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Navigator of the Seas vs Resilient Lady
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 21 years older than the Resilient Lady, which was built in 2023. This is an adults-only ship; all guests must be 18 or older.
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 Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady, the Navigator of the Seas is 27% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas holds 25% more passengers than the Resilient Lady based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or tons of ship compared to number of passengers, the Navigator of the Seas has the same amount of space per person as the Resilient Lady.
| Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas | Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Voyager | Lady |
| Gross Tonnage | 139,999 | 110,000 |
| Length | 1,020 | 912 |
| Beam/Width | 157 | 125 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,386 | 2,700 |
| Crew | 1,200 | 1,150 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.8 | 2.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 41 | 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 Navigator of the Seas has twelve different dining options like Chops Grille, Playmakers, and Izumi Sushi & Hot Rocks. Of those options, nine are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.
The Resilient Lady has the same number of dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Lick Me Til Ice Cream, The Pizza Place, and Gunbae. twelve of these restaurants are complementary.
The Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas has about the same number of dining options as the Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Resilient Lady 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 | Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 12 | 12 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 9 | 12 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 9 | 0 |
| % of Included Options | 25% | 100% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas has 5 fewer bars than the Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady. The Navigator of the Seas has 13 bars like Cosmopolitan Club, Schooner Bar and Star Lounge. On Navigator of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 18 different bars such as Mezcal Bar, The Grounds Club Too and The Loose Cannon.
| Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas | Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady |
|---|---|
| •Boleros • Casino bar • Cosmopolitan Club • English Pub • Playmakers • R Bar • Schooner Bar • Solarium Bar • Star Lounge • Suite Lounge • The Bamboo Room • The Lime & Coconut • Viking Crown Lounge | •Casino bar • Draught Haus • Grounds Club • Gym & Tonic • Mezcal Bar • On The Rocks • Red Bar • Richard's Rooftop Bar • Sip Lounge • Sun Club Bar • The Aquatic Club Bar • The Athletic Club Bar • The Dock Bar • The Dock House Bar • The Grounds Club Too • The Loose Cannon • The Manor • The Social Club |
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 Navigator of the Seas and the Resilient Lady 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.
Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady has fewer pools than the Navigator of the Seas and the same number of hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Resilient Lady. 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 Navigator of the Seas.| Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas | Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 2 |
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 Navigator of the Seas, 76% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Resilient Lady, only 55% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas | Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Acrobatic Show | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| Group Fitness | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Laser Tag | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Private Karaoke Rooms | ✗ | ✓ |
| Salon | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Tattoo Studio | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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.
Virgin Voyages, 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 | Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.50 | Included |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | Included |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | Included |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus | $8.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 - $118 Learn more | No drink package available |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 per device per day | Basic Wi-fi is included. Premium is $30/day and Work from Sea is $50/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 Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady
Follow along on our sailing on the Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady. 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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