Cruise Spotlight
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Norwegian Sky vs Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas
The Norwegian Sky was built in 1999. It was renovated in 2019. It's 7 years older than the Freedom of the Seas, which was built in 2006 and renovated in 2025.
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 Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas, the Sky is 51% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Sky holds 49% fewer passengers than the Freedom of the Seas 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 Freedom of the Seas.
| Norwegian Sky | Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Sun | Freedom |
| Gross Tonnage | 77,104 | 156,271 |
| Length | 848 | 1,112 |
| Beam/Width | 123 | 185 |
| Passenger Decks | 8 | 14 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,004 | 3,934 |
| Crew | 899 | 1,447 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.2 | 2.7 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 38 | 40 |
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 nine different dining options like Topsiders Bar & Grill, Cagney's Steakhouse, and Main Dining Room. Of those options, nine are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other four options have an additional fee.
The Freedom of the Seas has five more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Windjammer, Vintages Wine Bar, and Sorrento's Pizza. ten of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Freedom of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 56% 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 Freedom of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Norwegian Sky | Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 9 | 14 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 9 | 10 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 4 | 9 |
| % of Included Options | 56% | 36% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Sky has 4 fewer bars than the Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas. The Sky has 9 bars like Atrium Bar, Champs Bar and Sugarcane Mojito Bar. On Sky, you can grab a drink at 13 different bars such as Solarium Bar, The Plaza Bar and Vintages.
| Norwegian Sky | Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas |
|---|---|
| •Atrium Bar • Bliss Ultra Lounge • Champs Bar • Pinnacle Lounge and Sushi Bar • Spinnaker Lounge • Starbucks • Sugarcane Mojito Bar • The Local Bar • Topside Bar | •Boleros • Casino Bar • English Pub • Playmakers • R Bar • Schooner Bar • Solarium Bar • Star Lounge • Suite Lounge • The Lime & Coconut • The Plaza Bar • Viking Crown Lounge • Vintages |
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 Sky and the Freedom 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 Sky has a total of 2 pools and 5 hot tubs.
Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas has more pools than the Sky and the same number of hot tubs.
| Norwegian Sky | Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 5 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 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 Sky. Only 57% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Freedom of the Seas, 80% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Norwegian Sky | Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Laser Tag | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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 Sky will likely be cheaper than on Royal Caribbean Freedom 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 Sky | Royal Caribbean Freedom 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 | $7.50 See drink menus | $8.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | 106 Learn more | $77 - $118 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device | $19 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.
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