Norwegian Cruise Line's Free at Sea is an all-inclusive cruising package that lets guests enjoy unlimited premium beverages, world-class specialty dining, shore excursion credits, and Wi-Fi for a nominal fee. Together, these perks deliver more than $2,000 in value per stateroom.
What's Included in Free at Sea
The Free at Sea package includes unlimited drinks for all guests 21 and over, specialty dining (number of nights based on sailing length), 150 minutes of Wi-Fi for all guests in the stateroom, and a $50 shore excursion credit applicable towards every shore excursion you want to take (applied to guest 1 on the reservation). Guests who opt-in for the dining and beverage packages will be charged a nominal fee for gratuities.
Who is Eligible
New reservations created on or after November 5, 2025, for 2+ day sailings departing November 5, 2025 and beyond are eligible. Free at Sea is applicable to all stateroom categories including IX, OX, BX, and MX cabins. Existing reservations booked under the More at Sea promotion will not be impacted and will still receive the More at Sea amenities at the price paid at the time of booking.
If an existing booking is updated after November 5, 2025 and the effective date changes (example: a reprice or upgrade), the reservation will receive the new Free at Sea package.
When Can Free at Sea Be Added
Free at Sea can be added during the promotion selection portion of the booking process at which time the price of Free at Sea will be added to the reservation total. If Free at Sea was not selected during the booking process, guests can still add it up to 24 hours prior to sailing. Free at Sea can be added by guests in their MyNCL account online or by calling 1-800-327-7030.
Unlimited Open Bar Package
The Free at Sea beverage package offers guests unlimited drinks every day of their cruise and their choice of premium brands of liquor and beverages like Grey Goose Vodka, Citadelle Gin, Mount Gay Rum, Casamigos Blanco Tequila, and Bullet Rye. Over 100 different cocktails are included in the Free at Sea package along with regionally sourced wines by the glass, seltzers, and beer. Simply pre-pay the gratuities in advance ($28.50 per person per day), and drinks are on us.
- All guests 21 years and older booked in the same stateroom will receive the Free at Sea Beverage Package for all qualified sailings excluding Pride of America.
- If guest 2 is under 21 years old, they will receive freshly squeezed juice and the unlimited fountain soda package for $12.50 per person per day.
- If guest 2 is under 2 years old, no beverage package will be applied.
- If guests 3-8 are under 21 years old, no beverage package will be applied.
The beverage package covers drinks up to a retail value of $15 each. If you fancy a drink that's priced above $15 from the Connoisseur Collection or Signature Wine Selection, you'll receive a $15 discount and simply pay the difference. Additionally, a 20% discount will be given on bottles of wine (champagne and sparkling included), Wine and Spirit Experiences, tastings or Flights purchased onboard.
Guests who have the beverage package as part of the Free at Sea promotion will not be charged a corkage fee if they bring a bottle of wine onboard.
There are currently no a la carte alcohol or specialty dining packages available for sale outside of the Free at Sea promotional offering. However, Starbucks and bottled water packages are still available to purchase.
If you didn't select the Free at Sea Beverage Package when booking, it can be purchased onboard the first two days of the cruise for $89 per person per day plus taxes and fees. Guests who do not purchase a package can buy drinks at prevailing rates plus taxes and fees.
Specialty Dining
Specialty dining applies to guests 1 and 2 in the stateroom and is $20 per meal for guests 13-years of age and over. If guest 2 is a child 2-12 years old, the dining package will be applied at no charge. If guest 2 is younger than 2 years old, the dining package will not be applied.
Specialty dining meals vary by sailing length:
- 2-4 Nights: 1 Meal
- 5-6 Nights: 2 Meals
- 7-8 Nights: 3 Meals
- 9+ Nights: 4 Meals
With the Free at Sea dining package, guests may choose to dine in any of NCL's Specialty Dining restaurants and the meal will include up to 3 appetizers, one entrée (main course) and up to 3 desserts. Additional charges apply for additional entrées (main courses) and select items. Once all dining nights are used, guests may still dine in specialty restaurants and will be responsible for the standard cover charges plus taxes and fees.
If guests booked with Free at Sea but didn't select specialty dining, they can add it to their cruise in their online account at the "upgrades" tab. This must be done at least three days before their cruise. Free at Sea specialty dining cannot be added onboard.
Guests who would like to dine at specialty restaurants beyond the number of dining nights included with Free at Sea or guests who are not taking advantage of Free at Sea can eat at specialty restaurants by paying the cover charge plus taxes and fees at the respective restaurants.
Cover charges are as follows:
- Steak, Teppanyaki, Hasuki, 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
Prices and venue availability are subject to change, confirm with each ship when sailing.
Guests staying in the Haven do not need to use one of their specialty dining nights for the Haven restaurant as it's complimentary for all guests staying in a Haven suite.
Dining reservations can be made via MyNCL, NCL's mobile app, by calling 800-327-7030, or onboard. Reservations are subject to availability. Please note that cancellations for specialty dining reservations must be made at least 2 hours prior to the scheduled dining time. If request for modification or a cancellation occurs less than 2 hours in advance, a $10 USD fee per person will be applied to the guest's onboard account.
Wi-Fi Package
The Free at Sea Wi-Fi package includes 150 minutes of Wi-Fi per person, for every guest in the stateroom (no age restriction).
For guests who want upgraded Wi-Fi packages, the following are still available for purchase:
- Voyage Wi-Fi Pass (1.5MBPS) for $29.99 per stateroom per day (includes general web browsing, emails and messaging) and is good for one device at a time. Additional devices may be added for $14.99 per device per day.
- Streaming Voyage Wi-Fi Pass (5 MBPS) for $39.99 per stateroom per day (includes audio and video streaming plus VPN access) and is good for one device at a time. Additional devices may be added for $14.99 per device per day.
All prices are subject to change based on ship and sail length.
Shore Excursion Credits
The first guest on the cruise reservation will receive free shore excursions priced at $50 or less, per port. The first guest may apply the $50 Shore Excursion Credit per port to more than one shore excursion provided the excursions are within the same port. The $50 Shore Excursion Credit is applicable for all tours ashore, including debarkation tours.
In the event the cost of the excursion is less than the value of the credit, the difference will not be provided in cash or other credit. The $50 Shore Excursion Credit is not applicable towards the cost of any shuttle service in port.
Latitude Members Shore Excursion Discount is combinable with the $50 Shore Excursion Credit. In the case of multiple excursion credits or discounts, the $50 Shore Excursion Credit will be applied first followed by any additional shore excursion discounts.
In the event a port of call or shore excursion is canceled, the guest will be refunded the amount that the guest paid for the excursion.
For shore excursions purchased prior to cruise, the $50 Shore Excursion Credit will be applied to the first guest at time of purchase. For shore excursions purchased onboard, the $50 Shore Excursion Credit will be applied to the first guest's onboard account.
If the first guest purchases shore excursions tickets for other guests, the $50 Shore Excursion Credit will not apply to such tickets. The first guest cannot purchase shore excursions for themselves where the duration of such excursion over-laps in time.
For port calls in Great Stirrup Cay and Harvest Caye, the $50 Shore Excursion Credit does not apply to equipment rentals. Pre-cruise and post-cruise land tours are not eligible for this promotion. The $50 Shore Excursion Credit is not applicable to the shipboard Behind the Scenes Tour or Late Checkout. Other guests in the same stateroom are not eligible to receive the $50 Shore Excursion Credit. Private and/or custom shore excursions are not eligible for this promotion.
Shore excursion credit can be redeemed by booking online via NCL.com, by calling 1-866-625-1167 or onboard.
Great Stirrup Cay Changes
NCL will be rolling out significant enhancements to the guest amenities at Great Stirrup Cay, their private island in the Bahamas, including a new pier, an expansive pool area with complimentary loungers and a thrilling splash pad area for kids. As part of transforming the on-island experience, onboard beverage packages will no longer be applicable for drinks on Great Stirrup Cay beginning March 1, 2026, regardless of when the reservation was made. Complimentary beverages including water, iced tea, juices, and more will continue to be readily available on the island.
As an alternative, NCL will offer guests the ability to purchase a new beverage package crafted exclusively for Great Stirrup Cay available to purchase beginning January 1, 2026.
Value Added Tax (VAT)
Value Added Tax (VAT) may apply to some food and drink purchases when they are enjoyed on board in specific destinations when required by local tax laws. To help guests stay informed, NCL will include reminders onboard to let everyone know when VAT is in effect.
Important Notes
For the most up-to-date information please review the Free at Sea Terms and conditions at https://www.ncl.com/cruise-deals/free-at-sea, or search NCL Help for "Free at Sea."
All benefits and terms are subject to change by Norwegian Cruise Line. We recommend confirming current benefits directly with NCL or your CruiseDirect travel advisor. Information current as of November 2025.