Carnival Radiance vs Norwegian Aqua

The Carnival Radiance was built in 2020. It was renovated in 2024. The Radiance was previously known as the Victory from 2000-2020, but was renamed after it went through huge renovations. It's 5 years older than the Aqua, which was built in 2025. The Norwegian Aqua will be the 20th ship in the NCL fleet and will debut in March 2025. The Aqua 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 Radiance is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 893 feet long and 125 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.5 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 13-story building. Compared to the Norwegian Aqua, the Radiance is 35% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Carnival Radiance holds 16% fewer passengers than the Aqua 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 Radiance has less space per person compared to the Aqua.

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 Radiance has 20 different dining options like Cucina Del Capitano, Big Chicken, and JavaBlue Cafe. Of those options, 14 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 6 options have an additional fee.

The Aqua has 3 fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are The Local, Palomar, 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 Radiance might be a better choice. It has 18% more dining options than the Aqua.

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

Bars and Drinks

The Carnival Radiance has 5 fewer bars than the Norwegian Aqua. The Radiance has 11 bars like Casino Bar, RedFrog Pub and RedFrog Rum Bar. On Radiance, you can grab a drink at 16 different bars such as Observation Lounge Bar, Syd Norman's Pourhouse and The Local Bar.

In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Radiance 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 Aqua 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 Radiance and the Aqua 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 Radiance has a total of 2 pools and 3 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools and 1 of the hot tubs are adults only.

Norwegian Aqua has more pools than the Radiance and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Aqua. 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 Radiance, 71% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Aqua, 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 Radiance will likely be cheaper than on Norwegian Aqua.

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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