Princess Cruises
Discovery Princess
- Cruises
- 20
- From
- $429
Ship comparison
Discovery Princess vs Norwegian Joy
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Joy
- Cruises
- 51
- From
- $219
The verdict
Which should you choose?
Discovery Princess is a large Princess Cruises ship carrying 3,668 passengers, in service since 2022. Norwegian Joy is a large Norwegian Cruise Line ship carrying 3,900 passengers, in service since 2017.
Choose Discovery Princess if you want more of a party or a newer ship: it outscores Norwegian Joy for party (8.0 vs 7.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and its maiden voyage was in 2022 (vs 2017).
Choose Norwegian Joy if you want more adventure and nature, a more active cruise or a lower starting fare: it outscores Discovery Princess for adventure & nature (10.0 vs 5.0) and active (10.0 vs 6.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and its cruises start from $219 (vs $429).
Side by side
Specifications
marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.
| Discovery Princess | Norwegian Joy | |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | Princess Cruises | Norwegian Cruise Line |
| Ship size | Large | Large |
| Maiden voyagenewer highlighted | 2022 (better) | 2017 |
| Gross tonnage | 141,000 | 163,000 |
| Passengers | 3,668 | 3,900 |
| Crew | 1,346 | 1,730 |
| Passengers per crew memberfewer is better | 2.7 | 2.3 (better) |
| Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier | 38.4 | 41.8 (better) |
| Cabins | 1,834 | — |
| Decks | 18 | 18 |
| Length | 1,083 ft | 1,069 ft |
| Beam | 155 ft | 136 ft |
| Speed | — | 26 mph |
| Cruiseable ratingout of 10 | 9 / 10 | 9 / 10 |
| Cruises on sale | 20 | 51 |
| Upcoming sailings | 148 | 102 |
| Cruise lengths | 4 to 14 nights | 3 to 17 nights |
| Fares fromlower highlighted | $429 | $219 (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 1 of the ten, Norwegian Joy on 3, with 6 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 Joy
Launched in April 2017, Norwegian Joy is one of the most innovative and technologically advanced ships to date from Norwegian Cruise Line.
Sailing now
51 cruises on sale, from $219.
Questions
Discovery Princess or Norwegian Joy?
Which is bigger, Discovery Princess or Norwegian Joy?
Norwegian Joy is bigger at 163,000 gross tons, against 141,000 gross tons for Discovery Princess. Discovery Princess carries 3,668 passengers and Norwegian Joy carries 3,900.
Which ship is newer, Discovery Princess or Norwegian Joy?
Discovery Princess is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2022 against 2017 for Norwegian Joy.
Which has more space per passenger?
Norwegian Joy, with 41.8 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 Joy, with one crew member for every 2.3 passengers against one for every 2.7 on Discovery Princess.
Which is better for families?
They score the same for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 7.0 out of 10.
Still deciding?
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