When I decided to sail with Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) for the first time in 2010, I was drawn to the cruise line for more than its flexible, freestyle dining. What really piqued my interest was the more unique ports of call its itineraries featured compared to the Royal Caribbean cruises I was considering.
Norwegian Cruise Line prides itself on offering a flexible cruise experience with a wide variety of destinations to explore and no strict timetable that passengers need to follow onboard its ships. It was the first cruise line to eliminate set dining times. Passengers can choose from a variety of dining options and are encouraged to plan their own day by following their mood, not a schedule.
My favorite part of that Eastern Caribbean cruise with NCL was our stop in the small, non-touristy port of Samaná in the Dominican Republic. My husband and I booked an NCL shore excursion that took us on an ATV adventure tour through the countryside to a waterfall, cocoa and coffee farm, and then through a tropical jungle to reach a breathtaking, secluded beach. It’s still one of my all-time favorite travel experiences.
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Norwegian Cruise Line has become popular with adventurous cruisers like me who want unique itineraries that venture off the beaten path. With its newest itineraries, the cruise line promises an even greater focus on those kinds of sailings, and on giving passengers even more port time in sought-after destinations.
NCL recently expanded its itinerary options for Asia-Pacific and Europe cruises to provide passengers with more variety and more immersive and port-intensive sailings. With its exotic cruises, NCL is also offering more opportunities for passengers to explore lesser-visited ports and bucket-list destinations.
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NCL is offering more exotic cruises including more immersive Asia-Pacific itineraries
A new season of exotic cruises begins this month, and with it NCL will take passengers on more voyages to Antarctica, South America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand than ever before. During these journeys, NCL will sail three ships in Asia for the first time and visit new ports in Argentina, Bahrain, Japan, Egypt, and more.
Noting that Asia is of growing interest to travelers, NCL expanded its offerings in the Asia-Pacific region for the upcoming season. From September 2024 through March 2026, the cruise line will sail 85 voyages across the Asia-Pacific region, Australia and New Zealand from 15 departure ports.
Recently added immersive Asia-Pacific cruise itineraries offer passengers more time to explore with an average of 10 hours in port in more than 60 destinations. The 18-month season will also feature 36 overnight port stays in Asia Pacific to 11 unique destinations including Osaka, Himeji, and Tokushima in Japan, Hong Kong, Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Melbourne, Australia, and Bali and Lembar (Lombok) in Indonesia.
Related: Norwegian Cruise Line tries to rock the cruise industry
NCL adds more port-immersive Europe cruises for 2026 season
Norwegian Cruise Line also recently expanded its cruise offerings for the 2026 spring/summer season in an effort to increase its appeal to cruisers who want more diverse itineraries and destination-focused sailings in Europe too.
NCL’s 225 new sailings for the 2026 season feature 150 unique ports of call and more port-immersive options for European cruises. The cruise line is giving passengers a wider variety of seven- to 14-day itineraries to choose from throughout Northern Europe, the Mediterranean and the Greek Isles.
Many of the 2026 European sailings include limited or no sea days to allow passengers the opportunity to dive deeper into each destination. With 22 overnight port stays in Europe for the 2026 season, cruisers on select sailings can enjoy late dinners and nightlife in destinations such as Reykjavik, Iceland; Copenhagen, Denmark; Istanbul, Turkey and more.
NCL’s 2026 European cruise itineraries offer voyages across 10 different European countries and feature first-time NCL visits to Portree, Scotland; Leirvik (Stord), Norway; and Palamós, Spain. The European voyages will sail from 11 unique embarkation ports including Helsinki, a new homeport for NCL.
From April 2026 through October 2026, NCL's newest ship, Norwegian Viva, will sail nine and 10-day Western Mediterranean and Greek Isles open-jaw cruises that offer passengers more embarkation and disembarkation port options including Barcelona, Spain; Venice (Ravenna), Italy; Istanbul, Turkey; and Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy.
NCL’s spring and summer 2026 itineraries also include South Pacific sailings, "Fire and Ice" voyages to Alaska and Hawaii, Western Caribbean cruises, and sailings to Canada and New England from New York City to kick off the fall season.
Related: Norwegian Cruise Line tries to rock the cruise industry
