A loyal Royal cruises like a Norwegian

Just returned from the NCL Spirit....My last NCL cruise was in 85 on the Sunward 2 and since that doesn't really count,I can say NCL is new to me.I am a frequent cruiser,but the majority is on RCCL.

We picked the Spirit because we much rather cruise out of PC than Miami and small ships appeal to us.

It was my friend Cindy from Ohio and myself(from FL).

Day of the cruise,we got to the port by 11am..........didn't realize it was delayed boarding(ship inspection,which by the way the Spirit got 100%:D).Anyway,since were "nobody" with NCL,we were called last to board.

Got on the ship and it did not take long to figure out where everything was.That's the beauty of a small ship.Headed to the buffet and the lines were so long,due to the delay of the ship inspection.Waited on lunch about 45 minutes,but that was the LAST time,we ever saw crowds.

Went to our cabin.We had a balcony #10062...Storage could had been better and the space between the beds were about 2 inches:eek::eek:.However there was a coffee maker in the cabin which was a bonus for us.

The bathroom was ok...it is one room but it is divided into 3 sections really.As you walk in to the left ,is the toilet area..Really small and would be tough if you were tall and were sitting:( Had a sliding door,but if you shut the main bathroom door,you didn't have to worry about it.Straight ahead was the sink..........kinda tiny again and to the right was the shower...Much bigger than any RCCL shower I have been in(with the exception of suites)..Downside to the bathroom.......no bars of soap......just liquid soap and shower gel...........Next time I'll bring my own soap.

We ate at different venues just about every night.

Gardens Main Dining Room......typical cruise line dining room....Liked the food.

Cagneys Steak House...Not a favorite of ours...steaks were fatty and overcooked........tables so close,it was like you were at one big table.

Teppanyakis...Japanese..LOVED the presentation and food...a lot of fun....

La Trattoria Italian...my favorite meal all week.....Lobsters Diavola...So good........

Windows(other main dining room)....we ate at 6ish and it was SO noisy in there,between people talking and the vibration.........Not a good dining experience,but again,the food was good.

Loved the no formal dress nights............only restaurant you could NOT wear shorts was Windows and LeBistro(we didn't eat there).

Enjoyed the on board activities and got involved with games like Deal or No Deal,The Weakest Link and Match game.....not to mention trivia....we did dance classes and went to the White Hot night pool deck party.

To us it was all about something different and trying things out of our norm.

Oh,I know some say the crew is not friendly.We did see a lot of grumpy looking people,but we just killed them with kindness and after that,we were greeted with smiles.

I liked how you got to pick your own luggage tags for when you wanted to disembark as opposed to them telling you when.

Drinks were cheaper than RCCL..We did not have a drink package..at first,we missed the concierge and the free drinks,but we soon got over that.

I liked NCL and would go back again.........The Spirit was so pretty and full of little hideaway spots you could go and read or just not be found......hahah

This was fun to read. We enjoyed the Spirit, too, even though we were on her for only three nights when she was in San Francisco for a renovation several years ago. Thanks for sharing your Spirit experience with us.

Thank you for taking the time to share. I am glad you enjoyed yourself. We will be on her in a few months and can't wait. Enjoying reading the reviews now that she is back to PC.

Thanks...we really enjoyed it.

When I first started cruising I wanted to try all of the cruise lines. Then we just took cruises as we felt like. When I found out how RC and Celebrity had such wonderful perks for repeat cruisers I wanted to kick myself because I had equal numbers on both RC and Celebrity and couldn't combine them, so I then concentrated on RC to get to the Diamond level.

That level reached, I would cruise another line if the price and itinerary were good. Celeste...let me know if you need a cabin mate for any cruises you see that you want to go on. I am on a 10 day cruise this Jan. with friends from out west. They made the arrangements and I agreed to go along for the ride :D

I was the cruiser with Kathy on the Spirit. Her review is spot-on regarding our experience onboard our first NCL ship.

In addition to Kathy's observations, I noticed there were hardly ever overhead announcements which suited me just fine. I also noted the sales events of t-shirts, watches, etc., were held in the atrium but only on the last couple of days of the cruise. The sales events were minimal and never caused a problem with traffic flow...another plus.

One complaint is there was only one electrical outlet in the main cabin. Another was made by Kathy that the hairdryer in the bathroom was "a joke." I did love the water pressure and instant hot water. It was also possible to get cold, cold water from the sink faucet...nice when taking meds or getting a drink of water.

I'm sure we both can think of many other likes and dislikes, but overall the Spirit is a beautiful ship, a manageable size and great for folks who don't require a lot of frenzied activities to occupy their time.

OMG..forgot about the hairdryer..it was the worse..I have short hair and it took forever..

Thanks Kathy for the Norwegian Spirit highlights.....

We have never sailed on NCL. We must take a closer look at which ships sail from Port Canaveral. Its one of our favorite Florida ports to sail from.

We found your review via facebook.

Happy Tuesday to all......

Any dailies you could scan?

Any dailies you could scan?

I didn't save them...sorry

It sounds promising for a new line to try...wish they had a 3 dayer out of PC!

It sounds promising for a new line to try...wish they had a 3 dayer out of PC!

I agree. Like Kathy, the only time I ever sailed on NCL was also on the Sunward II many, many years ago.

It sounds promising for a new line to try...wish they had a 3 dayer out of PC!

Norwegian Epic will be doing a handful of 3/4 day Bahamas cruises out of PCV in 2017.

Norwegian Escape will be doing a handful of 3/4 day Bahamas cruises out of PCV in 2017.

I think you mean the Epic.

I think you mean the Epic.

Whoops, you're right. Thanks for the catch.

Whoops, you're right. Thanks for the catch.

That's ok...I knew that because I was pricing it out yesterday.

That's ok...I knew that because I was pricing it out yesterday.

I meant Epic, but I've done so much work on Escape lately. Slip of the tongue! :p

We sail in a month and are diamond on RCL. Never been on an NCL ship. Can't wait for the experience!!

We sail in a month and are diamond on RCL. Never been on an NCL ship. Can't wait for the experience!!

I'm Pinnacle with RCCL and you know what?? It was a nice change...didn't have all the loyalty things to attend..

Keep in mind for your next cruise you don't have to bring your own bar of soap, just ask your Room Steward and she/he will provide you with one.

I did mention it to him and I guess it went in one ear and out the other.

Heyyyy Kathy!

Now we just have to get you to try one of the new ones!

Thanks for the review.

We sail in a month and are diamond on RCL. Never been on an NCL ship. Can't wait for the experience!!

Same here (D on RCL), we went on our first NCL trip, on Jade, last week and were well pleased with it. It won't be the last, bought a CruiseNext certificate:D

Thanks for the review. You reminded me to bring my hairdryer!!!