cheap option out of Brisbane is Luminosa, coming it at less than $100 a night on average. A three-night will start from $317, jumping up to $405 for a four-night cruise to Airlie Beach. Other options hover at similar prices, with a six-night to the Barrier Reef at $575 and eight-nights to Vanuatu offering the best value at $654.

Voyager of the Seas – built 1999 – $215 per night

Voyager will be in Australia for just one season, marking a shift of older Royal Caribbean ships for Australia and a big price jump from the Carnival ships.

A three-night getaway is priced from $798, a 4-night Queensland cruise starts from $242 and a seven-night Queensland cruise starts from $1220. 

For a trip to the South Pacific, an eight-night cruise starts from $1444.

Celebrity Edge – built 2016 – $247 per night

Coming in next is Celebrity Edge, which is fast-becoming a favourite for Aussies, coming back for yet another season on our shores and already locked in for the 2026/2027 season as well.

A four-night cruise to Tassie starts from $1198 for those looking for a shorter option.

If you’re rather looking for a longer cruise, an 11-night cruise to the Barrier Reef starts from $2400 and a 12-night New Zealand cruise starts from $2702. 

Crown Princess – built 2006 – $254 per night

Crown Princess offers an interesting mid-range option for Aussie cruisers, coming in at a similar price to Celebrity Edge and Anthem of the Seas.

The price can jump around a lot depending on where you want to go.

A three-night cruise starts from $674, a seven-day Tasmania sailing starts from $2254, and an eight-night cruise to the Barrier Reef starts from $1898. 

The longer cruises also jump around in price, with an 11-night South Pacific itinerary sitting at $2363 and a 14-night New Zealand sailing sitting at $3859.

Anthem of the Seas – built 2015 – $256 per night

Anthem of the Seas is slightly older than Quantum and Ovation, the Quantum-class ships we previously had here in Australia, that are wrapping up their final season now. 

However, its prices are still on the steeper end, coming in at $894 for a three-night cruise and $1251 for a five-night sailing to Tassie.

For a nine-night South Pacific cruise you’ll be looking at a start of $1890 and for a 10-night New Zealand sailing, prices start from $2647.

Discovery Princess – built 2021 – $295

The newest large ship to be sailing in Australia will also take the crown as the most expensive. However, it’s worth noting prices are likely inflated due to high numbers of forward bookings, due to the excitement of the new ship.

A three-night cruise starts from $844, whereas longer cruises such as a 12-night Fiji sailing or 14-night New Zealand sailing start from $3578 and $4309 respectively.