New to NCL - Questions...

[OT-Miami]

Hello CC!  We are considering our first ever NCL cruise for a 2024 Alaska sailing.  The itinerary is similar enough to our currently booked Celebrity sailing, the pricing is better, and the Free At Sea promo is sounds interesting.  We are considering a regular balcony cabin.  My questions are about NCL itself and not the Alaska sailing:

 

Gratuities: FAS includes grats. for the bev pkg and specialty dining, but how about the daily grats. for crew, etc?

 

Beverage Package: We enjoy the specialty coffees (2-3 per day for each of us) included Celebrity’s beverage package, as well the convenience of the included bottled water.  Is there any coffee included?  Is bottled water available for purchase onboard (it’s not available at all on Virgin – BYO refillable bottle)?

 

Extras:  I’ve read comments on other boards about the frequent nickel-and-diming on NCL, is this an exaggeration or what should I expect to pay extra for?

 

Airfare: The pricing looks great, but flights are confirmed 30-days prior to sailing? Any flexibility? We prefer to fly a couple of day early, is that possible?

 

We’ve sailed Carnival in the past, and our most recent sailings have been on RCL and Celebrity, so any comparisons are greatly appreciated.  TIA 😊

[mjkacmom]

Daily DSC is not included, gratuities of FAS are not normally included. No coffee, I think just boxes of water for purchase.

[zqvol]

15 minutes ago, OT-Miami said:

Hello CC!  We are considering our first ever NCL cruise for a 2024 Alaska sailing.  The itinerary is similar enough to our currently booked Celebrity sailing, the pricing is better, and the Free At Sea promo is sounds interesting.  We are considering a regular balcony cabin.  My questions are about NCL itself and not the Alaska sailing:

 

Gratuities: FAS includes grats. for the bev pkg and specialty dining, but how about the daily grats. for crew, etc?

 

Daily gratuities are not included in FAS, for a balcony they are $20 pp/pd.

 

Beverage Package: We enjoy the specialty coffees (2-3 per day for each of us) included Celebrity’s beverage package, as well the convenience of the included bottled water.  Is there any coffee included?  Is bottled water available for purchase onboard (it’s not available at all on Virgin – BYO refillable bottle)?

 

Water and specialty coffee are not included in the package.

 

Extras:  I’ve read comments on other boards about the frequent nickel-and-diming on NCL, is this an exaggeration or what should I expect to pay extra for?

 

I would not expect to pay extra for anything other than as mentioned above.

 

Airfare: The pricing looks great, but flights are confirmed 30-days prior to sailing? Any flexibility? We prefer to fly a couple of day early, is that possible?

 

We’ve sailed Carnival in the past, and our most recent sailings have been on RCL and Celebrity, so any comparisons are greatly appreciated.  TIA 😊

See notes above

[www3traveler]

(1) Unless there is a specific promotion including Daily Service Charges, they are not included.  If you book now and the DSC goes up before your cruise, you do not pay the difference.

(2) Bottled water is not included in the standard beverage package.  Feel free to bring your own refillable bottle.

(3) You are not required to pay extra for anything.  There are restaurants, spa services, excurisions, merchandise sales that you may or may not want to purchase.

(4) You should be able to request an earlier flight.

[chillyw]

You can consider upgrading to FAS+ to get the upgraded beverage package, unlimited wi-fi, and money back on port excursions.

 

If doing 3-4 NCL excursions, that's $150-$200 back from the upgrade.  The upgraded beverage package includes bottled water and starbucks coffee, so if you drink those + a few upgraded drinks you're getting your money's worth generally.

[hallux]

46 minutes ago, www3traveler said:

If you book now and the DSC goes up before your cruise, you do not pay the difference.

IF you pre-pay the DSC.  If you wait until the cruise and let it bill to your on-board account you would pay the extra.  At least that's how it worked last time.

[coolrider71]

If you have never been to Alaska, please choose a different cruise line other than NCL. NCL has the shortest port times and their docks are the furthest away. Meaning choosing between an excursion or going into town. Not both.