Norwegian Luna vs Royal Caribbean Wonder 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 4 years newer than the Wonder of the Seas, which was built in 2022. The Wonder of the Seas has quite a few upgrades from its Oasis-class siblings such as a new suite neighborhood, a fully enclosed Solarium, an outdoor bar called The Vue, and an outdoor kid's play area.

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 Wonder of the Seas, the Luna is 34% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Norwegian Luna holds 38% fewer passengers than the Wonder of the Seas 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 Wonder of the Seas. 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.

The Wonder of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.

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 Hasuki, Los Lobos, and The Commodore Room. Of those options, six are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eleven options have an additional fee.

The Wonder of the Seas has eleven more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are The Mason Jar, El Loco Fresh, and Chops Grille. fourteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other fourteen have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Wonder of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 65% more dining options than the Luna.

If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Wonder 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.

Bars and Drinks

The Norwegian Luna has 4 fewer bars than the Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas. The Luna has 16 bars like Belvedere Bar, Improv at Sea and Metropolitan Bar. On Luna, you can grab a drink at 20 different bars such as Giovanni's Wine Bar, Playmakers and Wipeout 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 Wonder 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 Wonder of the Seas has more pools than the Luna and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Wonder 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.

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 Wonder of the Seas, 78% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

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 Luna will likely be more expensive than on Royal Caribbean Wonder 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 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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