Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Norwegian Cruise Line: Pros and Cons

ñorwegian cruise line

All NCL liners (except NCL Jewel) were refurbished by the end of 2017 (Jewel in 2018). The "Norwegian Edge" project covered 11 vessels - all older ships launched before NCL Breakaway (2013). On all these ships NCL added new venues, and did extensive restaurant makeovers (La Cucina Italian, Cagney's Steakhouse, Le Bistro French, Moderno Churrascaria Brazilia). Most public spaces (including all lounges, bars, complimentary food bars) received new furniture and flooring, some were completely re-designed. Once on board a Norwegian ship, you'll pay extra for most drinks, extra-charge restaurants, spa services, shore excursions, internet service and a few other things — unless you've bought a package for some of these items in advance.

Previous Ships

Guests can check in for their cruise in the Norwegian Cruise Line app 21 days before their cruise embarkation day. Downloading the app ahead of time will give you more time to explore all of its features before you are on the ship. Some of the advertised perks include things such as a drink package, wi-fi, shore excursions, 2nd guest free, specialty dining, and more. I had a 10-day sailing onboard Norwegian Star during an autumn cruise around the United Kingdom, and this old ship quickly became one of my favorites. Because of this, I would recommend not ruling out an older ship simply because of its age. Occasionally, there will be a menu for a restaurant or bar inside the app but not always.

The ultimate guide to Norwegian Cruise Line ships and itineraries

In short, these are the Norwegian ships to book when you want to take things up a notch. In short, there are so many family-friendly things to do on Norwegian Encore that you and your kids likely won't be able to do it all in a single, weeklong cruise. Norwegian Viva (2023-built) is NCL's 2nd PRIMA-class boat scheduled for delivery in June 2023.

Top 10 Norwegian Cruise Line Itineraries

ñorwegian cruise line

Norwegian Cruise Line’s guest-favorite bar, Metropolitan, will now include an intimate entertainment space aboard Norwegian Aqua for guests to enjoy live music over award-winning sustainable cocktails. New to the Prima Class, the contemporary Swirl Wine Bar aboard Norwegian Aqua is being designed by Miami-based Studio DADO, and draws architectural inspiration from the cascading horizontal lines of Antelope Canyon in Arizona. The new lounge creates an atmosphere that exudes exclusivity yet approachability and is perfect for enjoying intimate conversations over rare vintages. Sukhothai, Norwegian Cruise Line’s new upscale Thai specialty dining venue, designed by London-based SMC Design firm, incorporates both traditional and contemporary Thai design elements. On warm-weather cruises, the main pool is the line's most popular spot onboard. On ships with water slides, ropes courses, go-kart tracks and laser tag, these are also popular and often require a wait of up to 30 minutes or more.

With so many culinary options to choose from, NCL’s Free at Sea program delivers guests more value with vacation enhancing benefits including specialty dining credits, unlimited beverage package, shore excursion credits, Wi-Fi minutes and more. Norwegian cruise ships draw a diverse crowd, though the majority of passengers on ships sailing to the Caribbean and in Alaska and Hawaii hail from North America. You'll find a decent number of people from other English-speaking countries, and smaller numbers from South America and Europe. On European cruises, North Americans still dominate but you'll find more people from the United Kingdom and other European countries. One ship, Norwegian Joy, was designed specifically for the Asian market, and the vast majority of passengers on this ship will be from China. Note that due to the ship's small size, some of Norwegian's signature features, including a private The Haven suite complex and solo cabins, aren't found on the ship.

Norwegian Launches 2024 Summer Season in Europe - TravelPulse

Norwegian Launches 2024 Summer Season in Europe.

Posted: Mon, 22 Apr 2024 15:20:00 GMT [source]

On February 21, 2012, NCL Corporation Ltd (fully owned by NCLH) acquired Sixthman Ltd (2001-founded music festival company) for USD 7,5 million. Since 2012, Sixthman operates as a theme cruise charter company serving mainly NCL. In some cases, the Broadway shows are cut down slightly from the original versions, and the casts aren't quite as seasoned as what you'll find on Broadway. Compare that with the hundreds of dollars you'd spend to take your family to a show in New York City. Entertainment is one of the core areas where Norwegian excels, and if you're the kind of person who loves nights out with live music and lively performances on your vacations, you're going to love the line. Because of that, Norwegian is popular with people who are seeking flexibility — freedom to eat when they want, with whom they want and to dress however they want, for sure, but also more freedom in general to just set their own schedule day and night.

Pro: A cruise for the whole family

Norwegian Cruise Line is a wildly popular cruising company that emphasizes “Freestyle Cruising”—meaning light-hearted, carefree vacation fun for you and yours. Since NCL ships sail to destinations all over the world, from tropical to arctic, there’s a vacation for all types of travelers, whether you’re a history buff or culinary adventurer. With Broadway shows, avant-garde dining and nightlife options, and a focus on "Freestyle Cruising," each ship is filled with all the amenities and activities you could ask for. Some of our favorite features include the Studio Cabins, the cruise line’s partnership with legendary sketch comedy group Second City and the fine French cuisine served at Le Bistro. In June 2019, NCL announced its exclusive partnership with Scarpetta Restaurants via LDV Hospitality (USA-based boutique hospitality company specializing in unique restaurant and bar experiences). By this deal, on the newbuild Norwegian Encore (2019) was introduced fleet's first "Onda by Scarpetta" - specialty restaurant offering dining premium experiences fleetwide.

Two more ships were ordered on July 14, 2014, to enter service in 2018 and 2019. Pride of America is the largest US-flagged passenger ship homeported in Honolulu for year-round roundtrips to the Hawaiian Islands. Due to financial considerations, the other NCL America ships in Hawaii - Pride of Aloha (now Norwegian Sky) and Pride of Hawaii (now Norwegian Jade) - were later transferred to the company's international fleet. On July 30, 2018, following the industry's "eco-trend", NCL announced banning fleetwide single-use plastic straws.

Oftentimes, guests are unable to see the menu for the main complimentary restaurants. The amenities for children may just be smaller or have limited activities when compared to other cruise lines that have more of an emphasis on family travel. When compared to other cruise lines such as Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean, I have noticed that generally there seem to be fewer younger children onboard Norwegian Cruise Line ships. Norwegian's itineraries tend to be longer, with the majority of sailings lasting about a week or more.

Learn about Norwegian's Splash Academy youth programs and cruising with children of all ages. Learn how Norwegian Cruise Line takes care of your every need with an extensive list of onboard services. As a result, it draws far fewer families than most of the vessels mentioned above and caters more to an older crowd of mostly couples. That said, Norwegian Sky has its allures, one of which is that it has a much more intimate feel than the line's bigger vessels. It's a great choice for adults on a budget who are satisfied with the basics.

For guests looking for short and quick weekend getaways, Norwegian Cruise Line may not have the most to choose from.

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