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Norwegian Prima vs Princess Cruises Ruby Princess
The Norwegian Prima was built in 2022. The Prima is the first of six in a brand-new class of ship. It's 14 years newer than the Ruby Princess, which was built in 2008 and renovated in 2018. This ship is the second to sail under the Regal Princess name.
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
- See Our Detailed Cruise Blog
Ship Size
The Prima is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 965 feet long and 133 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.7 football fields, as wide as 2.5 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 15-story building. Compared to the Princess Cruises Ruby Princess, the Prima is 26% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Prima holds about the same number of passengers as the Ruby Princess 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 Prima has more space per person compared to the Ruby Princess. 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 Prima | Princess Cruises Ruby Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Prima | Crown |
| Gross Tonnage | 143,535 | 113,561 |
| Length | 965 | 951 |
| Beam/Width | 133 | 118 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 19 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,099 | 3,080 |
| Crew | 1,506 | 1,200 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.1 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 46 | 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 Prima has seventeen different dining options like The Local, Cagney's Steakhouse, and Hudsons. Of those options, six are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other twelve options have an additional fee.
The Ruby Princess has four fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Coffee and Cones, Sabatini's, and Slice. eleven of these restaurants are complementary and the other five have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Prima might be a better choice. It has 31% more dining options than the Ruby Princess.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Ruby Princess might be a better choice then the Prima. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Norwegian Prima | Princess Cruises Ruby Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 17 | 13 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 6 | 11 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 12 | 5 |
| % of Included Options | 29% | 62% |
| 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 Prima and the Ruby Princess 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 Prima 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.
The Princess Cruises Ruby Princess has the same number of pools as the Prima and the same number of hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Ruby Princess. 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 Prima | Princess Cruises Ruby Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 4 |
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 Prima. Only 47% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Ruby Princess, 67% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Norwegian Prima | Princess Cruises Ruby Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Afternoon Tea | ✗ | ✓ |
| Art Auctions | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dart Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Golf Simulator | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Putting green | ✗ | ✓ |
| Race Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sports Court | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✓ | ✗ |
| Virtual Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Norwegian is considered 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.
Princess Cruises, on the other hand, is a premium cruise line. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 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. To get a good idea of how the pricing compares, visit the cruise line's website to price out the separate cruises or consult a travel professional.
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 Prima | Princess Cruises Ruby Princess | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $20.00 | $17.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $2.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $7.50 See drink menus | $6.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | 106 Learn more | $77 -$100 |
| Internet Plan | $29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device | $24.99 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.
Princess Cruises offers two packages to bundle onboard expenses. The Princess Plus package includes daily gratuities, the basic beverage package, 2 fitness classes, 2 casual dining meals, and internet for $60 per day per guest. The Princess Premier package upgrades to the premiere beverage package, wifi for up to 4 devices per guest, two specialty dining meals, unlimited casual dining meals, unlimited fitness classes, and a photo package for $80 per guest per day.
We sailed aboard the Norwegian Prima
Follow along on our sailing on the Norwegian Prima. We take you through every aspect of our sailing, from getting to the port to debarking the ship. See the schedule of events, menus, what excursions we did, and what we really thought about the ship.
Norwegian Prima - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - NYC
Norwegian Prima - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day
Norwegian Prima - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Halifax
Norwegian Prima - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Final Sea Day
5 Hits and Misses on the Norwegian Prima
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