Cruise Spotlight
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Carnival Miracle vs Norwegian Jewel
The Carnival Miracle was built in 2004. It's 1 year older than the Jewel, which was built in 2005 and renovated in 2022.
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 Miracle is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 963 feet long and 106 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.7 football fields, as wide as 2 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 12-story building. It's about the same size as the Norwegian Jewel.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Miracle holds about the same number of passengers as the Jewel based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Miracle has more space per person compared to the Jewel. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.
| Carnival Miracle | Norwegian Jewel | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Spirit | Jewel |
| Gross Tonnage | 88,500 | 93,502 |
| Length | 963 | 965 |
| Beam/Width | 106 | 125 |
| Passenger Decks | 12 | 11 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,124 | 2,330 |
| Crew | 910 | 1,069 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 2.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 42 | 39 |
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 Miracle has 14 different dining options like Bonsai Sushi, Blue Iguana Cantina, and Carnival Deli. Of those options, 11 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 3 options have an additional fee.
The Jewel has 4 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Teppanyaki, Moderno Churrascaria, and Cagney's Steakhouse. 10 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 7 have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Jewel might be a better choice. It has 29% more dining options than the Miracle.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Miracle might be a better choice then the Jewel. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Carnival Miracle | Norwegian Jewel | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 14 | 18 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 11 | 10 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 3 | 7 |
| % of Included Options | 79% | 61% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Carnival Miracle has 2 fewer bars than the Norwegian Jewel. The Miracle has 10 bars like Atrium Bar, Dr Frankenstein's Lab Dance Club and Java Blue Cafe. On Miracle, you can grab a drink at 12 different bars such as Magnum's Champagne & Wine Bar, Sake Bar and Spinnaker Lounge.
| Carnival Miracle | Norwegian Jewel |
|---|---|
| •Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Dr Frankenstein's Lab Dance Club • Gotham Lounge • Java Blue Cafe • Mad Hatter's Ball • RedFrog Pub • Sam's Piano Bar • SkyBox Sports Bar | •Atrium Bar • Bliss Ultra Lounge • Great Outdoors Cafe • Magnum's Champagne & Wine Bar • Maltings Beer & Whiskey Bar • O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill • Sake Bar • Shakers Martini & Cocktail Bar • Spinnaker Lounge • Sugarcane Mojito Bar • The Pit Stop • Topside Bar |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Miracle serves the Pepsi family of products. That means Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, Mug Root Beer, and Mountain Dew, although the selection can vary by ship. The Jewel serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like 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 Miracle and the Jewel 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 problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.
The Carnival Miracle has a total of 3 pools and 3 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools and 1 of the hot tubs are adults only.
The Norwegian Jewel has the same number of pools as the Miracle and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Jewel. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
| Carnival Miracle | Norwegian Jewel | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 3 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 1 |
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 Miracle, 69% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Jewel, only 60% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Carnival Miracle | Norwegian Jewel | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| 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.
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 Miracle | Norwegian Jewel | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | $7.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $59.95 - $69.95 Learn more | $109 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $15.30 to $21.25 per device per day | $29.99 - $39.99 per device per day |
| *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 free open bar, a discount on excursions, some free internet, and some meals at their 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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