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• Destinations & Ports
• We Make Vacation Planning Easy
• Vacation Your Way
• SET SAIL FROMNEW ORLEANS

While not the biggest vessels in the Norwegian fleet, these ships will be notably packed with restaurants, bars, entertainment venues and decktop attractions. They also mark a more upscale turn for the line, with more space per passenger than earlier Norwegian ships and lots of suites. For those who enjoy the onboard casino, NCL has a casino loyalty program that rewards players with stateroom discounts, free drinks in the casino, shore excursions, and even free cruises. All you need to do to get started is sign up with the casino host onboard.

Destinations & Ports

BEST Norwegian (NCL) Cruises to the Eastern Mediterranean (with Prices) 2024 & 2025 on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic

BEST Norwegian (NCL) Cruises to the Eastern Mediterranean (with Prices) 2024 & 2025 on Cruise Critic.

Posted: Mon, 22 Apr 2024 09:57:48 GMT [source]

In some cases, its ships have an exclusive area full of high-end cabins and suites called The Haven that comes with its own private pools, lounge areas and even restaurants. All offers are based on select sailings and categories and are subject to availability at time of booking. Unlike many cruise vessels, Norwegian ships do not have self-serve launderettes on cabin decks for passenger use. Instead, the line offers extra-charge laundry and dry cleaning services. On the big-ship end of the spectrum, Norwegian's four relatively new Breakaway Plus-class vessels — Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Escape — are the line's premier offerings. While not quite as big as Royal Caribbean's giant, Oasis-class ships, they are firmly in the pantheon of the world's cruising giants.

We Make Vacation Planning Easy

Norwegian ships are also loaded with bars, lounges and nightclubs, including always-busy casinos. Put it all together, and you have vessels with a very lively atmosphere — particularly at night. If you had to compare Norwegian ships to something on land, you'd probably say they were like floating versions of the casino resorts you find in Las Vegas. Research and compare Norwegian Cruise Line deals now and book the cruise of your dreams. Book your next vacation with Norwegian’s Sail Away steals – now including Free Excursions! Just look for “Sail Away” under Stateroom Options when you book – these are the Best Fares for Inside, Oceanview, Balcony, and Club Balcony Suite staterooms, inclusive of a $50 Shore Excursion credit per excursion.

Vacation Your Way

After a short stroll, you’ll board your catamaran, which features a shaded lounge and spacious deck, for a cruise ... The better deal is to book back-to-back, 7-night, one-way cruises, which are NCL's best Alaska cruise deals. ● Norwegian offers a stateroom category called Club Balcony Suite. These are larger than average balconies and come with a few bonus perks. If you are planning to book a balcony cabin, always check pricing for this choice too.

In short, if you want to turn a Norwegian cruise into a luxury experience, you can do that, too. Norwegian really is the line where you make the trip what you want it to be. That said, the line does offer some smaller ships that aren't quite as big and bustling as its giants. Take advantage of the freedom and flexibility only Norwegian can offer on one of our restorative Transatlantic cruises. Only Norwegian lets you visit four islands in seven days, which means you're on an island each and every day of our Hawaii cruises. One of the top summer cruises to take, build pink sandcastles on the beach or play 18-holes on world-class golf courses.

SET SAIL FROMNEW ORLEANS

However, Norwegian's 10 older ships are much more modest in size, measuring around 75,000 to 94,000 tons and carrying closer to 2,000 passengers at double occupancy. Furthermore, Cruise Critic makes no guarantees for availability of prices advertised on our site. Listed prices may have blackout dates, qualifications or restrictions. ● If your itinerary is flexible, compare the port fees and taxes, which can vary dramatically. In Alaska, where port fees can be exceptionally high, we found the fees ranged from $235 to $322 for 7-night cruises.

On some ships, you'll also find Ocean Blue, a seafood restaurant; The District Brew House, a gastropub serving craft beers; and a Mexican spot called either Los Lobos or Los Lobos Cantina. Every vessel has some sort of sushi restaurant, often called Sushi or Wasabi, and there are hibachi-style teppanyaki restaurants on nearly every Norwegian vessel. The Garden Villas also have private outdoor sun decks and courtyards with hot tubs.

Caribbean, from Miami

If you're a U.S. citizen, you don't need a passport for most sailings from U.S. ports (including sailings to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, the Mexican Riviera and Alaska). You'll find an exclusive, extra-charge, adults-only VIP sunning area on seven Norwegian ships called Vibe Beach Club. The biggest of these areas is on Norwegian Encore, where Vibe Beach Club is an expansive private lounge with a full-service bar, cabanas and two hot tubs designed to hold up to 270 people — far more than on other ships. Norwegian was an early pioneer of the idea of giving cruisers lots of choices when it comes to restaurants on ships, and even its smallest vessels offer a wide range of options. Its largest vessels are among the biggest cruise ships at sea (they must be, to accommodate everything mentioned above). If you want an intimate cruise experience, Norwegian probably isn't a good choice.

Passengers caught smoking in their cabins will be fined $250 per occurrence. As is typical for big-ship cruise lines, Norwegian has an extensive children's program, with programs and activities for children as young as 6 months through the age of 17. The top decks of a few Norwegian ships — mostly the bigger ones — also have a ropes course, a climbing wall or both. On the line's Breakaway-, Breakaway Plus- and Epic-class ships, you'll find giant waterslides and kiddie splash zones and, in some cases, even more over-the-top attractions such as go-kart tracks and laser tag arenas. All but one Norwegian ship (Pride of America) has a casino, and on the line's bigger vessels, they are huge operations.

At their core, Norwegian ships are mass-market ships, with entry-level cabins that are affordable to middle-class travelers. However, overlaid across most vessels are high-end suites and services that are at a luxury level, and the line draws a good number of luxury-seeking travelers. The line's nine newest ships are big, bustling floating megaresorts that can carry upwards of 3,000 to 4,000 passengers at double occupancy (and even more with every berth filled). At around 143,000 to nearly 170,000 tons, all eight currently rank among the 50 biggest cruise ships in the world (although their rankings will shift downward as more big ships debut). Our award-winning ships are designed for you to enjoy as you choose while cruising to beautiful destinations around the world.

In a bit of a twist, some of the best cruise deals popping up at cruise line websites in recent days have been from Norwegian Cruise Line — a brand that in recent years has been more reluctant than most to offer deep discounts. Follow our social media and blog for the latest cruise and travel news, including our best vacation deals. That said, passengers who are 18 to 20 can purchase and consume beer or wine on ships in international waters with permission from parents or legal guardians. The parent or legal guardian must be on board and sign a waiver at guest services. The lower drinking age in international waters does not apply during sailings in Alaska and Hawaii. On all ships, smoking (including e-cigarette smoking) is only allowed in designated outdoor areas, cigar lounges (for cigar smoking only) and casinos.

Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. When you book with one of our partners, please be sure to check their site for a full disclosure of all applicable fees as required by the U.S. Our partners who list cruise pricing on Cruise Critic are required to provide prices for cruise only, per person, double occupancy, and are based on specific cabin types and sailing dates, and may not be available for all cabin types/sailings. Few lines offer as broad a range of entertainment and activities on their ships as Norwegian.

Throw in the brand's low starting prices, and it's an even more compelling package. Members earn points for every night they sail on one of the line's ships. They get an additional point for every night they stay in a concierge room, a suite (not including stays in minisuites, or stays in suites resulting from an upgrade) or a room in The Haven.

Get started with one of the featured deals below, or view all cruises. Cruise Critic's Deal Score will help you find the best deals on your favorite cruise line. By combining our extensive price data with upgrade details, onboard credits, itineraries, and more, you're able to quickly and clearly see just how much money you're going to save on your next cruise. Maybe you'll find your second cruise line of choice -- deals on luxury lines like Azamara and Regent Seven Seas are just a few of the bargains you might find.

Norwegian adds an automatic service charge of $20 to $25 per person, per day, to final bills, depending on your cabin category. Depending on the service you receive, you can adjust the amount up or down at the guest services desk before disembarking. In addition, a 20% gratuity is added to the bill at bars, extra-charge specialty restaurants and ship spas. The Breakaway- and Breakaway Plus-class ships have innovative outdoor promenades called The Waterfront lined with seating for many restaurants and bars. The Waterfront is located on Deck 8 of each of the ships, which is one of the main decks for restaurants on them all. On the ships that have them, they are clustered around an exclusive Studio Lounge where solo travelers can mingle at daily happy hour gatherings.

Self-driving car company Cruise aims to launch in Austin by end of year KUT Radio, Austin's NPR Station

Table Of Content

• Why Cruise robotaxis no longer roam central Austin
• Semitruck driver charged with DWI after crashing …
• Rider Review
• Who can ride.
• Cruise suspends all driverless car operations in Texas as Austin prepares for next steps
• Cruise halts driverless car operations in Austin as company aims to 'rebuild public trust'

Ford and Argo AI have established several partnerships to test autonomous technology in Austin. The companies are working with ride-hailing service Lyft, with plans to allow customers in defined service areas to select one of the self-driving vehicles when ordering a ride. The initial rollout for the program is expected be limited, with fewer than 100 vehicles between Austin and Miami where the company is also testing the program.

Why Cruise robotaxis no longer roam central Austin

But not everyone is thrilled with the emerging driverless technology. Raina Hornaday, a resident of the Pemberton Heights neighborhood, told KXAN the technology has been “disruptive” near her home since the cars first began driving through the neighborhood back in May. In downtown Austin, and the electric cars silently exit the parking lot one by one — but no one is behind the wheel of any of them. The Cruise depot is full of people preparing the cars for another night of road testing. Tribune journalists took a ride in one recently and answer the biggest questions about who’s driving the driverless trend and how the state regulates them.

Semitruck driver charged with DWI after crashing …

In some cases police officers responded to direct traffic around the vehicles until company employees arrived to move the stranded vehicles. In Texas, autonomous vehicles are regulated under a law passed in 2017 that allows vehicles to operate without a driver inside, although prior to that no law prohibited autonomous vehicles. Austin-based automaker Tesla has also been developing self-driving technology that is likely being used in Austin. The company has been letting some of its drivers test an advanced driver assistance system called "full self driving" technology, designed to navigate, steer, accelerate and brake on local roads. Some of the many Tesla vehicles driving around Austin could be part of the program. The city was also previously being used by Ford and Argo AI to test self-driving technology including rideshare and delivery services, before Argo AI shut down last year.

Rider Review

Robotaxis haven't enjoyed the best public image over the past year. From unmanned traffic jams to protestors condoning straight-up vandalism against cars, both Cruise and Waymo have had a rough start in San Francisco. So much so that the officials who granted them seemingly unfettered access to the city have reined in the driverless cars to avoid further public outcry, at least for the time being.

Who can ride.

Less skeptical since before you started reporting on it, and yet Cruise itself says it needs to rebuild confidence. And I’m wondering if your confidence has been shaken, given some of these reports of Cruise vehicles being seen going the wrong way down city streets – you know, without an accident. Cruise began testing the cars in San Francisco in 2020 and is now offering a ride-hailing service there. The cars have had their fair share of issues — including dropping off and picking up passengers in traffic lanes. In another report from Sept. 14, a driver who witnessed a near-miss involving AVs reported to the department that he and his wife were stopped at the intersection of E. 11th St. and the Interstate 35 frontage road when a large group of emergency vehicles raced past them.

Cruise suspends all driverless car operations in Texas as Austin prepares for next steps

The company started offering public rides in February this year, and it started charging fares in June. Austin technology giant National Instruments (which has rebranded to NI) has increasingly been making bets on autonomous vehicle and safety technology, entering into two deals related to the technology last year. NI acquired Austin-based monoDrive, a startup that specializes in autonomous vehicle simulations, and also announced it was entering a strategic collaboration with engineering simulation company Ansys. We’re reintroducing a small fleet of manually-operated vehicles to begin mapping with trained safety drivers behind the wheel. Cruise is far from the only autonomous car company testing in Austin.

“Simply put, cities in Texas cannot regulate autonomous vehicles,” Richard Mendoza, the interim director of Austin’s Transportation and Public Works Department, wrote in the Sept. 1 memo. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, multiple companies are testing and operating driverless vehicles “as passenger, freight and personal delivery devices” all over the state. The list includes Kodiak, Aurora, Waabi, Torc, Plus.AI, Gatik, Cruise, Volkswagen, Waymo, Starship, Kiwibot, Coco, Refraction.AI, Nuro, and Clevon.

What incident occurred in California?

Cruise to redeploy driverless cars in Phoenix - FOX 7 Austin

Cruise to redeploy driverless cars in Phoenix.

Posted: Tue, 09 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

After his ride, he watched the car stop midturn to wait for a pedestrian crossing the street. Imagine using a ride-hailing app to get a lift in Central Austin and seeing a white car with black and red accents pull up. Suddenly, the steering wheel begins moving on its own, and the car takes off.

San Francisco-based Cruise, which is owned by General Motors, says it it has started ramping up its operations in Austin, with plans to offer robo-taxi services in Austin and Phoenix by the end of the year. The company joins other autonomous vehicles that have been testing or operating in Austin, including Ford and Argo AI. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) started its investigation by saying that the cars may not be exercising caution around pedestrians. A Cruise spokesperson said its safety record is "outperforming" human drivers and that the company is complying with information requests from the federal government. The company is currently mapping the streets of Austin and will soon start testing the vehicles. The software will run simulations based on mapped models, and the cars will navigate around the streets with safety drivers monitoring from behind the wheel.

“So the fact that the state provides consistent policy across the state of Texas, I think is definitely favorable and accelerates the development of this technology,” Moffett said. Collin Moffett, a senior transportation planner at the North Central Texas Council of Governments, said that if every city created different regulations, the industry could face serious obstacles. Whether you have a question or want to report an issue, our team wants to hear from you. Cruise's path to autonomous driving creates opportunities for increased mobility and independence.

Waymo announced in April it would begin testing its fifth-generation driver, called the Jaguar I-Pace, in central and east Austin. Some of those pilot testing locations included the downtown corridor, along Rainey Street, within the Market District, near the Texas State Capitol and in the Clarksville, Bouldin Creek and Holly neighborhoods. AUSTIN (KXAN) — Less than a year ago, General Motors’ Cruise announced it would bring “robotaxi” technology to Austin in the form of driverless rideshare services.

However, he said, when a Cruise car does stop, there are multiple ways of starting it back up. "We are starting to see something really cool which is you can actually get into a car and drive to a destination without anyone in the driver's seat," Editor in Chief of Electrek Fred Lambert said. AUSTIN, Texas — Driverless cars are on the roadways of Downtown and Central Austin. Qadri said he’s pleased with Cruise's decision to suspend services. If you've seen a car tooling around downtown Austin recently with seemingly no driver, your eyes aren't deceiving you.

The company also clarified in the same post thread that the decision was not related to any new on-road incidents and that supervised autonomous vehicle operations will continue. A Cruise spokesperson said the decision isn't part of any regulatory issues, but instead a proactive approach to rebuild trust with the public. This comes after a federal investigation was launched into the company after a pair of crashes, including one in San Francisco that left a pedestrian critically injured. Local news channel KVUE also outlined a separate incident that occurred earlier this week involving a Cruise vehicle stopped in an intersection. That incident caught the eye of Austin City Council Member Zohaib Qadri. Qadri called both incidents "a mess" and expressed plans to voice his safety concerns at the next mobility council meeting.

Cruise cars that are being operated by humans will still be on the roads. It’s unclear whether any owner of an automated driving system operating in Texas has been fined for any incident. The state agencies contacted for this story and the Austin Public Works and Transportation Department said they didn’t have information about fines or referred the Tribune to another agency. The agency said the crashes involved Cruise vehicles that may have been braking abruptly or stopping unexpectedly, causing them to be hit from behind by other vehicles. Austin was chosen in part because of similarities between the streets of San Francisco and the streets in downtown Austin. The company expects to expand the service to other cities around the country.

The company says its technology is capable of detecting and tracking thousands of objects, and that it is expected to be used in the upcoming Fisker Ocean crossover, which is scheduled to debut this year from EV startup Fisker. Austin is about to see more driverless cars on its roadways, as another autonomous vehicle company says it is expanding into Austin by the end of the year. In a statement Tuesday, Cruise said the hit-and-run incident occurred when a human driver of a Nissan Sentra collided with a pedestrian who was crossing the street against a red light. On Thursday evening, the company said it was proactively pausing driverless operations across its other locations. Cruise, which has been offering driverless rideshare in Austin since last year, also offers rideshare services in Houston and Phoenix, and previously San Francisco.

The AV frequently drove slower than the vehicles around us, but at times it took corners very quickly. “It will initially be small-scale, but driverless and revenue generating with scaled operations to follow next year,” Vogt said. He said in Phoenix the company is building off an existing partnership it has with Walmart for delivery services.