Norwegian Jade vs Norwegian Prima

The Norwegian Jade was built in 2006. It was renovated in 2017. It's 16 years older than the Prima, which was built in 2022. The Prima is the first of six in a brand-new class of ship.

Comparison Overview

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 Norwegian Prima, the Jade is 35% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Norwegian Jade holds 22% fewer passengers than the Prima 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 Jade has less space per person compared to the Prima.

Norwegian
Jade
Norwegian
Prima
ClassJewelPrima
Gross Tonnage93,558143,535
Length965965
Beam/Width125133
Passenger Decks1115
Passengers (double occupancy)2,4023,099
Crew1,3071,506
Passenger to Crew Ratio1.82.1
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)3946


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 La Cucina Italian, Main Dining Room, and Sushi Bar. Of those options, eleven are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eight options have an additional fee.

The Prima has three more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Indulge Food Hall, Nama, and Hudsons. six of these restaurants are complementary and the other twelve have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Prima might be a better choice. It has 21% more dining options than the Jade.

If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Jade might be a better choice then the Prima. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.

Restaurants on Norwegian Jade & Prima

Restaurant Norwegian
Jade
Norwegian
Prima
Included
HudsonsLearn More
Indulge Food HallLearn More
Jasmine Garden
Main Dining RoomLearn More
O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & GrillLearn More
Surfside CafeLearn More
Surfside GrillLearn More
The Commodore RoomLearn More
The Great OutdoorsLearn More
The LocalLearn More
The Pit Stop
Topsiders Bar & GrillLearn More
A la carte
Atrium Cafe
Coco'sLearn More
Starbucks
Flat fee
Cagney's SteakhouseLearn More
Food RepublicLearn More
HasukiLearn More
La Cucina ItalianLearn More
Le Bistro FrenchLearn More
Los LobosLearn More
Moderno ChurrascariaLearn More
NamaLearn More
Onda by ScarpettaLearn More
PalomarLearn More
Sushi BarLearn More
TeppanyakiLearn More
Exclusive (open to select guests only)
The HavenLearn More

Bars and Drinks

Great Outdoors Cafe on the Jade
Great Outdoors Cafe on the Jade
Norwegian's Vibe Beach Club Bar
Norwegian's Vibe Beach Club Bar

The Norwegian Jade has 3 fewer bars than the Norwegian Prima.

Norwegian
Jade
Norwegian
Prima
Belvedere Bar
Bliss Ultra Lounge
Casino Bar
Great Outdoors Cafe
Improv at Sea
Java Cafe
Luna Bar
Magnum's Champagne & Wine Bar
Metropolitan Bar
Mixers Martini & Cocktail Bar
Observation Lounge Bar
Penrose Bar
Proof Whiskey Bar
Sake Bar
Soleil Bar
Speedway Bar
Spinnaker Lounge
Starbucks
Sugarcane Mojito Bar
Syd Norman's Pourhouse
Tankards Beer & Whiskey Bar
The Haven Bar*
The Local Bar
The Pit Stop
Topside Bar
Vibe Beach Club Bar*
Waves Pool Bar
* = this bar is exclusive and not open to everyone.

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 Prima below.



Pools and Hot Tubs

The main pool on the Norwegian Jade
The main pool on the Norwegian Jade
The main pool on the Norwegian Prima
The main pool on the Norwegian Prima

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.

Norwegian Prima has more pools than the Jade and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Prima. 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 Jade.

Norwegian
Jade
Norwegian
Prima
Total Pools34
Pools - General Access13
Pools - Adults Only1
Pools - Exclusive11
Total Hot Tubs56
Hot Tubs - General Access42
Hot Tubs - Adults Only
Hot Tubs - Exclusive14



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 Jade, 60% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Prima, only 47% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.

Norwegian
Jade
Norwegian
Prima
Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee)
Arcade
Basketball
Casino
Cigar Bar
Cigar Lounge
Comedy Club
Dart Lounge
Escape Room
Fitness Center
Golf Simulator
Jogging Track
Mini golf
Race Track
Shows - musical review
Spa
Splash park
Thermal Suites
Thrill Slide
Virtual Arcade
Water slides
Learn moreLearn 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 Jade will likely be cheaper than on Norwegian Prima.

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 & services20%
Soda Price$3.50
Domestic Beer Price$7.50
See drink menus
Drink Package Price106
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.

We sailed aboard the Norwegian Prima

Follow along on our sailing on the Norwegian Prima. We take you through every aspect of our sailing, from getting to the port to debarking the ship. See the schedule of events, menus, what excursions we did, and what we really thought about the ship.

Norwegian Prima - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - NYC

Norwegian Prima - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day

Norwegian Prima - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Halifax

Norwegian Prima - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Final Sea Day

5 Hits and Misses on the Norwegian Prima

Norwegian Prima Bar Menus

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