Mariner of the Seas vs Aqua

The Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas was built in 2003. It was renovated in 2018. It's 22 years older than the Aqua, which was built in 2025. The Norwegian Aqua is 10% larger than its sister ships. It gets rid of the Race Track and instead has a new Slidecoaster around the funnel. The Aqua is still under construction and Norwegian 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 Mariner 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 Norwegian Aqua, the Mariner of the Seas is 11% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas holds about the same number of passengers as the Aqua 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 Mariner of the Seas has less space per person compared to the Aqua.

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 Mariner of the Seas has 16 different dining options like Jamie's Italian, Cafe Promenade, and Playmakers. Of those options, 9 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 7 options have an additional fee.

The Aqua has 1 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Hudsons, Onda by Scarpetta, and Nama. 6 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 11 have an additional fee.

The Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas has about the same number of dining options as the Norwegian Aqua.

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

Bars and Drinks

The Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas and Norwegian Aqua both have 15 bars to choose from during your sailing. The Mariner of the Seas has 15 bars like Boleros, Playmakers and Sky Lounge. On Mariner of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 15 different bars such as Soleil Bar, The Local Bar and Waves Pool 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 Mariner of the Seas and the Aqua 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 problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.

The Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas has a total of 3 pools and 5 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools and 2 of the hot tubs are adults only.

Norwegian Aqua has more pools than the Mariner of the Seas and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Aqua. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.

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 Mariner of the Seas, 75% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Aqua, only 56% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.

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. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas will likely be cheaper than on Norwegian Aqua.

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 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 Free at Sea fare. Through this program, guests receive free open bar, a discount on excursions, some free internet, and some meals at their 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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