Many prospective cruisers look to compare Norwegian Cruise Line vs Royal Caribbean, as both brands are two of the most popular in the mainstream cruise market.
Norwegian and Royal Caribbean both operate global fleets and appeal to a wide audience with family-friendly amenities. Additionally, both cruise lines promise a balance of entertainment, dining, and value.
While comparing Norwegian Cruise Line vs Royal Caribbean, I’ve had the unique perspective of sailing across multiple regions, ship classes, and itineraries with both brands. I always thought the cruise lines were very similar, but the contrasts became increasingly clear as I booked more Norwegian cruises.
I grew up cruising almost exclusively with Royal Caribbean and have sailed on every ship class, from the classic Vision-class vessels to the newest megaships. After 30+ Royal Caribbean cruises, I’ve learned the ins-and-outs of this cruise line.
My sailings have taken me across multiple continents and countries, including my recent 12-night cruise from Tokyo to Singapore and short 4-night cruises to Perfect Day at CocoCay.
However, my very first “cruise” technically happened in utero, when my parents sailed on a Norwegian ship for their babymoon! Years later, we also cruised around Hawaii aboard Norwegian’s Pride of America during my high school years.
And in recent years, I’ve expanded my Norwegian Cruise Line experience with five additional sailings, including two longer itineraries in Africa and the UK.
I was drawn to Norwegian’s unique itineraries and impressive pricing, including the Free at Sea package and included airfare. However, I’ve found myself returning to Royal Caribbean for a multitude of reasons.
Here’s an in-depth look at Norwegian Cruise Line vs Royal Caribbean, focusing on cost, ship design, dining, entertainment, staterooms, onboard operations, and itineraries.
Cost: NCL offers inclusive pricing, but Royal charges extra for add-ons
At first glance, Norwegian often appears to offer better value due to its Free at Sea program. This all-inclusive pricing bundles a Norwegian drink package, specialty dining credits, shore excursion credit, and limited Wi-Fi minutes into the fare. For many cruisers, this creates a straightforward upfront price with fewer add-ons later.
Royal Caribbean takes the opposite approach. Nearly all add-ons, especially drink packages and internet access, are priced separately.
Royal Caribbean’s drink package alone can add hundreds of dollars to the total cost of a cruise. For a weeklong sailing, the additional expense can easily exceed $1,000 for two people.
However, the perceived value on Norwegian comes with caveats. While Free at Sea is undeniably attractive, Norwegian tends to charge for more onboard experiences than Royal Caribbean.
For instance, you’ll find yourself paying for most onboard attractions, additional entrées in the dining room, and even onboard chatting (which Royal Caribbean provides for free).
The difference does not negate the value of Free at Sea, but it does make NCL’s pricing feel more fragmented once onboard. If you’re someone who always purchases a drink package, Norwegian’s Free at Sea package can provide strong value.
Ship design: Royal pioneers with innovation while NCL prioritizes refurbishments
When comparing fleets for Norwegian Cruise Line vs Royal Caribbean, ship design is another differentiator.
Overall, Royal Caribbean maintains a clear advantage in ship design and innovation. The brand’s newest classes, including Icon, Oasis, and Quantum, represent some of the largest and most thoughtfully designed vessels at sea.
Public spaces are expansive, crowd flow is well-managed, and the onboard experience feels cohesive even with high passenger counts.
Moreover, Royal Caribbean’s best ships are not only renowned for their size, but also functionality. These ships are built with multiple neighborhoods to handle large crowds without ever feeling overwhelmed or overly cramped.
However, Norwegian’s newest ships take a different approach. Vessels like Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva are smaller and more boutique in concept, favoring upscale aesthetics and curated venues over large-scale attractions.
The smaller footprint works well in some areas, but this results in noticeable crowding during peak times. This was one of my biggest gripes while cruising aboard Norwegian Viva, and the ship’s wasn’t even at full capacity!
Norwegian’s layouts might feel modern, but sometimes you can’t avoid the bottlenecks. This is something I haven’t experienced as much on Royal Caribbean’s newer ships.
On the contrary, when comparing Norwegian Cruise Line vs Royal Caribbean, I’d argue that NCL has done a better job updating their older ships. The cruise line has invested heavily in refreshing its oldest vessels, resulting in ships that feel more modern despite their age.
Conversely, I was shocked to find USB outlets while cruising aboard one of Norwegian’s oldest ships!
Norwegian’s older vessels seem to be better-maintained staterooms than Royal Caribbean’s aging ships, which have not undergone the same level of fleet-wide refurbishments.
Food: Comparable quality, but Royal has better specialty dining
If we look at Norwegian Cruise Line vs Royal Caribbean dining, I’ve found the cruise lines are pretty similar.
In the main dining rooms, both brands deliver a similar level of quality in terms of service and menu structure. However, Norwegian tends to offer more menu variation across its fleet, while Royal Caribbean uses highly consistent menus that repeat across nearly every ship. Depending on the cruiser, that consistency can feel either familiar or repetitive.
Specialty dining is a more distinct contrast. Royal Caribbean’s specialty restaurants are generally stronger in quality and service. Venues like Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Table, Jamie’s Italian, and Izumi stand out across the Royal Caribbean fleet for consistently strong experiences. I’ve never regretted paying extra for one of these upscale meals!
Although Norwegian’s specialty dining is very diverse, the experience can feel watered down when so many guests receive specialty dining credits with Free at Sea. This brings more demand and sometimes reduced availability.
Regardless, there are moments where Norwegian Cruise Line is better than Royal Caribbean. For instance, the Indulge Food Hall on Prima class ships is one of the most impressive complimentary dining concepts at sea. It offers a more modern, casual, and high-quality experience than anything comparable on Royal Caribbean.
Overall, the dining comparison is fairly close. Royal Caribbean stands out in specialty dining, while Norwegian offers greater variety in its main dining rooms. Both cruise lines provide solid, but not exceptional, complimentary options.
In my opinion, dining alone wouldn’t be a deciding factor between the two.
Entertainment: Royal Caribbean sets the bar high while NCL scales back
Entertainment is one of the most obvious areas where Royal Caribbean holds a decisive advantage. The cruise line continues to invest heavily in large-scale productions that incorporate ice skating, high-diving, aerial performances, live orchestras, and state-of-the-art technology.
Production shows aboard Icon, Oasis, and Quantum-class ships stand out as some of the most ambitious entertainment offerings in the cruise industry.
In comparison, Norwegian Cruise Line has significantly scaled back its entertainment in recent years. The cruise line once offered full-length Broadway productions, but most of those shows are being phased out amid cost-cutting measures.
On longer itineraries, it is not uncommon to see evenings with no major headliner entertainment, a stark contrast to Royal Caribbean’s nightly offerings.
While Norwegian still offers enjoyable performances, the overall entertainment strategy feels reduced and noticeably inconsistent.
Staterooms: NCL offers larger, more updated cabins while Royal varies by ship
When looking at staterooms for Norwegian vs Royal Caribbean, particularly inside and balcony cabins, Norwegian frequently comes out ahead.
Norwegian’s cabins tend to be slightly larger, with more favorable layouts and noticeably larger bathrooms. Even Norwegian’s older ships often feature modernized staterooms with updated furnishings and details such as USB outlets, which are not consistently available on older Royal Caribbean ships.
While Royal Caribbean’s newest ships feature excellent stateroom design, the disparity becomes more obvious when looking at older vessels. You won’t find many updated staterooms on Royal Caribbean’s Voyager, Radiance, or Vision class ships. This is one of my biggest complaints about Royal Caribbean!
Instead, the cruise line seems to focus on upgrading public venues compared to staterooms. On the other hand, NCL’s commitment to updating its fleet results in a more modern cabin experience across the fleet.
Norwegian also dominates the solo-traveler category. The studio staterooms and exclusive solo lounges create an experience that Royal Caribbean does not offer. For single cruisers, Norwegian is unquestionably the better option.
Onboard thrills: Royal includes more attractions while NCL charges extra
Royal Caribbean far surpasses Norwegian in the quantity and variety of included activities. Many of the brand’s signature attractions, from the FlowRider surf simulators to zip lines, ice rinks, and expansive water parks, are complimentary.
These features create an environment where guests can enjoy a wide range of activities without feeling nickel-and-dimed.
Conversely, Norwegian offers many unique attractions that come with additional fees, such as go-kart tracks and virtual-reality experiences.
Paying for most onboard activities can make Norwegian feel less inclusive than Royal Caribbean, especially for families with kids. You might feel frustrated by the lack of inclusions when sailing with Norwegian Cruise Line.
For travelers and families seeking nonstop activity without additional charges, Royal Caribbean is the best option.
Operations: Royal is consistent while NCL can feel disorganized
Operational execution is an area where my personal experience has revealed a significant difference for Norwegian Cruise Line vs Royal Caribbean.
Over the years, I’ve found that Royal Caribbean consistently delivers smooth, well-coordinated operations, even in challenging ports. I’ve visited many ports across Asia and Europe with the cruise line over the years. Tendering, embarkation, disembarkation, and shore excursion management tend to be handled efficiently, and communication is generally clear.
On the other hand, Norwegian’s operations onboard often feel disorganized. On multiple sailings, especially in Africa and the UK, tender operations were chaotic, shore excursions lacked clear direction, and overall logistical planning felt inconsistent.
For example, when NCL cancels ports, it’s not standard for them to refund port fees or taxes. You have to reach out to customer service for your refund, even when you don’t visit the port!
While these issues do not occur on every NCL sailing, the frustration is notable and can diminish the onboard experience.
Guest passengers: Both appeal to families and multigenerational groups
When discussing Norwegian vs Royal, the guest demographics are very similar. Both cruise lines operate within the mainstream market, offering family-friendly fares, broad entertainment options, and accessible pricing that appeals to a wide range of travelers.
Their itineraries and onboard atmospheres attract everything from first-time cruisers to seasoned guests who sail multiple times a year.
Both cruise lines are especially popular with multigenerational groups. Royal Caribbean’s large ships and extensive activity lineup naturally attract families traveling with children, teens, parents, and grandparents.
On the other hand, Norwegian’s flexible dining structure and destination-focused itineraries are equally appealing for groups who want variety without the rigidity of traditional cruise schedules.
Norwegian stands out with its dedicated studio staterooms and solo lounge concept, offering a purpose-built community for independent travelers. However, Royal doesn’t really offer true solo cabins on most of its ships. In this way, you’re more likely to find solo cruisers with Norwegian Cruise Line.
In essence, both Norwegian and Royal Caribbean cater to a diverse mix of passengers seeking an affordable, approachable cruise vacation.
Their appeal spans families, couples, solo travelers, and multigenerational groups, making either line a practical choice depending on itinerary preferences and onboard priorities.
Itineraries: NCL is destination-focused, but Royal has the best private island
In the broader Norwegian Cruise Line vs Royal Caribbean conversation, both cruise lines
offer extensive global itineraries, though their strategies differ.
Norwegian historically featured more unique, destination-focused routes with fewer sea days and more one-way itineraries. That remains one of the cruise line’s strengths, though NCL has increasingly repositioned more ships to the Caribbean, bringing its deployment strategy closer to Royal Caribbean’s.
In comparison, Royal Caribbean maintains a stronger private-island experience with Perfect Day at CocoCay. The cruise line’s private island far exceeds what Norwegian offers at Great Stirrup Cay, in terms of size and guest experience.
Royal Caribbean’s biggest ships are also more likely to be deployed consistently in North America, while Norwegian actually deploys its newest ships across a broader range of destinations.
But, my biggest gripe with Norwegian is a pattern of itinerary adjustments after final payment deadlines. The cruise line often changes or cancels ports, typically for reasons.
While itinerary changes are always possible in the cruise industry, this trend with NCL feels like a bait-and-switch. For destination-focused cruisers, this can cause hesitation for booking itineraries.
Conclusion: I prefer Royal Caribbean for a more seamless and reliable experience
Both Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean offer affordable, family-friendly cruise experiences, but they find success in different areas. Norwegian provides stronger value upfront with Free at Sea pricing, larger standard staterooms, modernized accommodations, and more innovative options for solo travelers.
Norwegian Cruise Line also offers port-intensive itineraries that appeal to guests who prioritize destinations over ship features.
Royal Caribbean, however, delivers a more polished and consistent product. Its ships are thoughtfully designed, the entertainment is unmatched, and the included attractions offer exceptional value.
For cruisers wanting a seamless vacation with state-of-the-art ships, non-stop activities, and world-class entertainment, Royal Caribbean is difficult to beat.
With that in mind, I consider Royal Caribbean the stronger option compared to Norwegian Cruise Line. However, when Norwegian offers a truly distinctive itinerary, such as my Africa sailing in 2024, I wouldn’t hesitate to book the cruise.
In those situations, I’m comfortable choosing NCL for the itinerary alone, even if Royal Caribbean remains my preferred brand for the overall onboard experience.
