Cruise Spotlight
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Norwegian Jade vs Carnival Paradise
The Norwegian Jade was built in 2006. It was renovated in 2017. It's 8 years newer than the Paradise, which was built in 1998 and renovated in 2023.
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 Jade 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 Carnival Paradise, the Jade is 33% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Jade holds 17% more passengers than the Paradise 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 Jade has more space per person compared to the Paradise. 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 Jade | Carnival Paradise | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Jewel | Fantasy |
| Gross Tonnage | 93,558 | 70,367 |
| Length | 965 | 855 |
| Beam/Width | 125 | 103 |
| Passenger Decks | 11 | 10 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,402 | 2,052 |
| Crew | 1,307 | 920 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 1.8 | 2.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 39 | 34 |
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 Jade has fourteen different dining options like Topsiders Bar & Grill, La Cucina Italian, and Le Bistro French. Of those options, eleven are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eight options have an additional fee.
The Paradise has five fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Carnival Deli, Blue Iguana Cantina, and The Chef's Table. twelve of these restaurants are complementary and the other two have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Jade might be a better choice. It has 56% more dining options than the Paradise.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Paradise might be a better choice then the Jade. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Norwegian Jade | Carnival Paradise | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 14 | 9 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 11 | 12 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 8 | 2 |
| % of Included Options | 43% | 78% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Jade has 2 more bars than the Carnival Paradise. The Jade has 12 bars like Mixers Martini & Cocktail Bar, Tankards Beer & Whiskey Bar and Topside Bar. On Jade, you can grab a drink at 10 different bars such as Casino Bar, Java Blue Cafe and RedFrog Rum Bar.
| Norwegian Jade | Carnival Paradise |
|---|---|
| •Bliss Ultra Lounge • Casino Bar • Great Outdoors Cafe • Java Cafe • Magnum's Champagne & Wine Bar • Mixers Martini & Cocktail Bar • Sake Bar • Spinnaker Lounge • Sugarcane Mojito Bar • Tankards Beer & Whiskey Bar • The Pit Stop • Topside Bar | •America Piano Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Casino Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Leonardo Lounge • Punchliner Comedy Club • RedFrog Rum Bar • Rex Dance Club • Rotterdam 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 Jade and the Paradise 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 Jade 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.
Carnival Paradise has fewer pools than the Jade and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Paradise. 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 Jade.| Norwegian Jade | Carnival Paradise | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 1 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 0 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 5 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 2 |
| 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 Jade. Only 60% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Paradise, 73% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Norwegian Jade | Carnival Paradise | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✗ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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 Jade will likely be more expensive than on Carnival Paradise.
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 Jade | Carnival Paradise | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $20.00 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 20% |
| 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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