After less than a year, Norwegian Cruise Line is pulling the plug on its More at Sea program and bringing back one of the most recognizable promotions in cruise marketing: Norwegian’s Free at Sea is back – with a twist…
That’s right, Free at Sea is back! But don’t call it a full rewind just yet. Norwegian’s new version, unofficially dubbed Free at Sea 2.0, includes a few key changes to NCL perks cruisers know best: beverages, specialty dining, WiFi, and shore excursion credits.
This move doesn’t just bring back familiar branding. It also highlights a deeper shift happening within Norwegian, one that started months ago.
A Quiet Leadership Change Behind the Scenes
Back in August, Norwegian Cruise Line quietly parted ways with its President, David Herrera. And when we say quietly, we mean quietly.
The only public mention came in a single line buried in an SEC filing:
“Mr. David Herrera… departed Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings as part of a strategic leadership change.”
No farewell post, no press release, no statement from the company.
When a top executive exits that abruptly, it often signals bigger changes on the horizon. And sure enough, a few months later, Norwegian made one of its biggest marketing reversals in years.
From Free at Sea to More at Sea… and Back Again
If you’ve sailed with Norwegian in the last decade, you know Free at Sea. It was simple, catchy, and part of the brand’s identity.
But in late 2024, NCL retired the name and launched More at Sea in a rebrand meant to modernize the offer and make it sound more premium.
The result? Confusion.
The “more” branding didn’t connect back with the broader Freestyle brand Norwegian is known for. Travel advisors struggled to sell the “more” branding. Even within Norwegian, the change didn’t resonate with one senior leader calling the rebrand a “mistake.”
Now, Norwegian is undoing that experiment, but not entirely. The “new” Free at Sea keeps the recognizable name while refining the details. It’s essentially a remix: familiar perks with simplified pricing and structure.
Free at Sea 2.0 vs. More at Sea: What’s Changed
We’re breaking down each component under Norwegian’s packaged promotion. We look at how each part has evolved from Free at Sea to More at Sea, and now Free at Sea 2.0.
The Beverage Package
Under the original Free at Sea, cruisers paid $21.80 per person, per day for the beverage package. It included alcoholic drinks up to $15, sodas, and other non-alcoholic beverages, but no bottled water or specialty coffee.
When More at Sea launched, Norwegian touted that 45% more premium brands would be included in the drinks package. They also introduced the Connoisseurs Selection, with more premium liquor brands at a price point higher than $15. Cruisers simply pay the difference and additional gratuity if they want to enjoy one of the premium spirits.
Pricing for the More at Sea Beverage Package was based on sailing length:
- 1–7 nights: $30 per person, per day
- 8–11 nights: $27 per person, per day
- 12+ nights: $23 per person, per day
Under Free at Sea 2.0, NCL simplifies things. Gone is the sailing length component altogether. Now, all cruisers pay $28.50 per person, per day, regardless of how long they’re at sea.
That’s about a 5% savings on 7-night cruises, but a 25% increase on longer sailings, like Transatlantic or repositioning cruises.
And while bottled water and specialty coffee are still not included, there’s good news ahead: NCL plans to bring back a PLUS version of the beverage package which will bundle these together! The option to upgrade the Beverage Package was sunset under More at Sea (one of the biggest blunders, in our opinion).
A new perk will also be added to the Plus version of Free at Sea 2.0. Drinks will be included on Great Stirrup Cay, the line’s private island! Leave it to Norwegian to offer something as a perk that, up until very recently, was included for every cruise passenger.
Specialty Dining
Like the beverage package, NCL’s specialty dining perk has seen its share of tweaks.
Under the original Free at Sea, meal allotments depended on both stateroom type and cruise length, a structure that was muddy and confusing.
- 3–6 nights: 1 specialty meal for all staterooms
- 7–11 nights: balcony and above received an additional meal
- 12 or more nights: all cabins received an additional meal
In addition, the cost increased as you received more meals. $11.80 for meal one, $19.80 for meal two, and $27.80 for meal three. Sailing length, stateroom type, and price gradients, oh my!
More at Sea only added more complexity by expanding the tiers and sailing durations. But what most cruisers felt the most was Norwegian’s standardization of meal cost. Instead of the gradient pricing under Free at Sea, More at Sea charged a flat $20 cover charge fee per meal. Additionally, the brand introduced cover charges at all specialty restaurants. They also eliminated the Specialty Dining Package, allowing guests to purchase additional specialty meals pre-cruise at a discount.
With Free at Sea 2.0, Norwegian simplifies the system dramatically. The number of meals now depends only on cruise length, not stateroom type:
- 2–4 nights: 1 specialty meal
- 5–6 nights: 2 meals
- 7–8 nights: 3 meals
- 9+ nights: 4 meals
The 5-meal option offered under More at Sea is gone altogether. The increased price of $20 per-meal fee remains, however, the brand is now explicitly referring to it as a gratuity.
The simplification of the Dining Perk is welcome. It’s much easier to understand and explain. However, cruisers on a 7-day cruise will pay $60 under Free at Sea 2.0 compared to just $27.80 under the original iteration of the program. More than double the cost in just over a year time.
WiFi
WiFi has always been a Free at Sea talking point, and one that’s evolved with each version. Originally, passengers 1 and 2 in each stateroom received minutes based on cruise length:
- 3–6 nights: 75 minutes
- 7–11 nights: 150 minutes
- 12+ nights: 300 minutes
More at Sea touted more WiFi for everyone and expanded access to all guests in a stateroom. Interestingly, More at Sea initially reduced the long-cruise allowance to just 150 minutes. After feedback, NCL reinstated the 300-minute cap for sailings over 12 nights.
Now, with Free at Sea 2.0, the sailing-length component is gone. Every guest in the stateroom receives 150 minutes of WiFi, regardless of sailing length.
That means:
- 3–6 nights -> WiFi doubles
- 7–11 nights -> stays the same
- 12+ nights -> cut in half
Since most Norwegian cruises are seven days or shorter, this is largely a neutral or positive change for most guests. With that said, we’re glad we booked our Luna Transatlantic when we did to take advantage of 300 minutes/person!
Shore Excursion Credit
The final perk of the program is the $50 per-excursion credit for guest one on the reservation. This perk remains unchanged across every version of Free at Sea.
While it’s a nice perk, the credit often doesn’t stretch far considering Norwegian’s excursion pricing. Plus, you’ll need to pay attention to the exclusions. Savvy cruisers may find better options by booking independently or consulting a travel advisor.
Our Take: A Course Correction for NCL
When you look at all the changes side by side, it’s clear Norwegian Cruise Line reviewed the numbers and feedback from More at Sea and realized something needed to change.
Make no mistake, however, this isn’t just a return to the past. It’s a strategic course correction. Norwegian kept what worked, simplified what didn’t, and leaned back into a name that passengers already know and trust.
Whether Free at Sea 2.0 is an improvement or not depends on how you cruise:
- Shorter sailings come out ahead.
- Longer voyages will cost a bit more.
- And everyone benefits from simpler, clearer perks.
One thing’s certain: Norwegian knows that Free at Sea means something to cruisers, and they weren’t ready to let it go for good.
What Do You Think?
Was bringing back Free at Sea the right move? Should NCL have kept More at Sea and refined it instead?
We’d love to hear your thoughts below. And if you’ve sailed under both programs, tell us which version you preferred.
I booked 2 months ago. How will my, already paid for, X-at sea drink, dining, wifi numbers chang? will there be cost changes?
Second can I now purchase extra specialty dining pre cruse pricing?
Great question! All cruises booked prior to November 5, 2025, will remain under More at Sea. That means, all of the More at Sea Terms and Conditions will apply (including pricing). It’s very important to note that if you make a CHANGE to the reservation (price match, change sailors, etc.), the reservation will automatically convert to a Free at Sea reservation and you will pay prevailing rate.
As for extra specialty dining, sadly, that perk is still gone under Free at Sea 2.0. We’re hoping with this change, the brand will consider bringing back a Specialty Dining Package like other lines have. Truly, they’re leaving pre-cruise spend on the table without having a package in place. With Plus coming back as well, we will be watching this one closely!
Have a great cruise! -Mark