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MSC Seashore vs Norwegian Breakaway
The MSC Seashore was built in 2021. The MSC Seashore has a New York City-inspired aesthetic 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 8 years newer than the Breakaway, which was built in 2013 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 Seashore 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 Breakaway, the Seashore is 16% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
MSC Seashore holds 42% more passengers than the Breakaway 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 Seashore has less space per person compared to the Breakaway.
| MSC Seashore | Norwegian Breakaway | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Seaside EVO | Breakaway |
| Gross Tonnage | 169,400 | 145,655 |
| Length | 1,060 | 1,068 |
| Beam/Width | 135 | 169 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,632 | 3,963 |
| Crew | 1,648 | 1,657 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.4 | 2.4 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 30 | 37 |
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 Seashore has eleven different dining options like HOLA! Tacos & Cantina, Marketplace Buffet, and Kaito Teppanyaki. Of those options, seven are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.
The Breakaway has eight more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Le Bistro French, Garden Cafe, and Ocean Blue. eleven of these restaurants are complementary and the other fifteen have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Breakaway might be a better choice. It has 73% more dining options than the Seashore.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Breakaway might be a better choice then the Seashore. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| MSC Seashore | Norwegian Breakaway | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 11 | 19 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 7 | 11 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 9 | 15 |
| % of Included Options | 18% | 21% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The MSC Seashore has 2 more bars than the Norwegian Breakaway. The Seashore has 19 bars like Brooklyn Cafe, Horizon Bar and Infinity Bar. On Seashore, you can grab a drink at 17 different bars such as Bar 21, Garden Cafe Bar and Maltings Beer & Whiskey Bar.
| MSC Seashore | Norwegian Breakaway |
|---|---|
| •Aurea Bar • Brooklyn Cafe • Casino Bar • Champagne Bar • Chef's Court Cocktail Bar • Horizon Bar • Infinity Bar • Jungle Pool Beach Bar • Le Cabaret Rouge • Long Island Bar • MSC Yacht Club Grill & Bar • Seashore Bar • Shine Bar • Sky Bar • Sports Bar • The Uptown Lounge • The Wine Cellar • Top Sail Lounge • Venchi 1878 Chocolate Bar | •Atrium Bar • Bar 21 • Bliss Ultra Lounge • Garden Cafe Bar • Headliners Comedy Club • Maltings Beer & Whiskey Bar • Mixx Bar • O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill • Prime Meridian Bar • Shakers Martini & Cocktail Bar • Skyy Vodka Ice Bar • Spice H2O • Starbucks • Syd Norman's Pourhouse • The Haven 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 Breakaway 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 Seashore 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 Breakaway has fewer pools than the Seashore and fewer hot tubs.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools are adults only on Seashore.| MSC Seashore | Norwegian Breakaway | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 5 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 2 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 15 | 10 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 12 | 4 |
| 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 Seashore. Only 54% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Breakaway, 62% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| MSC Seashore | Norwegian Breakaway | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adventure Trail | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| F1 Simulator | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Glass Bridge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Horizon Park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ice Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sports Square | ✗ | ✓ |
| Theater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| 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 Seashore will likely be more expensive than on Norwegian Breakaway.
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 Seashore | Norwegian Breakaway | |
|---|---|---|
| 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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