Norwegian Cruise Line Profile

Over 30 years ago, Norwegian Cruise Line introduced the very first Caribbean Cruise. Today, they are a global cruise company and industry innovator that operates a fleet of ships sailing to more than 140 ports around the world. NCL's ships were designed to provide guests with the utmost in comfort, safety and personal enjoyment. All of them are new or recently refurbished and boast a wide range of dining choices, award-winning Broadway shows and an international staff. The Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Cruise Line's newest, largest and most innovative cruise ship ever was introduced in 2010. The ship features exclusives like Blue Man Group appearing at sea for the first time and new studios designed and priced specifically for the solo traveler.

Ships

When you sail with Norwegian Cruise Line, you are cruising on the most innovative and accommodating fleet on the high seas. Their award-winning fleet was built for Freestyle, designed to give you freedom and flexibility. With 11 ships in the fleet, you'll have plenty of Freestyle options to choose from.

Destinations

With NCL and Freestyle Cruising you will travel to unforgettable destinations, aboard spectacular ships. Where in the world would you like to go? Europe? Bermuda? Alaska? The Caribbean? Perhaps you've always wanted to cruise to the bottom of the world? Cruise the Hawaiian Islands? Or revel in the riotous colors of fall foliage along the New England and Canadian coast.

Rediscover the Americas with their Homeland Cruising program and choose from 13 convenient departure ports in the US and Canada. NCL has dozens of destinations in North and Central America as exotic and exciting as any on Earth.

Get more of Hawaii with the new US Flag brand - NCL America. They have developed the largest Hawaii deployment ever for you to enjoy, with two NCL America ships sailing inter-island cruises and two NCL ships sailing Hawaii/Fanning Island itineraries.

Whether it's lazy days and romantic nights or an action-packed week of adventure, there's no better way to have the vacation of your dreams than with Freestyle Cruising and NCL.

Accommodations

Imagine seeing the ocean and beautiful islands from your stateroom's own private balcony, or watching the majestic coastline glide by from an oversized picture window. You can also choose to cruise in the luxury of an Owner's Suite, Penthouse or one of NCL's opulent Garden Villas or Courtyard Villas - the largest suites afloat. You can also enjoy the value of an Inside Stateroom. Whatever you choose, you'll find spacious comfort and superior service are the norm on a Norwegian Cruise Line vacation.

Dining

In 2000, Norwegian Cruise Line pioneered the alternative dining concept and in the process, revolutionized the dining experience for the cruise industry. In the decade since, we've expanded our restaurant choices on all ships to include everything from tapas to teppanyaki. Your selection ranges from as many as nine fantastic dining options included in your cruise fare to a savory array of specialty restaurants created for those extra-special nights out.

Kids & Teens

NCL's Kid's Crew is a program of things to do, places to go and kids to meet. Created for junior cruisers ages 2-17, the "Kids Crew" programs offer organized activities, games, parties, and special menus. It's like recess, only longer. You can enjoy a massage while they're on a treasure hunt. Play roulette while they're camping out, or head for the Chocoholic Buffet while they're having a pillow fight at a pajama party.

NCL has teamed up with the #1 entertainment brand for kids to take family cruising to a whole new level. With Nickelodeon exclusively on Norwegian Cruise Line, they are offering one-of-a-kind family activities year-round aboard Norwegian Jewel and Norwegian Epic. It's the ideal vacation where parents relax, kids play and families connect.

A staff of youth counselors from leading universities and organizations carefully supervises every minute your kids spend in Kid's Crew. Prior to coming aboard, they attend a special training course on team and confidence building, communication skills, safety and working with children who have special needs. Together they've come up with an impressive bag of tricks for your kids.

There are circuses, crafts, parades, sports, games, stories and parties, campouts with flashlights and tents, and cooking classes where they can make pizza or pancakes with funny faces. There is T-shirt painting, face painting and poolside root beer floats. Treasure hunts and sand castle competitions on our private island are always great fun. And even shore excursions designed just for families. Of course, they will have plenty of time to spend with you, too. Shoot some hoops at the basketball court. Take them to the magic show. Let Junior beat you at table tennis. (Or maybe try hard not to.)

The well-trained counselors offer an age-appropriate array of fun-filled options so kids can get as much excitement out of the cruise as you do during days at sea. And on NCL, your kids can also learn while they are having fun! With everything from parties and video arcades to stimulating learning sessions, NCL provides so much fun, your kids will have the trip of a lifetime! This fleet-wide program is available year-round and is free of charge.

If you would like someone to watch your kids later than the normal hours of the Kid's Crew Club, NCL also offers group babysitting for ages 2-12. There is a nominal fee for this service, and it is with the Kid's Crew counselors. In addition to our regular sitting hours of 10 pm - 1 am, group sitting is available in port from 9 am - 5 pm. Private babysitting is not available.

Onboard Activities & Entertainment

In May 2000, NCL launched a new cruise era when it announced its successful Freestyle Cruising concept, which offers NCL passengers a more relaxed, resort-style cruise product with complete flexibility and non-intrusive service of the highest standard.

Freestyle Cruising

With Freestyle Cruising, you'll discover something you won't find on other cruise lines - freedom. Freestyle Cruising offers diverse and exciting restaurants, a more relaxed dress code and more things to see and do. And that's just the beginning. They've designed the entire cruise experience around giving you the option to choose. It's proven to be very popular with their guests, and it's only available with NCL. Now is the time to come see how different a cruise can be.

• Dining: The choice is yours. With Freestyle Cruising, you travel a world of dining options all in one week. From elegant French bistros and Italian trattorias to sushi and tapas bars, there's a different dining option for almost every night of your cruise. Take an exceptional culinary tour of the world with more than 20 extraordinary dining options, including a traditional churrascaria, sizzling teppanyaki, and gourmet French. There are no fixed seatings. Imagine restaurants open from 5:30 pm to midnight so that you can choose from an early dinner before the show or a later romantic dinner for the two of you. And of course there's always the option of 24-hour room service. You're free to dine where, when and with whom you choose. Just as it should be on your vacation.
• Attire: Wear what you want. Dress according to your mood. It is your vacation. "Resort casual" attire is as dressy as you'll ever have to get for dinner. But if it's elegance you're dreaming of, they invite you to indulge. Many of NCL's restaurants offer formal options. If you prefer more casual dress, that's fine, too. How you dress is up to you.
• Service: You're about to be pampered. By adding additional crewmembers to every ship in their fleet we're able to offer exceptional service. With almost one crewmember per stateroom, you can be assured you'll be very well taken care of when you cruise with NCL.
• Activities: Do everything, or nothing at all. For those who prefer to be active, a new LifeStyle Program features adventurous shore excursions, art auctions, health and wellness programs, cooking demonstrations - all kinds of activities aimed at challenging your mind as well as your body. Or you can simply relax and enjoy not having a schedule to follow.
• Gratuities: For your convenience, NCL now automatically applies a service charge to your shipboard account: $12 per guest per day for guests ages 3 and above and no charge for children under the age of three. All service personnel onboard receive gratuities from this service charge, so there's no need to think about additional tipping.
• Disembarkation: Enjoy every day of your vacation. Because they've streamlined the whole process of disembarkation, you can now relax, have breakfast and enjoy more of your final morning on board without having to rush.

Entertainment
Norwegian Cruise Line ships are destinations themselves, filled from top to bottom with tons of award-winning fun and excitement. Whether it's experiencing Blue Man Group, catching a Broadway show, dancing the night away at our White Hot Party or laughing out loud to the world-famous Second City comedy troupe, the party never stops.

Casinos at Sea
Looking for Action and Excitement? You will find everything you're looking for in NCL's Casinos at Sea. With all they have to offer, you'll never want to leave. Whether you're a veteran player, or just getting started, you'll feel right at home in their sizzling casino. Most feature Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud Poker, 3-Card Poker, Baccarat, Video Poker, 24-Hour Slots, and the highest table limits at sea.

Mandara Spa
NCL is proud to announce its fleet-wide agreement with Mandara Spa, a leading operator of exotic resort spas in the world. The name "Mandara" comes from an ancient Sanskrit legend about the gods' quest to find the elixir of immortality and eternal youth. Mandara spa, originating in Bali, has embraced the legend. With over 45 land and sea-based spas worldwide and on Norwegian Cruise Line, they have developed unique and exotic spa treatments to reflect the beauty, spirit and traditions of Bali. They cannot promise immortality but when you experience one of their unique treatments, you too will feel as if you can live forever. The Mandara Spa features massages, facials, body wraps, hydrotherapy baths, hair and nail care, and make-up application. Ask about these Mandara specialty treatments and immerse yourself even further into the exciting lands that NCL visits.

Great Stirrup Cay
Who says you can't improve on paradise? That's just what NCL is doing on our exclusive private island, Great Stirrup Cay. They were the first cruise line to offer an exclusive tropical paradise for their guests. Now they're investing $25 million to preserve and enhance the flora, fauna and fun of this 250-acre Bahamian treasure - to make it more magnificent, more thrilling, more of a naturally unforgettable eco-fun paradise. Great Stirrup Cay is not only teeming with native species, it also offers an abundance of choices - ranging from fun activities and sports to sunbathing and nature trails.

Guests with Special Needs
NCL welcomes guests with special needs. Of course, they also require advance notice in order to accommodate them, so you must advise your Cruise Specialist of your special needs at least three weeks prior to the cruise.

All of the NCL ships have designated staterooms with wider doorways and bathrooms that will accommodate wheelchairs, and staterooms with lights and under-pillow vibrating alarms for guests with hearing impairments. Guide dogs are permitted on all NCL ships. Many staterooms have refrigerators that can be used to store medications that must be kept cold. Guests who need oxygen or require oxygen therapy are welcome on all NCL ships; however, they must supply their own oxygen. Guests who use wheelchairs must provide their own. NCL maintains a limited number of wheelchairs on their private island, Great Stirrup Cay, that are specially designed for use on sand. They are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Guests with disabilities must be self-sufficient and should travel with another guest who can provide assistance during the cruise. If you or a family member requires special assistance during your cruise, please do not book your cruise online. Instead, please call one of our Cruise Specialists, so a live agent who can help make sure you get the help you're looking for.

Past Guests

Latitudes is an international cruise club exclusively for past guests of Norwegian Cruise Line. Once you complete your first full-tariff cruise with NCL, you automatically become a member of Latitudes, and an integral part of our close-knit family of loyal return guests.

NCL is committed to their Latitudes members and will continue to show their commitment with exclusive offers, members-only privileges, and many other special touches you deserve. At NCL, they want to make sure nothing stands between you and the destinations you dream about. That's why they established Latitudes in the first place.

If you are Latitudes Member, please let your Cruise Specialist know at the time of your reservation so we can make sure to check for possible discounts and complimentary upgrades.

What are you waiting for? Start planning your Norwegian Cruise Line vacation today. You can book online or call us to speak to one of our Cruise Specialists.