The best Norwegian Cruise Line ship for every type of traveler
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This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points. Get the latest travel tips, crucial news, flight & hotel deal alerts... Note that some of these activities may come with additional fees, and not every activity is available on every ship. Norwegian sails to over 450 destinations from 17 departure ports across Europe and North America. Norwegian Sun also is the ship that Norwegian deploys on some of its longest and most destination-focused itineraries, the type that particularly appeals to retirees looking to see more of the world. 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.
On both of my Norwegian cruises, entertainment was overshadowed by the destinations we visited.
What is really suspect is that it seems they don’t announce these changes until right after date of final payment and no real reason given. I suspect they had no intention of making these stops and it’s a bait and switch. It appears they have been consistently pulling this bait and switch on a number of destinations. There should really be some way to address this as it is too often to be for legitimate, emergent reasons and is basically a way to scam customers. No matter your cruising style, Breakaway offers a terrific experience.
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The Norwegian app is available to download on mobile devices and is the place to keep track of things like dining times, activities and expenses. To use it on board, you don't have to pay for Wi-Fi, but you do have to be on the ship’s Wi-Fi network. 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. Norwegian touts its Freestyle Dining as a way to have freedom and flexibility about where and when you eat. There are no set dining times, and while that sounds great, you can’t just walk up and go wherever you want.
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The only old-school elements are singles gatherings, the small Norwegian Breakaway library (best to bring your own books) and mainstream ports. There's little true enrichment, and it can be hard to mingle with other passengers unless you’re staying in the Studio section, which features a private lounge for solo travelers. 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.
To me, Norwegian Encore is an even better choice than Norwegian Prima for families with school-age kids. Note that some of the nicer restaurants, such as Le Bistro and Cagney's, do require men to wear slacks. This wasn’t something that I remembered from my Pride of America sailing, but it was a great first impression!
What is the best Norwegian Cruise Line ship?
If you have a dining package, you can select any four food items, including desserts. Food Republic is a street food restaurant that leans heavily Asian. You'll be seated when you arrive, and you order from a touchpad. Items are priced a la carte and will be made to order, with each delivered when ready, rather than all at once. Although the meal was great, the service was a bit on the slow side.
Overview of Norwegian Viva
Norwegian Bliss Cruise Ship First-hand Expert Review - Cruise Critic
Norwegian Bliss Cruise Ship First-hand Expert Review.
Posted: Wed, 12 Jul 2023 15:12:15 GMT [source]
Each ship will have numerous restaurants to eat at that are included in your fare. However, many beverages require an additional charge, and there are always restaurants available that come with either à la carte pricing or incur a per person charge. A majority of the activities on board are included, so you are definitely able to have a great vacation without paying anything extra on board. Norwegian Cruise Line was a pioneer with its Freestyle Dining program. There are no set dining times or assigned seats, as is customary with “traditional” dining on many cruise lines. Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation.
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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. I’d love to sail on a newer Norwegian ship so I could experience one of their full-length Broadway musicals and larger scale production shows. The smaller and older ships tend to be used for port-intensive itineraries that are more destination focused. Weight loss meal delivery services are revolutionizing the way people approach dieting. These trips are popular with both families and couples, but they can be just as rewarding and enjoyable for solo travellers, giving you as much flexibility as you want along with opportunities to meet ... Did you know that a cruise line has a standby program where you can cruise for just $49 per day per person?
Night 6 Freestyle Daily
On the flip side, my least favorite restaurant is Los Lobos, a for-fee Mexican eatery on Deck 8, near The Local. I'm a huge fan of Mexican cuisine, but when I ate at Los Lobos on fleetmate Norwegian Encore about a month prior, the service was slow, and the food was mediocre. I went with a crabcake, a beefsteak tomato with onions and balsamic vinaigrette, and a petite (5-ounce) filet mignon with a side of truffle fries. If you're someone who doesn't eat meat, fish or seafood, you might consider dining elsewhere. The ship has 44 accessible staterooms across inside, outside, balcony and The Haven categories.
But then I worried about being a stereotype (vegetarian, salad, you know). And it seems after only 3 nights the chef knows my preferences and put extra brittle in mine. I also appreciated some warm soup after a chilly, drizzly day at port. Tonight is “Dress up or Not” night (see the second photo for a description of NCL’s “formal night” policy).
They put us on indirect flights which take many more hours than direct flights. Also, they can only book flights with 2 days before and after the cruise departure and arrival. With 200 dollars more, we can buy much better two round-trip flights with more flexibility. What made it even worse was that the air promotion eliminated us from free upgrade of stateroom. We ended up with paying 2 times more than the current cost of the cruise resulting from making reservation 6 months in advance. I would suggest that you should not book in advance and not use their air promotion.
Honestly, one night in a hotel room in New York plus dinner and show tickets would likely cost more than my entire cruise fare. Overall, Norwegian Encore is a sophisticated ship, there's tons of things to do, and you'll be wowed by the quality -- and quantity -- of the dining and entertainment. Yet because of this, a vacation here can cost more than on other "small-town" ships, and even if you do pony up for the fun, you simply won't have enough time to do everything.
Some local initiatives protesting against cruise travel have also gathered momentum, so cruisers should be aware of these issues before setting foot ashore. The height of summer can be marred by heavy rainfall, while it’s possible to get sunburnt in the snow-covered conditions of February and March. Cruising in Northern Europe offers a fantastic variety of excursions and experiences, from historical city tours to adrenaline-filled outdoor adventures. British line P&O Cruises operates its relatively new megaship Iona in the fjords region for much of that period, with regular departures from Southampton on a popular 7-day itinerary. The old city walls of Visby on Gotland island, a popular cruise port. For those interested in Viking history, look out for smaller ship itineraries featuring Visby on the wonderful island of Gotland.
Although passengers will pay extra for many things on Norwegian Viva, and some of the ship's public spaces aren't large enough to accommodate demand, the vessel is still a wonderful second iteration of the line's Prima Class. Norwegian Viva will split its time between Lisbon, Portugal, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, both of which will serve as seasonal home ports for the ship. Two of Norwegian Viva's top shows weren't ready when I sailed on the ship's inaugural sailing. Broadway show "Beetlejuice" was in tech rehearsals at the time, and an onboard rendition of the popular game show "Press Your Luck" also hadn't debuted. The state-of-the-art fitness center features yoga equipment, free weights and TechnoGym machines like bikes, ellipticals, rowers and treadmills.
The idea of the “best” ship is subjective, but the biggest and newest ship is Norwegian Encore, which debuted in 2019. Norwegian will be introducing the new Leonardo class of ships in 2022. Check out of fact sheets of Carnival, and Princess Cruise Lines to see what other options are awaiting you. Whether you’re looking for a quiet, relaxing room for 1, or are living it up with a big group, you’ll find lots of different staterooms to choose from on a Norwegian ship. Norwegian Encore, built in 2019, is the newest ship in the NCL fleet.
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