Cruise Spotlight
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Norwegian Getaway vs Carnival Liberty
The Norwegian Getaway was built in 2014. It was renovated in 2019. It's 9 years newer than the Liberty, which was built in 2005.
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 Getaway is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,068 feet long and 169 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3 football fields, as wide as 3.2 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 15-story building. Compared to the Carnival Liberty, the Getaway is 32% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Getaway holds 33% more passengers than the Liberty based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or tons of ship compared to number of passengers, the Getaway has the same amount of space per person as the Liberty.
| Norwegian Getaway | Carnival Liberty | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Breakaway | Conquest |
| Gross Tonnage | 145,655 | 110,000 |
| Length | 1,068 | 952 |
| Beam/Width | 169 | 116 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,963 | 2,974 |
| Crew | 1,646 | 1,160 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.4 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 37 | 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 Getaway has nineteen different dining options like Teppanyaki, Shanghai's Noodle Bar, and Le Bistro French. Of those options, eleven are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other fifteen options have an additional fee.
The Liberty has seven fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Mongolian Wok, The Chef's Table, and Guy's Burger Joint. thirteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other four have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Getaway might be a better choice. It has 58% more dining options than the Liberty.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Liberty might be a better choice then the Getaway. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Norwegian Getaway | Carnival Liberty | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 19 | 12 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 11 | 13 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 15 | 4 |
| % of Included Options | 21% | 67% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Getaway has 3 more bars than the Carnival Liberty. The Getaway has 16 bars like Atrium Bar, Headliners Comedy Club and Syd Norman's Pourhouse. On Getaway, you can grab a drink at 13 different bars such as Jardin Cafe, The Stage Bar and Versailles Bar.
| Norwegian Getaway | Carnival Liberty |
|---|---|
| •Atrium Bar • Bar 21 • Bliss Ultra Lounge • Headliners Comedy Club • Mixx Bar • O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill • Prime Meridian Bar • Skyy Vodka Ice Bar • Spice H2O • Starbucks • Sugarcane Mojito Bar • Sunset Bar • Syd Norman's Pourhouse • The Haven Bar • Vibe Beach Club Bar • Waves Pool Bar | •Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Casino Bar • Hot & Cool Night Club • Jardin Cafe • Piano Man Bar • RedFrog Rum Bar • SkyBox Sports Bar • The Cabinet Bar • The Stage Bar • Versailles Bar • Victoria Aft Lounge |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Getaway serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. The Liberty serves the Pepsi family of products. That means Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, Mug Root Beer, and Mountain Dew.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Getaway and the Liberty 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 Getaway 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.
Carnival Liberty has fewer pools than the Getaway and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Liberty. 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 Getaway.| Norwegian Getaway | Carnival Liberty | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 10 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 4 | 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 Getaway. Only 60% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Liberty, 73% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Norwegian Getaway | Carnival Liberty | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ice Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ropes course | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✗ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sports Square | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Norwegian and Carnival 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 Getaway will likely be more expensive than on Carnival Liberty.
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 Getaway | Carnival Liberty | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $20.00 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $3.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $7.50 See drink menus | $8.75 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | 106 Learn more | $83 - $88 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device | $18.70 to $23.80 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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