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The Reality of NCL's Free At Sea: What's Actually Free?

Brad On Board
Brad On Board
πŸ₯ˆExpert
πŸ‘οΈ 7K viewsπŸ“… 1 months ago⏱️ 11:53
What This Creator Said
Creator RecommendsTips & AdviceπŸ₯ˆExpert Creator
Veteran Cruiser

Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.

Creator's Key Takeaways

Some of it really is a strong deal, but the word free is doing a lot of work in that name, especially since the bundle to get these items still costs extra.

Free at Sea is not really free as in $0. NCL is bundling promotional value into the fair and then you pay certain package charges or pre-purchase costs connected to those perks.

If you're going to drink enough alcohol, beer, wine, cocktails, or even enough non-alcohol drinks, that can still be a very strong value compared to buying everything one at a time.

Creator's Tips & Advice

βœ“Make specialty dining reservations as soon as the window opens to ensure availability.
βœ“Calculate the break-even point for the drink package; it's roughly three drinks a day.
βœ“Consider the Free at Sea Plus upgrade if you already plan on purchasing streaming Wi-Fi and paying daily service charges.

πŸ†•New to Cruising? This Creator Addresses:

The 'Free' branding being misleading β€” Understand that the bundle is often bundled into the fare or requires additional package costs, so do the math before booking.
Drink package inclusions β€” Be aware that standard packages exclude Starbucks, energy drinks, fresh squeezed juice, and bottled water.

Questions This Creator Answers

QWhat exactly is NCL's Free at Sea?
QWhat is the difference between Free at Sea and Free at Sea Plus?
QIs the Free at Sea bundle actually worth the cost?

Topics Covered

Value Pricing1 Sad BaconDrink Package2Β½ Happy BaconDining Specialty3 Happy BaconWifi Connectivity2 Sad BaconExcursionsΒ½ Happy Bacon

Port Highlights

Great Stirrup Cay
Top: zipline excursion
How to read the Trip Bacon Score
Happy Bacon β€” creators loved this aspect
Sad Bacon β€” creators took issue with this
Meh β€” no strong opinion either way

Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = β€œmeh”, 5 = β€œbacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.

About our Bacon Score methodology
YouTube Video Description↓

NCL's Free at Sea sounds like the deal of the century with open bar, specialty dining, Wi-Fi, and shore excursion credits all bundled in. But the word "free" is doing a lot of work in that name. β–Ί Watch Next: My NCL Norwegian Getaway Cruise: https://youtu.be/98WiF3_quxI www.youtube.com/channel/UCqU93R7MzAtN-oesgUyaeyA In this video, I break down exactly what Free at Sea includes, what it doesn't, and what Free at Sea Plus adds, so you can decide if it's actually worth it for the way you cruise. I also walk through the full cost breakdown because on a standard 7-night cruise, this bundle isn't free. And I'll show you exactly when Free at Sea Plus makes the math work in your favor. πŸŽ’ HELPFUL LINKS β–Ί Book Excursions on Viator: https://www.viator.com/partner-shop/bradonboard 🚒 WATCH NEXT My NCL Cruise Series β–Ί My Full NCL Series Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgDrzV_Rq0iSoX056v7rDEzq8sgzel1_e β–Ί Is NCL's Solo Studio Cabin Worth Booking? I Spent 4 Days in This Tiny Cabin: https://youtu.be/Wv03P-04y9o β–Ί Is NCL's Norwegian Bliss the Best Ship for the Mexican Riviera?: https://youtu.be/3jnD-YXI9DM ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro - What Is Free at Sea? 1:42 The Open Bar β€” What's Included 3:38 Specialty Dining Credits 4:49 Wi-Fi (Not What You'd Expect) 5:43 Shore Excursion Credit 6:58 What's Actually "Free"? 7:54 Free at Sea Plus β€” What's Included? 10:34 My Verdict - Is Free at Sea Worth It? #cruisenorwegian #NCL #norwegiancruiseline #cruisetips #cruise ------------------------------------------------------------- 🧳 Must-Have Cruise Essentials (most under $25): Casemate Waterproof Phone Pouch: https://amzn.to/3XjfoKU USB-C and USB-A Charger Cube: https://amzn.to/3JSjLtg International Plug Adapter (Anker): https://amzn.to/4oTQfCk Electronics Organizer Travel Case: https://amzn.to/4nIHMkg Magnetic Hooks for Cabin Walls (Heavy Duty): https://amzn.to/4oXwsSm Portable Lock box (Masterlock): https://amzn.to/4415b9E Rechargeable Fan: https://amzn.to/4849rYn Clothes Hamper: https://amzn.to/43n09Ed Downy Wrinkle Releaser: https://amzn.to/4qQ1cXi Shoulder Bag: https://amzn.to/4846VkU Magnetic Wallet: https://amzn.to/47O06CS Chacos Sandals: https://amzn.to/3LR69Pu Cruise Luggage Tags: *Celebrity: https://amzn.to/49DZlyI *Carnival and Seaborn: https://amzn.to/3JSuQdV *NCL: https://amzn.to/49HV6lI *Royal Caribbean: https://amzn.to/4osVf0O *Princess: https://amzn.to/3Lw2oPu *Holland America: https://amzn.to/3WLgr69 ---------------------------------------------------------------- πŸ‘‰ My Current YouTube Gear List: Sony Alpha ZV-E10 Camera: https://amzn.to/4ouLrUf DJI Osmo Nano Camera: https://amzn.to/4qMIP5C Logitech for Creators Blue Yeti Nano USB Microphone: https://amzn.to/43YSEU6 Torjim Softbox Photography Lighting Kit: https://amzn.to/43GAhDF Hollyland LARK A1 Wireless Microphone: https://amzn.to/3JJ1VJg NEEWER 9" LED Video Light Panel: https://amzn.to/4hRxLjx Aokeo AK-55 Desk Low Profile Adjustable Mic Boom: https://amzn.to/43SF04Z ---------------------------------------------------------------- ⚠️ This video is not sponsored, but the links above are affiliate links, which means anything you purchase may result in a small commission that goes towards supporting this channel.