Table Of Content
These are some of the special features you'll find aboard some or all of the ships in NCL’s fleet. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is one of the top players in large-ship cruising, and its fleet is seeing one of its biggest refits in decades with its new Prima fleet of ships. Norwegian Cruise Line ships are also known for their colorful hull art that makes them stand out in ports around the world. 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. Operated by Steiner Spa Services (which manages most of the cruise industry's spa fleet), the Mandara Spa and Salon is situated across two decks, with the entrance on Deck 16.
Learn About Credit Cards
Allow me to take you through the basics of cruise shore excursions, so you can learn to have the most fun no matter what your budget is. Unlike many cruise vessels, Norwegian ships do not have self-serve launderettes on cabin decks for passenger use. Instead, the line offers extra-charge laundry and dry cleaning services. Like the ships of the Breakaway and Breakaway-plus classes, the Prima Class ships have a lively zone that mixes casino space, bars, eateries and entertainment that sprawls across decks 6, 7 and 8. These vessels also have outdoor eating space in an area called Ocean Boulevard. The Breakaway- and Breakaway Plus-class ships have innovative outdoor promenades called The Waterfront lined with seating for many restaurants and bars.
How do I get the most from my cruise shore excursion?
There's tons of great entertainment on Norwegian's vessels, plenty of venues for eating and drinking, and all sorts of deck-top diversions — at least on the line's newest ships. Throw in the brand's low starting prices, and it's an even more compelling package. All vessels operate on a cashless system with any onboard purchases you make posting automatically to your onboard account. For those with money to burn (pricing on Norwegian Encore recently was $99 per person for a day pass), the Vibe Beach Clubs are lovely, secluded deck-top hideaways. However, there's a downside for everyone else on board the ships that have them, which is that they take away from the deck-top lounge space available to everybody else.
Norwegian Cruise Line loyalty program
Some of the extra-charge restaurants come with a flat fee (the teppanyaki outlets are $59 per person, not including the cost of drinks). One thing you need to know upfront about going on a Norwegian cruise is that there are a lot of extra charges — and sometimes quite high extra charges — on the line's ships, particularly for things like restaurants. On more than half of Norwegian's ships, many of the top suites are part of The Haven.
How to book
Other performances are held in two lounges onboard that are exceedingly popular, often filling to standing-room only. Syd Norman's Pour House emulates a rock-and-roll pub and pairs an extensive beverage list with some exceptional performances (the band on our sailing performed Fleetwood Mac's Rumours in its entirety one evening). During the day, The Improv at Sea is sometimes also used as a location for trivia and other activities, though the bar portion remains closed until evening. You'll find an exclusive, extra-charge, adults-only VIP sunning area on seven Norwegian ships called Vibe Beach Club. The biggest of these areas is on Norwegian Encore, where Vibe Beach Club is an expansive private lounge with a full-service bar, cabanas and two hot tubs designed to hold up to 270 people — far more than on other ships.
Cruise to the Heart of a Destination with NCL - Cruise Critic
Cruise to the Heart of a Destination with NCL.
Posted: Wed, 31 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
You can find cruise bargains for as low as $350 on four-night cruises, but if you want to splurge and do a longer cruise, expect to pay as much as $4,600 or more (especially if you book a suite or a Haven category room). NCL spans the globe with sailings to every continent (even Antarctica) on a wide range of ships. They leave from both U.S. coasts as well as from Hawaii — where NCL has operated inter-island Hawaiian sailing for almost two decades.
Cabins and suites
The NCL Stranded Passenger “Fiasco”: Your Replies - Travel Market Report
The NCL Stranded Passenger “Fiasco”: Your Replies.
Posted: Mon, 08 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
As you might expect, pricing for all ships will generally be lower during offseason periods such as September and October. 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. Just be warned that you'll pay a hefty fee to play in the Galaxy Pavilion. There also are hourlong passes available for $29 per person, or you can sample a single ride for $8 (except for the escape room, which is priced separately at $15 per person). Norwegian cruises are very unstructured vacations, and that's by design. In a typical summer, the line will deploy nearly half its ships to Europe while sending several more to the West Coast to sail to Alaska from Seattle; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Seward, Alaska.
Splash Academy on Norwegian Viva
It's the only cruise line to offer year-round voyages in Hawaii. Pride of America notably operates with a mostly U.S. crew, in keeping with regulations governing cruise itineraries that only include U.S. ports. Norwegian's 10 smaller vessels break down among five classes, but many are roughly the same size and offer similar amenities.
The Guide to Cruise Travel Insurance
In short, if you want to turn a Norwegian cruise into a luxury experience, you can do that, too. Norwegian really is the line where you make the trip what you want it to be. That said, the line does offer some smaller ships that aren't quite as big and bustling as its giants. Because it’s always a hassle to try and make your own travel arrangements. Simply skip the entire frustrating mess of booking yourself by choosing pre-arranged, customer-rated, Shore Excursions with Norwegian Cruise Line. No, but you can pay for a Wi-Fi package, which starts at $29.99 per day per device.
Cruise shore excursion prices vary widely depending on the cost of living in the cruise destination, what type of activity is involved and whether it's a full- or half-day tour. Norwegian adds an automatic service charge of $20 to $25 per person, per day, to final bills, depending on your cabin category. Depending on the service you receive, you can adjust the amount up or down at the guest services desk before disembarking. In addition, a 20% gratuity is added to the bill at bars, extra-charge specialty restaurants and ship spas.
It also sends a few ships to Asia, Australia and South America, and it'll typically keep a single vessel in Europe, too. Now, think of the huge hassle of trying to make your own independent tour arrangements in 3, 4 or even 5 destinations. Norwegian Cruise Line has everything you need in Shore Excursions from A to Z, or better noted as every destination from Acapulco, Mexico, to Zadar, Croatia.
The Waterfront is located on Deck 8 of each of the ships, which is one of the main decks for restaurants on them all. On the big-ship end of the spectrum, Norwegian's four relatively new Breakaway Plus-class vessels — Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Escape — are the line's premier offerings. While not quite as big as Royal Caribbean's giant, Oasis-class ships, they are firmly in the pantheon of the world's cruising giants. They are the Norwegian vessels most packed with restaurants, bars, entertainment and over-the-top attractions. Alternatively, you can wait until you're on the ship and book your excursion in person at the shore excursions desk. You'll be able to ask the staff questions about the tours, and the charges will be added to your final cruise bill.
Bars typically stay open until at least midnight, and a select few don't shut down until around one in the morning, meaning there's no reason to go to bed early on this ship -- unless that is, you want to. Things kick off in the afternoon, with language classes, cocktail tasting seminars, murder mystery games and the like. When the weather is good, expect plenty of outdoor fun to be had up on the ship's Pool Deck. Activities start bright and early with board games and playing cards available in the Observation Lounge before the obligatory Morning Stretch and Fab Abs classes in the Pulse Fitness Center.
No comments:
Post a Comment