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Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady vs Norwegian Aura
The Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady was built in 2022. It was renovated in 2026. This is an adults-only ship; all guests must be 18 or older. It's 5 years older than the Aura, which was built in 2027. The Norwegian Aura is the 21th ship in the NCL fleet and their largest ship yet. It's an evolution of the Prima Class design with 20% more space than the Prima and all new attractions.
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 Valiant Lady is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 912 feet long and 125 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.5 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 13-story building. Compared to the Norwegian Aura, the Valiant Lady is 36% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady holds 32% fewer passengers than the Aura 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 Valiant Lady has less space per person compared to the Aura.
| Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady | Norwegian Aura | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Lady | Prima Plus |
| Gross Tonnage | 110,000 | 172,000 |
| Length | 912 | 1,130 |
| Beam/Width | 125 | 133 |
| Passenger Decks | 13 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,700 | 3,952 |
| Crew | 1,150 | 1,388 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 41 | 44 |
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 Valiant Lady has twelve different dining options like Lick Me Til Ice Cream, The Galley, and Ariya. Of those options, twelve are complementary, or included with your cruise fare.
The Aura has four more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Cagney's Steakhouse, Hasuki, and Onda by Scarpetta. Six of these restaurants are complementary and the other eleven have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Aura might be a better choice. It has 33% more dining options than the Valiant Lady.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Valiant Lady might be a better choice then the Aura. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady | Norwegian Aura | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 12 | 16 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 12 | 6 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 0 | 11 |
| % of Included Options | 100% | 31% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady has 2 more bars than the Norwegian Aura. The Valiant Lady has 18 bars like Sip Lounge, The Dock Bar and The Social Club. On Aura, you can grab a drink at 16 different bars such as Penrose Bar, Syd Norman's Pourhouse and Vibe Beach Club Bar.
| Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady | Norwegian Aura |
|---|---|
| •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 | •Belvedere Bar • Improv at Sea • Luna Bar • Metropolitan Bar • Observation Lounge Bar • Penrose Bar • Proof Whiskey Bar • Soleil Bar • Starbucks • Swirl Wine Bar • Syd Norman's Pourhouse • The Haven Bar • The Local Bar • The Bull's Eye 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.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Valiant Lady and the Aura 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 Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady has a total of 2 pools and 6 hot tubs. 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.
Norwegian Aura has more pools than the Valiant Lady and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Aura. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
| Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady | Norwegian Aura | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | ||
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 9 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | ||
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 | 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. You might up paying more while on board the Valiant Lady. Only 55% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Aura, 61% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady | Norwegian Aura | |
|---|---|---|
| Acrobatic Show | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Group Fitness | ✓ | ✗ |
| Horizon Park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Kid's Play Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Midway | ✗ | ✓ |
| Private Karaoke Rooms | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
| Salon | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Tattoo Studio | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✗ | ✓ |
| Virtual Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Virgin Voyages 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.
Norwegian, on the other hand, 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.
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.
| Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady | Norwegian Aura | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $20.00 | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | Included | 20% |
| Soda Price | Included | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.00 See drink menus | $9.99 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | No drink package available | $28.50 - $32 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | Basic Wi-fi is included. Premium is $30/day and Work from Sea is $50/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. | ||
Norwegian Cruise Line offers a Free 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 Free 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.
We sailed aboard the Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady
Follow along on our sailing on the Virgin Voyages Valiant 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.
Valiant Lady - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Miami
Valiant Lady - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day
Valiant Lady - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Costa Maya
Valiant Lady - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Sea Day
Valiant Lady - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Bimini
5 Hits and Misses on Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady
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