Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Norwegian Prima vs Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
The Norwegian Prima is a fairly new ship, being built in 2022. The Prima is the first of six in a brand-new class of ship. It's 6 years newer than the Harmony of the Seas, which was built in 2016.
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 Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas, the Prima is 37% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Prima holds 44% fewer passengers than the Harmony 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 Prima has more space per person compared to the Harmony 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 Harmony of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Norwegian Prima | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Prima | Oasis |
| Gross Tonnage | 143,535 | 226,963 |
| Length | 965 | 1,188 |
| Beam/Width | 133 | 216 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 16 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,099 | 5,497 |
| Crew | 1,506 | 2,200 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.1 | 2.5 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 46 | 41 |
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 18 different dining options like Surfside Grill, Hasuki, and Coco's. Of those options, 6 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 12 options have an additional fee.
The Harmony of the Seas has 8 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Dog House, Chops Grille, and Wonderland. 14 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 12 have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Harmony of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 44% more dining options than the Prima.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Harmony of the Seas 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 | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 18 | 26 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 6 | 14 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 12 | 12 |
| % of Included Options | 33% | 54% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Prima has 5 fewer bars than the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas. The Prima has 15 bars like Improv at Sea, Proof Whiskey Bar and Speedway Bar. On Prima, you can grab a drink at 20 different bars such as Rising Tide Bar, Sabor Bar and Suite Lounge.
| Norwegian Prima | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas |
|---|---|
| •Belvedere Bar • Improv at Sea • Luna Bar • Metropolitan Bar • Observation Lounge Bar • Penrose Bar • Proof Whiskey Bar • Soleil Bar • Speedway Bar • Starbucks • Syd Norman's Pourhouse • The Haven Bar • The Local Bar • Vibe Beach Club Bar • Waves Pool Bar | •Bionic Bar • Boleros • Casino Bar • Dazzles • English Pub • Mast Bar • On Air Club • Pool Bar • Rising Tide Bar • Sabor Bar • Sand Bar • Schooner Bar • Solarium Bar • Suite Lounge • Suite Sun Deck Bar • The Attic • Trellis Bar • Vintages • Wipeout Bar • Wonderland |
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 Prima and the Harmony 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 problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.
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.
Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas has fewer pools than the Prima and more hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Harmony 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 Prima | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 0 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 10 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 8 |
| 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 Prima. Only 47% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Harmony of the Seas, 77% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Norwegian Prima | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Aquatheater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bionic Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Carousel | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dart Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✗ | ✓ |
| Golf Simulator | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ice Skating | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Race Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thrill Slide | ✓ | ✓ |
| Virtual Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Zip Line | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Norwegian Prima will likely be more expensive than on Royal Caribbean Harmony 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 Prima | Royal Caribbean Harmony 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 | $7.00 See drink menus | $8.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $109 Learn more | $70 - $125 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device | $17 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.
We sailed aboard the Norwegian Prima and Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
We sailed aboard both of these ships. Follow along on our sailings at the links below. 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 ships.
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
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Fort Lauderdale
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Costa Maya
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Cozumel
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Sea Day
5 Hits and Misses on Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
Want to Stay Up-To-Date on All Things Cruising?
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
Articles Related the These Ships
About Cruise Spotlight
Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
Learn more about Cruise Spotlight.