Cruise Spotlight
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Disney Wish vs Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas
The Disney Wish was built in 2022. The Disney Wish is inspired by stories of wish fulfilment. You'll enter the ship through the Grand Hall which is themed after a castle with a large statue of Cinderella and a display of her glass slipper. Outside the ship, you'll see Rapunzel painting the name on the stern. It's 20 years newer than the Navigator of the Seas, which was built in 2002 and renovated in 2019. Explorer of the Seas was Amplified in 2021 which added many new features, restaurants, and attractions to this ship.
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
- See Our Detailed Cruise Blog
Ship Size
The Wish is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,119 feet long and 128 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.1 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 15-story building. It's about the same size as the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas.
Number of Passengers
Disney Wish holds 18% more passengers than the Navigator of the Seas 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 Wish has less space per person compared to the Navigator of the Seas.
| Disney Wish | Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Wish | Voyager |
| Gross Tonnage | 144,000 | 139,999 |
| Length | 1,119 | 1,020 |
| Beam/Width | 128 | 157 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 14 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 4,000 | 3,386 |
| Crew | 1,555 | 1,200 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.6 | 2.8 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 36 | 41 |
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 Wish has ten different dining options like Worlds of Marvel, Marceline Market, and Enchante by Chef Arnaud Lallement. Of those options, five are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.
The Navigator of the Seas has two more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are El Loco Fresh, Chef's Table, and Windjammer. nine of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Navigator of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 20% more dining options than the Wish.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Wish might be a better choice then the Navigator of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Disney Wish | Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 10 | 12 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 5 | 9 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 5 | 9 |
| % of Included Options | 50% | 25% |
| 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. Most Royal Caribbean ships also have Coke Freestyle machines where you can make 100 different flavor combinations.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Navigator of the Seas 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 Disney Wish has a total of 8 pools and 3 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.
Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas has fewer pools than the Wish and more hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Navigator of the Seas. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and one of the hot tubs are adults only on Wish.| Disney Wish | Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 8 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 6 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 3 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 | 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 Wish, 83% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Navigator of the Seas, only 76% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Disney Wish | Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✗ | ✓ |
| Character experiences | ✓ | ✗ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Kid's Play Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Laser Tag | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Movie Theater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Salon | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water Coaster | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Disney 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.
Royal Caribbean, 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.
| Disney Wish | Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $18.50 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | Included | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $6.50 | $8.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | No drink package available | $77 - $118 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $12 - $36 per device per day | $19 to $30 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
With Disney Cruises, soda is included for meals, but will have an extra cost at bars and throughout the day. While no drink packages are available, you can preorder bottles of wine or beer at a discount.
Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing, which means the pricing for many things will vary per sailing. The daily gratuities and tip are consistent across the fleet, but the pricing for the drink package, internet, and excursions will change. The only way to know your price is to consult the Royal Caribbean cruise planner once you're booked.
We sailed aboard the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas
Follow along on our sailing on the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas. We take you through every aspect of our sailing, from getting to the port to debarking the ship. See the schedule of events, menus, what excursions we did, and what we really thought about the ship.
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