Cruise Spotlight
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Spectrum of the Seas vs Spirit
The Royal Caribbean Spectrum of the Seas was built in 2019. It's 21 years newer than the Spirit, which was built in 1998 and renovated in 2022.
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 Spectrum of the Seas is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,139 feet long and 135 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.2 football fields, as wide as 2.5 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 14-story building. Compared to the Norwegian Spirit, the Spectrum of the Seas is 123% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
The Royal Caribbean Spectrum of the Seas holds more than double the amount of people as the Spirit 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 Spectrum of the Seas has more space per person compared to the Spirit. 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 Spectrum of the Seas | Norwegian Spirit | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Quantum-Ultra | Spirit |
| Gross Tonnage | 169,379 | 75,904 |
| Length | 1,139 | 880 |
| Beam/Width | 135 | 126 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 9 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 4,246 | 2,032 |
| Crew | 1,551 | 912 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 2.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 38 |
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 Spectrum of the Seas has twenty-three different dining options like Izumi, La Patisserie, and Two70 Cafe. Of those options, eleven are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eleven options have an additional fee.
The Spirit has five fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Teppanyaki, Cagney's Steakhouse, and Sushi Bar. ten of these restaurants are complementary and the other seven have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Spectrum of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 28% more dining options than the Spirit.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Spirit might be a better choice then the Spectrum of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Royal Caribbean Spectrum of the Seas | Norwegian Spirit | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 23 | 18 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 11 | 10 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 11 | 7 |
| % of Included Options | 52% | 61% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Spectrum of the Seas has 1 fewer bar than the Norwegian Spirit. The Spectrum of the Seas has 8 bars like Music Hall, Sky Bar and Solarium Bar. On Spectrum of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 9 different bars such as Henry's Pub, Magnum's Champagne & Wine Bar and Spice H2O.
| Royal Caribbean Spectrum of the Seas | Norwegian Spirit |
|---|---|
| •Bionic Bar • Casino Bar • Music Hall • Pool Bar • Schooner Bar • Sky Bar • Solarium Bar • Vintages | •Atrium Bar • Bier Garten • Henry's Pub • Magnum's Champagne & Wine Bar • Social Comedy & Night Club • Spice H2O • Spinnaker Lounge • The Local 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 Spectrum of the Seas and the Spirit 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 Spectrum of the Seas has a total of 4 pools and 4 hot tubs. 1 of the pools are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.
Norwegian Spirit has fewer pools than the Spectrum of the Seas and the same number of hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Spirit. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools are adults only on Spectrum of the Seas.| Royal Caribbean Spectrum of the Seas | Norwegian Spirit | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 4 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 0 | |
| 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. On the Spectrum of the Seas, 75% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Spirit, only 60% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Spectrum of the Seas | Norwegian Spirit | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bionic Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bumper Cars | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| Indoor Sky Diving | ✓ | ✗ |
| Laser Tag | ✓ | ✗ |
| North Star | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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 Spectrum of the Seas will likely be more expensive than on Norwegian Spirit.
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 Spectrum of the Seas | Norwegian Spirit | |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
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