NCL Sky 3 day bahama review

[Sinewave4x4]

The wife and I just got back from the 3 day cruise to the bahamas and had a great time. I'm going to start off this review saying we don't exactly fit into the typical "cruiser" demographic. We're more adventurous than most and yearn to get off the beating path. Normally, our vacations involve camping in the middle of forests where there are no people and no bathrooms. I like to think of myself as a Japanese, Yuppie, Redneck.

 

Anyway, our first cruise was with Princess a couple years ago to Alaska, so the outdoorsy thing fit us well. Of course, the yuppie side of me really enjoyed the luxury part of the cruise, so this cruising thing seemed to really satisfy both sides of me.

 

Fast forward to a week ago when we took a plane ride from Phoenix Arizona all the way to Miami.

 

I know, I know, why fly all the way to Florida for a 3 day cruise? Well, I would have loved to catch a west coast cruise, but I grew up in So Cal, went to college an hour north of Santa Barbara, and lived in Norcal so I've lived in pretty much all the stops that the west coast cruises hit. Plus, the wife didn't want to take too much time off of work so a weekend trip helps with time off.

 

So, we ended up staying at the holiday inn. Remember how I said we're not the typical cruisers? Well, I fully intended to walk from the Holiday Inn to the Port of Miami. I scouted it out on google maps and it looks plenty safe, and is only a couple miles walk to the NCL terminal. We travel really light and we each only had 1 travel backpack. Well, the wife wussed out because she said it was too hot and humid, but totally would have done it if it was overcast and the sun wasn't beating down on us.

 

We ended up getting upgraded to the top floor which gave us a fantastic view of the cruise terminals.

 

 

See, it's not that far across that bridge!

 

Anyway, for breakfast, we found a little cafe a couple blocks south of the hotel. It was a great little mom and pop shop where it turns out a lot of the ships staff go to eat. http://sedicicafe.com/

 

 

By the way, that's another quirk of ours, we try to avoid chain restaurants as much as possible. My reasoning is that we can go to appleby's anywhere and get the same food as home. We want to try something different and hopefully find a hidden gem. This place definitely fulfilled that quest and we highly recommend it.

 

After getting breakfast and exploring Bayfront Park a little, we decided to head over to the cruise terminal by taxi. Check in was fast and easy and we were on the ship within 20-30 minutes. I think by this time it was about 1pm. Here's our inside cabin. Yup, that's all the luggage we had. When we were self disembarking, 2 staff members asked us where our luggage was! They were wide eyed when we said we only had our backpacks.

[Sinewave4x4]

Here's the bathroom. This was the only rough area of the cabin, but then I didn't go looking around for hidden damage either. Areas around the door were rusty, and the room had a slight mildew odor, but it was nothing to complain about. However, remember when I said we're used to camping and I'm a redneck...things would have to be pretty bad for me to care, so remember this if you're using this review to judge the Sky.

 

After exploring some of the ship, 5pm rolled around and the sail away party commenced. One of my favorite sayings is that "I hate people", which is an exaggeration and I mostly say to get laughs, but given a choice I'd much rather not be around crowds. However, I was a little surprised that the party wasn't more crowded. On the princess cruise, the top decks were almost shoulder to shoulder and I figured this 3 day bahama cruise would be a party boat. It wasn't that bad at all around the pool.

 

 

Later on, we headed to the theater for bingo only to find that the doors were closed and there was nobody around. A fellow passenger told us we're heading back to Miami because of a medical emergency. It would have been nice if they had put somebody near the doors to inform us, rather than to hear it from another passenger. It turns out, the coast guard came out and picked up the person when we got closer to Miami. The next day, we were chatting with some other passengers and they said there was actually a fight around the pool and that's the reason we went back. We're not sure if somebody actually got hurt or if they just said it was a medical emergency. Anyway, at some point in the evening, I took a stroll to explore.

 

Oh, I forgot to mention that they changed the itinerary because of a storm brewing far away so that we hit GSC first, then hit Nassau. GSC was probably our favorite part of this trip. It was just cool to have free reign over the entire island.

 

Here's a panoramic of the island before we started tendering.

http://antinode.smugmug.com/photos/i-f9PPMSt/0/O/i-f9PPMSt.jpg

 

We signed up for the kayak excursion since I've always wanted to try kayaking. Our tickets said to meet up on the island at 8:10a so that meant no sleeping in for us. We got on the first tender, which turned out to be fortuitous because for about 30 minutes we had the whole island to ourselves. I was free to take pictures with nobody else in the way and didn’t even have to pose for the photographers.

 

 

Edited September 3, 2014 by Sinewave4x4

[Sinewave4x4]

However, the salesmen on the island were pretty pushy. This guy asked me if I needed insurance.

 

 

 

On our kayak trip they took us to a secluded beach about 15 minutes away. There, we handled starfish and they showed us some non-stinging jelly fish.

 

 

We also went on a short walk to another beach, but along the trail was an old military bunker. In the floor, there was a small hole that lead underground.

 

Edited September 3, 2014 by Sinewave4x4

[Sinewave4x4]

After the kayak trip we explored the island a little more. Heading down the beach we quickly got away from the crowds and found ourselves all alone.

 

This is the farthest beach...the Lagoon maybe? There were literally only 4 other people here.

 

So remember how I said we like to get off the beaten path? I really wanted to go to the lighthouse so we found the trail and took off.

 

It was really hot. It was also really isolated. I didn't even see any foot prints on the road so we were the first ones to walk there in a loooooong time. Along the way we came across the Great Stirrup Cay International Airport.

 

We also ran into a lot of iguanas. These guys were all over the place and you could hear them scatter into the brush as we got closer. If you're not used to wildlife, this could be unsettling as you hear them rustling all around you and you think there's some other animal out there that's going to attack you.

 

 

Finally, after quite a bit of walking we finally rounded a corner and came across the lighthouse.

 

Edited September 3, 2014 by Sinewave4x4

[Sinewave4x4]

Surprisingly, the door was wide open and there were no barricades to get in.

 

 

 

I was debating whether to climb the stairs but some of them didn't look like in the best repair so I decided not to. Looking back, I kinda wish I had just so I could say I did it. The lighthouse is an automated system now, complete with solar cells so somebody has to climb those stairs to get up there for maintenance, so it's probably not so bad.

 

Back on the trail, we went a little bit further and got to the end of the road.

 

And back to civilization.

 

Edited September 3, 2014 by Sinewave4x4

[Sinewave4x4]

 

On to the second day.

 

 

Sunrise just as we were arriving to Nassau.

 

 

 

Getting off the ship and into Nassau wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be, based on the Nassau reviews here. Talk of pushy vendors, stinky water, and customs hassles were non-existent. Well, there were vendors there trying to sell everything, but they're easily ignored with a polite "no thanks".

 

Edited September 3, 2014 by Sinewave4x4

[Sinewave4x4]

Again, wanting to get off the beaten path but wary of the travel advisories, we compromised with the Frommers walking tour to the historical places like the queen's staircase. Now, having read the reviews and concerns about Nassau a lot of people say it's fine, just stay in the touristy areas. Well of course the touristy areas are safe, but what about the true cultural areas away from the harley davidsons and gucci's? In this case, we walked a couple blocks away from Bay St toward the queens staircase and immediately got a bad vibe.

 

Keep in mind that I'm not your average cruiser. I'm not law enforcement, but I've had some defensive situational training so I have a higher situational awareness than most people.

 

Anyway, here was a funny sign we saw just before we turned around.

 

After this, I didn't get many pictures of Nassau because the touristy areas are just gift shops and jewelry shops that are the same in every tourist trap. I did find the where they have free wifi!

 

 

 

After sweating up a storm and finding our souvenir T-shirts (my pre-shrunk T-shirt ended up shrinking and is now too small!) we headed back to the ship.

 

 

One last view of the Bahamian Navy. We were trying to catch the pier runners that I've heard so much about, but didn't see any.

 

Well, that concludes the cruise portion of the trip. Here are our thoughts on NCL and the Sky. Remember, that the only comparison we have is to a 7 day princess cruise.

 

Being that this was a quick 3 day trip and also one of the cheapest cruises around, I fully expected this to be a party boat. The wife and I really aren't partiers nor are we drinkers so we prepared ourselves by lowering our expectations. However, we didn't see any of this and were pleasantly surprised.

 

The food was good, but not over the top great. We ate in the main dining rooms all three days and thought it compared to a nice "$30 per dish" restaurant. It would have been nice to have a better variety of desserts from day to day.

 

Breakfast was done at the buffet and again it was decent but not great. It would have been nice to have a day to day variety. Lunches we skipped except for 1 day but all three days were indian food. We love indian food so this was good for us, but a variety would be nice.

 

The presentation of all the food was fantastic, but the flavor quality was only good. Overall, I'd rate the food an 8 out of 10. Princess would be a 9. I'm not sure what a 10 would be, but it would be mind blowing.

 

The ship was also pretty good. I've read some complaints that it's run down, but the only thing I noticed was some rusty spots in the bathroom and a musty smell in the room. Other than that, I thought everything was top notch. Well, I guess there were some places, especially in the more secluded outdoors areas where trash wasn't picked up.

 

Well, like I said, that concludes the cruise portion of the trip, but not the vacation. We disembarked as early as we could because we planned to drive down to key west for a day trip and get back to our hotel in miami later that night.

 

Now, in my planning, I saw somebody here mention that National Rent a Car offers a free shuttle from the port of miami back to the rent a center near the airport. Well, I tried calling the local desk, but they never picked up the phone so I ended up calling the national phone line. They said there was no shuttle. Fully expecting to take a taxi, guess what we saw but a National shuttle ready and waiting for passengers. Grrr...National is going to get an email from me soon. So it seems National and Alamo indeed offer this service.

 

After picking up our car, we hit the road. We stopped at this little seafood restaurant somewhere along the keys. Little did I know that this would be my downfall. It was either the fried shrimp or the coleslaw.

Edited September 3, 2014 by Sinewave4x4

[Sinewave4x4]

 

By the time we made it to key west, I was starting feel a little funny. In the mean time, we made a few stops along the way.

 

 

 

 

After driving around a little, we finally found a Key Deer.

 

 

Finally we made it all the way down to Key West and what did we find there? A Carnival cruise ship. Ducky was impressed.

 

Edited September 3, 2014 by Sinewave4x4

[Sinewave4x4]

 

Of course, what would a visit to the Keys be without trying some key lime pie.

 

 

By this time, it was around 6:30pm and I wasn't feeling so great, even after eating the pie, so the wife drove back. However, this being florida in August, the inevitable evening showers soon kicked in and she was caught in a deluge of biblical proportions. She panicked and I told her to pull into the turn lane and off into a parking lot. We switched and I drove back the rest of the way. The rain was some of the worst I've ever seen (coming from CA and AZ), but luckily it was night time and the reflectors showed me the way. I've been caught in bad rain in Florida before but during the day time and I literally couldn't see past the windshield.

 

We finally made it back to the hotel just north of the miami airport at around 10pm. There's no rest for the weary because we had an 8:30 am flight to catch so we had to prep everything that night. By this time I was feeling a little better, but not great. To make a long story short, we made it home just fine. The wife is still complaining to me about not unpacking everything yet, but I have a good excuse. I had to process photos and write this review!

 

 

Most of my pictures have been posted here, but there are some more here:

[SuiteCruiser]

Great review :) Glad it all went well, and that you're now feeling better! I'll be back on the Sky for the 5th time at the end of the month, it's a great weekend getaway.

[buckirj1]

Great review! The Sky is calling my name, and I loved your photos. It's so nice to see pictures of normal cabins.

[rjm11]

Nice review- thanks! Did you happen to notice if they offered a Chef's Table dinner on the 3 night itinerary?

[scopewest]

Your review is a riot, I'm not big on flying to FL for a short cruise but you've almost convinced me to try it again!

[Bars7816]

Great photos. Thanks.

 

AZ to Miami would be a piece of cake. :D We have to fly from Seattle -- and now apparently, I will have to let the 6'4" guy in front of me recline his seat all the way or risk being thrown overboard! :eek:

[deladypilot]

Thank you so much for letting us share in your Sky cruise. We leave in just a couple week and are so looking forward to just relaxing

[david_sobe]

A+ Fantastic review

The NCL board needs more Sky reviews like this. Since you compared it to a 7 night Princess cruise and turned out surprised how good it was.

I have been on the Sky twice and always had a great time. Too bad you did not do the 4 night since usually they are the same price as the 3 night.

Thanks for posting. There was just a thread the other day concerned about cancelling her Sky cruise because of bad reviews. I hope she comes back to read your review. Real bang for the buck especially booking an inside cabin. You could not get a hotel in Miami for the night for the price you would pay for an inside cabin on Sky. And the Sky would include entertainment and food.

[FireEater]

3 of us enjoyed her for 3 days in April. From service, to food quality, to the friendly crew members. Was a deciding factor to book another NCL cruise next April on her sister ship Sun for 7 days.

Edited September 3, 2014 by FireEater

[Sinewave4x4]

Thanks for the kind words everybody, I'm glad you liked the review. 3 days is definitely too short for a vacation, but oh well, ya make do with what ya got.

 

RJM, I'm not sure what a chef's table dinner is, but that probably means they didn't have it.

 

David, yeah I remember that thread and told her to keep an eye out for my review. Maybe I'll go post a link to it in the other thread.

 

When we were trying to decide on a vacation, we considered flying somewhere and staying in hotels, but yeah, you really can't beat the price of a cheap cruise since it includes food and entertainment.

 

Oh, by the way, the comedian was hilarious.

[Golfgrl1911]

Thank you so much for the wonderful review and pictures! I will be doing my first NCL cruise on the Sky in late October and have not read many reviews on a positive note. Yours was greatly appreciated. Glad you had a good time!

[lovemy3youngens]

@Sinewave4X4,

 

Really enjoyed reading your review of the Sky and seeing the pictures. Thanks for posting!

[candycaramel]

Thanks for the review!

[Skies_of_Blue]

Thank you for your wonderfully-written review! Very enjoyable to read, and excellent photos too!:)

[sunflower47]

Thank you for the wonderful review of the Sky and excellent pictures. It was so enjoyable and refreshing to read such an upbeat review of the Sky. They are few and far between.

 

We are doing the opposite and trying out the Sky as our first cruise before going on an Alaskan cruise next year to see if we like the whole cruising thing. We spent much of our earlier vacation days in the woods tent camping. We wouldn't have seen 1/2 of the places we have if we didn't do that in the earlier days.

[youngestof9]

thanks for the review! I've sailed on NCL's big mamas and am taking the Sky 3-day in December. It's so nice to read a review that doesn't tell me how much it sucks and it's old. LOL! Your pics are gorgeous - love the 7 mile bridge pic. How long did it take you to get to Key West from Miami? We're thinking of spending a week in Marathon after our Getaway trip in July.

 

Thanks for the great review - you really have me excited! The lighthouse on GSC looked cool.

[gbearcruiser]

Thank you for a positive review of the Sky. We are going on the Sky in November, first time on NCL and as another post said it is hard to find many good reviews.

 

I am looking forward to having a great time! I will be on vacation and I will be on a cruise two of my most favorite things to do.