Carnival Firenze Vs. Panorama: What's the Difference?

Carnival Firenze and Panorama are both renowned cruise ships that operate under the same parent company, Carnival Cruises. Carnival Cruise line is best known for its fun vibes and bright ships that provide nonstop adventure to all passengers and take them across different places across the globe. They also have concentrated activities for kids, such as water slides and mini golf, which makes them the preferred venue for virtually every age group. Travelers have plenty of variety to eat and drink from, ranging from casual quick pick-ups to fine dining and specialty restaurants.

The ships on Carnival cruises also feature fun events like contemporary music, stand-up comedy shows, and many other onboard entertainment channels, which are must-stops. Carnival cruises serve as a nice break for anyone who seeks to have their tense and uninspiring times lightened with joy. Carnival Firenze and Carnival Panorama are both medium-sized ships from the Carnival fleet. Still, both cruises are distinctive in their way and promise to deal & offer you an exhilarating and adventurous time onboard.

The ‘class’ segregation system in the cruising industry simply refers to separating cruise ships based on fares, amenities, itineraries, services, etc. Carnival cruises also follow a class system that segregates their fleets. There are a total of eight Carnival classes, namely Excel, Vista/Venezia, Dream, Splendor, Conquest, Spirit, Sunshine, and Fantasy. Both Firenze and Panorama are part of the Vista/Venezia class of ships.

Knowing that both of the cruises offer optimal service and an overall amazing experience to their passengers, it can be hard to understand the difference between them and make a choice for your next vacation. Do not worry, though, for we’re here to make that much easier and hassle-free for you. We’re compiling a list of factors that can be used to draw comparisons and help you understand what makes these two cruises stand apart from one another.

Differences between Carnival Firenze and Panorama Cruise Ships

Photo Courtesy: Carnival Cruise Line

There are certain factors, such as the size of the ship, the passenger capacity, cuisine, etc., that you can use to understand the differences between Carnival Firenze and Panorama and which one suits your needs better. Listed below are some of the major factors that can help provide you with better insight into this matter:

1. Cruise Class:

Carnival Firenze and Panorama both are part of the Vista/Venezia class. While Panorama falls along with the general Carnival Cruise theme of offering passengers a fun and upbeat vacation time, Firenze, in comparison to its sister ship, offers a more specific theme-wise experience. Firenze is a "Fun Italian Style" themed Cruise ship and offers the same adventure with an ‘Italian flair’ to the whole thing.

2. Ship Size:

Both the ships are medium in size, with Panorama having a length and width of 1,055 ft long and 122 ft wide, respectively. Firenze comes up to a 1,061 ft long length and 122 ft wide width. Both the ships are tall enough to be compared to a 14 - 15 floor tall building. The sizing for the sister ships is almost within the same range. The gross tonnage of Panorama falls around 133,868 tonnes, whereas the gross tonnage for Carnival Firenze is around 135,500 tonnes.

3. Passenger Capacity and Cabins Onboard:

Featuring 15-passenger decks, the Panorama cruise can hold up to 4008 passengers at a time in double occupancy. A total of 1,450 Crew members are available on board this ship to assist passengers and provide services. Carnival Firenze, on the other hand, also has a similar passenger capacity, standing at 4,072 with 14 passenger decks. A total of 1,424 crew members are onboard Firenze to provide assistance and help provide you with premium services.

4. Activities and Events Onboard:

Both cruises offer a wide variety of activities and events that passengers can participate in and thoroughly enjoy their vacation aboard. 75% of the activities onboard the Firenze are already included in the initial cruise fare, while with Panorama, approximately 62% of the activities and events are included in the cruise fares.

Both cruise ships offer interactive events and activities such as relaxation spaces only made available to adults, arcades, basketball courts, casinos, comedy clubs, jogging centers, gyms, movies, spas, and even water slides!

Panorama features certain special options that are not available on Firenze. It provides brewery tours and is the first cruise ship to introduce a brewery onboard. Other options include cooking classes, SkyZones, SkyRides, and even thermal suites!

5. Pool and Hot Tub Facilities:

There is nothing like the experience of having a cooling drink in your hand. At the same time, you sunbathe by the poolside on a cruise, or if you enjoy more heated options, the feeling of relaxing in a hot tub after a long day of fun activities is an experience like no other.

Both Firenze and Panorama offer these facilities to the passengers. Firenze offers two pools and six hot tubs onboard. Both of the pools are available to all as they are open for general access, while 2 out of the 6 hot tubs are general access, another 2 are only available for adults, and the remaining two 2 are only available for use based on exclusive access.

Panorama features three pools and six hot tubs. Two of the pools on this cruise are general access, while the other is only available for exclusive access. With hot tubs, Panorama follows the same pattern as Firenze, with two for general access, two for adults only, and the remaining available only with exclusive access.

6. Dining Options:

Food and dining options always become a major part of any cruise experience, and both Panorama and Carnival Firenze do not fall short on this end either. Firenze offers its passengers a total of 20 dining options that are diverse and exciting. Some special mentions include Tomodoro, Bonsai Sushi, Carnival Deli, and Seafood Shack. 13 of these options are available on a complimentary basis. In contrast, the remaining 7 options are available to travelers with an extra fee.

Panorama features a similar cuisine but has 6 more options available in comparison to Firenze. Some of the special mentions that are only available on Panorama are Blue Iguana Cantina, Captain's Pasta Bar, Cucina Del Capitano, and Guy's Burger Joint (though Firenze especially features the Italian version of this dining option). 17 of these dining varieties are available on a complimentary basis, whereas the rest of the nine specialty offerings are only available at an additional cost.

7. Overall Costing:

Both cruises cost approximately $100 - $350 per person per day. However, this can vary depending on your itinerary, overall package, and any additional costs you incur throughout your trip. The gratuity rates are also the same, at around $16 per person per day.

The additional costs will amount to 25% to 40% of the total cruise fare. Considering this, you can plan your budget far ahead and always be prepared.

Related: Carnival Cruise Ships By Age: Newest to Oldest

Conclusion

To sum it all up, Carnival Firenze and Panorama, with its Vista/Venezia class, provides the passengers with different experiences, with Firenze providing a themed "Italian flair" adventure. The two cruises, overall, offer passengers similar room articulation and similar amenities, but the additional dining alternatives in Panorama, as well as the exclusive activities you can do there, turn Panorama into a slightly more diverse option than Firenze. The next time you want to book a cruise, may it be Firenze, Panorama, or any other cruise ship of your liking, don't forget to book through CruiseBooking.com for exclusive offers and a seamless booking experience.