Monday, April 1, 2024

Deal watch: Norwegian Cruise Line drops rates as low as $37 a day for close-in departures

norwegian cruise discounts

It'll also operate trips to Bermuda from New York City and Boston, usually with two ships, and trips to the Bahamas and the Caribbean out of Miami. Norwegian's 10 smaller vessels break down among five classes, but many are roughly the same size and offer similar amenities. In short, if you want to turn a Norwegian cruise into a luxury experience, you can do that, too. Norwegian really is the line where you make the trip what you want it to be.

Check Prices on Airfare Offers

The result of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings' strategy over the past year has been noticeably lighter occupancy levels on the ships of its various brands, as its higher pricing kept some customers from booking. As we wrote about in November, starting rates for Bahamas voyages at Norwegian were running 120% and 93% higher, respectively, than starting rates for Bahamas sailings on Carnival and Royal Caribbean ships. As recently as October, Carnival was offering last-minute space on close-in departures for as little as $26 a day while Norwegian's lead-in pricing was much higher. Royal Caribbean was selling last-minute space on cruises in the fall for as little as $33 a day. Note that all the fares are per-person rates that are based on two people staying in a cabin.

I went on 5 Norwegian Cruise Line sailings last year: These are my 15 best tips - Cruise Blog

I went on 5 Norwegian Cruise Line sailings last year: These are my 15 best tips.

Posted: Thu, 08 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Less Unpacking, More Perks.

Oceania and Regent Seven Seas usually increase cruise areas every three months. Pay $250for a CruiseFirst Credit today for $500off any 6+ day cruise you choose to book when you're ready. If you're sure Norwegian is your line, look for a travel agent who specializes in trips with the brand. You want someone who understands all the little quirks that are unique to Norwegian's cabin categories and, preferably, has done ship inspections to see the cabins firsthand. On all ships, smoking (including e-cigarette smoking) is only allowed in designated outdoor areas, cigar lounges (for cigar smoking only) and casinos. Passengers caught smoking in their cabins will be fined $250 per occurrence.

LAST MINUTE CRUISE DEALS

First things first, while you can get all the perks included with your cruise, the number of freebies you can select may depend on the type of cabin that you purchase. Often no matter which cabin type you book, all the perks are included. Other times, it may be that the higher grade of cabin you choose, the more picks you receive.

Norwegian allows you to bring bottles of your own wine or Champagne on board, but it will charge you a hefty corkage fee of $15 per bottle for the privilege — even if you plan to drink the bottle in your room. This is a more draconian policy than you'll find at most lines. Most lines allow passengers to bring at least a bottle or two of their own wine on board at no charge. Instead, you can travel with a state-certified birth certificate or other proof of citizenship and a driver's license or other government-issued photo identification. That said, Norwegian strongly recommends that all travelers bring a passport. The top decks of a few Norwegian ships — mostly the bigger ones — also have a ropes course, a climbing wall or both.

Good Deal? Everything to Know About Norwegian’s “Free At Sea” Sale

The Galaxy Pavilion on Norwegian Encore is the biggest of them all. Among added features, it includes a 45-minute escape room experience laced with special effects. Themed around a Spanish galleon, it's designed to be played by up to six people at a time. 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.

norwegian cruise discounts

Use Cruise Critic's Deal Score to Know When a Deal is Really a Deal

Even if it only saves you $50, it's still $50 in your pocket. For example, MSC Cruises provides discounts of up to 10 percent to active and retired military families on almost all sailings. AARP members can find exclusive senior discounts on multiple lines when booking through the AARP Travel Center Powered by Expedia. Group leaders can choose to spread the savings across the group or keep it all for themselves. Norwegian offers group members a choice of complimentary amenities beyond its Free at Sea promotion, such as extra onboard credit or a cocktail party for the group.

Ask for a Price Drop Credit When Cruise Fares Change

Experience adrenaline-pumping, family-friendly activities, including one of the largest racetracks at sea, augmented reality laser tag, largest ropes course at sea, Aqua Park and a virtual gaming wonderland. Norwegian’s prices fluctuate frequently, and you will always find the lowest price on this site. Our customers enjoy additional savings with special discounts we’ve negotiated. Lower tiers don't bring all that much in terms of truly valuable benefits. You'll get things like priority check-in and discounted spa treatments performed while ships are in port.

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. This pricing is quite a bit higher than what some other lines, such as Carnival or Princess, charge for Wi-Fi. Princess recently was charging just $14.99 per person per day for a WiFi package.

For instance, the Premium Plus Beverage Package is $29 more per day while unlimited wi-fi runs $30-40 per day. Add on a couple of uses of the $50 shore excursion credit and the additional meals, and you’re well in the black. There, you will see gratuities on the free meals with the offer, which are paid when booking. One of the biggest draws to the Norwegian sale is that you can get free open bar on your trip. With the price of alcohol on a cruise being high (think $10-14 for a cocktail or about $6-8 for a beer), having free bar privileges can be a huge money saver.

Last-minute cheap cruise deals are a tough find in the most popular seasons and routes, especially if you want your pick of cabins. Summer travel and school holiday periods book up early, particularly for cabins that sleep three or more and are in demand by families traveling together. At the time of this story's posting, A The Haven two-bedroom family villa on Norwegian Jewel for a seven-night Alaska cruise in August 2024, for example, was going for $13,978 per person, based on double occupancy.

Keep in mind that each cruise line has its own threshold for groups. Some lines consider 10 guests (five cabins) to be a group, while others require 16 guests (eight cabins). In general, there are always plenty of Caribbean cruise deals, as well as some for the Mediterranean.

On more than half of Norwegian's ships, many of the top suites are part of The Haven. Billed as an upscale "ship within a ship" and aimed at luxury travelers, The Haven is located at the very top of vessels and often comes with private lounges, pools, sunning areas and even restaurants. Its largest vessels are among the biggest cruise ships at sea (they must be, to accommodate everything mentioned above). If you want an intimate cruise experience, Norwegian probably isn't a good choice. So if you won’t use the perks that are offered, be sure to consider if the deal is worth paying the higher price.

Norwegian combines all the benefits of a cruise with an immersive, multi-day land exploration before or after your sailing. Your land tour includes hotel stays, select meals, transportation, and excursions. Dive deeper into your destination with cruisetours in Alaska, Hawaii, Europe and Asia. Choose to travel on any of our published sailings embarking at least 120 days from the date you purchase your CruiseFirst Credit so you’ll have plenty of time to plan the perfect vacation.

But if you aren’t a big drinker or plan to drive to the port instead of fly, or don’t care about shore excursions, it could be that buying the cheaper cabin is worth it for you. After all, you’ll have to pay gratuities on the drink package, still have to pay for some flights, and pay gratuities on specialty restaurant dining. Military cruise deals for active and retired members of the armed services are only one means of double dipping your deals. A number of cruise lines have special programs for seniors, military personnel and even teachers that apply even to the lowest advertised fares.

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