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This allows it to sail U.S.-only itineraries around the Hawaiian islands. Foreign flagged ships (which most are) must incorporate a stop in a foreign port before they return to the United States. The cruise line charges for many amenities on the ship, and at prices higher than you’ll find on other lines. If you are looking for more exclusivity and a higher-end experience, then Norwegian offers “The Haven.” Mentioned above, this is a separate area of the ships with access only for The Haven guests.
Airline Reward Programs
You can walk a plank above the city, race an F1 car, outrun dinosaurs, and blast zombies — all virtually, of course. It does cost money to play and some things (like the driving simulator) are extra on top of that. Laser TagAlong with go-karts, Norwegian has made a name for itself with outdoor laser tag games. The sets that are built are immersive and extremely impressive. Our suggestion is to sign up to play at night when the laser colors and lights are easier to see. You’ll find plenty of friendly staff, ready to welcome you to the ship and help with anything you need.
What Norwegian Cruise Line Does Well
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. 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.
Breakaway Plus Class
One notable outlier among the smaller ships is the 2,186-passenger Pride of America. Sporting a patriotic U.S. theme (you'll find venues named after Thomas Jefferson and John Adams), and a distinct array of lounges and entertainment, it's the only big cruise vessel based year-round in Hawaii. Unveiled in 2019, Norwegian Encore is, notably, the 23rd biggest cruise ship in the world as of this story's publishing (it will drop in the rankings over the coming years as additional megaships debut). At 169,116 tons, it's bigger than all but three Carnival ships.
The cruise line also has a heavy focus on specialty restaurants that are an extra charge, as well as charges for some things to do on the ship like laser tag and go-karts. Today the cruise line of about 18 ships sails worldwide, including cruises to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Alaska, Europe, and Asia. In total, Norwegian carries millions of passengers each year, making it among the largest cruise lines in the world. Enjoy the calypso music and cruise to The Caribbean, where crystal clear waters and sunny skies await on your Caribbean cruise. Choose from a wide variety of ships, including Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Encore or one of our newest class Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva. Choose from 11 convenient departure ports and itineraries that offer plenty of time in paradise to Eastern Caribbean, Western Caribbean, and Southern Caribbean cruise ports.
THE 25 BEST Norwegian (NCL) Romantic & Couples Cruises (with Prices) on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic
THE 25 BEST Norwegian (NCL) Romantic & Couples Cruises (with Prices) on Cruise Critic.
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Called Entourage, the teen zone is a place for teens to hang out, dance and play games, and it's supervised by counselors who plan activities and challenges. Norwegian also has rooms on its ships for babies and toddlers ages 6 months to 3 years. Called Guppies, the program offers parents a place to play with their youngest children, with occasional youth staff-led activities and games. The open-air laser tag arenas also are significant venues that are unlike anything you'll find atop the ships of other lines. The one on Norwegian Encore, which is the largest laser tag arena ever put on a ship, is themed around the lost city of Atlantis and spans the back of the vessel.
Norwegian Cruise Line Celebrates Its Newest Prima Class Ship: 'Viva' - Forbes
Norwegian Cruise Line Celebrates Its Newest Prima Class Ship: 'Viva'.
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As is typical for big-ship cruise lines, Norwegian has an extensive children's program, with programs and activities for children as young as 6 months through the age of 17. In addition to entertainment spaces, the interiors of Norwegian ships are loaded with other venues where passengers can kick back and let loose day and night. Norwegian appeals to vacationers who want a big-resort experience at sea with lots of options for dining and entertainment. In that, it's similar to Royal Caribbean — perhaps its closest competitor. During the winter, the line will move many of its vessels to North America to operate sailings to the Caribbean and Bahamas.
Alaska, from Seattle
Note the "based on double occupancy" caveat in the above paragraph. As is typical for cruise lines, Norwegian charges on a per-person basis, not per room, and it prices most cabins based on two people occupying a room. It does offer some cabins for solo travelers on some ships that are priced based on single occupancy.
Along the way, experience the freedom and flexibility that only Norwegian offers and enjoy a journey as exciting as the places you visit. Our award-winning ships are designed for you to enjoy as you choose while cruising to beautiful destinations around the world. Add a wide range of superb dining options and spectacular entertainment and you’ll experience your best vacation ever. That said, Breakaway is not for everyone, especially those on either extreme of the traditional cruising spectrum. Norwegian claims Freestyle means "what you want when you want it," an appealing concept for those who wish to be spontaneous and in control of their vacation experience. However, to make the most of your time onboard, you really must plan ahead and make reservations before your trip (or early in the cruise), especially when it comes to dining in specialty restaurants or booking spa treatments.
The room choices the line offers on its ships range from relatively low-cost, windowless inside cabins measuring just 135 square feet (perfect for the budget traveler) to massive, multi-room suites that can be more than 50 times that size. The backstory here is that Norwegian ships are designed to appeal to a wide demographic, including travelers willing to spend at a wide range of price points. Norwegian is also a mass-market brand, not a luxury cruise operator. Still, as we'll explain below, it offers a wide range of accommodations, some of which fall squarely in the luxury segment. In some cases, its ships have an exclusive area full of high-end cabins and suites called The Haven that comes with its own private pools, lounge areas and even restaurants.
Including suites, the percentage of cabins on the first two ships in the series to debut (Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva) that have balconies jumps to 64%. The percentage is even higher on the line's newest Breakaway-plus class vessels, at a very high 72%. On Norwegian's 4-year-old Norwegian Encore, for instance, 19% of the 2,040 cabins are suites — a huge percentage for a large, mass-market cruise ship. On Royal Caribbean's 4-year-old Symphony of the Seas, which launched at almost the same time as Norwegian Encore, by contrast, just 7% of cabins are suites. On Carnival Cruise Line's 4-year-old Carnival Panorama, just 3% of cabins are suites. 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.
Older ships are more limited in what they offer, but still offer plenty of basics including pools, spas, casinos, and shows. Like competitors Carnival and Royal Caribbean, Norwegian is what we call a mass market cruise line. This means it offers mega ships designed to appeal to all types of passengers. You’ll find options for everyone from families with kids to couples on romantic holidays, young, old, and in between. ● Norwegian offers a stateroom category called Club Balcony Suite.
Don't be surprised if you see people in shorts in the main dining rooms. That said, given the complexity of booking a cruise (there are a lot of decisions to make during the booking process — trust us) we recommend you use a seasoned travel agent who specializes in cruises. All cabins on Norwegian vessels have standard North American-style, 110-volt outlets and European-style, 220-volt outlets. This pricing is quite a bit higher than what some other lines, such as Carnival or Princess, charge for Wi-Fi. Princess recently was charging just $14.99 per person per day for a WiFi package. Norwegian also offers dedicated teen zones and programming on ships for children ages 13 to 17.
Despite a cruise ship being at sea, so much takes place indoors. Speedway (Go-Karts)Available on NCL’s newest and largest ships like Bliss, Joy, and Encore, the speedway is the only racetrack at sea. The electric carts race around a custom-built track that twists and turns around the top decks of these ships. It’s one of the most unique experiences you can have at sea and a lot of fun. You have to pay to ride, but it is definitely worth the price for a turn. In the United States Norwegian has a smaller presence than bigger lines like Royal Caribbean and Carnival.
If you’re scrolling through endless Norwegian Cruise Line reviews, let this complete guide to the cruise company give you the larger overview of what sets this brand apart from the rest. There are some interesting innovations from Norwegian that other cruise lines have since adopted, but they started here. 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.
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