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In October, as the environment around me began settling into winter, I witnessed the retreat, slowing down, and self preservation necessary for surviving a harsh season. Members earn points for every night they sail on one of the line's ships. They get an additional point for every night they stay in a concierge room, a suite (not including stays in minisuites, or stays in suites resulting from an upgrade) or a room in The Haven. They also get an additional point for every night booked through a Latitudes Rewards Insider Offer.
Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva: Best for luxury lovers
One of the most noteworthy aspects of dining on this ship is that you don't have to shell out additional funds to have truly superb meals. The food you'll find in the two main dining rooms, the 24-hour pub and the food hall is pretty darn tasty — and it won't cost you an extra cent. Norwegian Cruise Line's fleet consists of 19 ships that come in a wide range of sizes and feature differing mixes of venues and activities. Some are jampacked with fun zones that make them perfect for families, while others are geared toward couples and retirees.
Food For Any Taste. At Any Time.
Maybe you've found a last-minute travel deal to that far-flung destination you've always dreamed of visiting. Luggage is something that everyone will need at some point in their life, whether it be a backpack for an overnight trip or school, or a full set of luggage ... The cruise line's move has angered some passengers and prompted social-media accusations that the effort was profit-motivated. It may be possible to work remotely while at sea, but there are some important things to keep in mind. Norwegian Cruise Line, commonly referred to as NCL, is a popular cruise line that was founded in 1966 by Knut Kloster and Ted Arison, who also co-founded Carnival Cruise Line. Norwegian Cruise Line is headquartered in Miami, Florida, and is currently part of the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., which also includes Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
Norwegian Bliss Ship and Cabin Tours
But, they do point out that they encourage their staff to "go the extra mile" and that their employees are allowed to accept cash gratuities for outstanding service. So, it's up to you, but know that your stateroom attendant, the counselors in the kids' club, and your dining room servers would probably not turn down a tip. All this to say that I was really impressed with the buffet food that was offered. Since we didn’t have many options onboard for complimentary dining, we ate here for breakfast and lunch both days of our cruise. Although the Garden Cafe might have been small, I thought the food variety and quality was excellent.
Norwegian Sun is also one of the smallest and least kid-focused of the five ships the line deploys to Alaska in summer, making it a good choice for retirees wanting to visit that destination. Families with kids naturally gravitate to the two giant, activity-packed vessels Norwegian sends to Alaska each summer — Norwegian Encore and Norwegian Bliss. The sailings in and out of Buenos Aires and Melbourne, all on the longer side, will offer in-depth explorations of the southern half of South America (Argentina, Uruguay and Chile) and New Zealand, respectively. Over the next two years, for instance, Norwegian Sun is sailing lots of long voyages out of such less-common home ports as Benoa, Indonesia; Melbourne, Australia; Auckland, New Zealand; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Papeete, Tahiti. For older travelers looking for a Norwegian ship that isn't filled to the gills with children, Norwegian Sun is the perfect option. Norwegian Epic was the first Norwegian ship with an exclusive solos zone, and it was such a hit the line later added them to eight more vessels.
Day 2 Breakfast at The Local
It’s not crowded in the morning, there are plenty of nice spots to eat, there are beverage stations, and there’s a continental breakfast set up to supplement your buffet items (fruit, pastries, cereal, deli meats, and cheese). It’s not often that I’m tempted by multiple salads, but tonight I wanted all of them. But then I worried about being a stereotype (vegetarian, salad, you know).
Night 2 Dinner in the MDR
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Getaway blends a lot of adult spaces with kid-friendly activities, so passengers are a mix of couples, families -- both nuclear and multigenerational -- and groups of friends. At The Waterfront, an outdoor space that encircles Deck 8, passengers can sip drinks or dine alfresco. While the innovation debuted on twin sister Norwegian Breakaway, it just really works on Getaway, which sails mostly to warm-weather destinations. 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.
Royal Caribbean
One 10-minute session of laser tag on the Bliss will cost you $9.95. This afternoon I lunched at The Local (complimentary pub restaurant) where I ordered the Reuben with no corned beef (because there isn’t a single vegetarian entree on the menu). But I was too embarrassed to order it like that so I was like, “can I get the artisan grilled cheese? And yes, everyone sitting near me raised an eyebrow in perfect sync like they belonged to the same boy band. I also ordered the carrot cake which, for a dessert with vegetables in it, is a 12/10.
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Norwegian Star review: What is this 20+ year old ship really like? - Cruise Blog
Norwegian Star review: What is this 20+ year old ship really like?.
Posted: Tue, 28 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
In short, the best Norwegian cruise ship for you will depend on a bunch of factors, and which ship is best for a trip with your family might not be your top pick for a couple's cruise or girlfriends' getaway. If you’re traveling by yourself, check out the Studios on Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Bliss, and Pride of America. These 1 person accommodations are designed for the solo traveler — and priced accordingly. If you’d prefer to explore beyond Great Stirrup Cay, you can book the exclusive shore excursion at this port to visit the famous swimming pigs! Your excursion includes round-trip transportation to Treasure Island to interact with these playful piggies.
You might even find Starbucks stores on some ships (the one-year-old Norwegian Prima has two!) and there are Starbucks products on every Norwegian vessel. Also, some ships have private restaurants just for passengers staying in The Haven. On some ships, you'll also find Ocean Blue, a seafood restaurant; The District Brew House, a gastropub serving craft beers; and a Mexican spot called either Los Lobos or Los Lobos Cantina. Every vessel has some sort of sushi restaurant, often called Sushi or Wasabi, and there are hibachi-style teppanyaki restaurants on nearly every Norwegian vessel. Every vessel has two or three main restaurants and a casual buffet where meals are included in the fare — the latter is usually called the Garden Cafe. On Norwegian's recently built Breakaway Plus-class ships, there are up to 20 places to grab a bite, ranging from high-end French restaurants and steakhouses to casual pubs.
The Local Bar & Grill was open almost all day and had pub-like food. The Prima has a combination of complimentary and specialty dining, and I did both. With a reservation, the dining venue holds your space for 15 minutes and then gives up your table, which we learned the hard way one night when we arrived late.
The Haven collection features the most luxurious staterooms located at the top of the ship. You’ll have access to a concierge and 24-hour butler, plus the private sundeck (complete with pool and hot tub) reserved just for Haven guests. Norwegian Cruise Line was a pioneer with its Freestyle Dining program. There are no set dining times or assigned seats, as is customary with “traditional” dining on many cruise lines.
Review: Norwegian Cruise Line Prima - NerdWallet
Review: Norwegian Cruise Line Prima.
Posted: Mon, 12 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Some areas aren't symmetrical, so don't be surprised if you overshoot your destination if you're walking on the wrong side of the ship. (I'm talking about you, Le Bistro.) Entrances to the Oceanwalk outdoor promenade area are plentiful but also hard to find in certain areas. Guppies, which normally caters to kids from 6 months to 2 years old, has no set space on board. Toys are laid out for use by children and their parents when the two existing rooms are not in use. Norwegian Encore has no formal night, but there is Norwegian's Night Out, where men usually wear long pants (dark jeans are fine) and collared shirts, and women put on dresses or nice skirt-and-blouse combos.
Anyway, the cruise I’m reporting on here was my second on the Bliss to Alaska, but was significant in that it was the very first Alaska cruise across all lines and ships of the 2024 season. It was also my first time cruising solo on the Bliss (last time I had my son with me). I’ll be providing a detailed trip report from each day as well as highlighting some features I loved about the Bliss (and a few I didn’t) and some tips for those booked on or considering her.
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