15 MUST KNOW TIPS for Norwegian Cruise Line!!

Did I miss anything?? What tip would YOU give for NCL???

I have been on 5 NCL Cruises this year as a solo traveller both with and without Free at Sea. Honestly, for me, it was cheaper to NOT get Free at Sea and just buy drinks when I was in Port or the occasional drink on board. Say I had a couple of glasses of wine a day - including tip, around $30. I don't drink everyday so let's say $15 a day. If I was going to get my money's worth from the purchased beverage package I would have to drink 7 glasses of wine a day just to break even - sorry, my liver can't handle that. Free at Sea will be less than half of that but still - I am not going to be drinking 5 drinks a day for a 15 day cruise! As for the excursions, I like to do my own thing as an experienced traveller so I usually just walk into the Port city from the ship and spend - almost NOTHING! As for the Specialty Dining - I am by myself so why do I need to go to a specialty restaurant on board when the regular food is free and very good - also if I really want a nice meal I will do it in Port where it is more memorable. Finally Inetrnet - you only get 150 free minutes with Free at Sea which is nothing so, depending on the cruise, I either just use free internet in port or if it is a transatlantic or very long cruise I will fork out for the unlimited internet which is worth it IMHO. So you can save a TON of money by not getting Free at Sea, especially if you are solo like me and follow my tips - but if you are with a group it might be worth it - especially if you don't travel much and want to have a really special experience - but I travel all the time and would rather do my own thing and enjoy the ports. Different strokes for different folks.

Wow. This is one of the best detailed rundowns of a cruise and cruise line I’ve ever seen. And I really want to try Breakaway. Thank you so much for this clear and informative review / how-to. thanks!

I've been out of town and not online, but I really appreciate the time you took to put this together. It's everything I would tell someone about sailing Norwegian. We love it too. No formal nights, the laid back vibe, it's so nice. And it doesn't cost more like people think. You just have to know what kind of cruiser you are. Do you need free at sea or not? That makes a big difference like you said. If you add those things to the other lines rates, it's pretty similar. All the lines make it difficult to compare apples to apples, but I did do the math on a couple of our cruises to try to compare as close as I could and there just wasn't enough difference to give up what we like. NCL usually has better itineraries too. We compare but always end up on NCL.

Thank you for this awesome positive review of NCL. I am sapphire level, mostly Haven,passenger. It’s refreshing after all the negative comments that have been circulating lately. You brought back to mind all of the wonderful reasons why we love NCL. Getting ready to head out next week on Prima for the 2nd time and then Encore the week after⚓

Just booked my first Norwegian Cruise. can not wait!

I’ve traveled with Norwegian about 7 times. I’ve followed your channel for a few years. This has to be the best video I’ve enjoyed from you! Very informative! Thank you and keep up the great work!

As a solo traveler who’s traveled on Norwegian 3 times, I absolutely love their solo program. The lounge, activities, and getting to meet fellow solo travelers is unmatched. But beware!! The cost for a regular cabin is often less than the designated solo cabins when booking close to departure. And you have way more room in a regular cabin. Also, if you are looking at one of their larger ships, I’d highly recommend the Breakaway Plus class due to the added observation lounge. (Bliss, Encore, Joy, Escape). It’s beautiful and is a quiet retreat which isn’t found on the the Getaway or Breakaway. I first sailed on the Breakaway and I found it way too busy and crowded and there was absolutely nowhere to read a book and relax. But the Encore was a breath of fresh air with its observation lounge. Irs like a classy hotel lobby lounge in a very hectic ship. I loved it!!

One thing I noticed as people explain the Free at Sea perks, they have always forgotten some significant details of the drink package. Two things that set them apart: a) It is unlimited drinks, unlike the Carnival brands that limit you to 15 per 24 hours. b) You can order "doubles" if you want. To me, I like this. I love a black rum float on my Mai Tai. I want a double shot of Bailey's in my coffee. The FREE AT SEA program is a great option, even if you are paying gratuities for the 🍸 and specialty dinning 🍽, as well as the slight increase in room rates over the Sail Away prices.

Thank you for explaining the Perks on NCL to first-time cruisers! We love NCL! The only thing I would add is that the Casinos At Sea perks are awesome. After our first sailing, we were invited back with a cabin comp! We play anyway... If you do play, get a card like you would like at any casino. You will receive points, just like a casino. You can exchange them for free play OR use them on the very last night towards your cabin charges. Oftentimes, the credit you receive will be higher than the cash value. This means you may have $25 in free play, but you will receive an onboard credit for $35 or more! Also, don't be surprised if you are invited back in the future for a free cabin! You must pay taxes, port fees, and gratuities. You can even pay a bit and get an upgraded cabin. If you enjoy playing in the casino and will gamble anyway, get the players card!

And this is why we prefer you over the other cruise bloggers...glass always half full with you!

I actually followed your advice and bid on an upgrade to balcony. Got accepted and saved 😂a bunch, thanks to you 😊

You can get Free at Sea and remove the drink package. We do this because we are not drinkers. It saves you those gratuities, but we still get the specialty dining, internet, and shore excursion credit (if we choose to use it).😊

I love the Waterfront on the newer ships. Especially having outdoor dining on a warm evening...

Excellent informative video. I am a regular Royal CCL cruiser and have diamond status on that cruise line. I had been on NCL several times previously and booked it last year for a cruise out of New Orleans. We paid more for a balcony room on Breakaway and I was very disappointed. The room and balcony we tiny. There was a foot between the bed and the closet. We were told the newer ships are roomier. When we went to the dining room there was a sign that Prime Rib was being served in the Garden Buffet. I expected to be able to get it in the dining room but no it was not available. We finished our mediocre meal and went to the buffet for the Prime Rib. I have always preferred having dinner in the dining room but found the food choices better in the buffet., not my first choice for dinner meals. We regularly went to the buffet after going to the dining room for crepes or other options not available in the dining room. We also had a problem with our toilet not flushing. Needless to say this was more than a regular inconvenience. After the cruise we were give a Future Cruise Credit which we have decided to use. The positives were the entertainment and deck parties were great! We didn’t take the Free at See. We don’t drink more than 2 drinks a day. We bought cheap drinks on shore and treated ourselves to the Vodka Ice Bar one day. I do prefer the Newer Ships of Royal Caribbean but probably would have preferred a newer NCL. On Royal I get 4 drinks a day for free with my diamond status, which I share. I would suggest people trying different cruise lines to see which one they find is best for them. People who drink a lot would probably be happiest with the NCL Free at Sea. Happy cruising!

Tip #16 - NCL credit card. No annual fee. 25,000 sign-up bonus. Low qualifying cost - your cruise will be enough. Multiple points for NCL purchases. Each point is 1 cent, therefore they pay you $250 (25000 points) to get the card ! Points are good for other travel perks, not just NCL OBC

Alisa... what a great informative video. I owned a Cruise Ship Centre travel agency back in the late 80s At the time the "Norway" was the largest cruise ship in the world. It was always my dream to go on it. I was also a waiter at the Keg & Cleaver restaurant. I was able to block 10 cabins and took all my co-workers on the cruise to the Caribbean for $999 dollars and that included airfare. I am from Vancouver Canada and it was winter at the time so what an adventure it was for us to all cruise on the largest cruiseship in the world. The service was great, the food was great... it was a very memorable cruise for all of us since we were all in our twenties. I was 27. It is nice to see that NCL has progressed so much forward today to accomodate everyone's needs. I was in tears when the Norway was beached and torn apart about 10 years ago. Thank you so much for such a great video to where NCL is going now,

I'm about to go on the Gem for the 2nd time and I love the smaller ships. I don't need all the bells and whistles. I'm looking to relax, not schedule every minute of my days.

Great information! I have looked at NCL before but was always confused. Love watching you guys and appreciate the great content.

We are platinum latitude members with Norwegian and stock owners. You gave absolutely the best tips for NCL! Cruise likes Norwegian! Pearl is next!