NCL’s Free at Sea Offer: Essential Information Before You Book

Looking for a more comprehensive experience aboard a spacious cruise ship brimming with dining options and activities? If that's the case, Norwegian Cruise Line's Free at Sea offer could be just what you need. This promotion offers several "free" perks to guests, depending on the length of their cruise and the cabin category chosen... but what does the fine print reveal? Are these perks genuinely free?

In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to understand about Norwegian's Free at Sea promotion, ensuring there are no surprises when it’s time to book your cruise.

Important: NCL will discontinue Free at Sea perks on cruises setting sail in 2025 and later. The line will replace this promotion with a new More at Sea offer, featuring enhanced inclusions.

Summary of Norwegian Cruise Line's Free at Sea Offer

Norwegian's Free at Sea offer provides guests with a variety of perks included in the cruise fare, with the quantity typically determined by the length of the cruise and the selected cabin category.

While the available perks can vary, Norwegian generally includes these five options: unlimited open bar, specialty dining credits, complimentary shore excursions, free Wi-Fi, and free accommodations for the third and fourth guests in a cabin. At times, free airfare or a 50% airfare credit for the second guest in a cabin may also be part of the Free at Sea offer.

The Free at Sea promotion is nearly always available, with specific inclusions changing depending on which iteration of the offer NCL is promoting at that time. Currently, you can book and enjoy all Free at Sea perks, although you have the option to decline any you don’t wish to utilize.

In the past, you could select the number of Free at Sea perks based on your cabin type. For instance, booking a studio or interior cabin allowed you to choose only one perk. Guests in ocean-view, balcony, and minisuite cabins could select several, while those in suites and The Haven cabins enjoyed all available perks. This version of the offer may return, but we have noticed it occurring less frequently than before.

Keep in mind that this promotion is applicable only for voyages lasting three nights or more, and all guests sharing a cabin must choose the same options (if options are available). Passengers reserving a "Sail Away" (guarantee) cabin are not eligible for the Free at Sea promotion. Charter sailings also do not qualify.

What does NCL's Free at Sea promotion include?

Let’s examine what each Free at Sea perk includes and delve into the fine print so you fully understand what you are (and aren’t) receiving.

Unlimited Open Bar Package

The Unlimited Open Bar Package is the standard drink package offered by Norwegian Cruise Line. It usually costs $109 per person, per day, plus a 20% gratuity, making it the most popular perk selected with the Free at Sea promotion (when options are available).

This package includes unlimited soda and juice, beer and wine by the glass valued at under $15, and select premium cocktails and spirits priced under $15. A 20% discount is applied to bottles of wine and Champagne, as well as to wine and spirit experiences, tastings, and flights purchased on board.

However, the package does not cover Starbucks, ice bars, room service, bottled water, beer buckets, designated "super" premium brands, minibar purchases, freshly squeezed juices, wine dispensers, or energy drinks.

Here’s what you should consider before selecting a beverage package as part of your Free at Sea offers: It’s not truly "free."

You are still required to pay a 20% gratuity based on the full value of the package. This means that if you're 21 or older, you'll owe $21.80 per person, per day for the "free" drinks. (That totals $152.60 for a seven-night cruise.) If you're the first or second guest in a cabin and under 21 (and have the soda package), you will need to pay $1.59 per person, per day.

If you consume alcohol and plan to enjoy it during your cruise, opting for this perk is likely worth the daily gratuity you’ll incur. However, if you don’t anticipate drinking $22 worth of extra-fee beverages, whether alcoholic or not, consider selecting a different perk or simply declining this Free at Sea offer. This choice could save you money in the long run.

Important Details

The drink packages are applicable at Norwegian Cruise Line's private island in the Bahamas, Great Stirrup Cay. However, they do not apply at the line's private destination in Belize, Harvest Caye.

This Free at Sea perk is available to the first through eighth guests on a reservation who are 21 years or older. If the first and/or second guest in a cabin is under 21, they will receive Norwegian Cruise Line's Unlimited Soda Package (valued at $9.95 per person, per day) as a replacement. Additional guests under 21 will not receive a substitution for this perk. If you're 21 or older but do not drink, you cannot choose the soda package instead.

Specialty Dining Credits

With the specialty dining credits included in the Free at Sea package, you'll receive a dining package that allows you to enjoy meals at one or more specialty restaurants without paying the per-person fee or needing to purchase the package separately.

Through the Free at Sea offer, the dining package is available to the first and second guests on a reservation, provided they are at least 2 years old. Here’s a breakdown of how many specialty restaurant meals you’ll receive if you select this perk, based on the cruise length and your cabin category.

Keep in mind that a 20% gratuity applies (based on NCL's evaluation of the package's worth), so similar to the beverage package, the dining package isn’t truly "free."

• For a three- to six-night cruise, any cabin: One meal ($59 value, $11.80 gratuity per package)
• For a seven- to 11-night cruise, studio, inside, or ocean-view cabin: One meal ($59 value, $11.80 gratuity per package)
• For a seven- to 11-night cruise, balcony cabin or higher: Two meals ($99 value, $19.80 gratuity per package)
• For a twelve-night cruise or longer, studio, inside, or ocean-view cabin: Two meals ($99 value, $19.80 gratuity per package)
• For a twelve-night cruise or longer, balcony cabin or above: Three meals ($139 value, $27.80 gratuity per package)

You can apply your specialty dining perk at Cagney's Steakhouse, La Cucina, Food Republic, Le Bistro, Moderno Churrascaria, Q Texas Smokehouse, Teppanyaki, Los Lobos, Ocean Blue, Bayamo, and Onda by Scarpetta.

Important Details

At à la carte restaurants, the dining package allows you one appetizer, one soup or salad, one main course, and one dessert. At Cagney's and Le Bistro, you are also restricted to one main course per person (in addition to the starters and desserts). Any extra main courses will be charged at the à la carte menu price.

Restaurants at Harvest Caye, The Bake Shop, the Ice Cream Bar, gelato, specialty items at the Asian restaurant, Jazz Brunch, and Wine Lovers and Murder Mystery lunches are not included in the specialty dining packages.

Free Shore Excursions

If you intend to book shore excursions through the cruise line, this perk is likely to be quite beneficial.

However, you don’t necessarily receive free excursions. Instead, the first guest on the cruise reservation in each port gets a $50 shore excursion credit. Unlike some other Free at Sea perks, this credit does not apply to the second guest. If the excursion costs less than $50, no refund is provided. For excursions over $50, you’ll need to cover the additional cost.

Important Details

This credit cannot be used for equipment rentals at Great Stirrup Cay and Harvest Caye. Precruise and postcruise land tours, private tours, and customized shore excursions are not included; however, group tours on debarkation day are eligible. The first guest may apply the $50 credit to multiple shore excursions per port, but not for tickets for themselves and a travel companion on the same tour.

If a port call or shore excursion is canceled, you will receive a refund for the amount you paid. This means that if your shore excursion exceeds $50, you’ll only be refunded for the portion above $50; the credit itself will not be refunded.

Free Wi-Fi

The free Wi-Fi perk does not provide unlimited internet access throughout your cruise. Instead, you receive a set number of free minutes based on the duration of your sailing.

For cruises lasting three to six nights, you receive 75 minutes of internet per person. For seven to 11-night cruises, you get 150 minutes, and for sailings of 12 nights or longer, you will have 300 minutes of internet per person. Choosing Wi-Fi as one of your Free at Sea perks is genuinely free, as it includes the activation fee.

This offer is available to the first and second guests in a cabin. Each cabin is provided with two logins, and each package can be used on one device at a time. Streaming is not permitted.

If you anticipate needing more internet access, you can upgrade to Unlimited Wi-Fi or Unlimited Premium Wi-Fi (which includes streaming) at a discounted rate compared to the standard price of those packages. This discount is made possible by a "credit" equivalent to the value of the minutes included in Free at Sea.

Free Third and Fourth Passengers in a Cabin

This perk may not be available on all sailings, so be sure to verify its availability before booking if you want to take advantage of it. Typically, voyages during peak family cruising periods (like school holidays and summer) will not offer this benefit.

The third and fourth guests in a cabin can either sail for free or pay $99 each, while the first two guests pay the full fare. No deposit is needed for the third and fourth guests, but they are responsible for taxes and port fees. These charges can vary based on the cruise length and itinerary, sometimes exceeding $200 per person on certain seven-day trips.

If your reservation includes five to eight passengers, those additional guests will need to pay the regular fares.

Can I opt out of Free at Sea?

If your cruise reservation includes more Free at Sea perks than you desire, you are not required to accept all of them; you can choose to decline any or all of the Free at Sea benefits.

For instance, if your booking comes with all the current Free at Sea perks but you realize you won't consume enough soda, specialty drinks, or alcohol to justify the daily gratuity for the Unlimited Open Bar package, you can simply opt out of that perk.

Keep in mind that if you decide to decline perks, you cannot transfer them to others, nor will you receive any cash value for forfeiting them.

Budget-conscious travelers who don’t feel the need for Free at Sea perks might consider opting for a "Sail Away" (guarantee) cabin. This option allows you to select a cabin category without specifying a particular cabin on the ship. As the departure date approaches, the cruise line will assign you a cabin in your chosen category. Guarantee cabins tend to be more affordable than booking a specific cabin and are not eligible for the Free at Sea promotion.

What is Free at Sea Plus?

For those seeking even more benefits, you can upgrade to Free at Sea Plus for $49 per person, per day. If the second guest is a child, their upgrade cost is $29 per day.

Here’s what you receive with Free at Sea Plus:

• The Unlimited Open Bar Package is enhanced to the Premium Plus Beverage Package, featuring all top-shelf cocktails and spirits, all beer, Champagne, and wine by the glass, unlimited soda and juice, still and sparkling bottled water, all Starbucks coffee and specialty drinks, and energy drinks. It also includes select premium bottles of wine and Champagne at dinner, plus 40% off any other bottles.
• Two extra specialty dining meals for the first and second guests.
• A $50 shore excursion credit for the second guest.
• Unlimited Wi-Fi (non-streaming) for the first and second guests.

If the first and second guests opt for Free at Sea Plus, the third guest and any additional guests must purchase the Premium Plus Beverage Package at a discounted rate of $34.80 per person, per day, which includes gratuity.

Should the second guest be a child, they will receive the same benefits except for the Premium Plus Beverage Package; instead, they will still have the soda package.

Guests who choose to upgrade to Free at Sea Plus can enhance their unlimited Wi-Fi package to include streaming for an additional $10 per person, per day, applicable only to the first and second guests.

Common questions about NCL's Free at Sea

Have more questions about Free at Sea that we haven't addressed yet? We tackle additional queries below.

Are daily gratuities included in Free at Sea?

Occasionally, free daily gratuities may be offered as a Free at Sea perk, but this is not common. Typically, you'll need to pay the daily service charge as usual.

The daily service charge is $20 per person, per day for guests in Club Balcony Suite cabins and below, and $25 per person, per day for those in suites or The Haven. Infants and toddlers aged 2 and under are exempt from this charge.

Is airfare included in Free at Sea?

Sometimes, a Free at Sea perk includes complimentary airfare for the second guest on a reservation when the first guest also books flights through Norwegian Cruise Line. This offer is available for voyages of seven nights or longer and includes economy, round-trip flights from select departure airports.

Solo travelers who pay 200% of the cruise fare qualify for free airfare when available. However, you're ineligible for the free airfare promotion if you make your booking last minute (reservations must be made more than 110 days before sailing) or if you select a Sail Away (guarantee) cabin.

If you're considering this perk, be aware that it means letting Norwegian Cruise Line manage your air travel arrangements. While the flights they choose might be convenient, they could also have less favorable timing, routing, and layovers compared to what you might find by booking your own flights.

This perk can be appealing if you prefer the cruise line to manage as much of your trip as possible or if you're looking to save on airfare, but we generally do not recommend it.

Do Pride of America cruises provide the same perks?

Cruises in Hawaii aboard NCL's Pride of America, based in Honolulu, offer the same Free at Sea benefits but feature a beverage package that differs slightly from the standard Free at Sea Open Bar package.

The Hawaii Beverage Package is available for the first through eighth guests on the reservation and includes a selection of drinks valued at up to $15. Guests opting for this perk must cover gratuities, which amount to $19.80 per person, per day. The retail price of the Hawaii Beverage Package is $99 per person, per day.

The terms state, "The purchase of any alcoholic beverages within the Hawaii Beverage Package may, in certain cases, be limited according to Hawaii's Intoxicating Liquor Law and relevant local regulations."

Alongside alcoholic drinks, the Hawaii package also offers fountain soda, fresh juice, bottled water, nonalcoholic beer, and specialty coffee, but only when ordered in the dining rooms. It does not cover specialty coffee outside of restaurants, room service, minibar items, or vending machine purchases.

The key distinction between the Hawaii Beverage Package and NCL's standard beverage package is that the Hawaii version allows for specialty coffee in the main dining rooms, whereas the standard package does not.

What additional details should I be aware of regarding NCL's Free at Sea promotion?

Here are some important terms and conditions related to the Free at Sea promotion:

• Selections for Free at Sea must be made at least 24 hours before sailing and cannot be altered once you’re on board.
• If you book within 24 hours of your departure, you'll select your Free at Sea perks at the time of booking.
• Solo travelers who pay double the per-person fare are eligible for Free at Sea.
• This offer is exclusive to cruises and does not extend to the land segments of cruisetours.

In summary

When you book a specific cabin with Norwegian Cruise Line, your reservation typically includes some version of the Free at Sea promotion.

Free at Sea offers excellent value if you intend to make the most of each perk. If some options suit you while others don’t, take a moment to assess whether the benefits outweigh the costs (including gratuities). Feel free to opt out of any perks you don’t want.