Cruise Spotlight
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Navigator of the Seas vs Fantasy
The Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas was built in 2002. It was renovated in 2019. Explorer of the Seas was Amplified in 2021 which added many new features, restaurants, and attractions to this ship. It's 10 years older than the Fantasy, which was built in 2012. Disney Fantasy's exterior has a old-school steam boat feel while the interior leans into the Art Nouveau styling. Outside the ship, you'll see Dumbo painting the name on the stern.
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 Navigator 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 Disney Fantasy, the Navigator of the Seas is 8% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas holds 35% more passengers than the Fantasy 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 Navigator of the Seas has less space per person compared to the Fantasy.
| Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas | Disney Fantasy | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Voyager | Dream |
| Gross Tonnage | 139,999 | 130,000 |
| Length | 1,020 | 1,115 |
| Beam/Width | 157 | 121 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 14 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,386 | 2,500 |
| Crew | 1,200 | 1,458 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.8 | 1.7 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 41 | 52 |
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 Navigator of the Seas has twelve different dining options like El Loco Fresh, Hooked Seafood, and Johnny Rockets Express. Of those options, nine are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.
The Fantasy has two fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Remy, Palo, and Animator's Palate. six of these restaurants are complementary and the other four have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Navigator of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 20% more dining options than the Fantasy.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Fantasy 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.
| Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas | Disney Fantasy | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 12 | 10 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 9 | 6 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 9 | 4 |
| % of Included Options | 25% | 60% |
| 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 Navigator of the Seas and the Fantasy 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 Navigator of the Seas has a total of 3 pools and 6 hot tubs.
The Disney Fantasy has the same number of pools as the Navigator of the Seas and fewer hot tubs.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Navigator of the Seas.| Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas | Disney Fantasy | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 1 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 |
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. You might up paying more while on board the Navigator of the Seas. Only 76% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Fantasy, 77% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas | Disney Fantasy | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✗ |
| Character experiences | ✗ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Laser Tag | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Movie Theater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Salon | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Virtual Sports Simulator | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water Coaster | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Royal Caribbean 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.
Disney, on the other hand, 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.
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.
| Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas | Disney Fantasy | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.50 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | Included |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus | $6.50 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 - $118 Learn more | No drink package available |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 per device per day | $12 - $36 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.
With Disney Cruises, soda is included for meals, but will have an extra cost at bars and throughout the day. While no drink packages are available, you can preorder bottles of wine or beer at a discount.
We sailed aboard the Disney Fantasy
Follow along on our sailing on the Disney Fantasy. 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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