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Freedom of the Seas vs Navigator of the Seas
The Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas was built in 2006. It was renovated in 2025. It's 4 years newer than the Navigator of the Seas, which was built in 2002 and renovated in 2019. Explorer of the Seas was Amplified in 2021 which added many new features, restaurants, and attractions to this ship.
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
- See Our Detailed Cruise Blog
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 Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas, the Freedom of the Seas is 12% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas holds 16% more passengers than the Navigator of the Seas 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 Freedom of the Seas has less space per person compared to the Navigator of the Seas.
| Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Freedom | Voyager |
| Gross Tonnage | 156,271 | 139,999 |
| Length | 1,112 | 1,020 |
| Beam/Width | 185 | 157 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 14 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,934 | 3,386 |
| Crew | 1,447 | 1,200 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 2.8 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 41 |
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 Chops Grille, Cafe Promenade, and Playmakers. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.
The Navigator of the Seas has two fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are El Loco Fresh, Johnny Rockets Express, and Hooked Seafood. nine of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Freedom of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 17% more dining options than the Navigator of the Seas.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Freedom of the Seas might be a better choice then the Navigator of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas & Navigator of the Seas
| Restaurant | Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas |
Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Included | |||
| Cafe Promenade | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| El Loco Fresh | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Sorrento's Pizza | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Windjammer | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| A la carte | |||
| Cupcake Cupboard | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Ice Cream Parlor | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Izumi Sushi & Hot Rocks | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Johnny Rockets Express | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Playmakers | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Starbucks | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Vintages Wine Bar | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Flat fee | |||
| Chef's Table | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Chops Grille | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Giovanni's Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Hooked Seafood | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Izumi Hibachi & Sushi | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Jamie's Italian | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Johnny Rockets | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas and Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas both have 13 bars to choose from during your sailing.
| Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Boleros | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cosmopolitan Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| English Pub | ✓ | ✓ |
| Playmakers | ✓ | ✓ |
| R Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Schooner Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Solarium Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Star Lounge | ✓ | ✓ |
| Suite Lounge* | ✓ | ✓ |
| The Bamboo Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| The Lime & Coconut | ✓ | ✓ |
| The Plaza Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Viking Crown Lounge | ✓ | ✓ |
| 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 Freedom of the Seas and the Navigator 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 Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas has a total of 3 pools and 5 hot tubs.
The Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas has the same number of pools as the Freedom of the Seas and more hot tubs.
Worried about lots of kids onboard? Visit The Solarium, an adult-only area for guests 18 and older only. Both the Freedom of the Seas and the Navigator of the Seas have full-depth adult-only pools in The Solarium. The Solarium on both ships is unenclosed and open to the elements. They’re both located in the middle of the ship.
| Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 5 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 3 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
Cruise Coloring and Activity Books for Kids
Get your kids ready for their cruise or keep them entertained while on board with our custom made coloring and activity books. These are the Royal Caribbean editions with places like Studio B and Sorrento's featured.
Cruise Ship Coloring Book for Kids 3-5 - Royal Caribbean Edition
Let's Get Cruising Activity Book for Kids 6-8 - Royal Caribbean Edition
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 Navigator of the Seas, only 76% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Laser Tag | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Royal Caribbean is 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. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas will likely be more expensive than on Royal Caribbean Navigator 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 understand what you might spend onboard a Royal Caribbean ship.
| Royal Caribbean | |
|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.50 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 - $118 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 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.
We sailed aboard the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas
Follow along on our sailing on the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas. We take you through every aspect of our sailing, from getting to the port to debarking the ship. See the schedule of events, menus, what excursions we did, and what we really thought about the ship.
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