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Utopia of the Seas vs Brilliant Lady
The Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas is a fairly new ship, being built in 2024. The Utopia of the Seas is the first Oasis-class ship to run on LNG, a cleaner burning fuel. The Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady was built in 2024. This is an adults-only ship; all guests must be 18 or older. Brilliant Lady was originally scheduled to debut in 2023 but the launch was pushed back until September 2026. The Brilliant Lady is still under construction and Virgin Voyages 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 Utopia of the Seas is considered an extra large size ship. Coming in at 1,188 feet long and 211 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.3 football fields, as wide as 4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 16-story building. Compared to the Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady, the Utopia of the Seas is 115% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
The Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas holds more than double the amount of people as the Brilliant 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 Utopia of the Seas has the same amount of space per person as the Brilliant Lady.
The Utopia of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas | Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Oasis | Lady |
| Gross Tonnage | 236,860 | 110,000 |
| Length | 1,188 | 912 |
| Beam/Width | 211 | 125 |
| Passenger Decks | 16 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,668 | 2,700 |
| Crew | 2,290 | 1,150 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.5 | 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 Utopia of the Seas has twenty-four different dining options like Sorrento's Pizza, Windjammer, and Izumi in the Park. Of those options, fifteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other fifteen options have an additional fee.
The Brilliant Lady has twelve fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Extra Virgin, Gunbae, and The Galley. twelve of these restaurants are complementary.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Utopia of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 100% more dining options than the Brilliant Lady.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Brilliant Lady might be a better choice then the Utopia of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas | Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 24 | 12 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 15 | 12 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 15 | 0 |
| % of Included Options | 38% | 100% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas has 1 more bar than the Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady. The Utopia of the Seas has 19 bars like English Pub, Suite Lounge and The Vue Bar. On Utopia of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 18 different bars such as Draught Haus, The Dock House Bar and The Grounds Club Too.
| Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas | Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady |
|---|---|
| •Boleros • Cantina Fresca • Casino Bar • English Pub • Giovanni's Wine Bar • Music Hall • Pesky Parrot • Playmakers • Rising Tide Bar • Schooner Bar • Solarium Bar • Spotlight Karaoke • Suite Lounge • The Attic • The Lime & Coconut • The Mason Jar • The Vue Bar • Trellis Bar • Wipeout Bar | •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 Utopia of the Seas and the Brilliant 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 Utopia of the Seas has a total of 5 pools and 7 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 2 of the hot tubs 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.
Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady has fewer pools than the Utopia of the Seas and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Brilliant Lady. 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 and three of the hot tubs are adults only on Utopia of the Seas.| Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas | Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 5 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 7 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 3 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 | 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 Utopia of the Seas, 84% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Brilliant Lady, only 55% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas | Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Acrobatic Show | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Aquatheater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Carousel | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| Group Fitness | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Kid's Play Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Laser Tag | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Private Karaoke Rooms | ✗ | ✓ |
| Salon | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Tattoo Studio | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Zip Line | ✓ | ✗ |
| 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 Utopia of the Seas | Virgin Voyages Brilliant 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.
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