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The line's nine newest ships are big, bustling floating megaresorts that can carry upwards of 3,000 to 4,000 passengers at double occupancy (and even more with every berth filled). At around 143,000 to nearly 170,000 tons, all eight currently rank among the 50 biggest cruise ships in the world (although their rankings will shift downward as more big ships debut). The cabins measure just 100 square feet but are superbly designed to maximize storage space. They're also clustered around the exclusive Studio Lounge, which has its own private bar and a television area where solo travelers can mingle at daily hosted happy hour gatherings.
I been on two of Norwegian ships
Norwegian Prima Cruise Ship First-hand Expert Review - Cruise Critic
Norwegian Prima Cruise Ship First-hand Expert Review.
Posted: Wed, 12 Jul 2023 20:21:04 GMT [source]
The Waterfront is located on Deck 8 of each of the ships, which is one of the main decks for restaurants on them all. On the big-ship end of the spectrum, Norwegian's four relatively new Breakaway Plus-class vessels — Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Escape — are the line's premier offerings. While not quite as big as Royal Caribbean's giant, Oasis-class ships, they are firmly in the pantheon of the world's cruising giants. They are the Norwegian vessels most packed with restaurants, bars, entertainment and over-the-top attractions. Notably, the public areas that include these restaurants feel more spacious than many of the other ships in the Norwegian fleet. Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva were built with a higher ratio of space to passengers than earlier Norwegian vessels, which itself is an upscale touch.
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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. 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. The Garden Villas also have private outdoor sun decks and courtyards with hot tubs. Additionally, the Garden Villas on Norwegian Dawn and Norwegian Star include private outdoor dining areas and steam rooms. However, unlike Royal Caribbean, Norwegian hasn't retained any of the trappings of old-style cruising.
What can you expect when cruising on board – Our Norwegian Dawn Review
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 thus appeals both to cruisers who like a giant resort vibe and those who prefer something more modest. The key, depending on your tastes, is getting on the right ship in the fleet. 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. That said, the line does offer some smaller ships that aren't quite as big and bustling as its giants.
Unfortunately, the lack of air circulation and restricted space mixed with smoking makes the environment very unpleasant for non-smokers. Secondly, there are a number of cabins that are incredibly close to elevators or other facilities such as Cabin 8118 and 8618 which are close to the central elevator bank and public restrooms. It’s worth mentioning that these aren’t necessarily BAD Cabins, they just may have some noise from above. There are also plenty of shaded spots to enjoy the pool scene without too much sun. The entertainment is average, with live shows, solo musicians, comedy acts, and dancing in the Bliss Lounge to keep you entertained throughout the evening.
The ships also have a higher crew-to-passenger ratio than many Norwegian ships, leading to better service. 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 was built in 2001 while Pride of America construction was complete in 2005. At this time, most cruise ships being built were nowhere near the giant mega ships that cruise lines are building today.
My Latitudes status gave me a 10% discount on the tour itself, and the Free at Sea perk gave me $50 in onboard credit after completing the excursion. Because this cruise was so port-intensive, I didn’t take part in any of the entertainment because all I wanted to do after a day of touring was eat dinner and go to sleep. My parents went to see “The Donna Summer Musical” and “The Price is Right” and thought both were entertaining. The Prima has several bars and lounges scattered throughout the ship. Each had a slightly different feel, from The Local Bar & Grill with its huge TVs, beers on tap and bar food to the aft-facing outdoor Soleil Bar and Indulge Outdoor Lounge with comfy chairs, hammocks and cabanas. I ate at Cagney's Steakhouse, Hasuki for teppanyaki, Le Bistro for French cuisine and Palomar for seafood.
See the Teppanyaki Menu As for the sushi, it’s generally good, but being a sushi snob, it’s tough for me to pay real money for cruise ship sushi these days. Few lines offer as broad a range of entertainment and activities on their ships as Norwegian. The line's biggest vessels offer multiple entertainment venues, from theaters to comedy clubs; a wide range of deck-top attractions; large casinos; full-service spas; and even virtual reality attractions. You'll also find a seemingly endless array of bars, lounges and nightspots.
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There were a variety of port stops as well as a day at sea for some relaxing and recharging. As it turns out, one of the port stops we were looking forward to was changed. A few weeks before the cruise, NCL replaced a stop in Porto, Portugal, with one in Vigo, Spain. I had cruised NCL three times before and was a silver member of the Latitudes rewards program when I booked.
As Hayley and I made our way around Norwegian Sun, we both agreed that it was a ‘no-frills’ type of cruise ship. Hayley had only sailed on newer and bigger Norwegian cruise ships, like Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Getaway, so the size and age were very apparent to her. If you want to partake in specialty dining reservations, Wi-Fi, Norwegian cruise excursions or upgraded beverage packages, you'll have to pay fees (sometimes bundled for greater savings). It was the first cruise line to eliminate the traditional set dining times when it introduced Freestyle Dining, allowing guests to eat at any time at up to 28 different locations on each ship. We strongly recommend any passenger looking to book a “Suite” class stateroom on the NCL Dawn to use a qualified travel agent! These cabins are so incredibly unique across the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet, that it would be helpful to have the insight of someone who works in the industry and knows these rooms well.
This is a good option for people who want a bit of natural light and more space (usually for the price of an inside). The main restaurants are primarily open for dinner with the Venetian being open for breakfast and sometimes open for lunch. Norwegian Dawn is a beautiful ship that offers a great vacation experience and feels like the “good old days” of cruising.
However, be aware that there are some exceptions, such as premium dining options and certain beverages. Whether you use a travel agent or not, make sure to maximize your purchase when paying for the cruise by using a card that offers extra points for travel purchases. Norwegian designs its ships to appeal to a broad mix of people, in part by offering a wide range of cabin types at varying price points. On a typical sailing, you might find an entry-level cabin for around $100 a night while a high-end suite is five to 15 times that amount.
There are no set dining times or assigned seats, as is customary with “traditional” dining on many cruise lines. Since that time, it’s grown to be one of the largest cruise lines in the world. It has been an innovator in the cruise industry by being the first cruise line to eliminate set dining times with their Freestyle Cruising program. Another feature that sets Norwegian Cruise Line apart from other cruise lines is its onboard entertainment. The cruise line offers a variety of shows, ranging from Broadway-style productions to comedy acts and live music. Mandara on Norwegian Cruise Lines is one of the biggest offenders, even though it’s pretty typical across all cruise line spas now.
Notably, the entire back of each of these ships is dedicated to an upscale luxury zone for the fancy set called The Haven. If it's swanky digs you're after (and you have the money to spend), you'll find plenty of options on these ships. Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation.
Also, the changing of port times at such a late date made a lot of our pre-arrangements impossible. The ONLY places on the ship without some sort of music were the cabin room and the library (which was very small). Even the corridors had piped in muzak - so no peaceful relaxing areas. The music from the lounge area drowned out the waitstaffs' voices in the Chin-chin restaurant.
I’d love to sail on a newer Norwegian ship so I could experience one of their full-length Broadway musicals and larger scale production shows. The smaller and older ships tend to be used for port-intensive itineraries that are more destination focused. However, I had only sailed on Pride of America, which is only four years newer than Norwegian Sun.
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