Cruise Spotlight
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Norwegian Sun vs Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas
The Norwegian Sun was built in 2001. It was renovated in 2018. It's 13 years older than the Quantum of the Seas, which was built in 2014 and renovated in 2024.
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 Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas, the Sun is 54% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Sun holds 54% fewer passengers than the Quantum of the Seas 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 Sun has the same amount of space per person as the Quantum of the Seas.
| Norwegian Sun | Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Sun | Quantum |
| Gross Tonnage | 78,309 | 168,666 |
| Length | 848 | 1,141 |
| Beam/Width | 123 | 136 |
| Passenger Decks | 8 | 14 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 1,936 | 4,180 |
| Crew | 906 | 1,500 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.1 | 2.8 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 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 Sun has 19 different dining options like Le Bistro French, The Great Outdoors, and Topsiders Bar & Grill. Of those options, 9 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 9 options have an additional fee.
The Quantum of the Seas has 2 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Izumi, Cafe Promenade, and Chef's Table. 13 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 8 have an additional fee.
The Norwegian Sun has about the same number of dining options as the Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Quantum of the Seas 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 | Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 19 | 21 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 9 | 13 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 9 | 8 |
| % of Included Options | 53% | 62% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Sun and Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas both have 10 bars to choose from during your sailing. The Sun has 10 bars like Atrium Bar, Champs Bar and Sports Bar. On Sun, you can grab a drink at 10 different bars such as Bionic Bar, Music Hall and Solarium Bar.
| Norwegian Sun | Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas |
|---|---|
| •Atrium Bar • Bliss Ultra Lounge • Casino Bar • Champs Bar • Great Outdoors Cafe • Spinnaker Lounge • Sports Bar • The Champagne Bar • Topside Bar • Windjammer Bar | •Bionic Bar • Boleros • Casino Bar • English Pub • Music Hall • Pool Bar • Schooner Bar • Sky Bar • Solarium Bar • 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 Sun and the Quantum 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 problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.
The Norwegian Sun has a total of 2 pools and 5 hot tubs.
Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas has more pools than the Sun and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Quantum of the Seas. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
| Norwegian Sun | Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 5 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | 4 |
| 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 Sun. Only 50% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Quantum of the Seas, 69% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Norwegian Sun | Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bionic Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bumper Cars | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✗ | ✓ |
| Indoor Sky Diving | ✗ | ✓ |
| Laser Tag | ✗ | ✓ |
| North Star | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| 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 Sun will likely be cheaper than on Royal Caribbean Quantum 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 Sun | Royal Caribbean Quantum 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 | $7.00 See drink menus | $8.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $109 Learn more | $70 - $125 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device | $17 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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