Cruise Spotlight
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Norwegian Jewel vs MSC Seashore
The Norwegian Jewel was built in 2005. It was renovated in 2022. It's 16 years older than the Seashore, which was built in 2021. The MSC Seashore has a New York City-inspired aesthetic complete with a 10-foot-fall replica of the Statue of Liberty at the heart of the casino and shopping area called Times Square.
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. Compared to the MSC Seashore, the Jewel is 45% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Jewel holds 59% fewer passengers than the Seashore 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 Jewel has more space per person compared to the Seashore. 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 Jewel | MSC Seashore | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Jewel | Seaside EVO |
| Gross Tonnage | 93,502 | 169,400 |
| Length | 965 | 1,060 |
| Beam/Width | 125 | 135 |
| Passenger Decks | 11 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,330 | 5,632 |
| Crew | 1,069 | 1,648 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.2 | 3.4 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 39 | 30 |
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 eighteen different dining options like The Great Outdoors, Teppanyaki, and Le Bistro French. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other seven options have an additional fee.
The Seashore has two fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Marketplace Buffet, Kaito Teppanyaki, and HOLA! Tacos & Cantina. seven of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Jewel might be a better choice. It has 13% more dining options than the Seashore.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Jewel might be a better choice then the Seashore. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Norwegian Jewel | MSC Seashore | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 18 | 16 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 10 | 7 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 7 | 9 |
| % of Included Options | 61% | 44% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Jewel has 7 fewer bars than the MSC Seashore. The Jewel has 12 bars like Great Outdoors Cafe, Sake Bar and Spinnaker Lounge. On Jewel, you can grab a drink at 19 different bars such as Seashore Bar, Shine Bar and The Uptown Lounge.
| Norwegian Jewel | MSC Seashore |
|---|---|
| •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 | •Aurea Bar • Brooklyn Cafe • Casino Bar • Champagne Bar • Chef's Court Cocktail Bar • Horizon Bar • Infinity Bar • Jungle Pool Beach Bar • Le Cabaret Rouge • Long Island Bar • MSC Yacht Club Grill & Bar • Seashore Bar • Shine Bar • Sky Bar • Sports Bar • The Uptown Lounge • The Wine Cellar • Top Sail Lounge • Venchi 1878 Chocolate 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 Jewel and the Seashore 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.
MSC Seashore has more pools than the Jewel and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Seashore. 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 Jewel.| Norwegian Jewel | MSC Seashore | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 5 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 2 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 5 | 15 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 12 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | ||
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 1 | 3 |
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 Seashore, only 54% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Norwegian Jewel | MSC Seashore | |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure Trail | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| F1 Simulator | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Glass Bridge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Theater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Norwegian and MSC 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 MSC Seashore.
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 | MSC Seashore | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $20.00 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | |
| Domestic Beer Price | $7.50 See drink menus | See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | 106 Learn more | $46 - $85 |
| Internet Plan | $29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device | $17 - $27 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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