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Explorer of the Seas vs World Atlantic
The Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas was built in 2000. It was renovated in 2025. Explorer of the Seas was Amplified in 2023 which added many new features, restaurants, and attractions to this ship. It's 27 years older than the World Atlantic, which was built in 2027. The World Atlantic will sail out of Port Canaveral starting in November 2027. The ship is split into seven districts that provide unique restaurants, bars, and attractions; helping to reduce crowding. The World Atlantic is still under construction and MSC hasn't released all the details yet.
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 Explorer of the Seas is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,020 feet long and 157 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.8 football fields, as wide as 3 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 14-story building. Compared to the MSC World Atlantic, the Explorer of the Seas is 36% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas holds 51% fewer passengers than the World Atlantic based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Explorer of the Seas has more space per person compared to the World Atlantic. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.
The World Atlantic uses a district layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas | MSC World Atlantic | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Voyager | World |
| Gross Tonnage | 137,308 | 215,863 |
| Length | 1,020 | 1,092 |
| Beam/Width | 157 | 155 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 16 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,286 | 6,758 |
| Crew | 1,185 | 2,142 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.8 | 3.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 42 | 32 |
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 Explorer of the Seas has nine different dining options like Windjammer, Izumi Sushi & Hot Rocks, and Giovanni's Table. Of those options, eight are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other six options have an additional fee.
The World Atlantic has seven more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Eataly, HOLA! Tacos & Cantina, and Kaito Teppanyaki. Twelve of these restaurants are complementary and the other ten have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the World Atlantic might be a better choice. It has 78% more dining options than the Explorer of the Seas.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the World Atlantic might be a better choice then the Explorer of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas | MSC World Atlantic | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 9 | 16 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 8 | 12 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 6 | 10 |
| % of Included Options | 33% | 38% |
| 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. Most Royal Caribbean ships also have Coke Freestyle machines where you can make 100 different flavor combinations.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Explorer of the Seas and the World Atlantic 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 Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas has a total of 3 pools and 6 hot tubs.
MSC World Atlantic has more pools than the Explorer of the Seas and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the World Atlantic. 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 Explorer of the Seas.| Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas | MSC World Atlantic | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 7 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 4 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 2 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 13 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 10 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 3 |
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 Explorer of the Seas, 71% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the World Atlantic, only 55% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas | MSC World Atlantic | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Adventure Trail | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bumper Cars | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cliffhanger | ✗ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Show | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dueling Pianos | ✗ | ✓ |
| F1 Simulator | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✗ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✗ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Production Shows | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✗ | ✓ |
| VR Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Zip Line | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Royal Caribbean and MSC 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 Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas will likely be cheaper than on MSC World Atlantic.
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.
| Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas | MSC World Atlantic | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.50 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $7.49 See drink menus | $9.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 - $118 Learn more | $46 - $85 |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 per device per day | $17 - $27 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
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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