Cruise Spotlight
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Norwegian Jewel vs Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas
The Norwegian Jewel was built in 2005. It was renovated in 2022. It's 3 years older than the Independence of the Seas, which was built in 2008 and renovated in 2018.
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 Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas, the Jewel is 39% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Jewel holds 40% fewer passengers than the Independence 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 Jewel has less space per person compared to the Independence of the Seas.
| Norwegian Jewel | Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Jewel | Freedom |
| Gross Tonnage | 93,502 | 154,407 |
| Length | 965 | 1,112 |
| Beam/Width | 125 | 185 |
| Passenger Decks | 11 | 14 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,330 | 3,858 |
| Crew | 1,069 | 1,440 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.2 | 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 Jewel has twelve different dining options like Le Bistro French, Topsiders Bar & Grill, and La Cucina Italian. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other seven options have an additional fee.
The Independence of the Seas has one more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Chops Grille, Cafe Promenade, and Windjammer. nine of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.
The Norwegian Jewel has about the same number of dining options as the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Jewel might be a better choice then the Independence of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Norwegian Jewel | Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 12 | 13 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 10 | 9 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 7 | 9 |
| % of Included Options | 42% | 31% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Jewel has 2 fewer bars than the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas. The Jewel has 12 bars like Bliss Ultra Lounge, Spinnaker Lounge and Topside Bar. On Jewel, you can grab a drink at 14 different bars such as Casino Bar, Playmakers and Star Lounge.
| Norwegian Jewel | Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas |
|---|---|
| •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 | •Boleros • Casino Bar • Champagne Bar • English Pub • Olive or Twist • Playmakers • Pool Bar • Schooner Bar • Sky Lounge • Solarium Bar • Star Lounge • Suite Lounge • The Plaza Bar • 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 Jewel and the Independence 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 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.
The Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas has the same number of pools as the Jewel and more hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Independence 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.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools are adults only on Jewel.| Norwegian Jewel | Royal Caribbean Independence 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 | 7 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 5 |
| 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 Jewel. Only 60% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Independence of the Seas, 72% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Norwegian Jewel | Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Laser Tag | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Norwegian Jewel will likely be cheaper than on Royal Caribbean Independence 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 Jewel | Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $20.00 | $18.50 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $7.50 See drink menus | $8.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | 106 Learn more | $77 - $118 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device | $19 to $30 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.
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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