What is a Norwiegan Cruise Line cruise like? Help! I am going on a cruise and don't know what to expect.?

Question

Will I need money for food? Will I have to pay for entertainment? Is anything free with the cruise?

oops. It's Norwegian. I misspelled it!

Answer 1

I have been on more than 15 cruises with several cruise lines including about 5 or 6 on NCL. Here's what to expect.

First of all the terms "cabin" and "stateroom" mean the same thing; the cruise industry prefers stateroom. The standard cabin that most people get (inside/outside/balcony) are generally between 175 and 200 Square feet, about the size of a 9 by 12 ft home bedroom. Each cabin has a two beds which can be made into a queen, a bathroom with a shower stall, a closet and some drawer space, a TV and telephone, a safe for valuables, and a life jacket for each passenger.

When you arrive at the port to check in you (each passenger) will have a cruise account set up and receive a key card which will serve as your room key, charge card for anything you buy on ship (i.e.,drinks, souvenir, photos, tours) and its also your pass to get on and off ship in each port. When you first board the ship the security personnel will have you insert your key card into a scanner and then will take a photo of you that is included in the magnetic strip on the card. Each time you get off ship you will need this key card and many times also a photo ID (passport or driver's license). This card allows them to keep an accurate track of all passengers entering and/or leaving the ship.

A mandatory safety drill will be held as soon as everyone is on ship so that you will know where to go in case of emergency. The drill is a US Coast Guard requirement.

Each day of your cruise you will receive in your cabin a "newsletter" listing the time, place and particulars of everything happening for you on ship. There are generally activities like demonstrations of ice carvings, napkin folding and towel folding, and cooking demonstrations.. There will be organized games and other activities around the pools. In the evenings there are shows, one show for those with an early dinner seating and another (same show) for those who eat late. There is always free food available. Usually there is a place in ship where you can go get something. Or, you can always just pick up the phone in your cabin and order from the room service menu (food is free). If you want, you can order breakfast room service.

The ship (unless you are on Disney) will have a casino with slots and table games. Some ships have movie theaters, generally small but nice, and you can also see movies in your room. They have ATM’s and a purser’s desk where you can cash a check or exchange currency if you need to. There is a tour and activities desk so you can schedule land tours and activities.

There are free morning exercise programs, stretching and walking, etc, and on some you can pay for other things like Spinning. The ship will have a gym so you can go workout, usually any time from 6:00 AM to late at night. There is usually a walking/running track on one of the decks also. Some ships leave the gym open all night. They call the gyms Spa because they do promote getting pampered with things like wraps and massages with aroma therapy. They will also generally have a beauty salon to do hair and nails.

There are always pools. Some ships have more than one and the newer ships generally have an indoor pool as well as outdoor ones and all of these have hot tubs. There is generally a basketball court on the top deck, a place for scuffle board, and a mini-golf course.

There are places on ships to play cards and board games, and the cards and games are provided. If you want to just sit and read, there’s a library where you can bring your books or select one from the shelf. Ships have internet cafes and some offer WIFI if you bring your prefer to use your computer in your cabin (some ships offer notebooks for rent). There are cocktail lounges that feature a variety of music. Some have a piano bar with jazz. There is usually a disco that starts after 10:00 PM each night and last until everyone leave. On certain days ships will have special activities like a chocolate lovers buffet, or a midnight deck party .

Some people worry about getting sea sick, but the ships being used these days have automated stabilizers which minimize the rocking. The larger ships cut through the water so easy that you don’t even feel like you are moving. When there is bad weather the cruise lines will steer around and away from it, sometimes changing the order of port stops. Also, the ships generally move overnight and dock in the mornings so you don’t feel much movement. Consequently, your chances of getting sea sick are minimal. There is generally less motion than on an airplane. If you do get
sick, all ships have a doctor and they will dispense sea sick medicines. If you are prone to motion sickness, just get pills or a patch from your own doctor before you go, or go to a boating store and get a sea sickness bracelet.

The dress on ship is casual all day until 6:00PM. So take swim wear, shorts, sandals, beach shoes, your snorkel equipment if you have it, sun glasses and sun screen, lotions, a cap or big hat for the sun, a book if you are a reader, your music player, sneakers and clothes to workout in if you like to use the gym, your camera, and other personal toiletries.

After 6:00 PM they request that you wear "sports casual" attire. That's attire that you would expect a person to wear in a business office, shirt with a collar, slacks, skirt, blouse, etc. You can still wear shorts and swim wear in the pools and spas but not in public areas like dining rooms and restaurants, show rooms, bars, casino, etc.

Most 7-day cruises have two formal nights when you can wear your best stuff and get pictures taken, and maybe meet the ship’s Captain. The formal nights are REQUESTED not required attire. But most people do dress up in a tux for men and a long dress (any color) for women. Some men just wear a suit and tie and some women wear a nice dress but not a gown. You will not be denied access to the dining room or anything else if you choose not to dress up. (we usually take off the formal stuff after dinner and pictures anyway).

Its best to pack using soft-sided luggage because with space limited in your cabin it fits under the beds better if its not hard sided luggage. Take a small carry-on bag for the last night of the cruise. On the last evening you will be required to put your luggage outside your cabin by about 2:00 AM so that they can start taking it down to the lower deck for offloading the next morning. So you will need a small bag for your toiletries and your clothes that you sleep in.

I have been on many Norwegian ships and at one time NCL was my favorite cruise line. Freestyle Cruising means that you do not have to specify a dining option when you book your cruise and thus don't have a table and waiter assigned to you. "FREESTYLE" means you can go to dinner in the main dining room, or any other alternative restaurant, any time of the evening after 6:00 PM.. But you will have to reserve a time in the alternate restaurants. It also means that you don't have to "dress up" for dinner, but just go "sports casual". But it also means that you may be standing in line awaiting a table on some days (like we had to do a couple times); not what I want on a cruise. Since you go when you want, you rarely get the same waiter and so never really get to know your waiter and he/she never learns what you prefer as is done on “traditional” cruise lines.

The option to traditional dining on NCL is their optional dining restaurants. However, these dining options can cost $5 to $20 a person for dinner each night. The optional restaurants are very nice, including French, Chinese/Sushi, Tex-Mex, Italian, and steak house restaurants. We always skipped the optional restaurants and just got to the main dining early. That worked fine, except on "at sea" days when everyone wanted to go eat early. We later found that we could reserve a time in the main dining room, but we still got a different table and waiter for dinner each night

Answer 2

NCL is great. You don't need money at all. Have you ever stayed in a motel/hotel that uses a card for a door key? Well, NCL does something similar, only that key card is connected to your account you've set up so anything you want to buy on the ship you use the card. The won't even accept cash (but I would bring some so you can buy stuff at the ports). And most NCL ships have about 10 restaurants on them. Half of them are free, half cost money (there's a pamphlet in your room that will tell you which ones are free and which ones aren't). Most of the restaurants are casual dress, and the other ones are casual dress until 6 PM, then the dress requirements are a collard shirt (for males) or a dress/skirt (for females). And if I remember correctly, 24 hour room service is free too. Most of the entertainment on board is free. The only things I can think of that cost are the spa and gambling games. If you want drinks (soft drinks or alcohol), that costs money as well. Water, milk, tea, hot chocolate and coffee are free, however. If you have any question on board the ship, the crew is always there for you. It's their job to attend to you, so don't feel like you're bothering them. They're very friendly and happy to help you. I remember my first cruise. I was worrying about the same things you were and I've tried to answer all the questions I had.

By the way, bring your own pillow. NCL pillows are comfortable...for the first five minutes but then they collapse on you and will give you a kinked neck and a headache. And don't bring a lot of stuff you don't need. Standard cabins are 9x15 and the storage space is like 2x5. Also, don't bring things for you to do in your room because I can almost guarantee that you will only go there to sleep.

Answer 3

I just got off my first Norwegian Cruise in early June. I left New York on the Norwegian Spirit and went to Bermuda, St Thiomas, and Tortolla. I have also been on 4 Carnival, 1 Royal Caribbean, and 1 Celebrity. For a cruise line that does thigns very differently (especially something trademarked as "cruise things") it kept pace with the other ones nicely.

On a normal cruise ship you are locked into your dining time which has its pro and cons....what you gain in convenience of never having to wait for a table is balanced with the fact that you have no flexibility when you want to go. Norwegian was great because we avoided the rush in the middle of the evening by going late (8-830) then realized that liked early dinners (so we could do mroe around the ship at night) and started going before the rush (right when the restaurants opened at 530). This worked out great every night and we didnt get stuck waiting once. If we got hungry at night there was free room service with a nice little menu. We did not trry and of the specialty restaurants since I so enjoy the normal cruise dining style. Even if you want to you do not need extra cash because it will go on a card they give you for all your purchases on the ship. No where, other than the casino and game room, takes cash on the ship. Food, drinks, gifts etc all go on this card which acts liek a credit card (bill on last day is linked to a credit card before you get on the ship).

On the ship are the specialty restaurants while there are a few free ones. The free ones were just like the other crusie style dining: 5 courses, highly gourmet and delicious food. By doing that dining room every night we avoided the surcharges for the other restaurants. Otherwise, lunch and breakfast are also free in the buffet or those other restaurants (not the specialty ones).

Entertainment is free of course. Other than drinks, gifts, specialty restaurants, and the casino everything is free. The cruise line works in the same fashion as every other with the exception to these added restaurants. They are good, but its up to you to decide if you want to spend the extra money.

Tipping is good too because on your bill they charge 10$ a day per person. This includes everythign so there is no need to tip ANYONE extra unless you want to. Even room service doesnt look for a tip. I tipped a waiter crew that i liked and our room steward who was good, otherwise dont feel the need to over tip.

Answer 4

All you need to pay for is any alcohol you consume. If you buy art at their auctions, do wine tasting, get massages, or buy in their stores on board you'll need money. If you dock somewhere and get off the ship you'll need lots of money. There are side excursions that cost you plenty, but you have the option of staying on board the ship.

Answer 5

lots of food, dance and gambling. The sea is beautiful but take something for sea sickness just in case! It is never all inclusive...you will more than likely spend more that you thought!

Answer 6

lol just try not to DISSAPEAR on your Norwiegan cruise. i see it on the news all of the time.