Cruise Spotlight
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Norwegian Jewel vs Carnival Luminosa
The Norwegian Jewel was built in 2005. It was renovated in 2022. It's 4 years older than the Luminosa, which was built in 2009 and renovated in 2022. The Carnival Luminosa originally sailed with Carnival's sister cruise line, Costa Cruises. Because of that, it will have some differences compared to other Spirit-class ships and will be missing some Carnival signature items like Guy's Burger Joint.
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 Jewel 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. It's about the same size as the Carnival Luminosa.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Jewel holds about the same number of passengers as the Luminosa 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 Jewel has less space per person compared to the Luminosa.
| Norwegian Jewel | Carnival Luminosa | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Jewel | Spirit |
| Gross Tonnage | 93,502 | 92,720 |
| Length | 965 | 964 |
| Beam/Width | 125 | 106 |
| Passenger Decks | 11 | 12 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,330 | 2,260 |
| Crew | 1,069 | 926 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.2 | 2.4 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 39 | 41 |
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 Jewel has twelve different dining options like Topsiders Bar & Grill, Main Dining Room, and Moderno Churrascaria. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other seven options have an additional fee.
The Luminosa has three fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are The Chef's Table, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, and JavaBlue Cafe. ten of these restaurants are complementary and the other four have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Jewel might be a better choice. It has 33% more dining options than the Luminosa.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Luminosa might be a better choice then the Jewel. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Norwegian Jewel | Carnival Luminosa | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 12 | 9 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 10 | 10 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 7 | 4 |
| % of Included Options | 42% | 56% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Jewel has 3 more bars than the Carnival Luminosa. The Jewel has 12 bars like Magnum's Champagne & Wine Bar, Spinnaker Lounge and Sugarcane Mojito Bar. On Jewel, you can grab a drink at 9 different bars such as Alchemy Bar, Java Blue Cafe and Piano Bar 88.
| Norwegian Jewel | Carnival Luminosa |
|---|---|
| •Atrium Bar • Bliss Ultra Lounge • Great Outdoors Cafe • Magnum's Champagne & Wine Bar • Maltings Beer & Whiskey Bar • O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill • Sake Bar • Shakers Martini & Cocktail Bar • Spinnaker Lounge • Sugarcane Mojito Bar • The Pit Stop • Topside Bar | •Alchemy Bar • Altair Nightclub • Atrium Bar • Casino Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Limelight Lounge • Ocean Plaza Bar • Piano Bar 88 • Sunset Bar |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Jewel 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 Luminosa 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 Jewel and the Luminosa 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 Jewel 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 Luminosa has fewer pools than the Jewel and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Luminosa. 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 Jewel.| Norwegian Jewel | Carnival Luminosa | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 5 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 1 |
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 Jewel, 60% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Luminosa, only 58% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Norwegian Jewel | Carnival Luminosa | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| 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 Jewel will likely be cheaper than on Carnival Luminosa.
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 Jewel | Carnival Luminosa | |
|---|---|---|
| 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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