Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Norwegian Encore vs Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady
The Norwegian Encore was built in 2019. It was renovated in 2024. It's 5 years older than the Brilliant Lady, which was built in 2024. This is an adults-only ship; all guests must be 18 or older. The exterior of the ship was was slightly tweaked so it can go through the Panama Canal, opening different itineraries compared to its sister ships.
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 Encore 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 Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady, the Encore is 53% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Encore holds 48% more passengers than the Brilliant Lady 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 Encore has more space per person compared to the Brilliant Lady. 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 Encore | Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Breakaway Plus | Lady |
| Gross Tonnage | 167,800 | 110,000 |
| Length | 1,094 | 912 |
| Beam/Width | 136 | 125 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,998 | 2,700 |
| Crew | 1,735 | 1,150 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 42 | 41 |
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 Encore has fifteen different dining options like Food Republic, The Local, and Q Texas Smokehouse. Of those options, nine are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other thirteen options have an additional fee.
The Brilliant Lady has three fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Gunbae, The Wake, and Lick Me Til Ice Cream. Twelve of these restaurants are complementary.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Encore might be a better choice. It has 25% more dining options than the Brilliant Lady.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Brilliant Lady might be a better choice then the Encore. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Norwegian Encore | Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 15 | 12 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 9 | 12 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 13 | 0 |
| % of Included Options | 13% | 100% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Encore has 2 fewer bars than the Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady. The Encore has 16 bars like Observation Lounge Bar, Social Comedy & Night Club and Waves Pool Bar. On Brilliant Lady, you can grab a drink at 18 different bars such as The Aquatic Club Bar, The Loose Cannon and The Manor.
| Norwegian Encore | Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady |
|---|---|
| •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 • Starbucks • Sugarcane Mojito Bar • The Cavern Club • The Haven Bar • The Local Bar • Vibe Beach Club Bar • Waves Pool Bar | •Casino Bar • Draught Haus • Grounds Club • Gym & Tonic • Mezcal Bar • On The Rocks • Richard's Rooftop Bar • Rojo's Bar • Sip Lounge • Sun Club Bar • The Aquatic Club Bar • The Athletic Club Bar • The Dock Bar • The Dock House Bar • The Grounds Club Too • The Loose Cannon • The Manor • The Social Club |
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 Encore and the Brilliant Lady 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 Encore has a total of 3 pools and 9 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 5 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.
Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady has fewer pools than the Encore and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Brilliant Lady. 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 are adults only on Encore.| Norwegian Encore | Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 9 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 0 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 5 | 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. You might up paying more while on board the Encore. Only 54% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Brilliant Lady, 55% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Norwegian Encore | Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Acrobatic Show | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Group Fitness | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Private Karaoke Rooms | ✗ | ✓ |
| Race Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Salon | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Tattoo Studio | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Virtual Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Norwegian is considered 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.
Virgin Voyages, on the other hand, is a premium cruise line. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 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. To get a good idea of how the pricing compares, visit the cruise line's website to price out the separate cruises or consult a travel professional.
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 Encore | Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $20.00 | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | Included |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | Included |
| Domestic Beer Price | $9.99 See drink menus | $8.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | 106 Learn more | No drink package available |
| Internet Plan | $29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device | Basic Wi-fi is included. Premium is $30/day and Work from Sea is $50/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 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 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.
Want to Stay Up-To-Date on All Things Cruising?
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
Articles Related the These Ships
About Cruise Spotlight
Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
Learn more about Cruise Spotlight.