Norwegian Cruise Line’s payment and cancellation policy is subject to change without notice, and reservations not paid in full by the final payment due date are subject to cancellation. Refund processing time is about 3 to 4 weeks. Some insurance policies allow for no-reason cancellations with a penalty, such as a 25% or 10% penalty with a credit.
Passengers can reschedule their cruise to a different departure date or destination, subject to availability. However, cancellation of a Norwegian Cruise can result in the loss of deposit and payments. Different deposit amounts are required based on the length of the cruise. To make changes to your cruise reservation, contact your Travel Agent at 1-800-CRUISES 1-800-278-4737. Rates may differ from your original booking.
Cancellations can only be rescheduled once, but you must cancel up to 48 hours prior to sailing to receive a 100% future cruise. Name changes within 14 days prior to sailing and departure date changes are considered reservation cancellations and are subject to applicable cancellation fees.
To make changes to bookings, call the Reservations Department by your travel agent. No changes to bookings are permitted within 30 days of travel. For more assistance, contact Norwegian Cruise Line at 1-800-327-7030 or your Travel Agent.
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I haven’t experienced a NCL cruise yet that didn’t include a “holding time” before embarking. In May we sailed from Miami and we were held in the terminal until 1 p.m. There was about 3000 people waiting with us. In July we sailed from Vancouver and we were held until 11. We made reservations for specialty dinner before our cruise. The people at the box office desk were so helpful when we booked our show times! They knew what days were sea days and port days so they guided my family to making the best choice. I love sailing with NCL! Their freestyle cruising mantra is perfect for me!
Having cruised on Norwegian, over a dozen times, my embarcation day tradition used to be going directly to O’Sheehan’s. Back in 2016-18 it was easy nobody was there. But after the pandemic it has been incredibly crowded on embarcation day (people have caught on). So now, it’s better to go to one of the main dining rooms.(as you have suggested)
We cruise with NCL and this will be our 4th 14-day cruise with them. We are flying to Buenos Aires and doing the Antarctica cruise this time. This article is helpful as our last cruise was out of Australia and ended right when COVID started. Thank you for the new updates. Also, we love your site and I subscribe to it. So helpful. This will be our 9th cruise but still learn things. Thank you and keep up the good work.
We cruised NCL Break away 8/28 – 9/4/2022 to RI, ME and Canada and your tips made our trip so much better. The magnetic hooks, power strip and USB hub made us really more comfortable. All the info in your articles helped us plan and be ready for what to expect. Thank you for all of your posts and the time you put into them. Howl at the Moon was so much fun. Hope your trip is also great.
I have been on four NCL cruises since March of this year (writing this on November 21, 2022) and have another in a few weeks. I agree with most of what you’ve shared here except dinner reservations. Make them online ahead of time. Personally I make them as far in advance as possible. I’m platinum so I make mine 125 days out. If you’re not you can still make them 120 days out. For example, I will be on the NCL Bliss the week of Valentine’s day 2024 and I made my dinner reservations for that cruise in mid-October 2022… and I’m already hearing on social media there is little to no availability for Le Bistro (the French restaurant) for Valentine’s Day. YES, they do keep some slots open for people to book on board, but I think you’re much better off booking ahead. Also, print the confirmation you’re emailed and bring it with you.
We did a Canada New England cruise in September 2022 which was about the same time as you. We were on the Breakaway, which is slightly smaller than the ship you were on. Your tips for cruising on Norwegian were spot on. Because the Breakaway class is pretty big you do have to be pretty patient on embarcation day.
It’s so fun reading the comments from people about to go on their first cruise! (Y’all have fun!!) I am sailing on an NCL ship in November, but it’s a music cruise so lots of entertainment included 😉 I pretty much have my bag packed, just have to remember where I stashed the magnet hooks. Treated myself to a new outfit for a theme night, and making the trousers work with other tops for the other nights. So it will be a cinch getting it all in a carry-on. I just hit a snag with my flight: I booked it back in February and the airline totally redid the times. I had to buy a new flight. Lesson learned, pay a little more to get a flight you can change. I always stay positive though, now I have time to visit someone and grab a bottle of proseco for a cabin treat.
I sailed to Bermuda on Norwegian a couple weeks ago. Embarkation and debarkation in Boston was barely organized chaos. Even though you’re given a boarding time, you spend a lot of time in a seemingly endless line like cattle heading for the stockyard. The terminal is obviously a very old warehouse or something that was repurposed for the least amount of money they could spend. It was thoroughly exhausting both ways.
We have been able to make specialty dining reservations online ahead of time as well as NCL excursion reservations ahead of time. I highly suggest that so there’s not so much busy work to do on day one! I have not needed to make reservations for the shows however. I do not see that as an option to do ahead of time for the Epic next week. And we did not need to make reservations in July on the Spirit but that was a smaller ship. Enjoy your trip!!
Thanks for this – I will be going on my first time NCL cruise so appreciate all information I can have. I thought I would mention that I have 3 specialty dinners – once I decided when and where my Travel Agent reserved for us. One less thing to think about. I booked my excursions in advance myself but so happy to know that it maybe possible to make adjustments on the ship.🙂 Enjoy your cruise!
Hi Ilana! Greetings from Panama 🇵🇦 Thanks so much for all the love you have put into your Life Well Cruised project, it really does show 💕 Visiting your website, IG account and this YouTube website I could evidence how much you love cruising and how you care to share all those savvy tips with the world 🌍. I feel there’s information no one could have ever told me 😅 and I feel more prepared and less anxious for my first cruise thanks to you 💪🏻. I’m a little sorry to say this… but you have been more informative and thoughtful than my cruiseline website or representative to be honest! 🤐 Thanks so much for being an amazing content creator 🤗 I’m wishing you tons of happy cruising and sunny beach days on this 2023 ✨😎🍹🌺🏖️
Hi!!! We are avid NCL cruisers!!! We love having a Mojito when we board!! That seems to be our tradition for when we get on the ship!! Can’t v wait for Prima April 30th!! Begrudgingly going out of NY. We went out of NY years ago and said we wouldn’t again cuz it definitely is not as steam lined and quick as what we have experienced in Miami!!
Thank you so much for this article. I have been on two cruises with Royal none with NCL and this will be our first time on the Joy October. I was able to share the article with my co-travelers who some have traveled before and I do have a complete newbie with me this year. Hoping he enjoys the trip. If you have any articles at all while you’re on the trip, it would be great for you to share
On March 1st, I’m planning on putting a deposit down on my solo april ’24 Transatlantic cruise. I know it’s over a year away, but I’ve been binge-watching all your articles. This article I plan to watch several times, though… probably right up until Embarkation Day lol. I will be ordering your cruise planner! PS: Even now, I’m starting to order a few odds and ends from Amazon and picking up some bits and bobs from the Dollar Tree based on your suggestions to make a cruise more enjoyable. I’m having a blast coming up with different outfits bc my cruise is over two weeks long. I live near Disney World, only an hour away from Port Canaveral, so maybe if I find a great deal, I’ll even do a short cruise in September or October lol.
I’m on the Oct 2nd Canada/NE sailing out of NYC. But our ship is the Breakaway. I didn’t know the Joy did the same route. I’m super happy you are doing this route, bc there’s a real shortage of info about cruises to this part of the world. But we live in a hot & sunny area, so the last thing we wanted to do was go someplace sunny. 😆 Super excited for your articles of this route… esp any shore excursion reviews. Thank you for doing the most helpful, most informative and to-the-point articles!
Well Illana you have done it again. Surprise! You know i am a Princess and Celebrity gal…but I am sailing Thru the Panama Canal again. But this time it is on the Norwegian Encore 15 days in April…your tips on the reservations for shows and where to go was great for me. Sailing on my two lines I never had to do that…🚢😊
Ilana, always love your informative and uplifting articles. I’m on the Getaway, solo traveler, also from NYC soon, and kind of apprehensive. I paid for priority embarkation/debarkation, not sure what it means when I get to the pier. Also bought the internet package. Are these ships sailing full these days? I hope not!. Gardis, CT First timer, never done it before!
Thank you for very great article. Next week are sailing on NCL Getaway March 26 also from NY. This will be our first NCL cruise We love Celebrity we cruise with Carnival lot of time but not any more, this line is not good any more. We driving from Niagara falls Canada to NY. Can you please tell me if we have to drop off our luggage before parking the car .And what is your opinion about parking in cruise terminal is very expensive?
We’ve only sailed from Boston, and the choices are limited there. I would love some information on how to get transportation from Providence, Rhode Island to the New Jersey or New York ports. Is it possible to do that early in the morning, to avoid the hassle of reserving a pre-cruise hotel for one night, then taking public transportation to the port?
Hi Ilana! I am boarding the NCL Prima in 4 days from Copenhagen – we fly tomorrow! However, during my online NCL check-in, I did not see an option for picking a check-in time. We bid for a Haven upgrade and already have Priority Access, but I don’t want to be stuck waiting if we don’t have to. Please advise where I can pick my check-in time, if you have a min. (I will also try contacting the cruise line!). Thank you! I love your articles and I love your energy – enjoy the rest of your cruise!
Hi Thanks for the article, I’m leaving tomorrow on Joy too for a five day cruise. I have a few questions: Since I’m going solo, will there be any events geared to getting singles together? Im a bit worried that I will feel lonely as everyone will be with children/spouses. Second question: I thought the internet was free as that was in all their ads, but tonite talking to an agent she said the “all free” is only for 75 minutes during my time onboard and if I wanted more it would cost more money. Did u buy the wifi package? I might not even get the 75 minutes as it belongs to the “5 freebies”. More about that in my next question. Third question: Apparently NCL has 5 freebies which you must sign up for when booking or up to 24 hrs before cruise. I learned about this like one hr ago from an NCL agent. My travel agent did not sign me up for this when he booked me. I was really upset to learn this. How has ur experience with customer relations onboard the ship been? If I ask them to allow me the five freebies do u think they will “relent” and allow them to me or am I just dreaming? Ty!!
This is my very first cruise and I was so, so excited. I couldn’t wait to talk to someone from the cruise line but when I called the guy was so … rude, honestly. He had no energy and just was so … dismissive. I asked about upgrades or deals or anything that was being offered and he just kinda dismissed me…. I was so disappointed and idk, I’m really upset about the whole thing. Stupid, I know, but still…
we are planning to cruise in july on the breakaway . family of four.. two teens and hubby & i . do you think the room family club balcony is ok? they keep saying the havana is better or two rooms but its crazy price difference. having to pay airfare $6000 bc NCL wont assure us we will be on the same flights. i booked air & pre/post hotels. so getting family balcony 1 room financially makes sence. but are we going to regret it ?