Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Celebrity Summit vs Norwegian Joy
The Celebrity Summit was built in 2001. It was renovated in 2019. It's 16 years older than the Joy, which was built in 2017 and renovated in 2024. The Joy will undergo some renovations in Jan 2024. They'll remove the Galaxy Pavilion virtual reality arcade and Laser Tag and add a Thermal Suite and expanded Vibe Beach Club.
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 Summit is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 964 feet long and 105 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.7 football fields, as wide as 2 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 11-story building. Compared to the Norwegian Joy, the Summit is 46% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Celebrity Summit holds 43% fewer passengers than the Joy 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 Summit has less space per person compared to the Joy.
| Celebrity Summit | Norwegian Joy | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Millennium | Breakaway Plus |
| Gross Tonnage | 90,940 | 167,725 |
| Length | 964 | 1,094 |
| Beam/Width | 105 | 136 |
| Passenger Decks | 11 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,158 | 3,802 |
| Crew | 1,027 | 1,821 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 42 | 44 |
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 Summit has eight different dining options like Blu, Tuscan Grille, and Spa Cafe. Of those options, eight are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.
The Joy has five more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Main Dining Room, The Local, and Q Texas Smokehouse. ten of these restaurants are complementary and the other eleven have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Joy might be a better choice. It has 63% more dining options than the Summit.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Summit might be a better choice then the Joy. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Celebrity Summit | Norwegian Joy | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 8 | 13 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 8 | 10 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 5 | 11 |
| % of Included Options | 38% | 15% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Celebrity Summit has 6 fewer bars than the Norwegian Joy. The Summit has 10 bars like Cafe al Bacio, Martini Bar and Sky Lounge. On Summit, you can grab a drink at 16 different bars such as Mixx Bar, The Haven Bar and Waves Pool Bar.
| Celebrity Summit | Norwegian Joy |
|---|---|
| •Cafe al Bacio • Casino Bar • Cellar Masters • Martini Bar • Mast Bar • Pool bar • Rendezvous Lounge • Sky Lounge • Sunset Bar • The Retreat Lounge | •A-List Bar • Cellars Wine Bar • District Brew House • Maltings Beer & Whiskey Bar • Mixx Bar • Observation Lounge Bar • Skyline Bar • Social Comedy & Night Club • Spice H2O • Starbucks • Sugarcane Mojito Bar • The Cavern Club • The Haven Bar • The Local Bar • 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 Joy 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 Summit has a total of 2 pools and 5 hot tubs.
Norwegian Joy has more pools than the Summit and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Joy. 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 one of the hot tubs are adults only on Summit.| Celebrity Summit | Norwegian Joy | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 0 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 5 | 9 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 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. You might up paying more while on board the Summit. Only 50% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Joy, 60% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Celebrity Summit | Norwegian Joy | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bingo | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Observation Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Outdoor movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Race Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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 Summit | Norwegian Joy | |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
Want to Stay Up-To-Date on All Things Cruising?
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
Articles Related the These Ships
About Cruise Spotlight
Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
Learn more about Cruise Spotlight.