Cruise Spotlight
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Norwegian Star vs Norwegian Jade
The Norwegian Star was built in 2001. It was renovated in 2024. It's 5 years older than the Jade, which was built in 2006 and renovated in 2017.
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 Star is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 965 feet long and 125 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.7 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 12-story building. It's about the same size as the Norwegian Jade.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Star holds about the same number of passengers as the Jade based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or tons of ship compared to number of passengers, the Star has the same amount of space per person as the Jade.
| Norwegian Star | Norwegian Jade | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Dawn | Jewel |
| Gross Tonnage | 91,740 | 93,558 |
| Length | 965 | 965 |
| Beam/Width | 125 | 125 |
| Passenger Decks | 12 | 11 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,348 | 2,402 |
| Crew | 1,031 | 1,307 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 1.8 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 39 | 39 |
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 Star has twelve different dining options like Teppanyaki, Topsiders Bar & Grill, and Moderno Churrascaria. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eight options have an additional fee.
The Jade has two more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Le Bistro French, Cagney's Steakhouse, and The Great Outdoors. Twelve of these restaurants are complementary and the other eight have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Jade might be a better choice. It has 17% more dining options than the Star.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Jade might be a better choice then the Star. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on Norwegian Star & Jade
| Restaurant | Norwegian Star |
Norwegian Jade |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Included | |||
| Ginza | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Jasmine Garden | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & Grill | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| The Great Outdoors | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| The Pit Stop | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Topsiders Bar & Grill | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| A la carte | |||
| Atrium Cafe | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Flat fee | |||
| Cagney's Steakhouse | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| La Cucina Italian | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Le Bistro French | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Moderno Churrascaria | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Sushi Bar | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Teppanyaki | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Star has 2 fewer bars than the Norwegian Jade.
| Norwegian Star | Norwegian Jade | |
|---|---|---|
| Atrium Cafe | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bliss Ultra Lounge | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Gatsby's Champagne Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Great Outdoors Cafe | ✗ | ✓ |
| Java Cafe | ✗ | ✓ |
| Magnum's Champagne & Wine Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mixers Martini & Cocktail Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill | ✓ | ✗ |
| Proof Whiskey Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sake Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sky High Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spice H2O | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spinnaker Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sugarcane Mojito Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tankards Beer & Whiskey Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| The Pit Stop | ✗ | ✓ |
| Topside Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
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 Star and the Jade 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 Star has a total of 2 pools and 5 hot tubs. 1 of the pools 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.
Norwegian Jade has more pools than the Star and the same number of hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Jade. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
| Norwegian Star | Norwegian Jade | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 5 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | ||
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 1 |
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 Star, 64% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Jade, only 60% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Norwegian Star | Norwegian Jade | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
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 Star will likely be cheaper than on Norwegian Jade.
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 | |
|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $9.99 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | 106 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | |
Norwegian Cruise Line offers a Free 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 Free 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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