Norwegian Spirit vs Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas

The Norwegian Spirit was built in 1998. It was renovated in 2022. It's 5 years older than the Serenade of the Seas, which was built in 2003 and renovated in 2023.

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 Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas, the Spirit is 16% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Norwegian Spirit holds about the same number of passengers as the Serenade 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 Spirit has less space per person compared to the Serenade of the Seas.

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 Teppanyaki, The Great Outdoors, and The Local. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other seven options have an additional fee.

The Serenade of the Seas has three fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Chops Grille, Izumi Sushi & Hot Rocks, and Chef's Table. eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other six have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Spirit might be a better choice. It has 33% more dining options than the Serenade of the Seas.

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

Bars and Drinks

The Norwegian Spirit has 2 fewer bars than the Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas. The Spirit has 9 bars like Henry's Pub, Spinnaker Lounge and Waves Pool Bar. On Spirit, you can grab a drink at 11 different bars such as Champagne Bar, Sky Bar and Vortex Nightclub.

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 Spirit and the Serenade 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 Spirit has a total of 2 pools and 4 hot tubs.

The Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas has the same number of pools as the Spirit and fewer hot tubs.

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 Spirit. Only 60% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Serenade of the Seas, 70% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

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 Spirit will likely be cheaper than on Royal Caribbean Serenade 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 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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