Cruise Spotlight
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Carnival Dream vs Norwegian Aura
The Carnival Dream was built in 2009. It was renovated in 2026. It's 18 years older than the Aura, which was built in 2027. The Norwegian Aura is the 21th ship in the NCL fleet and their largest ship yet. It's an evolution of the Prima Class design with 20% more space than the Prima and all new attractions.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
Ship Size
The Dream is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,004 feet long and 122 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.8 football fields, as wide as 2.3 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 14-story building. Compared to the Norwegian Aura, the Dream is 26% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Dream holds about the same number of passengers as the Aura based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Dream has less space per person compared to the Aura.
| Carnival Dream | Norwegian Aura | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Dream | Prima Plus |
| Gross Tonnage | 128,000 | 172,000 |
| Length | 1,004 | 1,130 |
| Beam/Width | 122 | 133 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,646 | 3,952 |
| Crew | 1,367 | 1,388 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 35 | 44 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Dream has fourteen different dining options like Guys Pig and Anchor BarBQue, Pizzeria del Capitano, and The Chef's Table. Of those options, fourteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.
The Aura has two more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Indulge Food Hall, Onda by Scarpetta, and Palomar. Six of these restaurants are complementary and the other eleven have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Aura might be a better choice. It has 14% more dining options than the Dream.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Dream might be a better choice then the Aura. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Carnival Dream | Norwegian Aura | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 14 | 16 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 14 | 6 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 5 | 11 |
| % of Included Options | 64% | 31% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Carnival Dream has 3 fewer bars than the Norwegian Aura. The Dream has 13 bars like Casino Bar, RedFrog Rum Bar and Sunset Bar. On Aura, you can grab a drink at 16 different bars such as Luna Bar, Syd Norman's Pourhouse and Waves Pool Bar.
| Carnival Dream | Norwegian Aura |
|---|---|
| •Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Burgundy Lounge • Caliente Night Club • Casino Bar • Plaza Cafe • RedFrog Rum Bar • Rendezvous • Sam's Piano Bar • Serenity Pool Bar • Sunset Bar • The Song | •Belvedere Bar • Improv at Sea • Luna Bar • Metropolitan Bar • Observation Lounge Bar • Penrose Bar • Proof Whiskey Bar • Soleil Bar • Starbucks • Swirl Wine Bar • Syd Norman's Pourhouse • The Haven Bar • The Local Bar • The Bull's Eye Bar • Vibe Beach Club Bar • Waves Pool Bar |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Dream and the Aura below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Carnival Dream has a total of 2 pools and 8 hot tubs.
Norwegian Aura has more pools than the Dream and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Aura. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? two of the hot tubs are adults only on Dream.| Carnival Dream | Norwegian Aura | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 0 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 8 | 9 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 6 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 4 |
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. On the Dream, 69% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Aura, only 61% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Carnival Dream | Norwegian Aura | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Horizon Park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Kid's Play Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Midway | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✗ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✗ | ✓ |
| Virtual Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Carnival and Norwegian are both considered "Mainstream" cruise lines. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Carnival Dream will likely be cheaper than on Norwegian Aura.
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.
| Carnival Dream | Norwegian Aura | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $17.00 | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.25 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus | $9.99 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $83 - $88 Learn more | 106 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $18.70 to $23.80 per device per day | $29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Norwegian Cruise Line offers a Free at Sea fare. Through this program, guests receive open bar, a discount on excursions, some free internet, and some meals at specialty restaurants. If you book using this promotion, you'll be responsible for the gratuities on the dining and drink package. If you won't be using these options, booking a "sail away" rate that doesn't include the Free at Sea benefits is considerably cheaper. Also, most of these benefits are the base packages; you can spend more to upgrade to better alcoholic drinks or faster/more wifi.
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