Plan Before You Cruise

Shore Excursions and specialty dining can be purchased by guests sailing on any Norwegian ship. In addition, guests sailing on the Norwegian Epic will have the option to pre-purchase onboard Entertainment and Spa activities.

How do I book my Shore Excursions?

An updated listing of Shore Excursions is available approximately 6 months prior to the first sailing of each cruise destination season. All tours are available to pre-request at My NCL, or you can call 866-625-1167 (US & Canada) or 0845-201-8907 (UK). Once onboard, Shore Excursions can also be purchased at the ship's Shore Excursion Desk.

How do I book my Dining, Entertainment and Spa activities prior to sailing?

Onboard activities can be booked online at ncl.com/myncl; by calling 866-625-1167 (for Shore Excursions) and 800-327-7030 for Spa (Norwegian Epic only), Dining and Entertainment, or by contacting your travel professional.

Please note: Specialty dining can be pre-booked online for parties of up to eight guests. If you'd like to pre-book specialty dining for larger parties, please call us at 800-327-7030 for assistance. Our reservation agents will also be able to assist you if you would like to pre-book specialty dining for your group using more than one credit card.

Who will be asked to purchase cruise activities with a credit card?

Ticketed passengers who (1) purchased the cruise in US dollars, CAN dollars, GBP or Euro’s, and (2) do not have a Shore Excursion, Dining or Entertainment reservation on record prior to June 29, 2011. Guests who do not meet all of these criteria will be able to pre-book activities, but will not be asked for payment at the time of booking.

Will my charges to my credit card be refunded if I cancel my bookings prior to sailing?

Cancellations made up to 24 hours prior to sailing will be refunded in full to the credit card on which the purchase was made. To cancel prepaid reservations prior to sailing, please call 866-896-3152 (for Shore Excursions) and 800-327-7030 (for Dining, Entertainment and Spa). Cancellations made after that point will be refunded as an onboard credit. To make a cancellation on board, please visit the Shore Excursion Desk (for Shore Excursions), or the Guest Services Desk (for Dining, Entertainment and Spa, or the Mandara Spa Reception Desk – Norwegian Epic only). 

What is the cancellation process once I’m on board?

Shore Excursions: Guests that cancel on board more than 48 hours prior to the tour will receive a refund for their purchase in the form of an onboard credit. Tours cancelled by guests less than 48 hours prior to arrival in the port where the tour is scheduled are non-refundable. Please note that certain tours, such as overland tours, customized tours and tours with theater performances or special events may be subject to different cancellation fees. To make a cancellation on board or for additional details, please visit the Shore Excursion Desk.

Dining/Entertainment: Guests that cancel on board more than 24 hours prior to the booked activity will receive a refund for their purchase in the form of an onboard credit. If a cancellation is made less than 24 hours prior to the activity, no refund will be issued. To make a cancellation on board, please visit the Guest Services Desk.

Spa: Guests that cancel on board more than 24 hours prior to the booked activity will receive a refund for their purchase in the form of an onboard credit. Failure to do so may result in a cancellation charge up to 50% of the treatment price being assessed to your onboard account. To make a cancellation on board, please visit the Guest Services Desk or the Mandara Spa Reception Desk – Norwegian Epic only.

Will there be any cancellation fees if I cancel my onboard activity?

No. There will be no cancellation fees. Click here to review the Cancellation Policy.

How do I make Restaurant Reservations on board?

Reservations may be made by phone, in person at the designated Restaurant Reservations Desk, or at any specialty restaurant host desk during dinner service.

To ensure that our guests receive our best service, we can only hold your dinner reservation for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, the unclaimed reservation will be released. For dinner reservations made on board, the full cover price per guest will be charged to the guest’s account. For pre-paid reservations, no refund will be issued.

Shore Excursions and specialty dining can be purchased by guests sailing on any Norwegian ship. In addition, guests sailing on the Norwegian Epic will have the option to pre-purchase onboard Entertainment and Spa activities.

How do I book my Shore Excursions?

An updated listing of Shore Excursions is available approximately 6 months prior to the first sailing of each cruise destination season. All tours are available to pre-request at My NCL, or you can call 866-625-1167 (US & Canada) or 0845-201-8907 (UK). Once onboard, Shore Excursions can also be purchased at the ship's Shore Excursion Desk.

How do I book my Dining, Entertainment and Spa activities prior to sailing?

Onboard activities can be booked online at ncl.com/myncl; by calling 866-625-1167 (for Shore Excursions) and 800-327-7030 for Spa (Norwegian Epic only), Dining and Entertainment, or by contacting your travel professional.

Please note: Specialty dining can be pre-booked online for parties of up to eight guests. If you'd like to pre-book specialty dining for larger parties, please call us at 800-327-7030 for assistance. Our reservation agents will also be able to assist you if you would like to pre-book specialty dining for your group using more than one credit card.

Who will be asked to purchase cruise activities with a credit card?

Ticketed passengers who (1) purchased the cruise in US dollars, CAN dollars, GBP or Euro’s, and (2) do not have a Shore Excursion, Dining or Entertainment reservation on record prior to June 29, 2011. Guests who do not meet all of these criteria will be able to pre-book activities, but will not be asked for payment at the time of booking.

Will my charges to my credit card be refunded if I cancel my bookings prior to sailing?

Cancellations made up to 24 hours prior to sailing will be refunded in full to the credit card on which the purchase was made. To cancel prepaid reservations prior to sailing, please call 866-896-3152 (for Shore Excursions) and 800-327-7030 (for Dining, Entertainment and Spa). Cancellations made after that point will be refunded as an onboard credit. To make a cancellation on board, please visit the Shore Excursion Desk (for Shore Excursions), or the Guest Services Desk (for Dining, Entertainment and Spa, or the Mandara Spa Reception Desk – Norwegian Epic only). 

What is the cancellation process once I’m on board?

Shore Excursions: Guests that cancel on board more than 48 hours prior to the tour will receive a refund for their purchase in the form of an onboard credit. Tours cancelled by guests less than 48 hours prior to arrival in the port where the tour is scheduled are non-refundable. Please note that certain tours, such as overland tours, customized tours and tours with theater performances or special events may be subject to different cancellation fees. To make a cancellation on board or for additional details, please visit the Shore Excursion Desk.

Dining/Entertainment: Guests that cancel on board more than 24 hours prior to the booked activity will receive a refund for their purchase in the form of an onboard credit. If a cancellation is made less than 24 hours prior to the activity, no refund will be issued. To make a cancellation on board, please visit the Guest Services Desk.

Spa: Guests that cancel on board more than 24 hours prior to the booked activity will receive a refund for their purchase in the form of an onboard credit. Failure to do so may result in a cancellation charge up to 50% of the treatment price being assessed to your onboard account. To make a cancellation on board, please visit the Guest Services Desk or the Mandara Spa Reception Desk – Norwegian Epic only.

Will there be any cancellation fees if I cancel my onboard activity?

No. There will be no cancellation fees. Click here to review the Cancellation Policy.

How do I make Restaurant Reservations on board?

Reservations may be made by phone, in person at the designated Restaurant Reservations Desk, or at any specialty restaurant host desk during dinner service.

To ensure that our guests receive our best service, we can only hold your dinner reservation for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, the unclaimed reservation will be released. For dinner reservations made on board, the full cover price per guest will be charged to the guest’s account. For pre-paid reservations, no refund will be issued.

Effective for sailings July 15, 2016 and beyond, guests are prohibited from bringing any beverages -- including liquor, beer and non-alcoholic drinks such as water, soda and juices -- on board either as carry-on or checked luggage, with the exception of purified or distilled water in factory-sealed containers for use in conjunction with medical devices or for the reconstitution of infant formula; and fully sealed and/or corked wine bottles for personal consumption onboard that is subject to screening and a corkage fee (for guests 21 years of age or older). Open beverages of any kind must be consumed or discarded at the security check-point, on embarkation day and at any port of call. This revised policy brings the company in line with other best practice travel security protocols and reduces the need for individual time consuming screening and package inspection of large volumes of beverages.

 

Why the change in policy?

The inspection of large volumes of beverages has an impact on the embarkation process and security resources. As one example, guests who attempt to smuggle alcoholic beverages onboard often try to do so in beverage containers. This means all beverages must be personally screened, taking both time and dedicated personnel.

This modified policy will now bring us in line with other travel industry procedures for transporting beverages and allow security personnel to focus on other screening efforts and not individually inspecting all beverages being brought onboard.

 

What if I purchase a beverage in a port of call?

Guests will not be permitted to bring any beverages onboard the ship in ports of call and any locally-purchased beverages will be disposed of prior to embarkation. No open containers of beverages, including water, will be allowed onboard during a port of call.

If you purchase any alcohol at one of our ports-of-call or in our onboard shops, we will safely store your purchase and either on the final night of the cruise or the morning of debarkation it will be available for pick up in a designated area.

 

What happens if I bring a case of water to the ship?

Guests who bring beverages to embarkation will be directed to return the items to their vehicle. If the guest does not have a vehicle onsite, the items will be disposed of.

 

If I need to bring water or milk onboard for a medical reason or infant, what’s the process?

Guests who have special needs, medical requirements, or families with infants who require water for formula or milk, should contact the access desk at accessdesk@ncl.com to verify if an exception can be made for their beverage and to obtain pre-approval to provide to security at embarkation.

 

Is the water onboard safe to drink?

All of our ships produce water in accordance with the guidelines and requirements as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center for Environmental Health.

 

Can I still bring wine on board?

Yes, guests may bring sealed bottles of wine on board for personal consumption. They will be checked prior to embarkation and a corkage fee applied at that time of $15.00 USD for a 750 ml Bottle or $30.00 USD for a 1,500 ml Magnum bottle. Box wines are not allowed on board.

Guests who purchase a beverage package, or who have a beverage package as part of the Free at Sea™ promotion, will not be charged a corkage fee.

 

Why can I bring wine but not other beverages?

As very few guests bring wine onboard, the team is able to easily and quickly screen these items.

General Aqua Park, Water Slide, and Dry Slide Safety Rules:

No lifeguard on duty.

No running, jumping, or diving are permitted in the water slide or aqua park areas.

No beverages, food or glass are permitted.

Children in diapers or who are not toilet trained are not allowed on water slides or in the aqua park.

Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

Guests must abide by all rules posted on signs in the water slide and aqua park areas.

Swimwear or dry wear with exposed zippers, buckles, rivets, or metal ornamentation are not permitted on any slides.

Remove all jewelry before entering any slide area.

Eyeglasses and sunglasses must be removed.

Participation in these activities is at your own risk.

Children, pregnant women, elderly persons, individuals on medications or who have underlying medical conditions, those suffering from heart ailments such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high or low blood pressure, anyone using anticoagulants, vasoconstrictors, vasodilators, stimulants, hypnotics, narcotics, tranquilizers, and those who are immune compromised, are warned against using the pool.

 

General Speedway Safety Rules:

Flat, fully closed footwear required (no flip flops, Crocs, or heels).

Riders must always wear a helmet.

Loose clothing is not allowed.

No age minimum, guests must only adhere to height requirements.

Hair longer than shoulder length must be tied back and hidden inside helmet.

Drug and alcohol consumption before driving are strictly prohibited.

 

Below are specific size and weight requirements per ship and activity.

Norwegian Bliss

 

Bliss Speedway

Height requirements: Minimum is 55” (1.40m). Maximum is 82” (2.08m)

Weight requirements: No minimum. Maximum weight is 265lbs (120kgs)

 

Laser Tag

There are no age or height restrictions to participate.

Fully closed footwear is required and shoes with high heels are not allowed.

 

Waterslide - Aqua Racer

Height requirements: Minimum is 40” (1.02m)

Weight requirements: No minimum. Maximum weight not to exceed 300lbs (136kgs) for both solo and double tube riders.

 

Waterslide - Ocean Loops

Height requirements: Minimum is 48” (1.22m)

Weight requirements: Minimum weight 120lbs (54kgs); Maximum weight is 300lbs (136kgs).

 

Norwegian Breakaway / Norwegian Getaway

 

Sky Rail Ropes Course

Must be 48" (1.22m) or taller to be on the course without a chaperone.

Sky Tykes (child's course) available for under 48" (under 1.22m) and a chaperone must be present.

Weight requirements: No minimum; Max weight is 300lbs (136kgs)

Flat, fully closed footwear required (no flip flops, Crocs, or heels)

 

Waterslide – Free Fall

Height requirements: Minimum is 48” (1.22m)

Weight requirements: Minimum is 99lbs (45kg); Maximum is 300lbs (136kg)

 

Waterslide – The Whip

Height requirements: Minimum is 40” (1.02m)

Weight requirements: No minimum; Maximum weight is 300lbs (136kg)

 

Waterslide – Family Slide

Height requirements: 40” (1.02m)

Weight requirements: No minimum; Maximum weight is 300lbs (136kg)

 

Norwegian Joy

 

Joy Speedway

Height requirements: Minimum is 55” (1.40m). Maximum is 82” (2.08m)

Weight requirements: No minimum weight. Maximum weight is 265lbs (120kgs)

 

Waterslide - Aqua Racer

Height requirements: Minimum is 40” (1.02m)

Weight requirements: No minimum; Maximum weight not to exceed 300lbs (136kgs) for both solo and double tube riders.

 

Waterslide - Ocean Loops

Height requirements: Minimum is 48” (1.22m)

Weight requirements: Minimum weight 120lbs (54kgs); Maximum weight is 300lbs (136kgs).

 

Norwegian Encore

 

Galaxy Pavilion

Minimum/maximum height and weight requirements vary for each attraction and will be enforced.

Height requirements: Minimum height is 36" for most games.

Weight requirements: No minimum weight; Maximum weight is 300lbs (136kgs).

 

Encore Speedway

Height requirements: Minimum is 55” (1.40m); Maximum is 82” (2.08m)

Weight requirements: No minimum; Maximum weight is 265lbs (120kgs)

 

Laser Tag

There are no age or height restrictions to participate.

Fully closed footwear is required and shoes with high heels are not allowed.

 

Waterslide - Aqua Racer

Height requirements: Minimum is 40” (1.02m)

Weight requirements: No minimum; Maximum weight not to exceed 300lbs (136kgs) for both solo and double tube riders.

 

Waterslide - Ocean Loops

Height requirements: Minimum is 48” (1.22m)

Weight requirements: Minimum weight 120lbs (54kgs); Maximum weight is 300lbs (136kgs).

 

Norwegian Epic

 

All Waterslides

Height requirements: Minimum is 42” (1.07m)

Weight requirements: No minimum weight; Maximum weight is 300lbs (136kgs).

 

Extreme Rock-Climbing Wall

Height requirements: Minimum is 42” (1.07m)

Weight requirements: No minimum weight; Maximum weight is 300lbs (136kgs).

 

Norwegian Escape

 

Sky Rail Ropes Course

Must be 48" (1.22m) or taller to be on the course without a chaperone.

Sky Tykes (child's course) available for under 48" (under 1.22m) and a chaperone must be present.

Weight requirements: No minimum; Max weight is 300lbs (136kgs)

Flat, fully closed footwear required (no flip flops, Crocs, or heels)

 

Waterslide – Aqua Loop

Height requirements: Minimum is 48” (1.22m)

Weight requirements: Minimum is 99lbs (45kg); Maximum is 300lbs (136kg)

 

Waterslide – Aqua Racer

Height requirements: Minimum is 40” (1.02m)

Weight requirements: No minimum; Maximum weight is 300lbs (136kg)

 

Waterslide – Family Slide

Height requirements: 40” (1.02m)

Weight requirements: No minimum; Maximum weight is 300lbs (136kg)

 

Norwegian Prima / Norwegian Viva

 

Galaxy Pavilion

Minimum/maximum height and weight requirements vary for each attraction and will be enforced.

Height requirements: Minimum height is 36" for most games.

Weight requirements: No minimum weight; Maximum weight is 275lbs (124kgs)

 

Prima / Viva Speedway

Height requirements: Minimum is 55” (1.40m); Maximum is 82” (2.08m)

Weight requirements: No minimum; Maximum weight is 265lbs (120kgs)

 

Wave Waterslide

Height requirements: Minimum is 51" (1.3m)

Weight requirements: No minimum; Maximum weight is 265 lbs. (120kgs)

 

Dry Slide - The Rush

Height requirements: Minimum is 48" (1.22m); Maximum is 79" (2.01m)

Weight requirements: No minimum weight; Maximum weight: 330 lbs. (149kgs)

 

Dry Slide - The Drop

Height requirements: Minimum is 55" (1.40m); Maximum is 79" (2.01m)

Weight requirements: Maximum weight: 330 lbs. (149kgs)

 

Norwegian Pearl / Norwegian Gem

 

Rock-Climbing Wall

Height requirements: Minimum is 42” (1.07m)

Weight requirements: No minimum weight; Maximum weight is 270lbs (122kgs)