Before booking a cruise, it's important that you research the line to know all the ins and outs that can make your sailing more enjoyable. All have their quirks that make them unique from competitors. Norwegian Cruise Line, for instance, differentiates itself from the rest of the cruise line industry in their approach to onboard dining.
Norwegian markets itself as a cruise line that gives its guests the ultimate freedom to create their ideal vacation onboard. One of the ways they do this is through their Freestyle Dining approach.
If you aren't familiar with Freestyle Dining, here's a helpful guide, so that you know how to make the most out of your vacation Norwegian cruise!
Dine anywhere, anytime
Norwegian offers open seating in a variety of restaurants and cafes with different menus, giving you the freedom and flexibility to dine whenever you'd like, wherever you'd like. There are no assigned dining times or locations for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Instead, each restaurant has normal hours of operation and guests can dine at any of the restaurants whenever they are open. Passengers can find the hours of operation for each dining venue in the Freestyle Daily, the ship’s onboard schedule, or in the NCL app when once onboard.
Passengers can make reservations at restaurants either before their sailing or once onboard; however, I've found that they aren't usually necessary. When I sailed on Norwegian Epic, the ship was sailing at full capacity, and there were often long lines to get into anything, from evening shows to dinner. In this instance, reservations even for the complimentary dining venues could have come in handy!
Guests can make reservations for both complimentary and specialty restaurants at the check-in desk out front of the restaurants or at Guest Services.
Whether you feel like a more sophisticated sit-down dinner with a white tablecloth and napkins or a more casual meal at the classic O’Sheehan’s Irish Pub, guests can choose exactly what they are feeling like that day without having to depend on an assigned time or location for dinner. This means that passengers can dine for dinner at a different time every day of their cruise should they choose!
Freestyle Dining gives guests the ultimate flexibility to either enjoy all the fun onboard during a sea day or spend every last minute exploring an exciting port destination without having to worry about making a specific dinner time. No matter your presence and travel plans, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Freestyle Dining means more flexibility.
Complimentary dining venues
Guests will find an impressive number of dining options onboard NCL ships. In my experience, I've seen some ships with seven or more complimentary dining venues! On my most recent sailing onboard Norwegian Epic, guests could choose from seven different complimentary food venues without ever having to pay anything extra.
Onboard every Norwegian Cruise Line ship, guests will find a main buffet area, oftentimes referred to as the Garden Cafe, as well as at least two main dining restaurants. There's usually at least one 24-hour venue, too, in addition to room service. Oftentimes, the 24-hour restaurant is the Irish Pub called O’Sheehans or Locals.
However, there are usually upwards of 4 different complimentary dining locations onboard. For instance, onboard the Norwegian Epic, there are two main dining restaurants, an Asian-inspired restaurant called Shanghai, the Irish Pub, and several buffet locations in addition to the main Garden Cafe buffet.
Guests are able to order as much as they would like from the complimentary dining locations and restaurants. I would caution however to not order more than you can confidently eat to avoid food waste.
Room service is complimentary to order onboard all Norwegian Cruise Line ships; however, there is currently a $9.95 USD service charge for delivery. The cost stays the same no matter how much or how little is ordered.
Because there are so many great complimentary food options onboard, I highly recommend trying a different venue for dinner each night of your cruise! This will help guests try a variety of different foods, as well as see everything your chosen ship has to offer.
Each night, the menu will be the same in the complimentary restaurants. The menu, however, does change each day of the sailing. This can help guests choose which dining room is their favorite based on atmosphere.
Specialty dining venues
In addition to complimentary dining, Norwegian Cruise Line is also known for their great selection of specialty dining venues.
Specialty dining means that to dine at these locations, guests will be required to pay an additional fee. This fee ranges from a pre-fixed price to à la carte style. These restaurants are usually more elevated in style and atmosphere, giving passengers an enhanced dining experience.
Choosing to dine at a specialty restaurant is a great way to highlight a special occasion that you might be celebrating onboard your cruise, or simply because you want to sample some of the best dining that NCL has to offer.
Most Norwegian ships have a large selection of specialty restaurants onboard. Guests can usually find specialty restaurants highlighting certain cuisines and cooking styles, including Barbecue, French, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, seafood, Spanish, and more.
"Free At Sea" dining promotions
Along with their Freestyle Cruising mantra, Norwegian Cruise Line offers what they call "Free At Sea" promotions, which are offered to guests for most sailings and itineraries at the time of booking. They consist of things such as cheaper drink packages, credit towards specialty dining meals, and discounts on shore excursions and Wi-Fi packages. Not all Free At Sea deals are equal, and not all stateroom categories and itineraries will have the same promotions.
It is important to look at your chosen sailing carefully and read the fine print. However, sometimes guests can score a good deal, saving around $160 for free meals at specialty venues.
It is also important to note that no matter the Free At Sea promotion, gratuities are not included, so all guests will need to pay any gratuities afterward.
Keep an eye out when booking your next cruise, or ask a travel agent, if there are any Free At Sea deals being offered on your chosen itinerary and Norwegian Cruise Line ship.
Tips and things to know
If you are someone who wants to dine at a specialty restaurant, I recommend making a reservation on your first day onboard the ship. This will help guarantee you can eat at the restaurant at least once. The specialty dining venues are quite a bit smaller than the main dining restaurants and therefore have limited availability each night.
Some of the complimentary dining options are also open for breakfast and lunch, as well as dinner. Are you craving a bit of a nicer breakfast than the buffet? Then you are in luck! Onboard each Norwegian Cruise Line ship, at least one of the main dining restaurants will be open for breakfast each day.
Enjoying breakfast or lunch at one of the complimentary venues is also a great way to beat the rush and sometimes chaotic atmosphere of the buffet.
Check to see if any of the complimentary restaurants are open for lunch as well. One of my favorite lunch spots is O’Sheehan’s Pub & Grill after a fun day of exploring a port destination.
Only Norwegian offers the freedom and flexibility of Freestyle Dining
Norwegian Cruise Line’s signature Freestyle Dining method can be experienced onboard all of their ships in the fleet, meaning no matter which NCL ship you choose, you’ll get to experience the freedom and flexibility to take charge of your vacation your way.
From my cruising experiences so far, Norwegian serves some of the best food among large-scale cruise lines. No matter your dietary needs, restrictions, tastes, or desires, Norwegian does a great job of providing something onboard for everyone.
I highly recommend researching your chosen vessel to see which dining venues will be available onboard. This will help you to prepare and get excited for all the yummy food coming your way on your next cruise vacation with Norwegian Cruise Line!
Hayley Phillips
Hayley Phillips is a military spouse currently living in Florida and loves all things travel and travel planning.
