Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Norwegian Dawn vs MSC Seaside
The Norwegian Dawn was built in 2002. It was renovated in 2016. It's 15 years older than the Seaside, which was built in 2017.
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 Dawn is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 965 feet long and 125 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.7 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 12-story building. Compared to the MSC Seaside, the Dawn is 46% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Dawn holds 54% fewer passengers than the Seaside 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 Dawn has more space per person compared to the Seaside. 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 Dawn | MSC Seaside | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Dawn | Seaside |
| Gross Tonnage | 82,250 | 153,516 |
| Length | 965 | 1,060 |
| Beam/Width | 125 | 135 |
| Passenger Decks | 12 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,340 | 5,084 |
| Crew | 1,032 | 1,513 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 3.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 35 | 30 |
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 Dawn has 19 different dining options like Sushi Bar, O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & Grill, and La Cucina Italian. Of those options, 9 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 9 options have an additional fee.
The Seaside has 3 fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Butcher's Cut, Biscayne Bay Restaurant & Buffet, and Marketplace Buffet. 8 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 8 have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Dawn might be a better choice. It has 19% more dining options than the Seaside.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
| Norwegian Dawn | MSC Seaside | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 19 | 16 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 9 | 8 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 9 | 8 |
| % of Included Options | 53% | 50% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Dawn has 9 fewer bars than the MSC Seaside. The Dawn has 9 bars like Bimini Bar & Grill, Gatsby's Champagne Bar and Java Cafe. On Dawn, you can grab a drink at 18 different bars such as Miramar Bar, Seaside Bar and Seaview Lounge.
| Norwegian Dawn | MSC Seaside |
|---|---|
| •Bimini Bar & Grill • Bliss Ultra Lounge • Cellars Wine Bar • Gatsby's Champagne Bar • Java Cafe • Juice Bar • Sake Bar • Sugarcane Mojito Bar • Topside Bar | •Aurea Bar • Casino Bar • Champagne Bar • Garage Club • Haven Lounge • Jungle Bar • Marketplace Bar • Miami Beach Bar • Miramar Bar • MSC Yacht Club Grill & Bar • Seaside Bar • Seaview Lounge • Shine Bar • South Beach Bar • Sports Bar • Top Sail Lounge • Venchi 1878 Chocolate Bar • Wine & Cocktails |
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 Dawn and the Seaside 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 Dawn has a total of 2 pools and 5 hot tubs. 1 of the pools 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.
MSC Seaside has more pools than the Dawn and the same number of hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Seaside. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
| Norwegian Dawn | MSC Seaside | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 5 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | ||
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 |
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. On the Dawn, 60% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Seaside, only 57% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Norwegian Dawn | MSC Seaside | |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure Trail | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| F1 Simulator | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Glass Bridge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Theater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Zip Line | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Norwegian and MSC 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 Dawn will likely be cheaper than on MSC Seaside.
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 Dawn | MSC Seaside | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $20.00 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | |
| Domestic Beer Price | $6.00 See drink menus | See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $109 Learn more | $46 - $85 |
| Internet Plan | $12.50 to $25 per device per day | $17 - $27 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Norwegian Cruise Line offers a Free at Sea fare. Through this program, guests receive free open bar, a discount on excursions, some free internet, and some meals at their 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 Free 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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