Before You Book a Cruise, Check The Sister Ships – Here’s Why

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you find a cruise ship you would love to try, but the price is much higher than you expected?

Why not try searching to find out whether your chosen ship has any sister ships? You might be able to find a very similar cruise for less.

Cruise lines often build several ships using the same basic design rather than starting from scratch every time.

The cheapest option is unlikely to be the newest or most heavily advertised ship.

What Is a Sister Ship?

A sister ship belongs to the same ship class and shares the same basic design as another ship.

They will usually have:

• A similar size and passenger capacity.
• Almost identical deck layouts.
• Similar cabin designs.
• Many of the same restaurants, bars and entertainment spaces.

A cruise line may order several ships based on one successful design; each new ship becomes part of that class.

Sister ships aren’t launched at the same time. By sticking to the same basic design, new ships can be built every year or two. The cruise line can build up their fleet remarkably quickly.

Are Sister Cruise Ships Exactly the Same?

No. The design, the structure and the layout may be extremely similar, but cruise lines often change:

• The restaurants and bars.
• Water slides, rides or family attractions.
• Entertainment venues.
• Décor and colour schemes.
• Cabin categories.
• Passenger capacity.
• Suite areas and private facilities.

Later ships in a class may be slightly larger or include improvements based on feedback from earlier ships.

Older sister ships in the class may also be refurbished, so they can sometimes feel newer than their launch dates suggest.

Examples of Sister Cruise Ships

Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships:

I sailed on Anthem of the Seas to Norway, and then sailed on the sister ship, Spectrum of the Seas in Asia.

The basic layout is recognisable across the class, but attractions, restaurants and entertainment vary.

Anthem was built in 2015, but by the time Spectrum was launched (specifically for the Asian market) in 2019, the design had been tweaked to include a larger casino area, high-end luxury boutique shopping areas, and different restaurants to suit the wants and needs of the Asian market.

Although the ship felt very familiar to me, the onboard venues were quite different, suited to a very different target market.

Have a look at what I thought of Spectrum of the Seas here:

Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva

Both ships are Prima-class ships. They have very similar layouts and cabin designs, but they sail different itineraries and can be priced differently.

You might find sailings on Prima more affordable, as she was built earlier.

I took a wonderful sailing on Norwegian Prima to Bermuda. Have a look at that ship below; I really liked the design, and my standard balcony cabin was one of the best I have ever stayed in.

After Norwegian Prima and Viva were built, Norwegian moved on to the “Prima Plus” class ships. These are very similar but approximately 10% larger.

Norwegian Aqua and Luna are the Prima Plus-class ships. Another ship, Norwegian Aura, is due to launch in 2027, and she will have an even larger gross tonnage.

How Booking a Sister Ship Can Save You Money

The Newest Ship Usually Carries a Premium

• Brand-new cruise ships receive far more advertising and attention.
  • Regularly on the TV in the UK, there are adverts for cruises on Royal Caribbean’s Icon class ships – Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas and Legend of the Seas.
  • Lots of people want to be among the first onboard, so are willing to pay a premium price.
• A slightly older sister ship may offer most of the same experience without the “new ship” price.

Less Famous Ships Can Be Cheaper

• Two sister ships may offer almost identical facilities, but one may be much better known than the other.
• The heavily promoted ship can attract higher demand and higher prices.
• The quieter sister may provide better value simply because fewer people are actively searching for her.

When the award-winning Celebrity Edge was launched, with its outward-facing design and iconic “Magic Carpet” platform, it got an awful lot of publicity and was very popular with the cruising public.

She has “Infinite verandas” rather than traditional balconies, which give the ship a sleek, streamlined appearance.

Subsequent sisters, Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Ascent, Celebrity Beyond, and Celebrity Xcel offer the same luxury cruise experience but have lower public recognition.

Instead of just searching for a Celebrity Edge cruise, make sure you check out all the sister ships too. You might find a much better deal for virtually the same thing on a sister ship.

Find out what I thought of the groundbreaking Celebrity Edge when I sailed on her here:

3. The Same Cabin May Cost Less

You may be able to get the same cabin for less by comparing across ships in the same class.

Bear in mind:

• Sister ships frequently use the same cabin layouts and storage designs.
• Watching a cabin tour from one ship can help someone understand what to expect on another.
• Compare equivalent cabin grades across the entire class of ships.
  • Check carefully, as cabin numbering and categories may differ even when the physical rooms look the same.

Different Homeports Create Different Prices

• One sister ship may sail from an expensive or popular port while another sails from somewhere with lower demand.
• The cruise fare might be cheaper, but you will need to add in the additional costs of flights, hotels, parking and transfers.
  • A more expensive cruise from your local port could still cost less overall.

Older Ships May Offer Better Itineraries

• New ships often sail on popular, repetitive or easy-to-sell routes, such as the classic Mediterranean loop or the Caribbean from Miami.
• Older sister ships may sail longer, more unusual or repositioning itineraries.
• Cruisers may get a similar onboard experience while visiting more interesting destinations on an older ship.

How to Find a Ship’s Sister Ships

You could search the ship’s name followed by “ship class” or “sister ships”.

You could also go on to the cruise line’s fleet page to learn about other ships in the fleet.

In my opinion, the best option is to ask a trusted travel agent for help finding a comparable cruise on a sister ship.

I launched my own cruise travel agency in 2026, and have a team of cruise experts to provide you with the best possible personal service, at competitive prices.

Click below to contact them.

What to Compare Before Choosing the Cheaper Sister

I would recommend you compare these things before booking the cheaper sister ship:

• Look at the Cruise fare per person, per night
• Check the cost of flights, hotels and transport.
• Check what is included – dining and drinks etc.
• Look at the restaurants and attractions that differ between the ships.
• Refurbishment dates: has your chosen ship been refurbished recently?
• Cabin type and location available.
• Passenger capacity of the ship. Is it the same as on the other, sister ships?
• Itinerary and time in port of your sailing.
• Whether the ship has the one feature you particularly want.

When the More Expensive Sister Ship May Be Worth It

Sometimes, you might decide paying the extra money to sail on the newer ship is worth it because:

• The newest ship has an attraction unavailable on the others – like the unique Aqua Slidecoaster on Norwegian Aqua, for example.
• A particular restaurant or show matters to you – I recently sailed on Legend of the Seas, and a big attraction was the theatre production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
• The newer ship has improved solo cabins, family facilities or accessible cabins.
• Its departure port is more convenient.
  • For example, MSC regularly offers cruises from their home port of Genoa, but I know from past experience it is far easier and less stressful for me to sail from Barcelona instead.
• The itinerary is better.
• The price difference is relatively small, so you may as well experience the newest ship in the fleet.

Saving money is only worthwhile when the cheaper ship still offers everything you want from a cruise.

Have a look at the Aqua Slidecoaster, unique to the ship Norwegian Aqua, in the video below. I was lucky enough to sail aboard the ship and try out all the new features and activities before the general public did.

Before You Go

Another way to get a good deal on a cruise is to sail outside peak season. I personally prefer to sail in the “shoulder seasons”. Find out more about that here:

The Best Time To Cruise Isn’t When Most People Think

Find out why most guests never receive a free cabin upgrade here:

Why You’re (Probably) Not Getting A Free Cabin Upgrade