Cruise Spotlight
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Norwegian Epic vs MSC World Atlantic
The Norwegian Epic was built in 2010. It was renovated in 2025. It's 17 years older than the World Atlantic, which was built in 2027. The World Atlantic will sail out of Port Canaveral starting in November 2027. The ship is split into seven districts that provide unique restaurants, bars, and attractions; helping to reduce crowding. The World Atlantic is still under construction and MSC hasn't released all the details yet.
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 Epic is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,081 feet long and 171 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3 football fields, as wide as 3.2 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 14-story building. Compared to the MSC World Atlantic, the Epic is 28% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Epic holds 39% fewer passengers than the World Atlantic 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 Epic has more space per person compared to the World Atlantic. 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 Epic | MSC World Atlantic | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Epic | World |
| Gross Tonnage | 155,873 | 215,863 |
| Length | 1,081 | 1,092 |
| Beam/Width | 171 | 155 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 16 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 4,100 | 6,758 |
| Crew | 1,724 | 2,142 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.4 | 3.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 38 | 32 |
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 Epic has seventeen different dining options like Le Bistro French, Main Dining Room, and Shanghai's Noodle Bar. Of those options, nine are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other fourteen options have an additional fee.
The World Atlantic has one fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Butcher's Cut, La Brasserie Buffet, and Kaito Teppanyaki. twelve of these restaurants are complementary and the other ten have an additional fee.
The Norwegian Epic has about the same number of dining options as the MSC World Atlantic.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the World Atlantic might be a better choice then the Epic. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Norwegian Epic | MSC World Atlantic | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 17 | 16 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 9 | 12 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 14 | 10 |
| % of Included Options | 18% | 38% |
| See the options | See the options |
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.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Epic and the World Atlantic 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 Epic has a total of 5 pools and 13 hot tubs. 2 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.
MSC World Atlantic has more pools than the Epic and the same number of hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the World Atlantic. 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 Epic.| Norwegian Epic | MSC World Atlantic | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 5 | 7 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 4 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 2 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 2 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 13 | 13 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 6 | 10 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 5 | 3 |
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 Epic, 59% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the World Atlantic, only 55% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Norwegian Epic | MSC World Atlantic | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adventure Trail | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bowling Alley | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bumper Cars | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cliffhanger | ✗ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Show | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dueling Pianos | ✗ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| F1 Simulator | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ice Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Production Shows | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sports Square | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✗ | ✓ |
| VR Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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 Epic will likely be cheaper than on MSC World Atlantic.
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 Epic | MSC World Atlantic | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | $7.50 See drink menus | See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | 106 Learn more | $46 - $85 |
| Internet Plan | $29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device | $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 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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