Norwegian Cruises Liners

With today’s often overwhelming amount of choice in nearly every facet of life, even picking a cruise line can be a daunting task. Luckily, Norwegian Cruises Line has earned a well-deserved reputation as a company worthy of your business - and your checkbook.

NCL Cruises

Based in Miami, Florida, Norwegian Cruise Lines (Or NCL for short) is a household name in the cruising industry. However, they’re about as different as it gets when it comes to their philosophy, and how it meshes (or not) with the general “cruising ethos”. For instance, rigid, traditional staples of the cruising scene, like dress codes, a set menu, an inflexible stable of entertainment offerings are a thing of the past when one travels with NCL. They call their avant-garde manner of operation “Freestyle Cruising”, and that’s exactly what it is. Also, in spite of its name, Norwegian Cruises Line offers home ports in many well-known American cities, including Boston, Philadelphia, New York, on the east coast, New Orleans in the southern US, and Seattle on the west coast. Beginning in 2010, NCL will join several other cruise lines in sailing out of Port Canaveral in Florida.

Norwegian Cruises Line has another aim beyond offering a free-flowing cruising experience: Youth and vitality in their fleet. In fact, it has been stated that they want to be the youngest fleet in the whole of the cruising industry. To that end, any ships not adhering to their “Freestyle” design, with the exception of a handful, have been sold or rotated out of NCL’s stable of vessels.

By tradition, NCL aims to please, and please big. With that in mind, they are beginning the process of testing features more akin to a swanky land-based resort than a sailing vessel. New “beta-test” perks include luxury villas, interconnecting cabins, onboard bowling alleys, champagne / martini bars, and an electronic restaurant reservation system. True to form, Norwegian Cruises Line’s disdain for tradition extends right down to how you leave the ship; their debarkation (that’s exiting the boat, for you landlubbers!) is as relaxed as it gets. In a world where even leaving the ship is tightly controlled, that’s quite a departure from the norm.

Oh, before it slips through the cracks, here’s a bit of good news for you sun-worshipers out there: NCL is the only cruise line to offer Hawaiian itineraries 365 days a year. Fancy a Christmas a little less white? Norwegian Cruises Line can hook you up - but get your reservation made ASAP, because at the moment, there’s only one ship on the Hawaiian circuit.

Finally, if you need any more convincing, Norwegian Cruises Line is renowned for its aggressively proactive stance on discounts. For up to the minute deals, you can check out their website or call your travel agent, but if you’d like a preview of the sort of price-slashing you can expect to be privy to, NCL has, in the past, offered kids’ fares of $99 (that’s per-cruise, not per-night!), and cruises for $25 a night (which is a steal, no matter how you slice it, even if you DO have to add taxes on). Last but not least, in what is perhaps the coolest, most magnanimous gesture of any cruise line out there, NCL is currently the only cruise line to offer a plan which provides reimbursements for passengers who cancel their trip due to job loss. That should earn them a look by itself!

So, now that you know where to book the coolest vacation ever, pick up the phone and snag a ticket! A trip on a Norwegian Cruises Line boat is a memory of a lifetime - start yours now!