Cruise Spotlight
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Norwegian Escape vs MSC Seaside
The Norwegian Escape was built in 2015. It was renovated in 2019. It's 2 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 Escape is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,069 feet long and 179 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3 football fields, as wide as 3.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 15-story building. Compared to the MSC Seaside, the Escape is 8% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Escape holds 16% 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 Escape 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 Escape | MSC Seaside | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Breakaway Plus | Seaside |
| Gross Tonnage | 165,157 | 153,516 |
| Length | 1,069 | 1,060 |
| Beam/Width | 179 | 135 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 4,266 | 5,084 |
| Crew | 1,733 | 1,513 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.5 | 3.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 39 | 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 Escape has nineteen different dining options like Food Republic, Teppanyaki, and American Diner. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other sixteen options have an additional fee.
The Seaside has eight fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Butcher's Cut, Marketplace Buffet, and Biscayne Bay Restaurant & Buffet. eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other eight have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Escape might be a better choice. It has 73% more dining options than the Seaside.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Seaside might be a better choice then the Escape. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Norwegian Escape | MSC Seaside | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 19 | 11 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 10 | 8 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 16 | 8 |
| % of Included Options | 16% | 27% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Escape has 2 fewer bars than the MSC Seaside. The Escape has 16 bars like District Brew House, O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill and Skyline Bar. On Escape, you can grab a drink at 18 different bars such as Champagne Bar, Miami Beach Bar and Miramar Bar.
| Norwegian Escape | MSC Seaside |
|---|---|
| •Atrium Bar • Cellars Wine Bar • District Brew House • Headliners Comedy Club • Mixx Bar • O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill • Pincho Tapas Bar • Pour House • Prime Meridian Bar • Skyline Bar • Spice H2O • Sugarcane Mojito Bar • The Haven Bar • Tobacco Road • Vibe Beach Club Bar • Waves Pool 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 Escape 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 Norwegian Escape has a total of 4 pools and 10 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.
The MSC Seaside has the same number of pools as the Escape and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Seaside. 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 Escape.| Norwegian Escape | MSC Seaside | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 10 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 4 | 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 Escape, 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 Escape | MSC Seaside | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adventure Trail | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| F1 Simulator | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Glass Bridge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ropes course | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sports Square | ✓ | ✗ |
| 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.
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 Escape | 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 | $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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