Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Serenade of the Seas vs Breakaway
The Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas was built in 2003. It was renovated in 2023. It's 10 years older than the Breakaway, which was built in 2013 and renovated in 2024.
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 Serenade of the Seas is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 965 feet long and 106 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.7 football fields, as wide as 2 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 12-story building. Compared to the Norwegian Breakaway, the Serenade of the Seas is 38% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas holds 46% fewer passengers than the Breakaway 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 Serenade of the Seas has more space per person compared to the Breakaway. 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 Serenade of the Seas | Norwegian Breakaway | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Radiance | Breakaway |
| Gross Tonnage | 90,090 | 145,655 |
| Length | 965 | 1,068 |
| Beam/Width | 106 | 169 |
| Passenger Decks | 12 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,146 | 3,963 |
| Crew | 848 | 1,657 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.5 | 2.4 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 42 | 37 |
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 Serenade of the Seas has nine different dining options like Izumi Sushi & Hot Rocks, Chef's Table, and Chops Grille. Of those options, eight are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other six options have an additional fee.
The Breakaway has ten more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Wasabi, Le Bistro French, and Teppanyaki. eleven of these restaurants are complementary and the other fifteen have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Breakaway might be a better choice. It has 111% more dining options than the Serenade of the Seas.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Serenade of the Seas might be a better choice then the Breakaway. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas | Norwegian Breakaway | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 9 | 19 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 8 | 11 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 6 | 15 |
| % of Included Options | 33% | 21% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas has 6 fewer bars than the Norwegian Breakaway. The Serenade of the Seas has 11 bars like English Pub, Pool bar and Zanzibar Lounge. On Serenade of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 17 different bars such as Bar 21, O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill and Waves Pool Bar.
| Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas | Norwegian Breakaway |
|---|---|
| •Casino Bar • Champagne Bar • English Pub • Pool bar • R Bar • Schooner Bar • Sky Bar • The Congo Bar • The Safari Club • Vortex Nightclub • Zanzibar Lounge | •Atrium Bar • Bar 21 • Bliss Ultra Lounge • Garden Cafe Bar • Headliners Comedy Club • Maltings Beer & Whiskey Bar • Mixx Bar • O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill • Prime Meridian Bar • Shakers Martini & Cocktail Bar • Skyy Vodka Ice Bar • Spice H2O • Starbucks • Syd Norman's Pourhouse • The Haven Bar • Vibe Beach Club Bar • 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 Serenade of the Seas and the Breakaway 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 Serenade of the Seas has a total of 2 pools and 3 hot tubs.
Norwegian Breakaway has more pools than the Serenade of the Seas and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Breakaway. 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 one of the hot tubs are adults only on Serenade of the Seas.| Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas | Norwegian Breakaway | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 3 | 10 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 4 |
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 Serenade of the Seas, 70% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Breakaway, only 62% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas | Norwegian Breakaway | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Horizon Park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ice Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sports Square | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas will likely be cheaper than on Norwegian Breakaway.
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 Serenade of the Seas | Norwegian Breakaway | |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
Want to Stay Up-To-Date on All Things Cruising?
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
Articles Related the These Ships
About Cruise Spotlight
Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
Learn more about Cruise Spotlight.