Norwegian Cruise Line vs Royal Caribbean
Impact on your credit may vary, as credit scores are independently determined by credit bureaus based on a number of factors including the financial decisions you make with other financial services organizations. Again, the types of rooms you can expect to find will vary, based on which ship you’re sailing. The Norwegian Sun, meanwhile, holds a maximum capacity of 1,936 guests — the least of any ships in Norwegian’s fleet. Follow our social media and blog for the latest cruise and travel news, including our best vacation deals. Learn about the latest ships and destinations by browsing hundreds of questions (and the answers to those questions) posted by real cruisers. If you happen not to find what you’re looking for, you can even post a question of your own.
Activities
If it's living large on a Norwegian ship that's your goal, you're not going to find anything better than this. In short, there are so many family-friendly things to do on Norwegian Encore that you and your kids likely won't be able to do it all in a single, weeklong cruise. That's all on top of dedicated children's play areas, pools and family-friendly entertainment that will keep your family busy from morning to night.
Global Itineraries (Including Hawaii)
The line's two newest vessels, Norwegian Prima and Norwegian VIva, have 72-cabin solo complexes spread over two decks. In short, the best Norwegian cruise ship for you will depend on a bunch of factors, and which ship is best for a trip with your family might not be your top pick for a couple's cruise or girlfriends' getaway. When it comes to the largest ships with the most features, there’s little argument that Royal Caribbean is the gold standard. Norwegian seems to focus more on outdoor dining, with several spots on its ships where you can sit in the outdoors and eat without having to worry about the wind ruining your dinner or sun beating down on you. Royal Caribbean doesn’t seem to offer as many places to eat outdoors with a view of the water. This isn’t to say a lack of status is held against you; truth is no one really cares if it’s your first cruise or 100th cruise.
Previous Ships
Other Norwegian cruise ships, such as Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Sun, have specific features that might make them better options for solo travelers or retirees. Certain Norwegian ships are best for budget travelers, while others are best for luxury travelers. NCL already has pushed more into luxury cruising with The Haven on its ships. But future ships seem to be focused even more on offering a high-end experience. The cruise line’s Norwegian Prima, Viva and Aqua are the first three of six new ships in its new Prima class, which debuted in 2022. These vessels look and are designed differently from the rest of the fleet.
Bayside Shopping Mall in Miami
Experienced cruise passengers know that what you pay for the cruise fare is not all you’ll spend on your trip. This category includes all the money you spend on things on the ship, including drinks, specialty restaurants, wi-fi, and more. The ship offers thrilling top-deck activities for families including a sports complex, an open-air ropes course, and the Aqua Park. There’s two swimming pools, four hot tubs and two drop slides, the Free Fall and the Whip, for the ultimate wet and wild fun.
Norwegian Cruise Line Is Adding Caribbean, Bahamas Cruises From a New US Homeport - Caribbean Journal
Norwegian Cruise Line Is Adding Caribbean, Bahamas Cruises From a New US Homeport.
Posted: Tue, 09 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Sign up for Caribbean Journal's free newsletter for a daily dose of beaches, hotels, rum and the best Caribbean travel information on the net. Other amenities include a multimillion-dollar sculpture garden; an interactive 52-foot-wide art piece by British artist Dominic Harris; and even showings of Beetlejuice The Musical. Enjoy an old-world feel as you wander around Old San Juan, relax on the many beaches or explore the rainforests. The seafood is fresh, the sun is shining and there’s a whole lot to do, so get out there and explore the city before, during and after your cruise from Port Canaveral, Florida. Explore the beaches and wander the streets of the old villages for equal parts relaxation and rejuvenation.
Five of these ships were built before 2000 and four more ships are on order to join the fleet. The largest Norwegian ship currently is the Norwegian Escape, which can hold 4,266 guests and a crew of 1,733. The second largest Norwegian ship is Norwegian Epic, making it a close second with its passenger capacity of 4,100 and crew capacity of 1,724.
Cruise Line Offers Free Parking for Passengers at One Homeport
As the first ship to debut Studio Staterooms and the private enclave, The Haven by Norwegian®, Norwegian Epic features a variety of other accommodations as well. There’s also show-stopping entertainment every night including guest-favorite “Burn the Floor,” The Cavern Club, and Deal or No Deal. With demand for warm-weather destinations, NCL is opening for sale new 7-day cruises to the Western Caribbean from the Big Easy starting on Oct. 20, 2024 aboard Norwegian Getaway. The cruise line is also debuting voyages to the Eastern Caribbean from Port Canaveral beginning on Oct. 30, 2024 on Norwegian Epic. The activities available to you are going to depend on your ship, but the state-of-the-art Encore includes options like go-karting and waterslides, as well as a virtual reality gaming zone and live entertainment. When comparing NCL versus Royal Caribbean, you’ll want to also think about room types.
While aboard nearly any Norwegian cruise ship, you'll mostly see families, couples and singles that range in age from their 30s to 60s. Both Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean cater to families and couples, though NCL does a better job of catering to solo travelers, thanks to its unique Studio staterooms designed for one. The largest ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet (and the world as of January 2022) is Wonder of the Seas, which holds 5,734 passengers and 2,300 crew members. Symphony of the Seas is the runner-up as the second-largest ship in the fleet, which has a massive passenger capacity of 5,518 and space for 2,200 crew members. The Norwegian Cruise Line fleet has 17 ships (and will soon be 19 when two Prima-class ships join in October 2022 and 2027). The fleet is divided into eight classes, all of which have been built or refurbished since 2015.
Extra suite categories are just the start of what makes Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva the best Norwegian cruise ships for luxury lovers. Here we list our top picks for the best Norwegian cruise ships for five different types of travelers. With modern design, upscale dining options, infinity pools, and more, the new ships focus on a more luxurious experience compared to Royal Caribbean — or even other ships in its fleet.
Inside both Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean cruise ships is a multitude of enriching activities to pass the time. Traditional fixed seating times or flexible “My Time” dining options are available onboard Royal Caribbean for main dining rooms as are reservations for specialty dining. The larger the ship, the more restaurants and overall dining options there will be at your disposal. There is a larger number of solo cruisers on NCL ships that offer the award-winning Studio cabins, which have been specifically designed for one person. Norwegian ships with studio cabins include Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Prima and Pride of America.
Norwegian Sun is also one of the smallest and least kid-focused of the five ships the line deploys to Alaska in summer, making it a good choice for retirees wanting to visit that destination. Families with kids naturally gravitate to the two giant, activity-packed vessels Norwegian sends to Alaska each summer — Norwegian Encore and Norwegian Bliss. Over the next two years, for instance, Norwegian Sun is sailing lots of long voyages out of such less-common home ports as Benoa, Indonesia; Melbourne, Australia; Auckland, New Zealand; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Papeete, Tahiti. Only solos staying in the solo cabins (via keycards) can access the Studio Lounge, meaning that you and your new solo friends will have the place to yourselves. For starters, Norwegian Encore is home to some of the most thrilling waterslides at sea, as well as a kiddie splash zone that will have your little ones squealing with delight. But those are just the appetizers when it comes to family fun on the top deck of the ship.
As for gratuities, most cabins see a charge of $20 per person, per day with Norwegian (the price is $25 per person, per day for suites). That price is $18 per person, per day for Royal Caribbean, with those in suites paying $20.50. On Royal Caribbean, it’s around $24 (often with discounts for booking early). Below, we cover some of the bigger differences between Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean.
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