Cruise Spotlight
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Freedom of the Seas vs Jade
The Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas was built in 2006. It was renovated in 2025. The Norwegian Jade 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 Freedom of the Seas is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,112 feet long and 185 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.1 football fields, as wide as 3.5 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 14-story building. Compared to the Norwegian Jade, the Freedom of the Seas is 67% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas holds 64% more passengers than the Jade 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 Freedom of the Seas has more space per person compared to the Jade. 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.
| Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | Norwegian Jade | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Freedom | Jewel |
| Gross Tonnage | 156,271 | 93,558 |
| Length | 1,112 | 965 |
| Beam/Width | 185 | 125 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 11 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,934 | 2,402 |
| Crew | 1,447 | 1,307 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 1.8 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 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 Freedom of the Seas has fourteen different dining options like Giovanni's Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, Chef's Table, and Windjammer. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.
The Jade has the same number of dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Topsiders Bar & Grill, Main Dining Room, and Teppanyaki. eleven of these restaurants are complementary and the other eight have an additional fee.
The Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas has about the same number of dining options as the Norwegian Jade.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Jade might be a better choice then the Freedom of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | Norwegian Jade | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 14 | 14 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 10 | 11 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 9 | 8 |
| % of Included Options | 36% | 43% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas has 1 more bar than the Norwegian Jade. The Freedom of the Seas has 13 bars like Casino Bar, R Bar and Star Lounge. On Freedom of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 12 different bars such as Casino Bar, Great Outdoors Cafe and Sugarcane Mojito Bar.
| Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | Norwegian Jade |
|---|---|
| •Boleros • Casino Bar • English Pub • Playmakers • R Bar • Schooner Bar • Solarium Bar • Star Lounge • Suite Lounge • The Lime & Coconut • The Plaza Bar • Viking Crown Lounge • Vintages | •Bliss Ultra Lounge • Casino Bar • Great Outdoors Cafe • Java Cafe • Magnum's Champagne & Wine Bar • Mixers Martini & Cocktail Bar • Sake Bar • Spinnaker Lounge • Sugarcane Mojito Bar • Tankards Beer & Whiskey Bar • The Pit Stop • Topside 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. 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 Freedom of the Seas and 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 Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas has a total of 3 pools and 5 hot tubs.
The Norwegian Jade has the same number of pools as the Freedom of the Seas and the same number of 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 Freedom of the Seas.| Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | Norwegian Jade | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 5 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 3 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 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 Freedom of the Seas, 80% 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.
| Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | Norwegian Jade | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Laser Tag | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Royal Caribbean and Norwegian 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.
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 Freedom of the Seas | Norwegian Jade | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.50 | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus | $7.50 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 - $118 Learn more | 106 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 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. | ||
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.
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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