Norwegian Cruise Line have an approach they call Freestyle Cruising, where the emphasis is on an informal, relaxed and flexible style of service.
This extends to the dress code: dress up or go casual, and to dining: eat where you want and whenever you want in a choice of restaurants.
Their UK-based cruises usually sail from Southampton and Dover and include Caribbean, Canaries and Azores, North America and Northern European/Baltic destinations.
Their fly-cruise fleet offer destinations around the world: Caribbean, North America, South America, the Pacific and Western, Eastern and Central and Southern Mediterranean.
Berlitz Cruise Review of Norwegian Cruise Line -
NCL Cruises
If this is your first cruise, you should enjoy a good overall vacation in an upbeat setting. The onboard lifestyle is contemporary, fresh, creative and sporty, with a casualness typical of youthful city dwellers, and with its ‘eat when you want’ dining philosophy, the shipboard ambiance is casual. So is the dress code – indeed, the waiters may be better dressed than many passengers. See our NCL 2008 Late Deals and our NCL 2009 Early Booking Offers.
The staff is congenial, and you’ll find a high percentage of females in cabin and restaurant service departments (more than most other major cruise lines). All ships can provide a wide choice of US and European newspaper titles as well as a Multicast satellite delivery system. You can also make a special request for your favourite newspaper that’s not in the list, although it may cost more.
Embarkation: Few staff members are on duty at the gangway when you first arrive, and they merely point you in the direction of your deck, or to the ship’s elevators instead of escorting you to your cabin.
NCL ships are best suited to first-time young (and young at heart) couples, single passengers, tots, children and teenagers who enjoy big city nightlife, who want contemporary, upbeat, colour surroundings, and the latest in facilities, plenty of entertainment lounges and bars and high-tech sophistication – all in one neat, programmed, but well packaged cruise vacation.
There’s plenty of lively music, constant activity, spa facilities, entertainment, and food that is mainstream and acceptable but nothing more (unless you pay extra to eat in the ‘alternative’ dining spots). All this delivered by a smiling, very friendly service staff that lacks polish but is willing.
Find out more about NCL cuisine, entertainment and family cruising.
Gratuities (tipping) and currency
A non-adjustable US$10 per person per day service charge is added to your onboard account. Children over 13 pay the adult rate of US$10 per day while those aged 3-12 pay $5 per day (those under age 3 pay nothing). A 15% gratuity is added to all bar, wine and spa charges.
The onboard currency is the US dollar.
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