Norweigan 5 Day Sky Review 11/12 - 11/16 with Pix

[beachpearl]

Hello everyone. I was on the Sky November 12 – 16th and here is my review. This was my first ever cruise, so I don’t have anything to compare it to and these are just my observations. Many of you already know most of what the Sky entails, but there are always new cruisers. You guys on this board have been very helpful to me and I want to pay that forward. I always appreciate when someone posts a review so I am going to post one in kind as well. I know it’s a little late, but I hadn’t ha d the time to write until now.

DM and I flew into Miami the day before the cruise. I’ve learned a lot of insight here on the site and took the suggestions to get to the port city the day before. I would have been heartbroken if I missed the boat coming in late on the same day. I stayed at Hotel 18, which is one block from Collins Avenue and 2 blocks from the beach! This was the South Beach area and was about 10 minutes away from the port. The hotel was small, only 2 stories high and quiet at night, but it was a block away from the strip with nightlife, restaurants, bars and lounges. The room was equipped with a full size refrigerator, stove, microwave, china, silverware and glassware. The beds were comfortable and the room itself was clean. I would definitely recommend this hotel for a pre-cruise stay. The room was only $115.00, but they do require payment in advance when booking.

The courtyard in the hotel:

Miami beach - here we come!:

I did partake in some entertainment and dining on Lincoln Road.

We had dinner at the Ice box Cafe, which is known for their desserts:

[beachpearl]

Since I am limited to 6 images per post, this is going to go on longer than I thought.

 

Curry Chicken;

Short Rib Pappardelle

Their infamous dessert case:

Street performers:

 

DAY 1

There she is: the Sky. I took the pic from the taxi on the way to the port:

[beachpearl]

I arrived at the ship at approximately 12:30. The embarkation process was very easy. I was slightly nervous about what to expect and possibly walking into chaos, but everything was well organized. There were NCL employees at every check point that directed you as to where to go next. The porters whisked away our luggage the minute we were in their presence. Whatever you have with you that you did not leave with the porters you will have to put through the x-ray scanner. I had a 6 pack of water and gallon of juice. Security poked a hole in the plastic wrap of the water bottles, removed one of the bottles to shake it for a liquor check and did the same thing with my juice. After waiting about 10 minutes in the holding room, our group number was called and we were boarding the ship.

If you have a carry-on with you, you can check it at Captain Cooks bar area so that you don’t have to lug it around until your rooms are ready. I really did appreciate that. There were tables set up in Dazzles to sign up for soda cards and pre-made cocktails to purchase in souvenir cups to the tune of $12.00. By the way, the drinks are weak – all of them that I had.

Where I spent my late nights dancing:

We went directly to lunch at the buffet after getting our drinks. Knowing that it was probably going to be crowded, I really did not want to go to the buffet, but DM wanted to and this was a vacation that I purchased for her, so I acquiesced. I was also worried that the food wasn’t going to be good. However, I was pleasantly surprised and thought most of it was very good. I can be a bit hard on judging food, even though food opinions are subjective, I do perform restaurant evaluations and reviews at least twice a month, so it gets a little hard to turn the eagle eye and educated palate off.

A selection from the buffet:

Our rooms were ready at 2:00 pm. I was expecting to have to go to the naughty room to get my luggage. I had a bottle of wine and a bottle of champagne in my carry on and a few rum runners in my checked luggage, but all of the luggage was waiting outside of the room. I was very surprised that they delivered the bottle of wine and champagne. I pre-ordered chocolate covered strawberries, a cheese plate, a soda package and a casino slot credit and everything was there but the cheese plate. I called down to the front desk to ask about it and it was delivered five minutes later.

It's big and enough for at least 4 people:

 

I had to bring the card that they left for the soda package to one of the bars to get my cup and card sticker. When I was getting my sticker, there was a sign on the table that said you could have unlimited juice added for an additional $3.00 per day.

There was live music on the pool deck and I thought they sounded very good. When they took a break, a DJ would take over until they returned. I was enjoying the music and wanted to get in the pool, but it was very windy, which made it a bit chilly.

Hanging out on the pool deck:

Not too many people were utilizing the pool, but there were people in the hot tubs.

[ambam]

I never knew that restaurant was on south beach and im there all the time. Keep it coming, im leaving on Monday and i appreciate your review!

[beachpearl]

Some pix around the pool deck:

Miami skyline:

Basketball court on top deck:

.

[beachpearl]

When the band finished their final set around 5:30, the DJ stayed on and it was time for the performers to arrive at the stage and put on their dance show. They were entertaining and fun. They got the crowd going and had people up dancing.

Doing it Gangnam style :)

The room: I had a balcony cabin. I knew the room would be small, but it was smaller than I expected. There wasn’t much walking space between the beds and the wall or the bathroom and the closet. There was a slight step up to get into the bathroom. I stubbed my toe 3 times before I remembered this. OUCH! Also, when I lifted the toilet lid, it was evident that it was not flushed by the last guest who used it. There was ample shelf space in the bathroom for toiletries, plenty of hangers in the closet and some shallow drawers for clothing. The beds sit up high enough to be able to fit your suitcases underneath. Speaking of the bed, I thought it was too soft and a little uncomfortable. Some more support would have made for a better night’s sleep. The sheets were clean and there were extras in the closet.

I met our room steward Paolo the second morning. He was friendly and pleasant and always greeted me by name and with a big smile. He kept the small ice bucket filled every day and also placed my wine in a bigger ice bucket so that my wine was chilled in time for dinner. He kept the room spotless and worked from sun up to sun down. He anticipated our needs and I didn’t have to ask for much.

[jdvmd]

Loving your review! Keep it coming!

[beachpearl]

I participated in the pub crawl before dinner. The pub crawl is held on the first night. It was $25.00 for 5 drinks in 5 different bars in 55 minutes. it was mostly the younger people on the ship that particpated. It was a pretty large group. Most of the dirnks were mixed drinks, except for the 1st drink, which was beer. I don't drink beer, but the bartender was gracious enough to give me a different drink and allowed me to give my beer to someone else (a stranger, lol).

Drinking games were played at each stop.

This is the pic from the crew member who led the group to the bars and told us we had to shout "pub crawl" as we arrived at each bar.

 

[beachpearl]

DINNER:

I made reservations for the upcharge restaurants for most of the week, but II decided to go to the Palace dining room for dinner since it was lobster night. We went at 6:00 and were seated right away.

The shrimp was good in this appetizer, but I did not care for the potato salad underneath.

 

DINNER:

I made reservations for the upcharge restaurants for most of the week, but II decided to go to the Palace dining room for dinner since it was lobster night. We went at 6:00 and were seated right away.

The shrimp was good in this appetizer, but I did not care for the potato salad underneath.

The spring rolls were good and perfectly crisped.

I had doubts about the lobster, but it was surprisingly tender and the snapper that came with it was also good.

The chicken was moist and tender as well.

Key lime pie was great!

Chocolate panna cotta – sugar free version and pretty much tasteless

[SMSACE6]

Thanks for the review. The photos are excellent! But now Im getting very hungry:D

[hartsnvt]

Great pics! How DO you get them to be fullsized? I am doing A Pearl review and can only post links.

 

I can't wait to read more!!!!

[boopsahoy]

Great review and pictures! Looking forward to more:D

[beachpearl]

This little guy was waiting for me when I returned to the room:

After dinner, I went back to the room to get something and wound up taking an unexpected nap.

When I woke up it was 12:20 am! Not one to waste my vacation, I told DM I was going to the nightclub and returned around 2:30. The nightclub wasn’t at all crowded, but there were some people in there. I met a few new people and danced the rest of the night away. Special mention to crew member Caitlin – thanks for being fun and friendly!

DAY 2:

FREEPORT

Upon waking up, I took pictures from the balcony. The port itself is industrial and wasn’t pretty or scenic to look at. I was expecting that, though, so no major disappointment.

These are a few pix from the balcony. My room was on port side:

[beachpearl]

Upon waking up, I took pictures from the balcony. The port itself is industrial and wasn’t pretty or scenic to look at. I was expecting that, though, so no major disappointment.

Went to the buffet for breakfast. The only time I went to the buffet was for breakfast. It’s crowded but not unbearably so. There was a nice variety of food, from which to choose and definitely something for everyone. I was annoyed by the wait for the omelets; there was always a line for them and the waffles.

Just as with the day before with lunch, I tend to try a little bit of everything.

After the 2nd day of not getting an omelet because the wait was too long, I started going to the Great Outdoors – they make omelets too and the line wasn’t as nearly as long. I took it back inside to the buffet area seating. Even though it was crowded, I didn’t have too much of a problem getting a table. You just have to be ready to pounce if you see someone getting up.

Here are some pix of the port direclty off the ship:

 

 

 

[beachpearl]

Once I exited the ship, I had plans to go to the Perfume Factory, Port Lucaya Marketplace and Our Lucaya beach. While waiting for a taxi, the taxi director (?) asked me where I was going. When I told him the Perfume Factory, he said it would be $27.00 – What happened to $5.00 per person???? When asked that he said unless there were others going to the same place, a taxi for two is considered a private taxi and is priced accordingly. I then asked what if I wanted to also go to Port Lucaya Marketplace and he replied that would be $30.00. I felt like I was being taken advantage of, but felt I had no choice. I did take the taxi and the driver waited for us outside until we were finished and then took us to Port Lucaya Marketplace. The driver was a nice kid – I don’t know if they work together with those who direct the taxis from the cruise ports, but I wasn’t happy about the $$$ situation. The same thing happened on the way back to the ship. I was waiting near one of the taxi stands in the marketplace. Once again, I was told $27.00 for the two of us unless some others came along too. I waited for a bit to see if anyone was going back to the port, but no one did. DM was getting nervous about getting back to the ship, until she saw our original driver drive up. $27.00 it was back to the ship.

These are pix from the Perfume Factory:

 

 

 

 

They have pre-made pre-packaged perfume for purchase, but I blended my own perfume.

They even have perfume for doggies :)

[shelly11]

Look forward to more of your review!

 

I love the Sky and your photos are great! I always forget to take pictures of my food. The taxi drivers at Freeport and a lot higher than Nassau.

[beachpearl]

The walk to Our Lucaya from Port Lucaya was further than I thought. Not far for me to walk, but DM can’t walk too fast or long. I went through that little alleyway (not pretty) looking for the outdoor stand to buy wristbands for the beach so I could have a beach chair and a towel. To shorten this story, I was given wrong directions twice and wound up walking out of the way a bit. After buying the wristbands and going back to the beach, the lifeguard unlocked 2 beach chairs out of a locked pile of chairs near him. I went to get a towel from the towel hut. The guy manning the desk said that only hotel guests were allowed to have towels and the wristband did not entitle me to one.

The water was a little cold and somewhat rocky. I got a nasty scrape on the back of my calf backing into one. I recommend wearing water shoes. The beach itself was quiet, not very many people. In fact, not many people were there throughout the stretch that I walked. Some people were under the few palm trees on the free section of the beach; the most people that I saw were congregated were near Billy Joe’s.

Some pix from the beach:

Billy Joe's Conch Shack:

[beachpearl]

Pic of Port Lucaya:

 

 

 

Had a late lunch at the Afterdeck restaurant. I wasn’t impressed – I was sitting outside and there were pigeons that were a nuisance: flying overhead, sitting on empty chairs and the floor. The employees did their best to shoo them away, but it was a turn-off. The food was so-so. I had conch fritters for the first time. I was really looking forward to trying them. They were mostly batter and a disappointment in general.

 

And DO NOT order alcoholic drinks there – I forgot how much they were charging for them, but the couple next to us got a round. They could not have been more than 5 ounces. I asked them what they were drinking to be sure. Sure enough, they were TINY Bahama Mamas. I was glad I bought my drink with me from the frozen drink stand.

These were the best drinks I had during the entire trip.

[beachpearl]

Great pics! How DO you get them to be fullsized? I am doing A Pearl review and can only post links.

 

I can't wait to read more!!!!

 

I have them in a photobucket account. Once you upload your pix into photobucket, click on each one indivudually while you are in photobucket. When the large image comes up, right click on the image, but make sure you do it close to the botoom of the pic and then click copy.

come back to the thread you were posting on. right click again and click on paste. Hope that helps!

[beachpearl]

Here are a few pix that I took on the pier upon returning to the ship:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the bars:

 

 

Reaching the docking area, there were cold washcloths, lemonade and water. I ran into crewmember Caitlin again – she is great!

 

this little doggie was waiting for me in the room:

 

[beachpearl]

To be continued... later tonight or tomorrow - didn't realize reviews took so long LOL.

Hope whomever is reading it is enjoying it.

Feel free to ask questions :)

[beachpearl]

I had a drink before dinner at the Plantation Bar. They were having a 2 for 1 drink special.

 

 

 

Having fun with the bartenders:

Dinner at Le Bistro

Our server was a sweetheart, very friendly, pleasant, and professional. The dining room was very nice – elegant and beautifully appointed. The even had Versace charger plates – impressive.

 

Mussels appetizer - very good:

 

 

We both had the seafood in puff pastry. It was ok, but nothing outstanding – I’ve had better, but I definitely had worse

 

Tip on water: if they offered you bottled water, there is a charge for it. I thought it was included in the total. Was charged $4.50 for it… Speaking of beverages, I brought my bottle of champagne that security did not flag, so there was no sticker on it showing that I paid the corkage fee. The server asked about it and I told her I wasn’t given a sticker and the short version of why. The corkage fee was never assessed, even when I got the final bill.

[beachpearl]

Crème brulee – incredible!

 

Our server offered to take our picture together after dinner:

 

 

I stopped by Dazzles for a few minutes. they were having a game show but I don't remember what it was

 

 

 

 

I was tired again after dinner and went for another nap – another night of waking up half past midnight. If I didn’t know any better, I would say they put something in my food, lol. So of course I got up and went to Dazzles again. It still wasn’t crowded and I met up with the same people that I hung out with the night before. Danced until 3:00 am, which is time the club closes.

Also, if you get hungry after all that dancing, Longboards is open for food J I didn’t go, so I can’t comment on the food.

[ambam]

Loving your review

[deladypilot]

Thank you for your review. it is always fun to read about others travels and dream of your own