Norwegian Cruise Line has launched a new promotion called ‘More at Sea’, which replaces the previous ‘Free at Sea’ and ‘Free at Sea Plus’ packages.
However, while the promotion claims to be even better value for guests, there are some caveats which may mean that guests are actually worse off than they would’ve been under the Free at Sea promotion.
The new promotion came into effect for all new bookings from 1st October 2024. It’s an optional upgrade which includes a mix of benefits, including free drinks, free speciality dining meals, free WiFi and shore excursion credit.
However, it’s a paid-for upgrade (costs vary by sailing length) and it doesn’t include the extra costs of gratuities for the drinks package and speciality dining meals.
It’s likely that anyone who had booked a cruise with Free at Sea will get the same benefits they had already booked, although it’s not yet clear.
However, guests who had paid for the Free at Sea Plus package, which offered even more benefits, are saying that the package has been removed from their online account, with speculation that it may be cancelled and refunded.
The key differences in the More at Sea promotion are:
Guests will be able to enjoy a wider selection of included drinks, with no $15 per drink limit (though not everything will be included)
All guests in a cabin will now get free WiFi minutes, not just the first and second guest
Many guests will enjoy additional free speciality dining meals, with the maximum increasing from 3 to 5 (depending on cabin choice & sailing length)
More included appetizers and desserts with every speciality meal – up to 3 of each
Guests will continue to get a $50 shore excursion credit for the first person in a cabin only.
The negative changes are:
Increased gratuities for the drinks package – guests will now pay $30 per person, per day compared to $21.80, meaning a 7-night cruise for two guests will cost an additional $115
Increased gratuities for speciality dining – guests will now pay $20 per meal, compared to $11.80 under Free at Sea
Guests on cruises of 12 nights or more will have their free WiFi minutes halved from 300 to 150
The loss of Free at Sea Plus will also be disappointing as it means guests can’t pay for the upgraded package, which included bottled water, speciality coffee, unlimited WiFi, extra speciality dining meals, more premium drinks and additional shore excursion credit.
Response on social media has been mixed, with many guests feeling like the ‘upgrades’ are now putting more of a squeeze on budgets due to the increased gratuity costs.
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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.
NCL is a cruise line that’s great for families and younger travellers looking to enjoy a cruise packed with variety, good food and great destinations.
Key to that is their fleet, which includes a mix of smaller ships well-suited to a more relaxing break, and some of the more modern ships that are loaded with exciting attractions.
But which is the favourite of cruise travellers?
To find out, I’ve ranked all of the NCL ships from best to worst, based on customer review data.
How I gathered the data
This isn’t a list based just on my opinion. For starters, I’ve not been on every NCL ship, so that wouldn’t be a fair ranking!
Even if I had – my opinion is exactly that, a single opinion. I’m not the same as you, and so our views of the ships would be different.
So, instead, I’ve looked at three of the biggest websites that collate cruise ship reviews – Cruiseline.com, Cruise Critic, and TripAdvisor. I’ve chosen these three because they’re independent and because they have a lot of reviews.
I’ve then looked at the average score for each ship on those three sites to rank the ships in order.
Remember that this is the “best” to the “worst”. There are no bad NCL ships. Even the lowest-ranking ship averaged 3.14 out of 5, which is a pretty good score.
And one last point – a lot of the reviews I’ve read mention bad things across the entire cruise line, rather than the ship. In particular, the pre-cruise customer service gets a bit of a hammering, but people generally love the experience on the ship. It’s worth knowing, so you can consider booking through a travel agent instead of direct.
And the best ship is… (drumroll)
According to reviews, the best NCL cruise ship is Norwegian Jewel, one of the Jewel-class ships in the fleet. She is popular more as a ship for couples than for families, and despite her age she is always well-reviewed.
The best NCL ships in order – here we go!
Norwegian Jewel is one of the older ships in the NCL fleet, and it’s a ship that aims to be more of a couples ship than a family one. As proof, just consider how, in the 2018 refurbishment, the ship’s waterslide was removed, while two new bars were added.
The main highlights of Norwegian Jewel are the live entertainment, including comedy and magic shows, and the food. The ship is well maintained, with the refurbishment helping to breathe fresh life into a ship that remains popular for a lot of younger adults.
NCL is a very family-friendly cruise line, and while Norwegian Escape isn’t different, it does excel from a couples’ perspective too. The highlights of the ship are often the adult-only areas, including the Vibe Beach Club, Spice H2O sun deck and the beautiful Mandara Spa.
Escape is a ship that also reviews well for its mix of destinations – unlike some ships that stick to the Caribbean, the Escape brings its modern and bold interiors to destinations on both sides of the Atlantic, including itineraries further north into Canada and New England.
Norwegian Bliss is considered to be quite upmarket by NCL’s standards – not that NCL ships are cheap anyway, but Bliss just has an aura of being more refined. It does have very stylish decor, and the Alaskan summer itineraries are definitely more attractive to those who prefer sightseeing over partying.
The ship has some incredible features including go-karts, and she has some of the best Broadway shows too, including SIX and Jersey Boys, which are extremely popular with guests. The major criticism levelled at the ship has more to do with the excursions offered in Alaska, which don’t get you as close to nature as they do with other cruise lines.
Another of the popular mid-sized Gem Class ships, Norwegian Pearl scores slightly lower than her sister the Norwegian Jewel but she is still very popular among cruise passengers. While she lacks some of the exciting features of the latest ships, she still packs plenty of fun, whether that’s the bowling alley or just the decor.
Norwegian Pearl also reviews really well from guests of the various themed cruises that take place on-board, often completely chartering the ship. But the number one recurring comment in the reviews is the service, which apparently is exceptional.
People often comment on how good the crew are on NCL ships but for some reason, Pearl’s staff get even more mentions than usual.
Norwegian Joy was the fourth ship in the Breakaway Class and the second Breakaway Plus ship to launch, and based on reviews you can tell the designers were hitting their stride with this ship.
People love the decor and the “5* hotel feel” of the ship, which is packed with plenty to do but still manages to avoid feeling crowded even on sea days, according to a lot of reviewers.
Highlights again include the incredible live entertainment, with Norwegian Joy being the only ship at sea to host a production of Footloose.
Norwegian Encore is an almost identical copy of Norwegian Bliss, the most popular ship in the fleet. So why is it four places lower? The only differences are that Encore has a bigger racetrack and laser tag arena, but at the cost of losing the Spice H2O bar area for adults only.
This tells you that Encore’s slight shift in focus to maximising family areas isn’t as important as the adults-only spaces that Bliss has. It’s still a very popular ship – and people do love the exclusive Onda restaurant – but most cruisers prefer that extra adults-only space that Bliss has in comparison.
Norwegian Jade rounds out the top 10 and also the popular Gem Class of ship for the fleet, with a score that has improved since she received her Norwegian Edge upgrades a few years ago – gone are the dated colours and smaller restaurants, with more choice added including the popular O’Sheehan’s.
Having said that, it’s not the best ship for younger kids – there’s not enough to do really. Families with teens enjoy the ship, with the Entourage venue proving to be very popular with older children looking for a place to relax away from adults.
Norwegian Gem is very similar to other ships in the Gem class, and so doesn’t have any particular features or notable attractions to shout about. It’s still a good mid-size cruise ship that doesn’t feel too crowded though, and there’s enough on board to keep families and couples entertained with ease.
Why this ship tends to score so well is the onboard atmosphere, which just seems to be a bit more fun and friendly – people often comment on the sort of community feel of a cruise on Gem, and how everyone chats with each other. Passengers are also loyal to Gem and will cruise on her regularly after their first.
Norwegian Getaway was the second Breakaway Class ship and people love the variety of entertainment and dining venues on board. The ship has some cool attractions aimed at all ages, but it is missing that killer USP that came with later Breakaway Plus ships in the form of the go-kart track.
People mainly love the restaurants on board, with a lot of speciality ones receiving praise – Cagney’s Steakhouse, in particular, is a popular choice. But there is some criticism of the itineraries despite the variety – people definitely prefer the ship for the onboard experience rather than the offered excursions.
Norwegian Sky is the longest-serving and smallest ship in the NCL fleet but it’s still really popular with guests. And it does offer a very particular experience. Don’t expect a huge amount of attractions, but that’s made up for with a really packed schedule of entertainment from the moment you step onboard, right until your last morning.
That’s helped by the shorter itineraries – Norwegian Sky specialises in 3-5 day cruising. It’s a ship that is super lively, has great food and overall just feels like a classic short-break cruise experience, without a load of fancy bells and whistles.
Sister ship to Norwegian Sky, the Norwegian Sun launched back in 2001 but underwent a huge renovation in 2018 to update it. It’s still not the most modern ship, but it doesn’t look too tired or dated. Everything is clean and comfortable.
It’s a smaller ship in the fleet, so better suited to adults who want a more relaxing break. It’s not really aimed at families – there’s no waterpark or water slides at all, and the main highlight of the ship is its incredible itineraries in Asia that are perfect for those who want to explore away from the traditional Caribbean/Mediterranean options.
Pride of America is the only ship in the world that sails under the US flag, and it is NCL’s primary ship for exploring the islands of Hawaii. And this is why people love it – the ship itself is nothing too special, although people do enjoy the quieter atmosphere and the extra space offered by hosting fewer guests.
Instead, the destination is the main attraction here, with itineraries planned around maximising the time spent among Hawaii’s magnificent scenery, with some fun-packed excursion options available.
Despite joining the fleet in 2004, the Norwegian Spirit is actually the oldest ship in the fleet, having been constructed in 1998. It doesn’t look old, thanks to attentive maintenance and upgrades, although it does mean it’s lacking the exciting features of its contemporaries in the fleet.
Yet Norwegian Spirit has a core group of repeat customers who love her, not so much for the on-board excitement but for getting the basics right – good food, comfortable accommodation and great service – as well as itineraries that have fewer days at sea, allowing guests to spend more time exploring.
Norwegian Breakaway launched the Breakaway Class for NCL and was considered to be a huge success, so it’s a surprise for it to be ranked so low down. I cruised on this ship in 2014 and loved it! The waterslides are incredible, although I couldn’t try all of them due to being pregnant at the time.
The ship has a great range of dining venues, one of the most popular live shows on the entire fleet with Burn The Floor, and a huge amount of venues for guests of all ages, including great kids and teens clubs.
Reading the reviews, the negative comments are mainly those levelled at the cruise line as a whole – disorganisation at ports, the expense of paying extra for so much on-board, and pre-cruise service. So it feels a little harsh that this exciting, feature-packed ship is nearer the bottom of the list.
Norwegian Dawn is one of the quirkier ships in the fleet. Built in 2002, she was designed to take advantage of the new ‘Freestyle Cruising’ mantra that NCL had introduced with sister ship Norwegian Star.
But, in trying to offer the variety needed for this to work, the ship ended up with a really confusing layout – packing in restaurants and bars with apparently little thought to how guests would navigate them easily.
Still, people love the fun atmosphere on board, and modern updates keep the ship’s popularity going for now. It’s better aimed at people who want that classic cruise ship feel but with the flexibility of Freestyle Cruising.
The newest ship to launch for NCL is the Norwegian Viva – a new Prima Class ship that is clearly looking to differentiate itself. The key unique features are extra open spaces on deck and a focus on even better service, with a higher staff-to-guest ratio ensuring you never have to wait for everything.
And yet, it doesn’t seem to have worked – at least in the early days. While the ship is relatively new, she isn’t scoring well on most of the review sites, saved by a higher average on Cruiseline.com.
Many of the complaints are not aimed at the ship but the quality of service offered by NCL, and how much extra they charge for little things onboard. So perhaps Norwegian Viva suffers more because she is new, and has more first-time guests trying her?
It is fascinating to read the original reviews of Norwegian Epic when she first launched, compared with modern customer reviews.
Let’s start with the positives – Norwegian Epic is a ship that has something for everyone. It is packed with live entertainment, fun activities including bowling, some great water slides and a lot of restaurant choices. It’s great for couples and families alike.
But it is a bit crowded and the standards on board seem to be slipping according to the reviews. People have complained about slower food service, rooms looking tired, and areas of the ship being closed off randomly.
For a ship that launched in 2010, it is starting to feel like it’s quite old compared to the vibrancy of the Breakaway and Prima Class ships.
Norwegian Star shares the same issues as Norwegian Dawn. Star was the first ship that was designed with the Freestyle Cruising mantra in mind and yes, there is a lot of choice on board and an atmosphere that is worlds apart from traditional cruise formality. Yet it just wasn’t executed in the most thought-out way.
It’s not a massive issue if you don’t mind occasionally choosing the wrong staircase or elevator, and while there’s nothing to really make it feel unique compared to modern ships, she offers a fun time with good service.
One of the newest ships in the NCL fleet, Norwegian Prima is the first in the Prima Class and it feels like a lot of lessons have been learned from the Breakaway class.
The ships are slightly smaller and feel a lot less crowded, which really helps to accentuate the modern and minimalist design choices too – this feels like a really premium ship compared to the rest of the fleet. But that doesn’t mean a compromise on features – guests love the VR gaming, go-karts and range of restaurants even if most things come with an extra charge.
Reviews still aren’t great though and it feels like the shiny bells and whistles are just not doing enough to please cruise guests who aren’t happy with the service onboard or ashore.
Choosing the best NCL ship for your cruise
There’s no single answer for which is the best NCL ship. It depends on you, your preference for cruising style, and who you’re sailing with. While NCL pitches itself as a family-friendly cruise line, the newer ships definitely have a lot more to do onboard, and are more about the at-sea experience.
Older ships are smaller, quieter and more relaxed but they still have a fun vibe – great for young couples who want to let their hair down.
The best NCL ship classes, based purely on customer reviews, are the Jewel Class and the Breakaway Plus Class.
The Jewel Class is really popular, despite the ships all being a little older. They’re not huge, but they have a lot of features and a lot of loyal NCL fans love them.
The Breakaway Plus ships are the biggest ships in the fleet and are absolutely packed with dining venues and things to see and do onboard, so it’s not a huge surprise they’re popular.
They’re much preferred over the Breakaway Class ships, though those are still significantly better than the Norwegian Epic or the newest Prima-class ships.
The Epic gets a lot of flak for its layout and room designs, while the newest ships just aren’t doing enough to win over guests who are getting more frustrated with all the extra costs, or the slipping service standards.
It’ll be interesting to see whether the future classes – Prima Plus and a brand-new class – will improve on the scores of some of the newer ships or not.
The bottom line
There’s quite a clear distinction between the ships NCL has launched since Norwegian Epic, and those before when you look at the Norwegian Cruise Line reviews.
Norwegian Cruise Line now adds a lot more family entertainment and unique features to their ships, and while older ships have great dining venues and live shows they feel more like a modern take on classical cruising experiences.
If you’re sailing with a family, you’ll have more fun on the newer ships, but the smaller ships offer some of the best itineraries too.
Just be prepared for the extra charges across the entire fleet – a lot of reviewers weren’t happy with the costs they incurred during their cruise, no matter which ship they sailed on. It might be worth booking an NCL drinks package at least, so that you don’t get charged for every drink you order.
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.
Norwegian Cruise Line has 19 ships, ranging from new mega-ships that accommodate over 4,000 guests to ships that were built in the 1990s and are less than half the size.
I’ve been lucky enough to experience both the oldest and newest and the biggest and smallest NCL ships and honestly, they’re worlds apart in many ways.
So, to help you decide which of Norwegian’s cruise ships to choose for your next cruise, read on for a guide to NCL ships by age, size and class along with photos of each.
NCL ships in order of age
The following table lists all of the ships in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet, ordered from newest to oldest. It includes the ones that are currently on order, too
Ship
Year Built
Refurbished
Class
Unnamed
2036
–
Unknown – biggest NCL class ever
Unnamed
2034
–
Unknown – biggest NCL class ever
Unnamed
2032
–
Unknown – biggest NCL class ever
Unnamed
2030
–
Unknown – biggest NCL class ever
Unnamed
2028
–
Prima Plus Class
Unnamed
2027
–
Prima Plus Class
Unnamed
2026
–
Prima Plus Class
Norwegian Aqua
2025*
–
Prima Plus Class
Norwegian Viva
2023
–
Prima Class
Norwegian Prima
2022
–
Prima Class
Norwegian Encore
2019
–
Breakaway Plus Class
Norwegian Bliss
2018
–
Breakaway Plus Class
Norwegian Joy
2017
2019
Breakaway Plus Class
Norwegian Escape
2015
–
Breakaway Plus Class
Norwegian Getaway
2014
2019
Breakaway Class
Norwegian Breakaway
2013
2018
Breakaway Class
Norwegian Epic
2010
2020
Epic Class
Norwegian Gem
2007
2015
Jewel Class
Norwegian Jade
2006
2017
Jewel Class
Norwegian Pearl
2006
2017
Jewel Class
Norwegian Jewel
2005
2018
Jewel Class
Pride of America
2005
2016
Unclassed
Norwegian Dawn
2002
2016
Dawn Class
Norwegian Star
2001
2018
Dawn Class
Norwegian Sun
2001
2018
Sun Class
Norwegian Sky
1999
2019
Sun Class
Norwegian Spirit
1998
2020
Unclassed
Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ships
Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship currently sailing is Norwegian Viva. This new ship is the second of the Prima-class cruise ships to be built for NCL, having launched in August 2023.
She’ll also be the last Prima-Class ship, unless plans drastically change. The next four ships due to be built will be Prima Plus ships, and then a new class is being built – the biggest ever for NCL.
Norwegian Viva is one of the most spacious new cruise ships at sea, with expansive outdoor deck spaces, an infinity pool designed to blend into the ocean, outdoor firepits and a glass bridge walkway.
Norwegian Viva
Prior to the launch of Norwegian Viva and her sister ship Norwegian Prima in 2022, the most recent addition to the fleet had been Norwegian Encore. Launched in November 2019, this Breakaway Plus-class ship is also the largest in the NCL fleet, with an internal volume of 169,116 GRT and the capacity for almost 4,000 guests at double occupancy.
Norwegian Encore boasts a selection of family-friendly facilities including a virtual reality arcade, open-air laser tag arena, thrilling waterslides and a go-kart track.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s oldest ship is Norwegian Spirit. Launched over 25 years ago in 1998, this ship has undergone a $100 million refit that saw the addition of 14 new venues including an additional main dining room and an expanded Spa.
I visited Norwegian Spirit just before the makeover. Take a look at what she looked like previously in thisTour of Norwegian Spirit.
The other older ships in the NCL fleet include the Sun-class and Dawn-class ships which were all built before 2012.
As you can see in this photo of the Sun-class Norwegian Sky that I took in Nassau, these older ships are relatively small and do not have many balcony staterooms compared to more modern cruise ships.
Norwegian Sky
NCL ships ranked by size
The following table lists the Norwegian cruise ships by size from largest to smallest – just the ones currently sailing, for now.
Ship
Size (GRT)
Guest Capacity
Class
Norwegian Encore
169,116
3,998
Breakaway Plus Class
Norwegian Bliss
168,028
4,004
Breakaway Plus Class
Norwegian Joy
167,725
3,804
Breakaway Plus Class
Norwegian Escape
164,998
4,266
Breakaway Plus Class
Norwegian Epic
155,873
4,100
Epic Class
Norwegian Getaway
145,655
3,963
Breakaway Class
Norwegian Breakaway
145,655
3,963
Breakaway Class
Norwegian Viva
142,500
3,215
Prima Class
Norwegian Prima
142,500
3,215
Prima Class
Norwegian Jade
93,558
2,402
Jewel Class
Norwegian Gem
93,530
2,394
Jewel Class
Norwegian Pearl
93,530
2,394
Jewel Class
Norwegian Jewel
93,508
2,376
Jewel Class
Norwegian Dawn
92,250
2,340
Dawn Class
Norwegian Star
91,740
2,348
Dawn Class
Pride of America
80,439
1,936
Unclassed
Norwegian Sun
78,309
1,936
Sun Class
Norwegian Sky
77,104
2,004
Sun Class
Norwegian Spirit
75,904
2,018
Unclassed
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The biggest ship
Norwegian Cruise Line’s biggest ship is Norwegian Encore with a gross tonnage of 169,116 GT and the capacity for 3,998 guests at double occupancy. This Breakaway Plus-class ship has 20 decks, of which 16 are accessible to guests and a length of 1,094 feet.
Norwegian Encore
The NCL ship that can accommodate the most guests is Norwegian Escape with a capacity for 4,266 guests when each room has two people in. This ship is slightly smaller than Norwegian Encore but has space for more staterooms as it doesn’t have the laser tag arena, the race track or the splash park.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s biggest ships aren’t that big when compared to the biggest ships from other cruise lines. In fact, NCL’s Breakaway Plus-class ships are around 25% smaller than Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class and 7% smaller than MSC Cruises’ Meraviglia Plus-class ships.
And the smallest…
Norwegian Cruise Line’s smallest ship is Norwegian Spirit. The oldest ship in the fleet, this mid-sized cruise ship has the capacity for 2,018 guests at double occupancy and an internal volume of 75,904 gross tonnes.
Norwegian Spirit
Around half of the NCL fleet consists of medium-sized cruise ships that accommodate fewer than 2,500 guests. These ships were all built before 2008 when the fashion for bigger cruise ships took off.
NCL ship classes explained
Norwegian Cruise Line has grouped its ships into nine classes. Interestingly, the two ships remain unclassed as they are different from all others in the fleet.
Unknown Class
Unnamed ship (coming 2030)
Unnamed ship (coming 2032)
Unnamed ship (coming 2034)
Unnamed ship (coming 2036)
Size: Approximately 225,000 GT
From 2030, expect the biggest ever ships for Norwegian Cruise Line to arrive. Originally they were announced as 200,000 GT but that’s been revised to the much larger 225,000 now.
Prima Plus Class
The Prima-class ships are:
Norwegian Aqua
Unnamed ship (coming 2026)
Unnamed ship (coming 2027)
Unnamed ship (coming 2028)
Size: 156,000 for the first two, 169,000 for the latter.
Prima Class
The Prima-class ships are:
Norwegian Prima
Norwegian Viva
Size: Approximately 142,500 GT
Breakaway Plus Class
The Breakaway Plus-class ships are:
Norwegian Encore
Norwegian Bliss
Norwegian Joy
Norwegian Escape
Size: 164,600 to 169,145 GT
Breakaway Class
The Breakaway-class ships are:
Norwegian Getaway
Norwegian Breakaway
Size: 145,655 GT
Epic Class
The only Epic-class ship is Norwegian Epic
Size: 155,873 GT
Jewel Class
The Jewel-class ships are:
Norwegian Gem
Norwegian Jade
Norwegian Pearl
Norwegian Jewel
Size: 93,500 GT
Dawn Class
The Dawn-class ships are:
Norwegian Dawn
Norwegian Star
Size: 91,740 to 92,250 GT
Sun Class
The Sun-class ships are:
Norwegian Sun
Norwegian Sky
Size: 77,104 to 78,309 GT
Unclassed ships
These ships are unique and do not belong to any class:
Norwegian Spirit
Pride of America
Norwegian Spirit was originally built for the Asia-based cruise company Star Cruises under the name SuperStar Leo.
Pride of America is the only US-flagged cruise ship in the world and was specifically designed to sail around Hawaii all year round.
The best NCL ships
Are the bigger, newer ships actually better than the smaller older ships? Having experienced both, I must say that the answer depends on what you want from a cruise.
The newest NCL ship Norwegian Viva and her sister Norwegian Prima are great for teenagers. You’ll probably never see them all week as they’ll be so excited to visit the virtual reality arcade, laser tag and race track.
However, all of these activities aren’t included in the price of your cruise, so you could easily rack up a large bill. Plus, they take up a lot of space, meaning that there isn’t that much room left on the open decks for sunbathing.
Even the oldest ships in the NCL fleet have been refurbished recently, so these ships no longer feel like they’re 20+ years old. Ticket prices are much cheaper than the newer ships, and they have better itineraries, making them a good choice for couples without kids and those on a budget.
However, my favourite NCL ship has to be Norwegian Breakaway. I loved the amazing waterslides on this ship and had a lot of fun on the high ropes course and watching the amazing entertainment – all of which were complimentary.
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.
If you like your cruise ships to be packed with exciting entertainment, offer a wide range of dining options, and you’re not too worried about the ‘tradition’ of cruising in favour of new innovations, then you’ll probably love either Royal Caribbean or NCL.
These are two of the biggest cruise lines in the world, and it can be tough to know which is the better option for you if you’re trying to decide between them.
In this side-by-side comparison, I’ll take you through everything that makes the two cruise lines similar, their differences, and help you work out which one is the best fit.
Ships
Neither of these cruise lines have a small fleet of ships, but Royal Caribbean’s is still significantly larger than that of NCL.
Icon Class – the biggest cruise ships in the world accommodating up to 7,600 guests each
Oasis Class – six mega ships that can accommodate around 6,800 guests each
Quantum Ultra Class – two modern ships accommodating 5,500 guests each
Quantum Class – three ships accommodating 4,900 guests each
Freedom Class – three ships accommodating 4,400 to 4,900 guests each
Radiance Class – four ships accommodating 2,500 guests each
Voyager Class – five ships accommodating 4,000 guests each
Vision Class – four ships accommodating 2,400 to 2,700 guests each
There’s a considerable difference in ages between the oldest ship in the fleet, which is Grandeur of the Seas, and the newest ship Icon of the Seas. Grandeur launched in 1996 and Icon launched almost 30 years later, in 2024.
There are currently nine classes of ships in the NCL fleet, with a tenth on the way:
Prima Plus Class – four ships on order, likely accommodating 3,500 guests each
Prima Class – two ships accommodating 3,200 guests each
Breakaway Plus Subclass – four ships accommodating 3,900 to 4,200 guests each
Breakaway Class – two ships accommodating 4,000 guests each
Epic Class – one ship that accommodates 4,100 guests each
Jewel Class – four ships accommodating 2,400 guests each
Pride of America Class – one ship accommodating 2,200 guests each
Leo Class – one ship accommodating 2,000 guests each
Dawn Class – two ships accommodating 2,300 guests each
Sun Class – two ships accommodating 2,000 guests each
Norwegian Spirit is technically the oldest ship in the fleet as she was built in 1998, but she only joined NCL in 2004. Two other ships have served the cruise line longer – Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Star were both built in 2001.
Norwegian Viva is the newest ship, launching in 2023, so the age range of the ships between Royal Caribbean and NCL is comparable.
In terms of ship age, there isn’t much to separate the two cruise lines. Size does matter though and Royal Caribbean’s biggest ships are significantly bigger than the biggest NCL ships.
Icon of the Seas measures 250,800 gross tons (a measure of internal volume) while the biggest NCL ship, Norwegian Encore, is just around 170,000 – so around a third smaller.
This might help you make your mind up – if you like the idea of sailing on the biggest ships in the world, having the most space and the widest variety of things to see and do onboard, then Royal Caribbean is the better choice.
In reality, though, the bulk of the fleets are similar sizes, so unless you’re exclusively looking at the biggest ships, the ship size or age won’t matter when picking between Royal Caribbean and NCL.
Destinations
Both Royal Caribbean and NCL are global cruise lines, in that they have itineraries available across the world. There are some differences between them though.
Here’s a look at the itineraries each offers, in summary. For Royal Caribbean this is itineraries, rather than individual dates – there are a lot more than just 47 Caribbean cruises you can book!
Royal Caribbean
NCL
Africa
0
21
Alaska
96
31
Australia & New Zealand
29
16
Bermuda
7
23
Canada & New England
8
19
Caribbean & Bahamas
47
154
East Asia
36
46
Europe
107
191
Hawaii
7
8
Mexico & Latin America
8
7
Middle East & South Asia
3
0
Pacific Northwest
4
4
Panama Canal
5
41
South America
0
12
South Pacific
14
3
Transatlantic
22
24
Transpacific
5
0
Royal Caribbean Destinations
Royal Caribbean offers a range of destinations and a wide range of embarkation ports too – 35 around the world, meaning you should always have one nearby.
Despite that, a huge number of Royal Caribbean’s cruises depart from one of the three main ports in Florida – Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami.
There are cruises from the UK available, all departing from Southampton and during the summer months only. For several years, the UK was able to enjoy the Quantum-class Anthem of the Seas, but from 2025 it’ll be the older Independence of the Seas taking her place.
Royal Caribbean does have two private island destinations – Labadee and Perfect Day at CocoCay. Labadee was suspended as a port of call for several months in 2024 due to unrest in parts of Haiti.
NCL Destinations
With Norwegian Cruise Line, you get even more choice of embarkation ports, with an incredible 56 different options for embarking on your cruise. This includes the typical big ports on both sides of the Atlantic, but also several that are usually used as a port of call rather than an embarkation port.
NCL also offers cruises from Southampton for UK travellers, but with the slight edge that there are some dates available outside of the summer months. Not many, but of the two cruise lines, NCL will be your only option if you don’t want to fly but the summer months don’t work for you.
NCL has its own private island in the Bahamas too, called Great Stirrup Cay, which features on several of the cruises to the Caribbean.
Which to Choose?
If you’re looking at the main cruise destinations around Europe or the Caribbean, there’s not a lot between the two cruise lines to help you make your decision. It would come down to the specific ship you were sailing on, the date, or the price when booking cruises in these regions.
Unless you especially wanted to visit one of the cruise lines’ private islands. Perfect Day at CocoCay is very popular, though guests do enjoy Great Stirrup Cay too.
NCL’s a better choice for Africa and South America, while Royal Caribbean offers a lot more cruises in Alaska or Australia, so if you’re looking at those regions your mind might be made up for you.
Staterooms and Suites
With Royal Caribbean and NCL, the basic accommodation options are going to be similar – it’s the same across all cruise lines, really.
You get a choice of interior, ocean view or balcony staterooms, or suites if you’ve got a bigger budget and want more space along with some nice perks.
There are some quirks to flag though, especially on a ship like Norwegian Epic for NCL, which has split bathrooms that are really unpopular with a lot of guests, due to the way the shower is almost open into the room.
Always keep an eye on the individual room you’re booking, but to compare the two cruise lines we’ll instead look at some of the more unique accommodation options available on each.
Royal Caribbean Staterooms and Suites
Virtual Balcony Staterooms
Available on many of the newer Royal Caribbean ships, Virtual Balcony Staterooms go some way to improving the experience for guests who choose an Interior room. Rather than having four dark walls, part of one wall is taken up by a digital screen. This screen shows a live image of the view from the ship, as if you had your own balcony.
It’s no replacement for natural light, but a lot of people like the rooms as they at least let you see the time of day outside!
Interior Balcony Staterooms
With most cruise lines, a Balcony Stateroom will have a view of the sea, but some of Royal Caribbean’s ships are so big that they have balconies facing the inside of the ship, overlooking the Central Park or Boardwalk areas.
They’re cheaper than a sea view, and good if you just want the natural light and fresh air of a balcony but don’t care too much for the view. You just have to bear in mind that directly across from you are more staterooms, so remember to draw those curtains when getting dressed.
Ultimate Family Accommodations
If you handed a kid a piece of paper and some crayons and told them to design their perfect bedroom, the result would probably look like the Ultimate Family Suites and Ultimate Family Townhouses on some of Royal Caribbean’s newest ships.
These split-level suites include a massive range of features for the whole family, from piano-key staircases that actually work, to karaoke machines, and even a slide from the upper floor to the living area.
NCL Staterooms and Suites
The Haven
There are a few cruise lines that have ship-within-a-ship concepts and NCL’s is called The Haven. This is an exclusive part of the ship where the best suites are situated, along with public areas that only suite guests can access.
That includes a private restaurant, sundeck and pool, plus Haven guests get a whole host of extra perks, such as your own butler!
These are some of the best suite accommodations on any ‘mainstream’ cruise line (i.e. not one that purely targets luxury cruise guests), and well worth checking out if you want a special cruise experience.
Studio Rooms
At the complete other end of the scale, NCL’s Studio Rooms are some of the smallest at sea, but that’s by design. NCL has been a pioneer for single rooms, not just adding them to ships before many other cruise lines did, but expanding their range rapidly, revisiting older ships to add more rooms for solo travellers.
Yes they’re small, but they’re cheaper too, so if you just want a room where you can rest (with access to a shared Studio Lounge when you want to chill) then these are ideal.
Club Balcony
The Club Balcony class is what some other cruise lines would call a Mini Suite – a bridge between a Balcony Stateroom and a Suite. For a bit more money, you get up to 80 square feet of extra space compared to regular staterooms, and a small number of extra perks.
Which to Choose?
Royal Caribbean definitely has some of the more innovative stateroom options, with the Virtual Balcony rooms and those incredible Ultimate Family Accommodations.
But if you want something stylish and luxurious for adults, you might prefer The Haven to the suite options with Royal Caribbean.
And while Royal Caribbean does have a small number of single rooms, NCL offers many more and the Studio Lounge is a great addition, so that solo travellers have a dedicated space to unwind or meet others.
Food
Food’s such an important part of cruising and with both Royal Caribbean and NCL, you really aren’t going to be short on options.
Royal Caribbean Food
Royal Caribbean is all about variety – there’s a restaurant or food venue for any preference, whether you want a quick burger by the pool, a late-night slice of pizza, or something really sophisticated, with the most modern ships debuting restaurants that are more experiential – such as the Empire Supper Club themed like a 1920s New York jazz club.
A newer addition worth shouting out is the Surfside Eatery on Icon-class ships, which is a kids-themed buffet right next to the kids’ splashzone area – perfect for picky eaters.
As with pretty much any cruise line, there’s a main dining room and a buffet restaurant on every ship. Traditional dining times are still a thing, but you can choose My Time Dining if you want to eat at the main restaurant at a time that suits you – you just need to pre-pay gratuities.
NCL Food
NCL was one of the first cruise lines to start to change dining on cruise ships, abandoning the idea of set dining times and offering Freestyle Dining across the main restaurants. Eat when you want – just be aware that there might be a little wait for a table if you pick a busy time.
NCL also has plenty of speciality restaurants alongside casual snack bars and more. NCL’s speciality venues are particularly popular with guests, including some fun options that aren’t common, like the Brazilian-style Moderno which offers endless meat skewers carved at your table.
Which to Choose?
This one’s a close call because both cruise lines offer exceptional flexibility when it comes to dining, with great buffets and casual options, good menus in the main dining rooms, and lots of speciality options.
Royal Caribbean edges it for kids, with better ice cream options and the newer focus on providing venues specifically aimed at kids.
But for adults, it’s hard to pick one that’s better – instead, research the ship(s) you’re looking at booking and decide based on their individual venues.
Onboard Activities
NCL and Royal Caribbean are very similar in their approaches to cruising – as many amazing features onboard as possible, so that the ships are as much of a destination as the ports of call you visit.
Royal Caribbean Activities
While the activities you can enjoy on a Royal Caribbean cruise depend on the specific ship you choose, there are loads of options available. These include ice skating rinks, climbing walls, and exciting slides (dry and water).
Options that you’ll find on a Royal Caribbean ship but not on NCL include:
NCL Activities
NCL ships are equally exciting, and share many of the same features as Royal’s ships, such as climbing walls, bungee trampolines, laser tag, mini golf, and some fantastic water slides.
The unique features on NCL ships include:
Bowling alleys
Multi-level go-kart tracks
Which to Choose?
Each cruise line has its own unique attractions so if there’s something particular that’ll sway you – maybe you love bowling, or you’d love to give a surfing simulator a go – then choose the cruise line that offers those activities.
Otherwise, you won’t be bored on a ship for either line. Even the smaller ships have lots to do, though a general rule is the bigger and newer the ship, the better it is for activities.
Always check what your ship includes before you book, as you don’t want to get your hopes up over a particular attraction to find it’s missing when you board.
Entertainment
The live entertainment across both cruise lines is stunning – you may well struggle to pick between them!
Royal Caribbean Entertainment
Many cruise lines claim to offer Broadway-style entertainment but Royal Caribbean is one of the few to have licensed Broadway shows, such as Cats, Grease and Hairspray. Alongside the stage musicals, expect a broad range of family-friendly entertainment including singers, dancers and live comedy.
Where Royal Caribbean stands out is with the AquaTheater on bigger ships – these venues host amazing water-based shows themed around music and high diving. Truly spectacular.
NCL Entertainment
NCL is one of the other handful of cruise lines to have licensed Broadway shows, with Jersey Boys and Six being some of the exciting options onboard, depending on your ship.
NCL also has the very popular Burn the Floor show, which is Latin and ballroom dancing at its finest, and don’t miss the Howl at the Moon singalong (unless you hate singing along to popular songs…)
Which to Choose
You can’t choose between them here unless you have a specific show you want to catch. Royal Caribbean’s AquaTheater performances are very impressive but NCL’s variety and excellent interactive nights are just as fun.
Kids Facilities
Royal Caribbean Kids Facilities
Adventure Ocean is the name of the main kids’ clubs on Royal Caribbean ships, with lots of varied activities based in venues such as the Adventure Science Lab and the Imagination Studio.
Teens are also catered for with dedicated spaces for 12-14 year olds and 15-17 year olds. Rather than being structured, they have more of a flexible programme so that teens can pick and choose what to get involved in, and when to just chill in their lounge areas.
NCL Kids Facilities
NCL’s clubs work similar, with Splash Academy for children and pre-teens, and then Entourage aimed at 13 to 17-year-olds, with a chilled space for them to relax, play video games and more.
The key difference is that teens are generally grouped together in one space, which isn’t ideal.
Royal Caribbean slightly edges it here if you have teens, especially older teens who don’t want to share a space with 13-year-olds.
If you’re only sailing with younger kids then both cruise lines offer plenty of fun activities to enjoy and they’ll have a great time regardless.
Cruiser Demographics
Royal Caribbean Demographics
On a Royal Caribbean cruise, expect to see a lot of families, but there are plenty of couples, friend groups and solo cruisers too. In terms of age profile there’s a broad mix, but the average guest is between 30 and 50. The prices tend to stop most younger families with parents under 30 from cruising, though there will no doubt be some.
On smaller ships, don’t be surprised to find a lot more guests who are older. People have been loyal to Royal Caribbean for many years and the older generations do still love the quieter ships.
NCL Demographics
NCL also targets a slightly younger market than traditional cruise lines might, with guests typically aged between 30 and 50.
Again, it’s one where there’s a good mix of passengers including families, but NCL probably has slightly more of a party vibe onboard. If Royal Caribbean is fun for all ages, especially families, then NCL is fun for all ages, especially younger adults.
Families still love NCL, and young adults will have a great time on a Royal Caribbean cruise, but the cruise lines just slightly lean into those markets a little more.
Price
You won’t get the very cheapest cruise deals with either Royal Caribbean or NCL, but they aren’t the most expensive cruises you can book either.
Royal Caribbean Prices
You can get good deals on a Royal Caribbean cruise, but usually only on the smaller and older ships in the fleet.
The newer Icon-class and Quantum-class ships are a lot more expensive, with the Icon ships specifically being quite a lot more than others in the fleet – but they’re selling, because people want to try the biggest ships in the world.
Wonder of the Seas is an example of a large ship, but not the biggest, and she offers 7-night Caribbean cruises from between £100/$130 and £130/$165 per person, per night for an Inside Stateroom.
NEW DEALS JUST RELEASED!
Don’t miss the latest Royal Caribbean offers…
NCL Prices
It’s not as easy to compare an NCL price with Royal Caribbean’s fares, because NCL offers different fare options, including the Free at Sea promotion which will offer extra benefits such as free drinks, free WiFi or free speciality dining (or a combination of them).
Generally, expect prices to be slightly higher than Royal Caribbean offers. A typical cruise in the Caribbean on the newest ships will be between £100/$130 and £150/$190, but always check the inclusions.
NEW DEALS JUST RELEASED!
Don’t miss the latest NCL offers…
The Verdict
There’s no way that I could definitely say that either Royal Caribbean or NCL is the better cruise line of the two. So much will depend on your travel party, your priorities when you’re on a cruise, where you want to sail and more.
NCL is slightly more aimed at young adults while Royal Caribbean is more about family cruising, and yet families won’t feel out of place on an NCL ship and vice versa.
Always check the specific ships regardless of which line you lean towards, as many of the best features are only on the newest ships in each fleet – arguably there’s a bigger difference in cruise experience between Icon of the Seas and Vision of the Seas, than there is between Icon of the Seas and Norwegian Viva!
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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.
Booking a suite on any cruise ship isn’t just about the extra space you get. You also tend to get a few extra perks for being a suite-class guest – ranging from those little touches that just make your cruise feel a tiny bit more special, to some serious benefits that justify the cost.
Pride of America – Deluxe Owner’s Suite with Large Balcony
With Norwegian Cruise Line, there are a lot of different suites and a lot of different perks, depending on the suite that you’ve booked.
In this guide, I’ll take you through all the extras you can enjoy whether you book a standard suite or one of the speciality options that NCL offers.
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Three main categories of perk
The NCL suite perks you can enjoy are split into three main categories – ‘Special Services’, ‘Delicious Extras’ and ‘Thoughtful Touches’. These are all offered for all suites, although some have slight variances.
There are then extra benefits if you book a Haven suite. And it’s also worth explaining that Club Balcony Suites are not considered full suites – they are what used to be called Mini-Suites, and so they have some of the suite perks, but not all.
Let’s break it down, starting with the perks you get for booking any suite or penthouse on any of the Norwegian Cruise Line ships.
NCL Suite and Penthouse perks
The benefits you enjoy when booking a suite (including a Penthouse) on an NCL ship are broken down into three main categories.
1. Special Services
The Special Services you receive include:
Priority embarkation when you cruise, with a personal escort onto the ship
Priority boarding with a personal escort at every port of call*
A distinctive keycard to show that you are a suite guest
Concierge Service to help you book dining, entertainment, shore excursions and more
Priority access to restaurant and entertainment reservations
Delicious Extras, as the name implies, refers to the extra touches you’ll enjoy from a food and drink perspective:
1 bottle of sparkling wine and 1 bottle of spring water on embarkation day for regular suites
1 bottle of Moet Champagne and a custom liquor selection upon embarkation, 4 bottles of water (2 spring, 2 still) and 6 canned drinks replenished daily for Owner’s Suites and Garden Villas
A Nespresso coffee machine and Tea Forte tea bags provided for your use throughout the cruise
24-hour room service included*
Invitations to exclusive breakfast and lunch events with other suite guests*
A cocktail party with the ship’s officers
The option to have speciality dining meals delivered to your room from any restaurant on the ship (though you still have to pay for the food)
Complimentary treats delivered to your door each night, such as chocolate-covered strawberries
3. Thoughtful Touches
The little added extras that make your room a little more special include:
A special Bliss Collection by Norwegian mattress topper for an even more comfortable sleep
Luxury bed linens including a feather duvet and a pillow menu, so you can choose the pillow(s) that suits you best
Plush bathrobes and slippers to use during the cruise along with oversized bath towels
A selection of luxury bath products
Complimentary movies to enjoy in your suite
An evening turndown service
1 free laundry pressing for Owner’s Suites and Garden Villas
Unless stated, all of these perks apply to suites across the fleet. The only other difference is Norwegian Joy, which is missing a few of the perks – I’ve marked those with an asterisk (*).
NCL Haven Suite Deals
I recommend booking with luxury specialists Panache Cruises for the best service.
The Haven perks
The Haven is a luxury area situated at the top of some of the ships, which is where you’ll find the most luxurious of accommodations. It’s not available on every NCL ship, but you will find it on the Prima, Breakaway Plus, Breakaway, Epic and Jewel Class ships, as well as the upcoming Prima Plus class, including:
Norwegian Aqua (Prima Plus)
Norwegian Viva (Prima)
Norwegian Prima (Prima)
Norwegian Encore (Breakaway Plus)
Norwegian Bliss (Breakaway Plus)
Norwegian Joy (Breakaway Plus)
Norwegian Escape (Breakaway Plus)
Norwegian Getaway (Breakaway)
Norwegian Breakaway (Breakaway)
Norwegian Epic (Epic)
Norwegian Gem (Jewel)
Norwegian Pearl (Jewel)
Norwegian Jade (Jewel)
Norwegian Jewel (Jewel)
Suites in the Haven enjoy all of the same perks as suites and penthouses elsewhere in the fleet, but they also offer a number of extra benefits as well:
A courtyard attendant in the Haven Courtyard to offer you fresh fruit, drinks and cold towels
An upgraded platinum keycard
As well as this, guests in the Epic, Breakaway and Breakaway Plus Haven suites will also be given a mobile phone that they can use for the duration of their cruise – ideal for keeping in touch with other members of the travelling party without worrying about WiFi or roaming charges.
Haven guests also have access to three exclusive areas of the ship:
Haven Lounge
The Haven Lounge is an exclusive lounge area with luxurious seating and a fully stocked cocktail bar. It’s the ideal place to relax alone or to meet up with other guests of the Haven suites when you want a quieter location to unwind.
The Haven Lounge is available on Breakaway and Breakaway Plus ships.
Haven Restaurant
The Haven has its own private restaurant that has a varying menu, giving Haven guests more options alongside the regular Main Dining Room and speciality restaurants. Guests can choose to eat in the restaurant or have their butler bring their meal to the suite.
Here’s an example of the Haven Restaurant menu from my cruise on Norwegian Encore.
The Haven Restaurant is also found only on Prima, Breakaway and Breakaway Plus ships.
Haven Courtyard and Sundeck
The Haven Courtyard is the exclusive sun deck area that only Haven guests can access. Here you can relax on a lounger or in the hot tub, while attendants ensure your drinks are topped up and you’re provided with cool towels to relax in hotter areas.
The Haven Courtyard is available on all ships with a Haven area, although access to the Sun Deck is restricted to guests aged 16 or over only.
Spa Suite perks
On the Breakaway and Breakaway Plus-class ships, you’ll find Spa Suites within the Haven. Breakaway Plus ships also have Deluxe Spa Suites with even more space. These suites are extra luxurious and include their own hot tub next to the balcony, letting you relax in absolute comfort and enjoy an amazing view.
They also include complimentary access to the Thermal Spa Suites onboard during normal spa hours, so you can enjoy the sumptuous and rejuvenating facilities there alongside easy access to the Mandara Spa and Fitness Centre. If you want to fully reinvigorate your mind and body, these suites are some of the best choices.
Club Balcony Perks
The Club Balcony Suites are what used to be called Mini Suites on Norwegian Cruise Line ships. These aren’t full suites, but instead offer a middle ground between the suites and the balcony staterooms.
They’re a little larger than a standard balcony stateroom, but not by much. The real benefit of choosing a Club Balcony Suite is the chance to enjoy some of the suite perks, without paying the full price of a suite on board.
NCL Club Balcony Suite benefits include:
The option to pre-book certain on-board entertainment and dining reservations up to 125 days before you set sail
Complimentary treats delivered to your stateroom twice per week
A complimentary bottle of sparkling wine on embarkation day
The choice of either one complimentary laundry service or one complimentary pressing service
The Bliss Collection by Norwegian mattress topper or memory-foam mattress, fine linens and choice of pillows
The biggest benefits are the more luxurious bedding, and the option to pre-book your reservations and make sure you get the dining venues and entertainment you want.
The sparkling wine, laundry and pressing services and the extra treats are a nice touch, but you can pay for these separately anyway and it would be cheaper than the upgrade from Balcony Stateroom to Club Balcony Suite.
There are two factors in making your decision on whether a suite on an NCL cruise is worth it – how much time you plan to spend in your room, and how much will you make use of the NCL suite benefits that you get?
Norwegian Cruise Line ships are known for being packed with things to see and do, including a wealth of speciality dining restaurants and entertainment facilities.
While the suites, especially those in the Haven, are fantastic accommodations that are beautifully appointed, if you aren’t going to spend much time in them because you’re off exploring the ship, you could argue they aren’t worth the extra cost.
And it’s important you check the perks you get for your room too – because if you don’t think you’ll use them all, then the extra cost for the suites likely doesn’t justify the one or two perks you will use. Most of the perks are things you can pay extra for anyway.
But, if you do think you’ll enjoy the perks being offered, you intend to spend some time on your cruise enjoying the space and furnishings provided by your suite, and you have the budget, then they are absolutely worth it. They are wonderfully comfortable and situated in fantastic locations on the ship, and the perks are useful.
And if you haven’t, here’s how to get the best deal on your suite…
NCL Haven Suite Deals
I recommend booking with luxury specialists Panache Cruises for the best service.
Consider NCL Priority Access instead
NCL Priority Access is a package that gives you some of the suite perks, regardless of your stateroom type. This includes priority-check-in and disembarkation, first access to tender boats and some nice extras like canapes and breakfast in bed.
Butlers are available for many requests, and will typically offer to unpack and re-pack your luggage, bring you fresh pillows from the pillow menu, serve you food and drinks in your suite, and keep your ensuite bar topped up. They can also bring entertainment into your room such as DVDs and board games.
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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.
Whether you’re looking to spend time by yourself, wanting to make new friends or even looking for romance, there’s a cruise for you.
There are several organised group cruises for singles over 50, usually hosted by travel agencies. But you don’t need to join an organised singles only cruise group trip, there are also lots of cruises that are perfect for single people over 50.
If you’re seeking more information on organised solo traveller cruises, read more about how they work and your best options in my Guide to Solo Cruises.
In general, any cruise is suitable for solo travellers over 50. A cruise is the perfect setting to make new friends with everything already planned out for you. You’ll enjoy delicious food, fantastic destinations and wonderful entertainment. Plus endless opportunities to meet new people means a cruise opens a world of relaxation for those over 50 looking to travel alone.
Singles cruises over 50 are very relaxed and friendly – there’s no need to be nervous. There will be lots of events to meet others, and so you don’t need to worry about being too shy.
Here are the best cruise lines to choose from that won’t have you feeling out of place.
The best cruise lines for single people over 50
1. Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is targeted at mature cruisers from the UK with activities and entertainment offered on board to reflect this.
The ships are mid-sized, and the daily programmes include painting, dancing, and cooking demonstrations, all of which offer the perfect way to spend time in the company of other people your age.
For single ladies looking to cruise with Fred. Olsen, you needn’t worry about not having a dance partner as each ship has gentlemen hosts in the evenings. There are female dance hosts, too. Each of the three ships in the fleet also offers solo cabins that are perfect for singles and have no single supplement.
2. Azamara
For a spot of luxury, Azamara offers a great onboard experience for international singles over 50. Butler service, fine dining and a great choice of immersive, destination-focused itineraries are just some of the benefits guests can expect with the cruise line.
Azamara’s cruise ships have plenty of lounges, bars and spots to enjoy a coffee alone or mingle with fellow passengers. Shore excursions, while focused on the destinations you visit, are also a great place to form new friendships in an intimate group setting. And, while dining, you can opt for a seat at a larger table in the Discoveries Restaurant, which is a great way to meet fellow foodies and strike up a conversation!
Azamara also offers special singles rates and promotions so be sure to look out for those.
3. Holland America Line
Many senior cruisers recommend Holland America Line as they cater to a mature audience very well. The cruise line offers enrichment programs that are suited to the interests of the over 50s.
For solo travellers seeking a holiday that is unique and offers the chance to spend a long time away from home, Holland America is very popular for bucket-list destinations such as Alaska and Antarctica.
If you’re looking at booking a singles cabin, the newest HAL ships – Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam – each offer a selection of 12 solo cabins. Each of these boasts ocean views and measures up to 172 square feet.
4. Saga Ocean
Saga Ocean cruises have been built to cater exclusively for an audience of people aged 50 and over. In fact, 50 is the minimum age to cruise with this cruise line.
As well as this, Saga is also one of the most solo-friendly lines. Dedicated solo cabins feature on both the ships – Spirit of Discovery and Spirit of Adventure – and solo passengers can also attend social events and gatherings strictly for singles only.
As for exploring while ashore, Saga Ocean cruises also offer solo travellers the chance to buddy up on excursions which is an ideal way to meet fellow like-minded travellers.
Saga’s fares may seem high, but they include pretty much everything – including a car to pick you up from home and take you to the port.
5. Cunard
Cunard is a great choice for those seeking a traditional cruise experience while travelling alone. Ballroom dancing, educational lectures and formal dress codes are just some of the features of a Cunard sailing that retired people most enjoy.
A keen dancer travelling alone can enjoy a waltz or two as Cunard has gentlemen hosts who will gladly take the ladies for a spin on the dancefloor in the evenings.
Cruises with Cunard can offer the chance to be entertained by shows inspired by West-End and Broadway theatre and cabaret, alongside speaker programmes which have seen the likes of Sir Michael Parkinson, former royal correspondent Jennie Bond, and politician Martin Bell.
6. Virgin Voyages
If you’re looking for something different, Virgin Voyages is a tongue-in-cheek cruise line that’s strictly adults only.
Fellow foodies, fitness fanatics and cruisers looking to enjoy day-to-evening entertainment will enjoy the lifestyle onboard as well as the chance to let loose with activities including sunrise yoga, 90s Boyband dance classes and a ‘shake for champagne’ novelty on the ship’s app.
The cruise line might not be best for those who shy away from technology or a more modern cruise experience, as the cabin lighting and electricals are all controlled from a tablet and much of the cruise experience is centred around using the cruise line’s app.
However, if you’re young at heart and seeking an energetic, fun and lively atmosphere with no kids on board, Virgin Voyages might just be the option for you!
7. Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line was the first line to offer solo cruisers their own cabin option and has won ‘Best Cruise Line for Solo Travellers’ for six years in a row by Porthole Magazine.
The Studio Staterooms available provide solo travellers with exclusive access to the Studio Lounge, only available for other solo guests. This offers complimentary refreshments and a quiet place to relax and hang out with new-found friends.
As well as great accommodation choices for those travelling alone, Norwegian Cruise Line offers chances for solo cruisers to socialise with others as most sailings offer singles meet-ups and bar crawls around the ship.
For those looking to experience a quintessentially British cruise line, P&O Cruises is aimed at a UK audience with familiar touches to make guests feel right at home – great for those travelling alone in particular.
There are two ships in the cruise line’s fleet which are adult-only – Arcadia and Aurora. With British officers, a proper cup of tea (which you can make in your cabin!), pubs to visit and food geared to British tastes you can mingle with fellow singles just as you would at home, except while sailing.
For ballroom dance fans, look out for Strictly Come Dancing-themed cruises with P&O Cruises, perfect for enjoying your interests while aboard and meeting fellow fans!
Ocean cruises aren’t the only option for single cruisers over 50 either. River cruising is fast becoming a great choice for those looking to travel alone. With smaller capacities making it easier to get to know guests on board and ships which dock right into the heart of city centres, river cruises are ideal for solo travellers.
A popular cruise line for solos is Riviera Travel. The cruise line has been offering singles-only river cruises since 2018 which opens the ships up exclusively to solo travellers in all cabin categories without any additional single supplements. Perfect for splashing out on a suite if you’re feeling indulgent!
Useful things to know about cruising solo
If you’ve never cruised solo before, there might be some things you’re unsure of – so it’s worth explaining the basics as to how they work.
Firstly, you won’t be sharing a cabin with anyone if you book solo. Don’t worry about being placed in a cabin with a stranger, that doesn’t happen.
However if you book a cabin intended for two people, you’ll have to pay a single supplement – which might mean paying as much as double the per-person fare.
The cruise line knows it’s losing money by booking one person in a two-person room so you have to make up for the shortfall. That’s why it’s worth looking for single cabins which won’t have that huge supplement attached.
When it comes to dining, it will vary not just by cruise line but by who’s onboard too. You can always get a table on your own if you want, but if you don’t ask for it, you might be placed with other solo travellers in the main dining room instead. Or you might not – but you can always let the maitre d’ know your preferences.
And look out in the day’s planner to see what events and activities are planned for solo passengers. Some will be attended by the crew to help facilitate things but others might just be a venue, and these can get awkward, especially if it’s a bar. You don’t know who’s there to attend the event and who just wants a drink.
To conclude
There are plenty of options when it comes to choosing a solo cruise. Whether you want to sail along the river or the ocean; enjoy luxury or experience a more freestyle lifestyle onboard – there’s bound to be one to suit you.
Keeping an eye on solo traveller deals – making the most of reduced or excluded single supplement fees is a great way to save money on your cruise fare.
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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.
There are a number of smaller islands in the Caribbean and Bahamas that are now either owned or leased by cruise lines. One of these is Great Stirrup Cay.
These islands have a number of benefits to both cruise lines and to guests. Cruise lines are able to make more money by having an on-land destination, while guests get to enjoy a tropical island without crowds being too crazy – only cruise line passengers will be competing for a lounger on the beach or a spot at the bar.
Great Stirrup Cay is situated in the Bahamas and is included in a number of itineraries for Norwegian Cruise Line. If you’re planning a sailing here and want to know more, then here are 16 useful things to know about the island.
1. NCL owns the island outright – unlike some other cruise line islands
Norwegian Cruise Line does own Great Stirrup Cay Bahamas, unlike some other private cruise line destinations that are leased from the local government. The cruise line bought the island in 1977 from the Belcher Oil Company and then began work on converting it into a private island for passengers.
NCL spent around $1 million upgrading the island in the early 1990s, during which time it even marketed the island as Pleasure Island. But it has since been renamed back to its proper name Great Stirrup Cay, with further significant renovation in 2017 as private island destinations became more popular for cruising.
It’s worth noting that, next to Great Stirrup Cay is Little Stirrup Cay, which has been renamed to CocoCay and is owned by Royal Caribbean.
2. The island doesn’t have a pier… for now
Great Stirrup Cay does not have a pier or dock, which means that it is a tender port. If you want to go ashore to the island, you will need to take a tender boat from the ship which will be anchored out to sea. The journey by tender only takes a few minutes.
However, because you can’t just step on or off the ship, you’ll need to plan ahead, especially if you want to return to the ship at a specific time (say if you have a spa or entertainment booking). The tender lines can get a little busy at peak times, so make sure you don’t turn up last minute.
You can go back and forth during the day if you wish.
Good news though – the cruise line has announced that it’s building a pier that can accommodate two ships. It’ll be ready by late 2025.
3. There’s no airport either
You can’t fly to Great Stirrup Cay, despite it appearing on some flight booking websites. It does have an ‘international airport’ but this isn’t in use – the only way to visit the island is on a cruise – it’s the NCL private island, after all.
The airport on the island is actually a helicopter airfield that is no longer in use, but was likely used as part of previous military installations on the island. So don’t expect to see any exciting helicopter landings during your visit.
4. From the US? No passport needed
If you’re a US citizen, you don’t need a passport to sail to Great Stirrup Cay or indeed many of the destinations in the Bahamas, provided your sailing departs from and ends at a US port. You still need some form of ID, such as a US state-certified birth certificate.
Guests from all other countries will need a passport, but since sailings to Great Stirrup Cay are all from the US anyway, you would’ve needed one to even reach the embarkation port.
NCL still recommends that all guests travel with a passport if you can, even if you don’t need one. That way if your cruise has any delays or issues and you need to book flights or alternative transport to get home, you should find the process is much easier with a passport in hand.
5. Food is free (with various options available)
The food is free on Great Stirrup Cay, with multiple venues to choose from. The main food venue is the Jumbey Beach Grill, where you can enjoy a buffet selection of BBQ favourites including burgers, salads, chicken and a selection of desserts.
There’s also a taco bar serving Mexican food, and a food truck that serves a range of sandwiches and other lighter lunch items. The food truck is close to the cabanas and villas. Guests in a Silver Cove villa have an exclusive buffet that has more upmarket food choices.
Food choices for those with special diets aren’t amazing, and you may prefer to head back to the ship to eat if you have a specific requirement.
6. Drinks aren’t automatically free
By default, drinks are not free on Great Stirrup Cay. There are several bars on the island where you can buy drinks, which you’ll do using your cruise card – the cost of the drinks will just be added to your account, the same as buying drinks onboard.
The main bar is situated close to the beach, and is called the Bacardi bar (although it serves a wide selection of drinks, not just Bacardi). There are other bars located near the Mexican restaurant, the cabanas and the Silver Cove villas too, including those that deliver to the villas.
7. Drinks packages do work! So you can get ‘free’ drinks
If you have an NCL drinks package, it does work on Great Stirrup Cay, so you can enjoy a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for no additional charge. Just hand over your cruise card as normal and the drink will be registered on your account with no charge added.
It’s worth remembering that there are different NCL drinks packages, and some have a value limit per drink. You may still need to pay if you order a drink that exceeds the value allowed on your particular drink package.
8. Most excursions or activities do have an extra cost
While visiting Great Stirrup Cay, you can enjoy free food at the various dining locations, and explore the beaches. Any excursions or activities on the island will incur a cost, as will any drinks unless you already have a drinks package.
There are some exciting excursions you can try, including snorkelling and kayaking in the crystal clear waters, or grabbing a WaveRunner jet ski and touring the nearby Berry Islands. But you’ll need to book these in advance and they do all have a cost.
9. You can swim with pigs – yes, really!
One of the most popular Great Stirrup Cay excursions is swimming with pigs. This excursion actually takes place on a small island off the shore of Great Stirrup Cay, around a 10-minute journey away by speedboat.
Once you’re at the island, you’ll go through safety talks before being able to join the pigs in a cove. Here you can swim with them and feed them – apples and sticks are provided. The swimming takes place in a safe, secured area and the total duration of the excursion is around 90 minutes. It is suitable for families.
The excursion costs around $130 for adults and $95 for children.
10. Cabanas can be rented for the day (they aren’t cheap)
There are both large and small cabanas available to hire on Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas. Large cabanas can host up to 8 people and cost from $449, while small cabanas are suitable for up to 6 people and cost from $425.
The cabanas are open-air and have a ceiling fan to help keep you cool. You’ll get fresh fruit, chips (crisps) and salsa along with some bottled water for free, and you can order extra food and drink from your cabana attendant.
11. There’s no pool, but the coves are good for swimming
There are no swimming pools on Great Stirrup Cay, although there are some quiet coves that are good for swimming. The ocean waters around Great Stirrup Cay are clear and warm, and provide good swimming conditions.
If you aren’t comfortable with ocean swimming, remember that you can always head back to the ship if you’d prefer to swim in a pool – they’ll be very quiet on days in Great Stirrup Cay after all!
12. You won’t find The Haven on the island
There is no Haven area on Great Stirrup Cay. Instead, there is a more exclusive part of the island called Silver Cove, but this is open to any guest who wishes to book one of the villas in this area, not just to Haven guests on the ship.
The Silver Cove villas are split between Ocean Villas, starting from $699 for the day, and Lagoon Villas which are, unsurprisingly, located on the lagoon. These start from $799 per day for one-bedroom villas, and $1,100 for two-bedroom villas that can accommodate up to 16 guests.
The villas come with a number of features including air conditioning, a TV with on-demand movies, and full bathrooms including a shower. You’ll also get reserved seating at the private beach nearby, away from the busier beaches used by other guests.
Guests at the Silver Cove villas have their own exclusive buffet, and an exclusive Moet & Chandon bar where you can enjoy a Moet Ice Imperial – the first Champagne that has been created to be served over ice.
One-Bedroom Lagoon Villa at Silver Cove
13. Don’t expect WiFi
There is no WiFi on Great Stirrup Cay, but the island does have a cellphone tower, so if you have a data plan with your phone provider that includes international data, then you will be able to get online.
Most guests tend to use the day to switch off, so WiFi isn’t a concern for most people. But if you need to get online and don’t have an international data plan, you can return to the ship to use any WiFi plan you have there.
There are no lockers to store your valuables on Great Stirrup Cay. It’s recommended that you only take ashore anything that you can carry around with you. If you book an excursion that involves being on the water, the attendants will look after it for you but aren’t liable if anything happens to it.
Try to leave anything that you don’t need on the ship for the day – that way you can swim, snorkel or just lounge on the beach without worrying about keeping possessions safe.
15. Some people live (temporarily) on the island
There are a small number of NCL staff who will temporarily live on the island to provide services to guests, but contracts here are seasonal. The island does not have any permanent residents.
Many of the people serving you on the island work on the cruise ship, and the buffet food is prepared by the ship’s kitchen staff, who also bring the food ashore from the ship on a tender boat early in the morning.
The sellers at the straw market on the island travel there by ferry from Great Harbour Cay, a nearby island.
16. Great Stirrup Cay is not the same as CocoCay
CocoCay is another name for Little Stirrup Cay, an island adjacent to Great Stirrup Cay and owned by Royal Caribbean. The islands are similar in what they offer, although Royal Caribbean’s island does have more features aimed at children.
Final word
There is a lot that you can see and do on Great Stirrup Cay, so make sure you’re awake early that day if you want to make the most of it. Tenders back to the ship tend to finish around 3 pm, so you don’t get a huge amount of time on the island, and you ideally don’t want to be caught up in the rush of the last people returning to the ship.
Just be prepared to pay for your drinks and most of the fun activities while you’re there too – unless you’re on a drinks package, anyway. You can still have a great time on the island without spending extra cash if you’re happy enjoying the beach and the free food.
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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.
With 18 ships in the fleet and another eight on order, Norwegian Cruise Line is one of the biggest cruise lines in the world – behind only Carnival and Royal Caribbean in terms of ship count.
And like those cruise lines, the company has helped to reinvent the idea of what cruising can be. Long gone are the days of formal cruising with limited entertainment. Over the years NCL has helped to debut exciting features such as bowling alleys, 4D cinemas and more recently even go-karts at sea!
With every new ship, there is always something to be excited about with NCL, and the ships just keep on coming.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the newest ships in the NCL fleet – including those that only recently joined the line-up, and some that are yet to make their debut…
The Newest NCL Cruise Ships:
Norwegian Viva
Norwegian Prima
Norwegian Encore
1. Norwegian Viva – 2023
Launched in the summer of 2023, Norwegian Viva is the second Prima-class ship to arrive for Norwegian Cruise Line as part of a rapid expansion of the fleet.
And in true NCL style, she is packing some incredible entertainment options, with the three-storey go-karting track returning from Norwegian Prima along with plenty of other exciting options.
Most thrilling is The Drop – the first free-fall dry slide at sea that travels 10 decks down the side of the ship. Or race a friend in the twin dry slides, The Rush.
The Rush
The ship has a Game Gallery, where guests can try high-tech mini golf or play a round of pub darts. And then there’s the Galaxy Pavilion, which hosts virtual reality games, golf simulators, flight simulators and a whole lot more.
Everything is high-tech, and everything is super-exciting. I know that guests are going to love just how much fun they can have on this ship – many already are.
Galaxy Pavilion
The Norwegian Viva sails the Mediterranean in the summer months, before crossing the Atlantic and calling Miami her homeport for winter cruises around the Caribbean.
In terms of size, Norwegian Viva is a similar volume to sister ship Norwegian Prima, but she holds an increased number of passengers – around 3,200, compared to 3,100 on the earlier ship.
2. Norwegian Prima – 2022
Norwegian Prima is the second-most recent addition to the NCL fleet, having been first laid down in 2019 and then launched in 2022.
Often when mainstream cruise lines announce a new ship, they aim for something bigger and better than they’ve had before. With Norwegian Prima, the focus was very much on ‘better’ and less on ‘bigger’.
In terms of volume, the Norwegian Prima was the smallest ship the cruise line had built since 2007’s Norwegian Gem.
And yet that is with purpose – the idea of the Prima-class ships is to provide more open spaces, more room for guests to relax, and a less ‘busy’ feel overall whilst still keeping that exciting and vibrant atmosphere that makes an NCL cruise special.
They’ve achieved that by reducing the guest capacity to just 3,099 but refining and introducing the amazing dining and leisure facilities onboard. There are plenty of excellent speciality dining restaurants to sample (and enough complimentary venues too), while during the day you can enjoy dry slides, various interactive games, a tidal wave waterslide and of course the three-storey go-kart course.
Norwegian Prima is of particular interest to UK cruisers, as during the summer months she offers some itineraries around Northern Europe from Southampton.
She also has departures from Barcelona, Rome and Reykjavik, before crossing the Atlantic to offer sailings from New York, Galveston, Miami and Port Canaveral.
First announced in 2014 at the same time as her sister ship Norwegian Bliss, she was originally intended to be designed for the Chinese market, although the decision was later reversed and she was fitted for a Western market.
Since her maiden voyage in late 2019, Norwegian Encore has demonstrated the very best of the Breakaway and Breakaway-Plus class of ships. She is packed with exciting things to see and do, including her own version of the Galaxy Pavilion and the Encore Speedway.
Evening entertainment is also outstanding, with epic live theatre shows and cool bars, including a replica of the Cavern Club from Liverpool. Norwegian Encore also has the widest selection of bars and restaurants of any of the ships in the NCL fleet, so you always have somewhere new to try.
During the winter months, the Norwegian Encore is based in the Caribbean but then in summer, she crosses the Panama Canal and offers some thrilling Alaska itineraries, with the chance to soak up the view from the expansive decks as you sail past impressive glaciers and wildlife.
4. Norwegian Bliss – 2018
The Norwegian Bliss was the fifth Breakaway-class ship to launch for the cruise line, and the third in the larger Breakaway Plus subclass.
Announced alongside her sister ship the Norwegian Encore, she is only marginally smaller – around 1,000 gross tonnes less. Despite that, she has a very slightly higher guest capacity of 4,002 – four more than her sister.
The ship was handed over to NCL in April 2018 and took her maiden voyage at the start of June that year. She actually took her name from her earlier sister – the Norwegian Joy was originally intended to be the Bliss, but was renamed when it was decided she was headed to a base in China.
She has a very similar layout to the other ships in the Breakaway Plus subclass, with an incredible range of dining options, evening entertainment venues and daytime activities. She also has fantastic accommodation choices. The Haven is a stunning area on any NCL ship but on the Breakaway Plus class it really is something special, and worthy of the upgrade cost if you have the budget.
In reviews, Norwegian Bliss is the most popular ship in the fleet, just ahead of Norwegian Encore and, surprisingly, the older ship Norwegian Jewel. The newest ship in the fleet, Norwegian Prima, is fourth in the list.
Norwegian Bliss mirrors the typical season of her newer sister Norwegian Encore – during the winter months she sails the Caribbean, and then as summer arrives she traverses the Panama Canal, sets up a base in Seattle and offers breathtaking cruises to Alaska.
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More NCL ships arriving soon…
Norwegian Aqua – 2025
The next ship to launch for Norwegian Cruise Line will be Norwegian Aqua – the first of a new sub-class of ship named Prima Plus.
She’ll share a lot of similarities with Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva, but she’ll be bigger, and able to hold just over 3,500 guests.
There’s still a lot to be announced for the ship, but the plan is for more open spaces and an overall more relaxing feel. It won’t be dull, though – we do know that she’ll feature the first-ever combination waterslide roller coaster with the Aqua Slidecoaster. Not just the first one at sea – the first attraction of its kind anywhere in the world.
I’m sure there will be many more exciting announcements to come about the ship as we near her launch date.
Norwegian Cruise Line is not messing around. The cruise line has announced that, as well as the impending launch of Norwegian Aqua, there will be three more Prima Plus-class ships joining the fleet.
This is one of the fastest expansions of a cruise line that I’ve ever seen, with a ship due to launch every year until 2028.
No information has been released on the other Prima-class ships yet, but we do know from interviews with the bigwigs at NCL that they are looking at basing the ships in different locations around the world, so don’t expect them all to move back and forth between Europe and the Caribbean.
3. Four New Ships (Unnamed Class) – 2030 to 2036
As if the new Prima Plus ships weren’t enough, it was announced in April 2024 that another four ships would be joining the fleet from 2030, part of a brand new class that would be the biggest yet for NCL.
They’re expected to host 5,000 passengers each and have a gross tonnage of around 200,000, which would put them some way ahead of the largest ships currently sailing in the fleet.
With all these new ships, NCL will definitely strengthen its position as one of the leading cruise lines in the world.
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It’s interesting to note that Norwegian has stepped away from the supersize of the Breakaway Plus ships with their next class. Not that they’ve been ditched at all – the Norwegian Encore remains, for now, one of the flagships of the fleet and is an amazing cruise ship, as are her sisters.
Anyone booking a cruise on those ships could hardly complain of boredom during their voyage, but then the Prima-class ships take the innovations even further and also add in the space for guests to relax and not feel overcrowded.
The early success of Norwegian Prima shows just how well they have done, and no doubt the recently-launched and newest Norwegian ship Norwegian Viva, and the Prima Plus Class to follow, will be just as exciting.
And then you have the new class to follow from 2030, which will put the NCL fleet at 27 ships – could it potentially become the biggest fleet of cruise ships in the world?
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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.
Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival are two very popular cruise lines, sailing to destinations all over the world and offering great food, service and entertainment.
So trying to decide between the two of them can be a little bit tough! If you’ve never sailed with them before, how do you know which one you should pick?
In this guide, I’ll compare both cruise lines on all the essential features, to hopefully make it that little bit easier for you to reach a decision and find the one that’s the best fit for you and your travelling party.
Ships
Both cruise lines have a large fleet of ships, though Carnival’s is bigger.
NCL has 19 ships currently sailing, with another four ships on order, due to be delivered between 2025 and 2028.
Carnival’s fleet consists of 26 ships currently sailing, and one more that is due to join.
NCL Ships
There are currently nine classes of ship in the NCL fleet, with a tenth on the way:
Prima Plus Class – four ships on order, likely accommodating 3,500 passengers
Prima Class – two ships accommodating 3,200 passengers
Breakaway Plus Subclass – four ships accommodating 3,900 to 4,200 passengers
Breakaway Class – two ships accommodating 4,000 passengers
Epic Class – one ship that accommodates 4,100 passengers
Jewel Class – four ships accommodating 2,400 passengers
Pride of America Class – one ship accommodating 2,200 passengers
Leo Class – one ship accommodating 2,000 passengers
Dawn Class – two ships accommodating 2,300 passengers
Sun Class – two ships accommodating 2,000 passengers
The oldest ship currently sailing for NCL is the Norwegian Spirit, which was first launched in 1998 as the SuperStar Leo and joined Norwegian Cruise Line in 2004.
The longest-serving ship in the fleet is a tie between Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Star, which both launched for NCL in 2001.
The newest ship in the fleet is the Norwegian Viva, which launched in 2023.
Carnival has nine different classes of cruise ship:
Excel Class – three ships that can carry around 5,300 guests
Venice Class – two ships accommodating 4,200 guests
Vista Class – three ships accommodating 4,000 guests
Dream Class – three ships accommodating 3,700 guests
Splendor Class – one ship accommodating 3,000 guests
Conquest Class – five ships accommodating 3,000 guests
Spirit Class – five ships accommodating around 2,200 guests
Sunshine Class – three ships accommodating 3,000 guests
Fantasy Class – two ships accommodating 2,100 guests
The oldest ship in the fleet is the Carnival Sunshine, part of the Sunshine Class. The ship and class both used to be named Destiny when she first launched in 1996, until a rebrand in 2013.
The newest ship in the Carnival fleet is Carnival Jubilee, which launched right at the end of 2023.
In terms of ship size, there isn’t a lot between the two fleets. Carnival does have bigger ships – the Excel Class is significantly larger than NCL’s biggest Breakaway Plus ships, but it’s not like you could call NCL’s fleet small by any means.
Across both fleets, you’ll have plenty of choice for dining and entertainment, and neither have small ships with fewer than 1,500 passengers if you were hoping for a really quiet experience with a more intimate feel.
Destinations
Both NCL and Carnival sail all over the world, with plenty of exciting destinations to get excited over. The cruise lines have a large presence in the Caribbean, but there are many other options should you wish to explore more of the world.
Here’s a breakdown of the itineraries you can enjoy with each cruise line:
NCL
Carnival
Africa
21
0
Alaska
31
19
Australia & New Zealand
16
36
Bermuda
23
7
Canada & New England
19
1
Caribbean & Bahamas
154
254
East Asia
46
1
Europe
191
24
Hawaii
8
9
Mexico & Latin America
7
40
Pacific Northwest
4
0
Panama Canal
31
24
South America
12
0
South Pacific
3
24
Transatlantic
24
9
Transpacific
0
5
NCL Destinations
When you’re cruising with NCL, you really are spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing an embarkation port – there are 56 different options for you to choose from for beginning your cruise.
This includes the major ports that you would expect in North America and Europe, but also global ports such as Manila in the Philippines, Doha in Qatar, and even Le Havre for Paris – a popular port of call, but rarely used for the start of a cruise.
Cruises from the UK are available, departing from Southampton, and you aren’t just limited to cruises during the summer months (though options out of season are a little more restricted – don’t expect to have a lot of cruises available in winter).
NCL does have a private island resort in the Bahamas, called Great Stirrup Cay. A number of cruises to the Caribbean and Bahamas will include this resort, offering guests a relaxing haven without worrying about crowds.
Carnival Destinations
Compared to NCL, you’re a little more restricted with the embarkation ports for Carnival – there are 21 available, which is still a good range, though most of these are in the US. Carnival cruises from the big ports in Florida, but also from New Orleans, Texas and LA as well as offering Alaska cruises.
You can book Carnival cruises from the UK but these are very limited – there isn’t a ship that regularly cruises from the country.
Carnival’s private islands include Princess Cays and Half Moon Cay, and both destinations have great spaces to unwind and relax along with a range of exciting activities to try.
Which to Choose?
There are certain regions that are better served by one of these two cruise lines. NCL has ships sailing around Africa, the Pacific Coast and South America, which you won’t be able to enjoy with Carnival, along with more choices when it comes to European cruises and cruises to Asia.
Carnival has more options for the Caribbean, Mexico and the South Pacific, so if you want a tropical getaway then you might find a better-suited date or itinerary with them.
Otherwise, it’ll come down more to the price and the features of the ship, so let’s keep going.
Staterooms and Suites
At a basic level, cruise lines aren’t too dissimilar when it comes to accommodation options. You’ll have the option of choosing between inside, oceanview or balcony staterooms, or upgrading to a suite and getting additional perks.
Room sizes might vary between cruise lines, or there may be some layout quirks, but these tend to be on a ship-by-ship basis rather than at cruise line level.
Between NCL and Carnival, there isn’t one cruise line that clearly outshines the other for these simple choices.
Instead, we can look at the more unique accommodation options available for each cruise line, since they may have more of a bearing on your decision.
NCL Staterooms and Suites
Here’s a look at some of the notable NCL cabins and suites:
1. The Haven
The Haven is an exclusive zone on NCL ships that’s designed for a bit more luxury. You’ll find high-end suites with private balconies, offering that extra touch of exclusivity. But it’s not just about the room; The Haven comes with added perks to elevate your cruise game.
When you book The Haven, you’re in for a step up in the cruise experience. You have a butler to cater to any requests, and there’s a special lounge and restaurant exclusively for Haven guests.
Plus, don’t miss the private sundeck and pool – your own serene spot on the ship.
2. Club Balcony
Club Balcony Suites are what NCL calls their Mini-Suites. These offer a spacious accommodation option, with up to an extra 80 square feet compared to a regular Balcony stateroom, and you get some additional perks and amenities too.
If you want to get a taste of the suite life, without paying the high prices for a stay in The Haven, these are a great option.
3. Studio Rooms
This is one of the best reasons to consider booking an NCL cruise – the cruise line has some of the best options for solo travellers.
So many cruise lines treat single guests as an afterthought, while NCL is actively increasing the number of solo studio rooms available across the fleet. Not only do you get a great rate, but there’s also a Studio Lounge that’s aimed at solo guests.
Don’t get me wrong – these rooms are tiny! But if you don’t need a lot of space, then being able to cruise without super-high supplements is a big win.
Carnival Staterooms and Suites
Carnival has a range of ‘themed’ staterooms and suites that have additional perks, depending on the type of cruiser you are.
1. Cloud 9 Spa Staterooms
The Cloud 9 Spa staterooms and suites are located right next to the Cloud 9 Spa on the ship, but it’s not just about the convenience of having the spa on your doorstep.
The rooms themselves are themed around the spa, including themed decor designed to help you feel relaxed. You also get free access to the Thermal Suite when staying in these rooms, and exclusive packages you can book.
What’s interesting is that NCL used to offer something similar, with a range of Spa Staterooms and Suites. But as of January 2024, the cruise line made the decision to remove them, recategorising the rooms as regular staterooms instead.
2. Family Harbor Staterooms
I’m sure you can guess who these staterooms and suites are aimed at. Guests staying in a Family Harbor room will enjoy fun nautical theming in the room itself, and have access to the nearby Family Harbor Lounge, where families can enjoy a relaxed breakfast, snacks throughout the day, and a selection of board games.
Again, NCL has something slightly similar with Family Balcony Staterooms, but they don’t have special theming, nor is there a special lounge either – the rooms are just closer to the kids’ club and pool deck.
3. Havana Staterooms
Choosing a Havana stateroom or suite grants you access to the Havana area of the ship, which is a peaceful outdoor area with its own pool and bar.
You can also book Havana Cabana rooms, which include a private outdoor cabana space – beautiful and luxurious.
Which to Choose?
If you’re likely to choose a regular stateroom or suite, there’s little to choose between NCL and Carnival.
But the specialist room options are worth exploring. If you do love the spa, or you want a fun family-themed room, Carnival has some great choices, though NCL’s Spa rooms are also good. But for solo travellers, NCL’s options are unrivalled.
Food
Looking for a cruise line that offers plenty of variety when it comes to food? With both NCL and Carnival, you’re unlikely to be disappointed.
NCL Food
NCL was one of the pioneer cruise lines for the concept of Freestyle Dining – abandoning the idea of only having set dining times in the main restaurants, and allowing guests more flexibility on when to eat, and who with.
That concept lives on, so you don’t have to worry about fitting in your evening plans around your set time.
There are plenty of casual options available onboard too, including the buffet and various venues for a lighter bite.
Plus, each ship has a great range of speciality restaurants to choose between. Like with many cruise ships, you’ll be able to enjoy a great steakhouse, or a seafood venue, but depending on your ship you may also find Mexican cuisine, a Brazilian steakhouse (with carved meats brought to your table), or a fine-dining French restaurant.
Carnival Food
Carnival offers a similar level of variety and flexibility. You can enjoy fixed dining times if you’d prefer that, with a choice of two sittings, or opt for You Time open seating if you’d rather be flexible.
Similar to NCL, you have a lot of options for casual and speciality dining, so whether you’re in the mood for a quick lunch or a more formal dinner as a family, you’re very well catered for.
Carnival especially stands out for its more casual venues such as Guy’s Burger Joint and Shaq’s Big Chicken.
Which to Choose?
Neither NCL or Carnival are renowned for having the finest dining at sea, but you’ll still enjoy great food in the main dining rooms, casual venues and speciality restaurants.
NCL perhaps edges it for the variety of table-service dinner restaurants, whereas Carnival’s casual venues are slightly more varied than on NCL. But picky eaters won’t suffer on either cruise line.
Onboard Activities
Both NCL and Carnival are cruise lines known for their fun – but which is the best option?
NCL Activities
NCL ships are packed with activities to enjoy, including bowling alleys, mini golf, some thrilling water slides, rock climbing walls, sports and more.
There’s laser tag and VR gaming too, if you want to enjoy innovative tech-based games, along with the largest ropes course at sea when you’re feeling particularly active.
But the highlight has to be the go-karting tracks available on the latest ships – and these aren’t simple loops. Race around multi-storey courses with spectacular views out to sea – just don’t get distracted around those tight corners!
Carnival Activities
Carnival also has some exciting activities unique to the cruise line, including the first roller coaster at sea – Bolt.
There’s also the Skyride, which is a pedal-powered ride around the top deck offering some stunning views. Again, these are only available on the very latest ships, so always check what your specific ship includes.
Carnival has a lot of classic activities for guests to enjoy too, including bingo, quizzes, a video arcade for kids (and big kids) and a casino. There are also some great water slides on many of the ships, and splash zones for younger guests.
Which to Choose?
NCL and Carnival love to wow guests with their onboard activities, so if you want this to form part of your decision when choosing between them, you’ll have to go on the specifics – are you more of a go-karting person, or a roller coaster fan?
Entertainment
Whether it’s game shows, musical marvels, or hearty laughs, both NCL and Carnival provide all the entertainment you could need for your cruise holiday.
NCL Entertainment
NCL has some of the best musicals at sea in its theatres, including licensed productions of Broadway favourites. If you love Jersey Boys or Six, you’re in for a real treat when you see them on selected NCL ships.
There’s also the very popular Howl at the Moon singalong show, and Burn The Floor – the sizzling Latin and ballroom dance company that performs on several ships.
Alongside those, you get great comedy and game shows too, including Deal or No Deal and Wheel of Fortune.
Carnival Entertainment
Carnival has a great range of entertainment too, and while you won’t find the big-name licensed musicals onboard, you will get shows that are of the same standard, and that incorporate many of your favourite songs too.
Carnival has a great range of comedians too, and has licensed game shows such as Family Feud and – again – Deal or No Deal if you want to get up on stage and maybe win some prizes!
Which to Choose?
There’s very little to choose between the cruise lines for entertainment – both excel in big theatre shows, comedy, and even your favourite game shows.
The only difference is that NCL has a couple of licensed musicals you may already know and love, but these only appear on selected ships anyway, so be careful if you make your decision based on that.
Kids Facilities
If you want to cruise with your whole family, both NCL and Carnival have great kids’ facilities to enjoy.
NCL Kids’ Facilities
NCL offers two different kids’ clubs – Splash Academy for children and pre-teens, and Entourage for those aged 13-17. Each has a range of themed activities, with games, competitions, crafts and more for the younger kids, and plenty of parties, gaming, and movies for the teens.
While kids will generally be grouped by age, be aware that NCL doesn’t have separate spaces for age groups within those categories, so 17-year-olds might be sharing the same hang-out spaces as a 13-year-old.
Carnival Kids’ Facilities
Carnival’s family cruise facilities are bolstered by a partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, so don’t be surprised if you bump into Thing 1 and Thing 2 around the ship – parades and meet-and-greets are a regular occurrence.
The kids’ clubs have themed activities incorporating the characters too, while teens get two separate spaces (Circle C for 12 to 14-year-olds, and Club O2 for 15 to 17-year-olds) where they can hang out and enjoy activities such as karaoke parties and even a Carnival Prom.
Which to Choose?
Carnival’s kids’ facilities are a little better than NCL’s, since you have different spaces for older and younger teens, and then children can enjoy interactions with characters from the world of Dr. Seuss. NCL is still good, and there’s plenty for kids to enjoy around the ship too, but Carnival edges this one.
Cruiser Demographics
There are slightly different demographics onboard the two cruise lines, and this may play a part when deciding on which is right for you.
NCL Demographics
NCL has quite a young demographic onboard, but that’s young by cruise standards – the average age of guests onboard will be between 30 and 50.
You’ll get a good mix of solo travellers, couples and families, and while there’s a fun atmosphere onboard it’s also quite relaxing too. If you don’t want to be constantly partying day and night, NCL’s a good choice – there are plenty of parties to enjoy, but ample quiet spaces too.
Carnival Demographics
The demographic onboard a Carnival ship can vary depending on the season, the ship and the itinerary. It’s definitely a family-fun cruise line a lot of the time, but a lot of younger adults also view it as a party cruise line, especially around Spring Break.
Don’t expect a quiet atmosphere, regardless – whether it’s from kids running wild, or the adults.
Price
Price is obviously important when choosing your cruise – so let’s compare.
NCL Prices
NCL’s pricing is a little tricky for comparison, because there are several fares available. You can choose a cruise-only fare, or you might prefer to upgrade to the Free at Sea offer, which gets you a selection of extra benefits including free drinks, speciality dining, shore excursion credits and limited free WiFi minutes.
Free at Sea Plus is also available with even better versions of those perks.
As a guide for just a cruise-only fare, expect to pay between £100/$125 and £150/$190 per person, per night for a cruise on one of the newest ships in the fleet on a 7-night Caribbean cruise.
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One thing to note is that negative reviews of NCL cruises tend to mention the “nickel-and-diming” onboard – as in, the wide range of extra charges you have to pay for different activities or experiences.
In truth, there isn’t a whole lot of difference between NCL and Carnival in terms of the extras you have to pay, but perhaps because Carnival is a little cheaper for the base fare, people are more forgiving.
Carnival Prices
Carnival’s prices are a little easier to understand, though with one caveat – the advertised prices you see when first browsing don’t tend to include port fees and taxes, so always take an advertised price with a pinch of salt.
They are, typically, quite cheap though, unless booking a very popular date on the newest, biggest ships.
As a guide, expect to pay between £85/$105 and £105/$135 per person, per night for a 7-night Caribbean cruise on Carnival Celebration, one of the newer Excel-class ships.
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The Verdict
It’s a tough call on whether NCL or Carnival is the best option for your cruise. Both can have a similar vibe onboard, depending on the sailing, and both have great accommodation, dining options and entertainment.
Carnival tends to be a little ‘louder’ onboard, either because of an increased number of families or because of the party atmosphere.
NCL is still very welcoming to families and offers a lot of fun, but with maybe a touch more sophistication, and young couples who want to unwind will likely find that it’s a more relaxing experience.
Remember though that a lot of the best features for both cruise lines are only available on the larger, newer ships – don’t assume that choosing a cruise line is the end of your decision-making, as the specific ship will matter just as much!
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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.
