All Change For Norwegian

Well I`m back at my desk today after a lovely week in Norfolk where the sun shone most of the time. The first day back after a break is always really busy and a catch up day,time to see what is new and what has changed in the world of cruising.

There has been one big  change – Norwegian Cruise Lines who were really the first to introduce All Inclusive cruising , apart from the 6 star lines, have decided to drop their premium drinks package pricing in an astonishing about turn.

This is what Eamonn Ferrin, vice president and managing director said:

“This is all about reinforcing freestyle cruising, giving more flexibility, choice and value to our customers,” Ferrin said.“These are the key watchwords of our brand. The core values of Norwegian are that you can wear what you want, eat what you want and when you want, and that you can choose from a wide range of entertainment. We have done a lot of research among existing customers and those yet to cruise, and it was a real eye-opener into what they really want. Across all demographics and socio-types, having choice and individuality to create their own vacation experience was really important.”

So what does this actually mean and and is it a good idea? The number of times I hear ” but I don`t drink ” is frequent so yes seems like it could be as long as their prices drop in line with the cost of the drinks packages. The only thing I wonder about is what is being offered as a replacement seems almost too good to be true.

As from 2nd April NCL`s passengers will be able to pay £ 99 per person per 7 night cruise and choose from these options:

-A premium drinks package worth up to US$99 per person per day, including gratuities and service charges

-Speciality dining for three nights of a seven-night sailing worth $89 per person, including gratuities and service charges

-Free WiFi up to 250 mins per stateroom, per 7 night cruise

-US$50 dollars on board credit per stateroom, per port, to spend on shore excursions

-The third and fourth passenger in a stateroom, sails for the cost of taxes only (on selected sailings)

If I understand this correctly you pay £ 99 for the Premium Drinks Package that was previously included in the price and worth $ 99 per person per day ? Plus you get a second benefit from the list above? The price of the cruise then drops ? Definitely seems am good deal but the pricing after 2nd April will be the proof.