Carnival Cruise Line · Contemporary · Fantasy-class
Carnival Elation is one of the lower-graded ships we track: 2.2 of 10, #170 of 176. Space is the pinch — 34 tons per guest, where the median ship gives 41. Crew cover 2.4 guests each, about the fleet norm.
Passengers rate it lowest on how crowded it feels, which sits beside the grade rather than inside it.
Graded against every other ship we track, on one curve. The method.
On today’s fares, yes — the best sailing we can currently price scores 8.2 out of 10 for value, a genuinely good deal for a ship of its class.
That is a 5-night Bahamas sailing departing 9 January 2027, from $206 per person in an interior cabin — about $41 a night. A Value Score of 5.0 means a sailing costs what genuinely comparable cruises cost: same class of ship, same region, similar length. Above 5.0 the fare beats that going rate; below it, it does not. Carnival Elation grades 2.2 of 10 on vessel class, and 3.7 of 5 from 165 traveler reviews. How the score is built.
Sister ships share a hull, so they differ only in condition. A newer sister is the same vessel, less worn.
Every fare is the line’s own price. Zero markup: the line pays us if you book through CruiseIndex, you never pay more.