Norwegian Aqua vs Norwegian Joy

The Norwegian Aqua is a fairly new ship, being built in 2025. The Norwegian Aqua is the 20th ship in the NCL fleet. It's nearly identical to its sister ship which will debut in 2026, the Luna. It's 8 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 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 Norwegian Joy, the Aqua is 7% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Norwegian Aqua holds about the same number of passengers as the Joy based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or tons of ship compared to number of passengers, the Aqua has the same amount of space per person as the Joy.

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 sixteen different dining options like Nama, Cagney's Steakhouse, and Palomar. Of those options, six are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eleven options have an additional fee.

The Joy has three fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Cagney's Steakhouse, Le Bistro French, and Garden Cafe. 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 Aqua might be a better choice. It has 23% more dining options than the Joy.

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

Restaurants on Norwegian Aqua & Joy

Bars and Drinks

The Norwegian Aqua and Norwegian Joy both have 16 bars to choose from during your sailing.

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 Aqua and 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 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.

Norwegian Joy has fewer pools than the Aqua and more hot tubs.

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 Joy, 60% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

Cruise Costs

Norwegian is 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. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Norwegian Aqua 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 understand what you might spend onboard a Norwegian 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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