Norwegian Jade vs Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas

The Norwegian Jade was built in 2006. It was renovated in 2017. It's 6 years newer than the Explorer of the Seas, which was built in 2000 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 Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas, the Jade is 32% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Norwegian Jade holds 27% fewer passengers than the Explorer 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 Jade has less space per person compared to the Explorer of the Seas.

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 20 different dining options like O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & Grill, Teppanyaki, and Le Bistro French. Of those options, 11 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 8 options have an additional fee.

The Explorer of the Seas has 6 fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Giovanni's Table, Chef's Table, and Chops Grille. 8 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 6 have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Jade might be a better choice. It has 43% more dining options than the Explorer of the Seas.

Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.

Bars and Drinks

The Norwegian Jade has 2 more bars than the Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas. The Jade has 12 bars like Casino Bar, Sake Bar and The Pit Stop. On Jade, you can grab a drink at 10 different bars such as R Bar, Solarium Bar and Star Lounge.

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 Jade and the Explorer 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 problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.

The Norwegian Jade has a total of 3 pools and 5 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools are adults only. 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.

The Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas has the same number of pools as the Jade and more hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Explorer 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.

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 Explorer of the Seas, 71% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

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 Jade will likely be more expensive than on Royal Caribbean Explorer 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 Cruise Line offers a Free at Sea fare. Through this program, guests receive free open bar, a discount on excursions, some free internet, and some meals at their 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 Free 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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