NCL’s More at Sea promotion: What to know before you book

Want a more inclusive experience on a large cruise ship filled with dining choices and activities? If so, Norwegian Cruise Line‘s More at Sea promotion might be just the ticket. This promo provides a number of perks to guests based on the length of their cruise and the cabin category booked … but what does the fine print say? Are the perks free, or is there a cost?

More at Sea is the evolution of NCL’s longstanding Free at Sea promotion. It will go into full effect in 2025. More at Sea is similar to Free at Sea in that it offers value-added perks to your booking. However, the extras (and associated costs) are a bit different from the previous promotion.

In this piece, we’re diving into everything you need to know about Norwegian’s More at Sea promotion so there are no surprises when it comes time to book your cruise.

Overview of Norwegian Cruise Line’s More at Sea promotion

Norwegian’s More at Sea promotion offers guests several valuable perks covered by the cruise fare. Guests can choose up to five, and the exact perks are determined by the current version of the promotion offered, as well as the length of sailing and cabin booked.

The choice of perks might change, but Norwegian currently offers the following five: an unlimited open bar (enhanced from the Free at Sea version), specialty dining credits, free shore excursion credit, free Wi-Fi minutes and free or $99 cruise fares for the third and fourth guests in a cabin. Plus, buy your cruise airfare through NCL, and the second guest on the reservation receives free airfare.

Currently, you can book and receive all of the More at Sea perks for cruises departing in 2025 and beyond, though you can decline any you do not wish to receive.

Note that this promotion only applies to voyages of three nights or longer, and all passengers sharing a cabin must choose the same offers (if there is a choice). Those booking a “Sail Away” (guarantee) cabin are ineligible for the More at Sea promotion; instead, the first guest in each cabin will receive a $50 discount per shore excursion booked. Charter sailings are ineligible as well.

What’s included in NCL’s More at Sea promotion?

Let’s take a look at what each More at Sea perk entails and dive into the fine print so you know exactly what you are (and aren’t) getting.

Unlimited Open Bar Package

Norwegian Cruise Line is eliminating 2024’s Unlimited Open Bar and Premium Plus drink packages in favor of a new Unlimited Open Bar drink package. The new package will feature 45% more beverage brands across all drink types, including premium brands and more than 100 specialty cocktails. Every guest will receive this package as part of the More at Sea promotion, and it’s by far the most popular perk of the promotion.

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The package includes unlimited soda, juice and sports drinks; select domestic and imported beers, ciders and hard seltzers; wine by the glass; and select cocktails and spirits. A 20% discount applies to bottles of wine and Champagne, wine and spirit experiences, tastings and flights purchased on board. Guests with the More at Sea Unlimited Open Bar package will receive $15 off drinks in the Connoisseur Collection (i.e., premium drinks not included in the More at Seas package).

Related: Are cruise line drink packages worth it?

The package does not include Starbucks, ice bars, room service, bottled water, beer buckets, designated “super” premium brands, minibar purchases, freshly squeezed juices, wine from wine dispensers or energy drinks.

Before you choose a beverage package as one of your More at Sea offers, know this: You have to pay for this perk.

If you’re 21 or older, you’ll be charged a discounted package price: $30 per person, per day, for cruises up to seven nights long, $27 per day for eight- to 11-night sailings and $23 per day for 12-night and longer cruises. That’s $210 per person for a seven-night sailing.

In comparison, if you booked a fare ineligible for More at Sea, you would pay the full $89 per person, per day, plus taxes and fees for the same drink package. The package saves you between $69 and $76 per day.

If you’re the first or second guest in a cabin and under 21, you will pay $12.50 per person, per day ($87.50 per person for a weeklong cruise) for a soda package. That is the same price you’d pay if you purchased a soda package on its own; it’s not discounted.

If you drink alcohol and plan to enjoy it during your cruise, chances are good that choosing this perk will be well worth the daily fee you’re charged. If you don’t think you’ll drink $30 worth of extra-fee beverages, alcoholic or not, per day, you can decline this More at Sea offer. You’ll end up saving money in the long run.

Fine print

The drink packages extend to Norwegian Cruise Line’s private island in the Bahamas, Great Stirrup Cay. However, they do not extend to the line’s private destination in Belize, Harvest Caye.

This More at Sea perk is available to the first through eighth guests on a reservation who are ages 21 and older. If the first and/or second guest in a cabin is under 21, they will receive Norwegian Cruise Line’s Soda Package as a substitution. If additional guests and beyond are under 21, they will not receive a substitution for this perk.

Everyone ages 21 and older sharing a cabin must take the drink package if one person does. If you’re an adult but do not drink, you cannot opt for the soda package instead.

Specialty dining package

With the More at Sea promotion, you’ll get an included dining package, which lets you dine in one or more specialty restaurants without paying the full listed cover charge. New with the More at Sea promotion, you can order up to three appetizers and three desserts plus your entree per meal.

However, you must pay a discounted cover charge to access this perk, so as with the beverage package, the dining package isn’t free.

Through More at Sea, the dining package applies to the first and second guests on a reservation who must be at least 2 years old; however, if one of those guests is under 18, they won’t have to pay the additional fee.

If you book a studio, inside or ocean-view cabin, here’s a breakdown of how many meals you’ll receive and what you’ll pay, based on sailing length:

• Three- to seven-night cruise: One meal ($20 cover charge per package)
• Eight- to 11-night cruise: Two meals ($40 cover charge per package)
• Twelve-night cruise or longer: Three meals ($60 cover charge per package)

And for a balcony cabin or above:

• Three-night cruise: One meal ($20 cover charge per package)
• Four- to six-night cruise: Two meals ($40 cover charge per package)
• Seven-night cruise: Three meals ($60 cover charge per package)
• Eight- to 11-night cruise: Four meals ($80 cover charge per package)
• Twelve-night cruise or longer: Five meals ($100 cover charge per package)

Compared to the previous Free at Sea offer, guests generally get more free meals per cruise but also pay more. For example, the fee on a three-meal package was $27.80 under Free at Sea but is $60 with More at Sea. Essentially, you’re paying $20 per person per meal.

You can use your specialty dining perk toward restaurants such as Cagney’s Steakhouse, La Cucina, Food Republic, Le Bistro, Moderno Churrascaria, Q Texas Smokehouse, Teppanyaki, Los Lobos, Ocean Blue, Bayamo and Onda by Scarpetta.

To show the value you’re getting, NCL lists standard restaurant per-person cover charges as follows:

• Steak, Teppanyaki/Hasuki, French and seafood restaurants: $60 per person, per meal
• Brazil, Asian and sushi restaurants, plus Food Republic: $50 per person, per meal
• Italian, barbecue and Mexican restaurants, plus Pincho: $40 per person, per meal

You will save $20 to $40 per meal with the More at Sea dining package.

Fine print

The dining package allows you to order up to three appetizers, one main course and up to three desserts per person. If you dine at specialty restaurants twice in one day, each will count separately against your total meal allowance per the package.

Related: Reasons you should treat yourself to a cruise ship specialty restaurant

Harvest Caye restaurants, The Bake Shop, Ice Cream Bar, gelato, specialty items in the Asian restaurant, Jazz Brunch, special occasion menus, and Wine Lovers and Murder Mystery lunches are not included in the specialty dining packages. Beverages ordered with meals will cost extra unless included in your drink package.

Shore excursion credits

If you plan to book shore excursions through the cruise line, this perk will likely be well worth it.

You won’t necessarily get free excursions, though. You get a $50 shore excursion credit for the first guest on the cruise reservation in each port. Unlike some More at Sea offers, this perk does not apply to the second guest. If the tour costs less than $50, no refund is issued. If it costs more than $50, you must pay the difference.

Fine print

The credit does not apply to Great Stirrup Cay and Harvest Caye equipment rentals. Precruise and postcruise land tours, private tours and custom shore excursions are not eligible for this promotion; however, group debarkation-day tours are eligible. The first guest may redeem the $50 credit on more than one shore excursion per port, but cannot use the credit to book a tour for a travel companion.

If a port call or shore excursion is canceled, you’ll be refunded the amount you paid. This means that if your shore excursion costs more than $50, you’ll only be refunded the amount you paid above $50; you won’t be refunded for the credit.

Related: Avoid these mistakes when booking cruise shore excursions

Free Wi-Fi

The Wi-Fi perk does not give you unlimited internet access for the entire cruise. Instead, you get a number of free minutes, depending on the length of your sailing.

For a voyage that’s three to six nights long, you get 75 minutes of internet per person. Seven-night or longer cruises include 150 minutes of internet per person. This offer is actually free, as it includes the activation fee.

This offer applies to all guests within the cabin, which is better than Free at Sea, which was restricted to the first two guests. Each package can be used on one device at a time. It does not allow for streaming and cannot be used on Harvest Caye or Great Stirrup Cay.

Related: Do cruise ships have Wi-Fi? A line-by-line guide to internet access at sea

If you think you’ll need more internet, you can upgrade to the Voyage Wi-Fi Pass for $29.99 per cabin per day or the Streaming Voyage Wi-Fi Pass for $39.99 per cabin per day. This is a discounted price as compared to the outright cost of those internet packages. If you choose to upgrade to either of those cruise-long packages, you can also add additional devices to the plan for $5 per device, per day, once on board.

Free or $99 fares for third and fourth passengers

This perk is not available on every sailing, so check before you book if you wish to take advantage of this More at Sea offer. Voyages during popular family cruise times (such as school breaks and summer) will not usually have discounted kids fares as an option.

The third and fourth guests staying in a cabin will either be free or pay $99 each, with the first two guests paying the full fare. No deposit is required for the third and fourth guests, but they do have to pay taxes and port fees. The exact charge for these taxes and fees varies based on the cruise length and itinerary but can be more than $200 per person on some seven-day voyages.

Related: Kids cruise free: Cruise lines offering family deals

If five to eight passengers are on a reservation, those additional guests must pay the prevailing fares.

Free airfare for second guest

An ancillary offer to the More at Sea promotion is available to guests who book their flights to and from the cruise departure port with Norwegian. If the first guest on the reservation books airfare through NCL, the second guest will receive free airfare. This offer applies to select seven-night or longer voyages and provides economy, round-trip flights from select departure gateways. While it’s currently part of the More at Sea offerings, Norwegian has the right to remove the airfare promotion at any time.

Solo travelers paying 200% of the voyage fare qualify for free airfare when offered. You are not eligible for the free air promotion if you book at the last minute (reservations must be made more than 110 days prior to sailing to qualify) or if you choose a Sail Away (guarantee) cabin.

If considering this perk, keep in mind that choosing it puts your air travel arrangements in the hands of Norwegian Cruise Line. While the flights it chooses might be convenient and what you would choose yourself, they could also involve less-than-ideal timing, routing and layovers that you could avoid by booking your own air travel.

While this is a perk to consider if you want the cruise line to handle as much of your vacation as possible or the total flight price for two is a great deal, we don’t recommend it.

Related: Should I book my flight through my cruise line?

Can I opt out of More at Sea?

You are not obligated to accept the More at Sea perks; you can decline any or all of the promotional offers.

For example, if you know you won’t drink enough soda, specialty beverages or alcohol to warrant the daily gratuity on the Unlimited Open Bar package, you can decline that perk altogether and not be forced to pay the additional fee. You can also choose not to take the dining package and avoid paying that fee, as well.

The Wi-Fi and shore excursion perks do not have associated fees, so you do not have to actively decline them. Once on board, you can choose to use them or not.

If you choose to decline perks, remember that you can’t transfer them to anyone else and won’t receive any monetary value for giving them up.

Travelers on a tight budget who don’t feel the need to take advantage of the More at Sea perks can also consider booking a “Sail Away” (guarantee) cabin. Booking a guarantee cabin means choosing a cabin category but not a specific cabin on the ship. Closer to the sail date, the cruise line will assign you a cabin within the chosen category. Guarantee cabins are cheaper than booking a specific cabin and are excluded from the More at Sea promotion. Instead, they receive shore excursion credit.

Frequently asked questions about NCL’s More at Sea

Still have a question about More at Sea that hasn’t been covered yet? We address additional concerns below.

Does More at Sea include daily gratuities?

Currently, daily gratuities are not a More at Sea perk. You’ll have to pay the daily service charge as normal.

It’s $20 per person, per day for passengers in Club Balcony Suite cabins and below, and $25 per person, per day for those staying in suites or The Haven. Babies and toddlers ages 2 and under are not subject to the daily service charge.

Do Pride of America cruises offer the same perks?

Hawaii voyages aboard NCL’s Honolulu-based ship, Pride of America, offer the same More at Sea inclusions but have a beverage package perk with terms that are a bit different from the traditional More at Sea Unlimited Open Bar package.

The Hawaii Beverage Package perk applies to the first through eighth guests on the reservation. The additional fees are the same.

The terms and conditions read, “The purchase of any alcoholic drinks within the Hawaii Beverage Package may, in certain individual circumstances, be restricted in accordance with Hawaii’s Intoxicating Liquor Law and applicable local rules and regulations.”

In addition to alcoholic beverages, the Hawaii package includes fountain soda, fresh juice, bottled water, nonalcoholic beer and specialty coffee ordered in the dining rooms only. It doesn’t include specialty coffee outside the restaurants, room service, minibar purchases or vending machine purchases.

The main difference between the Hawaii Beverage Package and NCL’s normal beverage package is that the Hawaii package includes specialty coffee in the main dining rooms and bottled water, while the normal package does not.

What else must I know about NCL’s More at Sea promotion?

Here are some terms and conditions of the More at Sea promotion:

• More at Sea selections must be chosen at least 24 hours prior to sailing and cannot be changed once on board.
• For bookings made within 24 hours of departure, More at Sea perks are chosen at the time of booking.
• More at Sea is a cruise-only offer — it does not apply to the land portion of cruisetours.