Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Norwegian Gem vs Norwegian Getaway
The Norwegian Gem was built in 2007. It was renovated in 2015. It's 7 years older than the Getaway, which was built in 2014 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 Gem 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 11-story building. Compared to the Norwegian Getaway, the Gem is 36% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Gem holds 40% fewer passengers than the Getaway 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 Gem has more space per person compared to the Getaway. 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 Gem | Norwegian Getaway | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Jewel | Breakaway |
| Gross Tonnage | 93,530 | 145,655 |
| Length | 965 | 1,068 |
| Beam/Width | 125 | 169 |
| Passenger Decks | 11 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,394 | 3,963 |
| Crew | 1,070 | 1,646 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.2 | 2.4 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 39 | 37 |
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 Gem has twenty different dining options like Teppanyaki, O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & Grill, and Le Bistro French. Of those options, twelve are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eight options have an additional fee.
The Getaway has six more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Teppanyaki, Cagney's Steakhouse, and Le Bistro French. eleven of these restaurants are complementary and the other fifteen have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Getaway might be a better choice. It has 30% more dining options than the Gem.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Gem might be a better choice then the Getaway. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on Norwegian Gem & Getaway
| Norwegian Gem | Norwegian Getaway | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| American Diner | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Atrium Cafe | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Bali Hai Bar & Grill | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Cagney's Steakhouse | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Dolce Gelato | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Garden Cafe | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Illusionarium | ✗ | ✓ | |
| La Cucina Italian | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Le Bistro French | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Moderno Churrascaria | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & Grill | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Ocean Blue | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Orchid Garden Asian Restaurant | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Shanghai's Noodle Bar | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Studio Lounge | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Sushi Bar | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Teppanyaki | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| The Bake Shop | ✗ | ✓ | |
| The Great Outdoors | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| The Haven | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| The Raw Bar | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Topsiders Bar & Grill | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Wasabi | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Gem and Norwegian Getaway both have 16 bars to choose from during your sailing.
| Norwegian Gem | Norwegian Getaway | |
|---|---|---|
| Atrium Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bali Hai Bar & Grill | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bar 21 | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bliss Ultra Lounge | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Corona Cigar Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Great Outdoors Cafe | ✓ | ✗ |
| Headliners Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Magnum's Champagne & Wine Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Maltings Beer & Whiskey Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mixx Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Moderno Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill | ✓ | ✓ |
| Prime Meridian Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sake Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shakers Martini & Cocktail Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Skyy Vodka Ice Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spice H2O | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spinnaker Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Starbucks | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sugarcane Mojito Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sunset Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Syd Norman's Pourhouse | ✗ | ✓ |
| The Haven Bar* | ✗ | ✓ |
| Topside Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Vibe Beach Club Bar* | ✗ | ✓ |
| Waves Pool 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 Gem and the Getaway 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 Gem has a total of 3 pools and 5 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 1 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.
Norwegian Getaway has more pools than the Gem and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Getaway. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools are adults only on Gem.| Norwegian Gem | Norwegian Getaway | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 5 | 10 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 1 | 4 |
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 Gem, 64% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Getaway, only 62% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Norwegian Gem | Norwegian Getaway | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ice Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sports Square | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| 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 Gem will likely be cheaper than on Norwegian Getaway.
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.
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.