Carnival Paradise vs Norwegian Luna

The Carnival Paradise was built in 1998. It was renovated in 2023. It's 28 years older than the Luna, which was built in 2026. The Norwegian Luna will be the 21st ship in the NCL fleet, debuting in April 2026. The Luna is still under construction and Norwegian hasn't released all the details yet.

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 Paradise is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 855 feet long and 103 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.4 football fields, as wide as 1.9 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 10-story building. Compared to the Norwegian Luna, the Paradise is 55% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Carnival Paradise holds 42% fewer passengers than the Luna 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 Paradise has less space per person compared to the Luna.

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 Paradise has 14 different dining options like Carnival Deli, Pizza Pirate, and The Chef's Table. Of those options, 12 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 2 options have an additional fee.

The Luna has 3 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Surfside Grill, Cagney's Steakhouse, and Indulge Food Hall. 6 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 11 have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Luna might be a better choice. It has 21% more dining options than the Paradise.

If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Paradise might be a better choice then the Luna. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.

Bars and Drinks

The Carnival Paradise has 6 fewer bars than the Norwegian Luna. The Paradise has 10 bars like America Piano Bar, Java Blue Cafe and Punchliner Comedy Club. On Paradise, you can grab a drink at 16 different bars such as Metropolitan Bar, Swirl Wine Bar and Vibe Beach Club Bar.

In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Paradise 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 Luna 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 Paradise and the Luna 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 Paradise has a total of 1 pools and 4 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 2 of the hot tubs are adults only.

Norwegian Luna has more pools than the Paradise and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Luna. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.

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 Paradise, 73% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Luna, only 53% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.

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 Paradise will likely be cheaper than on Norwegian Luna.

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.

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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