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Norwegian Luna vs Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas
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 1 year newer than the Star of the Seas, which was built in 2025. Star of the Seas will start sailing in Summer 2025. It'll feature many of the same restaurants and attractions as its sister-ship Icon of the Seas. The Star of the Seas is still under construction and Royal Caribbean hasn't released all the details yet.
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 Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas, the Luna is 38% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Luna holds 37% fewer passengers than the Star 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 Luna has less space per person compared to the Star of the Seas.
The Star of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Norwegian Luna | Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Prima Plus | Icon |
| Gross Tonnage | 156,300 | 250,800 |
| Length | 1,056 | 1,198 |
| Beam/Width | 133 | 216 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 18 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,550 | 5,610 |
| Crew | 1,388 | 2,350 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.6 | 2.4 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 44 | 45 |
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 Surfside Grill, Onda by Scarpetta, and Nama. Of those options, six are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eleven options have an additional fee.
The Star of the Seas has twelve more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Surfside Bites, Giovanni's Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, and Windjammer. fourteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other fifteen have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Star of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 71% more dining options than the Luna.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Star of the Seas 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 | Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 17 | 29 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 6 | 14 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 11 | 15 |
| % of Included Options | 35% | 48% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Luna has 8 fewer bars than the Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas. The Luna has 16 bars like Improv at Sea, Proof Whiskey Bar and Soleil Bar. On Luna, you can grab a drink at 24 different bars such as Bubbles, Desserted Milkshake Bar and English Pub.
| Norwegian Luna | Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas |
|---|---|
| •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 | •Basecamp Bar • Boleros • Bubbles • Cantina Fresca • Casino Bar • Desserted Milkshake Bar • Dueling Pianos • English Pub • Giovanni's Wine Bar • Lou's Jazz 'N Blues • Music Hall • Playmakers • Rye & Bean • Schooner Bar • Spotlight Karaoke • Swim & Tonic • The Grove Bar • The Hideaway Bar • The Lemon Post • The Lime & Coconut • The Lime & Coconut: Frozen • The Overlook • Trellis Bar • Windjammer 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. 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 Luna and the Star 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 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.
Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas has more pools than the Luna and more hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Star 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.
| Norwegian Luna | Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 7 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 5 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 10 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 8 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | |
| 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. You might up paying more while on board the Luna. Only 53% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Star of the Seas, 79% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Norwegian Luna | Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Aquatheater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Carousel | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dart Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✗ | ✓ |
| Laser Tag | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Slidecoaster | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thrill Slide | ✓ | ✗ |
| Virtual Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Waterpark | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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.
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 | Royal Caribbean Star 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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