Cruise Spotlight
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Norwegian Sun vs Celebrity Eclipse
The Norwegian Sun was built in 2001. It was renovated in 2018. The Norwegian Sun will leave the fleet in 2027. It's 9 years older than the Eclipse, which was built in 2010 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 Sun 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 Celebrity Eclipse, the Sun is 36% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Sun holds 32% fewer passengers than the Eclipse 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 Sun has less space per person compared to the Eclipse.
| Norwegian Sun | Celebrity Eclipse | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Sun | Solstice |
| Gross Tonnage | 78,309 | 122,000 |
| Length | 848 | 1,040 |
| Beam/Width | 123 | 121 |
| Passenger Decks | 8 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 1,936 | 2,850 |
| Crew | 906 | 1,286 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.1 | 2.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 43 |
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 Sun has thirteen different dining options like Le Bistro French, Main Dining Room, and Teppanyaki. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other ten options have an additional fee.
The Eclipse has three fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Oceanview Cafe, Murano, and Luminae. Nine of these restaurants are complementary and the other six have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Sun might be a better choice. It has 30% more dining options than the Eclipse.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Eclipse might be a better choice then the Sun. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Norwegian Sun | Celebrity Eclipse | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 13 | 10 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 10 | 9 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 10 | 6 |
| % of Included Options | 23% | 40% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Sun has 6 fewer bars than the Celebrity Eclipse. The Sun has 10 bars like Bliss Ultra Lounge, Sports Bar and Windjammer Bar. On Eclipse, you can grab a drink at 16 different bars such as Martini Bar, Quasar and World Class Bar.
| Norwegian Sun | Celebrity Eclipse |
|---|---|
| •Atrium Bar • Bliss Ultra Lounge • Casino Bar • Champs Bar • Great Outdoors Cafe • Spinnaker Lounge • Sports Bar • The Champagne Bar • Topside Bar • Windjammer Bar | •Cafe al Bacio • Casino Bar • Cellar Masters • Ensemble Lounge • Il Secondo Bacio • Martini Bar • Mast Bar • Michael's Club • Oceanview Bar • Passport Bar • Pool Bar • Quasar • Sky Observation Lounge • Sunset bar • The Whiskey and Cigar House • World Class 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 Sun and the Eclipse 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 Sun has a total of 2 pools and 5 hot tubs.
Celebrity Eclipse has more pools than the Sun and more hot tubs.
| Norwegian Sun | Celebrity Eclipse | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | ||
| Total Hot Tubs | 5 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| 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. You might up paying more while on board the Sun. Only 50% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Eclipse, 73% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Norwegian Sun | Celebrity Eclipse | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Beyond the Podium Talk Series | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Lawn Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Outdoor movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pickleball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| 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 Sun | Celebrity Eclipse | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $20.00 | $18.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $4.75 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $9.99 See drink menus | $9.99 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | 106 Learn more | $55 - $99 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 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.
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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