Your Cruise Your Way Cruise Blog

Norwegian Cruise Line is turning up the heat with some new innovations and offerings onboard their cruise ships. NCL Corporation (NCL) announced it will begin the roll out of Freestyle 2.0 on Norwegian Jade’s first Mediterranean cruise which starts on March 30, 2008. Freestyle 2.0 is the company’s fleet-wide initiative to substantially improve the guest experience. The enhancements include improvements in the total dining experience; upgrading the stateroom experience; new wide ranging on-board activities for guests of all ages; and additional recognition, service and amenities for balcony, suite and villa guests.

The initiative has been driven by quantitative and qualitative feedback from both guests and travel partners and enabled by the $1 billion infusion from Apollo Management, LP in NCL and Star Cruises continued commitment and vision.

“It is critical for NCL to retain today’s loyal customer, while still attracting the next generation of travelers,” said Colin Veitch, NCL’s president and CEO. “We believe the features and benefits of Freestyle 2.0 will further position NCL as a Freestyle Cruising innovator and the preferred brand for today’s cruise vacationer.”

Guests on Norwegian Jade’s March 30 12-day Classic Mediterranean cruise will be the first to experience the Freestyle 2.0 initiatives. Additional ships will launch Freestyle 2.0 within the following weeks, with fleet-wide roll out implemented by June 1, 2008. More specific details of the enhancements include:

Freestyle Dining:
A “bubbly welcome” - a welcome aboard glass of bubbly for everyone;
New menus with expanded choices in every restaurant;
Lobster Galore - Lobster in the main restaurant twice per cruise and in every specialty restaurant every night of the cruise;
Steak & Eggs Breakfast Feast in Teppanyaki restaurant with unlimited Bloody Mary’s and mimosas;
Lavazza coffee in all Java Cafes and top suites;
A signature specialty dish in every restaurant, including the following:
Le Bistro: Côte de Boeuf, a 32-ounce premium gold angus rib eye steak; Plateau de Fruits de Mar, a cold seafood platter including mussels, lobster tail, shrimp and raw oysters on the half shell; and Cardinal of the Seas, a braised Maine lobster;
Italian: Osso Buco, Lobster Ravioli;
Cagney’s: Maine Lobster, 32oz Porterhouse, Surf & Turf, Alaskan King Crab Legs;
Tex-Mex: Jumbo Tiger Prawns;
Asian: Szechuan Stir-fried Maine Lobster;
Action Station: Chocolate Fountains;
The action station restaurants will also receive plasma menu boards, a world-class salad bar, soft serve ice cream machines, and improved service and nighttime ambiance with tablecloths and candlelight;
A new and expanded room service menu.
Stateroom Experience:
Elemis bathroom amenities;
Memory foam mattress toppers;
Pillow upgrade and addition of Euro pillows to all beds;
Upgraded linens;
All beds will receive a top sheet.
Expanded mini-bar options and item customization option;
Upgraded room service menus.
Balcony and Mini Suites, all of the above plus:
Bathrobes;
Customized Fruit Menu;
Fresh-baked cookie at turn down on last night of cruise;
Escort to stateroom on embarkation day;
Special color keycard;
Priority Restaurant Reservation and Reception hotlines.
Suites and Villas, all of the above plus:
NCL branded bedding collection;
Upgraded mattress, linens and feather pillows.
Upgraded sofa bed;
MP3 Player connections;
Pillow Menu;
Plush Bathrobes;
Customized Fruit Menu;
Customized Canapé Menu;
Turndown cookie last night of cruise;
Personal escort to stateroom on embarkation;
Bottle (or Half Bottle depending on category of suite) of Moet Chandon White Star Champagne upon embarkation;
Priority Restaurant Reservation and Reception Hotlines;
Special color keycard for ship-wide recognition;
VIP Breakfast & Lunch in Cagney’s;
Private Breakfast & Lunch with action station set-up in Courtyard for Villa Guests;
Dedicated Butler in Courtyard.
On-board activities:
An enhanced educational, entertainment and lifestyle program - NCL “U” - offering a range of new classes in:
Humor hosted by Second City;
Food, wine and spirits;
Destination education;
Digital technology.
Library transformed into a coffee shop atmosphere with:
Implementation of honor system for book borrowing;
Complimentary coffee and tea;
Plasma screens (muted) broadcasting news.
Enhanced nightlife with new party experiences, such as:
NCL’s White Hot Party;
NCL’s Monte Carlo night.
An enhanced Pool Deck experience:
Entertainment taken upscale;
Relaxing ambient music;
Drink flags on all deck chairs;
Pool of indulgence - Evian sprits, cold towels, etc.;
Quiet zones and times.
Exciting sports deck programming;
X-box game consoles in video arcades;
Expanded and increased flexibility of Kids Crew hours;
Enhanced Teen Centers to include:
X-box game consoles;
Nintendo Wii;
Table games such as foosball, billiards and air hockey.