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Essential NCL Tips for Beginners - Watch Before Booking
07 Jun 2024

Essential NCL Tips for Beginners - Watch Before Booking

Welcome to Byte Size Cruises! If this is your first time joining us, we are so glad you're here! We are a small travel agency in Philadelphia, PA and we specialize in all things cruising. If you enjoy cruise vacations or are looking to learn more about them, you're in the right place! Our goal is to share the most up-to-date and relevant information with you so you can book and go on an amazing cruise. If you would like to check out this post on our YouTube channel, click here

Today's post is all about the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL). This is intended for people new to cruising however we are sure that seasoned cruisers will enjoy these tips as well. Here are the TOP 10 things you MUST KNOW before you go on an NCL cruise. Let's get into it!

1. Pack your patience. NCL as a company tends to move a bit more slowly than other companies like Carnival or Royal Caribbean, so you must prepare yourself for this. We aren't saying that it's going to take forever, but we are saying there might be a bit of a wait at embarkation, to get a tender, etc. This has been our experience (and we have been on over 25 NCL cruises.) It hasn't created a negative vibe for us, but we know it helps to set clear expectations. That being said, getting there earlier does not help. On other cruise lines, you can arrive super early and check in and get on the ship. NCL does not do that. You will not be able to board until it is your scheduled time so we do not recommend getting there early. Arrive on time and you won't feel like you need to wait around for hours to board the ship. 

Another piece of this to keep in mind with NCL is that your rooms will not be available on the ship until 2:30/3 pm in 3:00 p.m. Even if you DO get on the ship early, you'll need to carry your carry-on luggage around with you until later in the day. Keep all of these factors in mind when you are creating your schedule and set yourself up for success.

2. Download the NCL app! This is a MUST DO. Download the app AND check yourself in for your cruise on the app. This will help to speed up the check-in and embarkation process a bit because you won't be fishing around for papers. All you will need is your app and your documents (passport, etc.) and you should be good to go.  Once you are on the ship, their app functions really well. You can make dining and entertainment reservations there, check the daily schedule, etc. 

3. Pre-book everything you can. Get your dinner reservations, entertainment reservations, etc. locked in! A limited number of reservations are open before the cruise even starts and we highly recommend taking advantage of the time and booking early. If you are cruising solo, you might have a hard time making a reservation for just one person - if you do, go ahead and make a reservation for two and let the cruise line know that you only need one seat. Usually, you can make reservations anywhere from 90 days to a few weeks out depending on where you are in the Latitudes rewards program. 

4. Choose the best ship for YOU! Keep in mind that NCL has a particularly young fleet of cruise ships. Some cruise lines have ships that are 20 or 30 years old. While NCL does have a few older ships, the majority of them are newer and more innovative. Keep this in mind when you are choosing which ship is best for you. There are fun things to do on each ship, and these activities and events vary depending on the ship you choose.  

5. If you are planning to sail to Great Stirrup Key, one of NCL's private islands, there is no pier so they will have to tender you over to the island. If there is any sort of inclement weather, they will not be able to do these tenders and the port will be canceled. We have missed the private island three times in the past year out of four bookings, so this happens more often than you would think. Sometimes it's even as small as minor wind or choppy waters and they will cancel because they have zero tolerance for bad weather when tendering passengers over. If you are booking a cruise, we would not recommend booking it around Great Stirrup Key.

6. Free at Sea. This is an amazing deal. This offers you four or five things that you can combine with your room to give you some amenities on board.  You'll get some internet minutes, specialty dining, shore excursion credits, a drink package, and even sometimes airfare in your free at sea. Just be careful when you are booking it and make sure to do the cross comparison of the rates without it. This way you can ensure you are getting the best deal available. Also, keep in mind, that if you book the free at sea you still have to pay the gratuities for the services.

7. Get closer to the ocean! On NCL ships there is a lot of space open to the water and beautiful views. Many of these ships have the Waterfront Boulevard that goes all the way around deck 8. You'll find outdoor dining, hot tubs, pools, places to lounge, daybeds, etc. etc. Definitely make sure you take advantage of it! 

8. Don't forget about gratuities! This is something to remember about your cruise and your budget. The gratuities are $20 per person, per day at a minimum, making it by far the highest gratuities rate of the big cruise lines. 

9. If you are a solo cruiser, NCL is the way to go! NCL loves solo cruisers! So, if you are going on vacation alone and you don't want to get stuck paying double for a double occupancy room, NCL has special rooms just for you. So, if you don't know, when you book a cruise you are paying for the space on the ship. Even if it's just you, if you book a double occupancy room you'll be paying for two people. NCL has special solo cruising cabins that are set up for space for one person so you can enjoy your vacation without being charged extra. Most of the newer ships also have solo cruiser lounge areas that are set up for people who have booked a solo cabin. 

10. Nickles and Dimes. One of our least favorite things about NCL is the nickel and diming that happens once you get on the ship. You will be offered EVERYTHING extra and asked to pay for it. We don't enjoy this and feel it brings the quality of the cruising down, however, we also understand that this has been a part of cruise culture for a long time. So, be aware that once you board you will be offered lots of extras at a high cost. Know what you want to spend your money on and what you don't. 

Those are the tips you MUST know before you book an NCL cruise! Have you cruised with NCL before? What did you think? We would love to hear from you! Comment below. 

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