Cruise Spotlight
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Norwegian Pearl vs Norwegian Jewel
The Norwegian Pearl was built in 2006. It was renovated in 2017. It's 1 year newer than the Jewel, which was built in 2005 and renovated in 2022.
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 Pearl 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. The Pearl and the Jewel are in the same class, which means they're sister ships. For the most part, they're similar in terms of size and layout; although they may have different features and attractions on board.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Pearl holds about the same number of passengers as the Jewel based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or tons of ship compared to number of passengers, the Pearl has the same amount of space per person as the Jewel.
| Norwegian Pearl | Norwegian Jewel | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Jewel | Jewel |
| Gross Tonnage | 93,530 | 93,502 |
| Length | 965 | 965 |
| Beam/Width | 125 | 125 |
| Passenger Decks | 11 | 11 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,394 | 2,330 |
| Crew | 1,072 | 1,069 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 39 | 39 |
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 Pearl has fourteen different dining options like Topsiders Bar & Grill, Moderno Churrascaria, and Le Bistro French. Of those options, eleven are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eight options have an additional fee.
The Jewel has two fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Topsiders Bar & Grill, The Great Outdoors, and Sushi Bar. ten of these restaurants are complementary and the other seven have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Pearl might be a better choice. It has 17% more dining options than the Jewel.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
Restaurants on Norwegian Pearl & Jewel
| Restaurant | Norwegian Pearl |
Norwegian Jewel |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Included | |||
| Chin Chin | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Lotus Garden Asian Restaurant | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & Grill | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Sky High Bar & Grill | ✓ | ✗ | |
| The Great Outdoors | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Topsiders Bar & Grill | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| A la carte | |||
| Atrium Cafe | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Flat fee | |||
| Cagney's Steakhouse | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| La Cucina Italian | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Le Bistro French | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Moderno Churrascaria | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Sushi Bar | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Teppanyaki | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Pearl has 4 more bars than the Norwegian Jewel.
| Norwegian Pearl | Norwegian Jewel | |
|---|---|---|
| Atrium Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bliss Ultra Lounge | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Corona Cigar Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Great Outdoors Cafe | ✓ | ✓ |
| Magnum's Champagne & Wine Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Maltings Beer & Whiskey Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Moderno Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sake Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shakers Martini & Cocktail Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sky High Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spinnaker Lounge | ✓ | ✓ |
| Starbucks | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sugarcane Mojito Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| The Pit Stop | ✗ | ✓ |
| Topside 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.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Pearl and the Jewel 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 Pearl 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 Norwegian Jewel has the same number of pools as the Pearl and the same number of hot tubs.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools are adults only on Pearl.| Norwegian Pearl | Norwegian Jewel | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 5 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | ||
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 1 | 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 Pearl. Only 58% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Jewel, 60% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Norwegian Pearl | Norwegian Jewel | |
|---|---|---|
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bowling Alley | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Norwegian is a mainstream cruise line. 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 understand what you might spend onboard a Norwegian ship.
| Norwegian | |
|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $7.50 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | 106 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device |
| *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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