NCL Free at Sea is back. Norwegian Cruise Line dropped Free at Sea for “More at Sea” on sailings from January 2025, then brought Free at Sea back for new bookings on November 5, 2025. Free at Sea Plus returned as a paid upgrade (around $49.99 per person, per day) for sailings from February 1, 2026. So in late 2026, the choice is again Free at Sea vs Free at Sea Plus. More at Sea now only applies to older bookings.
Free: download our 2027 Luxury Cruise Calendar →
This guide explains what each package includes, what you still pay (mainly gratuities), how the current packages compare with More at Sea and the original pre-2025 versions, and which one suits different kinds of cruisers.
What happened to NCL Free at Sea? A quick timeline
If you searched for “Free at Sea vs Free at Sea Plus” and found articles that contradict each other, that’s because the names have been reused. Here is the order of events:
- 2022 to 2024: the original Free at Sea. Guests chose perks such as a beverage package, specialty dining, Wi-Fi minutes and shore excursion credits. Older drink packages capped included drinks at about $15 each. An earlier Free at Sea Plus upgrade (around $49 per day) added extra dining meals, more excursion credit and unlimited (non-streaming) Wi-Fi.
- January 2025: More at Sea. Announced in October 2024, More at Sea bundled everything together. It dropped the $15 drink cap, used a wider brand list and gave Wi-Fi and dining allowances that varied by cruise length and cabin type.
- November 5, 2025: Free at Sea returns. New bookings went back to the Free at Sea name, with simpler rules: the same dining allowance for every cabin category and 150 Wi-Fi minutes per guest.
- February 2026: Free at Sea Plus returns. NCL announced the new Plus upgrade at the end of December 2025 for sailings departing February 1, 2026 or later.
- May 2026: drink gratuity change. The prepaid beverage service charge went up to $32 per person, per day on 2 to 5 night cruises. It stayed at $28.50 on longer sailings.
Bookings made before November 5, 2025 generally keep their More at Sea benefits. NCL’s terms say a booking that is repriced or upgraded after that date moves to Free at Sea terms, so check before you change a cabin or fare.
What NCL Free at Sea includes in 2026
Free at Sea is the standard package on most NCL fares (2+ night sailings). For guests 1 and 2 in the stateroom it includes:
- Unlimited open bar: spirits from brands such as Grey Goose, Casamigos and Woodford Reserve, more than 100 cocktails, wine by the glass, draft beer, soda and juice, plus 20% off bottles of wine and champagne. The open bar also works at Great Stirrup Cay. Guests aged 21+ get alcohol. Guests 3 to 20 in spots 1 or 2 get soda and juice.
- Specialty dining: 1 meal on 2 to 4 night cruises, 2 on 5 to 6 nights, 3 on 7 to 8 nights and 4 on 9+ nights. Each meal covers an entrée plus up to three appetizers and desserts.
- Wi-Fi: 150 minutes of Starlink-powered Wi-Fi per guest, with one login and one device at a time.
- Shore excursion credit: $50 per port for the first guest, on tours booked through NCL.
On selected dates, third and fourth guests may sail free. These guests do not get the full set of perks.
What Free at Sea doesn’t cover: the service charges
Free at Sea is not free. Each guest aged 21+ who takes the open bar pays a beverage service charge of $28.50 per person, per day on sailings of 6+ nights, or $32 on 2 to 5 night cruises (rates at the time of writing). On top of that is the standard daily service charge, currently about $20 per person, per day in regular cabins and Club Balcony Suites, and about $25 in The Haven and most suites. Specialty dining meals also carry a gratuity, and teens using the dining package pay a per-meal charge.
Free at Sea vs Free at Sea Plus: side-by-side comparison
Free at Sea Plus is an upgrade added on top of Free at Sea. It costs $49.99 per person, per day. If you’ve already prepaid your daily service charges, you get a $15 discount, so it costs $34.99. Guests under 21 get a modified version for about $40 per day.
| Feature | Free at Sea | Free at Sea Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Drinks | Unlimited open bar, premium brands, 20% off bottles | Adds top-shelf spirits (e.g. Patrón Añejo, The Macallan 12), premium wine and champagne by the glass, 40% off bottles |
| Coffee and water | Not included | Unlimited Starbucks (one drink per visit) and bottled water |
| Wi-Fi | 150 minutes per guest | Unlimited streaming Wi-Fi |
| Specialty dining | 1 to 4 meals by cruise length | Same meals, plus 50% off cover charges for extra nights |
| Excursion credit | $50 per port (guest 1) | Same |
| Daily service charges | Paid separately | Prepaid service charges included |
| Price | Included in fare (plus beverage service charge) | About $49.99 pp/day on top |
The prepaid service charges included in Plus are the daily crew charges only. They don’t replace the $28.50 or $32 beverage service charge, or the gratuities on specialty dining.
More at Sea vs Free at Sea: what changed for 2026
If you have an older booking, or remember More at Sea from 2025, here is how it compares with today’s packages:
| Feature | Original Free at Sea (to 2024) | More at Sea (2025) | Free at Sea (from Nov 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drinks | Open bar with roughly $15 per-drink cap | All-in open bar, wider brand list | All-in open bar, similar brands |
| Drink service charge | Charged daily | About $30, $27 or $23 per day, depending on cruise length | $28.50 per day ($32 on 2 to 5 nights) |
| Wi-Fi | 75 to 300 minutes by length | Varied by length, about 75 to 300 minutes | 150 minutes per guest, any length |
| Specialty dining | Varied by length and cabin | Varied by length and cabin | Same for every cabin: 1 to 4 meals |
| Excursion credit | $50 per tour | $50 per port, guest 1 | $50 per port, guest 1 |
| Top tier | Free at Sea Plus | More at Sea upgrades | Free at Sea Plus (from Feb 2026) |
The biggest differences are on long cruises. Under More at Sea, the drink charge dropped on 12+ night sailings, while Free at Sea charges a flat rate. Short-cruise guests in basic cabins often come out about the same, or slightly ahead on dining.
Is Free at Sea Plus worth it? A quick cost check
Here’s an example for two adults on a 7-night cruise who don’t prepay gratuities. All prices are approximate and vary by sailing:
- Free at Sea Plus upgrade: about $49.99 x 2 x 7 = about $700
- Minus the daily service charges you’d pay anyway: about $20 x 2 x 7 = about $280
- True cost of the extras: about $420, or roughly $30 per person, per day
Compare that with buying the extras on their own. NCL lists its Streaming Voyage Wi-Fi Pass at about $39.99 per stateroom per day, which comes to around $280 for the week for one device. If you would buy streaming Wi-Fi anyway, the extra money for Plus mostly pays for Starbucks, bottled water, top-shelf spirits and cheaper extra dining nights. Many couples who drink coffee daily and need to stay online find that worth it. Light drinkers who are happy to stay offline usually aren’t better off.
Which package should you choose?
Drinks
Standard Free at Sea covers most cocktails, beer and wine by the glass. Upgrade only if you prefer top-shelf spirits or premium wine and champagne, or you’ll drink several specialty coffees a day. For more ways to get value from bar packages, see our guide to cruise drink package loopholes that still work.
Specialty dining
Both tiers include the same number of meals. Plus only helps if you plan extra specialty nights, because it halves the cover charges, which are currently about $40 to $60 per person depending on the restaurant.
Wi-Fi
150 minutes is enough for messages and checking email. It isn’t enough for remote work, video calls or streaming. If you need any of those, Plus is usually the simplest way to get unlimited streaming Wi-Fi.
Shore excursions
The $50 per port credit is the same on both tiers, so excursions shouldn’t affect your choice. Port-heavy itineraries get more out of the credit either way.
Timing tips
- Free at Sea choices must be made at least 24 hours before sailing. Plus must be added at least 72 hours before departure and can’t be bought onboard.
- If you buy the open bar onboard, it costs about $45 per person, per day plus a 20% gratuity, which is far more than through Free at Sea.
- If you’re comparing NCL with other lines, our Royal Caribbean vs Norwegian comparison explains how their pricing differs, and our 2027 cruise deals roundup covers upcoming offers.
Promotions change often, so check the details for your sailing on NCL’s official Free at Sea page before you book.
If you are weighing a cabin upgrade as well as a promotion, our guide to whether an NCL suite is worth the upgrade compares The Haven, other suites and Club Balcony perks.
FAQs
Is NCL More at Sea still available?
No, not for new bookings. NCL switched back to Free at Sea on November 5, 2025. Reservations made before that date generally keep More at Sea unless they are repriced or changed.
What is Free at Sea Plus on Norwegian?
It’s a paid upgrade to Free at Sea, about $49.99 per person per day. It adds top-shelf drinks, Starbucks, bottled water, unlimited streaming Wi-Fi, 50% off extra specialty dining and prepaid daily service charges.
Do you still pay gratuities with Free at Sea?
Yes. There’s a beverage service charge of $28.50 per person per day ($32 on 2 to 5 night cruises), plus daily service charges of about $20 to $25 unless you have Plus or prepay them.
Does the NCL unlimited open bar include bottled water?
Not with standard Free at Sea. Bottled water at the bar and premium bottled water in restaurants are included with Free at Sea Plus.
Is there a drink limit on Norwegian cruises?
The open bar is unlimited, but bars typically serve one drink per guest at a time, and crew can refuse service to anyone who has had too much.
