Norwegian Free at Sea vs. Free at Sea Plus: Is the Upgrade Worth It?
Standard Free at Sea already gives Norwegian cruisers a strong bundle of drinks, dining, Wi-Fi and excursion benefits. Free at Sea Plus costs more and adds premium beverages, Starbucks, unlimited streaming Wi-Fi, dining discounts and prepaid service charges. Here's how to decide which package makes sense for you.
The Short Answer
For many Norwegian cruisers, standard Free at Sea may already be enough. It currently includes an unlimited open bar, specialty dining, 150 minutes of high-speed Wi-Fi and a $50 shore excursion credit for Guest 1.
Free at Sea Plus currently costs $49.99 per adult, per day and upgrades those benefits with top-shelf beverages, Starbucks, bottled water, unlimited streaming Wi-Fi, 50% off additional specialty dining cover charges and prepaid daily service charges.
Choose Free at Sea Plus because you will use the additional benefits — not simply because "Plus" sounds better.
The correct comparison is the extra cost of Plus versus the value of the additional benefits you would otherwise purchase.
Free at Sea vs. Free at Sea Plus: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Benefit | Free at Sea | Free at Sea Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Open Bar | Unlimited open bar with Norwegian's eligible premium beverage brands, cocktails, beer, wine by the glass and other included beverages. | Everything in standard Free at Sea plus top-shelf spirits and an expanded premium wine and Champagne selection. |
| Wine & Champagne Bottles | Currently 20% off bottles of Champagne and wine. | Currently 40% off other bottles, in addition to the expanded premium by-the-glass selection. |
| Starbucks | Not included as part of the standard Free at Sea beverage benefit. | Included at participating Starbucks locations and restaurants, currently limited to one drink per visit. |
| Bottled Water | Not one of the primary standard Free at Sea beverage upgrades. | Bottled water at bars plus premium still and sparkling bottled water in restaurants. |
| Energy Drinks / Fresh Juice | Standard package inclusions apply. | Additional energy drink and fresh juice benefits are included under current Plus terms. |
| Specialty Dining | 1 meal on 2–4 night sailings, 2 on 5–6 nights, 3 on 7–8 nights and 4 on 9+ night sailings under Norwegian's current offer. | Same included Free at Sea meals plus 50% off cover charges for additional specialty dining nights. |
| Wi-Fi | 150 minutes of high-speed Wi-Fi per eligible guest, regardless of sailing length, under the current offer. | Unlimited streaming high-speed Wi-Fi. |
| Shore Excursion Credit | $50 per eligible Norwegian excursion for Guest 1 under current terms. | Same core shore excursion offering. Plus does not double the credit. |
| Daily Service Charges | Not included as a standard package benefit. | Prepaid daily service charges included, subject to Norwegian's terms. |
| Adult Plus Upgrade Price | No Plus upgrade charge. | $49.99 per adult, per day under Norwegian's current pricing. |
Norwegian package terms can change, and older reservations may have different benefits. Always compare these details with the promotion actually attached to your booking.
The Biggest Mistake When Comparing the Two Packages
The biggest mistake is assigning the full retail value of every Free at Sea Plus benefit to the upgrade.
You already have standard Free at Sea. That means Plus should be judged on what it adds.
For example, if you are already happy drinking the liquor, cocktails, beer and wine included with standard Free at Sea, you should not value the Plus beverage component as though you were replacing a completely separate full-price drink package.
Instead, ask:
- How much extra would I personally pay for top-shelf liquor?
- How much Starbucks would I actually buy?
- Would I normally buy bottled water or energy drinks?
- Would I pay to upgrade from 150 Wi-Fi minutes to unlimited streaming?
- Would I buy additional specialty dining meals?
- How much would I otherwise pay in daily service charges?
Those answers tell you far more than an advertised maximum package value.
Our Experience: Standard Free at Sea Was Already Very Good
We Bought Free at Sea on Norwegian Encore
We recently sailed Norwegian Encore to Alaska with standard Free at Sea, so we had an opportunity to use several of these benefits ourselves.
The drinks package was great and a fantastic value for us. We used our shore excursion credit, so that benefit created real savings. Specialty dining gave us additional restaurant choices.
The weak link was Wi-Fi. During our sailing, we found the ship's internet just about worthless.
That experience affects how we look at Free at Sea Plus.
Because we were already very happy with the standard beverage package, premium liquor alone would not convince us to upgrade. The stronger arguments for Plus would be the combination of prepaid service charges, Starbucks, bottled water and genuinely useful unlimited internet.
We did not purchase Free at Sea Plus on that sailing, so we cannot tell you from firsthand experience whether the Plus unlimited streaming Wi-Fi would have solved the connectivity problems we encountered.
Drinks: Free at Sea Was Already a Fantastic Value for Us
Norwegian's standard Free at Sea open bar is already substantial. The current package includes numerous premium liquor brands, more than 100 cocktails, beer and wine by the glass and other eligible beverages.
Plus expands that selection with top-shelf spirits and premium wines and Champagne by the glass, while also increasing the discount on other bottles.
If you care about specific top-shelf brands, the upgrade can matter. If you would happily order from the standard selection, the incremental value is much smaller.
Run Your Own Drink Numbers
Do not estimate beverage value based on what someone else drinks. Use our Cruise Drink Package Calculator to estimate your own likely consumption.
You can also read our Cruise Drink Package Guide and Cruise Drink Package Truth.
Starbucks May Be a Surprisingly Important Difference
Standard Free at Sea does not include the Plus Starbucks benefit. Free at Sea Plus currently includes Starbucks coffee and specialty drinks from participating locations and restaurants, with one drink per visit.
If you normally buy a Starbucks drink every morning — or multiple times during a cruise day — this is easy to assign a realistic value to.
If you drink complimentary coffee instead, do not count Starbucks as a major savings simply because it is available.
Wi-Fi: 150 Minutes vs. Unlimited Streaming
This is one of the clearest differences on paper.
Standard Free at Sea currently provides 150 minutes of high-speed Wi-Fi per eligible guest. Free at Sea Plus provides unlimited streaming high-speed Wi-Fi.
Someone who needs to work remotely, upload content, stay in frequent contact with home or use the internet throughout the day may find 150 minutes restrictive.
Why We Would Still Be Cautious
Our standard Wi-Fi experience aboard Norwegian Encore in Alaska was poor enough that we found the service just about worthless.
Unlimited access has much less value if the underlying connection does not work well. We did not test the Plus streaming package, so we cannot say it would have performed the same way. But we would personally hesitate to assign hundreds of dollars of value to upgraded internet without considering the itinerary and likely connectivity.
See our Cruise Ship Wi-Fi vs. Cell Service Guide for more connectivity planning.
Specialty Dining: Included Meals vs. 50% Off More Meals
Under Norwegian's current Free at Sea structure, the number of specialty dining meals increases with cruise length:
- 2–4 nights: 1 meal
- 5–6 nights: 2 meals
- 7–8 nights: 3 meals
- 9+ nights: 4 meals
Free at Sea Plus does not turn that into unlimited specialty dining. Instead, it currently provides 50% off the cover charges for additional specialty dining nights.
If the included meals are enough for you, the additional dining discount has little value. If you want specialty dining most nights, it becomes much more relevant.
See our Cruise Dining Guide for more dining planning.
The Shore Excursion Benefit Is Essentially the Same
This is one category where Plus does not provide a major additional benefit.
Standard Free at Sea currently gives Guest 1 a $50 credit toward eligible Norwegian shore excursions. Norwegian's own comparison lists the Free at Sea Plus excursion benefit as the same offering as Free at Sea.
We Actually Used the Credit
We used our Free at Sea shore excursion credit on our Alaska cruise, so it had genuine value for us.
But when comparing Free at Sea with Free at Sea Plus, we would not count that credit as part of the value of upgrading. We already had it with the standard package.
For excursion planning, see our Shore Excursions Guide and Cruise Excursions on a Budget.
Prepaid Service Charges Can Change the Math Significantly
Free at Sea Plus currently includes prepaid daily service charges. Unlike a drink or specialty coffee that you may or may not buy, service charges are a much easier expense to account for when comparing package value.
Norwegian notes that prepaid service charges under Plus do not cover bar, beverage or specialty dining gratuities or other optional onboard service charges.
There is another important wrinkle: Norwegian currently says adults who already have prepaid service charges, or received them through another promotional offer, receive a $15-per-day discount from the Free at Sea Plus price.
That would reduce the current adult Plus price from $49.99 to approximately $34.99 per day for qualifying guests.
For more on service charges and gratuities, see Cruise Gratuities Explained and our Cruise Gratuity Calculator.
What Does the Upgrade Cost on a 7-Night Cruise?
At Norwegian's current standard adult price of $49.99 per day:
| Travelers | 7-Night Plus Upgrade |
|---|---|
| 1 adult | $349.93 |
| 2 adults | $699.86 |
| 3 adults | $1,049.79 |
| 4 adults | $1,399.72 |
For an eligible adult who already has prepaid service charges and receives Norwegian's current $15-per-day discount, the effective price is approximately $34.99 per day, or $244.93 for seven nights.
Those numbers make the decision clearer. Two adults paying the standard Plus price are deciding whether roughly $700 of additional package benefits make sense for a seven-night vacation.
Choose Standard Free at Sea If...
- You are happy with the standard open bar selection.
- You rarely buy Starbucks or specialty coffee.
- You do not care much about bottled water or energy drinks.
- 150 Wi-Fi minutes is enough for your needs.
- The included specialty dining meals are sufficient.
- You cannot identify enough additional Plus benefits you would actually buy to justify the upgrade price.
This was essentially our situation on Norwegian Encore. Standard Free at Sea already delivered substantial value for us, especially through the drinks package.
Choose Free at Sea Plus If...
- You specifically want top-shelf spirits and premium wine or Champagne.
- You buy Starbucks regularly.
- You expect to purchase bottled water, energy drinks or fresh juices.
- Unlimited streaming Wi-Fi is genuinely important to you.
- You plan additional specialty dining beyond your included meals.
- Including daily service charges makes the overall package math work for your reservation.
The strongest Free at Sea Plus candidate is not necessarily the person who drinks the most. It is the traveler who will use several of the upgraded benefits every day.
Our Verdict
We would start with standard Free at Sea and make Plus prove that it is worth the additional cost.
Our Norwegian Encore experience showed us that standard Free at Sea can already provide excellent value. The beverage package was fantastic for us, we used our shore excursion credit and we enjoyed having specialty dining included.
Free at Sea Plus becomes compelling when the additional benefits solve expenses you would otherwise incur — particularly prepaid service charges, Starbucks, premium beverages, additional dining and unlimited Wi-Fi.
But we would not pay hundreds of dollars more simply because the upgrade contains a longer list of benefits. If we would not have bought those things separately, they are not worth their advertised value to us.
More Norwegian Package Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Free at Sea and Free at Sea Plus?
Standard Free at Sea currently includes an unlimited open bar, specialty dining, 150 minutes of Wi-Fi and a $50 shore excursion credit for Guest 1. Free at Sea Plus adds top-shelf beverages, Starbucks, bottled water, unlimited streaming Wi-Fi, 50% off additional specialty dining cover charges and prepaid daily service charges.
How much does Free at Sea Plus cost?
Norwegian currently lists Free at Sea Plus at $49.99 per adult, per day. Adults who already have eligible prepaid service charges currently receive a $15-per-day discount.
Does Free at Sea Plus give you a bigger shore excursion credit?
No. Norwegian's current comparison lists the Plus shore excursion benefit as the same offering as standard Free at Sea: a $50 credit toward eligible Norwegian excursions for Guest 1.
Does Free at Sea Plus include unlimited specialty dining?
No. Plus retains the specialty dining meals included with standard Free at Sea and currently adds a 50% discount on cover charges for additional specialty dining nights.
Does Free at Sea Plus include unlimited Wi-Fi?
Yes. Standard Free at Sea currently provides 150 minutes of high-speed Wi-Fi per eligible guest, while Free at Sea Plus provides unlimited streaming high-speed Wi-Fi.
Is Free at Sea Plus worth it for a 7-night cruise?
At the current standard adult price, Plus costs about $349.93 per adult or $699.86 for two adults on a seven-night cruise. Whether that is worthwhile depends on how much you would otherwise spend on the additional beverages, Starbucks, bottled water, internet, specialty dining and daily service charges.
Which package would we choose?
Based on our Norwegian Encore experience, standard Free at Sea already provided strong value for us, particularly the drinks package. We would upgrade to Plus only if the additional benefits we expected to use justified the extra cost.
Norwegian Cruise Line package pricing, eligibility, inclusions and promotional terms can change. Verify the terms and actual charges attached to your reservation before purchasing or upgrading.
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