Complete Guide to Sailing Norwegian Cruise Line What It's Like

Table Of Content

• Restaurants and dining
• Read Next: Park & Cruise Hotels for Every Port in America
• How much are shore excursions on a cruise?
• Have Some Adults-Only Time in the Vibe Beach Club
• How much does a Norwegian cruise cost?
• Complete Guide to Using Your Phone on a Cruise (Carnival, Royal Caribbean & More)
• The Norwegian Cruise Line fleet

If you want an intimate cruise experience, Norwegian probably isn't a good choice. If you book a specific cabin with Norwegian Cruise Line, some form of the Free at Sea promotion is almost guaranteed to be included in your reservation. Free at Sea is a great value if you plan to fully take advantage of each perk.

Restaurants and dining

Also, every ship has a least four and often many more extra-charge eateries. Two found across the entire fleet are Cagney's, the line's signature steakhouse, and Le Bistro, a fine French restaurant. Every ship also has an Italian restaurant, called Onda by Scarpetta or La Cucina. There also are churrascaria restaurants called Moderno on most Norwegian vessels. Norwegian was an early pioneer of the idea of giving cruisers lots of choices when it comes to restaurants on ships, and even its smallest vessels offer a wide range of options. On more than half of Norwegian's ships, many of the top suites are part of The Haven.

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I use many factors to decide whether to take a ship's tour, book an independent excursion or explore on my own in port. However, if you're a novice traveler, you might want to book ship tours exclusively because they're the simplest, easiest and most convenient options. In most cases, you don't need to book a shore excursion to explore a port of call. You can simply walk off the ship and stroll into town or catch a cab to take you wherever you want to go.

How much are shore excursions on a cruise?

Occasionally, one of the Free at Sea perks is free airfare for the second guest on a reservation when the first guest also books airfare through Norwegian Cruise Line. This offer applies to seven-night or longer voyages and provides economy, round-trip flights from select departure gateways. The third guest on a reservation and beyond must purchase the Premium Plus Beverage Package if the first and second guests purchase Free at Sea Plus. They receive it at a reduced rate of $34.80 per person, per day, including gratuity. At a la carte restaurants, the dining package limits you to one appetizer, one soup or salad, one main course and one dessert. At Cagney's and Le Bistro, you are also limited to one main course per person (in addition to starters and desserts).

You'll likely want to tip more for customized, private tours — consider 5 to 20% of the cost of the tour. In contrast to airline frequent-flyer programs, cruise line loyalty programs do not require you to requalify for status every year. But it's not as difficult as it might at first seem to hit the more rewarding higher tiers in just a few years if you're cruising a lot. All cabins on Norwegian vessels have standard North American-style, 110-volt outlets and European-style, 220-volt outlets.

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Whether you use a travel agent or not, make sure to maximize your purchase when paying for the cruise by using a card that offers extra points for travel purchases. Norwegian designs its ships to appeal to a broad mix of people, in part by offering a wide range of cabin types at varying price points. On a typical sailing, you might find an entry-level cabin for around $100 a night while a high-end suite is five to 15 times that amount. That said, passengers who are 18 to 20 can purchase and consume beer or wine on ships in international waters with permission from parents or legal guardians. The parent or legal guardian must be on board and sign a waiver at guest services. The lower drinking age in international waters does not apply during sailings in Alaska and Hawaii.

In short, if you’re looking for the most upscale experience on NCL, then you’ll find it in The Haven. Expect classic cruise classics like steak, chick, pasta, and lobster, all served in white tablecloth atmosphere. To us, there is a big difference between the cruise line’s ships. While older ships still have plenty to love, its newer ships are much more modern in both amenities and atmosphere and have more things to do. Laser TagAlong with go-karts, Norwegian has made a name for itself with outdoor laser tag games.

A ship built 20 years ago barely even compares to a ship built today. NCL, however, operates Pride of America — the only major cruise ship we know of that’s flagged under the United States. That means it can sail all around the Hawaiian Islands, instead of spending days traveling to another country to comply with the law. So instead of spending days at sea, you spend more time exploring Hawaii and simply fly back and forth from the mainland. Over the last few years Norwegian has made big headlines by introducing some of the most extravagant ships at sea.

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As the heartbeat at the center of the ship, it’s a focal point. Sit here long enough and you can watch every single person on the ship walk by. That makes the atrium of the ship one of the best spots on the ship to people watch. It also helps that there is a nearby bar to let you have a drink or two while you relax. On a Norwegian cruise, it’s ok to be a little picky about wine.

One of the favorite stops by Norwegian ships is Harvest Caye. The private island in the southwest Caribbean is a beach-lover’s paradise. There’s ample space to lay out by the beach, a huge freshwater pool, restaurants, bars, shops, ziplines and more. And because it’s only for Norwegian cruise ships, it’s like your own personal paradise.

So while we’ve tried to cover many things you can do below, they may not be available on all ships. If you’re wondering just exactly what you can do on a Norwegian cruise, we have you covered. If it's an activity, like snorkeling or a helicopter tour, read up on how much time is spent in transit and prep and how much time you will spend actually doing the activity. As you might expect, pricing for all ships will generally be lower during offseason periods such as September and October. Norwegian has a point-based frequent cruiser program, Latitudes Rewards, that has seven tiers, ranging from Bronze (requiring 1 point) to Ambassador (700 points). Passports must be valid for at least six months after your trip, and the name on your reservation must be exactly as it's printed on your passport or other official proof of nationality.

In fact, its oldest ship was built just over 20 years ago, but many more ships have been built recently. And with the addition of its Prima class — where one new ship is slated to join the fleet each year through 2027 — that fleet should continue to stay fresh. One thing to watch, however, is that you actually end up paying more for the ‘free’ perk. For instance, we did a recent search for a balcony cabin on an upcoming 7-night cruise.

Some Norwegian ships have The District Brewhouse, which is craft brew paradise. With dozens of beers on tap and even more bottled, you don’t have to stick to Bud Light. No matter how picky a beer drink you might be, you’ll find something to sip and savor here. In particular, newer ships seemed to be skewed toward fine dining, including spots like Onda by Scarpetta and Le Bistro. Sometimes you also need an expert guide, such as in Pompeii, to know what you're seeing.

Despite a cruise ship being at sea, so much takes place indoors. CasinoEvery cruise ship in the fleet will have a casino — except for Pride of America. Gambling on cruises is always popular, and NCL is no different. Casinos on older ships are usually more closed, separate areas. On newer ships the cruise line has built them to be open and airy, which is a nice touch.

One thing to note, however, is that if you don’t opt for this — and even if you do — you should be prepared for higher prices than what you see on many other lines. This can save you a lot of time, frustration, and wasted steps as you leave the cabin and head to go have fun. In the halls of the ship where there aren’t any windows, it’s easy to get turned around. All the cabin doors look the same and the hallways are long. You could walk for hundreds of feet before realizing you’re going in the wrong direction.

And if you feel like staying on board one day while your ship is docked in a port that doesn't interest you, that's okay, too. Independent tours, on the other hand, can be cheaper than cruise ship tours. Also, if you have a particular interest, the ship might not offer a tour for the activity or attraction you're excited about. Shore excursions typically highlight the marquee attractions or culture of the destination you're visiting. Sometimes an excursion will take you to sites within walking distance of your cruise; on other occasions, they might take you on a day trip to a nearby city.