On October 1, 2024, Norwegian Cruise Line announced they would discontinue their popular Free at Sea program that bundles amenities like drinks, Wi-Fi, specialty dining, and more into the cruise fare. The cruise operator shared that, after listening to customer feedback, they’ve “decided to add even more value” by launching the new More at Sea program.

What Is Free at Sea?

We’ve sailed with Free at Sea multiple times and enjoy the convenience of this package. The current program offers:

• Unlimited Open Bar (alcoholic drinks up to $15 and soda)
• Specialty Dining Credit(s)
• Free Wi-Fi (minutes-based plans depending on the length of sailing)
• $50 Shore Excursion Credit (for first guest)
• Free Airfare (buy one, get one airfare)
• 3rd and 4th Guest Sail Free

More at Sea

While we’ve always enjoyed the benefits of Free at Sea on our sailings, Norwegian claims that the new More At Sea program provides a better guest experience by replacing the current program with a variety of enhancements.

More at Sea is made up of the same six components. With that said, there are some big changes. We provide a deep-dive look at each of the components and how they compare to the current Free at Sea program.

More at Sea Beverage Package

Norwegian shares that there will be 45% more premium liquor brands included when compared to the previous Free at Sea program. The line calls out inclusions like Grey Goose Vodka, Citadelle Gin, Casamigos Blanco Tequila, and more. With the new program, the $15 beverage price cap is eliminated.

Under Free at Sea, if you order a drink that costs $17, you are responsible to pay the difference ($2), plus mandatory 20% gratuity ($.40). With More at Sea, those days are gone (mostly). There are still plenty of exclusions highlighted below.

More at Sea Beverage Package Discounts

While the program offers a much more expansive list of inclusions, bottles of wine are not included. Instead, the More at Sea Beverage Package offers a 20% discount on bottles of wine, inclusive of champagne and sparkling wine.

Additionally, the 20% discount extends to wine and spirit experiences and tastings/flights purchased on board.

More at Sea Beverage Package Exclusions

NCL shares that over 100 different cocktails are included with the More at Sea Beverage Package. However, even with the elimination of the beverage price cap, there are still plenty of exclusions:

• Bottled Water/ Bottled Wine
• Connoisseur’s Collection
• Designated Super-premium brands (list subject to change)
• Energy drinks or vending machines
• Freshly squeezed Juices
• Ice Bars
• Mini-Bar purchases
• Package Sales
• Room Service
• Ship-specific promotions or beer buckets
• Starbucks
• Wine dispenser
• Wine & Spirit Experiences, tastings or Flights
• Harvest Cay Bars
• Sailings 2 nights or less
• Selected charters
• Pride of America sailings

What Doesn’t Change with the Beverage Package?

Like Free at Sea, the More at Sea Beverage Package will allow cruisers to get two drinks at a time – a feature that we absolutely love about Norwegian Cruise Line’s beverage packages!

Additionally, like the former program, the More at Sea Beverage Package will NOT have a beverage limit cap that lines like Carnival and Margaritaville At Sea enforce.

Specialty Dining

One of our favorite features of the current Free at Sea program is the Specialty Dining inclusion. Great news, this perk continues with the new More at Sea program!

With that said, under the new program, those who pay more get more.

Changes to Specialty Dining Perk

Under Free at Sea, the first and second guest on the reservation received up to 3 specialty dining meals depending on the length of cruise and category of stateroom booked as illustrated in the below table:

Under More at Sea, the length of sailing and category of stateroom still apply; however, Norwegian adds multiple additional levels and new meal options as illustrated below:

Price Increases

Like the current Free at Sea program, Norwegian will continue to automatically add a Free at Sea Dining Package charge for each meal. However, the price goes up significantly under the new “enhanced” program:

Under More at Sea, each Specialty Dining meal will cost you $20. The more meals you have in your package (based on sailing length and room type), the more the dining package charge will cost. Under the previous program, the maximum you would pay for your Specialty Dining Perk was $27.80. Under More at Sea that max jumps all the way up to $100!

Norwegian’s Continued Price Increases

For those keeping track of Norwegian’s price increases, we created this handy table that illustrates just how much the Dining Package Charge has increased in just over a year’s time:

As you can see, the Dining Package Charge doubles (or more!) from July last year (2023) to this October. While More at Sea gives you more, you’re paying a lot MORE with this new change.

BIG CHANGE: Elimination of Dining Packages

With the change to More at Sea, NCL is eliminating one of our FAVORITE perks: The ability to purchase extra specialty dining meals at a reduced price point ahead of your cruise. Instead of paying the outrageous ala carte pricing on board, the cruise line allowed passengers to add on additional specialty dining meals at a reduced price point. On our most recent Norwegian Sky sailing, we purchased two additional meals for a total of $82.80/person – inclusive of the “dining package charge.” This comes out to just $41.40/meal. Compare that price to what the ala carte pricing was at Cagney’s:

Our Cagney’s Steakhouse experience alone would have cost $218 had we not purchased an additional meal through the dining package. Instead, we paid $41.40 each. And because we pre-purchased two meals, we were able to eat at Le Bistro as well.

With the More at Sea program, if you prefer to sail solo, book interior, or ocean view staterooms, you’re stuck with just two specialty meals total. Only if we book a 12-night or more sailing would we receive an additional specialty dining meal. Not a win for us.

Norwegian Introduces New Cover Charge for Specialty Dining Restaurants

This is another BIG DEAL change that Norwegian is quietly rolling out tucked into More at Sea. All specialty restaurants will now have a cover charge – similar to most every other cruise line out there! Gone are the days of the ala carte pricing that we hated.

As of the time of this writing, NCL cover charges for specialty restaurants are as follows:

• Steak, Teppanyaki, French, and Seafood have a $60 cover charge
• Brazil, Asian, Food Republic, and Sushi have a $50 cover charge
• Italian, BBQ, Pincho, and Mexican have a $40 cover charge

While we don’t love a cover charge, $60 bucks a person is a much better deal than our last Cagney’s dinner at ala carte pricing!

Who Benefits with this Change?

For those that book balcony and above, and typically purchase additional meals (ala carte or via a dining package), the above table represents a savings. While the Dining Package Charge increases, it costs less than purchasing the dining package itself. So, if you planned to purchase specialty meals already – and you book a balcony or higher – this perk is likely an enhancement for you.

Who Loses with this Change?

For those of us that prefer to book studio, ocean view, or interior staterooms: we’re stuck with just one specialty dining meal on a typical 7-night cruise. And with the elimination of the Dining Package, if we want to enjoy another specialty dining restaurant? We’ll have to pay Norwegian’s new restaurant cover charge.

For our most recent cruise, we each paid $94.60 between the package charge and purchasing two additional specialty dining meals. If we booked the same sailing with More at Sea, those three dinners would cost $80/person: $20/person for the 2-meal Dining Package Charge and $60/person cover charge for Le Bistro.

Verdict: Enhancement claim is true in most scenarios. However, the Dining Package Charge increases for the second time in just over a year – and this time, it increases substantially! We dislike that the typical 7-day sailing only includes one specialty dining meal for solo/interior/ocean view cabins. But for cruises 8 nights or longer, the new program would represent savings… if you plan to dine at a 3rd specialty restaurant.

Free Wi-Fi

More at Sea continues to offer free Wi-Fi minutes to guests on board. NCL claims that this benefit is enhanced with the new program offering more Wi-Fi than before. But let’s check that claim…

Minute-Based Plans Remain

Free at Sea offered guests the following internet minutes:

More at Sea continues to offer the 75-minute and 150-minute plan, however, the new program eliminates the 300-minute plan for those sailing 12 nights or more:

Clearly, this change is not “more” for any of the categories, and is definitely “less” for guests on longer voyages.

So where does Norwegian’s claim for “more Wi-Fi” comes from? It’s the fact that each guest in the cabin will receive an allotment of free minutes, not just guests 1 and 2 as in the current program. So, if you have more than 2 people in your cabin, then, technically, you do get more Wi-Fi.

Unlimited Wi-Fi Options

There are two unlimited Wi-Fi options NCL offers today (and will continue to offer in the future). These include:

• Voyage Wi-Fi: Includes general browsing, emails, messaging
• Streaming Voyage Pass: Includes everything from Voyage Wi-Fi and adds audio and video streaming, plus VPN access

Voyage Wi-Fi is obviously the less expensive of the two plans; however, it doesn’t allow you to stream or connect to VPN if that’s important to you.

Upgrading to Unlimited Wi-Fi

Like Free at Sea, the new program will allow guests to upgrade their Wi-Fi minutes to one of the unlimited internet options.

In September 2024, we upgraded one of our Free at Sea plans to include Voyage Wi-Fi. The cost? A staggering $169.91 for internet that truly was the worst we’ve had at sea. That breaks down to just under $19/day.

More at Sea offers guests the ability to upgrade, but it’s going to cost even more:

• Voyage Wi-Fi Pass: $29.99/day
• Streaming Voyage Pass: $39.99/day

The upgrade price is PER STATEROOM. But that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone! Once you upgrade to one of the plans above, you can add additional devices for $5/day. NCL does not indicate a limit to the number of additional devices that can be upgraded in a single stateroom.

Like it’s predecessor, More at Sea has several exclusions:

• Wi-Fi can only be used on one device at a time during the cruise.
• The package is limited to the number of minutes per length of the cruise and does not allow streaming. 
• Wi-Fi Package is not available on Great Stirrup Cay or Harvest Caye.
• Wi-Fi package includes activation fee.

Summary of Free Wi-Fi

Most included Wi-Fi options remain unchanged; however, longer cruises will see the loss of 150 minutes under the new program. For those cruisers that sail with more than 2 guests in a stateroom, every guest will now receive an allotment of minutes. With that said, pricing to upgrade is higher ($209.93 for a 7-day sailing) compared to the previous program and cruisers who sail 12 or more nights actually see their minutes cut in half.

Verdict: Enhancement claim is only true in select scenarios. Many cruisers will receive the same or less minutes than they do today – and pay more to upgrade. We like the current, less expensive Free at Sea program.

Shore Excursion Credit

According to NCL, there is no change to the existing $50 Shore Excursion Credit benefit under More at Sea. Like today, the credit only applies to the first person on the reservation and can be used on multiple excursions in the same port.

Restrictions

Just like Free at Sea, there are several restrictions that come with the More at Sea Shore Excursion Credit. From NCL’s terms and conditions, here’s what you need to know:

• For port calls in Great Stirrup Cay and Harvest Caye, the promotion and $50 Shore Excursion Credit does not apply to equipment rentals.
• Pre-cruise and post-cruise land tours are not eligible for this promotion.
• $50 Shore Excursion Credit has no monetary value, are non-refundable, non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for actual currency of any value.
• Other guest in the stateroom are not eligible to receive the promotion or $50 Shore Excursion Credits.
• Private and/or Custom shore excursions are not eligible for this promotion.

Verdict: Norwegian accurately states that nothing changes with the Shore Excursion Credit.

Free Airfare for Second Guest

Like the Shore Excursion Credit, Norwegian shares that there are no changes to the Free Airfare for Second Guest perk under More at Sea. For eligible bookings, you will still be able to book one airfare and receive the second airfare for “free.”

With that said, we always encourage cruisers to shop around for airfare. We’ve seen instances where the airfare quoted on Norwegian’s website may not be the best deal – even with the “bogo” offer. Additionally, it’s important to remember that when you purchase airfare through this program that you are subject to all of the terms and conditions of the air program. This is critical. We’ve seen multiple cruise news stories of cruisers getting burned because they relied on the cruise line for airfare.

Verdict: Norwegian accurately states that nothing changes with the Free Airfare for Second Guest. But just like today, we recommend: Buyer Beware.

3rd and 4th Guest Sail Free

The final perk included with More at Sea is 3rd and 4th Guest Sail Free (paying only required taxes/fees). Norwegian once again shares that nothing changes with this perk. Guests 3 and 4 that sail in the same stateroom will receive a “free” fare if this offer is available on their specific sailing. NCL does share that guests 5-8 on a reservation will be required to pay prevailing rates.

Verdict: Norwegian accurately states that nothing changes with 3rd and 4th Guest Sail Free.

Sunsetting Packages, Benefits, and Perks

As part of Norwegian’s launch of the More at Sea Program, the cruise operator will sunset several packages, benefits, and perks that are currently offered today. We break out each of these changes below.

Ability to Upgrade to “Plus” Version

With the new program, cruisers will not have the ability to upgrade the offer to “More at Sea Plus” as they do today. This means cruisers that want to take advantage of Unlimited Internet, Starbucks, bottled water will need to purchase the individual package upgrades separately. The Plus version also offered additional Specialty Dining and Shore Excursion Credits – neither of which are offered under the new program.

We loved the bundling of “Free at Sea Plus” as it allowed us to upgrade all amenities at once. Sadly, this “Plus” upgrade is no longer an option under More at Sea.

Premium Plus Beverage Package

Norwegian Cruise Line is officially axing the Premium Plus Beverage Package. This package upgraded you to premium drinks (which are now included under More at Sea), along with Starbucks and bottled water. With More at Sea offering premium drinks already, the cruise line decided to sunset this package.

Still need your Starbucks fix or want to purchase bottle water? You still can, but you’ll have to add those packages to your reservation ala carte at current NCL pricing.

There are two important callouts with this change:

1. Anyone that purchased an upgraded beverage package will have that removed from their booking and their original form of payment will be refunded.
2. If you purchased the Premium Plus Beverage Package to take advantage of Starbucks or bottled water, as mentioned, you lose out on this benefit once the package is removed. You will need to purchase the Starbucks package or Water package at current NCL pricing if you wish to have these beverages included on your cruise.

Dining Packages

One of the things we’ll probably miss the most is that Norwegian is eliminating the ability to purchase dining packages as part of the rollout of More at Sea. That means, the only way to get additional dining nights is to: a) book a longer cruise, or b) spend more money and book a balcony or above, or c) pay prevailing cover charge rates for the restaurant.

We absolutely loved the ability to purchase additional specialty meals pre-cruise to take advantage of reduced restaurant charges. Sadly, this option goes away under More at Sea.

Important Note: Norwegian will honor any dining night packages purchased prior to this change. So, if you already added these to your reservation, congrats! You’ve got more specialty dining!

Timing of Change

The More at Sea Program launched for booking beginning October 1, 2024. The table below highlights the impact to current and future reservations:

It’s important to note that for bookings made prior to October 1, 2024 and sailing on or after January 1, 2025, guests will enjoy both their current Free at Sea perks and Terms and Conditions, along with the More at Sea Beverage Package at no additional cost.

Conclusion

Norwegian Cruise Line is making waves as the cruise operator overhauls many of its most popular programs with the sunset of Free at Sea in favor of the new More at Sea Program. Like you, we still have a lot of questions and will continue to update this post with new information as the cruise line shares additional details in the coming weeks.

As of the time of this writing, there are no changes announced to Norwegian Cruise Line’s Latitudes Rewards Program.

If you have questions about More at Sea, drop those in the comments below.

What do you think about More at Sea? Are you excited about the changes? Let us know in the comments below!