Live From the NCL Spirit- A "Suite" Escape to the Western Med.

[buckeye82]

Hi-

I think you will love this ship. So beautiful. I did see several of the suites, though not yours. I am not sure if you have 1 or 2 baths. 10001 and 10500 only have 1 bathroom, but 10002 and 10502 (the corner suites) have 2. All 5 of those suites seem lovely. You will have the standard (limited) room service menu. You can ask for the MDR menus to be delivered to your room. If you order from the MDR menus, your butler will set up your table with linens, etc for your meal. We only had full on dining one night in the suite.

 

The ship docked at 5:30 am. Our flight was at 11:15 am. We left the ship at 6:30, and even with all of the luggage and people, we were at the airport and in line for Delta by 7:30 am. The airport and cruise port are really close together, and at that time in the morning, there was no traffic. Easy!

 

We used Euro and dollars in all countries except Morocco. They use a currency that starts with a d. Some of the vendors will take US or EU, but we could never find a consistent exchange rate. This may be better in Casablanca than Marrakech, as Casablanca is closer to the port and sees a lot more tourism.

 

Best of luck on your planning. Let me know if you have additional questions.

 

TL:)

 

 

Thank you for the information! Just one more question pertaining to disembarkation. Did you take a transfer provided by NCL to the airport?

[TracieABD]

It was lovely meeting you. Thanks for setting up the roll call through which we met some wonderful people. Your review has been great to read. Wishing you all the best and every happiness always. Hugs David and Raja.

 

I loved meeting the both of you! Thank you for "adopting" me in Lanzarote. Raja, you can have my portion of the wine anytime!

David, my mother and I laughed so hard when I told her she had been SKIing. Love this and I am totally stealing it! (of course, I will credit you. :)).

 

I hope we get a chance to meet again. Please keep in touch!

Much love and peace to you,

Tracie-Lynn:)

[TracieABD]

Thank you for the information! Just one more question pertaining to disembarkation. Did you take a transfer provided by NCL to the airport?

 

We took at taxi to the cruise port. It was about 40 euro with a tip.

 

We took the ship's transfer to airport. It was $30 per person. It is slightly cheaper to take a cab. There were so many cabs at the cruise port. If you can manage the luggage, you will be fine in a cab.

 

No worries about the asking questions. I will be happy to keep answering them!:)

[tv77]

Tracie,

 

Can you clear up the whole VAT issue? I've read so many posts I'm not sure which is correct. For example, once we leave Morocco, is there always a VAT added for drinks, on board purchases, spa and dinner reservations?

 

Thanks!

Teresa

[mypleasure]

No VAT chargeable on this cruise as it visits an non EU port (Casablanca)

 

VAT is chargeable on cruises that remain only within the EU and don't visit a Non EU port.

[Froggitt]

No VAT chargeable on this cruise as it visits an non EU port (Casablanca)

 

VAT is chargeable on cruises that remain only within the EU and don't visit a Non EU port.

Good answer. However its wrong!!!

 

We were charged VAT on that cruise "on some evenings" with no advance warning last month.

 

Its all part of the theory that "NCL don't know what they're doing" with VAT. Have a read of this thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1971983

[SteveH2508]

You will be charged VAT whilst in Spanish territorial waters (out of Barcelona and Malaga). You will not be able to buy duty-free cigarettes from the casino bar also during this time.

[Grandma Gilly]

Tracie/Stacie, thank you so much for your fab blog and review.

 

We are boarding immediately after the dry dock.

It will be our first time on NCL although we are veterans of over 25 cruises and several cruise lines from RCCL up to Seabourn. It was, for us, a very reasonably priced cruise, not too far from home and hopefully we will get a bit of sunshine to brighten up the winter.

 

I have been concerned as I have read some quite negative things about NCL but you have brightened my outlook however I think we may have to stick to the speciality restaurants.

 

Thank you for taking the time and trouble to post.

Gill

[TracieABD]

Tracie,

 

Can you clear up the whole VAT issue? I've read so many posts I'm not sure which is correct. For example, once we leave Morocco, is there always a VAT added for drinks, on board purchases, spa and dinner reservations?

 

Thanks!

Teresa

 

Hi-

I don't drink, smoke, shop (much) or gamble, or did any spa treatment (not this time, anyway), so I have no clue about the VAT.

 

Sorry, I cannot help here!

TL

[TracieABD]

Tracie/Stacie, thank you so much for your fab blog and review.

 

We are boarding immediately after the dry dock.

It will be our first time on NCL although we are veterans of over 25 cruises and several cruise lines from RCCL up to Seabourn. It was, for us, a very reasonably priced cruise, not too far from home and hopefully we will get a bit of sunshine to brighten up the winter.

 

I have been concerned as I have read some quite negative things about NCL but you have brightened my outlook however I think we may have to stick to the speciality restaurants.

 

Thank you for taking the time and trouble to post.

Gill

 

Thank you so much, GG. The cruise was a gift, and I did have a moment or two in which I wondered if I would enjoy NCL. I just loved this ship, the crew and staff, and the ports. (The suite did not hurt either--- so worth it!)

 

As I stated earlier, my only criticism was the main dining room. If I knew then what I know now, I would have purchased the Ultimate Dining Package for $149 and skipped the MDR all together. The specialty restaurants were great!

I will be so jealous when you board on February 11th (I think). I hope you have as wonderful time as I did.

 

Bon voyage!

Tracie-Lynn

[buckeye82]

Thank you so much, GG. The cruise was a gift, and I did have a moment or two in which I wondered if I would enjoy NCL. I just loved this ship, the crew and staff, and the ports. (The suite did not hurt either--- so worth it!)

 

As I stated earlier, my only criticism was the main dining room. If I knew then what I know now, I would have purchased the Ultimate Dining Package for $149 and skipped the MDR all together. The specialty restaurants were great!

I will be so jealous when you board on February 11th (I think). I hope you have as wonderful time as I did.

 

Bon voyage!

Tracie-Lynn

 

We have just bought the UDP for our cruise on the Spirit in March. We were recently on the POA and after two nights in the MDR we switched to the specialty restaurants. Thanks for all the information you have provided. I may think of some more questions for you.........:D

[TracieABD]

We have just bought the UDP for our cruise on the Spirit in March. We were recently on the POA and after two nights in the MDR we switched to the specialty restaurants. Thanks for all the information you have provided. I may think of some more questions for you.........:D

 

And I will do my best to answer them!:)

[Beet24sam]

Final Thoughts:

 

I have really wrestled with this, as I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Yet, I am in a supervisory position (in my real "non-cruising" life), and I have found that honesty is best. So, here goes...

 

I must preface my final thoughts with the following:

 

We received a number of cards and communications from various officers.

 

Most notably- and I think this is interesting, and somewhat important...

I received a hand written letter from the Captain.

 

A few days prior, I wrote him a little note, thanking him for how he handled the situation in Casablanca. In the face of some extenuating circumstances, he and his staff did everything possible to tend to the welfare of all of their passengers. I felt it warranted an expression of gratitude.

 

Within a few days, I received a little note back. The gist of the note stated that he was very glad that we made it back on ship and that he really did not like leaving people behind. Then he added a post script stating, "I like your writing on Cruise Critic." Just proving that what is posted on these boards is monitored. Sometimes, in "real time". I am really glad that I learned of this at the end of the cruise, as opposed to the beginning, because the knowledge that my postings were being read by shipboard personnel, most notably the Captain of the ship, may have skewed my writing. (Though it is nice to know that a couple of people read the blog:))

 

So with all of that said, here are my final thoughts:

 

I thought this ship was understated and lovely. It was also spotless. No matter where I looked, there was something being done to maintain the original integrity of the vessel. I want to send a special shout-out here to Armando- who supervises 800 of the 900 crew. Much of this is due to the fact that Armando really loves this ship and cares about her appearance. I want to send a second shout-out to the crew who maintain the exterior of the ship. As I marched around the Promenade Deck for hours at a time, I observed a small crew committing acts of painting, varnishing, and polishing. The ships was as lovely on the outside as it was elegant on the inside. Well done!

 

 

The crew of the ship were so cheerful and personable. It seemed as though they really wanted their passengers to have a wonderful cruise. There was much smiling and greeting. There was only one person who was less than gracious, and I believe that he was overwhelmed. Fortunately, I only encountered him one time on the cruise, so I believe his was just filling in for someone else.

 

 

The entertainment was top-notch. And I don't say that lightly. I would rather have a root canal without the benefit of anesthesia that sit through most cruise ship performances, but NCL has really put together some great acts. Making it to the shows on time became a priority!

 

 

Our accommodations were fabulous, and comfortable. We loved the suite and will find it hard to return to a standard stateroom (but we will suffer, in the name of cruising).

 

 

The concierge, butler, and room steward were marvelous! I will say that I sent a list of 20 items 3 days prior to the cruise, and they did everything possible to address all of our "wishes". And they did it with a smile. As a matter of fact, these were some of the smiliest people I met. A huge shout out goes to Eric for all of the towel animals (a veritable zoo) and the birthday decorations.

 

 

The specialty restaurants were wonderful. The food was delicious and well prepared. The service was even. The waitstaff were accommodating. The price was reasonable. When sailing on NCL again, I will purchase the dining package.

 

 

Sadly, I cannot say the same for either of the standard dining rooms. The food was not hot (sometimes, not even warm). The service was not even or well-paced. The waitstaff were literally running but the meals would take so long. (I wrote in an earlier post that it took an hour and 15 minutes for soup and salad). I think this is one of the downfalls of the Freestyle cruising movement. On other cruise lines, we always partake in traditional dining. We get to know our waitstaff and they get to know us. This seems to expedite the service. I wish NCL would offer this as an option.

 

Finally, I would like to thank the Captain and his staff. They sailed us through some very challenging waters, and had to some very difficult decisions due to situations beyond their control. I was very impressed with them.

 

 

I loved this cruise and would do it again in a hot second. Both my mother and I had a terrific time aboard the enchanting Spirit.

 

Thanks for coming along!

Tracie-Lynn:)

 

Fantastic blog Tracie-Lynn!! So enjoyed reading it!! We're off on the Spirit in two weeks - our third cruise on her in a year!! We just LOVE it!! As you so rightly say, the crew are simply wonderful - they are such happy, smiley, helpful people. Have a wonderful time n your next adventure and ----please keep blogging!!

[buckeye82]

Hi Tracie!

 

Just wanted to ask you about your shore excursion to Marakech. My husband and I would like to do something other than visit Casablanca. I know that your trip back to the ship was a little nerve wracking (but with a happy ending!). Other than that, did you think the visit was worth the long drive? How long did it take? Thanks!

[mypleasure]

Oooh sorry

 

I suppose because I never got charged a penny in VAT I assumed that was the case. I must have just not bought a drink while the ship was leaving Barcelona, and I was no longer on board when it left Malaga.

[xenagurl]

Great review a truly enjoyable read. Thanks! :)

[TracieABD]

Hi Tracie!

 

Just wanted to ask you about your shore excursion to Marakech. My husband and I would like to do something other than visit Casablanca. I know that your trip back to the ship was a little nerve wracking (but with a happy ending!). Other than that, did you think the visit was worth the long drive? How long did it take? Thanks!

 

In spite of the crazy (and somewhat harrowing) circumstances, I would do this again.

 

But I have also learned from this experience. If and when I get to go on another cruise, and if I book private excursions, I am going to create a print out for each of my private excursions on a piece of paper and leave one copy on the coffee table or bed and one copy in the safe. The paper would say something to the tune of , "Port: Casablanca. Date: January 17th. We are on a private tour with Oscar C. to Marrakech. The tour operator's phone number is... The address is.... The emergency contact is..."

 

I also will care the daily schedule that has the Port Agent's information.

 

I know it sounds neurotic, but if I had done this one little thing (just printed from a spreadsheet that I already created), I would have saved a number of people a fair degree of angst.

[buckeye82]

In spite of the crazy (and somewhat harrowing) circumstances, I would do this again.

 

But I have also learned from this experience. If and when I get to go on another cruise, and if I book private excursions, I am going to create a print out for each of my private excursions on a piece of paper and leave one copy on the coffee table or bed and one copy in the safe. The paper would say something to the tune of , "Port: Casablanca. Date: January 17th. We are on a private tour with Oscar C. to Marrakech. The tour operator's phone number is... The address is.... The emergency contact is..."

 

I also will care the daily schedule that has the Port Agent's information.

 

I know it sounds neurotic, but if I had done this one little thing (just printed from a spreadsheet that I already created), I would have saved a number of people a fair degree of angst.

 

 

I think it was a couple of cruises ago that I finally realized that the Port Agent's info. was not going to do much good sitting in my cabin while I was off the ship. So I started tucking it into my purse or backpack. You just never know.

[CarolinaMamma]

Thank you so much, GG. The cruise was a gift, and I did have a moment or two in which I wondered if I would enjoy NCL. I just loved this ship, the crew and staff, and the ports. (The suite did not hurt either--- so worth it!)

 

As I stated earlier, my only criticism was the main dining room. If I knew then what I know now, I would have purchased the Ultimate Dining Package for $149 and skipped the MDR all together. The specialty restaurants were great!

I will be so jealous when you board on February 11th (I think). I hope you have as wonderful time as I did.

 

Bon voyage!

Tracie-Lynn

 

Thanks so much for the review. This helped push me over the fence to buy the dining package on our March 28 Spirit cruise. I just have to figure out how they handle children on that dining package and whether they are full price.

[TracieABD]

Thanks so much for the review. This helped push me over the fence to buy the dining package on our March 28 Spirit cruise. I just have to figure out how they handle children on that dining package and whether they are full price.

 

How did your cruise go? Did you love the Spirit?

[globalhoneymooning]

Tracie, thanks for posting this wonderful blog! I'm headed on the Spirit this November on the same itinerary you did in January and was wondering if you recall how long the ride was from Casablanca to Marakkech? I had read there was a new highway so does it still take 4 hours?

 

We typically do private tours too but considering the distance and potential weather issues, we're doing this one with NCL. We're also traveling with 4 small children so we definitely don't want to chance it. Thanks.

[RNRcruisers]

Hi Tracie-I just discovered your wonderful live from the Spirit. My husband and I are considering that cruise for next January but hesitated because our only other NCL cruise was not a success. Our last one on Princess was our favorite and I see you have been on quite a few Princess cruises. Did they compare favorably? We aren't very picky (it's hard for me to find things I don't like about a cruise!) but enjoy areas to relax and people watch and have an evening drink and those were missing on our last NCL cruise. Also, how was the weather? Sounds like it was cool but sunny? The itinerary is very tempting.

 

Thank you so much for posting this. I really enjoyed reading it!

[TracieABD]

Tracie, thanks for posting this wonderful blog! I'm headed on the Spirit this November on the same itinerary you did in January and was wondering if you recall how long the ride was from Casablanca to Marakkech? I had read there was a new highway so does it still take 4 hours?

 

We typically do private tours too but considering the distance and potential weather issues, we're doing this one with NCL. We're also traveling with 4 small children so we definitely don't want to chance it. Thanks.

 

Thank you so much for your kind words. I love the Spirit so much, I am headed back to her in early November.

It was about 3 to 3.5 hours each way to Marakkech. In hindsight, I would probably book a ship's tour for this trip. We were able to take the new highway, and it was a very smooth ride. I think you are making a wise choice. On our cruise, the ship's tour looked to have have about 20 people on it which is a pretty managable number.

[TracieABD]

Hi Tracie-I just discovered your wonderful live from the Spirit. My husband and I are considering that cruise for next January but hesitated because our only other NCL cruise was not a success. Our last one on Princess was our favorite and I see you have been on quite a few Princess cruises. Did they compare favorably? We aren't very picky (it's hard for me to find things I don't like about a cruise!) but enjoy areas to relax and people watch and have an evening drink and those were missing on our last NCL cruise. Also, how was the weather? Sounds like it was cool but sunny? The itinerary is very tempting.

 

Thank you so much for posting this. I really enjoyed reading it!

 

The Spirit is a very unique ship in the NCL line. It is smaller and was built for an Asian market. There are places to sit and enjoy a beverage in their atrium, but there are not a lot of venues for this. I absolutely loved the ship. Our suite was the nicest stateroom that I have ever had. ( I recently had a suite on the Grand and while it was lovely, it did not compare with the suites on the Spirit).

 

The weather was pretty nice. We did get some rain in the evening of Casablanca and it was cold in Granada/ Malaga (bring a coat). Otherwise, it was sweater weather.

[shukapaw]

Hi Tracie,

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to write this excellent account of your NCL Spirit experience. I enjoyed reading it and marvel at your willpower in regards to food (quantities) on a cruise.

 

I thought it was quite interesting that the captain was "monitoring" your progress during the trip. Who does he think he is? The NSA?? ;)

 

We are scheduled to sail on the Spirit next June for 12 days in the Mediterranean. This ship seems to have less written about it than most others so yours was most appreciated.

 

I was a bit dismayed to read your comment in regards to the MDR food. You have written a very objective review and obviously do not have an axe to grind. In general, it seems that there are more complaints about the food in the NCL boards than on others. This has me a bit worried. I certainly do not want to purchase the UDP out of fear of the MDR food. We have always been quite satisfied with eating in the MDR on both Carnival and Princess and were hoping to continue that tradition on NCL. Maybe the Spirit was not the ship to select for our first experience with NCL. However, it was the ship with the itinerary that fit our scheduling needs.

 

 

Once again, thanks for the excellent write-up. I see you just returned from a trip to our home state of Alaska. Hope you had a great time.

 

Brian

Edited August 2, 2014 by shukapaw