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Norwegian Gem vs Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas
The Norwegian Gem was built in 2007. It was renovated in 2015. It's 11 years older than the Symphony of the Seas, which was built in 2018.
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 Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas, the Gem is 59% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Gem holds 57% fewer passengers than the Symphony of the Seas 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 Gem has less space per person compared to the Symphony of the Seas.
The Symphony of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Norwegian Gem | Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Jewel | Oasis |
| Gross Tonnage | 93,530 | 228,081 |
| Length | 965 | 1,188 |
| Beam/Width | 125 | 216 |
| Passenger Decks | 11 | 16 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,394 | 5,518 |
| Crew | 1,070 | 2,200 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.2 | 2.5 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 39 | 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 Gem has fourteen different dining options like Cagney's Steakhouse, Sushi Bar, and Topsiders Bar & Grill. Of those options, twelve are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eight options have an additional fee.
The Symphony of the Seas has seven more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Solarium Bistro, 150 Central Park, and Windjammer. fourteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other fourteen have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Symphony of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 50% 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 Symphony of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Norwegian Gem | Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 14 | 21 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 12 | 14 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 8 | 14 |
| % of Included Options | 43% | 33% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Gem has 4 fewer bars than the Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas. The Gem has 16 bars like Shakers Martini & Cocktail Bar, Spinnaker Lounge and Starbucks. On Gem, you can grab a drink at 20 different bars such as Mast Bar, Trellis Bar and Wipeout Bar.
| Norwegian Gem | Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas |
|---|---|
| •Atrium Bar • Bali Hai Bar & Grill • Bliss Ultra Lounge • Casino Bar • Corona Cigar Club • Great Outdoors Cafe • Magnum's Champagne & Wine Bar • Maltings Beer & Whiskey Bar • Moderno Bar • O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill • Sake Bar • Shakers Martini & Cocktail Bar • Spinnaker Lounge • Starbucks • Sugarcane Mojito Bar • Topside Bar | •Bionic Bar • Boleros • Casino Bar • Dazzles • English Pub • Mast Bar • On Air Club • Playmakers • Pool Bar • Rising Tide Bar • Sand Bar • Schooner Bar • Solarium Bar • Suite Lounge • Suite Sun Deck Bar • The Attic • Trellis Bar • Vintages • Wipeout Bar • Wonderland |
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. Most Royal Caribbean ships also have Coke Freestyle machines where you can make 100 different flavor combinations.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Gem and the Symphony of the Seas 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.
Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas has more pools than the Gem and more hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Symphony of the Seas. 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 Gem.| Norwegian Gem | Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 5 | 10 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 8 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 1 | 0 |
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 Gem. Only 64% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Symphony of the Seas, 78% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Norwegian Gem | Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Aquatheater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bionic Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Carousel | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Laser Tag | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thrill Slide | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Zip Line | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Norwegian and Royal Caribbean 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 Gem will likely be cheaper than on Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas.
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 Gem | Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $20.00 | $18.50 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $7.50 See drink menus | $8.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | 106 Learn more | $77 - $118 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device | $19 to $30 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.
Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing, which means the pricing for many things will vary per sailing. The daily gratuities and tip are consistent across the fleet, but the pricing for the drink package, internet, and excursions will change. The only way to know your price is to consult the Royal Caribbean cruise planner once you're booked.
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