Cruise Spotlight
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Norwegian Spirit vs Celebrity Millennium
The Norwegian Spirit was built in 1998. It was renovated in 2022. It's 2 years older than the Millennium, which was built in 2000 and renovated in 2019.
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 Spirit is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 880 feet long and 126 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.4 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 9-story building. Compared to the Celebrity Millennium, the Spirit is 17% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Spirit holds about the same number of passengers as the Millennium 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 Spirit has less space per person compared to the Millennium.
| Norwegian Spirit | Celebrity Millennium | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Spirit | Millennium |
| Gross Tonnage | 75,904 | 90,940 |
| Length | 880 | 964 |
| Beam/Width | 126 | 105 |
| Passenger Decks | 9 | 11 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,032 | 2,218 |
| Crew | 912 | 1,024 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 38 | 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 Spirit has twelve different dining options like Sushi Bar, Main Dining Room, and Teppanyaki. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other seven options have an additional fee.
The Millennium has four fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Sushi on Five, Tuscan Grille, and Blu. eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other five have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Spirit might be a better choice. It has 50% more dining options than the Millennium.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Spirit might be a better choice then the Millennium. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Norwegian Spirit | Celebrity Millennium | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 12 | 8 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 10 | 8 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 7 | 5 |
| % of Included Options | 42% | 38% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Spirit has 1 fewer bar than the Celebrity Millennium. The Spirit has 9 bars like Atrium Bar, Bier Garten and Spice H2O. On Spirit, you can grab a drink at 10 different bars such as Cafe al Bacio, Mast Bar and Rendezvous Lounge.
| Norwegian Spirit | Celebrity Millennium |
|---|---|
| •Atrium Bar • Bier Garten • Henry's Pub • Magnum's Champagne & Wine Bar • Social Comedy & Night Club • Spice H2O • Spinnaker Lounge • The Local Bar • Waves Pool Bar | •Cafe al Bacio • Casino Bar • Cellar Masters • Martini Bar • Mast Bar • Pool bar • Rendezvous Lounge • Sky Lounge • Sunset Bar • The Retreat Lounge |
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 Spirit and the Millennium 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 Spirit has a total of 2 pools and 4 hot tubs.
Celebrity Millennium has more pools than the Spirit and the same number of hot tubs.
| Norwegian Spirit | Celebrity Millennium | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | ||
| Total Hot Tubs | 4 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive |
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 the Spirit, 60% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Millennium, only 50% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Norwegian Spirit | Celebrity Millennium | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bingo | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Outdoor movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| 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.
Celebrity, 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 Spirit | Celebrity Millennium | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $20.00 | $18.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $4.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $7.50 See drink menus | $8.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | 106 Learn more | $65 - $95 |
| 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.
Celebrity Cruise Lines offers an "All Included" program. Guests who book a cruise using this promotion will have wifi and alcohol included. Some sailings are available without this program so pay attention when booking. Typically prices are lower if they don't include "Always Included." The wifi and alcohol package are the base levels and can be upgraded for an additional cost.
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