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Our award-winning ships are designed for you to enjoy as you choose while cruising to the most beautiful destinations around the world. No matter where your dream vacation takes you, feel free to cruise your way. You can also find some old-school cruising style on the eldest ship in the fleet, which debuted in 1999. Here are the NCL cruise ships by age, so you can pick the right fit for your upcoming cruise. While the cruise line is not necessarily historically known for its mega-ships, like Royal Caribbean might be these days, several Norwegian cruise ships are still ranked among the 30 largest in the world.
Good Deal? Everything to Know About Norwegian’s “Free At Sea” Sale
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. On newer Norwegian ships, the majority of the cabins are balcony cabins. Cruise lines over the years have discovered that cruisers will pay a significant premium to have a balcony with their cabin, and that's prompted a rush to add more balcony cabins to ships. At the high end, the accommodations are aimed at affluent travelers who, for whatever reason, prefer the megaship experience to being on a luxury ship, and they truly are among the most spectacular accommodations at sea.
Food For Any Taste. At Any Time.
Her voyages include scenic sailings to Glacier Bay NP; and Hubbard Glacier. As you can see from their list below, the oldest one (NCL Sky) is just 14 years old. NCL ships are big (to really large), well-equipped, offering feature amenities and onboard activities, and sailing worldwide. NCL's Caribbean itineraries always visit the company's Bahamian private island Great Stirrup Cay (purchased in 1977).
Youth Programs
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. What you'll find on the top decks of Norwegian ships will vary quite a bit depending on the vessel. The line's smaller ships will have at least one or two pools, sunning areas and usually a sports court area — but not all that much else.
Norwegian Jewel
However, what you spend on cruise fare is just a portion of what you’ll spend on your entire cruise. If you haven’t yet sailed Norwegian, you might not be sure what to expect. The name of the cruise line makes it sound like it is Nordic, however, as you’ll see below, the experience is anything but. 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. It was the first cruise line to eliminate the traditional set dining times when it introduced Freestyle Dining, allowing guests to eat at any time at up to 28 different locations on each ship.
The Newest Ships at Sea
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. Norwegian Escape offers 7- and 14-day Caribbean voyages from December 2024 through to March 2025 from Galveston, Texas. The vessel's 7-day Western Caribbean itineraries visit Costa Maya, and Cozumel in Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; and Harvest Caye Belize. For guests searching for an extended vacation, the 14-day Eastern Caribbean voyages include visits to Cozumel, Mexico; St. Thomas, USVI; Castries, St. Lucia; George Town, Grand Cayman; Great Stirrup Cay Bahamas, and more. Not every ship has this area, but many — especially newer vessels — do. Rooms are more luxurious than the rest of the cabins, and you are given access to an area reserved only for The Haven guests.
Norwegian is one of the few lines that takes special effort to cater to you. Many ships have solo cabins that aren’t charged a single passenger supplement. They also feature solo-cruiser lounges for socializing with your other solo passengers. 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.
You can board a cruise anywhere from London to Lisbon to Los Angeles. In total, the cruise line has sailings from more than 40 ports worldwide. The summer season sees 7-day cruises from Miami to the Caribbean aboard Norwegian Escape (a newer ship, but not the newest) running around $899 per person. With a wide range of cruise options from quick Bahamian getaways to Alaskan cruises, and also sailings worldwide, it can be a little tricky to nail down exact pricing. The style seems more in line with a high-end hotel than a classic cruise ship. That said, the people — both crew and passengers — keep things friendly and down-to-earth.
Norwegian Joy's refurbishment details/changes unveiled (SPA, Suites, Beach Club)
Passengers caught smoking in their cabins will be fined $250 per occurrence. Norwegian also offers dedicated teen zones and programming on ships for children ages 13 to 17. 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.
There's no formal dress code at night either, though most people do change into something slightly less casual for dinner. Additionally, some of the specialty extra-fee restaurants do require long pants, collared shirts and closed-toe shoes. Most evenings you'll see men in dark jeans or khakis and collared shirts, and women in blouses with slacks or skirts, or sundresses.
With its famous “Freestyle Cruising,” one thing you don’t have to worry about is a set dining time. Outdoor DiningOne of the unique things about Norwegian is that they’ve placed a lot of focus on connecting people to the outdoors. The cruise line charges for many amenities on the ship, and at prices higher than you’ll find on other lines. The experience can vary from ship to ship, but expect to have a great time. While the cruise line is the third of the “Big Three” in size among rivals Carnival and Royal Caribbean, it doesn’t mean that its cruises lag compared to its larger competitors. Check out of fact sheets of Carnival, and Princess Cruise Lines to see what other options are awaiting you.
15 things I loved and hated about Norwegian Epic - Cruise Blog
15 things I loved and hated about Norwegian Epic.
Posted: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 16:15:21 GMT [source]
Don't be surprised if you see people in shorts in the main dining rooms. Starting April 2025 through to October 2025, Norwegian Breakaway offers a series of 9- and 10-day roundtrip Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona with an overnight in Livorno (to Florence and Pisa) providing 2 days to explore the destination. The two itineraries call to bucket-list destinations like Ibiza, Cagliari, Naples, Rome (Civitavecchia), Cannes, and more. Norwegian Encore begins a 21-day Panama Canal cruise on October 23, 2022, sailing from Seattle WA, repositioning to Miami FL. During the sailing, 8 out of 11 port-of-calls include a minimum of 9 to 11 hours of port time.
You'll find everything from relatively low-cost, windowless inside cabins that measure as little as 135 square feet (perfect for the budget traveler) to massive, multi-room suites that are more than 50 times that size. Experience a once-in-a-lifetime moment you will never forget while witnessing the icy-blue glaciers and unique wildlife of Alaska. Walk through Greece's enchanting, sun-bleached streets, or find your own paradise in a secret beach in The Caribbean.
There's also an always-busy casino, which opens when the ship is out to sea. 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.
As well, there are charges for many things to do on the ships (such as Galaxy Pavilion and go-karts), which we’d like to see reduced or eliminated altogether. Norwegian seems to price at a premium, which means the costs you see can be higher than what you’d find on rival lines, especially with drink packages. We also like how NCL has taken special effort to bring people closer to the water with outdoor eating and outdoor promenades. New ships are especially modern and gorgeous, and the newer things to do like the go-kart track are lots of fun.
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