Norwegian Cruise Line Adds Surcharge for Late-Night Room Service

Thinking of ordering room service at 1 a.m. to quell those late-night hunger pangs?

Norwegian Cruise Line passengers will soon have to pay for the privilege. In coming months, the line will begin charging $3.95 per room service order delivered between midnight and 5 a.m. The new policy will be rolled out fleet-wide in July for the line's eight ships sailing from U.S. ports and in August for its two Europe-based vessels, Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Jade. NCL spokeswoman AnneMarie Mathews tells that the charge is being instituted in order to cut down on food waste, which she said was more of an issue during the early a.m. hours.

Passengers with late-night cravings will still be able to get their fix without any added fees provided they're alert enough to leave the cabin. The line's signature 24-hour diner-style restaurant (O'Sheehan's on Norwegian Epic, Blue Lagoon on NCL's other ships) will remain surcharge-free. If NCL's new late-night surcharge seems familiar, that's because Royal Caribbean instituted a nearly identical fee 2.5 years ago. At the time, RCI's fee sparked vigorous debate.

In other food-related news, NCL also announced that it would be rolling out 24-hour pizza delivery fleet-wide. The for-fee dining option -- $5 for a 16-inch pie (cheese, pepperoni, veggie) delivered anywhere on the ship -- debuted on NCL's Norwegian Epic. One note: Passengers who order pizza (or beverages) between midnight and 5 a.m. will not be charged the late-night service fee in addition to the $5.