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If you’re not picky about the treatment you want or when you want it, keep an eye on the Freestyle Daily. During my cruise, the price of specially curated 75-minute treatments went from about $199 down to $139 toward the end of the cruise. I don’t love the idea of having to think ahead about where and when I want to eat when I am on vacation, but I made a reservation for each night so I had somewhere to go.
What is the best Norwegian cruise ship?
There are no set dining times or assigned seats, as is customary with “traditional” dining on many cruise lines. Other Norwegian cruise ships, such as Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Sun, have specific features that might make them better options for solo travelers or retirees. Certain Norwegian ships are best for budget travelers, while others are best for luxury travelers. For this 12-night cruise, the Free at Sea package included three meals at specialty dining venues. Additional meals were available as an upgrade — $99 for two more, $139 for three more, and $30 more for each additional meal you wanted after that. The upgrades are per person, so you cannot buy a two-meal package and share it with another person, giving each of you one additional meal.
THE 25 BEST Norwegian (NCL) Cruises from the West Coast - Cruise Critic
THE 25 BEST Norwegian (NCL) Cruises from the West Coast.
Posted: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 04:30:25 GMT [source]
The best Norwegian Cruise Line ship for every type of traveler
One problem for me was that the safe was not big enough for my laptop. I also didn’t like the fact the bed didn’t have a bed skirt and I was always looking at my empty luggage I stored under the bed. The cabin seemed very spacious because the bed was by the balcony, which left a big open space in the cabin. While this was nice, anyone sleeping next to the balcony would have a difficult time getting out of bed without hitting the sliding glass door or the bed.
I spent $20 at NCL's Ice Bar, and it was the best-kept secret on Epic
Once passengers are on board, the remaining reservations open up. You can make reservations for specialty dining venues and the main dining rooms before embarkation and while on board at either a dining desk or on the TV system in the room. The TV system allows you to make a reservation, but not cancel one, so I had to wait in the dining desk line anyway. Entertainment on Norwegian Encore is well above average for a mainstream cruise line. In addition to an astounding number of daily activities like game shows, trivia and art classes, passengers can enjoy top-deck fun that ranges from laser tag to waterslides.
Norwegian cancels more than a dozen cruises on 7 ships in 2025
So, for example, an upcoming cruise on the Prima — a seven-day trip from Galveston, Texas, to the Caribbean in February — is about $2,400 per balcony cabin (with two people). Then you add on gratuities for the open bar at $305 and specialty dining of about $40. However, passengers who don't have it included — or those who have the basic plan included but want to upgrade — can pay to connect. Prices vary, but they're generally pretty expensive, ranging from about $30 to $35 per person, per day, depending on whether or not you need streaming capabilities. The cost is slightly cheaper if you purchase in advance instead of waiting until you board.
Booking the trip
It was difficult to obtain the actual address of the port in Incheon for embarkation (conflicting information by two NCL representatives) so as to be able to arrange transport from our hotel in Seoul. Likewise, the address of the port in Osaka was difficult to obtain. Also, our transfer from Tokyo cruise terminal never materialised probably due to the confusion as to where the ship was docking.
My best friend (and fellow CruiseBlog writer) Hayley joined me for this two night sailing onboard Norwegian Sun. We had quite the adventure flying standby to Europe for this cheap cruise, so we were excited to board Norwegian Sun in Malaga, Spain for some much needed relaxation. More importantly, I was really excited to have another chance to experience a Norwegian cruise. It’s been over a decade since my Pride of America sailing, so my cruising perceptive is much different now.
Hayley had only sailed on newer and bigger Norwegian cruise ships, like Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Getaway, so the size and age were very apparent to her. Norwegian offers many different types of staterooms to accommodate all kinds of travelers. Whether you’re traveling solo or with the whole family, on a budget or looking to splurge, you’ll find a stateroom that will suit your needs.
Every opportunity was made to extract even more money from the traveller - with 2 phone messages urging us to take advantage of future cruise offers and points. This was to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience to this part of the world which we had dreamed of visiting, unfortunately it was - all for the wrong reasons. Norwegian Cruise Line is known for pioneering "anytime dining" on cruise ships — eating whenever you want, wherever you want, with whomever you want. Passengers are not assigned set dining times, and you can eat in any of Norwegian Encore's main dining rooms or extra-fee restaurants by making a reservation or showing up when you're hungry. Other meal options include a complimentary buffet and 24-hour room service that comes with a delivery fee. You may also have the option of upgrading to "Free at Sea Plus" , which would give you extra specialty dining, extra credit towards excursions, unlimited Wi-Fi, and a premium beverage package.
On the two outer decks directly above it, passengers will find laser tag and Speedway, the ship's go-kart track. What started as a yearly vacation with family quickly turned into a passion for travel, cruising and adventure. She even studied abroad on Semester at Sea, sailing the world on a ship while taking courses for college and visiting 4 continents. To take advantage of the cheap cruise fare, we opted to book an inside cabin guarantee onboard Norwegian Sun. I often choose to sail in an inside cabin because the price is always right and I never spend too much time in my cabin anyway. Norwegian Sun was built in 2001 while Pride of America construction was complete in 2005.
The company dates back to 1966 when it got its start as a Norwegian shipping company. Today, it has become one of the more popular mainstream cruise brands and is part of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which also includes the Regent Seven Seas and Oceania brands. The high levels of English comprehension across the region means booking your own activities and exploring ports independently is much easier than in many other parts of the world. Even so, look for independent tours that take place earlier in the day to reduce any time-related risk.
Evening shows include Broadway-caliber musicals, comedians, magicians and more. The Local is often crowded because it's free and the choice for anyone who wants a waiter-served meal not in one of the fancy dining rooms. It's also located just above the stage and screen area in the main atrium, so it draws crowds wanting to sit and watch what's happening below.
This certainly wasn’t a traditional cruise and felt more like we came super late to the party, like when a party is almost over and everyone’s getting ready to go home. It almost felt like we were late to the party because everyone already knew each other after sailing for nearly two weeks together. It was an unusual experience that I’ve never had more, and makes me wonder if this is something Norwegian does more than other cruise lines. Guest services indicated that those of us joining for just two nights didn’t have any options for purchasing drink or Internet packages, much to our surprise.
Then there was the buffet, the Surfside Cafe & Grill, which was tremendously undersized, always incredibly busy and without enough seating options. While the food was good, the traffic flow was not, and once you had your food in hand, finding a place to eat it was not easy. For breakfast one morning, I balanced my plate on the waitstaff’s cleaning area and ate there. With a reservation, the dining venue holds your space for 15 minutes and then gives up your table, which we learned the hard way one night when we arrived late. Our table was gone, forcing us to wait about 45 minutes for another one.
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