Norwegian Aqua vs Carnival Radiance

The Norwegian Aqua is still being built and will debut in 2025. The Norwegian Aqua will be the 20th ship in the NCL fleet and will debut in March 2025. The Aqua is still under construction and Norwegian hasn't released all the details yet. It's 5 years newer than the Radiance, which was built in 2020 and renovated in 2024. The Radiance was previously known as the Victory from 2000-2020, but was renamed after it went through huge renovations.

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 Aqua is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,056 feet long and 133 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 Carnival Radiance, the Aqua is 54% larger in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Norwegian Aqua holds 20% more passengers than the Radiance based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Aqua has more space per person compared to the Radiance. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.

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 Aqua has 17 different dining options like Hasuki, Hudsons, and Surfside Cafe. Of those options, 6 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 11 options have an additional fee.

The Radiance has 3 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Guys Pig and Anchor BarBQue, Big Chicken, and Pizzeria del Capitano. 14 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 6 have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Radiance might be a better choice. It has 18% more dining options than the Aqua.

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

Bars and Drinks

The Norwegian Aqua has 5 more bars than the Carnival Radiance. The Aqua has 16 bars like Soleil Bar, Swirl Wine Bar and The Bull's Eye Bar. On Aqua, you can grab a drink at 11 different bars such as Alchemy Bar, Atrium Bar and Piano Bar 88.

In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Aqua serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. The Radiance serves the Pepsi family of products. That means Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, Mug Root Beer, and Mountain Dew.

You can check out recent the bar menus for the Aqua and the Radiance 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 problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.

The Norwegian Aqua has a total of 4 pools and 6 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 4 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.

Carnival Radiance has fewer pools than the Aqua and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Radiance. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.

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 Aqua. Only 53% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Radiance, 71% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

Cruise Costs

Norwegian and Carnival 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 Norwegian Aqua will likely be more expensive than on Carnival Radiance.

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.

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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