Cruiseable Plan my cruise

Ship comparison

MSC Poesia vs Norwegian Dawn

The verdict

Which should you choose?

MSC Poesia is a large MSC Cruises ship carrying 2,550 passengers, in service since 2007. Norwegian Dawn is a large Norwegian Cruise Line ship carrying 2,340 passengers, in service since 2002.

Choose MSC Poesia if you want more culture, a more active cruise or more adventure and nature: it outscores Norwegian Dawn for cultural (6.0 vs 4.0), active (5.0 vs 4.0) and adventure & nature (4.0 vs 3.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores.

Choose Norwegian Dawn if you want a more family-friendly ship, more crew per passenger or a lower starting fare: it outscores MSC Poesia for family friendly (8.0 vs 4.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores, it has a crew member for every 2.2 passengers (vs 2.6) and its cruises start from $329 (vs $424).

Side by side

Specifications

marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.

MSC PoesiaNorwegian Dawn
Cruise line MSC Cruises Norwegian Cruise Line
Ship size Large Large
Maiden voyagenewer highlighted 2007 (better) 2002
Gross tonnage 93,300 92,250
Passengers 2,550 2,340
Crew 987 1,073
Passengers per crew memberfewer is better 2.6 2.2 (better)
Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier 36.6 39.4 (better)
Decks 13 15
Length 964 ft 965 ft
Beam 106 ft 125 ft
Speed 26 mph 29 mph
Cruiseable ratingout of 10 7 / 10 7 / 10
Cruises on sale 47 53
Upcoming sailings 110 104
Cruise lengths 5–29 nights 4–15 nights
Fares fromlower highlighted $424 $329 (better)

Bliss scores

How they rate, out of 10

Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. MSC Poesia leads on 4 of the ten, Norwegian Dawn on 2, with 4 level.

  • Active MSC Poesia: 5.0 Norwegian Dawn: 4.0
  • Adventure & nature MSC Poesia: 4.0 Norwegian Dawn: 3.0
  • Cultural MSC Poesia: 6.0 Norwegian Dawn: 4.0
  • Dining MSC Poesia: 6.0 Norwegian Dawn: 6.0
  • Entertainment MSC Poesia: 6.2 Norwegian Dawn: 6.7
  • Family friendly MSC Poesia: 4.0 Norwegian Dawn: 8.0
  • Party MSC Poesia: 5.0 Norwegian Dawn: 5.0
  • Romantic MSC Poesia: 5.0 Norwegian Dawn: 5.0
  • Spa & fitness MSC Poesia: 8.0 Norwegian Dawn: 8.0
  • Staterooms MSC Poesia: 8.7 Norwegian Dawn: 8.0

MSC Cruises

MSC Poesia

Poetry is like the sea, lulling with gentle swells and stirring the emotions. Just as poetry brings pleasure, MSC Poesia from MSC Cruises introduces a new dimension of enjoyment on the high seas with all the eloquence of a finely crafted poem.

Highlights

  • Find inner peace, or at least fruitful contemplation in the onboard Zen garden
  • 16 bars, 4 jacuzzis and a giant state of the art theater!
  • MSC Poesia is an eco-friendly ship dedicated to creating a green and natural ambiance on board with waterfalls, bridges, gardens and plenty of balcony space to view the stars and the horizon.

Sailing now

47 cruises on sale, from $424.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Dawn

As part of the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet, Norwegian Dawn was built with freedom in mind, offering a choice of 14 dining options, 12 bars and lounges, the fitness center and spa, casino, pools and more.

Highlights

  • The world-class Mandara Spa with full-service beauty salon
  • Spectacular stage shows including The Second City comedy
  • The largest suites on the sea for ultimate comfort and privacy

Sailing now

53 cruises on sale, from $329.

Questions

MSC Poesia or Norwegian Dawn?

Which is bigger, MSC Poesia or Norwegian Dawn?

MSC Poesia is bigger at 93,300 gross tons, against 92,250 gross tons for Norwegian Dawn. MSC Poesia carries 2,550 passengers and Norwegian Dawn carries 2,340.

Which ship is newer, MSC Poesia or Norwegian Dawn?

MSC Poesia is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2007 against 2002 for Norwegian Dawn.

Which has more space per passenger?

Norwegian Dawn, with 39.4 gross tons per passenger against 36.6 on MSC Poesia. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.

Which has more crew per passenger?

Norwegian Dawn, with one crew member for every 2.2 passengers against one for every 2.6 on MSC Poesia.

Which is better for families?

Norwegian Dawn scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 8.0 out of 10, against 4.0 for MSC Poesia.

Still deciding?

Tell us what matters and we will match the sailing

Send your dates, budget and who is travelling, and our partner travel agency will come back to you about MSC Poesia, Norwegian Dawn or a ship that suits you better.

Plan my cruise

Compare different ships