Princess Cruises
Discovery Princess
- Cruises
- 20
- From
- $429
Ship comparison
Discovery Princess vs Norwegian Aqua
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Aqua
- Cruises
- 11
- From
- $379
The verdict
Which should you choose?
Discovery Princess is a large Princess Cruises ship carrying 3,668 passengers, in service since 2022. Norwegian Aqua is a large Norwegian Cruise Line ship carrying 3,571 passengers, in service since 2025.
Choose Discovery Princess if you want more of a party, better-rated staterooms or more culture: it outscores Norwegian Aqua for party (8.0 vs 2.0), staterooms (8.0 vs 7.0) and cultural (6.0 vs 5.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores.
Choose Norwegian Aqua if you want a more active cruise, a more family-friendly ship or a more romantic trip: it outscores Discovery Princess for active (7.0 vs 6.0), family friendly (8.0 vs 7.0) and romantic (8.0 vs 7.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores.
Side by side
Specifications
marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.
| Discovery Princess | Norwegian Aqua | |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | Princess Cruises | Norwegian Cruise Line |
| Ship size | Large | Large |
| Maiden voyagenewer highlighted | 2022 | 2025 (better) |
| Gross tonnage | 141,000 | 154,140 |
| Passengers | 3,668 | 3,571 |
| Crew | 1,346 | 1,388 |
| Passengers per crew memberfewer is better | 2.7 | 2.6 (better) |
| Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier | 38.4 | 43.2 (better) |
| Cabins | 1,834 | — |
| Decks | 18 | 20 |
| Length | 1,083 ft | 1,056 ft |
| Beam | 155 ft | 133 ft |
| Speed | — | 28 mph |
| Cruiseable ratingout of 10 | 9 / 10 | 9 / 10 |
| Cruises on sale | 20 | 11 |
| Upcoming sailings | 148 | 130 |
| Cruise lengths | 4 to 14 nights | 3 to 7 nights |
| Fares fromlower highlighted | $429 | $379 (better) |
Bliss scores
How they rate, out of 10
Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. Discovery Princess leads on 3 of the ten, Norwegian Aqua on 3, with 4 level.
- Active
- Adventure & nature
- Cultural
- Dining
- Entertainment
- Family friendly
- Party
- Romantic
- Spa & fitness
- Staterooms
Princess Cruises
Discovery Princess
Discovery Princess, the newest ship from Princess Cruises, debuted in March 2022, sailing out of Seattle in summer and Los Angeles in winter.
Sailing now
20 cruises on sale, from $429.
About Discovery Princess Plan my cruise on Discovery Princess
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Aqua
Norwegian Aqua is Norwegian Cruise Line’s next-generation Prima Plus class ship — a more family-friendly evolution of Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva ... and 10% larger in size and capacity.
Sailing now
11 cruises on sale, from $379.
Questions
Discovery Princess or Norwegian Aqua?
Which is bigger, Discovery Princess or Norwegian Aqua?
Norwegian Aqua is bigger at 154,140 gross tons, against 141,000 gross tons for Discovery Princess. Discovery Princess carries 3,668 passengers and Norwegian Aqua carries 3,571.
Which ship is newer, Discovery Princess or Norwegian Aqua?
Norwegian Aqua is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2025 against 2022 for Discovery Princess.
Which has more space per passenger?
Norwegian Aqua, with 43.2 gross tons per passenger against 38.4 on Discovery Princess. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.
Which has more crew per passenger?
Norwegian Aqua, with one crew member for every 2.6 passengers against one for every 2.7 on Discovery Princess.
Which is better for families?
Norwegian Aqua scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 8.0 out of 10, against 7.0 for Discovery Princess.
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