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Norwegian Cruise Line offers sailings at different price points to a global range of destinations. It is also known for its beautiful hull art, pioneering Freestyle Dining and adding buzzworthy amenities like ice bars and race tracks to its ships. NCL cruises are fun for all types of travelers, and its loyalty program can provide added perks along the way.
Norwegian Encore: Best for families
While not the biggest vessels in the Norwegian fleet, these ships will be notably packed with restaurants, bars, entertainment venues and decktop attractions. They also mark a more upscale turn for the line, with more space per passenger than earlier Norwegian ships and lots of suites. Designed with improved energy efficiency in mind, so as to better meet Alaskan environmental regulations during Alaskan cruises, Norwegian Bliss was built by Meyer Werft in Germany. Like other Breakaway Plus ships, Norwegian Bliss offers a wealth of dining options and entertainment spaces.
How much does a Norwegian cruise cost?
Dating to 2001, Norwegian Sun is one of Norwegian's oldest and smallest vessels, and it lacks many of the family-focused onboard attractions that are typical for the line's newer and bigger vessels. You won't find big waterparks, go-kart racing tracks or laser tag zones on this ship. Tucked away in the middle of the ship, this "studio" zone is essentially a private escape for solos, with more solo cabins — 128 — than you'll find on any other ship at sea. Extra suite categories are just the start of what makes Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva the best Norwegian cruise ships for luxury lovers.
Sun Class
In addition, a 20% gratuity is added to the bill at bars, extra-charge specialty restaurants and ship spas. Some of the extra-charge restaurants come with a flat fee (the teppanyaki outlets are $59 per person, not including the cost of drinks). One thing you need to know upfront about going on a Norwegian cruise is that there are a lot of extra charges — and sometimes quite high extra charges — on the line's ships, particularly for things like restaurants. On the ships that have them, they are clustered around an exclusive Studio Lounge where solo travelers can mingle at daily happy hour gatherings.
If you're a U.S. citizen, you don't need a passport for most sailings from U.S. ports (including sailings to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, the Mexican Riviera and Alaska). The top decks of a few Norwegian ships — mostly the bigger ones — also have a ropes course, a climbing wall or both. On the line's Breakaway-, Breakaway Plus- and Epic-class ships, you'll find giant waterslides and kiddie splash zones and, in some cases, even more over-the-top attractions such as go-kart tracks and laser tag arenas. Also, every ship has a least four and often many more extra-charge eateries. Two found across the entire fleet are Cagney's, the line's signature steakhouse, and Le Bistro, a fine French restaurant.
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Norwegian really is the line where you make the trip what you want it to be. That said, the line does offer some smaller ships that aren't quite as big and bustling as its giants. The first NCL ship that was built specifically for NCLs (versus being built for another cruise line before being transferred over to NCL) was Norwegian Jewel. Built by Lloyd Werft in Germany, Norwegian Sun was the last Sun-class ship. She was launched in 2001 in a dual christening ceremony with sister ship Norwegian Star.
This currency can be redeemed for onboard credits on future sailings, Norwegian Cruise Line shore excursions and other travel experiences. The card has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, making it ideal for world travelers. Norwegians's second and third ship, the Starward and Skyward, were the first newly built ships designed for the cruise line.[5] Like the original Sunward of 1966, they had the capability to carry automobiles through a well-concealed stern door.
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Children's programs
These shorter sailings cater heavily to first-time cruisers and Florida locals who can book on short notice and drive into the port for a quick escape. In addition, Norwegian Encore has a large laser tag area on its top deck (one that I can tell you from personal experience is a blast) and a massive indoor gaming and virtual reality zone called the Galaxy Pavilion. Still, Norwegian Prima isn't necessarily the best Norwegian Cruise Line ship for you. Whether you'll have a better time on one of the other 18 vessels in the Norwegian fleet will depend a lot on the type of traveler you are. For now, there are only two vessels in the class that you can sail — the recently unveiled Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima. Deck-top attractions on Norwegian Spirit include several pools, whirlpools, waterslides, a basketball court and a jogging track.
Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva: Best for luxury lovers
It was launched in August 2021 and commenced sailing in the same month of 2022. The second ship was named Norwegian Viva in early 2022 and expected to be completed by 2023. For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. Norwegian doesn't have any formal nights, but there is an optional Norwegian's Night Out at least once per sailing, for which passengers are encouraged to dress up. You'll rarely see a tux or gown, but suits and cocktail dresses are not unheard of. Cruise to Panama and visit two brand new exciting ports of call, Panama City and Colón, in addition to Costa Rica, Aruba and Colombia.
It’s worth noting that many of these ships have received substantial and even multiple refurbishments since their original builds. So, even if you took a cruise on Norwegian Spirit, for example, you’d still be able to take advantage of refurbishments that occurred as recently as 2020. Lastly, the oldest class for NCL is the Sun Class, which debuted in 1999 and includes Norwegian Sky and Norwegian Sun. 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.
It also sends a few ships to Asia, Australia and South America, and it'll typically keep a single vessel in Europe, too. One notable outlier among the smaller ships is the 2,186-passenger Pride of America. Sporting a patriotic U.S. theme (you'll find venues named after Thomas Jefferson and John Adams), and a distinct array of lounges and entertainment, it's the only big cruise vessel based year-round in Hawaii. Instead of a few big main restaurants with fixed seating times, Norwegian ships offer a wide range of eateries and no assigned seating times — just make a reservation. Built partially in Mississippi and partially in Germany, Pride of America was part of a NCL effort to build and flag several cruise ships within the United States.
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With nearly 30 different dining and drinking venues aboard the massive ship, as well as tons of family-friendly entertainment, cruisers certainly won’t be wanting for things to do, no matter where they sail. So now you know which of Norwegian’s cruise ships are bigger than the rest and which are newer and which are older — but what else do you need to know before you book that cruise? Here are the need-to-know details on each ship, as well as a few fun facts.
"Expanding on our award-winning food and beverage program, we're looking forward to bringing new concepts to life aboard Norwegian Aqua, while continuing to deliver on the variety of available offerings and value that NCL delivers." Many different types of itinerary can be advertised as Scandinavian cruises. Some may also include the highlights of the Baltic Sea region, including the Baltic countries and ports in the north of Germany and Poland.
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