MSC Seascape vs Norwegian Sky

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 23 years newer than the Sky, which was built in 1999 and renovated in 2019. The Norwegian Sky will leave the fleet in 2026.

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. Compared to the Norwegian Sky, the Seascape is 120% larger in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

The MSC Seascape holds more than double the amount of people as the Sky 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 Sky.

	MSC Seascape	Norwegian Sky
Class	Seaside EVO	Sun
Gross Tonnage	169,400	77,104
Length	1,060	848
Beam/Width	135	123
Passenger Decks	15	8
Passengers (double occupancy)	5,877	2,004
Crew	1,648	899
Passenger to Crew Ratio	3.6	2.2
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)	28	38

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 Marketplace Buffet, Kaito Sushi Bar, and Ocean Cay Restaurant. Of those options, seven are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.

The Sky has two fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Main Dining Room, Topsiders Bar & Grill, and Le Bistro French. nine of these restaurants are complementary and the other four have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Seascape might be a better choice. It has 22% more dining options than the Sky.

If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Sky might be a better choice then the Seascape. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.

	MSC Seascape	Norwegian Sky
Total Dining Options	11	9
Complimentary Dining Options:	7	9
Additional Fee Dining Options:	9	4
% of Included Options	18%	56%
	See the options	See the options

Bars and Drinks

The MSC Seascape has 10 more bars than the Norwegian Sky. The Seascape has 19 bars like Jungle Pool Beach Bar, Shine Bar and Top 19 Bar. On Seascape, you can grab a drink at 9 different bars such as Atrium Bar, Bliss Ultra Lounge and Spinnaker Lounge.

MSC Seascape	Norwegian Sky
•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	•Atrium Bar • Bliss Ultra Lounge • Champs Bar • Pinnacle Lounge and Sushi Bar • Spinnaker Lounge • Starbucks • Sugarcane Mojito Bar • The Local Bar • Topside 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 Sky 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 Sky has fewer pools than the Seascape and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Sky. 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 are adults only on Seascape.

	MSC Seascape	Norwegian Sky
Total Pools	5	2
Pools - General Access	2	2
Pools - Adults Only	1
Pools - Exclusive	2
Total Hot Tubs	15	5
Hot Tubs - General Access	12	5
Hot Tubs - Adults Only
Hot Tubs - Exclusive	3

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 Sky, 57% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

	MSC Seascape	Norwegian Sky
Adventure Trail	✓	✗
Arcade	✓	✓
Basketball	✓	✓
Casino	✓	✓
F1 Simulator	✓	✗
Fitness Center	✓	✓
Glass Bridge	✓	✗
Interactive XD Cinema	✓	✗
Jogging 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 Sky.

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 Sky
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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