First Timer Review of NCL Spirit 1/6-1/13

[angeldaye72]

Let me start off by saying this was our first cruise. We didn't know what to expect. Maybe our expectations were higher than they should have been. All in all, we had a good time, but felt that the ship staff was at times disorganized and weren't as happy with the cruise as we had hoped.

 

Stateroom: First impression was ok, but as we were unpacking we found a pair of men's pants (not ours) in the closet and a used Q-tip in the bathroom floor. Yuck!! I can't say I was all that impressed with the stateroom, but since this was our first cruise, I will give NCL the benefiit of the doubt and they the rooms are probably fairly standard. We LOVED our balcony and spent hours out there just relaxing. We also enjoyed having the in room movies to watch. This was our first vacation without the kids, and we really just lounged a lot. Stewards- Joel and Bagus - were nice enough, but we didn't get any towel animals :(

 

Itinerary/Excursions: We were disappointed that our stop in Roatan was shortened and our excursion cancelled, even more disappointed that we ended up arriving even later than expected. But, we had good fun walking the streets and talking with the locals, though, and got some wonderful deals. Santo Tomas was ok, we did the Rio Dulce River and Quirigua tour, which was all day, and I have to say it was a little long-not sure if I will do an all day excursion again. We did cave tubing in Belize and loved it- we did not book thru NCL, used Major Tom and it was great- had several other tours pass us as we floated down the river at a leisurely pace. Would recommend this to anyone. Did the ATV Jungle adventure in Cozumel and this was booked through NCL. We started the excursion over an hour late, so that really cut into our exploring time in Cozumel- that was kind of aggravating. But the ATV tour was fun, very bumpy and fairly muddy. Christian was our guide and he was funny and knowledgeable.

 

Food: The food was average. I've had better at chain restaurants than what I was served in Windows and the Garden Room, but the servers were polite and helpful. Did enjoy the Honey Creme Brulee in the Garden Room, the rest of the meal was fairly bland. La Trattoria was great, ate there twice. Cagney's was excellent, but the fact that you have to pay a cover and then extra if you want lobster is ridiculous. We paid $60 bucks to eat there, plus tip. Didn't go again. Blue Lagoon was good- quick and easy and we loved their potato skins. Raffles was what you would expect for buffet. I did enjoy the stir fry station, the gentleman there made everything precisely to my request, which was nice.

 

Noro- We got it, but not until Saturday night....I have been ill all week, but my hubby only had for around 24 hrs. We knew something was going on (even though we were new to cruising) when the salt and pepper shakers disappeared from the tables around Thursday or Friday.....

 

Hope I don 't sound like too much of a complainer, trying to be honest and give credit when due.

[electricron]

Let me start off by saying this was our first cruise. We didn't know what to expect. Maybe our expectations were higher than they should have been. All in all, we had a good time, but felt that the ship staff was at times disorganized and weren't as happy with the cruise as we had hoped.

 

Stateroom: First impression was ok, but as we were unpacking we found a pair of men's pants (not ours) in the closet and a used Q-tip in the bathroom floor. Yuck!! I can't say I was all that impressed with the stateroom, but since this was our first cruise, I will give NCL the benefiit of the doubt and they the rooms are probably fairly standard. We LOVED our balcony and spent hours out there just relaxing. We also enjoyed having the in room movies to watch. This was our first vacation without the kids, and we really just lounged a lot. Stewards- Joel and Bagus - were nice enough, but we didn't get any towel animals :(

 

Itinerary/Excursions: We were disappointed that our stop in Roatan was shortened and our excursion cancelled, even more disappointed that we ended up arriving even later than expected. But, we had good fun walking the streets and talking with the locals, though, and got some wonderful deals. Santo Tomas was ok, we did the Rio Dulce River and Quirigua tour, which was all day, and I have to say it was a little long-not sure if I will do an all day excursion again. We did cave tubing in Belize and loved it- we did not book thru NCL, used Major Tom and it was great- had several other tours pass us as we floated down the river at a leisurely pace. Would recommend this to anyone. Did the ATV Jungle adventure in Cozumel and this was booked through NCL. We started the excursion over an hour late, so that really cut into our exploring time in Cozumel- that was kind of aggravating. But the ATV tour was fun, very bumpy and fairly muddy. Christian was our guide and he was funny and knowledgeable.

 

Food: The food was average. I've had better at chain restaurants than what I was served in Windows and the Garden Room, but the servers were polite and helpful. Did enjoy the Honey Creme Brulee in the Garden Room, the rest of the meal was fairly bland. La Trattoria was great, ate there twice. Cagney's was excellent, but the fact that you have to pay a cover and then extra if you want lobster is ridiculous. We paid $60 bucks to eat there, plus tip. Didn't go again. Blue Lagoon was good- quick and easy and we loved their potato skins. Raffles was what you would expect for buffet. I did enjoy the stir fry station, the gentleman there made everything precisely to my request, which was nice.

 

Noro- We got it, but not until Saturday night....I have been ill all week, but my hubby only had for around 24 hrs. We knew something was going on (even though we were new to cruising) when the salt and pepper shakers disappeared from the tables around Thursday or Friday.....

 

Hope I don 't sound like too much of a complainer, trying to be honest and give credit when due.

 

Thanks for a fairly balanced review.

 

If given a chance to sail on the Spirit again, this or a different itinerary, would you? I do realise you'll probably would want to try another ship to see how the Spirit fares against it.

[slotaddict]

Sorry you were disappointed with your cruise. There is no excuse for finding things in your closet or even a dirty q-tip on the floor.

 

Besides the pants and q-tip what else was wrong with the room?? The Spirit is an older ship so it would come as no surprise to me if things were a little worn.

 

Also was there any lobster at all at dinner besides Cagneys???

 

Didn;t you know that the stop in Roatan has was shortened. There is alot of discussion this board about that.

 

Sorry about the Noro also, we have been on 15 cruises and have not contracted it, I guess we have been very lucky.

 

I hope you will try NCL again, perhaps one of the newer ships would be more to your liking. The Pearl and Gem are beautiful ships. If you do not cruise NCL again, happy cruising whereever you go.

[angeldaye72]

Good question, I really don't know. If it were an itinerary we couldn't do without, that was not offered by anyone else, probably. We loved the fact that we could sail out of NO, because we only live 2.5 hours from there, so that is definitely a draw.

[angeldaye72]

The room was a worn...Seemed dingy- but again, maybe that's just what you get, I don't know.

 

We knew about Roatan being moved up to 3pm, but got there after 4pm, if I read the clock correctly.

 

My husband had lobster at one of the restaurants- rock lobster, I think. I guess it just bothered me that we had to pay a cover charge to eat, and then an additional fee to get what we "really" wanted.

[Toyz711]

at the surcharges, they have 2 different surcharges...it's not really a cover charge, since the charges are on the cost of the entrees..not per person. at cagney's it has a regular items, on the menus, for $20 (or is it $25 now?), then the "steakhouse specials" (that's how they separate the costs)....maine lobster, surf & turf, the exlarge cut of porterhouse. le bisto has items that are on a special list, also. it's the same for all the surcharges restarants on NCL.

the rock lobster are the lobsters served in the main dining rooms...no fee for those. on our dec cruise, on the spirit, they were served in Windows or Gardens on friday night. you will be asked about this, since everyone is trying to figure out if they are adding lobster to more days/menus.

 

if you try one of the other NCL ships, many are newer and brighter (i like the smaller older ships, myself). but you will have the same charges, since they are the same on all the NCL ships.

sorry you didn't like the spirit as much as we did...we loved the adventures we had in the ports. we did quirigua and loved it. but we saved the all day adventures for belize with the lamanai and the river safari. quirigua was interesting, but lamanai was more what i wanted to see..the larger ruins in a more natural site.

hope your next adventure is better

[slotaddict]

The room probably was dingy, the ship is 10 years old. I believe with the Freesyle 2.0 they are going to change the bedding.

 

How were the beds by the way? Comfy or not?

 

Most of the ships have stopped having lobster, NCL has just implemented it again from my understanding. I did see the lobster that they were serving in cagneys while I was on the Pearl and they are gigantic.

[Angelbysea]

Thank you for the this review, the fact that you were a first timer on the Spirit means alot to me, and your review confirmed my fears about cruising this ship in particular at this time, thats not to say it is NOT a great ship, I believe it is, I just feel that right now it has some major issues that seriously need to be addressed right now.

[Seago2]

The bedspreads are a horror and they always have been. They are dingier now but still waaaaay to bright on the eyes! Just take them off and they won't bother you.

 

I have had no problems with cleanliness in my Spirit cabins in '05 (exterior, from MIA), '06 (balcony, from NYC) and '07 (interior, from NYC).

 

The last cruise was packed to the gills and the cruise experience reflected that (read my reviews if you want all the details).

 

I would still sail on the Spirit again in a heartbeat if I hadn't already done so three times.

 

I wish I could convey to the doubters how beautiful she is.

[greywillow]

I guess it just bothered me that we had to pay a cover charge to eat, and then an additional fee to get what we "really" wanted.

You didn't "have" to pay a cover charge to eat. You could have eaten in any of a number of no-extra-charge dining rooms on Spirit. You "chose" to pay a cover charge by eating in Cagney's.

 

If what you "really" wanted was a whole Maine lobster, you wouldn't have found it in any "no-extra-charge" dining room on any mass-market cruise line. So if you feel that it is "ridiculous" to pay extra for a whole Maine lobster I'd suggest you pay three times as much per day for your cruise fare and cruise a high-end line. Then, maybe--if you're lucky--they'll give you a whole Maine lobster at no extra charge. Bottom line, however, it will have been a very expensive lobster.

[SunniLicious]

Not all the bedspreads are turquoise and yellow - they're different by floor, on the 11th floor they were orange and yellow. Not any easier on the eyes!

 

Also was there any lobster at all at dinner besides Cagneys???

 

Lobster night was Tuesday, there was free lobster in every onboard restaurant that night.

 

If there's any time to do an older ship, it is, IMO, for your first cruise. My first was on the Carnival Tropicale, which is no longer in service and really should've been taken out of the lineup much sooner! But we didn't know better, so we had an incredible time. The Tropicale makes the Spirit look like the Taj Mahal.

[Hockey19]

I go back and forth on the surcharge restaurants. We paid less than $900 pp for a balcony stateroom. Adding in two surcharge meals -Le Bistro through Anniversay package and Cagneys that added $35 pp to the bill-not bad. From a Freestlyle standpoint it becomes my choice whether to take rock bottom pricing or spend a little extra at night to complete what I feel I want from a cruise. I prefer choosing my nights of specialty rather than being charged (in my cruise fare) upgraded food all week when there are nights we just slummed it. I factor the better restaurants into what I think the price will be. We could never eat in the specialties all week-flat out to much food. We enjoy dioing something different all week and it doesn't break the package budget bank. NCL (like many others) has become an A la carte trip. We may complain about the charges but they are not a surprise. You choose what you want to spend (or not). I try to take the time to figure it out ahead of time and accept that the ship price is my base and I add as I/we want.

[dottyparka]

Stateroom: First impression was ok, but as we were unpacking we found a pair of men's pants (not ours) in the closet and a used Q-tip in the bathroom floor. Yuck!! I can't say I was all that impressed with the stateroom, but since this was our first cruise, I will give NCL the benefiit of the doubt and they the rooms are probably fairly standard. We LOVED our balcony and spent hours out there just relaxing.

 

I am SO impressed that you did not totally freak out over the pants and the Q-tip. I can forgive a lot, but that's just nasty. Sounds like you really take things in stride!

 

I was on this sailing as well and had a great time. The cave tubing in Belize was really a highlight. Thanks for the great review.

[tidecruiser]

Thanks for the review!! I appreciate the honesty and the balance. I do think it is time for the Spirit cabins to have the carpet and bedspread replacements. That is apparent from the pictures I have seen. However, I am happy booked on the Spirit in March. Hopefully with the 2.0 improvements, that will occur, doubt it by March, but ....

[Don Haynes]

The room was a worn...Seemed dingy- but again, maybe that's just what you get, I don't know.

 

We knew about Roatan being moved up to 3pm, but got there after 4pm, if I read the clock correctly.

 

My husband had lobster at one of the restaurants- rock lobster, I think. I guess it just bothered me that we had to pay a cover charge to eat, and then an additional fee to get what we "really" wanted.

 

In the small town I live in, I can't find any lobster on the menu. If I do go to a larger town, I am expecting to pay over $30 each for surf and turf. NCL could easily have served you a hamburger for less than $5 each. Did you expect a $30 dish for free? This ain't McDonalds.

[Chipster2]

Thanks for your review. Sorry that your first cruise did not meet your expectations. IMO no reason to find things left in cabin from previous cruisers. Did they react quickly when notified?

[silkhair1]

I can't believe people attack people when a review is not what they want to read.

I will not leave a review as everything on the same cruise was not perfect and I do not want to be attacked because it is not what you want to read. I am amazed at how some people act. Only leave a review if everything was perfect.

[teacher2cruiser]

 go back and forth on the surcharge restaurants. We paid less than $900 pp for a balcony stateroom. Adding in two surcharge meals -Le Bistro through Anniversay package and Cagneys that added $35 pp to the bill-not bad. From a Freestlyle standpoint it becomes my choice whether to take rock bottom pricing or spend a little extra at night to complete what I feel I want from a cruise. I prefer choosing my nights of specialty rather than being charged (in my cruise fare) upgraded food all week when there are nights we just slummed it. I factor the better restaurants into what I think the price will be. We could never eat in the specialties all week-flat out to much food. We enjoy dioing something different all week and it doesn't break the package budget bank. NCL (like many others) has become an A la carte trip. We may complain about the charges but they are not a surprise. You choose what you want to spend (or not). I try to take the time to figure it out ahead of time and accept that the ship price is my base and I add as I/we want.

 

 

How did you book to get a balcony room at that price? We paid that much for our oceanview room!

[Whippets]

Prices vary depending on when you book your cruise and with whom you book. You really need to do your homework.

[teacher2cruiser]

What's the best way to do your homework? A TA?

[tigeratsea]

I was on Spirit out of New Orleans (dec 16, 2007)...many issues....

 

1. one of our ports was canceled...no notice...only $50 compensation each...(I heard from staff that this was known for some time before our departure date and was expected to continue..unknown to next passengers)..(more recent cruises, I found out. had only a delay arriving at our missing port, but was given the same compensation...NOT FAIR)

2. my sister and I got sick the last day of cruise...???

3. the pullout bed was broken and took me 5 days to rectify (somewhat??)

4. ship was dirty, old, and in disrepair

5. was mailed the wrong luggage tags before cruise so our luggage didnt arrive in room til 10pm first night.

6. laundry service ruined an expensive shirt that was labled "dry cleaning" but ended up in regular laundry.

7. great food and service in steak house

8. internet was very very expensive

 

please let me know any other similar conditions with your recent cruise on the SPIRIT..

 

thanks, tiger at sea

[Grammynelliebelle]

Thanks for the review!! I appreciate the honesty and the balance. I do think it is time for the Spirit cabins to have the carpet and bedspread replacements. That is apparent from the pictures I have seen. However, I am happy booked on the Spirit in March. Hopefully with the 2.0 improvements, that will occur, doubt it by March, but ....

May I ask what th 2.0 improvements are? We will be on the Spirit in mid may 08 and are looking forward to the trip. TIA Grammy:)