Cruise Spotlight
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Norwegian Bliss vs Carnival Radiance
The Norwegian Bliss was built in 2018. It was renovated in 2024. It's 2 years older 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 Bliss is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,094 feet long and 136 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3 football fields, as wide as 2.6 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 15-story building. Compared to the Carnival Radiance, the Bliss is 66% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Bliss holds 34% 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 Bliss 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.
| Norwegian Bliss | Carnival Radiance | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Breakaway Plus | Sunshine |
| Gross Tonnage | 168,028 | 101,509 |
| Length | 1,094 | 893 |
| Beam/Width | 136 | 125 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 4,004 | 2,984 |
| Crew | 1,716 | 1,108 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.4 | 2.7 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 42 | 34 |
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 Bliss has eighteen different dining options like La Cucina Italian, Garden Cafe, and American Diner. Of those options, eleven are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other fifteen options have an additional fee.
The Radiance has three fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Big Chicken, Bonsai Sushi, and The Chef's Table. fourteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other six have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Bliss might be a better choice. It has 20% more dining options than the Radiance.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Radiance might be a better choice then the Bliss. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Norwegian Bliss | Carnival Radiance | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 18 | 15 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 11 | 14 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 15 | 6 |
| % of Included Options | 17% | 60% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Bliss has 6 more bars than the Carnival Radiance. The Bliss has 17 bars like A-List Bar, Observation Lounge Bar and Social Comedy & Night Club. On Bliss, you can grab a drink at 11 different bars such as Alchemy Bar, RedFrog Pub and Siren Bar.
| Norwegian Bliss | Carnival Radiance |
|---|---|
| •A-List Bar • Atrium 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 | •Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Casino Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Limelight Lounge • Piano Bar 88 • RedFrog Pub • RedFrog Rum Bar • Siren Bar • SkyBox Sports Bar |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Bliss 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 Bliss 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 Norwegian Bliss has a total of 4 pools and 11 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 Bliss 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.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Bliss.| Norwegian Bliss | Carnival Radiance | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 0 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 11 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 1 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 4 | 0 |
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 Bliss. Only 65% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Radiance, 71% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Norwegian Bliss | Carnival Radiance | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Horizon Park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Observation Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Race Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✗ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
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.
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 Bliss | Carnival Radiance | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $20.00 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $3.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $7.50 See drink menus | $8.75 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | 106 Learn more | $83 - $88 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device | $18.70 to $23.80 per device per day |
| *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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