Cruise Spotlight
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Carnival Freedom vs Norwegian Getaway
The Carnival Freedom was built in 2007. It was renovated in 2023. It's 7 years older than the Getaway, which was built in 2014 and renovated in 2019.
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 Freedom is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 952 feet long and 116 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.6 football fields, as wide as 2.2 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 13-story building. Compared to the Norwegian Getaway, the Freedom is 24% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Freedom holds 25% fewer passengers than the Getaway based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or tons of ship compared to number of passengers, the Freedom has the same amount of space per person as the Getaway.
| Carnival Freedom | Norwegian Getaway | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Conquest | Breakaway |
| Gross Tonnage | 110,000 | 145,655 |
| Length | 952 | 1,068 |
| Beam/Width | 116 | 169 |
| Passenger Decks | 13 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,980 | 3,963 |
| Crew | 1,150 | 1,646 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.6 | 2.4 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 37 | 37 |
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 Freedom has thirteen different dining options like Seafood Shack, The Chef's Table, and Blue Iguana Cantina. Of those options, thirteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.
The Getaway has six more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Ocean Blue, Teppanyaki, and Wasabi. eleven of these restaurants are complementary and the other fifteen have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Getaway might be a better choice. It has 46% more dining options than the Freedom.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Freedom might be a better choice then the Getaway. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Carnival Freedom | Norwegian Getaway | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 13 | 19 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 13 | 11 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 5 | 15 |
| % of Included Options | 62% | 21% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Carnival Freedom has 3 fewer bars than the Norwegian Getaway. The Freedom has 13 bars like 70's Night Club, Casino Bar and Endless Bar. On Freedom, you can grab a drink at 16 different bars such as Bar 21, Sugarcane Mojito Bar and Vibe Beach Club Bar.
| Carnival Freedom | Norwegian Getaway |
|---|---|
| •70's Night Club • Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Casino Bar • Endless Bar • Habana Bar • Heroes Tribute Bar • International Aft Lounge • Java Blue Cafe • RedFrog Rum Bar • Scott's Piano Bar • Swingtime Bar | •Atrium Bar • Bar 21 • Bliss Ultra Lounge • Headliners Comedy Club • Mixx Bar • O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill • Prime Meridian Bar • Skyy Vodka Ice Bar • Spice H2O • Starbucks • Sugarcane Mojito Bar • Sunset Bar • Syd Norman's Pourhouse • The Haven 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 Freedom and the Getaway 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 Freedom has a total of 2 pools and 4 hot tubs.
Norwegian Getaway has more pools than the Freedom and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Getaway. 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? One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Freedom.| Carnival Freedom | Norwegian Getaway | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 4 | 10 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 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 Freedom, 73% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Getaway, only 60% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Carnival Freedom | Norwegian Getaway | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ice Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sports Square | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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 Freedom will likely be cheaper than on Norwegian Getaway.
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 Freedom | Norwegian Getaway | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.00 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.75 See drink menus | $7.50 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 More 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 More 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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