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Celebrity Silhouette vs Norwegian Star
The Celebrity Silhouette was built in 2011. It was renovated in 2020. While the Celebrity Silhouette has a lawn club like most of it's sister ships, it's mostly exclusive to suite guests or those willing to pay extra. It's 10 years newer than the Star, which was built in 2001 and renovated in 2024.
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 Silhouette is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,033 feet long and 121 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 13-story building. Compared to the Norwegian Star, the Silhouette is 33% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Celebrity Silhouette holds 23% more passengers than the Star 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 Silhouette has more space per person compared to the Star. 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.
| Celebrity Silhouette | Norwegian Star | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Solstice | Dawn |
| Gross Tonnage | 122,000 | 91,740 |
| Length | 1,033 | 965 |
| Beam/Width | 121 | 125 |
| Passenger Decks | 13 | 12 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,886 | 2,348 |
| Crew | 1,285 | 1,031 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.2 | 2.3 |
| 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 Silhouette has seventeen different dining options like Main Dining Room, Lawn Club Grill, and Luminae. Of those options, eight are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.
The Star has one more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Le Bistro French, Sushi Bar, and La Cucina Italian. nine of these restaurants are complementary and the other eight have an additional fee.
The Celebrity Silhouette has about the same number of dining options as the Norwegian Star.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Star might be a better choice then the Silhouette. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Celebrity Silhouette | Norwegian Star | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 17 | 18 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 8 | 9 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 9 | 8 |
| % of Included Options | 47% | 56% |
| See the options | See the options |
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.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Star 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 Celebrity Silhouette has a total of 3 pools and 6 hot tubs.
Norwegian Star has fewer pools than the Silhouette and fewer hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Star. 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? One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Silhouette.| Celebrity Silhouette | Norwegian Star | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive |
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. You might up paying more while on board the Silhouette. Only 56% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Star, 64% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Celebrity Silhouette | Norwegian Star | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Beyond the Podium Talk Series | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bingo | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lawn Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Celebrity is a premium cruise line. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 per person per day.
Norwegian, on the other hand, is considered a mainstream cruise line. 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. To get a good idea of how the pricing compares, visit the cruise line's website to price out the separate cruises or consult a travel professional.
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.
| Celebrity Silhouette | Norwegian Star | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.00 | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $4.00 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.00 | $7.50 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $65 - $95 | 106 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 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. | ||
Celebrity Cruise Lines offers an "All Included" program. Guests who book a cruise using this promotion will have wifi and alcohol included. Some sailings are available without this program so pay attention when booking. Typically prices are lower if they don't include "Always Included." The wifi and alcohol package are the base levels and can be upgraded for an additional cost.
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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