Spirit Review - 3/19/06 - Fresh from the trip!

[wardline]

My partner and I just returned from a 7-night cruise to Florida and the Bahamas, sailing on the Norwegian Spirit on Sunday, March 19 out of New York City. Being the review geek that I am, I had read just about every review out there on the Spirit and I was a little hesitant about what to expect. I am happy to report that we were very favorably impressed. The ship, staff, cabin, and cuisine all exceeded our expectations. We will definitely sail on NCL again!

 

Background

 

I am 28 and have sailed on a number of cruises, including Sitmar (Fairwind), Wind Star (Wind Star and Wind Song), Renaissance (Renaissance III), Holland America (Westerdam), Celebrity (Century), and Cunard (Caronia). My partner is 23 and has only every sailed on the Caronia, an experience he likened to one of the last circles of hell. He’s not a trussed-up-in-a-tux kind of guy (like me), so in retrospect I probably should have guessed that an inside cabin on a smaller, older, formal ship was not—to use an appropriate term for the ship—his “cup of tea.” I say that because our fellow passengers had seemingly been recruited en masse from a British nursing home. Tea at 4:00 was like wading through a gleaming, surging, endless sea of walkers. To make matters worse, we were on one of the Caronia’s last voyages with Cunard and the ship’s staff had been picked over for service on the new Queen Mary 2, which apparently meant that only the mute or deeply unhappy were left on board. Being a ship buff, I took it in stride and spent my time admiring things like the teak rails and gravity davits. My partner, unimpressed by gravity davits, spent his time swearing and muttering under his breath. In short, he had sworn off cruising and this NCL cruise was my last, best, most desperate attempt to show him the exact opposite of what we had experienced: freestyle cruising. THANK THE STARS FOR FREESTYLE CRUISING. It turned the last tattered shred of hope I had into future cruises for both of us!

 

Embarkation

 

In order to prevent repetition, I’ll try to only hit the most pertinent points and/or new information not included on other reviews. First, embarkation went very well. We arrived at Pier 88 at 11:30 a.m. and were seated in the terminal. In about 20 minutes, boarding began—a LOT earlier than advertised. In fact, we were on board by 12:15 p.m. and enjoying a glass of wine in our stateroom… 45 minutes before we were supposed to board! The boarding process was a bit chaotic but very, very quick.

 

The Spirit

 

In terms of a physical description of the interiors of the ship, I was expecting garish, Carnival-esque colors and furniture. I was expecting neon flamingoes and harlequin diamonds. Fortunately, I was way off base on this. The Spirit boasts understated, traditional interiors in her public rooms that in some areas rival some of the better Celebrity and Holland America ships. There is a lot of faux wood throughout, with some deco-inspired furniture (especially in Champagne Charlie’s), gilt railings, and elegant ironwork. The smoking room, library, and card rooms are lovely spaces—very traditional and comfortable—and the main dining rooms are elegant without being overbearing. Le Bistro is one of the loveliest rooms I’ve dined in at sea… a must, and well worth the extra cover charge. I really wasn’t disappointed in any area. The pool is very classic looking, complete with Grecian statuary, fountains, columns, and pergolas, and Maharini’s night club is very, very hip. Overall, the ship gave me the impression of being well-maintained and effortlessly classy—not overdone or ostentatious, and still comfortable enough to make you feel at home. In short, it was a great place to call home for seven days.

 

Our Stateroom

 

OK, so the colors in the staterooms were a little over the top, but they are not as ungodly awful as some reviews will lead you to believe. The bed was very comfortable (whew!— I was worried), the balcony was roomier than I expected. There was ample space in our room for two people and the contents of four suitcases (yes, four). Our cabin, 11518 on Deck 11, was located just off the forward stairwell but still protected from noise in the lobby by a corridor wall. I highly recommend its location: very close to the gym, pool, and forward public rooms on Deck 12. Our steward and stewardess, Leonardo and Anita, kept the room in great shape and left the ubiquitous towel animals on our bed every night. These animals were cute for the most part, but on one night the towel-dog appeared to be mooning us—the dirty little pup— and the next night we were shocked to find a “cobra” on the bed. I use quotes because frankly it appeared to be something else that can be likened to a snake but is in fact something quite different. Catch my drift? Now imagine one made entirely of terrycloth greeting you near your pillow. Shocking. ;)

 

The Cuisine

 

The food was better than I expected across the board, though it seemed the appetizers and soups consistently outshone the entrees in the main dining rooms. The specialty restaurants are well worth it—enhanced service (though all the service was good), quieter dining rooms, less engine vibration, and excellent cuisine. Le Bistro was our favorite, followed closely by Shogun. Take advantage of the 50% off specials for 5:30 and 6:00 seatings advertised in the Freestyle Daily newsletter, or ask about these when you board. Make your reservations quickly, too. We made ours the minute we boarded and were glad we did. The specialty restaurants book up. (Also— the sushi in Shogun is a la carte at $2.00 or $3.00 extra per roll, but worth it).

 

Raffles was nowhere near as bad as some reviews would lead you to believe… it was the least impressive of course, but then again, it’s just a buffet. It’s not meant to compete with the other restaurants. Raffles always offered a good salad bar at lunch, which was a welcome change from some of the heavy food offered in the dining rooms as the week wore on.

 

Kids & Families

 

The kids facilities make you wish you were 10 again. All the kids seemed to be having a blast, and the location of the children’s pool was perfect—they had their own area that was family-friendly without being intrusive for passengers who wanted to relax in the (relative) peace and quiet of the amidships area.

 

The Itinerary

 

The itinerary was not why we chose the cruise, but we were actually impressed—probably because we did not have our hopes up. At Port Canaveral, we went to historic Cocoa Village, a town inhabited exclusively by elderly smokers. It was very, very low-key… antique shops, cafes, a bookshop with a militant historian with a hatred fro cruise ship passengers, etc. It was pleasant and great for strolling, but not a very exciting stop. If slow and relaxing is what you’re looking for, check it out. If not, and you’re avoiding the bustle of Orlando and the JFK Space Center, go to Cocoa Beach. Either way, definitely sign up for the ship’s shuttle. It is actually a better deal than taking a cab.

 

Miami’s Art Deco district, South Beach, and shopping on Lincoln Road was a lot of fun (again, low-key). Take a taxi if you want to go directly to the beach—it was about $35 R/T. It’s hard not to order a good meal in South Beach, so definitely stop somewhere for lunch—Lincoln Road cafes are cheaper than those on Ocean Drive, and just as good.

And be sure to people watch! Wow—what a broad range Miami brings together! I did my part by adding the shockingly pale out of shape white guy to the mix.

 

Great Stirrup Cay was a lot of fun, mostly because we avoided the crowd at Bertram Cove’s beach. This beach is not made of sand. It is made of human skin packed so tightly you can actually walk across the crowd. Here’s a great tip, however: when you’re facing the barbeque hut (i.e., inland), walk to your right and follow the volcanic rock along the ocean for about 300 yards. You’ll eventually go around a point and come upon a beach nearly as large as the crowded beach but with NO ONE ON IT. It was great! And the snorkeling was amazing… there are huge shells galore, and a coral wall 30 feet out that was home to a large collection of fish and at least one eel. Be warned, though—be sure to wear good shoes or sandals, because climbing the rocks to get to this beach can be treacherous. They are very sharp, so tread carefully. It’s well worth it! (NOTE: After bragging about our exclusive snorkeling adventure back onboard, we discovered that the reason no one else was snorkeling there was because there were no shark nets around the cove. So we could have been eaten. So live and learn. It’s still worth a trip, I say.)

 

Nassau was our least favorite port, in part because it rained, and in part because we had so little time there. Shopping in Nassau is nearly identical to shopping in Miami, except the liquor is cheaper. There were four other ships there when we were there so the town was crawling with cruise ship tourists. One guy had on a shirt which expressed the poetic sentiment “100% Redneck.” Hmm. Lovely. On a positive note, I did not feel as harassed by the local cab drivers as I have before. This might be because it was too early for them, though.

 

Overall, we enjoyed the stops. The weather was consistently around 80 degrees Fahrenheit after the first day at sea, and the seas were pretty smooth—though this was not the case on the way home. The Spirit was pitching and heaving quite a bit in the swells, but overall she handled very well and our fellow passengers seemed determined not to let the waves inhibit their alcohol consumption. In some ways, I thing the rolling of the ship actually counteracted their stumbling. I know because I was one of them.

 

General Tips

 

In conclusion, here are some tips you should know before you cruise:

 

Try to arrive at the pier (88, 89, or 90, depending on availability) around 11:30 or 12:00. They will let you board early, if you want to maximize your time on board.

 

Order flowers to your room. At $20, the NCL “Harmony” bouquet is a steal and the scent is always very nice. The flowers stay fresh all voyage long and add a nice touch to the room.

 

NCL will check most bottles—even shampoo bottles—for alcohol. There are still ways to bring it on, however, so be creative.

 

Your luggage might not arrive at your cabin until 5:00 or later, so if you make early reservations the first night out at one of the specialty restaurants, keep this in mind. No shorts or ripped jeans are allowed in any of the dining rooms.

 

Men: pack khakis or slacks. I wish I had more. Almost everyone on board wore them to dinner every night. Polo shirts etc. are a good idea too.

 

Find Elizabeth Santiago from the Phillipines and keep her as your server. She is great—very friendly, always goes above and beyond. She is a real asset to NCL! (Tell her Michael & Austin from Kentucky say hello, too!)

 

Order NCL robes to your room. Any passenger can get them if they call.

 

Plan on dining at 8:00 in the main restaurants, if possible—you’ll never have a wait! They only get crowded between 6:00-7:30.

 

The room service pizza makes a great midnight snack. They’re very good!

 

Enjoy the people on board! We met some great friends—passengers and staff alike. Maharini’s is a great club to meet people and really gets going after 11:00… good music, too! The dance floor was packed on most nights.

 

 

 

The Final Word:

 

Not sure about cruising? NCL will convince you. This cruise is a great opportunity to ease into the cruise ship experience at your own pace. It turned my partner into a cruise enthusiast—a semi-miraculous feat, given his earlier experience.

 

In fact, this cruise beat most of my other cruises—and definitely blew Cunard out of the water. If you’re willing to dine late or make reservations, you should have no trouble with freestyle cruising. It’s perfect for laid back, casual folks—and the Spirit is a great ship to do it in. She’s classy, fun, and just the right size… with a great crew that seemed happy and eager to please. Great job, NCL! We’ll definitely be back!

[travelmoxie]

What a great review and a great sense of humour. I laughed out loud at your Cocoa Beach being inhabited exclusively by elderly smokers comment. Makes me wish you two were booked on my sailing on the Spirit this November.

 

I'd love to read Part II if you have anything more to add.

 

gayle :D

[maurick]

Great review. thanks for sharing. Was lobster night on Friday in the main dining room? Did you eat at the Blue Lagoon? How was the shows? Thanks again.

[hersheycat]

 

Thanks for the great review. I am curious about the 1/2 price specials in the restaurants. I was under the impression that they had done away with this, and am happy to hear if they are offering it again. Please tell me which nights they had them.

[electricron]

Wow! Looks like you had a great cruise aboard the Spirit.

 

The :eek: D R A G O N :eek: is smilling!

[IWORK2CRUISE]

.

 

Find Elizabeth Santiago from the Phillipines and keep her as your server. She is great—very friendly, always goes above and beyond. She is a real asset to NCL! (Tell her Michael & Austin from Kentucky say hello, too!)

We Were on the Spirit he week before you and foun Elizabeth on night 6. What a lovely person! Her husband is on the Dawn.

Very nice review.

[IWORK2CRUISE]

Raffles was nowhere near as bad as some reviews would lead you to believe… it was the least impressive of course, but then again, it’s just a buffet

 

Raffles isn;t really "just a buffet." Did you try the made to order stir fry? Quite good!

 

Find Elizabeth Santiago from the Phillipines and keep her as your server. She is great—very friendly, always goes above and beyond. She is a real asset to NCL!

 

She was a realy nice person to meet. Too bad we did not meet her earlier than night 6.

[intrepid_guy]

Michael & Austin from Kentucky -

 

What a great review!! It really rang true with my and my partners "sensibilities" ;)

 

Glad you had such a good time on the SPIRIT, we too loved the SPIRIT, but back in Jan/Feb. Hope you keep sailing with NCL, and I hope to be on board with you some day... you seem like good people!!

 

 

~Intrepid

[logcabin]

Michael and Austin: Thanks for the great review! Well writen and detailed. We are sailing on the Spirit in July and can't wait. Thank you.

[snorklinbarb]

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the very interesting and detailed review. It makes me want our 5/20 Spirit trip to come even earlier! We've also been on Windstar twice, but never on Cunard, and it was nice to see your comparisons.

 

We'll be on the lookout for Eliz. S. and hope she's still onboard in May.

 

How did you like the CD, staff & entertainment? Any standouts?

 

Gotta love those towel animals! Did you get a monkey as well?:D

 

Sounds to me like you and Austin would adore the Jewel. Or maybe one of the new ships like the Gem out of New York?

 

Happy sails!

[Maryfrei]

These animals were cute for the most part, but on one night the towel-dog appeared to be mooning us—the dirty little pup— and the next night we were shocked to find a “cobra” on the bed. I use quotes because frankly it appeared to be something else that can be likened to a snake but is in fact something quite different. Catch my drift? Now imagine one made entirely of terrycloth greeting you near your pillow. Shocking. ;)

 

ROFL:D

[Nic'sMama]

Hi Michael,

Thanks so much for the well-written review, full of good tips for those of us traveling on the Spirit in the future. Did you do the Teppanyaki dinner? If so, do you think it would be appropriate to bring a well-behaved toddler to that?

 

Thanks again for the great review. Do you have any pictures online you want to share?

[1sttimecruiserlady]

Thanks for the great review. My family and I are booked for the July 16th cruise on the Spirit. It will be our first cruise. I know by your review that we will have a great time and I can't wait. I am counting the days.

I am so happy that you two had a wonderful time.

 

Lady

[mush71]

Thank You for the great reveiw. We are going on the Spirit in August and it is our first cruise. My husband has issues with boats and is going on the cruise only because he knows I have always wanted to go on one. Hearing that your partner was not a crusie enthusiast and loved this cruise is giving me a little more hope that my husband will maybe like to go on cruises.

[wardline]

Wow! Thanks for the feedback! I’m happy to see that the review is helpful. I’ll try to respond to the individual questions one at a time… here goes:

 

Maurick— yes, the lobster dinner was on Friday night. We ate in Windows that night and Austin ordered the lobster (I’m not a big fan). He had good things to say about it, overall, but thought it might have been cooked a bit too long. Mind you, this is a man who works in special events for a living and eats a lot of meals catered by very fine restaurants (let’s face it, he’s a food snob... he actually used the phrase "I adore escargot!" on the cruise, prompting me to throw a fork at him) so this slighty negative report was actually very, very good. From my perspective, the lobster tail was a good size—not too small—and the presentation of this dish, as with all the others, was superb.

 

Hersheycat— there were several nights that offered the 50% discount in the specialty restaurants, though it was offered for 5:30 and 6:00 seatings only. All the restaurants were 50% off the first and second night and the last night, and I know Shogun was 50% off on the Great Stirrup Cay and Miami nights. I’m not sure about the other restaurants. It is a steal and well worth eating a bit early!

 

IWORK2CRUISE— Yes, Elizabeth is a gem. She was funny, personable, and had an almost superhuman ability to remember names and information about people after only briefly meeting them days before. She also taught us a few dirty words in her native language... is that service, or what? I miss her! And yes, you rightly point out that Raffles is more than a buffet… I should clarify that we utilized it as just a buffet, meaning we picked at things here and there between stuffing ourselves in the main restaurants. For that, it was ideal.

 

intrepid_guy— Thanks for your comments! I hope to run into you guys as well. We will definitely cruise again soon and are already looking at the Sun’s Western Caribbean itineraries in early December. Any thoughts on Mexico at that time of year?

 

snorklin’barb— Julie was our cruise director. We thought she was just okay… a little plastic and forced sometimes: "Cruise Director Barbie." I spoke with her one evening and a person near me mentioned how tiring it must be to do her job. She replied “It’s a lot of fun, you meet so many people, blah blah blah…” which would have been endearing had I not overheard her saying the SAME EXACT THING WORD FOR WORD the day before to an older lady on deck. I can’t blame her, really, because I’m sure you get that question a lot, but I say the sign of a good cruise director is to appear as if you are not reading off an index card. Maybe I’m being too harsh. As for the entertainment, I really only went to see the Second City improv productions which were very funny. (What? Gay men not into show tune productions? Yes, that's us.) However, I should mention that because improv depends so much on the audience, I could see how it might flop on some cruises. We really enjoyed it on ours. The “Choppy Waters” number was especially funny… check it out at the first show they put on.

 

Nic’smama— I would think the Teppanyaki room would be fine for a well-behaved child, especially since there’s so much visual stimulation to keep them occupied. I didn’t eat there, but it looked very lively.

 

To everyone else, thanks for responding! For those of you who have booked future cruises, you’ll love the Spirit! I think approaching it with a positive attitude is the most important thing.

 

ONE LAST THING… don’t forget to ask about the ghosts onboard! Yes, apparently the Spirit has spirits. There are two the crew told us about (after some heavy duty prying), a suicide and a murder victim. One apparently makes occasional appearances in Shogun. OK, ther's more details but that’s all I’m going to say!!! Definitely ask, if you’re interested in a little nautical spookiness. Ghost-hunting makes the cruise a little more intriguing.

 

ANOTHER LAST THING... just thought of this one. If you have a balconey cabin, snag one of the blue woolen steamer blankets from the promade deck and keep it out on the balconey. It's great to have around at night when it can be a little windier. But be careful... they wash the balconies when you're in port, so it might get drenched!

[xProfessor MA]

Brilliant review...........only wish you two were traveling with my partner (of 25 years) and I on the Magesty's repositioning cruise in April.....this will be our third cruise with NCL, and we cannot wait....we are non-athletic, slightly older, anti-musical theater, and glaringly white girls from New England. We've found NCL to be incredibly friendly. Great review.

[intrepid_guy]

intrepid_guy— Thanks for your comments! I hope to run into you guys as well. We will definitely cruise again soon and are already looking at the Sun’s Western Caribbean itineraries in early December. Any thoughts on Mexico at that time of year?

 

I haven't been to Mexico in December, but I was there in February (05) and the weather could not have been better... I imagine it will be great in December too. We went to Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios on that trip and it was a blast, even if we were on Carnival... :rolleyes:

 

~Intrepid

[lolo105]

My husband and I were also on this cruise. We had a awesome time. I have to agree with wardline's and Mike's reviews. The food was very good at the specialty restaurants, but also Garden (free). Each dish had beautiful presentation. Although, we are not buffet lovers, we found that we ate at Raffles for some breakfasts (great made to order omelets and waffles). We also enjoyed some lunches at Raffles - made to order stir fry, great salad bar, rotissary chicken and pasta bar. We ordered room service each morning for a pot of coffee, fresh fruit, and muffins. It was always delivered promptly with a phone call anouncing its arrival. We, too, enjoyed our balcony and would recommend it to other cruisers. Our room steward was excellent. Always, fresh ice, plenty of towels, and the pets left on the bed at night. We enjoyed the ports, but also enjoyed staying on the boat for pool time. We attended several shows at night, and found them entertaining. From earlier negative reports, I believe that NCL has done an incredible job fixing many issues. From the moment we left NYC to the moment we returned, we had a MARVELOUS time. I can't wait to book my next cruise! I am truly envious of you all who have future bookings.

[intrepid_guy]

Thanks lolo! Great review!

 

~Intrepid

[coka]

Excellent review! I loved it! I just booked the Spirit today! Leaving on 4/23! Knew very little about the ship in general and now I am excited to go. Thank you for taking the time to write it!

Coka

[cuccicruisers]

Thanks for the review...we are leaving in a few days so I am beside myself.

 

Reading everything to dh who is reacting with uh huh, yeah, sounds good...I think he's half asleep.....I can't settle down and he's in a coma!

 

Thank goodness I have the boards !!! Glad you had a wonderful time....and ghosts intriguing :rolleyes:

[D+D]

Thanks for the very insightful review. While I wasn’t really worried over the many negative reviews I had read about the Spirit (I am a firm believer that the enjoyment of a cruise is not just in what the ship provides but in what the cruiser makes of it) - I was a bit concerned. The positive vibes throughout this review and subsequent replies has once again restored my enthusiasm (and anticipation) for our Sept cruise to its former high level. THANKS!

 

D+D

[lah]

Thanks for the great review. I leave on the Spirit in about a week and a half. I loved reading your review. It makes it all seem real.

 

Lisa

[CruisinKat]

GREAT REVIEW! THANKS!

 

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[ROGER CT]

Thanks so much for the great review...

 

Was there any happy hours or drink deals ??;)

 

Sail out on her soon ( SPIRIT)

 

sail on