Cruise Spotlight
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Voyager of the Seas vs Star
The Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas was built in 1999. It was renovated in 2024. Voyager of the Seas was Amplified in 2022 which added many new features, restaurants, and attractions to this ship. It's 2 years older than the Star, which was built in 2001 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 Voyager 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 Norwegian Star, the Voyager of the Seas is 50% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas holds 53% more passengers than the Star 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 Voyager of the Seas has less space per person compared to the Star.
| Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas | Norwegian Star | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Voyager | Dawn |
| Gross Tonnage | 137,276 | 91,740 |
| Length | 1,020 | 965 |
| Beam/Width | 157 | 125 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 12 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,602 | 2,348 |
| Crew | 1,200 | 1,031 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.0 | 2.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 38 | 39 |
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 Voyager of the Seas has eight different dining options like Chef's Table, Izumi Sushi & Hot Rocks, and Giovanni's Table. Of those options, eight are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.
The Star has four more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Sushi Bar, Le Bistro French, and Teppanyaki. nine of these restaurants are complementary and the other eight have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Star might be a better choice. It has 50% more dining options than the Voyager of the Seas.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Voyager of the Seas might be a better choice then the Star. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas | Norwegian Star | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 8 | 12 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 8 | 9 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 5 | 8 |
| % of Included Options | 38% | 33% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas has 2 more bars than the Norwegian Star. The Voyager of the Seas has 12 bars like Sky Bar, Solarium Bar and Suite Lounge. On Voyager of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 10 different bars such as Atrium Cafe, Sky High Bar and Sugarcane Mojito Bar.
| Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas | Norwegian Star |
|---|---|
| •Casino Bar • English Pub • High Notes • Pool bar • R Bar • Schooner Bar • Sky Bar • Solarium Bar • Star Lounge • Suite Lounge • The Tavern • Windjammer Bar | •Atrium Cafe • Bliss Ultra Lounge • Casino Bar • Gatsby's Champagne Bar • O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill • Proof Whiskey Bar • Sky High Bar • Spice H2O • Sugarcane Mojito Bar • Topside 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 Voyager of the Seas and the Star 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 Voyager of the Seas has a total of 3 pools and 6 hot tubs.
Norwegian Star has fewer pools than the Voyager of the Seas and fewer hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Star. 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 Voyager of the Seas.| Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas | Norwegian Star | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| 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 Voyager of the Seas, 80% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Star, only 64% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas | Norwegian Star | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Laser Tag | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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.
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 Voyager of the Seas | Norwegian Star | |
|---|---|---|
| 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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