Frequently asked questions
At NCL, we want planning your holiday to be as carefree as your cruise. Almost everything you need is already taken care of. So relax and read on. It's all in the planningHow many suitcases can I take? Will my electrical appliances work on board? What extras do I need to budget for? How can I celebrate a special occasion? How do I organise a cruise for a group? What if I have medical requirements or am disabled? Can you accommodate a special diet? Are NCL cruises suitable for families? Embarkation DayWill someone help me with my luggage? I've received an on-board credit - how can I spend it? What do I need to know about life on boardCan I phone home from the ship? Is there a doctor in the house? Is there an age restriction for drinking alcohol? Can I bring my own alcoholic drinks aboard? What do I do with valuables on board? How do I book shore excursions? Is there any chance of a rough sailing? Are there any pool restrictions? Disembarkation DayWhat happens on the last day of my holiday? It's all in the planningWhat shall I pack?NCL Freestyle Cruising is not too dressy, not too casual. We call it “resort casual.” You’ll call it being on holiday. For daytime, wherever you are sailing to, clothing that can be easily layered is recommended and a sweater is a useful cover up. On board, almost anything goes. Chinos, skirts, jeans, casual tops, shorts, or whatever is just OK with us. Casual is perfect in our restaurants too, even if you’ve just been at the pool and don’t feel like changing, no worries, swimwear with a cover-up is fine at the buffet and outdoor restaurant. If you’re visiting places of worship ashore, check your Freestyle Daily news for guidance on what’s appropriate.
At night, it’s relaxed all over the ship. When you’re ready for dinner, it’s collared shirts and trousers
How many suitcases can I take? On all NCL ships, you can have up to 90kg of personal baggage per person. But remember, airlines do have their own checked baggage and hand luggage restrictions, so please check with the airline for details.
Medicines, jewellery, fragile items, valuables and important documents should be carried in your hand luggage.
Will my electrical appliances work on board?Both 110 volts and 220 volts AC sockets are provided, but you will need an adaptor for British appliances. Hairdryers are provided in all staterooms.
Do I need cash?It’s always worth having a small amount of local currency for immediate expenses on arrival at your destination and for any purchases you make at your ports of call. We also recommend you carry a major credit or charge card (American Express, Mastercard or Visa), or sufficient funds in U.S.$ travellers cheques which can be cashed on board. Credit and charge cards are widely accepted at destinations worldwide, but remember that proof of identity may be required in certain countries. Sorry, but personal cheques and £ sterling are not accepted on board. Cash machines, dispensing U.S.$ are available 24 hours a day with a fee of U.S.$5 for each transaction (subject to change).
What extras do I need to budget for?Extras on board, which are in U.S.$ include: At some overseas airports, departure tax has to be paid personally when you check in for your flight.
Do I need travel insurance?Absolutely and you can find all the details here.
What about flights?Check out flights for all you need to know.
How can I celebrate a special occasion?Planning for a special occasion on board? We’Il help you celebrate in real style, find out more here.
How do I organise a cruise for a group?It’s easy to do, so if you’re bringing the whole family or any kind of group along find out how here.
What if I have medical requirements or am disabled?We’ll do our best to make special arrangements whenever we can. Some ships have staterooms for the hearing impaired – please ask for details when you book. Disabled guests must be self-sufficient and should travel with a companion who can provide any assistance you need during the cruise. If you use a wheelchair, you must bring your own and it should be small and collapsible. If you have a medical or physical condition that may require special attention or treatment, you must advise our Reservations Department at the time of booking. For their own comfort and safety, pregnant women must complete all travel by the 24th week of pregnancy. For more infomation about special needs facilities available on our ships, find out more here
Can you accommodate a special diet?We’ll certainly do our best, so if you have any special dietary requirements, please advise our Reservations Department at the time of booking, then check with Maitre d’ at dinner on your first night aboard. Please note, requests for gluten-free, lactose-free and dairy-free diets must be received two months before departure. Special diets cannot be guaranteed on flights and tours.
Are NCL cruises suitable for families?Absolutely perfect! We have fantastic children’s and teen’s activity programmes and lots of family friendly accommodation from interconnecting staterooms to Suites and Villas. Click here for more details. Just a couple of things to note for babies: We can provide cots for babies but to qualify for the Infant Fare they must be under the age of two on the day of sailing. And, sorry, we do not accept infants under the age of six months at the time of sailing.
Embarkation DayWhen can I get on board?We recommend that you arrive at the cruise terminal no earlier than one hour before the scheduled embarkation time printed on your cruise documents. Because of security regulations, guests may not be allowed to enter the cruise terminal before the scheduled embarkation time.
Will somone help me with my luggage?Yes, porters are available at the pier during embarkation and disembarkation hours. The customary tip for porters is U.S.$1.50 per bag in New York and U.S.$1 per bag (or the equivalent in local currency per bag in all other ports).
How do I get my bags get on board?We’ll take care of that and your luggage will be delivered direct to your stateroom. Just one thing, make sure you put your NCL luggage labels on your bags at the port.
How do I pay for my extras?Oh, this one’s easy. When you check-in you open a shipboard account by registering a major credit, debit or charge card – VISA®, MasterCard®, American Express®, Discover®, or JCB Card®. If you prefer to pay by cash or traveller’s cheques, you’ll need to lodge a deposit of U.S. $100 per person per day (subject to change) at check-in. The ship will then gain pre-authorisation on the whole deposit amount, depending on your length of cruise, from your preferred method of payment. Then, you simply sign for your personal expenses as you go and they will be charged to your account. To make things even easier, if you haven’t paid the service charge in advance this will also be charged to your on-board account. On the last morning of your cruise you can settle your account in cash (U.S. $ only), or if you have registered a card, the total amount will be automatically charged to that card.
I've received an on-board credit - how can I spend it?If you received your on-board credit through a promotion or group booking, it will be automatically added to your shipboard account and can be used towards personal on-board expenses (except the service charge and in the casino). But remember, if you don’t spend the full amount, we are unable to refund the balance.
What about tipping?That’s easy too. You will have either prepaid the service charge on your holiday invoice or it will be charged to your on-board account. In addition, a suggested gratuity of 15% on drink bills and 18% on spa and salon bills will be added automatically and charged to your on-board account. Click here to find out more
What do I need to know about life on boardCan I phone home from the ship?Of course, you can phone, email or fax anywhere in the world – charges apply. You can also stay connected on the high seas using your own compatible mobile phone with NCL Freestyle Cellular Service. It’s accessible from most mobile phones and international roaming charges are billed to your home account.
Is there a doctor in the house?We hope you don’t need them, but we have a doctor and nurse on board all our ships and a charge will be made for their services. Please note that medical facilities are designed to provide basic medical care and guests may have to be evacuated at their own expense in the event of serious illness.
Is there an age restriction for drinking alcohol?Yes, as a general rule, guests must be 21 or over to buy or drink alcohol on board. However, guests aged 18-20 will be allowed to purchase and drink beer and wine on board with their parent’s or guardian’s consent (except aboard ships sailing in Hawaii or Alaska). The parent or guardian must accompany the young adult to the ship’s Reception Desk, with proof of their relationship. Oh, and just one more thing, children are not allowed in the on-board bars after 11pm. So check them into the children’s group babysitting programme – it’s open from 10pm to 1am and they’ll have much more fun.
Can I bring my own alcoholic drinks aboard?Sorry, but we do not allow guests to bring their own alcohol to drink on board. If you purchase alcohol ashore to take home with you, this should be given to the ship’s crew when you get back on board and it will be returned to you at the end of the cruise.
Can I smoke on board?We want you to be comfortable on board, so most public areas throughout all NCL ships are smoke free. If you smoke cigarettes, you can do so in your stateroom, on your balcony, in the casino or designated smoking lounge aboard Norwegian Gem & Norwegian Pearl. You can smoke cigarettes, pipes and cigars outside on open decks, (just not around food venues, sport decks, kids’ pool areas and other designated non-smoking areas).
What about gambling on board?There are casinos with table games and slot machines on board all our ships (except Pride of America). So, if you fancy a flutter, be our guest. Just one thing, you have to be 18 or over to gamble. Sorry kids, but that’s the law.
What do I do with valuables on board?All staterooms and suites have minisafes. But please note that NCL is not and cannot be held responsible for valuables left in staterooms or elsewhere on the vessel.
How do I book shore excursions?Just go to www.ncl.co.uk/shorex and you can browse all the exciting choices available in every port of call. Once you’ve chosen the excursions you want to do, it’s a good idea to pre-request them online and you can do this up to five days before sailing. Alternatively, buy them on board at the ship’s Shore Excursion Desk, or just step ashore and do your own thing.
How do I get ashore?In most ports your ship docks right alongside the quay and you simply walk ashore. At a few ports, shown with an anchor symbol on the itinerary, we drop anchor at sea and you go ashore in the ship’s small boats – called tenders – which offer a complimentary shuttle service to and from the port. Is there any chance of a rough sailing?All NCL ships are fully stabilised for the smoothest possible cruising and we aim to plan our itineraries to sail in regions at the times of year when the seas are at their calmest. NCL adheres to the highest standard of shipbuilding in the world. Our method I construction meets the 1967 Fire Safety Requirements and the 1960 Safety Of Life At Sea Convention regulations. All our ships meet the 2001 SOLAS specifications. Our ships also pass annual inspections by the US Coast Guard, and the Norwegian and Bahamian goverments. 
If you're sailing from New York and your Norwegian Gem, Dawn or Jewel departure is delayed for longer than 12 hours due to weather, you will receive an on-board credit of $100 per person (maximum U.S.$200 per stateroom) on your current departure.
Are babysitters available?Of course. Group babysitting programmes (for kids ages two to 12) are available at a nominal cost from 10pm to 1am each evening and while in port from 9am to 5pm. During the group babysitting programme hours, youth counsellors will supervise and entertain children with a variety of activities. (Programmes, age groupings and hours of operation are subject to change, check Freestyle Daily for details). Sorry, but private or in-room babysitting is not available. Parents with participating children who are not potty trained will be given a beeper and be alerted to return to the poop deck when the child needs to be changed. Beeper range is limited to on board the ship.
Are there any pool restrictions?According to U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) regulations, no nappies of any kind are permitted in the swimming pools or hot tubs, including nappies marketed as “swimmers".
Can I get my laundry done?Sure, for a small charge, laundry and dry cleaning are available on all our ships. Norwegian Dawn, Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Jewel and Norwegian Pearl also have free launderettes, where you can buy washing powder.
Disembarkation Day - sorry to mention it but all good things must come to an endWhat happens to my luggage?All suitcases are collected the night before disembarkation and will be waiting for you on the pier, so bring an overnight bag for your essentials.
What happens on the last day of my holiday?For our worldwide Fly-Cruise, Fly-Cruise & Stay & Fly-Cruise & Tour packages, after your cruise we’ll transfer you from your ship to a hotel for the use of a day room. Here you can relax before your transfer to the airport for your flight to the UK. Depending on your flight time, your transfer may be direct from your ship to the airport. On European Fly-Cruise and Fly-Cruise & Stay Holidays, we’ll transfer you direct from the ship to the airport. But if you have a later flight, instead of waiting at the airport, why not take one of our great shore excursions and see more of the local city and attractions? If you’d prefer to relax in a hotel day room, we can book this in Barcelona only at an additional cost. Please ask for details when you book your cruise.
Still want to know more?Just call NCL Guest Services on 0845 658 8140 and we’ll be happy to help.
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