Cruise Spotlight
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Royal Princess vs Encore
The Princess Cruises Royal Princess was built in 2013. It was renovated in 2018. This ship is the third to carry the Royal Princess name. It's also one of 3 ships that feature Princess' Watercolor Fantasy Show, an outdoor dancing fountain show. It's 6 years older than the Encore, which was built in 2019 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 Royal Princess is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,083 feet long and 126 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 19-story building. Compared to the Norwegian Encore, the Royal Princess is 15% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Princess Cruises Royal Princess holds 11% fewer passengers than the Encore 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 Royal Princess has less space per person compared to the Encore.
| Princess Cruises Royal Princess | Norwegian Encore | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Royal | Breakaway Plus |
| Gross Tonnage | 142,229 | 167,800 |
| Length | 1,083 | 1,094 |
| Beam/Width | 126 | 136 |
| Passenger Decks | 19 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,560 | 3,998 |
| Crew | 1,346 | 1,735 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.6 | 2.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 42 |
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 Royal Princess has fifteen different dining options like Main Dining Room, Crown Grill, and Chef's Table Lumiere. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eight options have an additional fee.
The Encore has the same number of dining venues. Some of its popular venues are The Local, Food Republic, and Onda by Scarpetta. ten of these restaurants are complementary and the other thirteen have an additional fee.
The Princess Cruises Royal Princess has about the same number of dining options as the Norwegian Encore.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Royal Princess might be a better choice then the Encore. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Princess Cruises Royal Princess | Norwegian Encore | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 15 | 15 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 10 | 10 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 8 | 13 |
| % of Included Options | 47% | 13% |
| See the options | See the options |
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.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Encore 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 Princess Cruises Royal Princess has a total of 3 pools and 7 hot tubs.
The Norwegian Encore has the same number of pools as the Royal Princess and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Encore. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Royal Princess.| Princess Cruises Royal Princess | Norwegian Encore | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 7 | 9 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 0 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 5 |
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 Royal Princess, 73% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Encore, only 57% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Princess Cruises Royal Princess | Norwegian Encore | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Afternoon Tea | ✓ | ✗ |
| Animated fountain | ✓ | ✗ |
| Art Auctions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Observation Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Race Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sports Court | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Virtual Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Princess Cruises 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.
Norwegian, on the other hand, 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.
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.
| Princess Cruises Royal Princess | Norwegian Encore | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $17.00 | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $2.50 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $6.25 | $7.50 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 -$100 | 106 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $24.99 per device per day | $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. | ||
Princess Cruises offers two packages to bundle onboard expenses. The Princess Plus package includes daily gratuities, the basic beverage package, 2 fitness classes, 2 casual dining meals, and internet for $60 per day per guest. The Princess Premier package upgrades to the premiere beverage package, wifi for up to 4 devices per guest, two specialty dining meals, unlimited casual dining meals, unlimited fitness classes, and a photo package for $80 per guest per day.
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.
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