Ruby Princess vs Jade

The Princess Cruises Ruby Princess was built in 2008. It was renovated in 2018. This ship is the second to sail under the Regal Princess name. It's 2 years newer 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 Ruby Princess is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 951 feet long and 118 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.6 football fields, as wide as 2.2 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 19-story building. Compared to the Norwegian Jade, the Ruby Princess is 21% larger in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Princess Cruises Ruby Princess holds 28% more passengers than the Jade 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 Ruby Princess has less space per person compared to the Jade.

	Princess Cruises Ruby Princess	Norwegian Jade
Class	Crown	Jewel
Gross Tonnage	113,561	93,558
Length	951	965
Beam/Width	118	125
Passenger Decks	19	11
Passengers (double occupancy)	3,080	2,402
Crew	1,200	1,307
Passenger to Crew Ratio	2.6	1.8
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)	37	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 Ruby Princess has thirteen different dining options like Coffee and Cones, The Salty Dog Grill, and World Fresh Marketplace. Of those options, eleven are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.

The Jade has one more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Cagney's Steakhouse, Teppanyaki, and Topsiders Bar & Grill. Twelve of these restaurants are complementary and the other eight have an additional fee.

The Princess Cruises Ruby Princess has about the same number of dining options as the Norwegian Jade.

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

	Princess Cruises Ruby Princess	Norwegian Jade
Total Dining Options	13	14
Complimentary Dining Options:	11	12
Additional Fee Dining Options:	5	8
% of Included Options	62%	43%
	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 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 Princess Cruises Ruby Princess has a total of 4 pools and 6 hot tubs.

Norwegian Jade has fewer pools than the Ruby Princess and fewer 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.

Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Ruby Princess.

	Princess Cruises Ruby Princess	Norwegian Jade
Total Pools	4	3
Pools - General Access	3	1
Pools - Adults Only	1	1
Pools - Exclusive		1
Total Hot Tubs	6	5
Hot Tubs - General Access	4	4
Hot Tubs - Adults Only	2
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 Ruby Princess, 67% 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.

	Princess Cruises Ruby Princess	Norwegian Jade
Adults-only area (additional fee)	✓	✗
Afternoon Tea	✓	✗
Arcade	✗	✓
Art Auctions	✓	✗
Basketball	✗	✓
Casino	✓	✓
Cigar Bar	✗	✓
Fitness Center	✓	✓
Jogging Track	✓	✓
Pool-side Movies	✓	✗
Putting green	✓	✗
Shows - musical review	✓	✓
Spa	✓	✓
Sports Court	✓	✗
Thermal Suites	✓	✓
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 Ruby Princess	Norwegian Jade
Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day)	$17.00	$20.00
Tip added to drinks & services	20%	20%
Soda Price	$3.00	$3.50
Domestic Beer Price	$8.00	$9.99 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 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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