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Carnival Sunrise vs Norwegian Sky
The Carnival Sunrise was built in 2019. It was renovated in 2024. The Sunrise was previously known as the Triumph from 1999-2019, but was renamed after it went through huge renovations. It's 20 years newer than the Sky, which was built in 1999 and renovated in 2019. The Norwegian Sky will leave the fleet in 2026.
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 Sunrise 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 Sky, the Sunrise is 32% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Sunrise holds 49% more passengers than the Sky 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 Sunrise has less space per person compared to the Sky.
| Carnival Sunrise | Norwegian Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Sunshine | Sun |
| Gross Tonnage | 101,509 | 77,104 |
| Length | 893 | 848 |
| Beam/Width | 125 | 123 |
| Passenger Decks | 13 | 8 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,984 | 2,004 |
| Crew | 1,108 | 899 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 2.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 34 | 38 |
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 Sunrise has fifteen different dining options like Seafood Shack, Guys Pig and Anchor BarBQue, and The Chef's Table. Of those options, fourteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other six options have an additional fee.
The Sky has six fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Cagney's Steakhouse, Main Dining Room, and Topsiders Bar & Grill. nine of these restaurants are complementary and the other four have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Sunrise might be a better choice. It has 67% more dining options than the Sky.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
| Carnival Sunrise | Norwegian Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 15 | 9 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 14 | 9 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 6 | 4 |
| % of Included Options | 60% | 56% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Carnival Sunrise has 2 more bars than the Norwegian Sky. The Sunrise has 11 bars like Heroes Tribute Bar, Piano Bar 88 and RedFrog Rum Bar. On Sunrise, you can grab a drink at 9 different bars such as Atrium Bar, Sugarcane Mojito Bar and The Local Bar.
| Carnival Sunrise | Norwegian Sky |
|---|---|
| •Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Casino Bar • Heroes Tribute Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Limelight Lounge • New World Bar • Piano Bar 88 • RedFrog Pub • RedFrog Rum Bar | •Atrium Bar • Bliss Ultra Lounge • Champs Bar • Pinnacle Lounge and Sushi Bar • Spinnaker Lounge • Starbucks • Sugarcane Mojito Bar • The Local Bar • Topside Bar |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Sunrise 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 Sky 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 Sunrise and the Sky 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 Sunrise has a total of 2 pools and 3 hot tubs.
The Norwegian Sky has the same number of pools as the Sunrise and more hot tubs.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? one of the hot tubs are adults only on Sunrise.| Carnival Sunrise | Norwegian Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 0 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 3 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 |
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 Sunrise, 71% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Sky, only 57% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Carnival Sunrise | Norwegian Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ropes course | ✓ | ✗ |
| 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. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Carnival Sunrise will likely be more expensive than on Norwegian Sky.
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 Sunrise | Norwegian Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| 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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