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Norwegian Joy vs MSC Meraviglia
The Norwegian Joy was built in 2017. It was renovated in 2024. The Joy will undergo some renovations in Jan 2024. They'll remove the Galaxy Pavilion virtual reality arcade and Laser Tag and add a Thermal Suite and expanded Vibe Beach Club. The MSC Meraviglia was built in 2017.
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 Joy is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,094 feet long and 136 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3 football fields, as wide as 2.6 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 15-story building. It's about the same size as the MSC Meraviglia.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Joy holds 33% fewer passengers than the Meraviglia 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 Joy has more space per person compared to the Meraviglia. 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 Joy | MSC Meraviglia | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Breakaway Plus | Meraviglia |
| Gross Tonnage | 167,725 | 171,598 |
| Length | 1,094 | 1,036 |
| Beam/Width | 136 | 121 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,802 | 5,642 |
| Crew | 1,821 | 1,608 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.1 | 3.5 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 44 | 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 Joy has 21 different dining options like American Diner, Ocean Blue, and Teppanyaki. Of those options, 10 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 11 options have an additional fee.
The Meraviglia has 21 fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are of these restaurants are complementary.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Joy might be a better choice. It has more than double the amount of dining options than the Meraviglia.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
| Norwegian Joy | MSC Meraviglia | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 21 | |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 10 | |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 11 | |
| % of Included Options | 48% | NAN% |
| See the options | See the options |
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.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Joy and the Meraviglia 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 Joy has a total of 3 pools and 9 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 2 of the hot tubs are adults only. 1 of the pools and 4 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 Meraviglia has more pools than the Joy and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Meraviglia. 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 Joy | MSC Meraviglia | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 0 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 9 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 3 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 4 | 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.
| Norwegian Joy | MSC Meraviglia | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cigar Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Observation Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Race Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✗ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| 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.
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 Joy | MSC Meraviglia | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | $7.00 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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