Anybody sail on NCL Sky recently?

[RunBikeCruiseDC]

My husband and I were looking forward to a cruise in April when we both got Covid and had to cancel.    We booked that cruise as that was the best time for us to get away due to building a new home, work and other adult obligations.  We don't see us being able to take a full week off anytime soon but we might be able to squeeze a quick 3-4 day escape over the next few months with the move and such.  

 

Has anybody been on NCL Sky lately?  What's the vibe of the ship these days?  Capacity?  If not the Sky, what ship/cruise line would you recommend for a 3-4 day cruise?  We're looking at Virgin and Margaritaville at Sea.  Eventually we want to try Celebrity.

[TexasGal]

Thinking of a 4 day cruise in June...have never sailed on Norwegian?   How's the SKY.

[caneschic74]

Just got back today. Ship was full(ish). Most of the staff was nice. Some were clearly very unhappy.
Not a whole lot to do unless you want to gamble. The shows were meh, comedian good. Cagneys was also good. MDR average. 
Personally, I wish we would have booked on Virgin for a short cruise like this. 
We won’t be back on the Sky. 

I was really looking forward to this sailing and was quite disappointed. We will likely try the Encore again for longer trips. 

[phillygwm]

I was on the Sky the weekend of August 5.  I was mostly underwhelmed.  The first thing to remember is it's not your typical cruise.  A lot of drunks, which I suppose is to be expected on a weekend excursion.  Nobody is there for the destination (we missed GSC so it was just Nassau.)  Just eating and drinking.

 

The specialty restaurants were the highlight:  I ate in Cagney's twice and Le Bistro once.  No complaints.  Good service, good food.

 

I did not love most of the bars; there just wasn't the variety you'd find on a larger ship and most of them were loud for my taste.  Sometimes difficult to get service.

 

I was also disappointed in the casino:  too smoky and no higher limit tables, which meant if I wanted to play blackjack it was amateur night.  Actually, there was a $50 table but it was usually reserved for the blackjack tournament so it was unavailable.  So I mostly stuck to slots.

 

Staff generally wasn't what I've come to expect on past cruises.  Maybe part of that is the length of the cruise.  You get to know people a bit over a week, you don't over a three day booze cruise.  I'd asked my steward for distilled water for my CPAP (yes, it was on my special request form but not in my room.)  Didn't receive it until Sunday.  Little things.

 

All in all, it was a weekend on a cruise ship so it could have been worse.  But not what I've come to expect from NCL.  I rated it 3/5 on the survey which was probably generous.

Edited August 17, 2022 by phillygwm

[jtrollin]

Just got off the Sky as well.  I found most the staff to be great and friendly, had an awesome room steward.  The shows were not the best, they did have some good bands perform on night which I thought was the best.  I will say after being on lots of ships I will not go on the Sky again.  Not sure how much of this is COVID vs economy vs staffing or if it is now the new normal on cruising, but the buffet was pretty bad, main dining was OK, but not what is used to be.

 

As others have said, the short cruises are a whole different type of clientele than your longer cruises.  The private island was great and the highlight of the ports (food there was pretty bad except the food truck).  I knew what to expect from Nassau, but was Freeport was pretty bad, port is far from anything and they have a pretty crappy "taxi" system where if you can't fill the bus you either don't go, or pay a premium to get anywhere (and that includes back to the ship).

[JustAPilot]

Shame that we always joke about the Sky being a booze cruise and just laugh it off but in fact it really is just a booze cruise. Are the clientele mostly Florida residents blowing off some steam on the weekends? 

[PTC DAWG]

30 minutes ago, JustAPilot said:

Shame that we always joke about the Sky being a booze cruise and just laugh it off but in fact it really is just a booze cruise. Are the clientele mostly Florida residents blowing off some steam on the weekends? 

Most 3-4 day cruises on NCL/Carnival/Royal are more of a booze cruise for sure.  Just the nature of the beast.  

[phillygwm]

2 hours ago, JustAPilot said:

Shame that we always joke about the Sky being a booze cruise and just laugh it off but in fact it really is just a booze cruise. Are the clientele mostly Florida residents blowing off some steam on the weekends? 

Pretty much.  I flew in from Philly but only because I had a rapidly expiring AA travel credit and needed one point to be Sapphire after my next cruise, so figured this would put me over the top inexpensively.   

 

A bad day on a cruise beats a good day at work, so I was by no means miserable but it just wasn't what you'd be accustomed to on a "traditional" cruise.  

Edited August 17, 2022 by phillygwm

[Beezo]

Interesting to hear - but given the short cruise, yes, completely makes sense to fall under the Booze Cruise category.  My guess given the direction NCL is going they don't want to be in that category but there is clearly a market for it, especially with the ship at near capacity. 

 

Hopefully the onboard experience improves over the coming months.

[phillygwm]

36 minutes ago, Beezo said:

Hopefully the onboard experience improves over the coming months.

My very first cruise, in 2001, was a RCI booze cruise.  It was pretty similar to NCL except, at the time, no open bar package.  I distinctly remember veteran cruisers onboard telling me "Don't view this as a 'typical' cruise!"  Still, I didn't go on another for 10 years.

 

There's nothing remarkable about the Sky; probably the least favorite of any ship I've been on.  And Nassau is Nassau.  I had specific reasons for doing this cruise (see above) so it was OK.  But I wouldn't do it again, until I find myself a point short of Diamond 🤣

Edited August 18, 2022 by phillygwm

[undecided1]

Sorry to hijack the thread but has anyone had experience with week long cruises on the Sky? My husband and I are sailing next month on a 7 night Sky cruise and I am hoping that the 7 night cruises have better reviews. 
 

TIA

[Crown Vic]

3 hours ago, undecided1 said:

Sorry to hijack the thread but has anyone had experience with week long cruises on the Sky? My husband and I are sailing next month on a 7 night Sky cruise and I am hoping that the 7 night cruises have better reviews.

Did a 9 day cruise on the Sky at the end of May. Totally difference from a 3-4 day trip. We were treated royally. Dined in Le Bistro and Cagney plus the buffet. Never made it to the main dining room. Staff were friendly, personable and efficient. Room steward was great. IMO, food was very good. Senior staff were approachable up to and including the Captain. Guests, generally, were well behaved. No overly loud or pushy folks. Would go on the Sky again but not on a short cruise. Enjoy your cruise. Cheers!

[Beezo]

9 hours ago, undecided1 said:

Sorry to hijack the thread but has anyone had experience with week long cruises on the Sky? My husband and I are sailing next month on a 7 night Sky cruise and I am hoping that the 7 night cruises have better reviews. 
 

TIA

I think like others have said, it’s the short cruise market - those looking for a quick getaway to blow off some steam and could care less where the ship goes as long as there is food and booze. I’m sure the crew doesn’t love it either - can only handle so many voyages with those kind of passengers and a twice per week turnover. Nothing against those looking for that kind of trip (guilty!) but it’s a different experience and I wouldn’t anticipate yours being like that. Hope you enjoy your trip and let us know how it goes!

[undecided1]

Thank you for the responses. I will add my thoughts after the cruise.

[phillygwm]

7 hours ago, Beezo said:

I think like others have said, it’s the short cruise market - those looking for a quick getaway to blow off some steam and could care less where the ship goes as long as there is food and booze. I’m sure the crew doesn’t love it either - can only handle so many voyages with those kind of passengers and a twice per week turnover. Nothing against those looking for that kind of trip (guilty!) but it’s a different experience and I wouldn’t anticipate yours being like that. Hope you enjoy your trip and let us know how it goes!

Yes and no.  You're right, the clientele will be a lot different on the longer cruise.  But the ship is the (25+ year old) ship, and I found it lacking compared to the others I've been on.  So it comes down to the reason for your cruise:  If you're there for the destinations and you won't be spending port days onboard, you'll be OK.  But it doesn't have all the specialty restaurants, bars, etc. that the newer ships have and some of those are oddly laid out (i.e. Le Bistro.)  Also, if you're travelling with kids, you won't find as many attractions.

[Twocoasts]

Well, this is a depressing thread. 

 

We are booked on the Thanksgiving week cruise in November. We had credits that were going to expire (both on Norwegian and on United) so our out-of-pocket cost is almost nothing. But I am hoping that it will be a little more calm than a weekend booze cruise. Either way, I don't have to do the Thanksgiving dishes!

[Tudlum]

I am on that same cruise. Had credits to expire as well.. i agree.... no dishes to do. Happy cruising

 

 

[Jennsails]

We just got off of the Sky this morning after a 5 day itinerary and it was just about the perfect length for a small ship like that. We felt it was extremely calm and chill vibe onboard, I did not feel booze cruisey at all. It’s small…really small. But refurbished beautifully and extremely clean. The staff was by far the friendliest I can recall on any ship we’ve ever sailed. Every single person greets you and I felt like they were tripping over themselves to assist and constantly clean at buffet etc. We were really impressed and would 1000% cruise with NCL for our next and we’ve always been Celebrity loyal. Probably would opt for a large ship next and it could be a totally different experience but the Sky felt intimate and quite a nice mix from the big, busy ship. Another plus, almost no kids! Maybe because there isn’t much kid-friendly stuff to do onboard, no slides or water park or really anything but that was great for us! 

[RunBikeCruiseDC]

On 8/18/2022 at 2:22 PM, undecided1 said:

Sorry to hijack the thread but has anyone had experience with week long cruises on the Sky? My husband and I are sailing next month on a 7 night Sky cruise and I am hoping that the 7 night cruises have better reviews. 
 

TIA

I have been on a 7 day cruise on the Sun which is the sister ship.  We enjoyed it but now are a bit spoiled after having so much to do on the Breakaway/Breakaway+ class ships. (We did Star and Sun prior to the Breakaway).

[ChiefMateJRK]

On 8/17/2022 at 1:40 PM, phillygwm said:

needed one point to be Sapphire after my next cruise, so figured this would put me over the top inexpensively.   

Which Sapphire incremental benefit had you so motivated?