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Norwegian Cruise Line is one of the many family cruise lines. With so many cruise lines, it can be tough to pick the best cruise line for your family. There are a lot of things that make Norwegian Cruise Line different from other cruise lines. We share some of those amazing differences.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is an amazing family cruise line cruising to destinations including Caribbean, Alaska, Bahamas, Bermuda, Miami, Europe, Hawaii, Panama Canal, Mediterranean, New York, and more. The Norwegian Cruise ships are often compared to Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. However, NCL is truly a unique cruise vacation for the whole family.
What Makes Norwegian Different
Flexibility
Norwegian Cruise Line is the leader in the flexible cruise. You can do what you want when you want to do it. This means there are a ton of activities throughout your cruise at different hours. Our favorite part of Norwegian Cruise Line is the Freestyle Dining.
You can eat when you want and where you want! Some of the restaurants require reservations and do charge an extra fee. However, there are many restaurant options that allow you to dine at the time you want to dine. You just pop in (like a normal restaurant at home) and you are seated at the next available table.
If you are dining at one of the main dining rooms, you get the option of dining with just your family or seated with other cruisers. This is truly unique to Norwegian Cruise Line.
Other cruise lines you are seated with other guests, unless you request a solo table and they have availability. This is a huge perk with many family cruisers.
Plastic FREE
Cruise lines are amazing when it comes to caring for the ocean. Many of the ships are eco-friendly and have processes in place to protect the ocean and environment. Norwegian Cruise Line took it a step further.
Norwegian is the only cruise line that can brag the water bottles (in their staterooms) are completely plastic free. They are all made with plant based cartons.This is amazing! Norwegian Cruise Line will eliminate 6 millions plastic water bottles a year with this new addition.
Unique Family Activities
One of the highlights of the Norwegian Cruise Ships are the unique family activities like laser tag, water slides, and go-carts at sea. Each cruise ship featured different activities. The newer ships always have the best activities, so keep that in mind when booking a Norwegian Cruise.
Our favorite Norwegian Cruise Ships are the brand new Norwegian Encore and the Norwegian Bliss. These two newer ships have our family’s favorite activities.
Your family will love the go-carts at sea. The idea of the go-carts actually came from the CEO’s grandkids. I love that kids added this fun to the Norwegian Cruise Line. The race tracks are fast. You can actually go up to 30 mph on the go-carts. The track runs throughout two decks and even go outside the ship. My favorite time to ride the go-carts is at sunset, because you get spectacular views of the ocean and sunset.
Another huge family favorite is the water parks and pools. We love the pool time on cruise ships, especially when cruising to tropical destinations. Norwegian Cruise Line likes to add a thrill to the aqua parks on their cruise ships with exciting slides like Free Fall on the Norwegian Escape and Getaway, the Epic Plunge on the Norwegian Epic, and our family friendly favorite called the AquaRacer. You can find the AquaRacer on Norwegian Encore, Bliss, and Joy.
There are so many other amazing activities on board the Norwegian Cruise Ships including laser tag, virtual reality game rooms, bungee, spiderwebs, and more.
No Dress Code
We love the freestyle cruising on board the Norwegian Cruise Ships. This even includes the dress code. The attire for Norwegian Cruises is cruise casual. This makes packing so much easier.
You do not have to pack several outfits a day. For most cruise lines, you have to pack a day outfit and then a separate evening outfit for each day of your cruise. You may even need to pack formal attire for formal nights. I love that Norwegian Cruise has a freestyle dress code, too.
Solo Travelers
One of my favorite things about Norwegian Cruises is their creativity. They were the first cruise line to create a private island (Great Stirrup Cay) for their cruisers. They also are the first cruise line to cruise studio cabins, just for solo travelers. These studio cabins are perfect for just one traveler.
These cabins are all together with exclusive access to a lounge, just for solo travelers. I often travel without Tim and the kids. This would be the perfect cruise without having to pay premium solo supplements on the rooms. Plus, it is fun to meet solo cruisers from around the world in the lounge.
Iron & Ironing Boards Delivered to Your Stateroom
In many of our Jones Family Travels videos I talk about wrinkled clothes during cruises and how to keep your clothes crisp during your cruise. You can click on the eye in the sky to learn more about our packing lists for cruises.
With cruise lines, you cannot bring your own travel iron. They also do not have irons in the staterooms. You have to go to select laundry rooms. In these laundry rooms, they have washers and dryers. They also have one or two ironing boards and irons. These rooms can get really busy, especially right before dinner time.
With Norwegian Cruises, you can request an iron and ironing board. They will deliver it to your stateroom for about an hour. I like to request an iron on the 1st or 2nd day of my cruise. I then take a few minutes and iron all of our clothes for the cruise. It is a small fee to get this service, but worth it.
Freestyle SavingsÂ
Something else with Norwegian Cruise Line that makes it stand out with family travel is the Free at Sea offers. Throughout the year, you can book your Norwegian Cruise with the Free at Sea sale.
With this sale, you can pick and choose freebies for your cruise. You can select free drinks, shore excursion credits, speciality dining, free WIFI, and more. You select the freebies best for your family and your cruise.
What did you think of these Norwegian Cruise Line differences?
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