Spirit Review - 11/13/2011

We posted this at the review site, but I thought it would be worth posting some of it here, and on the respective boards.

My wife and I just returned from our 7 day Spirit cruise. So, while everything is still fresh, I would love to share our thoughts and opinions of the cruise. Overall, we really enjoyed it.

New Orleans--

We arrived in NO a day early, and stayed at the Hotel Monteleone. I couldn't imagine a hotel better suited as a central location to walk around. This was our first time to NO, and so we had no idea what to expect. We had dinner at Acme Oyster House. We had read it can be a good wait and is a bit touristy, but we really enjoyed it. Our wait was less than 5 minutes, and we were seated at the oyster bar. That was a great place to sit as you watched the guys shuck oysters and carry on during the LSU game. A very fun experience. We sampled tons of NO cuisine basically letting our "server" choose for us. The Abita beer was cold and wonderful and the food was not spectacular, but was very good. The chargrilled Oysters are like everyone says: to die for. The setting and style was perfect for us, as we didn't want to dress up after a long flight.

Bourbon Street was simply not for us. It is dirty, smelly, and skanky honestly. Was it fun to walk through once? Sure. But we have no need to ever go back. Some people may love it, but it is just not our style.

Thankfully, the next morning we walked over to Jackson Square and saw a little more of what makes NO and awesome city. I had read people on here saying that Bourbon Street is not NO, and thankfully they are correct. It was only about a 10 minute walk from the hotel, and was a gorgeous walk. It reminded us a little of San Francisco (one of the best cities in the world) honestly. On a map, this entire area looks bigger than it really is. A block in this part of NO is a very small area. So, 5 or 6 blocks is not very far at all. Jackson Square was a fascinating place to visit. We put our names down for Stanley's for breakfast, and walked around the square visiting the church, checking out the local artists, and enjoying a beautiful day. Stanley's was a great way to begin our day. We then waited in line at Cafe du Monde so we could try the famous beignet's. We went in knowing they had to be overrated (how could they not be honestly), and they were. But, they were still really, really good. Next time, I think we would have breakfast at Cafe Beignet, and kill two birds with one stone. We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon walking and enjoying the many shops. Thankfully, Hotel Monteleone will allow you to check out at 1pm (what a great feature btw). We would love to come back to NO and get out of the touristy stuff, and spend more time enjoying the city. Great place to cruise from.

From there, we took a taxi to the port to get onto the Spirit. (BTW, taxi from the airport to downtown is a fixed $33 total, and taxi from hotel to cruise port was a fixed $7 a person)

Embarkation

This is a very new port terminal (they told us we were the 2nd ship to use the terminal), and it is going to be very very nice. They are still doing a lot of work and painting, but you could see how wonderful it will be. Even with them still working kinks out, we were through security (10 minutes), registered (5 min), and on board in less than 20 minutes. As easy as it gets.

From here, I will just break down our cruise in sections, so you can skip forward and find whatever section might interest you.

Ship Design and Layout

The layout of the Spirit is a tad tricky. There are areas that you can tell NCL had to work with to make the ship what they wanted. Nothing bad, but it was a little tricky a couple of times. But, overall, we LOVED the Spirit. In fact, we can definitely say it is our favorite ship, hands down, of any ship we have been on (NCL or not).

We loved the size of it. We always try and sail on a mid-size ship and the Spirit was a perfect size for us. The Asian-themed design was great, but what stood out to us about the ship were the features that we have simply not seen on other ships.

We loved the location of the Casino. By that, I mean, we love that we never even saw the Casino all week. We are not gamblers, and it frustrates us how some ships are now built to force you to walk through the casino to get anywhere (thanks Las Vegas for that idea). Not so on the Spirit. The only reason we ever even saw the Casino is because we walked past it to get to Le Bistro one night. Love, love, love not having to smell the smoke from that giant room.

The showroom is a bit odd (as others have said). You enter it from the front, so it is a good idea to be on time, and makes it difficult to leave early. Not sure if that was the purpose, but it works in that way. If you are late, or want to leave early, I would suggest coming in on the 8th deck (balcony) as it is far less noticeable. After the initial oddity of it though, it actually functions very well.

Galaxy of the Stars is a wonderful room with wonderful views. They use the room a LOT on the Spirit, so it isn't as quiet as other rooms like it on other ships we have been on. But, it is still a wonderful place to have a drink, read, or chat with others.

Our favorite room on the ship was Henry's Pub. We have not seen anything similar on another ship, and really don't know why. We found ourselves in there constantly, and there wasn't an evening that we didn't finish off in Henry's. It looks like a pub, feels like a pub, and works like a pub. Great place. Greggy, the server, is terrific. And Angel is a great way to wind down every night listening to acoustic/folksy tunes. Maybe it is an age thing for us (30's), but we would sail the Spirit again for that one room alone. I chatted a lot on this board about their beer selection, and I was actually pleasantly surprised. It was nothing compared to a land pub, but they had a decent variety. After all of the normal stuff (swill), they still had plenty of options: Blue Moon, Bass Ale on tap, Boddington's, Foster's, Red Stripe, and a few others. Not the best, but not as bad as I thought it would be.

We never went out to the pool, but it didn't seem as crowded as most ships we have been on.

Other things we loved: The deck 7 promenade, the locations of elevators and stairwells (plenty for this ship), and the sun deck.

Entertainment

This is the area where NCL usually shines, and I would say it was "good" on this sailing. Not great, but good. Maybe we just weren't in a "showy" mood. "Elements" was a very good show. Kind of has something for everyone, and the acrobatics were terrific. Very Cirque de Soleil-like. We also really enjoyed the Second City performances. The comedian was pretty good, but his show was geared more toward "middle-agers". We didn't care for "In Broadway" at all. Everyone has their own tastes, and I will say they do a very good job of having something for everyone on this ship. Especially musically.

Cabin

People say the cabins are small, and they are. Smaller at least. This is probably the smallest balcony cabin and balcony we have had. But we didn't care in the least. For two people, these cabins are just perfect. For more, it would get very tight. We found storage to be adequate, but will say that having the "over the door shoe holder" is a must on this ship. The layout is very good though, and the bathroom layout was our favorite so far. They do a lot with a little. The cabin is probably the most noticeable place you can tell the ships age. The designs are older, but who cares? Not us. The rest of the ship looks terrific, and for us, looks much better than most of the newer ships.

Food

Food is of course subjective, and we tend to be foodies, so after reading some people's reviews we were a little concerned. But, we were pleasantly surprised. We didn't even walk into the buffet until Day 3, so we are the wrong people to ask about it. We only ate breakfast there (a few times), so can only comment on that. Even though the menu is the same every day, we thought it was very good buffet breakfast food. The dining room was a very nice surprise for us. I love the way Window's is laid out, first of all. It doesn't feel like a normal cruise ship dining room. We never waited for a table all week, and the service was always decent to terrific. Again, the chefs are cooking for thousands of people, so we always keep that in mind. We had a few things we didn't like, but we had way more "hits" than misses. The lobster and red snapper on night 1 was great, the Mahi-Mahi was delicious, and the tilapia was also very good. I say that to say I think seafood is where they shine on the Spirit. Other things were good, but their seafood was surprisingly good (again, for a dining room cooking for thousands). Some have said NCL's quality has gone down and I would not agree with that. The food was much better this trip than my food on the Sun and STar previous. All of that to say that every person is different, every ship is different, every sailing is different, every night is different, and every menu item is different. So, so subjective. My best summation, the food would never be a reason NOT to sail the Spirit. It is plenty good.

We tried the Blue Lagoon once, and like my last time trying, I think the Fish and Chips are awful. Way, way, way too much breading for the fish. Not my type of fish and chips. The buffalo wings were good, and the cheeseburger was very good.

We ate in Le Bistro one night and I was not very impressed. Certainly not compared to Cagney's. If we did it over again, we would easily go to Cagney's over Le Bistro. We liked the service much better in Cagney's, it is far less crowded (Le Bistro is crammed together), and we thought the food much better.

We tried LaTrattoria one night. It is only $10 pp, so we didn't expect much, but we thought it was good. Again, some things hit or miss, but it was a fun thing to try.

Cagney's was the creme de la creme for us though. We have eaten at Cagney's on every NCL ship, but for some reason our experience this time was just terrific. The service was outstanding (this always depends on your individual server), we loved the ambiance, and oh the food. We love Morton's Steakhouse. As in, I seriously have Morton's saved on speed dial. And Cagney's is not as good as Morton's. But they try to be as good, and they get pretty close at times. I loved the Lobster Bisque, and my wife loved her Wedge salad (two steakhouse staples). My wife's filet was perfectly cooked and very high quality meat. My lamb chops were the best I have ever had. Anywhere. Seasoned and cooked perfectly (and anyone that has ever tried to cook these knows how temperamental they can be). Dessert was great of course as well.

Service/Staff

We have always received good service on NCL, and this sailing was no different. It might have been slightly spotty at times, but we thought overall it was great. I don't know if the Kyle is the same cruise director others on here found annoying, but we didn't mind him at all. We thought he did a very good job.

Fellow Cruisers

We were really impressed at how much diversity was on this cruise. That certainly changes with every sailing, and the time of the year. But this was probably the most diverse we have ever seen. All ages, races, etc accounted for. The only group not really spoken for were children. Very few children on this sailing, and the ones that were here were very well behaved because we never noticed them (kudos parents).

Disembarkation

We woke up at 7am, did the "walk-off" feature at 7:30, and were at the airport by 8. Can't beat that.

I also have comments on all of the ports as well, but I will leave those just for the ports of call board. Overall, we loved the Spirit, and hope we can sail her again sometime. NCL reminded us why we enjoy it so much, as we loved the diverse crowd and laid-back atmosphere.

Feel free to ask any and all questions...

Thanks for the review, Glad you had a great time! I will be on her on 12/4.

Glad you enjoyed it. I wish I could get a chance to sail on her but alas she will be in The Med. Your right about Bourbon Street. Everything you said was right on the money. But when I was there it was clean by the time I woke up and hit it again the next day!! Kind of eerie walking around the French Quarter at night. A lot of tiny allyes. Then there is the Voodoo thing. I went to a Voodoo shop by Blains Mardi Grais World. Kind of stuck with me the rest of my stay. Everybody should do NO at least once. Its a great city!!!! Very friendly people.

Thanks for the review, Glad you had a great time! I will be on her on 12/4.

Hi, you should join the roll call for 12/4 if you haven't already!

Pat

Yes -- I know that all-caps stands for shouting, and I am shouting my thanks with glee right now!! We sail next Sunday and your review and also the ones on the ports-of-call boards have just made my day. Also thanks for including NO in there - I am still not sure which I am more excited about - NOLA or the Caribbean!! This is a very well put together review and is much appreciated. :D

Thanks for posting your review. Can't wait to cruise on The Spirit in March....:)

Awesome review and thanks for sharing. I agree with most of what you said and we enjoyed our cruise with her a few months ago. :)

Yes -- I know that all-caps stands for shouting, and I am shouting my thanks with glee right now!! We sail next Sunday and your review and also the ones on the ports-of-call boards have just made my day. Also thanks for including NO in there - I am still not sure which I am more excited about - NOLA or the Caribbean!! This is a very well put together review and is much appreciated. :D

You are welcome (to everyone who said "thanks"). If you have any specific questions I would be glad to do my best to answer them.

BTW, I noticed they deleted my reviews on the Cozumel and Costa Maya boards. Probably because I included the name of the company we used for those in the title. I think I can share them here though:

- In Costa Maya we used Maya Chan. There are tons of posts about them on that board and we would give them a 4 out of 5. It was a very relaxing day with very good food. They kind of forced us to leave early and we didn't love that, but overall it was worth it.

- In Cozumel we used Nachi Cocom. We loved our day there. Food was great, and the service there was awesome. They kept the drinks coming all day long without being asked, and even brought drinks into the ocean to us. The water and beach there are terrific, and in our mind second only to West Bay in Roatan on this itinerary.

For both of those stops, I would recommend sleeping in, eating breakfast, and taking your time getting there. We found the last 2 hours there to be the best because almost everyone else left early to head back to the boat or shop. We loved getting there later and staying after everyone else was gone.

So many others helped with their reviews, so I hope mine help some future travelers as well.

Awesome review and thanks for sharing. I agree with most of what you said and we enjoyed our cruise with her a few months ago. :)

Thanks. Mine wasn't as detailed as yours with all of the great pics, but I did my best. :D

Great review of the Spirit. Your thoughts are very close to ours with the exception of Cagney's/Le Bistro. In January, we thought Cagney's was the bomb (didn't try Le Bistro then). In October, went to Le Bistro early in the week and was blown away by the deliciousness. Cagney's later in the week was nowhere as good as it was earlier this year. Le Bistro by a mile this time around.

We stayed at the Monteleone in January and agree with your observations. Great hotel in a great location.

Great review of the Spirit. Your thoughts are very close to ours with the exception of Cagney's/Le Bistro. In January, we thought Cagney's was the bomb (didn't try Le Bistro then). In October, went to Le Bistro early in the week and was blown away by the deliciousness. Cagney's later in the week was nowhere as good as it was earlier this year. Le Bistro by a mile this time around.

Crazy how that works but I totally believe you. We went to Cagney's earlier in the week and Le Bistro at the end. Not sure why that seems to make a difference, but maybe it does. It is certainly more crowded at the end of the week and maybe the food is not as fresh?

Needless to say, we would go back to Cagney's again in a heartbeat, but may do it early on.

All that being said, both restaurants were very good to excellent.

Thank you for your detailed review. I wish more ships put the casino in an out-of-the-way location like the Spirit. Beyond the casino is a nice lounge area. They showed an afternoon movie there, but the room is not desighned well for showing movies. Also, I agree with you about the main theater.

Thank you for your detailed review. I wish more ships put the casino in an out-of-the-way location like the Spirit. Beyond the casino is a nice lounge area.

I tried to walk every inch of the ship, but must have missed that forward lounge.

Nice review.

Wonderful review. Very helpful :-)

Thanks for the review, you picked the best place in NO for oyster, I love Acme but like you, not much on B Street, preety nasty place.

Kirk

Thanks for sharing the wonderful detailed review! :) Very well written and detailed. Glad you enjoyed your trip. The Norwegian Spirit with her decor is hand's down my favorite ship of all the ships I've sailed on! :D

Thanks for sharing the wonderful detailed review! :) Very well written and detailed. Glad you enjoyed your trip. The Norwegian Spirit with her decor is hand's down my favorite ship of all the ships I've sailed on! :D

Such a bummer they are moving her to Europe.

Such a bummer they are moving her to Europe.

Ah, but we are sailing on her for 12 nights in the med. So we are so thankful that she will be there.

Thank you for your wonderful review.

Thank you so much for your review! It's helped me a lot, as my first NCL trip is on the Spirit in March. My husband and I are also "foodies" and I had been getting a little worried after reading so many "so-so" restaurant reviews for the Spirit. Yours has made me feel more at ease.

We'll be sure to try the Pub! Do you know if they had Stella Artois? It's one of my husband's favorite beers.

I also really appreciate the "your mileage may vary" attitude when it comes to the experiences. Everything isn't black and white and what one person may love, another may thinks ruins everything. Your review was great at reminding me of that.