Norwegian Cruise Line cruise policies
Norwegian Cruise Line Policies: Deposits, Final Payment, Cancellation, Service Charges, Dress Code and Age Rules
Every booking rule that affects your wallet or your packing list, on one page: what you pay when you book, when the balance is due, what it costs to cancel, the daily service charge, what to wear at dinner and who can sail. Figures are Norwegian's own, for bookings made in the United States and Canada.
Deposit
The deposit is per person and depends on the length of the cruise; The Haven and suites pay a percentage of the fare instead. Payment is due when you book, and the booking is subject to the cancellation schedule from the moment money is applied to it.
| Cruise length | Deposit |
|---|---|
| 1 to 6 days | $100 per person |
| 7 days or longer | $250 per person |
| The Haven, suites and Garden Villas, any length | 10% of the cruise fare per person, solo travelers included |
Good to know
- Third through eighth guests in the stateroom pay the same per-person deposit.
- Holiday sailings can require an additional deposit; your confirmation shows the exact figure.
- Norwegian's deposit is refundable until the cancellation schedule starts, 120 days before sailing, unless you booked a promotion that states otherwise.
- Flights booked through Norwegian with a chosen departure airport carry a nonrefundable air deposit; restricted air fares are 100% nonrefundable.
Final payment
The balance must reach Norwegian by the deadline below or the booking cancels automatically. Book inside the window and the full fare is due at booking.
Standard schedule
| Cruise length | Balance due |
|---|---|
| Every sailing, any length | 120 days before sailing |
| Holiday sailings (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year) | 120 days before sailing |
| The Haven, suites and Garden Villas | 120 days before sailing |
Good to know
- The schedule applies to sailings departing on or after August 15, 2022 and to every booking, groups included; some group contracts carry their own dates.
- Once a payment is applied, the credit card on the booking cannot be changed for 24 hours.
- Cruise documents and the online check-in open once the booking is paid in full.
Cancellation charges
Charges are a percentage of the cruise, land package and air cost and depend on when Norwegian receives the cancellation. Taxes, fees and port expenses are refunded. The Haven and suites start their schedule two weeks earlier than other staterooms.
Club Balcony Suites and below
Every sailing, guests 1 through 8 in the stateroom.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Any length | 120 days or more | No charge (nonrefundable air deposits excepted) |
| Any length | 91 to 119 days | 25% |
| Any length | 61 to 90 days | 50% |
| Any length | 31 to 60 days | 75% (plus 75% of any extra land arrangements) |
| Any length | 30 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
The Haven, suites and Garden Villas
Every sailing.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Any length | 120 days or more | No charge (nonrefundable air deposits excepted) |
| Any length | 106 to 119 days | 25% |
| Any length | 91 to 105 days | 50% |
| Any length | 61 to 90 days | 75% |
| Any length | 60 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
Good to know
- A cancellation counts from the day Norwegian receives it, and SmartCruiser must phone it in for you: tell us and we do it the same day.
- Name changes and sail-date changes are treated as a cancellation and a new booking, so the schedule applies to them too.
- Refunds go back to the original credit card, or to SmartCruiser when we made the payment for you, and we pass them straight on; Norwegian quotes three to four weeks.
- No refund for a no-show, for leaving the ship early or for cancelling once the cruise has started.
- Restricted flights booked through Norwegian are 100% nonrefundable; a change costs the full price of the old flight plus the new one. Transfers cancelled inside 21 days carry a charge.
- Prepaid service charges, excursions and packages are refunded in full when you cancel the cruise.
Gratuities
Norwegian calls its daily gratuity the onboard service charge. It is added to each guest's shipboard account for every guest aged 3 and over and shared among restaurant, housekeeping and behind-the-scenes staff. You can prepay it when you book, which locks the rate and keeps it off your onboard bill.
| Stateroom | Daily gratuity |
|---|---|
| Studios, Inside, Oceanview, Balcony and Club Balcony Suites | $20 per guest, per day |
| The Haven and all other suites | $25 per guest, per day |
Good to know
- A 20% gratuity and service charge is added to every beverage purchase, specialty and entertainment dining, spa and salon service and room service order; Free at Sea dining and drinks packages are excluded.
- Butlers, concierges and youth-program staff do not share in the daily charge; Norwegian suggests tipping them directly.
- Prepaid service charges are refunded in full if you cancel the cruise but cannot be adjusted on board; charges that are not prepaid can be adjusted at Guest Services if a service problem is not resolved.
- Many Norwegian promotions include prepaid service charges on balcony staterooms and above, and Free at Sea Plus includes them: we tell you when your fare already covers them.
Dress code
Norwegian's Freestyle Cruising has no formal nights. Days are cruise casual, the upscale specialty restaurants ask for smart casual, and one evening per cruise is Norwegian's Night Out for anyone who wants to dress up.
Cruise casual
Khakis, jeans, shorts and casual shirts; sundresses, skirts and capris. Fine during the day, in the buffet and in most restaurants.
Smart casual
Jeans or slacks with a collared shirt and closed-toe shoes; dresses, skirts or slacks with a stylish top. The standard in the more upscale specialty restaurants such as Le Bistro and Cagney's, and in the main dining rooms at dinner.
Norwegian's Night Out
One evening per cruise set aside for cocktails, fine dining and a meet-and-greet with the captain. Dress up if you like; it is Norwegian's alternative to a formal night and entirely optional.
Dress Your Best nights
| Cruise length | Formal nights |
|---|---|
| Any length | 0 formal nights; 1 optional Norwegian's Night Out |
House rules
- Not permitted in the main dining rooms or specialty restaurants: tank tops for men, flip-flops, baseball caps, visors, and jeans that are faded, torn or worn below the hips.
- Swimwear stays at the pool; shirts and shoes are required in every restaurant.
- Children 12 and under may wear shorts in all restaurants.
Age rules
Norwegian's age rules depend on the itinerary. Age is counted on the day of boarding.
Minimum age to sail without a parent or guardian
| Departure | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Itineraries that include a U.S., Canadian or Chinese port | 21 |
| All other itineraries (except U.S., Canadian and Chinese citizens, who stay at 21) | 18 |
Stateroom assignment
On any itinerary with a U.S., Canadian or Chinese port, a guest under 21 must be accompanied in the same, connecting or side-by-side stateroom by a guest of 21 or older; staterooms across the corridor do not count. On other itineraries the rule applies to guests under 18. Two guests under 21 may share a stateroom if they are a married couple with proof of marriage. Children must never be left on board unattended when their parents go ashore.
Infants
| Sailing | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Most cruises | 6 months on the day of boarding |
| Any cruise with 3 or more consecutive sea days | 12 months |
Drinking age
| Departure or destination | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Itineraries that include a U.S., Canadian or Chinese port, and Norwegian's private destinations | 21 |
| Those same itineraries, beer and wine only, with a parent's signed waiver (not Alaska or Hawaii) | 18 |
| All other itineraries (except U.S., Canadian and Chinese citizens, who stay at 21) | 18 |
Good to know
- Casino and the thermal spa (sauna, steam room, hot tubs): 18 and older. Fitness center: 16 and older. Some bars and lounges are adults only, 18 and over.
- Guests who will have entered the 24th week of pregnancy by the end of the cruise cannot sail.
- Splash Academy takes ages 3 to 12 and Entourage ages 13 to 17; children must be toilet trained to use the pools.
- An infant who does not meet the age rule is denied boarding with no refund, so check the boarding day against the birthday before you book.
How SmartCruiser handles the fine print for you
- We put your 120-day final payment date on our calendar and remind you before it, so a booking never cancels by accident.
- Before final payment we watch your sailing for Norwegian price drops and promotions and reprice the booking when the line allows it.
- Norwegian only takes cancellations from the agency, so we handle cancellations, date changes and stateroom moves with Norwegian directly and tell you the exact charge before you decide.
- Prepaid service charges, Free at Sea choices, flights and insurance go on your invoice if you want them, and your Latitudes Rewards number goes on the reservation.
- SmartCruiser adds bonus onboard credit on top of Norwegian's own offers on every sailing. Ask for it when you call 1-800-444-1560.
Last verified October 13, 2026 against Norwegian Cruise Line's own pages: Payment and deposit schedule, Cancellation fee schedule, Onboard service charge FAQ, Dress code FAQ, Age requirements FAQ, Alcohol policy FAQ. These deposit, payment and cancellation terms are the ones Norwegian Cruise Line publishes for bookings made in the United States and Canada. The United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and New Zealand have their own booking conditions. Policies change; the cruise line's ticket contract and the terms on your booking confirmation govern.
Questions
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