Spirit 5/7/06 Review

[Bobby400]

I have just returned to New York from a week's cruise on the Norwegian Spirit to Cape Kennedy, Miami, an NCL owned island in the Bahamas and Nassau. Any first time cruiser will probably find this trip to be quite lovely but as a cruising veteran as well as a first timer on Norwegian, I have to say that I was entirely underwhelmed.

 

There will be many cruise critics to clue you in on all the daily goings on in detail. Their impressions will vary. I will just give you some of the lowlights.

 

1. No trays in the 12th deck Raffles cafeteria! How about that! Unlike other cruise lines which do have trays available so you can take your salad plate along with your entree, drink and dessert with you to the table, here you are either doing a remarkable juggling act (which would surpass the juggling stage show by the inimitable "Edge") or you would need to leave your tray with someone standing guard while you go back for whatever you couldn't balance on the top of your head. I found this tiresome and irritating.

 

2. For the first 5 days of the cruise, the tap water was absolutely awful. If you could get past the smell, which was just horrendous, God bless you. I found it undrinkable. The last 2 days, however, the water was terrific. Norwegian, evidently, can give you great water if they have a mind to and if you're lucky enough to be on board when the plumbing is working properly. If you're into gambling not just in the casino, you can gamble with the water as well as some of the women's public toilets, which were out of order for nearly the full length of the trip. Happy days!

 

3. Oh, those stage shows! Some pretty fine talent trapped in a sea of nonsense, the worst of which was the Saturday night finale -- a tribute to the U.S.A. Sounds nice, yeah? We-e-e-ellll... The scene opens with singing and dancing native Americans and then blasts forward 300 years to Ellis Island with singing and dancing immigrant Jews, Italians, Irish and Asians all in late 1800's attire -- singing and dancing to that well known late 1800's Neil Diamond tune, "They Come to America."

 

After this, I can't even begin to tell you what the heck was happening on that stage. Strange intergalactic costumes with disco and hip hop and My Country 'Tis of Thee and Heaven knows what. I've never seen such a mess. Perhaps it was a well intended tribute, I'm not quite sure, but it was ghastly. Whoever put these shows together is, indeed, in need of a very long vacation somewhere other than on Norwegian Cruise Lines. Again, the talent was there, but the shows -- not! If you insist on attending the festivities, prepare to drink heavily. You will need all the fortitude you can imbibe.

 

4. Alas, the Norwegian owned tropical isle on which we 'frolicked' will never be photographed for a travel brochure. When you think of an uninhabited tropical isle, do you imagine expansive silky, sandy beaches and palm trees swaying in the breeze? Hmmm. Perhaps a few cool and tranquil thatched huts without walls for those who wish to avoid the sun? This is not that place.

 

When we arrived in our tender from the ship, we were met by choking smoke from the barbecue. You can hardly make out the sandy strip of beach. It is covered with 1500 beach chairs, closely packed and jammed on a small and tired expanse of sand, heavily weighted upon by a sea of humanity in all its fleshy glory. Try wading through all of that to play volleyball with all the smoke and grime hovering all around you.

 

But wait! There are some huts -- made of concrete and spackle -- where you can go to buy all your lovely new Tshirts and nifty shell necklaces. Some neat touristy stuff but not shown to best advantage in these circumstances. The food was fine. The service, as well. Parasailing and snorkeling were wonderful. But it was hardly the idyllic tropical oasis you or I would have imagined. Contrary to being a sight for sore eyes it was, in fact, an eyesore. A whole day was wasted there.

 

5. Nassau, in contrast, was interesting enough. There are tours to take and shops to plunder, forts and museums to visit. We were allotted four hours or so and then it was back to the ship. One wonders why we only had half a day in Nassau and a full day on Norwegian's tropic isle of "Would You Care For Another Overpriced Drink With An Umbrella, Sir?" Hmmm.

 

6. Beware of your coupon booklets! They are not always what they appear to be. The first coupon in the booklet was only good for one of the restaurants on the first night aboard. And only one in your party could use his or her coupon. So the rest of us could not ever use them. Such offers cropped up everywhere. Freebies and discounts were not what they appeared to be. Often they turned out to be only discounts with purchase. Other times, it was bait and switch. For example --

 

Offers for Anne Klein watches at $39 each was tempting. The mall gift shops were full of such offers all week long. The long table full of watches yielded many lovely styles -- but the prices varied from $59 to $99. Where were the $39 watches, we asked? Over on the other end, in the corner. Hmmmm. Not quite the same watches featured in the promotional materials left in our stateroom every single day. And the prices would not have bothered me if I had been told from the beginning what in fact the prices were. I just didn't like being misled every step of the way. By the way, the small, white print, it turned out, did say "from $39." Thanks a lot!

 

The wine tasting and martini tasting were not free as on many other cruise lines. Neither was the hatha yoga class. Several free lectures, one on diet and detox and other such stuff turned out to be come ons for a $30 -- 45 minute mini course which ended with strong recommendations to purchase some very expensive supplements. None of this was mentioned at the start. Surprise!

 

7. Beer became another issue. You could purchase it by the bottle or save some money by purchasing their plastic bucket with maybe six to eight bottles in the bucket. It seemed reasonable to buy the bucket. Only at the end of the cruise did people find out there was a $5 charge on their bill for not returning the plastic bucket (which probably cost Norwegian a nickel.) No one was told they were being charged the $5 extra for the bucket which, more than voided the original saving and certainly everyone would have returned the stupid buckets and did -- once they found out. Would you call that unscrupulous? I would and I did.

 

8. The entertainment was uneven. The juggler was good when he juggled but there was not enough of a repetoire here to sustain a feature length act. He spent much of his time onstage haranguing the audience. Even this was fun for a time -- but just for a time. It grew tedious.

 

The Second City Improvisation troupe was positively dreadful. They had a number of short prepared skits which were alright to pretty good and then everything went to hell when the improv began. These are not untalented people. They are, at best, rank beginners. They may be comics but they don't know improv. What they were doing as a featured act on Norwegian is a mystery to me and an insult, as well.

 

The hypnotist was quite good. Ed Fernandez. The show was great fun and a real surprise in a week where most of the theater entertainment was so weak.

 

In contrast, the bands in the lounge and lobby were fabulous. Their repetoires were huge. The range of styles played were very broad and extensive. The performances were top quality.

 

The staff was wonderful. Just great. Each and every one. But that's it. NCL was a letdown in far too many cheap and tawdry ways.

 

I just wanted you all to know that other cruise lines have more respect for their cruisers. Best to all of you.

[Efisio]

Thanks for sharing that informtion with everyone. Shame you had a bad experience.

I wonder what makes so many people go back to NCL and the Spirit time and time again?

[maurick]

Sorry to hear you had such a dreadful cruise! You must have be bored silly.

 

The private island is small. By no means was it so awful as you said. We were there 4 times and think thats the best port.

 

I guess NCL is not for you.

[kruselady]

We were on the same sailing and we had a great time. I didn't spend my time finding fault but finding a good time. The ship is beautiful and the crew couldn't have been nicer. I was on the Dawn in January and didn't like the new menu's then so we went to Cagney's and the like on the nights the menu's were not to our liking. As for Raffles the previous postings told us about no trays so that was not a surprise. We had no trouble there. I do believe it is to stop taking more than you can eat. We did not go to the private island so no comment. We enjoyed a very quiet ship. Again we ended up in a balcony for a very cheap price and we had a great cruise.

 

Dawn

[GOLDENBONNY]

We were on the same sailing and we had a great time. I didn't spend my time finding fault but finding a good time. The ship is beautiful and the crew couldn't have been nicer. I was on the Dawn in January and didn't like the new menu's then so we went to Cagney's and the like on the nights the menu's were not to our liking. As for Raffles the previous postings told us about no trays so that was not a surprise. We had no trouble there. I do believe it is to stop taking more than you can eat. We did not go to the private island so no comment. We enjoyed a very quiet ship. Again we ended up in a balcony for a very cheap price and we had a great cruise.

 

Dawn

 

You put food on plate not on tray so how can it stop taking you more food???:cool: Its just make you to go more trips:eek:

[GOLDENBONNY]

Thanks for sharing that informtion with everyone. Shame you had a bad experience.

I wonder what makes so many people go back to NCL and the Spirit time and time again?

 

I wonder too:confused:

[Bluedevil]

Wow you must have been soooo happy to return home. :eek:

I guess a "seasoned" cruiser might have done a little more research

into their cruise and cruiseline prior to booking.

No where does it say that wine and martinis are free. Coupon books are pretty self explanitory if you read them thoroughtly. BBQ smoke bothers you? Hmmmmm I'd love to be smelling that aroma right now. Your list was endless: water, trays, shows, time at ports, bbq smoke etc etc etc.

What a bummer for you.;)

[suz1607]

I just had to post! I have been on over 70 cruises, all over the world on almost every major cruise line. All cruise lines and cruises are different and each cruise is what YOU make of it. Those of us that love cruising - the ships and the people realize that. I love the Spirit and will be returning to her in June for a cruise that will be all too short.

[woody2108]

Sorry that you feel this way but like you said ....we were first time cruisers and loved everything (except the runny eggs)

[dongordon]

I just had to post! I have been on over 70 cruises, all over the world on almost every major cruise line. All cruise lines and cruises are different and each cruise is what YOU make of it. Those of us that love cruising - the ships and the people realize that. I love the Spirit and will be returning to her in June for a cruise that will be all too short.

 

Suz,

You are so correct. I might add that people have different views and different likes and dislikes. A perfect example is what many of us see at garage sales...."one person's junk is another's treasure!"

 

I would like to make a few comments on some of Bobby's comments.

IMO, the martini clinic is worth every penny. I paid $10 on the Dawn and I believe it is now $15...no problem for me!

I went to wine tastings on Celebrity and there was a charge each time.

 

Entertainment is viewed so differently by people. If Edge was the juggler the reviewer was referring to, I thought he was terrific, however, my wife did not have the same appreciation for him that I had. That's "show business!"

 

To make a long story short, a review is a person's point of view and not everyone will agree. Let us accept the review as to what it is... a person's opinion and we should not get too defensive about negative comments about NCL and the Spirit. I have viewed enough positive reviews on the Spirit to convince me that I will have a great cruise. July 22nd can't come soon enough for me!

 

Bobby...Thanks for taking the time to provide a review.

 

Don

[archangel919]

hello,

 

I am new to this forum and I wanted to put in my two cents about the Norwegian Spirit.

 

My wife and I just came back from our vacation cruise, 5/7/06-5/14/06. Ports of call-Port Canaveral:) , Miami:) , Great Stir Up Cay:D , and Nassau:) . I must say that we were spoiled silly on this vacation. My wife did not want to come back home. There are so much things to do on and off the ship. The food was exquisite, Shows were expectacular, the warm and welcoming hospitality of the staff and crew were at its best. This is our first vacation cruise so i really can't compare it to other cruises out there, However we are more than satisfied with the overall experience on this cruise. We are now saving for our next trip to hawaii and hopefully get on a ship as great as the Norwegian Spirit.

 

This post is short. I will put up another post in the near future with pictures from my H1. Stay tuned and happy cruising.

 

Mike (NYC):cool:

[Bobby400]

Wow so much feedback. To clarify I certainly didn't go on a cruise to find fault..fault found me. This was my seventh cruise..my other cruises are Alaska on Royal Caribbean Rhapsody, Western Caribbean on the Carnival Paradise, Norway on the Celebrity Constellation, Southern Caribbean on the Carnival Destiny, Mediterannian on The Celebrity Galaxy , exotic Caribbean on the Carnival Valor and on July 2nd I hope to enjoy my Greek Island tour on Splendor of the Seas. So Norwegian was my forth cruise line.

 

While there are certainly differences between the three other cruise lines, I never felt that I was being nickel and dimed the way I was on Norwegian. That being said I received a great value. I paid $520 for a seven day cruise and you can not stay in a Red Roof in for $74 dollars a day. Also I subscribe to the theory that cruising is the best value on the planet and the worst day cruising is still better than the best day on land.

 

I have also found the cruise critic board to be an invaluable asset. I use it to find the best cave tubing excursions in Belize or a private driver in Santorini. I have met others prior to my cruises and organized small group tours at reduced rates. Cruise Critc boards have saved me a fortune an perhaps saved me from bad experiences. I have learned much from other peoples travels and I thank you all.

 

That being said....my review wasn't all negative. Not even close, but the water on board was sub par. Other cruise lines not only provide trays but people to carry them for you ( in some cases ) and a waiter who comes around the buffet offering re-fills on coffee. In a world of 600 channels there are lots of choices and Scary Movie 4 is currently the top movie in America but I still maintain the production shows were a talented mess and the Second City people were worse and the juggler wouldn't work on other cruise lines. The private Island was overcrowded and could have been spectacular with minimum effort.

 

When I buy a drink at the bar or at the pool, I expect to pay. When I go to the past guests cocktail party I don't. When I attend a wine tasting..I expect the tasting to be free and then I expect to pay for the bottles I buy.

As for the buckets of beer..that charge was hidden and onerous.

 

I didn't write the review to vent.. I loved the crew, the itinerary, my fellow passengers, The Spirit itself and much of the entertainment.. I write as all Cruise Critics write...to help my fellow critics get full value for their money and the optimum out of our cherished vacations.

[vtsi04]

Hi all,

I see that several posters are putting up detailed reviews so I won't do that, however, I will tell you that my family had a great time on this trip. It was my husband, 2 year old son, and myself. My husband and I are long time cruisers.

We loved the Spirit, and in fact, liked it more than the larger Dawn which we took 2 years ago.

We did have a suite (category AC) so we did have all the extra pampering and maybe that makes a big difference to the overall experience, I'm not sure.

Yes, there were some shortcomings, but overall, nothing that bothered us very much. We loved the ship, loved the crew, really enjoyed the food.

Overall, A+. This trip may just make us loyal to NCL.

Anyway, just my 2 cents.

[petguy]

Thanks for the review bob,

 

I realize that all is not perfect, and would be upset with the $5.00 bucket "deposit" as well. I was on the Jewel in Dec. and don't remember trays available either. (only a minor inconvenience to me)

 

The Second City show on the Jewel was not to my liking either. Most seemed to enjoy it up to the point that we left the show...

 

I did however LOVE Great Stirrup Cay. I remember reading on the boards that there was quite a bit of hurricane damage last year to the island... And 1500 chairs on a small strip of sand is pretty close IMO, but with 2000 on the ship...not much can be done.

 

In much of my reading I have learned that most (all?) of the lines have started to nickel & dime, but I like that they are keeping the prices as low as possible. I don't allow myself to get taken by most of that stuff.

 

You didn't mention how long since your last cruise? Is it possible it has been awhile, and you really notice the changes for that reason? I have only cruised 2 times, Dec. 2005 on NCL Jewel, and 8 years prior to that on RCCL Nordic Empress. I noticed a few things, but nothing major to me. I was VERY happy with freestyle, and am going on The Spirit in Nov.

 

Sorry all with NCL wasn't to your liking, hope all is OK in November for us. Most of us readers here appreciate the good and the bad...It's so much better than hearing "EVERYTHING WAS HORRIBLE" or "NEVER AGAIN"

[bobar]

Bobby,

Sounds like you've been on some great cruises . i've been on all the major lines and they all charge for wine and martini testing. My challenge to you is to list all the things that were good or fun about this ship as the things you didn't like seemed pretty minor compared to other things i've seen people post all through out cruise critic. thanks for what you though was negative ,but how bout some positive. how was the food, your cabin,

the appearance of the ship, the pools, the casino etc...since you weren't negative about those things they mst have been good. so tell us about them. i sail in 18 days on the spirit and can't wait...thnx again :cool:

[cruiserssandr]

No trays seem to be the trend now. On the Jewel on thought it would be a problem but it really wasn't a big deal

[tdsubteach]

that was a great "review". You called it as you saw it. I am preparing to take my family of 4 on 6/18 sailing on the Spirit. The tray thing does not bother me, I am planning on minimal meals in Raffles.Soundsl like a cattle call. Was the "Windows" menu and food decent? I do not like buffet's, but prefer linen tablecloths for 3 meals a day. I am still in search of a review of the kids clubs for ages 7 and 12. Can not seem to get much feedback on those. thanks for the tip on water. can you bring bottled water on board? will they take and charge an uncapping fee?!!!! just wondered....:rolleyes:

[hods93]

Thanks for taking the time to write a review. We are on the 6/11 Spirit and I really appreciate your honesty. I thought it was a great review even if it wasnt all positive.

 

The point of these board is to get feedback from others and that feedback may not always be great - but its an honest opinion. Thanks.

[kids1stcruise]

most of the neg were mentioned sometime thru these boards.

the trays and shows are always discussed.

so if you researched you would have known about this ship and the cost/ martini classes especially--the beer bucket is new to me too.

if the trays were such an inconvenience--don't go to the buffet--go to the dining room or out door area for a snack.

most of the time people look for things to complain about--think about it.

did you even try to have a good time or just had a bad attitude from the start?

[fkwok]

I have just returned to New York from a week's cruise on the Norwegian Spirit to Cape Kennedy, Miami, an NCL owned island in the Bahamas and Nassau. Any first time cruiser will probably find this trip to be quite lovely but as a cruising veteran as well as a first timer on Norwegian, I have to say that I was entirely underwhelmed.

 

There will be many cruise critics to clue you in on all the daily goings on in detail. Their impressions will vary. I will just give you some of the lowlights.

 

1. No trays in the 12th deck Raffles cafeteria! How about that! Unlike other cruise lines which do have trays available so you can take your salad plate along with your entree, drink and dessert with you to the table, here you are either doing a remarkable juggling act (which would surpass the juggling stage show by the inimitable "Edge") or you would need to leave your tray with someone standing guard while you go back for whatever you couldn't balance on the top of your head. I found this tiresome and irritating.

 

2. For the first 5 days of the cruise, the tap water was absolutely awful. If you could get past the smell, which was just horrendous, God bless you. I found it undrinkable. The last 2 days, however, the water was terrific. Norwegian, evidently, can give you great water if they have a mind to and if you're lucky enough to be on board when the plumbing is working properly. If you're into gambling not just in the casino, you can gamble with the water as well as some of the women's public toilets, which were out of order for nearly the full length of the trip. Happy days!

 

3. Oh, those stage shows! Some pretty fine talent trapped in a sea of nonsense, the worst of which was the Saturday night finale -- a tribute to the U.S.A. Sounds nice, yeah? We-e-e-ellll... The scene opens with singing and dancing native Americans and then blasts forward 300 years to Ellis Island with singing and dancing immigrant Jews, Italians, Irish and Asians all in late 1800's attire -- singing and dancing to that well known late 1800's Neil Diamond tune, "They Come to America."

 

After this, I can't even begin to tell you what the heck was happening on that stage. Strange intergalactic costumes with disco and hip hop and My Country 'Tis of Thee and Heaven knows what. I've never seen such a mess. Perhaps it was a well intended tribute, I'm not quite sure, but it was ghastly. Whoever put these shows together is, indeed, in need of a very long vacation somewhere other than on Norwegian Cruise Lines. Again, the talent was there, but the shows -- not! If you insist on attending the festivities, prepare to drink heavily. You will need all the fortitude you can imbibe.

 

4. Alas, the Norwegian owned tropical isle on which we 'frolicked' will never be photographed for a travel brochure. When you think of an uninhabited tropical isle, do you imagine expansive silky, sandy beaches and palm trees swaying in the breeze? Hmmm. Perhaps a few cool and tranquil thatched huts without walls for those who wish to avoid the sun? This is not that place.

 

When we arrived in our tender from the ship, we were met by choking smoke from the barbecue. You can hardly make out the sandy strip of beach. It is covered with 1500 beach chairs, closely packed and jammed on a small and tired expanse of sand, heavily weighted upon by a sea of humanity in all its fleshy glory. Try wading through all of that to play volleyball with all the smoke and grime hovering all around you.

 

But wait! There are some huts -- made of concrete and spackle -- where you can go to buy all your lovely new Tshirts and nifty shell necklaces. Some neat touristy stuff but not shown to best advantage in these circumstances. The food was fine. The service, as well. Parasailing and snorkeling were wonderful. But it was hardly the idyllic tropical oasis you or I would have imagined. Contrary to being a sight for sore eyes it was, in fact, an eyesore. A whole day was wasted there.

 

5. Nassau, in contrast, was interesting enough. There are tours to take and shops to plunder, forts and museums to visit. We were allotted four hours or so and then it was back to the ship. One wonders why we only had half a day in Nassau and a full day on Norwegian's tropic isle of "Would You Care For Another Overpriced Drink With An Umbrella, Sir?" Hmmm.

 

6. Beware of your coupon booklets! They are not always what they appear to be. The first coupon in the booklet was only good for one of the restaurants on the first night aboard. And only one in your party could use his or her coupon. So the rest of us could not ever use them. Such offers cropped up everywhere. Freebies and discounts were not what they appeared to be. Often they turned out to be only discounts with purchase. Other times, it was bait and switch. For example --

 

Offers for Anne Klein watches at $39 each was tempting. The mall gift shops were full of such offers all week long. The long table full of watches yielded many lovely styles -- but the prices varied from $59 to $99. Where were the $39 watches, we asked? Over on the other end, in the corner. Hmmmm. Not quite the same watches featured in the promotional materials left in our stateroom every single day. And the prices would not have bothered me if I had been told from the beginning what in fact the prices were. I just didn't like being misled every step of the way. By the way, the small, white print, it turned out, did say "from $39." Thanks a lot!

 

The wine tasting and martini tasting were not free as on many other cruise lines. Neither was the hatha yoga class. Several free lectures, one on diet and detox and other such stuff turned out to be come ons for a $30 -- 45 minute mini course which ended with strong recommendations to purchase some very expensive supplements. None of this was mentioned at the start. Surprise!

 

7. Beer became another issue. You could purchase it by the bottle or save some money by purchasing their plastic bucket with maybe six to eight bottles in the bucket. It seemed reasonable to buy the bucket. Only at the end of the cruise did people find out there was a $5 charge on their bill for not returning the plastic bucket (which probably cost Norwegian a nickel.) No one was told they were being charged the $5 extra for the bucket which, more than voided the original saving and certainly everyone would have returned the stupid buckets and did -- once they found out. Would you call that unscrupulous? I would and I did.

 

8. The entertainment was uneven. The juggler was good when he juggled but there was not enough of a repetoire here to sustain a feature length act. He spent much of his time onstage haranguing the audience. Even this was fun for a time -- but just for a time. It grew tedious.

 

The Second City Improvisation troupe was positively dreadful. They had a number of short prepared skits which were alright to pretty good and then everything went to hell when the improv began. These are not untalented people. They are, at best, rank beginners. They may be comics but they don't know improv. What they were doing as a featured act on Norwegian is a mystery to me and an insult, as well.

 

The hypnotist was quite good. Ed Fernandez. The show was great fun and a real surprise in a week where most of the theater entertainment was so weak.

 

In contrast, the bands in the lounge and lobby were fabulous. Their repetoires were huge. The range of styles played were very broad and extensive. The performances were top quality.

 

The staff was wonderful. Just great. Each and every one. But that's it. NCL was a letdown in far too many cheap and tawdry ways.

 

I just wanted you all to know that other cruise lines have more respect for their cruisers. Best to all of you.

 

Thanks for the honest review. I have to admit that when I sailed on my prior 3 NCL cruises and bought the helmut of beer, the person selling it to me always told me about the $5 fee. Now, I will admit $5 isn't that much compared to what we usually spend on our cruise or on the total vacation, so we could have shrugged it off. Now, if they did not tell you and charged you for it, I would not let it ruin my day.

 

No trays in the buffet means to me more trips to get what I need. Yes, it is annoying, but I am not going to stress out on the lack of trays.

 

The shows were always OK to me, since I am not a big show person. My wife and daughter are so they would be disappointed with the poor quality. I would prefer drink a scotch and smoke a cigar while they went to a show. :)

 

I am always careful about the "specials" anyone offers. It is simply a ploy to get you into the store to shop. As always..buyer beware.

 

Whenever NCL tried to get you to the special wine or martini tastings, they always were up front about the cost. I have never sailed another line so can't say if they charge you anything.

 

My view is unless I get food poisoning, the ship capsizes, they run out of scotch, or divert us to Canada, its a cruise and any day away from the office is preferred.

 

But, thanks for your opinions.

[Bobby400]

Hello to PETGUY, BOBBAR, TDSUBTEACH and HODS93 !

 

PETGUY is curious to know when we went on our last cruise -- It was this past December, 2005. We took a remarkable cruise to Belize, Mexico and Honduras. Particularly amazing were the cave tubing in Belize; ziplining, touring and snorkeling in the jungles of Honduras. Quite spectacular. We were on Carnival Valor and it was just great. I am still amazed that I had the good fortune to have had such an experience.

 

We didn't see any nickel and diming aboard the Valor though I'm sure your experience on other ships is accurate -- I have never noticed this anywhere on any line prior to last week's cruise on the Spirit. What can I say?

 

BOBBAR wants to hear some positive feedback. I've already included a bit of that -- such as the bands. They are phenomenal. Both in the lounge and in the lobby. You won't believe how truly talented they are. Their repetoires are tremendous and their performances are outstanding. You'll be totally knocked out.

 

Also, there is a pianist, I believe his name is Ariel, in the bar who I never got to see, I'm sorry to say. According to friends who went to the 5:30 shows in the bar, one night he did all Frank Sinatra. Another night, he did all Nat King Cole. Everyone said he sounds like the real deal. Dead on Frank and Nat. And absolutely astonishing. If you get the chance, check this guy out and let me know what you think. I'm really sorry I missed the opportunity to see him. Sounds like you'll be really knocked out.

 

TDSUBTEACH wants to know something about the food. It's fine. Not great. The food in Raffles is alright. Stay away from the runny eggs. The grits are OK. The salads are fine. I did the yogurt and fruit for breakfast. Fish and vegetables for lunch so I can't give you a full report. But there's enough to pick and choose.

 

The Garden and Windows both feature the same menu but Windows is really quite beautiful. If it doesn't make you queezy, ask to sit at the back end of the boat for a drop dead beautiful view of the water during your meals.

 

You mentioned that you want to do all three meals at Windows or one of the other restaurants and dine in style. That's sounds great but just remember this can cut significantly into your time onshore and any excursions you may think of booking so take it all into consideration. You may opt for an early Raffles breakfast on shore days.

 

The cabin was just fine; very comfy and clean. The housekeeping staff and the entire staff and crew is just terrific. The ship is beautiful. The pools are wonderful. The casino is nice enough though I didn't spend a whole lot of time there. The lounge is gorgeous and the chocolate martinis are just the thing to top off an evening.

 

I really don't know much about the Kids Club ages 7-12. I heard from a couple of people that their kids were having a ball and that the programming was just fine but no details. Sorry. The toddlers feedback that I received ranged from fantastic to refusing to leave their little ones with the group because there didn't seem to be enough caretakers around. This is only what I heard and also from just 5 or 6 people. It depended on who I spoke to. There were a lot of teenagers who seemed to be very dissatisfied. The teen disco is pretty small compared to others I've seen on other ships which has to be a drag for the kids. And there certainly didn't seem to be enough programming for the teens. I heard more than a few of the teenagers complaining about that. But I certainly didn't take a poll so who knows?

 

Tips on the water. Yes, you can buy bottled water and bring it on board so long as it is still sealed. Any unsealed bottles will be taken away. But check the tap water first. You may find it to be quite satisfactory as we did at the END of the week. Or perhaps bring a few bottles along just in case. As far as the uncapping fee, I wish I'd thought of that ! You might want to pass that joke along to Rick, the cruise director. For a fee of course. He'll be using it on the very next cruise without a doubt!

 

To HODS93, my pleasure. If anyone has any other questions about the cruise, I'm certainly happy to respond. I wish you all a wonderful time. Here's hoping they finally fixed the women's public toilets on Deck 7!

Best Regards.

[DARNAILZ]

I, too was on this cruise and found it to be very nice. The ship is beautiful and the crew is friendlier than any cruise I have been on.

 

This is my 10th cruise, and 3rd on NCL and things are changing but they are on other cruise lines as well. They are all cutting back and trying to save money, probably in an effort not to pass on the increases through higher fares for us.

 

We had a great time and would recommend this ship to others as well!

[Verystormy]

I actually enjoyed this review and think it was well written and well balanced, highlighting what were percieved as real discrepincies - and after all, this is Cruise CRITIC.

It also points out the major problem with cruising - overcrowded beaches / locations. Cruising isnt as popular in the UK for two reasons, firstly prices (a inside cabin on most cruises start at over $1500 dollars per person in the UK for seven nights, and secondly, people dont want to have thousands of others on a beach with them - especially at these prices. For this reason, i will never do a beach type cruise myself as when i want a beach, i will fly to the tropics, when i want to see city sights such as rome and florence i cruise

[ptownguy]

I don't know why people making a big deal about buffet restaurant not providing tray. I don't remember seeing trays in any of those more expensive buffet places that I have been to (such as Bellagio or Paris in LAS or Mother's day brunch in hotels etc.)

[sjbdtz]

I don't know why people making a big deal about buffet restaurant not providing tray. I don't remember seeing trays in any of those more expensive buffet places that I have been to (such as Bellagio or Paris in LAS or Mother's day brunch in hotels etc.)

 

Hi PTown guy....how's my favorite land-based vacation place?

 

 

OP:

Regarding trays, I would suspect that eliminating them was an effort to curtail the spread of germs, and people are less loath to reuse a tray, prior to disinfection, than they would be to reuse a plate...:rolleyes:

 

That was a well-written review, especially in light of the follow-up. It's too bad you couldn't combine them...you see to have a thoroughly negative review, and then a temperate one later.

 

A few observations:

 

- many retail outlets will have huge 70% off sales (with the words UP TO in small print). FROM $39 is just a marketing play....it's not unique to NCL.

 

- You don't mention what you thought of being able to dress how you wanted, eat when you wanted, where you wanted, and with whom. No mention of the convenience of gratuities being automated, nor of the benefits of Freestyle disembarkation. How did these aspects of your cruise compare to previous cruises?

 

- NCL's market approach is to offer a reasonable cruise fare, and then work with a user-pay system. This is actually a great way to have more control of your money. On other cruiselines, you are paying for your welcome glass of champagne, even if you cannot (for whatever reason), drink it. There's also a portion of your cruisefare which essentially subsidizes your other activites. If you look at the financials for the cruiselines, one of the most frequent standards they measure is Yield per Passenger. This can either come upfront (higher cruise fares) or during the course of the cruise (drinks, photos, etc.).

 

Some people don't like paying for things they may not use, and therefore subscribe to the user-pay system (I'm one of those people. I'd rather have lower point of entry, and higher cost per item...because I can always say 'no', but not miss my cruise).

 

I've heard repeatedly that the buffets are not the best in the world. The good news is that you can always ask the person behind the counter, for a special order.

 

On some NCL cruiseships, there's also a made-to-order station where they will create waffles, or eggs to your liking (instead of the runny, scambled, pre-made variety).

 

- Usually NCL receives high marks for its shows. The ones you describe sound horrible. Hopefully they won't play for long. The ones I've seen have ranged from alright, to impressive...to 'we have to see that again!' (Cirque Bijou on the Jewel)

 

- I'm not sure what the issue with the tap water was, nor with the women's bathroom...but of course the ship has a lot of mechanical parts, and sometimes things will be out of order...for all we know, some child may have tried to flush a roll of toilet paper, mucking up the system....The true test isn't that something was broken, but did they get it fixed. Sounds like they did, probably a little slower than was useful for you, but at least it's probably fixed for the next week's cruisers.

 

- I'm not sure what you meant by "the coupon books are not what they seem". Reading your comments, it really sounds like you meant "the coupon books really aren't that great of an additional value". You'll find several other threads on the board which reach the same conclusion. If you can save a $1 or $2, with the coupon books...you've done well. I believe they are a Mastercard promotion, and little to do with NCL.

 

- The tastings & martini clinics....see comment on inexpensive base cruise, with user-pay for these features.

 

- you should have been told that the beer helmets were worth $5 if you didn't return them. The bigger news (not for me...I don't drink beer) is that the last I heard, they had discontinued the helmets. Maybe that's only on certain ships?

 

- Great Stirrup Cay...I really enjoyed our time here. There are probably minimum health standards they must meet, despite being a private island..they are still responsible for 1 million visitors each year (2000 x 50 weeks), and making the huts out of concrete instead of thatch might be related to this. I found a few really nice hammocks beneath some shady palms, and spent part of the afternoon there. Snorkelling was also pretty awesome! The beach is definately their downfall... any beach with 2000 people on it is going to be crowded, but they might want to try re-configuring it somehow. I think that the hurricanes last year hit this island hard, and they're still improving it weekly. As for why you only got a 1/2 day in Nassau, this could have been due to the docking situation, it could have been an effort to reduce the price further (cheaper to anchor at their own island, than to dock at an expensive port)

 

 

I do have a question, after all of this... on the past cruises you've taken with Celebrity, or Carnival...did you find any differences between the ships?

 

NCL has been in the midst of a rejuvenation, with the Star, Dawn, Jewel, Pearl and Gem all less than 5 - 6 years old.

 

They are slowly retiring their older ships, and are aiming, in the words of Colin Veitch (President of NCL) to "head toward our goal of operating the youngest fleet in the industry and offering the most distinctive product" .

I would therefore encourage you to benefit from NCL's pricing strategy, being aware of it upfront, and experience one of their amazing newer ships. The thing I like best about NCL is that they are innovative. This not only means things I can't get on other lines, but also a culture of change within their own line. They are continually improving, so something you found irksome this trip, may not exist by next trip.

We also know they read these boards, so maybe your comments will stimulate some changes.

Whatever you decide, enjoy.