Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Norwegian Jade vs Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas
The Norwegian Jade was built in 2006. It was renovated in 2017. The Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas was built in 2006 and renovated in 2020.
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 Freedom of the Seas, the Jade is 40% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Jade holds 39% fewer passengers than the Freedom 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 Freedom of the Seas.
| Norwegian Jade | Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Jewel | Freedom |
| Gross Tonnage | 93,558 | 156,271 |
| Length | 965 | 1,112 |
| Beam/Width | 125 | 185 |
| Passenger Decks | 11 | 14 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,402 | 3,934 |
| Crew | 1,307 | 1,447 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 1.8 | 2.7 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 39 | 40 |
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 The Great Outdoors, O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & Grill, and Main Dining Room. Of those options, 11 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 8 options have an additional fee.
The Freedom of the Seas has 1 fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are El Loco Fresh, Vintages Wine Bar, and Cafe Promenade. 10 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 9 have an additional fee.
The Norwegian Jade has about the same number of dining options as the Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Jade might be a better choice then the Freedom of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Norwegian Jade | Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 20 | 19 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 11 | 10 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 8 | 9 |
| % of Included Options | 60% | 53% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Jade has 1 fewer bar than the Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas. The Jade has 12 bars like Bliss Ultra Lounge, Java Cafe and Tankards Beer & Whiskey Bar. On Jade, you can grab a drink at 13 different bars such as Boleros, R Bar and Viking Crown Lounge.
| Norwegian Jade | Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas |
|---|---|
| •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 | •Boleros • Casino Bar • English Pub • Playmakers • R Bar • Schooner Bar • Solarium Bar • Star Lounge • Suite Lounge • The Lime & Coconut • The Plaza Bar • Viking Crown Lounge • Vintages |
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 Freedom 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 Freedom of the Seas has the same number of pools as the Jade and the same number of hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Freedom 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.
| Norwegian Jade | Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 5 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 3 |
| 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 Freedom of the Seas, 80% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Norwegian Jade | Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Laser Tag | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| 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.
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 | Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $20.00 | $18.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $6.00 See drink menus | $7.49 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $109 Learn more | $60-$90 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $12.50 to $25 per device per day | $13 to $27 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
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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