Cruise Spotlight
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Norwegian Dawn vs Norwegian Sky
The Norwegian Dawn was built in 2002. It was renovated in 2016. It's 3 years newer than the Sky, which was built in 1999 and renovated in 2019.
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 Norwegian Sky, the Dawn is 7% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Dawn holds 17% more passengers than the Sky 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 Dawn has less space per person compared to the Sky.
| Norwegian Dawn | Norwegian Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Dawn | Sun |
| Gross Tonnage | 82,250 | 77,104 |
| Length | 965 | 848 |
| Beam/Width | 125 | 123 |
| Passenger Decks | 12 | 8 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,340 | 2,004 |
| Crew | 1,032 | 899 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 2.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 35 | 38 |
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 nineteen different dining options like O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & Grill, Cagney's Steakhouse, and Los Lobos. Of those options, eight are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other ten options have an additional fee.
The Sky has five fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Le Bistro French, La Cucina Italian, and The Local. nine of these restaurants are complementary and the other four have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Dawn might be a better choice. It has 36% more dining options than the Sky.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Sky might be a better choice then the Dawn. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on Norwegian Dawn & Sky
| Norwegian Dawn | Norwegian Sky | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Atrium Cafe | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Bamboo | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Bimini Grill | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Cagney's Steakhouse | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| La Cucina Italian | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Le Bistro French | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Los Lobos | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Moderno Churrascaria | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & Grill | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Pinnacle Lounge and Sushi Bar | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Sushi Bar | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Teppanyaki | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| The Great Outdoors | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| The Local | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Topsiders Bar & Grill | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Dawn and Norwegian Sky both have 9 bars to choose from during your sailing.
| Norwegian Dawn | Norwegian Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Atrium Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bimini Bar & Grill | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bliss Ultra Lounge | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cellars Wine Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Champs Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Gatsby's Champagne Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Java Cafe | ✓ | ✗ |
| Juice Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pinnacle Lounge and Sushi Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sake Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spinnaker Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Starbucks | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sugarcane Mojito Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| The Local Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Topside 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 Dawn and the Sky 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 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.
The Norwegian Sky has the same number of pools as the Dawn and the same number of hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Sky. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
| Norwegian Dawn | Norwegian Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | ||
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 5 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | ||
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive |
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 Sky, only 57% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Norwegian Dawn | Norwegian Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
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 Dawn will likely be more expensive than on Norwegian Sky.
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 | |
|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $7.50 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | 106 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $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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