Norwegian Sky vs Norwegian Encore

The Norwegian Sky was built in 1999. It was renovated in 2019. It's 20 years older than the Encore, which was built in 2019 and renovated in 2024.

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 Sky is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 848 feet long and 123 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.4 football fields, as wide as 2.3 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 8-story building. Compared to the Norwegian Encore, the Sky is 54% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Norwegian Sky holds 50% fewer passengers than the Encore 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 Sky has less space per person compared to the Encore.

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 Sky has 14 different dining options like Main Dining Room, Le Bistro French, and La Cucina Italian. Of those options, 9 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 4 options have an additional fee.

The Encore has 9 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Cagney's Steakhouse, Onda by Scarpetta, and Garden Cafe. 10 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 13 have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Encore might be a better choice. It has 64% more dining options than the Sky.

If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Sky might be a better choice then the Encore. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.

Restaurants on Norwegian Sky & Encore

Bars and Drinks

The Norwegian Sky has 7 fewer bars than the Norwegian Encore.

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 Sky and the Encore 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 Sky has a total of 2 pools and 5 hot tubs.

Norwegian Encore has more pools than the Sky and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Encore. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.

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. On both ships, 57% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare.

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. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Norwegian Sky will likely be cheaper than on Norwegian Encore.

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 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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