Frequently asked questions
At NCL, we want planning your holiday to be as carefree as your cruise. Almost everything you need is already taken care of. So relax and read on. What happens if we change the holiday? What extras do I need to budget for? I've received an on-board credit - how can I spend it? Is there a doctor in the house What if I have medical requirements or am disabled? Is there an age restriction for drinking alcohol? Can I bring my own alcoholic drinks aboard? What do I do with valuables on board? How many suitcases can I take? Will someone help me with my luggage? Can you accommodate a special diet? Is there any chance of a rough sailing? What about noise levels - is it quiet at sea? What's the electrical voltage on board? Are NCL cruises suitable for families? How can I celebrate a special occasion? How do I organise a cruise for a group? Service Charge Pre-pay option? Do I need travel insurance?Absolutely. Comprehensive travel insurance is compulsory and you can get it through your travel agent or NCL at the time of booking. If you choose ours, the details can be found here. If you prefer to take out your own travel insurance, we may need to approve it, just to be on the safe side. What about flights?We include economy scheduled flights in the price of your holiday (excluding Cruise & Transfer or Cruise Only). We use special fares and you may need to change aircraft en route. If you have special seat requests, we’ll pass them on to the airline; sorry, but we can’t guarantee them. Check in early, or online if you can, for the best choice of seats. What happens if we change the holiday?We have to plan our holidays way in advance. Changes may be made and delays are possible, If you’re sailing from New York and your Norwegian Dawn, Norwegian Gem or Norwegian Spirit departure is delayed for longer than 12 hours due to weather, you will receive an on-board credit of $100 per person (maximum $200 per stateroom) on your current departure.
What extras do I need to budget for?Just your personal expenses such as travel insurance, UK Connections and hotel meals. How do I pay for my extras?That’s all taken care of, too. On your first day on board, you open a shipboard account by registering a major credit, debit or charge card. We will obtain an initial authorisation of $300 and if your account goes over this, the amount of the balance will be authorised. You can simply sign for your personal expenses as you go and they will be charged to your account. To make things even easier, the service charge will also be charged to this account.
Do I need cash?It’s always worth having a small amount of local currency for immediate expenses on arrival at your destination and for any purchases you make at your ports of call. We also recommend you carry a major credit or charge card (American Express, Mastercard or Visa), or sufficient funds in US$ travellers cheques which can be cashed on board. Credit and charge cards are widely accepted at destinations worldwide, but remember that proof of identity may be required in certain countries. Sorry, but personal cheques and £ sterling are not accepted on board. Cash machines, dispensing US$ are available 24 hours a day with a fee of $5.00 for each transaction. I've received an on-board credit - how can I spend it?
If you received your on-board credit through a promotion or group booking, it can be used towards personal on-board expenses (except the service charge and in the casino). But remember, Can I phone from the ship?Of course, you can phone, e-mail, fax or send a telegram anywhere in the world. Communication charges apply and please note that calls can be expensive. Is there a doctor in the house?We hope you don’t need them, but we have a doctor and nurse on board all our ships and a charge will be made for their services. Please note that medical facilities are designed to provide basic medical care and guests may have to be evacuated at their own expense in the event of serious illness.
What if I have medical requirements or am disabled?We’ll do our best to make special arrangements whenever we can. Some ships have staterooms for the hearing impaired – please ask for details when you book. If you have a medical or physical condition that may require special attention or treatment, you must advise our Reservations Department at the time of booking. Disabled guests must be self-sufficient and should travel with a companion who can provide any assistance you need during the cruise. If you use a wheelchair, you must bring your own and it should be small and collapsible. For their own comfort and safety, pregnant women must complete all travel by the 24th week of pregnancy. Need to know more? Check the Terms & Conditions here, visit our website or ask NCL Reservations. Can I smoke on board?We want everyone to be comfortable on board, even when it comes to something as simple as, say, breathing. So we've made public areas throughout the ship smoke free. But don't worry. If you want to smoke, we've set aside spots just for you. If you smoke cigarettes, you can smoke in your stateroom, or on your balcony, in the casino or Cigar Bar (where available). If you prefer pipes or cigars, you can smoke in the Cigar Bar or designated smoking lounge. You can smoke cigarettes, pipes and cigars outside on open decks, (just please don't smoke around the food venues, on sports decks or jogging areas, kids' pool areas and other designated non-smoking areas.) Is there an age restriction for drinking alcohol?
Yes, as a general rule, guests must be 21 or over to buy or drink alcohol on board. However, guests aged 18-20 will be allowed to purchase and drink beer and wine on board with their parent’s or guardian’s consent (except aboard NCL America ships and all ships sailing in Hawai‘i or Alaska). Can I bring my own alcoholic drinks aboard?Sorry, but we do not allow guests to bring their own alcohol to drink on board. If you purchase alcohol ashore to take home with you, this should be given to the ship’s crew when you get back on board and it will be returned to you at the end of the cruise.
What about gambling on board?Guests must be 18 or over to gamble on board ship. Current legislation means there are no casinos on our ships on round-trip Hawai`i cruises. What do I do with valuables on board?Security envelopes and/or safe deposit boxes are available from the ship’s purser at no charge. All staterooms and suites have minisafes. But please note that NCL is not and cannot be held responsible for valuables left in staterooms or elsewhere on the vessel. What shall I pack?
What would you like to pack? NCL Freestyle Cruising gives you the freedom to dress as you please. Resort casual wear is perfect anytime with most guests opting for a pair of chinos and a shirt or polo shirt/skirt and top or sundress for dinner. We know you like evenings to be casually elegant, so jeans, T-shirts or singlets, shorts, cut-offs, and bare feet are not allowed in any of the restaurants at dinner. How many suitcases can I take?On all NCL ships, you can have up to 90kg of personal baggage per person. But remember, airlines do have their own checked baggage and hand luggage restrictions, so check your flight tickets carefully for details. And be sure to put your NCL luggage labels on your bags at the port. Medicines, jewellery, fragile items, valuables and important documents should be carried in your hand luggage. If you are bringing your golf clubs or a wheelchair, they are permitted on board ship, but do check with your airline for any restrictions they may have. And remember, all suitcases are collected the night before disembarkation, so bring an overnight bag for your essentials.
Will someone help me with my luggage?Yes, porters are available at the pier during embarkation and disembarkation hours. The customary tip for porters is $1.50 per bag in New York and $1 per bag (or the equivalent in local currency) in all other ports. Your steward will deliver luggage to your stateroom, normally within two hours of embarkation. What time do I dine?Whenever you like. NCL Freestyle Dining means you eat when you choose, where you want and with whomever you like. Click here to read all about it.. Can you accommodate a special diet?We’ll certainly do our best, so if you have any special dietary requirements, please advise our Reservations Department at the time of booking, then check with Maitre d’ at dinner on your first night aboard. Please note, requests for kosher, gluten-free, lactose-free and dairy-free diets must be received two months before departure. What happens ashore?This is NCL Freestyle Cruising, so that’s up to you. Choose one of our great optional shore excursions or simply do your own thing. A shore excursion booklet and pre-request form will be sent to you with your cruise documents and you can also pre-request excursions at by clicking here. Alternatively, just buy them on board at the ship’s Shore Excursion Desk. Where does the ship dock?Usually, right alongside the quay and you simply step ashore. At a few ports, marked on the itineraries with an anchor symbol, we drop anchor at sea and you go ashore by tender boat – great fun! Is there any chance of a rough sailing?All NCL ships are fully stabilised for the smoothest possible cruising and we aim to plan our itineraries to sail in regions at the times of year when the seas are at their calmest. So rough seas are unlikely. NCL adheres to the highest standard of shipbuilding in the world. Our Method I construction meets the 1967 Fire Safety Requirements and the 1960 Safety Of Life At Sea Convention regulations. All our ships meet the 2001 SOLAS specifications. Our ships also pass annual inspections by the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Norwegian and Bahamian governments. What about noise levels - is it quiet at sea?Usually, your ship sails at night and some staterooms – particularly those on lower decks – may be slightly noisier than others. What's the electrical voltage on board?Both 110 volts and 220 volts AC sockets are provided, but you will need an adaptor for British appliances. Hairdryers are provided in all staterooms.
Are NCL cruises suitable for families?Absolutely perfect! We have fantastic children’s and teen’s activity programmes. Guests under 21 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. And although under 21’s may not occupy their own stateroom, our family friendly accommodation provides versatile stateroom options, from interconnecting staterooms to suites. If you're planning on cruising with infants, we can provide cots for babies, but please note that we do not allow infants under six months of age at the time of embarkation on board our ships. Are babysitters available?NCL Kid’s Crew counsellors offer group supervision and activities for children aged 2 to 12 at a nominal cost. Evening hours are 10pm to 1am. In port, the group sitting programme operates from 9am to 5pm. Sorry, but private babysitting is not available. How can I celebrate a special occasion?In real style! Just Click here to read about our great celebration packages. How do I organise a cruise for a group?That’s easy. Just contact NCL Specialist Sales on 0845 658 8150 or your travel agent – Click here for all the details.
NCL Service ChargeOn all NCL ships, payment of a pre-paid service charge is required. A fixed service charge of U.S. $10 per person, per day will be added to your on-board account. For children ages 3-12, a U.S. $5 per person per day charge will be added to your on-board account; there is no charge for children under the age of three. Our crew is encouraged to work together as a service team and certain members of our crew are compensated by a combination of salary and incentive programmes that the service charge supports. It is our earnest wish that you enjoy your NCL cruise experience and that our entire crew in all areas of the ship will provide you with the standard of service for which NCL is known. Therefore, if you have any concerns about the service you receive during your cruise, please bring them to the immediate attention of our Reception Desk staff on-board so that we can address any issues in a timely manner before the cruise is over.
Service Charge Pre-pay optionNow to make things even easier, you can choose to prepay your service charge here in the UK before you go away. Call us on 0845 658 8010 for more information. GratuitiesUnlike other ships in the cruise industry, there is no required or recommended tipping on NCL ships for services that are generally rendered to all guests. However, all of our staff are encouraged to ‘go the extra mile’ and so they are permitted to accept discretionary cash gratuities from guests who wish to acknowledge exceptional or outstanding service from particular staff members. In other words, for service that is generally rendered to all guests, there is genuinely no need to tip, but please feel free to do so if you have a desire to acknowledge particular individuals. Certain staff members provide optional services on an individual basis to some guests. We encourage those guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. For example, for guests using concierge and butler services, we recommend they consider offering a gratuity commensurate with services rendered. For other optional services such as bar service, an automatic gratuity of 15% is added to the guest’s on-board account and 18% added for all spa and salon bills. Still need to know more?Just call NCL Reservations on 0845 658 8010 and we’ll be happy to help.
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