Norwegian Cruise Line makes major beverage package changes

Norwegian Cruise Line is making a bet on more. With its new brand positioning, MORE, the cruise line has got down to boost the cruise experience for its passengers by giving them more top rate inclusions and value in their cruise vacations.

As of Oct. 1, any Norwegian cruise reservation for a Three+ day sailing Jan. 1, 2025 and beyond is eligible to receive “More At Sea,” an upgraded version of the cruise line’s “Free At Sea” package. More At Sea offers an expanded beverage package, more included specialty dining meals, and enhanced WiFi, together with other benefits.

Related: Top commute agents share one way to get the ideal price to your cruise

Of course, more perks will mean an amplify in cruise prices.

Come Cruise With Me’s commute agent partners PostCard Go backwards and forwards Planning when compared prices between a seven-night cruise with the previous Free At Sea package booked on Sept. 30 and the identical cruise with the new More At Sea package booked on Oct. Three.

They found the extra beverage and specialty dining inclusions increased the entire cruise price for two passengers traveling in the identical balcony stateroom by about $200.

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The More At Sea beverage package is an improbable upgrade

With Norwegian’s More At Sea, passengers sailing on a seven-night or shorter cruise can pay $30 per person per day for the improved Unlimited Open Bar package. Passengers on sailings of eight to eleven nights can pay $27 per person per day, and on 12+ night cruises, they'll pay $23 per person per day. The previous Free At Sea beverage package cost passengers $21.eighty per day.

Adding more value to justify the value amplify, the new package offers more inclusions and fewer restrictions than most cruise line beverage packages. And it costs significantly less.

Related: Royal Caribbean has a beverage package policy you're going to now not like

Beverage packages are most often expensive cruise add-ons. Some cruise lines limit how many drinks passengers can order per day and that they in most cases set a cost cap for included beverages too.

Princess Cruises limits alcoholic drinks to 15 beverages per 24-hour period with its packages. The cruise line’s Plus Beverage Package, which costs $sixty four.ninety 9 per day, caps the drink price at $15. Its Premier Beverage Package, which costs $84.ninety 9 per day, includes top-shelf top rate beverages priced as much as $20.

(The 15-drink limit applies to all Carnival-owned brands).

Royal Caribbean’s Deluxe Beverage Package does now now not have a day-to-day drink limit however it with no doubt best includes beverages priced as much as $14. Prices for the package vary by sailing, averaging around $70 – $105 per day.

Related: Royal Caribbean brings back a Deluxe Beverage Package deal

More At Sea raises the bar for cruise beverage packages

Norwegian’s More At Sea beverage package does now now not cap the collection of drinks passengers can order. It also does away with the previous package’s $15 price limit for included beverages.

This doesn’t mean Norwegian cruisers can go wild with unlimited drinks though. The ship’s personnel may refuse to serve alcoholic beverages to any passenger who does now now not consume alcohol responsibly.

The new package may also offer 45% more top rate beverage brands in comparison with the previous Free At Sea beverage package. Featured brands consist of Grey Goose vodka, Casamigos Tequila, and Woodford Reserve bourbon whiskey. Passengers can select from over 100 specialty cocktails too.

The package will consist of among the many top rate brands provided in the cruise line’s add-on Premium Plus Beverage Package, on one way to no longer be offered with More At Sea. However it, the More At Sea package will now now not consist of Starbucks and bottled water, which have been included with Premium Plus.

Related: Norwegian Cruise Line makes big changes many don’t like

With a wide kind of top rate brands and no price cap on drinks, Norwegian’s Unlimited Open Bar package appears to offer significantly more value at a lower price than Royal Caribbean’s Deluxe Beverage Package.

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A brand new pricing policy will streamline specialty dining

To simplify specialty dining, Norwegian is likewise swapping its specialty dining à la carte pricing for flat restaurant cover charges starting up Jan. 1, 2025.

Norwegian’s new specialty dining restaurant per-person cover charges are as follows:

• Steak, Teppanyaki / Hasuki, French, and Seafood: $60 cover charge
• Brazil, Asian, Food Republic, and Sushi: $50 cover charge
• Italian, BBQ, Pincho, and Mexican: $forty cover charge

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For specialty dining meals included with More At Sea, passengers will now now not pay the restaurant cover charges, but can pay less with a package price that varies based on stateroom category and sailing length. More At Sea dining package prices start at $20 per package for one specialty dining meal for two guests.

Passengers can pay the restaurant cover charges for any additional specialty meals beyond those included in their package.

They are going to even be ready to order more appetizers and desserts in specialty dining restaurants with More At Sea with as much as three of every included at each and every meal.

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