Responding to record cruise demand, major cruise lines will continue to launch new mega-ships this year, with countless over-the-top features and amenities that will appeal to families.
03.01.2025 - 14:15 / insider.com / Royal Caribbean / Cruises
In recent years, my husband and I have discovered the joy of cruising . We now average two cruises a year.
To determine our preferred cruise line , we took similar cruises on Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line to compare the food, service, entertainment, and other amenities that matter to us.
In April 2023, we sailed on Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas for 10 nights from Galveston, Texas. Nine months later, in January 2024, we cruised on the Norwegian Breakaway for seven nights from New Orleans.
Both cruises to the Western Caribbean visited the same three ports: Cozumel , Costa Maya, and Roatan Island, with multiple sea days.
For us, there was a clear winner. Here is my cruise-to-cruise comparison.
As a plant-based eater, I appreciated the vegan options in the main dining room and at the expansive buffet on Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas.
We were also delighted with the themes of each evening's meals, such as Caribbean, seafood, and French nights, and found the food delicious.
For my husband's birthday, we splurged on specialty dining at Giovanni's Table and were treated like royalty in the intimate venue with an Italian-inspired menu.
In my opinion, the Norwegian Breakaway's included dining options were less impressive with fewer tasty vegan options. However, we enjoyed dining at its speciality restaurant Moderno.
The upscale, lively Brazilian steakhouse had an epic salad bar overflowing with options such as briny olives, specialty salads, mushrooms, beans, and more. My husband also loved its plentiful skewers of various meats.
Although both lines offered comparable daily entertainment, Norwegian really excelled with its evening shows.
Its onboard Broadway production of the musical "Six" was a standout. It featured an all-female cast and orchestra in a fabulous performance.
The nighttime entertainment we experienced on the Royal Caribbean ship felt professional and high-quality — its parade of flags with dozens of crew members celebrating their countries was especially cool. However, we didn't get to see a big-name act or Broadway-level performance.
Being a personal trainer , my husband enjoys using the fitness center when we cruise.
Debuting in 2001, Radiance of the Seas is one of the older ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet — but with ample windows and panoramic views, its fitness center felt modern enough and enjoyable to use.
It was also laid out in a way that made moving around the facility and using the free weights and machines easy.
On the Norwegian Breakaway, which debuted in 2013, the fitness center was broken up into separate rooms, which made it feel more cramped.
The area for fitness classes usually had the lights off during our visits,
Responding to record cruise demand, major cruise lines will continue to launch new mega-ships this year, with countless over-the-top features and amenities that will appeal to families.
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