Spirit Review 12/10 Sailing

[katyjeka]

My family just returned from our 2nd cruise w/NCL. We had our 3 DD's(4,7,11)with us. I have followed the boards for over a year and I know that bad reviews are always attacked, but I'm going to be honest, regardless of the replies. We had 2 connecting balcony cabins, 10118 & 10120. Room 10120 had broken closet doors, carpet pulling away from the wall(in quite a few places), missing back to the remote. Room 10118 was the worst of the 2, with broken dresser drawer, broken leg on the small table, torn & dirty drapes, a VERY rusty bathroom, rug pulling away from the wall, and very marked walls. BOTH balconies had a constant "rain" of paint whenever you attempted to set outside. Room 10120 also had a broken chair on the balcony. We were also missing the back of the remote for the second room. I did let the front desk staff know of the condition and she thanks us. I also asked for backs for the remotes(everytime you'd pick them up to use them, the batteries would fall out)and was told after three days, that they had no more, and many with backs were taped. I know I'm going to read that these items are no big deal, but to us, it showed a lot of neglect. We did have really great room stewards and they were a pleasure to talk to. Moving on to the shows. We saw 7 of them and would care to see none of them again. The bartenders were more entertaining! We saw a couple of movies and found the conference room comfortable. The pool games were sad, for lack of a better word. Food, all I can say is, thank goodness for Blue Lagoon! The itin. was great and we enjoyed all our stops, Dominica, WOW! We bought an adult soda card and a childs. I wish they had a better system to get your drinks as some of the bartenders seemed bothered. For the senior ladies aboard. Thanks for showing my kids that even adults have bad manners. As our girls were sharing a smoothie, 2 took the time to inform us that were teaching our kids to be alcoholics, please. We had 1 umbrella stroller w/us and apologize to all of the people who had to share an elevator with us, I understand how difficult it can be to move over. While playing boardgames with our girls, by the kids pool, we were told to take it to the room, as the ladies next to us, were trying to read. We had even put a towel down to muffle the sound of the dice. We were sorry we didn't make it to the cc meeting, as we had intended to go. As far as the virus, we returned to our room to find all bedspreads removed and the walls in the hall had been wiped down.(You could still see the wet marks on the them)It smelled wonderfully clean. Janice

[212cruiser]

We were on the Spirit just prior to your cruise, in an immaculate suite. One of our remote controls was also "quirky" and the other one for the other TV wouldn't work unless you were within 3 feet. Like you it completely ruined our entire trip. NOT! We quickly recovered from our remote control trauma and somehow managed to have a simply incredible cruise and vacation despite them.

[jp2001]

Sorry you had a bad cruise. When I was on the Spirit, my room had nothing wrong with the carpet of furnitures, I'm sorry yours wasn't in good shape. There are lots of people with bad manners, at all ages but I will agree that the worst behavior I usually see come from very old women or young boys (I'm not saying that most of them have bad manners, don't get me wrong). I had such a fantastic time on the Spirit, I'm sorry your experience was not the same.

[Don Haynes]

It appears NCL needs to buy new remote controls for their televisions on the Spirit. Who knows, they may have already been ordered, they aren't that expensive. Unfortunately, NCL didn't break them, our fellow cruisers did.

 

Just like at home, everything wears faster on cruise ships. Its been over a year since the Spirit's last drydock, I'm sure she'll look better after her next drydock. Ships always do.

 

I don't let small things bother me. I worry more about arriving at all the ports. You enjoyed your itinerary apparently. So I'll assume the Spirit made all of them. But I appreciate your honest review.

[Dolphins]

I suspect you found this cruise was not worth taking your kids out of school for?

[katyjeka]

My oldest is the only child in school so far, and they were on break.(year around school) I'm glad we took the kids, as we saw some beautiful sights. As far as the remote, I knew they would run with it. We DID NOT let a remote ruin our vacation, however, the ship is showing its age badly. It's amazing how people hate to hear anything bad about a ship. My review was honest, and sorry if its not the review people want to hear. Janice

[JerseyGem]

Janice- Thanks for the honest review! We leave on 1/2/07, so I've been busy reading all I can find on the Spirit. We will have a balcony on Deck 11- hope it has decent chairs and no dripping paint (flakes or wet paint?)! Also- great that you were able to do the trip with your daughters, they'll have memories of this trip for ever (and they won't remember any of the not-so-good stuff, just the family fun). We still enjoy cruising with our "little" girl- even though she's now 22!

 

I have two questions. First, you gave Domenica a "WOW!" We still haven't decided what to do there. What did you do? And would you do anything differently? My DH is leaning towards a whale watching trip. DD prefers relaxing (tanning, etc)

 

Secondly, another past cruiser has confirmed that the cabins have an actual coffee maker (as opposed to the hot pot we had on the Dawn). But I forgot to ask him which type of filter it needed- basket or cone! I know they'll give us one pack of coffee (or maybe one of each), but I plan on bringing more ground coffee (some fancy, holiday types). DD and DH are really grumpy without lots of coffee first thing in the morning.

 

Thanks and don't let any nasty replies get to you- we all have different opinions, and we "see" and "experience" the same reality in very diverse ways. And don't give up on NCL!

[electricron]

Janice- Thanks for the honest review! We leave on 1/2/07, so I've been busy reading all I can find on the Spirit. We will have a balcony on Deck 11- hope it has decent chairs and no dripping paint (flakes or wet paint?)! Also- great that you were able to do the trip with your daughters, they'll have memories of this trip for ever (and they won't remember any of the not-so-good stuff, just the family fun). We still enjoy cruising with our "little" girl- even though she's now 22!

 

I have two questions. First, you gave Domenica a "WOW!" We still haven't decided what to do there. What did you do? And would you do anything differently? My DH is leaning towards a whale watching trip. DD prefers relaxing (tanning, etc)

 

Secondly, another past cruiser has confirmed that the cabins have an actual coffee maker (as opposed to the hot pot we had on the Dawn). But I forgot to ask him which type of filter it needed- basket or cone! I know they'll give us one pack of coffee (or maybe one of each), but I plan on bringing more ground coffee (some fancy, holiday types). DD and DH are really grumpy without lots of coffee first thing in the morning.

 

Thanks and don't let any nasty replies get to you- we all have different opinions, and we "see" and "experience" the same reality in very diverse ways. And don't give up on NCL!

 

The coffe pot only fills 4 cups at a time and is rather small. I think that means the cone type filters.

 

Have a great cruise.

[katyjeka]

I gave Dominica a wow because it was beautiful. We hired a cab and for one hundred dollars got a tour that was five hours plus long. We saw waterfalls/swam in the Emerald pool, before the cruise buses arrived, and visited Mr. Nice's fruit stand. You have to go and see him. He also showed us his "neighborhood" and we met quite a few great people. This was our first cruise where we did all the excursions on our own. We saved a lot of money and seemed to ahead of the buses. I'm glad we took the cruise, as the islands were beautiful, and we did make some great memories. The paint was dry, but as they did maintenance on the decks while we docked, the paint became wet. The people working in the blue lagoon were fantastic and the food was yummy. We enjoyed walking around the decks in the evening, playing basketball, and listening to the music by the pool. The weather was great. I'm not trying to ruin anyone's trip, because we did have a good time, it was just sad to see such a beautiful ship not maintained. Have a great time. Janice

[qdog123]

I have that cabin booked for the 324/07 sailing and would like to see what I'm getting into. My email address is qdog@nycap.rr.com.

 

Thanks!

[qdog123]

I have that cabin booked for the 324/07 sailing and would like to see what I'm getting into. My email address is qdog@nycap.rr.com.

 

Thanks!

[mhvbear]

I just returned from this cruise as well. My cabin was in great shape. No complaints there. I had a great cabin steward. He was very efficient and usually had the cabin done by mid morning. Only got one towel animal but the cabin steward was working solo and he was constantly working. I remember from past cruises they worked in pairs.

My two complaints on this cruise were the large numbers of rude passengers, mostly the Russians. They wouldn't let a person get out of the elevator before they would push themselves in. My second complaint was the not up to the usual service in Windows at dinner. The service was excellent in June but seemed below pare on this cruise. The service in the specialties was excellent as always and the service in the Garden was excellent. I will say that the breakfast and lunch service in Windows was much better than the dinner service. I stayed away from the buffet. The people acted as though they had never seen food before, bumping, pushing and stopping short in the middle of the aisles.

I have to say these were not deal breakers. But probably will go back to the Dawn for my next cruise.

[judyf]

Thanks for taking the time to post your review. In Dominica did you get the driver when you arrived? Or did you pre-book him?

 

Thanks

[EileenN]

My two complaints on this cruise were the large numbers of rude passengers, mostly the Russians. They wouldn't let a person get out of the elevator before they would push themselves in. The people acted as though they had never seen food before, bumping, pushing and stopping short in the middle of the aisles.

I have to say these were not deal breakers. But probably will go back to the Dawn for my next cruise.

 

We just got off the Dawn on December 17th and we also had a very large group of Russians on board. I, too, was surprised by the different behavior exhibited by this group, especially in the casino and at the pool. Wow! We were even asked to leave a certain slot machine when one of them wanted it. They would sit and glare at you until you moved. Which I didn't. And they were especially heavy smokers. I think it must have been the time of year for a group vacation. Dawn or Spirit....same on both as far as passenger behavior is concerned. Maintainence on the Dawn is outstanding.

[judyf]

But probably will go back to the Dawn for my next cruise

 

This can happen on any cruise line and any ship. It all depends on where the rude/mean people book their cruise.

 

Don't judge the ship by it's passengers. Next time those same pasengers will be on a different ship.

[mhvbear]

If you had read the rest of my comment you would understand the comment about going back to the Dawn. I was on the Spirtit in June as well and thought it was a better run ship then it was in December. There had been an overall decrease in the service. It was not up to the usual standards I have come to expect from NCL.

This was my third cruise during the same period in December. I found the rudeness of some of the passengers to have gotten worse on this cruise. But overall most people were not rude. But it only takes a few and when they seem to group togther it compounds the problem.

[Seago2]

Janice, continue to tell it like it is. You are doing everyone a favor by doing so. At the very least, it prepares people for what's ahead so they won't be upset when these things happen to them. At the most, it will be reflected in changes on the ship. When I sailed the Spirit last spring (second Spirit cruise for me) the hotel manager (Alexandra) told me over and over that she reads CC every day. She was quite familiar with the recent reviews and truly knew all of the CCers on that cruise by their names or previous posts. Unfortunately that didn't result in any unbelievable upgrades for me, but I did get a few special things in my cabin here and there.

 

It boggles my mind why some people will not let anything negative be said. That crack about you taking your kids out of school is classic. I'm surprised you haven't been lectured about vacations in general, your negative worldview, or simply told that you are wrong.

 

I love the Spirit, have had two excellent cruises on her, and would cruise her again. Just my 2 cents.

[McVegas]

Sorry to hear that your cabin was not up to par, I was on the cruise before you and we had a balcony cabin on deck 9 and had no problems. Yes the Spirit is a little older, but I found the wear and tear to be minimal. It is OK to post a negative review (I will disagree with you about the food, but that is just my opinion), that is the whole point of this site.......just tell us your view. I have read a lot of negative reviews about the Spirit, but I had a great time and would sail on her again.......that is my view and you can disagree if you want, I won't attack if you think I'm wrong.

[derf5585]

It is OK to post a negative review

 

Well this board is called CruiseCRITIC

 

2 : one given to harsh or captious judgment

from

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/critic

 

Critic, Speculative Critic, Logical Critic

from

http://www.helsinki.fi/science/commens/terms/critic.html

[robertam]

The following is an honest review from someone who has previously cruised three times. My previous cruises were on Carnival’s Destiny and Paradise, and Costa’s Mediterranea. I’ve read many Norwegian Spirit cruise reviews and member comments prior to embarking on this cruise so I was somewhat worried about the rough seas, bad food, bed bugs, “tired” ship, etc. Hopefully, this review will help alleviate your concerns in these areas or reinforce prior cruiser’s experiences. I’ll try to keep things by topic but sometimes it’s impossible to do. For example, comments about service may be in the dining, cabin or bar sections so please bear with me and read the entire posting.

 

Price::)

 

A “BC” balcony cabin on a 11 day cruise out of NYC with no airfare for two people for a little over $1900 = pretty good deal (additional $75 cabin credit)

 

Getting to NYC:

 

We live a little above Albany, NY so traveling down the NYS Thruway and going across either the Tappanzee or George Washington bridge would have cost us about $12 in tolls alone. We’ve made many previous trips down the Taconic Parkway to NYC and it’s almost the same distance, a much nicer ride, and the total toll cost is a bridge on the Henry Hudson parkway ($2). Remember, Taconic Parkway south to exit for Saw Mill River Parkway, which turns into the Henry Hudson Parkway...couldn’t be easier. Just go straight on HH Parkway to the Cruise port exit (around 56th st). Drop off your significant other and proceed to the parking garage (cost $180, but can be paid with CC). Take the elevator back down to your luggage/spouse and leave the luggage with the porter (take spouse with you though).

 

Cruise Port:

 

Definitely not the prettiest but gets the job done. Lines moved quickly, and within 30 minutes we were on the ship. Tip: have a passport and have it (and any other paperwork) in hand as requested. Digging for it only annoys those waiting in line. You board the ship on deck 7, where the atrium is located and you can eat lunch while waiting for your cabin to be ready. Tip: to not go completely broke while onboard you can sneak wine boxes/bags in your checked luggage. We bought four 500ml Vendange Pinot Grigio and four 500ml Chardonnay, which is the equivalent of 5 1/3 bottles of wine, and just packed them with our clothes. If you carry them you won’t have them for long.

 

 

The Ship::)

 

Reports that the ship was “tired” or “worn” are grossly exaggerated. Maybe these reports were because of the maintenance/service they received in their cabin and not the overall condition of the ship??? I fully expected to see an older ship needing updating and/or repairs but was pleasantly surprised that it’s easy to navigate the public areas and the crew is constantly maintaining/cleaning its exterior. Built for the Asian market, but I didn’t notice handrails, beds, and chairs any shorter than on other ships. The elevators need tweaking…if you press up/down to get an elevator sometimes one will pass your deck and other times it will stop. The shops on board are terribly small. I blame this on the two large stores occupied by Tanzanite International, who advertise the same prices as their shops in the ports. First off, if they’re the same prices then why waste the precious space? Secondly, this company (Tanzanite International, Diamonds International, et al) seem to have too close a connection to the cruise lines. There’s too much time dedicated to getting the cruisers to shop at only the cruise line’s “recommended” stores. They’re not recommending them for your sake, trust me. There has to be a huge financial reason. Tip: Use their recommended port shops for extra peace of mind but remember, you’ll probably be paying extra for your jewelry and other items. Otherwise, find a deal on your own or from recommendations from other reviewers (i.e. Imperial Jewelers in St Thomas) but pay by credit card to give you recourse if there’s a problem. By the way, from my experience you should get all of your shopping done in St Thomas as every other Western/Eastern/Southern Caribbean cruise port we’ve been to has not been anywhere near as good, price wise, and almost any shop there is reputable. This ship is also very stable. It was like riding in a limo. We never felt any of the rough seas, and we were told the waves were 12 feet at one point so all of those people that warn you the sky is falling if you cruise from NYC must have either been on another ship or a first time cruiser and underestimated any ship movement.

 

Other cruisers:

 

As with every cruise we’ve been on, as US citizens we were in the minority.

 

Day one:

 

Leaving NYC, even on a 55 degree December day can be nice…until the ship sails and the sun starts to go down. As you’re on the upper decks watching the NYC skyline pass you by it can get pretty chilly so dress appropriately. If you’re taking pictures, there will be low light so practice this at home so you know how to set up your camera and not be disappointed that the pictures didn’t come out as you’d have liked (too dark). We went to the dinner reservations desk and made reservations for Teppanyaki (Japanese cooking table) that night and Cagney’s Steakhouse the next night. We returned to our room and found two of the four bags had been delivered. The others arrived about 1/2 hour later.

We scanned that days FreeStyle Daily (FD) that outlined what was going on the first day as we dressed for dinner. Tip: read these carefully. I missed the part where the Captain’s dinner (formal night) was the next night and we’d made reservations at Cagney’s. I only found out three days later that this was the only night there would be broiled lobster tails on the menu in the main dining room and that’s just one of the reasons I take cruises…multiple lobster tails! Boy was I bummed. We dined at Teppanyaki, which is a Japanese cooking table. The food was OK, but nothing special. Everything that was cooked was drenched in soy sauce as the chef cooked it so maybe if you asked the chef for less soy sauce it would be better???

 

Day two:

 

At Sea. Too cold to tan (not even any water in the pool) so we slept late (my wife had a reaction to the Sake anyway) and I brought lunch back to the cabin from Raffles Buffet. We ate dinner at Cagney’s. With this being one of the restaurants you have to pay extra for I’d have expected better cuts of meat served but my filet mignon was gamey tasting. They also cooked both of ours wrong not once, but twice.

 

Day three:

 

At Sea. A little warmer (finally, we were near Florida now) but there was a storm somewhere close to us, which caused the winds to whip on the pool deck pretty good. We tried the hot tubs. It was nice to be in them but the winds blew the water out of the hot tub and into your face. If it’s really windy and cold I’d recommend skipping the hot tub and find an art auction and free champagne instead.

 

Day four:

 

Ahhhh, St. Thomas. Beautiful as always. This cruise didn’t allow a full day in port. We booked the ship’s Blackbeard’s Experience tour which was very good. Tip: the FD and the shore excursion papers (EP) are poorly written and must be edited by the same person. When you look at the EP it isn’t clear whether you stop and visit Megan’s bay or stop there to sunbathe and swim for two hours. Lucky for us I did the research ahead of time and we brought our suits/towels but others complained they didn’t know there would be swimming at the beach. As we had to be back on board at 5:30 we only had 1 ½ hours to shop. Tip: if you want to shop in St Thomas, taking this (or just about any of the tours) tour isn’t recommended as I don’t feel they leave you with enough time. St. Thomas is very safe and I’d recommend grabbing a taxi and having it drop you off at Megan’s bay for a couple of hours and bring you back to the shopping district. Our ship docked at the secondary dock (Crown Bay) and the shops weren’t completed yet. The main dock has a great shopping area called Havensight Mall. Tip: do all of your shopping in downtown St. Thomas and Havensight Mall. All of the other islands’ prices don’t compare (jewelry, clothing, liquor, etc.). Also, if you’re a US resident, check the customs regulations as you’re allowed extra liquor if it’s purchased in St. Thomas. We didn’t do it this trip but across the street from the main dock is the entrance to Paradise Point tramway (you can also get a cab but the ride up will scare the crap out of you). This is another thing you should try to do (maybe you can negotiate a package price with your cabbie for Megan’s bay, Paradise Point, then back to shopping).

 

 

Day five:

 

Antigua. We booked the ship’s excursion called Antigua Island Escape. This actually brings you out to an island called Prickly Pear Island for a few hours. The taxi ride out there was quite the experience. The van driver backed into another van as we were leaving which caused a lot of shouting and the cops to show up but he just drove away anyway. We also had another near miss at a stop sign, which he must not have seen, or saw and didn’t care. Once out on the island they serve unlimited rum punch, local beer and a hot lunch of chicken, fish, and salads. $89 per person was pretty steep but we tried to get our money’s worth in rum punch. If you don’t watch out you’ll get zooted real quick.

 

Day six:

 

Barbados. We booked the ship’s excursion called Ultimate Beach Escape (at least I think that’s what it was called). There are many beautiful beaches in Barbados so why they would waste 1 ½ hours on the bus getting to this one and back is beyond me. Tip: have a cabbie drop you off and pick you up at a beach much closer to the port. You’ll have much more time to spend sunbathing and swimming. Tip: when on the beach (any beach) if approached by someone wanting to give you or your wife a foot rub don’t assume there’s a tip involved…there’s a charge involved! Neither of us asked and the foot rub turned into a foot, leg, back rub. When he was done he said “who’s paying?”. I asked how much and he said $75. For 15 minutes??? I gave him $40 and still got ripped off.

 

Day seven:

 

Grenada. We strolled to the local shops but decided to go back to the ship and enjoy the pool, hot tub, etc. There was a very good lunch barbecue near the pool. The pool was in good condition and size and never appeared to be crowded. We heard the band that played in the pool area quite a few times during our cruise and they were average, at best.

 

Day eight:

 

Dominica. Rain, rain, rain, but I hear this is a tropical island and rains quite a lot. Most excursions were cancelled but we hadn’t booked any. It was a Sunday so there weren’t many shops open. We went back to the ship and tried the pool and hot tubs again.

 

Day nine:

 

Tortola. This is a very beautiful island but, as with St Thomas, our stay there was shortened as we had to leave by 1PM. I wished we had more time as it had a nice, safe feeling to it, as opposed to the other islands. Maybe next time…

 

 

Day ten:

 

At Sea. What can I say…enjoy the sun, the pool, the hot tubs, and the really good Mexican lunch served in the pool area. We had dinner at Shogun, which is the extra charge Asian restaurant. They only charge $12.50PP extra but this can be cut in half if you dine at 5:30 or 6:00. We didn’t have a reservation but they took us right in at 6:00 (half price). Let me tell you, this was the best dinner we had on this cruise by far, and it was a bargain even if we paid full price. They have this tempura appetizer that’s incredible. Tip: order extra Tempura shrimp…many of them if your wife let’s you.

This restaurant was above and beyond the others as far as food quality and wait staff.

 

Day eleven:

 

At Sea. We were only one of two couples brave enough to attempt sitting outside the pool area. We didn’t stay for long though as you could tell we weren’t in the Caribbean anymore. We dined in the main restaurant this evening and I got my lobster tails. I know what you’re saying, “I thought you said they were only served at the Captain’s dinner the second night?”. Well, all it took was to explain to the matre’d how much I enjoy lobster tails and that I’d missed the Captains’dinner and he arranged to have the cook make them for us on the last night. Very nice of him to do that.

 

Day twelve:

 

Back to NYC. Express disembarkation for US residents is a godsend. I never would have expected to be off the ship, through Customs, to the car and on the HH Parkway headed home in 20 minutes!!! (you have to carry your own luggage though)

 

11 nights is great. Not once did either of us say “oh crap, we’re headed back now”.

 

There are some things I wanted to talk about that happened across multiple days so it didn’t make sense to keep repeating it so here goes:

 

There was a Norovirus on other ships/lines that returned to Florida so as a precaution, this crew took extraordinary measures. Normally they have this round ball that dispenses antibacterial lotion at the entrances to all restaurants. Now it was like the Gestapo boarded the ship! You couldn’t take your own coffee cup, utensils, tray, etc. and they wouldn’t seat you in the restaurant unless they saw you disinfect your hands. I understand why, but they took these measures and then yelled at you without informing you that things had changed. Imagine going up to the coffee area (as you had done multiple days before) and getting yelled at for taking a clean cup from the rack. Just tell us ahead of time and it would have been OK.:mad:

 

 

 

 

FOOD:(

 

This was not the worst cruise food I’ve had (thanks to Costa) but they’ve taken portioning to a new level. One day I ordered a fried wonton appetizer. Can you believe two small morsels showed up on a 10” plate? I read NCL rolled out a new menu but it can’t be a huge improvement over the old one. Previous posts complained about the food and it seems the new menu hasn’t changed things. Small portions, none of the dishes were hot, very slow service. Why hasn’t NCL read the reviews and done something to upgrade the food and service in their restaurants. There are too many eclectic food choices that the mainstream cruiser isn’t interested in. How about a simple dish of chicken parmesan, lasagna, veal, etc.? I can honestly say in the eight nights we ate in the main dining rooms there may have been one or two dishes I wanted. The rest were chosen just out of necessity because none of them appealed to me. The desserts were pretty good though, and you could always get espresso with dessert. Breakfast food, regardless of whether you dined in the dining rooms or at Raffles buffet, was always cold. Service was slow, regardless of breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I feel this is a result of Freestyle Dining. Not only do they allow the passengers to dine when they want but you never get the same waiters because they’re all rotated throughout the ship, even to the buffet. I now understand why our service was poor. If someone gives you good service it’s impossible to tip them individually as you’d have to carry dollar bills with you all day every day, and just try finding them at the end of the cruise. If you think you’ve had good service and want to increase the $10pp/day tip then all cruise staff share in it so why bother going out of your way individually if you have to share it with 1000 people? If I’ve had good service at the excursion desk I know where to find them for their tip. Maybe they need to modify the Freestyle dining???

 

There’s a small 24 hour (or so) “restaurant” near the dinner reservations desk (I can’t remember the name) that serves a really good Shepherd’s Pie (with lamb).

 

Drinks on board were only a little more expensive than on land but if you get a mixed drink don’t hesitate to ask for more alcohol. They’re trained to put the least amount in but will add more if asked.

 

The Casino seemed OK. I donated my usual $50.

 

We saw three shows. One was a Second City improve which was very funny. The second was comedy with Dave Heenan and not quite funny. The last was the farewell show with the NCL dancers/singers, followed by some crew members on stage singing “we are the world”. It was really good up until that point but I give them credit for being up there.

 

Tip: order the honeymoon/anniversary package regardless of whether you’re celebrating anything or not. At $79 it’s a bargain. You get chocolate covered cherries and champagne in your room upon arrival, appetizers delivered to your room later in the week, a special cake and formal photo party (you keep the photo), and dinner for two in Cagney’s.

 

 

Our cabin::(

 

On all of our previous cruises we almost never saw our room steward. It was like magic. You just turned you back for a second and there would be one of those towels on your bed in the shape of an animal, or your bed was freshly made, or the room was just straightened up a little. On this cruise I think I saw the room steward at least a half dozen times a day! Their cart was constantly in the hallway and they did a horrible job of cleaning the cabins. The last night I was getting the luggage and found someone’s prescription pill under the bed! I don’t know when the toilet area and shower were last cleaned. There was dust in the toilet area the whole trip (on the ceramic chair rail) and the mildew in the shower just kept getting worse. Also, I religiously locked the room and balcony doors when we left but would you believe the room steward would put the chair cushions out on the deck every day and take them in at night and leave the door unlocked? I felt I was following a toddler around closing things they had left open.

 

I honestly agree with reviews I read that stated they felt this ship was understaffed and those that remained were doing the best but were overworked. Hopefully, NCL will take note of this pennywise pound foolishness and staff this ship at the appropriate level. I feel that many of the things I’ve noted in this review would be corrected with more staff.

 

Finally, based on my experience, the cabin you book is crucial. I’ve been on ships where we’ve been more forward, more aft and the last one was just below the pool/sun deck. It seems the most perfect cabin is mid ship, with cabins above and below you. This avoids loud bands, crew dragging sunchairs out at 5AM, excessive wave rolling, etc. I did a little research when booking and was able to find a cabin that had a queen bed instead of the two twins pushed together. That was nice…but you have to see what’s available online and then look at the deck plan to see what’s what.

 

Tip: always get trip insurance because you never know...we saw a guy get taken off the ship and into an ambulance in St. Thomas.

 

Would I go on this ship again? Certainly, if I was able to get the same deal, different itinerary, and if I read that service and food had improved. Otherwise it’ll be Royal Caribbean, Princess or Celebrity next time. You can contact me directly if you have any questions but please don’t write me to complain about my review. As I said, it’s just my opinion and if you go on this cruise you will have your own.

[maja]

No matter which line or which ship, most of us don't let the little things prevent us from enjoying our long-awaited vacations.

 

mhvbear wrote: "It is not up to the usual standards I have come to expect from NCL." . What's wrong with posting your honest opinion.?

Many of us here are loyal NCL clients. We sailed on numerous ships & post our honest opinions.

It's perfectly normal & natural to notice changes, differences & inadequacies. For instance, take a look at how many responses were posted to Le Bistro discontinuing the fondue!! Not a huge issue, but what a response!

Hopefully, because we post our good, bad & uglies here, the cruise line does read them & will work on making improvements.

[Grandpaul]

I was on the Dec. 10th cruise as well and had a great time. In fact we are going on her again on Mar. 4th. The only problem I had was the terrible comedian. I really enjoyed a couple of the music groups, Fusion and Millenium. Dominica is a beautiful island like everyone says and getting a cab is the way to see it. We have sailed on NCL over 20 times and I'm sure we'll do it a lot more.