Cruise Spotlight
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Carnival Vista vs Norwegian Escape
The Carnival Vista was built in 2016. It was renovated in 2024. The Carnival Vista was the first cruise ship to have a working brewery on board. It's 1 year newer than the Escape, which was built in 2015 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 Vista is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,055 feet long and 122 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.9 football fields, as wide as 2.3 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 15-story building. Compared to the Norwegian Escape, the Vista is 19% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Vista holds about the same number of passengers as the Escape 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 Vista has less space per person compared to the Escape.
| Carnival Vista | Norwegian Escape | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Vista | Breakaway Plus |
| Gross Tonnage | 133,596 | 165,157 |
| Length | 1,055 | 1,069 |
| Beam/Width | 122 | 179 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,934 | 4,266 |
| Crew | 1,450 | 1,733 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 2.5 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 33 | 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 Vista has nineteen different dining options like Carnival Deli, Bonsai Teppanyaki, and Pizzeria del Capitano. Of those options, fifteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.
The Escape has the same number of dining venues. Some of its popular venues are American Diner, Le Bistro French, and Cagney's Steakhouse. Nine of these restaurants are complementary and the other sixteen have an additional fee.
The Carnival Vista has about the same number of dining options as the Norwegian Escape.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Vista might be a better choice then the Escape. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Carnival Vista | Norwegian Escape | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 19 | 19 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 15 | 9 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 9 | 16 |
| % of Included Options | 53% | 16% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Carnival Vista has 2 fewer bars than the Norwegian Escape. The Vista has 14 bars like Heroes Tribute Bar, Piano Bar 88 and Serenity Pool Bar. On Escape, you can grab a drink at 16 different bars such as Spice H2O, Sugarcane Mojito Bar and Vibe Beach Club Bar.
| Carnival Vista | Norwegian Escape |
|---|---|
| •Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Fahrenheit 555 Bar • Havana Bar • Heroes Tribute Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Limelight Lounge • Ocean Plaza Bar • Piano Bar 88 • RedFrog Pub and Brewery • RedFrog Rum Bar • Serenity Pool Bar • Tides Pool Bar | •Atrium Bar • Cellars Wine Bar • District Brew House • Headliners Comedy Club • Mixx Bar • O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill • Pincho Tapas Bar • Pour House • Prime Meridian Bar • Skyline Bar • Spice H2O • Sugarcane Mojito Bar • The Haven Bar • Tobacco Road • 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 Vista and the Escape 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 Vista has a total of 3 pools and 6 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 2 of the hot tubs are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.
Norwegian Escape has more pools than the Vista and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Escape. 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? two of the hot tubs are adults only on Vista.| Carnival Vista | Norwegian Escape | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 0 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 10 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 | 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 Vista, 65% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Escape, only 60% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Carnival Vista | Norwegian Escape | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Brewery Tour | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| IMAX Theater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Outdoor gym | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ropes course | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Skyride | ✓ | ✗ |
| 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.
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 Vista | Norwegian Escape | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $17.00 | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.25 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus | $9.99 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 Free 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 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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