Does Norwegian Cruise Status Match?

Hello great article!! My husband and I love NCL overall, well other than Disney…not sure if any of this has been mentioned by others but as a cruise agent, one thing you may have mentioned in regards to not being able to bring water/soda on board is that NCL, most of the time, has the Free at Sea sale. That includes the beverage package. Yes, you do pay the gratuities upfront for the package, however, compared to buying a case of water, lugging it in plus whatever alcoholic beverages you are going to buy (which lets be real for most is at minimum 2+ drinks a day that is purchased), it off sets the price of the prepaid gratuities and then some. Also in regards to water, ALL water is filtered on board on ALL ships including the water that comes out of your faucet in your stateroom bathroom. It’s easier to bring a refillable water bottle. You can have your cabin steward bring you ice daily and voila! Food for thought!

Thank you! I’m sailing on the Prima March 19th in a solo stufio cabin. It’s my first cruise on NCL and I get off the refurbished Carnival Elation on the 16th so I’ll be able to compare the two, and be better prepared. It will have been my 6th time on Elation since July and we love it. I’ll update this after my cruise.

Thanks for the article and the helpful information! I am finally going to cruise this april with the NCL Joy after years of contemplating about taking a cruise. I am so looking forward to this trip. And yes, NCL may cost more, and I hope the crew will be superb in their job. Choose wisely the packages they offer, and you might end up NOT overpaying for things!

Born in Miami and cruised plenty, starting as a kid in the roaring ’60s until the pandemic. Haven’t been aboard a cruise ship since the coronavirus shut down everything fun. The largest ship I’d been aboard was Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas, once upon a time the biggest cruise ship in the world. Been aboard (and loved) the smallest ships the mainstream cruise lines operate including NCL’s Sky, Carnival’s Elation and MSC’s Armonia. At this point, now that I’m 70 years old and my interest in water slides and racing go-karts have faded, I have no reason to go aboard Carnival’s, MSC’s, Royal Caribbbean’s and NCL’s behemoths. I’m not a rich guy who can (maybe I can but refuse to overspend) afford Viking, Oceania, Regents, Cunard and the big-ticket luxury lines. I like to relax, smoke a cigar after dinner, lounge around a bar, maybe sink my toes into sand. I like listening to music, dance a little bit, go to a performance of some kind and have another drink. I really liked my cruises on NCL the most, particularly on the Pearl. Now, I’m considering flying to a destination and renting a boat there in order to go to sea. I love being on the sea, and I fear that the time for me to quit cruising has come. In the days before the pandemic I could find deals on cabins that worked out for $100. per night PPDO paying that 100 per cent single supplement to go solo. That was my limit and loved it! No more deals. Everything has jumped in price with frustrating nickle-and-diming. I’ve shot a bunch of cruise articles covering every aspect of cruising on the cheap on my YouTube website.

Just to let everyone know as a tip, the free at sea $50 shore excursion cabin credit and the internet package which is a preset time based on length of the sailing i.e. 150 mins can be added to any room at no additional cost except for their “sail away” rooms. Free at sea cost increase comes from the service charges of the beverage and dining packages. But not for the other items and yes you can pick and choose the amenities you want from free at sea.

Pretty sure when people decide to include the “free drink package”, we understand that it actually costs more money. If someone is surprised that the free drink package isn’t free, then that’s their problem. I think $150 to add on a drink package is pretty cheap. At $15 a drink, I use up that $150 by noon on the first day at sea.

Wife and I just got back from a 7 day on the Breakaway. Was not impressed. The staff was incredibly friendly, except for guest services, which were completely useless every time we needed them. The ship was completely packed, claustrophobic and disorganized. Everything seemed to require a reservation, and the lines were ridiculous to get into the eateries. And don’t even get me started on that private island they try to pass off as Belize. Don’t see ourselves doing NCL again. In fact, just booked our next cruise for Christmas this year today with Carnival

We’ve sailed with NCL six times (Breakaway, Getaway, Joy, Bliss, Encore) and are very pleased with them overall. BUT — to add onto Cruzely’s (non)experience with Great Stirrup Cay — tendering into GSC even with perfect weather is a *NIGHTMARE*. You sign up ahead of time for a departure NUMBER, without being able to get any information as to that departure’s TIME. So you spend the morning wondering, “How soon to I need to be ready to leave the ship?” and “Do I have time to get breakfast from the buffet before it closes?” “Why is there such a variable time between the numbers they’re calling?” The whole process of tendering the ship’s passengers to the island takes over two-and-a-half hours. *ADVICE*: Get your tender “number” as early as they’re made available (a couple days prior to the stop, maybe?). And, even if you get a low number, be prepared to wait around that morning — and don’t go anywhere that you can’t clearly hear the overhead speakers.

I recently saw 2 other articles on NCL. Both addressed the horrible experience they had during Embarkation. One couple said they had to wait hours to get onboard. The other article by a YouTube Cruise influencer in Alaska said that getting back on the ship was a NIGHTMARE. That literally the line was so backed up that it looked like every passenger was off the ship and in this line to reboard. I personally have sailed 5 NCL ships. 1. They charge you to get into the “Adult only area” in the front of the ship and they are limited so if you don’t purchase immediately when boarding they’re gone. 2. The Haven Suites and the Go-Carts take up so much room on the Lido Deck that the space left is “Claustrophobic.” Everyone trying to enjoy the Lido Deck is cramped into this horrible little space! 3. NCL nickel and dimes you on everything …. Cabin Gratuities are higher than the other lines; Gratuities on alcohol are higher than other Lines etc.

NCL’s change in CEO really changed its customer service focus. And as you stated the “King of Costs”. Nickel and diming seems more important to NCL exes than other lines. Debating cancelling my 2024 NCL Breakaway and swapping to a RCL Adventure of the Seas around the same time with a nearly identical itinerary outside of Coco Cay. Have a group of 4. 2 adults in room 1 and child and adult in room 2. Both with Free at Sea. Room 1 is $3500 total or $1750 per person Room 2 is $3400 total or $1700 per person Similar RCL sailings (shave 2 days or same length) save anywhere from $500-$2050 off the total and cut 2 1/2 to 3 hours off our drive time. Breakaway sails from Miami and AotS will be sailing from Port Canaveral. I get I may technically pay a bit more for RCL once drink packages, specialty dining, etc is purchased. However, seems like a lot of bad changes by NCL recently. – Paying crew less to do more work. That translates to tired workers who can be grumpy. Not all, but enough Also means certain people are doing work they hadn’t been doing. And venues, bars, MDR, etc is under staffed leading to wait times. – In-person muster drill isn’t the worst change, but it’s definitely very similar to nickle and dime. Also it’s cramming a lot of people right after a pandemic. E-muster just is better. – Restaurant quality and size changes (ex. swapping filet at hibachi to a cheaper cut), smaller portions (RCL and others are doing too). Not an end all, but noticeable Just a few changes, but it has me leaning on cancelling (free cancellation is awesome at least) and booking with anyone, but NCL.

$300 total for the free drink package is still a hell of a deal in regards to the drink package/service fees. Considering drinks on average at any bar in your home town cost between $8.00 to $12.00, you can easily consume closer to $1000 in a 7 day period. If you don’t think you can surpass a $300 total in 7 days then just don’t get the package.

We sailed NCL from Rome two weeks ago and because I have limited mobility, we were taken on board immediately and our room was ready. I admit, I was surprised but very happy. We did have a problem at the end. We stayed in Rome for two extra days, and my hubby left all of his medicine in the cabin. I reached out to NCL via phone and asked the csr to have them courier the medications to our hotel before the ship left port. It was not tended to at all and one week later, I still haven’t heard a word about the medications. I’m very disappointed with this issue. To be fair, the cruise was wonderful and we enjoyed ourselves very much. I just wish there was better communication between land and the ship.

I don’t totally get all this talk of “nickel and diming”. I think part of the issue is gratuities that all lines should just include as a part of the fair. Some people get them taken off because they tip their cabin steward and bartenders but they don’t tip the people leaning the handrails, public toilets, the behind the scenes people in the laundry and kitchens etc. It should be part of the price. They should also call their program “Freedom At Sea”. People get put off by the name. Yes, it’s not free, just like Princess Plus isn’t free and Celebrity All inclusive is not free. They all have a no frills price and then add-ons. I’m a long time Norwegian cruiser and just got off the Breakaway. I agree, I did notice cutbacks in staff and the food was not quite as good as it was…but only slightly. I don’t need my cabin cleaned twice or a towel animal (up to 4000 towels a day that need to be laundered). Never had to wait more than 10 minutes for a table in the MDR, Taste or Savor. The “free at sea” deal right now has been great. It used to be with an inside cabin that you could choose only 1 offer, now you get all five. Other than shore excursions (we don’t do many) and an extra tip in the specialty dining restaurants we don’t have any “nickel and dime” charges. Back to the gratuities…. I’ve heard people say that “the cruise lines should just pay their staff better” well, we know they don’t and we still choose to cruise. We know how the system works. They want to be able to post lower prices and then add the extras later.

Definitely up their cost. We’ve sailed their larger newer ships and their older smaller and I have to say I prefer the smaller. Less busy, nicer outdoor space and larger pool than the larger. The newer ones cram in more cabins and restaurants/bars at the expense of the experience. With the cost increase we decided to go back to celebrity for our next cruise and it’s $2500 cheaper for an extra day and same ports🤷‍♀️. Rooms are larger too even for a basic inside than the balcony ones on the larger NCL. Would love to sail on NCL Gem again though if the cost makes sense

This happened to come on my feed. I was calling 2companies, november and December to find last minute cruises. I still got $3,300 for a not so great room, every time I called. On the NCL gem leaving January 4 going to Bermuda, their island. I thought it was way expensive, leaving half hour from my home ……. Everything was added on. Packages ??? Went to Cancun instead. Spent $1,000 less …..

We cruised on the Jewel (to Alaska) in July of 22. The ship was one of the best I have been on EXCEPT for the food. The food was sub par at best. We had two GOOD meals in seven days. Those were at the asian resturant and the hibachi grill. The food at the dining room was blase and there were limited items edible items at the buffet. I hope it was an isolated thing but my sig other has told me to cross NCL off our list !

Thanks. I live in South Florida and I am planning to go on my first cruise soon. It’s between MSC Seascape which is much cheaper even as a solo cruiser and NCL. One thing I’m not liking about NCL when doing a mock booking is they are charging around $269 Port fees and taxes for a 7 day cruise. Everyone else is like a hundred dollars cheaper. Are they just stealing or are they being charged more for port charges for some reason? Do you know Mr. Cruzely?

My last 8 cruises have been on NCL Getting tired of the recent changes. Increased daily charges, the changes with the $50 shore excursions and not getting the full amount, now only 1 a day cabin service. Entertainment cuts. I have noticed that the crew is not very happy- probably overworked. I probably will sail on NCL again. Will be trying MSC in April

NCL is the best. Have been on 4 cruises, been all the big 3 and only once on Royal Caribbean and Carnival. Getting ready to sail on my 3rd Norwegian cruise in March. Have been on the Sky, Encore and this one will be on the Dawn. I liked the Encore but it was crazy busy at full capacity right after covid. Was supposed to sail on the Escape but was scheduled about 3 weeks after it ran aground in Puerta Plata. But ended up switching us to the Encore at the last minute AND gave us cruise credit which almost paid for the upcoming cruise.

As an NCL Platinum status member, my last NCL cruise is coming up this May. Besides the extraordinary cost of the free at sea, wifi, etc., they nickel & dime everywhere they possibly can & raised gratuity into the stratosphere. Their treatment of employees was the initial reason why we have cruised NCL exclusively over the last 10+ years but they have gone the extreme other way this past year by not allowing them above crew quarters, doubling their work load, cutting salaries, etc., etc. NCL has also cut entertainment, closed the purse strings at the casinos & cut back on service. I get it that they need to catch up from Covid financially but they have crossed the line. Not to mention their new Prima class is cold, bland + uninviting. We’re finally throwing in the towel + admitting defeat. No more NCL

Pros- 1-I like the food on NCL. 2-Overall its a decent cruise Cons- 1-Poor customer service when it comes to the BOGO flights. Not uncommon to have difficulty with connections if the flight is delayed. Don’t do the bogo if you aren’t flying 2 days prior. 2-you will get nickled and dimed. Even with their sales. They are not cheaper than the other lines.

Stop saying you get a ton! Getting free at sea for some cruises on NCL can mean only one specialty dinner! Other times of the year can get you two! Free wifi doesn’t mean internet it is an allotment starting at 150 minutes but when the app that gets you to the Wi-Fi that gets you to that internet buffers up to 20 minutes to upload an image you are sending via text that eats up your 150 minutes pretty quick. The Premium drink pkg gets unlimited drinks less than $15ea, but you pay over $300 for two people with that pkg for gratuities and fees. So 7 days into $300 makes for a need to drink several drinks minimum a day to cover what you paid! Then the free starts! In the latitudes program you get little to no perks till you are the Gold level and even that is only a half price bag of laundry! ($15) Regular price of $30/bag

Being someone who has cruised Norwegian quite a bit…some of your down points are actually plus’s. There are more free restaurants than just the buffet and the main dining rooms. As for the Free at Sea…great deal when you look at it. Yes you MIGHT pay a bit more than other cruise lines but the service is there. We took a Carnival cruise one to compare….the lets get drunk as fast as we can and stay smashed crowd was not for us! Trust me those other cruise lines have their way of getting your money from you too!

Was on NCL last week, we ended up being charged $800 more than when we signed up originally because we prepaid gratuities, paying tax for the drink package, and extra tax on specialty dining. This was not counting any excursions and extra things we decided to buy. It was not as affordable in the long run as I thought. I’d like to try a different cruise line that maybe has more included so I know what I’m getting into

We’ve cruised dozens of times on Carnival, Royal, and Norwegian. The bottom line is that Norwegian stands as a class by itself, well beyond her competitors. Carnival is quite literally turning into the ghetto cruise line. The lower prices of Carnival, although seemingly a bargain, attract a less sophisticated crowd. After seeing brawls, arrests, and just generally trashy behavior by guests, and low-end food service, we will not be sailing with them again. Carnival’s drinks package, although cheaper, limits you to 15 per day. Probably a good thing or the whole ship would be a drunken donnybrook. Royal is alright, but they nickel and dime you to death. Everything seems to be an extra charge, and the food is nowhere close to what NCL offers. Royal does offer the largest cruise ships in the world, and they are worth trying out for the novelty of it, but they still have some work to do to reach NCL’s level of cruising. Yes, you do pay a higher price for NCL, but you get what you pay for. The food is incredible, the service is impeccable, and the experience is unforgettable. By all means, try the other cruise lines, but you’ll come back to NCL.

The drink package might be more the carnival but carnival limit is 15 a day and only order 1 drink at a time and wait 5 minutes between drinks. Ncl is unlimited drinks a day and can get two drinks at a time. Also we have sailed on many ncl cruises and never had to wait to board. Checked in and walked right on now royal was a different story. As far as coco cay wait till you see how much it is. Its not free at all compared to great stir up cay. Also your drink package is included on great stir up cay. Yes the newer ships are real nice but most adults dont use the go carts and slides. We felt the food is also better. Now the bad for us. The prima has its issues. Buffet is way to small for 3000 passengers. Not enough seating in the buffet either. Also on the prima you had to register to get on tender for great stir up cay. Horrible any other ship we jumped right on. The set up on the prima is way different the pool is small and the area around pool is small. The bar at the pool is small and takes forever to get your drinks. Never had an issue on encore, bliss, breakaway or getaway. Also the jewel wasnt like this either. The prima is beautiful but just not for us. Alot of other people didnt care for it either. Hopefully the changes on the aqua make it more enjoyable.

Since 2018 I have sailed on Breakaway, Epic, Getaway, Prima (complimentary inaugural) Prima again, Gem and this week I will be on Joy. I do agree that the older ships (Gem) have a different vibe. We enjoyed it on our port intensive Mediterranean and Aegean Sea cruise. But in all honesty, I like Prima the least. There was less to do on that ship (unless you wanted to pay extra) than on the other newer ships. Upscale?, Not in my opinion. The Edge class Celebrity ships are way more upscale, as is Scarlett Lady, Rotterdam and Nieuw Statendam. I know you were comparing NCL to Royal Caribbean and Carnival. I think even the Odyssey of the Seas has a classier feel than Prima. It ranks as my least favorite of the ships I have sailed in overall satisfaction. (But the cookies in the observation lounge might be the best I have ever had!). I will sail on Icon later this year. I look forward to comparing it to NCL.

I am booked on NCL in an inside room as a single person and have only paid (in full) for myself. I got concerned that I’d get there and be charged for the empty bed, so I rang customer service and she assured me I was fully paid up for one person in an inside cabin, but some how after reading all these comments about penny pinching I’ll get to the port and be forced to pay again. Can anybody put my mind at rest, I am a recent widow and thought I’d found a great deal 🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️

NCL and Royal Caribbean are the only lines that have truly unlimited drinks with their packages. Carnival, etc have a 15 drink per day limit. On our 7 day RC cruise in 2022 we drank more than 15 drinks most days. I guess I will stick with RC, even though they don’t sail to my top 2 ports I want to visit. Disappointing. Thanks for the information.

We are one and done on NCL. Nickle and dime. Horrible customer service. Took the time to write after our cruise. They can’t even be bothered to respond. I wouldn’t take a free cruise with NCL. We are on Virgin now and they do so many things right. All adults. Great food. Better than any cruise I have been on 50+ cruises completed.

Another thing that confuses US v euro and UK passengers.. you don’t get charged the grats in the way a lot of these vidds describe. In the UK it has to be included in the add-on price. It gets more confusing since 2023 in Spanish ports and 12m waters as you have to pay a vat charge on every drink though no matter what.

Cruised 5/21-5/28 the joy to NYC-Bermuda the cruise was a terrible experience completely disorganized and pourly run. Its been 5 months and they still owe us 3,500$ in refunds from group deposites and booking credits. From the very start the boarding experience was chaos. Just mobs of people being told the wrong information over and over. People being yelled at by staff for doing things other staff members told them to do. No organized line systems or anything. The food was not good at all. One of the main reasons we book Norwegian. The food at the buffet was mostly over cooked or mushy, a few people even got sick from the buffet. The main restaurants were not much better and only open form 12-1:30 for lunch. The specialty dinning was never available due to the fact people were making multiple reservations for the same day and then canceling the ones they don’t want last minute. No regulation at all. We were never able to book things as a group. The one dinner we were able to book ahead of time, when we showed up they didn’t know anything about our reservation. They told us we could only sit in tables of 8 and there were clearly other groups with tables of 12. All the tables were suppose to be together but they were separated by massive pillars and walls completely isolating 3 of the tables all together. The laser tag was only open for 2 hours per day and weather permitting. When I tried to book the group they said they needed the room number and the fact that I booked as a group didnt mean anything.

We have sailed with NCL on 19 of our 31 cruises. We started with our first cruise ever on the Norway in 1994 and we were hooked on cruising. Our favorite ships are the Jewel class Pearl, Gem, Jade, and Jewel. They are just the right size. We have sailed on the larger Breakaway and Escape and did not enjoy them nearly as much. Back when we had finally reached Platinum status, we felt that NCL recognized us with special welcome aboard treatments and various parties and perks. Now, it seems that because they are so successful with repeat customers, they take us for granted and are focused on special treatment for those passengers willing to spend the extra money for Haven suites. The Haven areas on the newer ships are blocked out from us and take up valuable open space on their ships. We are now finding that Carnival cruises seem to treat their platinum passengers like us as still special and wanted.

I’ve been sailing for 10 years now, over 20 sailings. The NCL line I like the best: but only the older smaller ships. The 4000+ passenger ships I don’t like. The Jewel Line is far superior. The GEM is my go-to ship. It is still a treasure to be on. The xxx-away ships are big plastic over-crowded ships. RC and Carnival do a better job with managing the crowds on the 3000+ passenger ships, but they are las-vegas tacky. I haven’t seen the new 3000+ prima yet. The big plus on NCL: anytime eating. its like a restaurant.

We’ve cruised with NCL since 2104. We just finished our most disappointing cruise with them last week. They’re customer focus has been lost. They have cut way back on entertainment. There used to be singers in most lounges but no more. There are 1 or 2 singers that rotate to a couple lounges. Pool deck entertainment has been scaled back to where it’s almost non-existent. But, most importantly, the food has taken a turn for the worse. In all the specialty restaurants the filet mignon has been replaced with a cheaper cut of meat. It’s no longer melt in your mouth juicy. I found mine on 3 occasions to be tougher and disappointing. The filet medallions in Moderno are also of lesser quality. I left my filet half eaten the last night I had it. I complained, and a staff member quietly agreed the quality of steak has been downgraded. The Japanese restaurant used to offer filet but it’s been replaced with new York Strip of fair quality. The buffet now closes at 9:30 which is a terrible decision. One restaurant, O’Sheehans is open 24 hours. We ate there once and it wasn’t very good. NCL is no longer a good value. They are pinching pennies at the expense of their guests. One last penny pinching move they pull. As we’ve cruised many times with them, we have chocolate covered strawberries waiting in our cabin. They used to be LARGE and delicious! No more. They are about the size of nickels and are mushy and terrible. We’ll be re-assessing our future plans with NCL. Buyer beware!!!

Thank you for warning me about all the nickle and dime charges. Sounds like just the drink package alone costs more than the cruise itself. Holy cow!!! I’m glad most of my 35 cruises occurred when everything was included. I’m unlikely to book a cruise until these greedy corporations lighten up give us back the all-inclusive cruise experience.

the info provided about boarding early is not quite right..I also cruise several time a year and have never had a problem placing my luggage in my cabin. the doors are always propped open during prep time.a nice jester to your cabin attendent always get my luggage placed inside my cabin closet. he does warn that NCL is not responsible if something happens to it prior to the time your cabin is released to you. never had any problems!! just plan ahead carry a small handheld bag withe your medicines and passport . always take bag with you. problem solved.. remember SMALL, easy to carry and go about your day.

Don’t think that NCL is going to be a good cruise. The food is bad, the service is worse! The drink package was very expensive and not worth the money. We were on the fence on which cruise line to use. and the fact is Royal Caribbean is far superior in all but one thing. NCL’s bathrooms are bigger than even some of the suites in RC. That being said the rest of the check boxes go to RC hands down. Even NCL’s Cagney’s premier steak house falls flat on its face in both serve and food quality and understanding how to cook a fillet Mignon . The fillet was bland had no taste and it was served overcooked. When we requested to get a replacement, they could not do it. They were so slammed with tables, we had to leave without eating. our main course. They only make up the rooms once a day now, and with that they could take the whole day, We waited till 4 :30 pm most days. one of the pillows we got smelled like perfume!. Come on! get it together NCL. !!. Goes from boarding! till the end with disappointments about food and service. The ship was overcrowded and all the venues were ridiculous!!The shows are dated and low budget. Stay AWAY!!!

Damn y’all are babies. God forbid you take the stairs if elevators are busy. The staff busts their behinds and are always so friendly wahh no towel animals. If you ask theyll do it. And how hard is it to make a reservation? Do you not do it at restaurants at home? Its the first thing you do when you get on the boat. We make them before we even get on. Act like youve done this before geeze

Just home from NCL Mediterranean cruise on Epic. Never Ever again! So many problems extra charges, double charged, awful WiFi, unhelpful rude customer services staff. Never answering the phone . Entertainment was abysmal. Although main staff were hard working and food great it doesn’t compensate for all the negative aspects never ever book with NCL again.

NO PASSENGER SHOULD EVER PAY AUTOMATIC CRUISE GRATUITIES! CRUISE GRATUITIES ARE NOT, NOT, NOT TIPS. THEY ARE SALARY PAID TO EVERY CREW MEMBER BY THE PASSENGER INSTEAD OF THE CRUISE LINE WHICH MAKES GRATUITIES NOT, NOT, NOT A TIP. TIPS ARE GIVEN TO INDIVIDUAL CREW MEMBERS WHO GIVE AN INDIVIDUAL PASSENGER EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE! I ALWAYS TELL THE SHIP, “DO NOT CHARGE ME GRATUITIES”. I GIVE TIPS TO SPECIFIC MEMBERS OF THE CREW WHO MAKE MY TRIP SPECIAL, USUALLY TO THE 2 WAITERS AND THE CABIN STEWARD AS I DO NOT DRINK, BUT I REFUSE TO PAY SALARIES WHICH ARE THE RESPONSABILITY OF THE RELEVANT CRUISE LINE!

I don’t need to watch the article, just reading the title I can tell you what’s main difference between NCL vs RCCL and Carnival, they just nickel and dime the shit out of you. Yes there are free stuff on the ship, but they made the experience so horrible that you actually want to pay for their better service. Everything that seems a bit fun cost money, which cruise line charges for mini golf??? Sun deck reduced in size to give more space for guest who can pay more, Haven suite and all. list goes on and on.. I am truly disgusted with NCL practice. I think they have identity crisis. They want to be a luxury cruise line, but at same time they want to market themselves as affordable line. Yes, they do have the basic free stuff as everyone else, but the minute you want to try something new, it’s all $$$