Cruise Spotlight
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MSC Seascape vs Norwegian Joy
The MSC Seascape was built in 2022. The MSC Seascape has a New York City-inspired theme complete with a 10-foot-fall replica of the Statue of Liberty at the heart of the casino and shopping area called Times Square. It's 5 years newer 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 Seascape is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,060 feet long and 135 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.9 football fields, as wide as 2.5 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 15-story building. It's about the same size as the Norwegian Joy.
Number of Passengers
MSC Seascape holds 55% more 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 Seascape has less space per person compared to the Joy.
| MSC Seascape | Norwegian Joy | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Seaside EVO | Breakaway Plus |
| Gross Tonnage | 169,400 | 167,725 |
| Length | 1,060 | 1,094 |
| Beam/Width | 135 | 136 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,877 | 3,802 |
| Crew | 1,648 | 1,821 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.6 | 2.1 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 28 | 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 Seascape has eleven different dining options like Kaito Teppanyaki, Butcher's Cut, and Marketplace Buffet. Of those options, seven are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.
The Joy has two more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Ocean Blue, Food Republic, and Cagney's Steakhouse. 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 18% more dining options than the Seascape.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Seascape might be a better choice then the Joy. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| MSC Seascape | Norwegian Joy | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 11 | 13 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 7 | 10 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 9 | 11 |
| % of Included Options | 18% | 15% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The MSC Seascape has 3 more bars than the Norwegian Joy. The Seascape has 19 bars like Le Cabaret Rouge, Top 19 Bar and Venchi 1878 Chocolate Bar. On Seascape, you can grab a drink at 16 different bars such as Cellars Wine Bar, Skyline Bar and Waves Pool Bar.
| MSC Seascape | Norwegian Joy |
|---|---|
| •Casino Bar • Champagne Bar • Chef's Court Cocktail Bar • Horizon Bar • Infinity Bar • Jungle Pool Beach Bar • Le Cabaret Rouge • Loft Cafe • Marina Bar • MSC Yacht Club Grill & Bar • Seascape Bar • Shine Bar • Sky Bar • Sports Bar • The Uptown Lounge • The Wine Cellar • Top 19 Bar • Top Sail Lounge • Venchi 1878 Chocolate Bar | •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 MSC Seascape has a total of 5 pools and 15 hot tubs. 2 of the pools and 3 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 Joy has fewer pools than the Seascape and fewer hot tubs.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools are adults only on Seascape.| MSC Seascape | Norwegian Joy | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 5 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 0 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 2 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 15 | 9 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 12 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 3 | 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 Seascape. Only 54% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Joy, 60% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| MSC Seascape | Norwegian Joy | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adventure Trail | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| F1 Simulator | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Glass Bridge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Observation Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Race Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Robotron | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Theater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Zip Line | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
MSC 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 MSC Seascape will likely be more expensive than on Norwegian Joy.
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.
| MSC Seascape | Norwegian Joy | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | |
| Domestic Beer Price | $7.50 See drink menus | |
| Drink Package Price | $46 - $85 | 106 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $17 - $27 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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