Cruises to the Caribbean, Bermuda, Alaska Cruises, Hawaii, Europe Norwegian Cruise Line
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Norwegian has a point-based frequent cruiser program, Latitudes Rewards, that has seven tiers, ranging from Bronze (requiring 1 point) to Ambassador (700 points). Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Epic, for instance, have the Cavern Club, a reproduction of the British club that gave rise to the Beatles. It comes complete with a cover band that plays the group's greatest hits. 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. Looking for a cruise where you can do what you want, whenever you want, without a lot of structure and rules?
Australia & New Zealand Cruises
There was only one location of food in the Garden Cafe with very limited indoor seating. This wasn’t something that I remembered from my Pride of America sailing, but it was a great first impression! Norwegian Sun is the second oldest ship in Norwegian’s fleet, so we weren’t entirely sure what to expect. Here’re my honest thoughts about Norwegian Cruise Line after more than a decade, including a few things I really liked and others that left me expecting more. 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. 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.
Ships
Additionally, the Garden Villas on Norwegian Dawn and Norwegian Star include private outdoor dining areas and steam rooms. Like Royal Caribbean ships, Norwegian vessels have an inordinate amount of teen- and tween-friendly attractions — everything from some of the largest waterslides at sea to the only go-kart tracks on the ocean. That makes them particularly appealing to families, including multigenerational groups.
Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva: Best for luxury lovers
NCL cruises are fun for all types of travelers, and its loyalty program can provide added perks along the way. Those looking to avoid the crowds can escape to Mandara Spa or the adults-only Vibe Beach Club, or cozy up with a book in the breathtaking Observation Lounge with two-deck high windows at the front of the ship. For those seeking an extra level of luxury, NCL offers “The Haven by Norwegian” a first-class section available on many ships. The Haven provides spacious accommodations, a private courtyard, a sundeck, a concierge lounge, and exclusive restaurants, bars, and fitness centers reserved for Haven guests.
Is Norwegian Cruise Line Worth It? Pros & Cons
You'll also find a seemingly endless array of bars, lounges and nightspots. 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. Couples, seniors, solo travelers and families with kids come on board for a lively roster of activities and some "wow" attractions. Both lines focus much of their attention on fun-in-the-sun itineraries in the Bahamas and Caribbean, sailing from U.S. ports.
I hope to try one of these cruises in the near future to get an even better impression of Norwegian Cruise Line. We learned quickly that most people on the ship had been sailing on a 14-night Canary Islands itinerary that set sail from Lisbon. Norwegian advertised and sold an itinerary for just the final two nights of this cruise - effectively allowing people to join for nights 13 and 14. Perhaps one of the most unique aspects of this two night cruise on Norwegian Sun was that Hayley and I embarked at a different time than most of the guests onboard. 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.
Bermuda Is a Popular Norwegian Getaway Itinerary
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]
We personally have never been disappointed with the range of activities onboard NCL. With the caveat that if you start to cruise with the company a lot, they do start to become a bit repetitive. We recently cruised on the Norwegian Star and were blown away by the quality of food. The food quality seems pretty consistent – we were also happy with the food on their other ships too like the Norwegian Getaway. Breaking away from the traditional formal and informal dress codes, NCL adopted a more casual approach, allowing guests the freedom to dress as they please. I always have a great time and get off wanting to book another cruise with them.
Although Norwegian Getaway doesn’t sail from Florida as often as it used to, the ship was built to ooze Miami, starting with the hull, with art designed by Miami artist David "LEBO" Le Batard. It's impossible to miss the painting, which features a mermaid and pelicans and employs the colors of the sea. Inside, the overall color palate successfully melds bright purples and turquoises with more muted browns and gleaming silvers. You pay for fast internet on NCL and there can be some days it won’t load at all. For example, Royal Caribbean charges no more than $20 a day for fast streaming wifi onboard whereas Norwegian charges $40 a day for their fast internet. For those who prefer a more lively atmosphere, the pool decks and Bliss Ultra Lounge offer energetic dance parties that are not to be missed.
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. It also sends a few ships to Asia, Australia and South America, and it'll typically keep a single vessel in Europe, too. 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). Only Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises have significantly more bigger vessels.
For instance, you can sail to Cabo from Long Beach or Cozumel from New Orleans. Norwegian's "Freestyle Cruising" attracts all ages, from kids to seniors, who prefer the casual, less traditional onboard vibe. No one is forcing a dress code here; you can get dolled up for date night or stick with jeans for a casual dinner. Would you rather race on a go-kart track or push turbo for a faster ride on a roller coaster?
However, even with the premium, most expensive wifi package, our experience was that it was very slow. However, on Norwegian, almost every passenger is super friendly and is just looking to have a good time. On cruises with warm weather, Spice H2O will turn into an adult only club in the evening times. There are some great parties and events, which are a really fun time on a Norwegian cruise. For adults and older cruisers, there are plenty of lounges and bars to relax and have a drink.
The entryway to each of these ships, for instance, deposits you at the three-story-high Penrose Atrium, which may be the most beautiful atrium of any big ship at sea. It has a curvy, sculptural feel as if the entire space were an art piece. 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. As you accrue nights, you earn elite status that delivers onboard benefits that grow with each status tier. Of course, the fare will always vary depending on which cabin type you book. NCL sails around the world with numerous routes from the U.S. to Caribbean destinations as well as around the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas.
The line just recommends a step up to "smart casual" outfits in its more formal dining rooms and upscale specialty restaurants. In keeping with Norwegian's laid-backness, this might still mean nothing more than a crisper pair of jeans, or maybe slacks with a collared shirt, for men. 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. All but one Norwegian ship (Pride of America) has a casino, and on the line's bigger vessels, they are huge operations. The casino on Norwegian Encore has more than 300 slot machines and 26 table games (including blackjack, roulette, poker and craps), plus its own bar.
While no cruise line is completely immune from problems, there are several that have never experienced a major incident and that invest heavily in safety training and technology. We wouldn't say Norwegian is unsafe, per se, but it's one area where some of its rivals outpace its track record. Even the pool areas, hot tubs and sun deck are always clean, which makes the cruising experience a lot better.
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