Comprehensive review NCL Spirit 2/10-2/17

[luvmarley]

/QUOTE]Background information:

My sister and I were traveling together without our husbands. This was my fifth cruise and second on NCL. I have cruised Carnival, Disney and Premier in the past. I sailed on the POH in August 2006. This was my sister’s first cruise. We are both in our early fifties.

 

New Orleans:

We arrived in New Orleans Saturday afternoon and were met by my son who is currently working there. We stayed in the French Quarter at Le Richelieu on Chartres St. It was a wonderful location on a quiet street within walking distance to many attractions. They offer free parking and internet access. We got a rate of $105 for 2 double beds through Venere.com. Our room opened to a shared balcony that overlooked Decatur. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and great service at Bacco’s. Sunday morning we went to Court of two sister’s for their Jazz brunch. The setting is beautiful in an open courtyard but the buffet was nothing special and the Jazz trio played maybe 10 minutes of the 1 1/2 hrs we were there. Would not recommend this place as I am sure for $28 pp you can find a better brunch in New Orleans.

My son took us on a tour of the downtown area where several office buildings remain vacant and then we headed out to see the 9th ward and St Bernard’s Parish. Amazing to see the devastation that Katrina created and how slow the area is recovering. We spent the rest of the day exploring the French Quarter. This area has fully recovered and is as beautiful and lively as ever.

 

Embarkation:

We arrived at the port around 2:45. A porter took our bags, which we had tagged with our cabin number, right out of the car. We took our carry on items up the escalator and were almost the last people to go through security. We arrived on deck 7 in the reception area right as they were calling for the lifeboat drill.

Our cabin 10611 was a sideways inside in a great location. At 175 sq ft, it was as large as many balcony rooms. This cabin was a great find, it was very roomy and close to the stairs and elevators in the mid ship area. Being between floors of cabins, it was very quiet.

Our cabin steward, Rusty, came to introduce him self and was very friendly and efficient throughout the week. My husband had ordered a dozen roses and they were in the cabin waiting for me when I opened the door. Our baggage arrived in our room around 6 pm. We found a pair of men’s shoes under the bed and a check book in the safe. Rusty apologized for missing them and removed them quickly.

 

 

Ship:

We liked the layout of the ship and quickly found our way around. The ship shows its age in some areas. Carpets are a little worn and furniture a little dinged but it is kept clean and presentable. We found that the public areas had something for everyone. There was live music in several venues which varied from Loud and lively music in the pool area, to cozy and quiet jazz at Champagne Charlie’s. The Stardust lounge had great acoustics and seemed to have a good view from any seat. Galaxy of the Stars is a great place to escape. It is surrounded by windows and is set up with small seating areas. Works well for small lectures and for larger games of Bingo or things like Quest. Windows restaurant is lovely and offers seating in small coves next to the window or in the open area with high ceilings and beautiful chandeliers. We thought all the specialty restaurants were well designed and pretty as well. The Blue Lagoon area on this ship is interesting as it is more like a long hallway with different areas to sit and eat. Many people walk through this area so it is fun to sit and people watch while sipping a martini.

 

Entertainment:

The Free Style Daily is the best way to plan your entertainment onboard ship. We could always find something to do. My sister was interested in purchasing a diamond ring in Belize so we went to the port shopping talk the first sea day. Dean was very informative and gave one a sense of security if buying goods in port. They also had very nice raffle prizes and my sister won a free massage at the spa. We attended the martini tasting at Champagne Charlie’s. This was a lot of fun. Ed Cruz, the head bar tender, gave us 6 martinis to taste. There were a great variety of flavors and he explained what was in each one. During the tasting, he involved all the participants in a challenging game of pup trivia. It was a great way to meet people on the first sea day. At $15 pp, it was money well spent. We participated in the Murder Mystery Dinner. We were placed in groups of 6 and given a theme mystery “Lethal Luau”. We met for dinner in Windows and each assumed an identity. Then played through dinner and attempted to guess who committed the murder. This was another relaxing and fun way to meet people. We attended several evening shows in the Stardust Lounge. Chantz was a very talented 20 yr old performer from New Orleans. He puts on an entertaining song and dance act. On Broadway, the show with the NCL Production Company, was mediocre at best. The Second City Comedy troupe put on a great show and were very funny. They also did a great job hosting Quest later in the week. Quest is an adult themed scavenger hunt. We were only watching it and not participating but it was definitely entertaining! The Crew talent show was interesting and entertaining as well. We sat and listened to live music at the pool, Champagne Charlie’s, and Galaxy of the Star’s. We enjoyed all the different kinds of music. We never went to the casino or Maharajah’s so cannot comment on them. We did indulge in a hot stone massage and it was wonderful. 50 minutes of pure bliss! The spa facilities are very nice and the people are very professional. They do try to sell you products but don’t push if you refuse. Use of the sauna and steam room are included with your massage.They gave us a free glass of Champagne as we went on Valentine’s day. I used the internet a couple of times to send emails. Found it efficient but expensive. On the last sea day, we attended the Margarita tasting in the Bier Garten. This was a very different experience than the Martini tasting. It was less organized and you were just brought 5 different margaritas and unless asked would not know what they were. Participants were mixed up with all the people eating out on the deck. The margaritas were great though! We never got in the pool but used the hot tubs a couple times. They were clean and hot enough for us. For exercise, we always walked the stairs and didn’t get in an elevator until we carried our luggage off the ship. We also walked laps around the deck 13 and deck 7. 4 laps = 1 mile.

 

Dining:

We thought the food was very good most of the time. We ate in Windows for 3 dinners and two breakfasts. The appetizers were very good and we enjoyed the skirt steak and lobster. The desserts were pretty lack luster as a rule and not worth the calories. We found that portions were adequate and we never asked for seconds. We enjoyed the eggs benedict and fresh fruit for breakfast. We always had good service and were seated within minutes of arriving. We had breakfast in Raffles 4 mornings and found the selection great. We tried the made to order omelet and waffle stations, both were very good. The coffee was always hot and fruit was always fresh. We tried the fresh made hot crepes one afternoon and they were yummy. We ate lunch at the pool deck bar-b-cue for hamburgers and hot dogs. Nothing special there.

Cagney’s was very good. We had excellent service and the ribeye steaks were cooked perfectly. All the sides were good and we had a great cheesecake here. Le Bistro was excellent as well. I had the duck and my sister had the lamb. The appetizers were great here too. Teppanyaki was fun, we had the shrimp and filet combo and the chef was quite entertaining. We ate in Shogun another time and had mixed reviews. The sushi was not very good. My sister is from Seattle so she gets good seafood all the time and was disappointed here. My beef teriyaki was flavorful and the banana eggrolls and fruit sashimi were wonderful. We sampled 5 different bottles of wine while on board. If you don’t finish a bottle, they will hold it for you and bring it to where you are dining the next evening. You can call and make reservations in the specialty restaurants for the same evening or the next day. We had no problems if we called first thing in the morning.

We checked out the Chocolate buffet which was beautifully presented. We found the food pretty bland and dry. They did have chocolate fondue which was good though.

The service that we had in all the restaurants was very good to excellent. Raffles staff was always cleaning tables and refreshing food stations. Most staff members were very friendly. Port excursion review to follow.

[Seago2]

Thanks for your review. Waiting for someone, anyone (??) to say they loved the desserts and the Choc Buffet but it hasn't happened yet :p .

 

Glad you had a great time- thanks for posting-

[KerCar]

Welcome home:) Thank you for the very detailed review!

[Ballwin Babe]

Do you happen to have any photos of the cabin? We're booked for the same on Mar 16-23. :D

 

Hope you left a check book in the safe for US!!! :rolleyes:

[luvmarley]

Ballwin Babe

You will love this cabin! It is really great for an inside. Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos of the cabin but if you have any questions, I will try to answer them. I didn't take my checkbook so I know I didn't leave it.

[Ballwin Babe]

Darn! I was planning on using your checkbook to pay for the bills I can easily run up at the spa :D

 

The cabin looks like a big square on the deck plan. Are the 3/4th berth fold downs from the wall, or are there just beds all over the room ;) ?

 

We've had inside, outside, balconies, etc. We're not picky at all but I chose this particular cabin just because it was obviously different.

 

Tell me about the layout if you would.

[tidecruiser]

Thanks for the review!!! I look forward to reading your port excursions!!

[luvmarley]

Ballwin Babe

I will try to describe the cabin. As you enter, the beds are to the right. Closet and bath to the left. 2 twin beds on the floor. One pull down over the bed on the far wall and one trundle under the bed on the wall with the door. Both our suitcases and carry ons fit under one bed. There is a built-in shelve area between the beds that serves as a bedside table. In the middle of the back wall is a desk area and on the wall next to that is the TV. Below the TV is a shelf for the ice bucket and glasses and below that is the coffee pot. There are 5 drawers for storage and a large closet with sliding doors. The closet has a hanging bar and 5 additional shelves on one side. There is a large shelf above the bar for pillows and life jackets. The safe is in the bottom of the closet. Across from the closet is the bathroom. It is set up well and has storage under the sink. The shower is large with a sliding glass door. It has a retractable clothes line. There are soap and shampoo dispensers in the shower. There are 4 hooks on the outside of the shower door for hanging things. We had a balcony on POH and this room is almost as big.

I wrote my entire review and posted it on the ship review area, but when I copied it to this post half of my review was missing. I will have to rewrite the rest and post it tomorrow.

[devon27]

Thanks for the review! We'll be sailing on the Spirit this Sunday. We leave for NO Friday and are also staying at Le Richelieu. I'm glad you liked the hotel, I was worried that the neighborhood might be shady since it's a little farther alway from the main drag.:eek:

[packedandreadytogonow]

Thanks for the good review. My wife and I leave on the 23rd of march.

 

One quick point though. Being from Louisiana and Now living in Ocean Springs, MS. I feel I need to make a point about Hurricane Katrina.

The French Quarter never suffered any damage during that storm. Nor does it usually during any storm. The quarter is the highest point in the city.

As for St. Benard Parish, were I owened a home until 2002. Only 4 structure did not get water in them. So, find me another city where the whole city got flooded and see how quickly they rebuild.

[luvmarley]

Packedandreadytogo

Good point! I was not really aware that the French Quarter had no damage but it makes sense as it is the highest point. Try to get to St Bernards Parish while you are in New Orleans if you have time. I think that you will see that slowly people are coming back. Most blocks have at least 2 or 3 people that have redone homes. Almost all the houses standing have been gutted and others demolished so there is not much debris around. My son is trying to get some investors together to rebuild in this area. He hopes to provide some housing options for people who used to live there and want to move back. He has met several people who say their families have lived in the area for generations and they really want to come back.

 

Hope you have a great time on your cruise.

[luvmarley]

Continuation of my review:

Port Excursions:

We made all of arrangements with private tours planned via email prior to the cruise.

Roatan:

Arrived at the pier by 3:45. Used Victor Bodden Tours. We had made arrangements for 2 but met 2 people at the Martini tasting that wanted to join us so Victor was able to add them at the pier. Victor drove the 4 of us in an A/C van. We went to the Jungle Canopy Zipline, which was a blast. This consisted of 11 zips and several funky bridges. It took about 45 min. Then we went to Victor’s home to play with the baby monkeys. Victor is one of 9 children who all inherited land on the island from their father. He is very informative about the island and Honduras. We made it to Anthony Key’s Resort just in time to see the sunset. Victor drove right onto the beach so we could watch the sun go down. The generator on Roatan is owned and operated by some people who are politically motivated. According to Victor, they run it when they want. At times, they can be without power for 3-4 hrs at a time. It gets very dark when the sun goes down! We stopped at the cameo factory before heading back to the pier. Cost $20pp for Victor’s tour, $45 for the Zipline and $2 for the monkeys.

 

Guatemala:

Go with Gus humanitarian tour. We paid 50% of the tour fee to Gus’s son in Georgia when we scheduled the tour. We were sent a package with the tour itinerary and a map of Livingston. We had brought 2 backpacks filled with school supplies to give to a school on this tour. The Freestyle Daily informs people that if they are donating items in Guatemala they need to declare them at the reception desk the day before. I did this and was told by a woman in reception that since we only had a small amount we could carry it off. We were stopped by ship personnel at the gangway and asked what we were taking and then had to wait 20 min. for them to sort it all out. So be ware!

Gus was waiting for us as soon as we got off the ship. He gave us a big hug and welcomed us to Guatemala.

This is a great tour and has been discussed a length. Well worth the $75pp as it includes a great lunch with local beer.

There is a nice Jade museum and store in the port building. The director is very informative and knows a lot about the jade found in Guatemala.

 

Belize:

Coral Breezes Snorkel and Caye Caulker trip.

This is a tender port and all ship excursions get to tender first. You can be in line at the reception area at 6:55 am to get tickets for the first tender for non ship excursions. The first tender left at 9:15 and we were at the pier by 9 :30 .

Coral Breezes uses Hammerhead water sports and they were waiting in front of the Wet Lizard on the pier. We were fitted with snorkel gear and left the pier at 10 am. We went to 2 snorkel areas, the guides were great and pointed out interesting things. They coaxed a 4 ft green moral eel out of the reef with some food. We went to shark and stingray alley. There have been few sharks since the last hurricane and we did not see any but there were about 4o stingrays swimming all around us. Very cool. Then we went to Caye Caulker. We opted to do lunch on our own and had a wonderful grilled lobster lunch at the Sand Box restaurant. It is right on the beach when you come off the pier. Great little Island. We were back in Belize with lots of time to shop before taking the last tender (5pm) back to the ship.

Cost: $69 pp plus cost of lunch.

Cozumel:

We added a dolphin swim to our beach day here as our original plans to swim with the dolphin was cancelled in Roatan. We had a 10 am dolphin swim at the Chaankanaub park ($10 cab ride) We had scheduled for 2 but met someone at the Murder Mystery Dinner that wanted to join us and she was able to be added at the park. There were 5 people in our group and we spent 45 min with the dolphin. It was really fun! Then at 11:30 we left to go to Nachi Cocum for our beach day. We are glad that we did this. It is a beautiful beach. It is very relaxing with shaded beach chairs and white sand and crystal blue water. Unlimited drinks and a 3 course lunch was included and they were very good. We shared a cab back to the pier at 3:30.

Cost: $103pp for the Dolphin swim, and $49 pp for Nachi Cocum.

 

Debarkation:

We chose express and carried our luggage off the ship at 9am. We were through customs and picked up at the pier by 9:25. It was a great trip and we would repeat it.

[Ballwin Babe]

Thanks so much for all the detail! As I look outside the window at the flurries and hear the bone-chilling wind, I can just count the hours til we depart...