Cruise Spotlight
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Norwegian Luna vs Carnival Freedom
The Norwegian Luna is still being built and will debut in 2026. The Norwegian Luna will be the 21st ship in the NCL fleet, debuting in April 2026. The Luna is still under construction and Norwegian hasn't released all the details yet. It's 19 years newer than the Freedom, which was built in 2007 and renovated in 2023.
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 Luna is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,056 feet long and 133 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.9 football fields, as wide as 2.5 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 15-story building. Compared to the Carnival Freedom, the Luna is 42% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Luna holds 19% more passengers than the Freedom 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 Luna has more space per person compared to the Freedom. 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 Luna | Carnival Freedom | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Prima Plus | Conquest |
| Gross Tonnage | 156,300 | 110,000 |
| Length | 1,056 | 952 |
| Beam/Width | 133 | 116 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,550 | 2,980 |
| Crew | 1,388 | 1,150 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.6 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 44 | 37 |
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 Luna has seventeen different dining options like The Commodore Room, Indulge Food Hall, and Palomar. Of those options, six are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eleven options have an additional fee.
The Freedom has one more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Guy's Burger Joint, Blue Iguana Cantina, and Seafood Shack. thirteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other five have an additional fee.
The Norwegian Luna has about the same number of dining options as the Carnival Freedom.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Freedom might be a better choice then the Luna. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Norwegian Luna | Carnival Freedom | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 17 | 18 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 6 | 13 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 11 | 5 |
| % of Included Options | 35% | 72% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Luna has 3 more bars than the Carnival Freedom. The Luna has 16 bars like Improv at Sea, The Bull's Eye Bar and Vibe Beach Club Bar. On Luna, you can grab a drink at 13 different bars such as BlueIguana Tequila Bar, Heroes Tribute Bar and Scott's Piano Bar.
| Norwegian Luna | Carnival Freedom |
|---|---|
| •Belvedere Bar • Improv at Sea • Luna Bar • Metropolitan Bar • Observation Lounge Bar • Penrose Bar • Proof Whiskey Bar • Soleil Bar • Starbucks • Swirl Wine Bar • Syd Norman's Pourhouse • The Haven Bar • The Local Bar • The Bull's Eye Bar • Vibe Beach Club Bar • Waves Pool Bar | •70's Night Club • Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Casino Bar • Endless Bar • Habana Bar • Heroes Tribute Bar • International Aft Lounge • Java Blue Cafe • RedFrog Rum Bar • Scott's Piano Bar • Swingtime Bar |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Luna 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 Freedom 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 Luna and the Freedom 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 Luna has a total of 4 pools and 6 hot tubs. 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.
Carnival Freedom has fewer pools than the Luna and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Freedom. 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 Luna | Carnival Freedom | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 4 | 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 Luna. Only 53% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Freedom, 73% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Norwegian Luna | Carnival Freedom | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dart Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Slidecoaster | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thrill Slide | ✓ | ✗ |
| Virtual Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| 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 Luna will likely be more expensive than on Carnival Freedom.
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 Luna | Carnival Freedom | |
|---|---|---|
| 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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