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A Great Cruise, Fair Waitstaff Service by
A Traveler from NJ Sailing date: Apr 2009Pros: Pirate pool with 2 slides for my kids Cons: Majority of waitstaff is fair at best The ship was nice but is their oldest of the fleet and is showing some signs of wear and tear. The ship staff were great with the exception of the waitstaff. The freestyle environment is great in terms of flexibility however it creates an environment that allows lackluster peformance. The waitstaff are not working for your tip but rather receive a prorata share of the gratuities that are automatically posted to your room account. This allows for lackluster service. That being said, we did have some excellent servers in the main dinning room on three of the nights and as it turns out they had worked in an "assigned seating" configuration prior in their careers. Ship Quality
Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff QualityThe ship staff were great with the exception of the waitstaff. The freestyle environment is great in terms of flexibility however it creates an environment that allows lackluster peformance. The waitstaff are not working for your tip but rather receive a prorata share of the gratuities that are automatically posted to your room account. This allows for lackluster service. That being said, we did have some excellent servers in the main dinning room on three of the nights and as it turns out they had worked in an "assigned seating" configuration prior in their careers. Entertainment & ActivitiesMagic shows were great!  
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Belize City, BelizeWe tendered to this port which has a fairly nice shopping section right at the pier. We did a Landrover Safari excursion which left from the pier via speedboat then 7 miles down river (past the Survivor Belize camp) to a farm where we drove Landrovers to a cave. Explored the cave, had lunch and swam in the river. It was a fun excusrion.
Costa Maya (Mahahual), MexicoWe went to the Mayan ruins at Chacchoben and it was great. It is a short 50 min. bus ride each way compared to other tours that were 2 hrs each way. It was perfect for our family with 2 children.
Cozumel, MexicoLots of shopping at pier. We tried a Catamaran - snorkling - beach break excursion which was quite nice.
Santo Tomas De Castilla, GuatemalaIndustrial port with no down-town tourist section. There is a handycrafts building at the end of the pier where locals sell their crafts and tour guides sell their tours. There is a band playing there which was nice to sit and watch. You should book an excursion here since there is not much else to do. We went to Los Escabos waterfalls where you hike through rain forest and swim in natural pools at the base of waterfalls. This excursion was just OK.
12 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
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  All & All Excellent by
Pamela A. from Houston, Tx. Sailing date: Jan 2009Pros: Our accommodations, service and food in specialty restaurants (Excellent) Cons: Ports were too commercial and costly Our Deluxe Penthouse Suite and service were awesome. We were thrilled with the Cabin. It was beautiful and very Big with 2 Balconies. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodThe Specialty Restaurants were fantastic with superb food and service. Ship Staff Quality
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Belize City, BelizeVery beautiful and clean. Loved the shopping there. Restaurants were just fair on the island and but too expensive.
Costa Maya (Mahahual), MexicoVery costly and too many vendors always in your face to purchase something. Too small and way way way too commercialized. Would never want to return to this port.
Cozumel, MexicoToo commercialized. I visited this Island a year ago on another cruise line and totally enjoyed it, but our docking area kept us about 3 miles away from the area I had gone to on Cozumel before that was authentic of Mexican shops and restaurants. We had to go to an American Chain restaurant that was ridiculous on charges and absolutely no alcohol in drinks and were expensive.
Santo Tomas De Castilla, GuatemalaVery pretty little island and vendors were friendly and courteous. Good prices
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Avoid at all costs. by
Rosemary from Woodbridge, NJ Sailing date: Apr 2007This is our 2nd cruise with Norwegian, and our last. Both times we were terribly disappointed. The cabin was poorly decorated (not that that means everything). The bathroom grout had yellow and brown stains in it. The bed and pillows were wafer thin. The food in the main dining restaurants was poor, and I mean POOR. People were complaining like crazy. We ate in an upscale restaurant every night, and therefore paid an additional per person charge every night. What is so annoying about that is that the ship therefore can make upscale food, and can deliver upscale service, they simply choose not to, knowing people will pay more to actually enjoy their meals. THAT IS UNSCRUPULOUS! The idea of Freestyle Cruising sounds good until you experience it. Making reservations every time you need to eat is a pain in the neck...not to mention, their idea of Freestyle Cruising and being able to eat whenever you want is being able to get a burger that looks like a hockey puck, 4 buffalo wings, or oily macaroni and cheese in a clump (not exactly what I consider a meal). Even my 5 year old wouldn't eat this food. And try to get service if you're not drinking alcoholic beverages. GOOD LUCK! Getting a glass of water is like asking to see the Captain personally - very difficult. The cost for soda is absolutely unreasonable - I think it was $1.75 per can - I mean really! Why do they have to price gouge? The kid's pool ranged from babies to 12 years old. The older kids were trampling the little ones...didnt anyone think about the age difference here? This whole trip was a mess. The onboard activities were poorly managed, and lacked enthusiasm.
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Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.St. Thomas is worth exploring.
Go, enjoy. You'll have a great time. The shopping is awesome.
Samana, Dominican RepublicSamana is beautiful.
What a beautiful destination. The beach was gorgeous, the people were friendly and helpful. Just a beautiful day!
22 out of 37 people found this review helpful.
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NCL, the burger king of cruise lines by
Shawn D from south eastern mass Sailing date: Aug 2009Pros: bermuda was beautiful Cons: ncl, rude staff, ship was not very clean the staff on the spirit was very rude first of all, they all looked liked they was doing you a favor instead of you being there so they can please you. my state room was cleaned 4 out of 7 days, just 2 towel animals all week. Comforter on my bed had blood stains on it (just gross) buffet (raffels) was very dirty, i guess not cleaned too often. last day on cruise all they want to do, is just get you of the ship, because no one is buying that many drinks, i guess? please listen to me, book a cruise on carnival or rccl. much better option Ship Qualityfree style cruising just does not work Dining/Food
Stateroom Qualitygood size room, but they just don't clean the rooms enough. they change the sheets on the beds just 1 time per week, regaurdless of stains smells or whatever Ship Staff Qualityrude staff, bingo host just does not shut up(talks too much) and tries to be funny when he really isn't Entertainment & ActivitiesAmedus band was great 7 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Overall Great Cruise! by
Pat E. from Plymouth, MA Sailing date: Jul 2009Pros: Raffles buffet Cons: Pool area crowded with kids Great variety of food and entertainment, friendly waitstaff and attention to cleanliness. There were too many kids on this cruise though, and they ruled the main pool area and it was difficult to find a lounge chair by the pool. Bermuda was great with lots of places to explore. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodGood overall quality of food, but the Raffles Buffet was the best. The 2 main dining rooms were good, but have had better on other cruise lines. Only tried Le Bistro, which did not impress very much, except the steak and the creme brulee were delicious. Stateroom Qualitytastefully decorated & always clean, but smaller than most other balcony cabins we have had on other ships. The TV was small & there was no refrigerator. The shower was a good size with a door, but no hot water on one night. Ship Staff QualityThe cabin steward and waitstaff were always friendly & helpful Entertainment & ActivitiesThe main shows were very good with a nice variety of singing, dancing, magic & comedy. The Cat's Pajama's were great harmonizers with no instruments, but it sounded like there were. Arvin & Emily in Champagne Charlie's were the absolute best! She sang Whitney Houston's " I Will Always Love You" so beautifully, as well as Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On". Both sounded like the originals. There was also great music & dancing in the Galaxy of the Stars with a 70's disco night & a White Hot Party night.
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King's Wharf, BermudaHamilton & St. Georges were typical towns with gift shops & pricey restaurants, with St. Georges probably a good choice for history buffs. The Royal Naval Dockyard was different with shops having artists demonstrating their talents and Snorkel Beach was a convenient nearby beach to visit.
Don't Miss: Horseshoe Bay Beach is a must-see with warm clear blue water and huge waves. There are also little coves to explore. 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Great service, not a lot of activities. by
Allie from New York Sailing date: Jun 2007Pros: Great service, cleanliness. We found that there was a lack of things to do that didn't have an additional fee like drinking, gambling, and shopping. Dining/FoodFreestyle cruising is very convenient.
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Entertainment & ActivitiesActivities: The facilities were too small for the amount of people on the ship. Also, there were very few daytime activities.
Entertainment: Some acts were good. There should be more shows and some were "get there very early or standing room only."
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Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.St thomas is great!
Snorkling was wonderful. You must go to the beaches here.
Don't Miss: Beaches, shopping. Tortola, British Virgin IslandsTortola is beautiful.
We took an off-road excursion. Scary, but fun. We recommend it.
Don't Miss: Enjoy the beaches. 8 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
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a really nice enjoyable cruise by
A Traveler from Doylestown, PA Sailing date: Sep 2008Pros: smaller ship; good for an older traveler Cons: food; not as good as other cruise lines This was our first time cruising with NCL and the freestyle program. If you are used to traditional seating from previous cruises and like it; this is difficult to get used to. We were traveling alone and were told they did not accept reservations for two in the dining rooms. We were told two were never a problem to be seated. This meant waiting in line like you were at an "Outback Steakhouse" with a beaper in your hand unless you hurried down to dinner to be there first. I am not used to that on a cruise. You never see the same waiter twice or get to know anyone at your table. I missed that. Obviously the upside is you can go anytime you like. I wasn't worth the trade off for us. It is much less personalized. Ship Quality
Dining/Food
Stateroom QualityOlder ship; could use a refurbishing soon. Ship Staff Quality
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Martha's Vineyard, MassachusettsThis is pretty much Cape May for anyone who frequents there. It can be skipped if you do. The carousel was closed like Fort Knox - it is only open on weekends! The rest is gingerbread houses and one street of tee shirt shops and trinket shops. Nothing is of any quality
Don't Miss: fish & chips at the first bar off the pier Halifax, Nova ScotiaDon't Miss: peggy's cove Saint John, New BrunswickDon't Miss: the falls 6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Outstanding Service on Norwegian Spirit by
A Traveler from Boston Sailing date: Aug 2010Pros: The entertainment was outstanding! Cons: children everywhere even in the bars/clubs late at night where there is alcohol being served. I didn't think it was appropriate. Bars and clubs should be restricted to those 18 years and older. Overall, it was a good cruise with ample food and outstanding entertainment. The children dominate the pool, hottubs, and even the clubs and the dance floor. Many of them are running around unsupervised, dripping pool water in the elevator, etc. I wouldn't go on a cruise during the summer or school vacation week for that reason. There is a lot of drinking going on and I don't think that children need to be exposed to that, especially at night when they should be sleeping. Ship Quality
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King's Wharf, BermudaLoved St. Georges. St. Peter's Church is a must see. Enjoyed Tobacco Bay Beach.
Don't Miss: shops 6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Ship Review by
Mike from Peterborough, Canada Sailing date: Aug 2007Pros: Staff.
Dining/FoodSome line ups at all food areas but vey good and healthy food.
Stateroom QualityVery clean and big considering your on a ship.
Ship Staff QualityAll so helpfull and fun loving.
Entertainment & Activities
Entertainment: Loved them all wish I could have seen more.
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Great Stirrup Cay (Cruiseline Private Island), BahamasGreatstirup cay. The best place this side of Heaven, the sea moon and air bring this romantic spot to life.
Don't Miss: The light house walk. Port Canaveral, Florida
8 out of 13 people found this review helpful.
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Goofy times on a rusty old bucket. by
Josh 9558 from New York, NY Sailing date: Dec 2010Pros: Mindless ease of daily scheduling Cons: Old ship, rocks a lot in the ocean, staterooms smell bad. Here's the deal. The Norwegian Spirit is the oldest ship in the Norwegian fleet. I suspect they will be decommissioning it as soon as their next new ship is finished, and in the meantime they aren't bothering to fix this old girl up. It reeks of the late 1990's, it's literally falling apart in certain areas, and the constant rocking in the waves & winds gives Dramamine a run for it's money. The staff is generally very friendly, although 80% of them have a hard time speaking/understanding English. There is also a good degree of disorganization... which may be a result of the language barrier. Ask 5 people on the staff a question about anything and you'll get 5 different, conflicting answers. Even printed information is often conflicting (we almost missed a shore excursion because the tickets and the brochure both indicated conflicting start times, and the crew was totally useless, if you could find them at all. The "shows" onboard (singers, dancers, a magician, a stand-up comic, etc.) are pretty awful, but almost comically bad for those of you with sick, ironic senses of humor. I also pre-ordered flowers to be delivered to my wife on the first day of the cruise, but Norwegian claimed to never receive the order (although I had a receipt), and offered no means to fix the error after several days of going back and forth about it with their guest services staff. A huge disappointment on multiple levels, and a lot of cash tossed out to sea. All that said, we still managed to enjoy ourselves and find the silver-lining... but if you haven't already booked your trip with this company, you should seriously consider an alternative vacation. Ship QualityThe layout is cramped and the decor is old and very tacky. Again, if you're one for irony, you might find it campy and funny. If you're one for taste, this will gross you out. They DO, however, keep the ship very clean (antibacterial hand sanitizers at every doorway). Germ-freaks fear not... well, fear Tetanos, perhaps, but not the flu... Dining/FoodOK, let me be very clear. The "buffet" is disgusting. Like a high school cafeteria. If you don't want to spend extra money onboard for food, don't bother considering this ship. That said, the "fancy" restaurants onboard (with cover charges of $10-35 per person) were generally quite good. Fresh seafood, delicious steaks, pastas, soups, etc. The non-buffet, free dining rooms (called "Windows" and "the Garden Room") were passable for breakfast, but lunch and/or dinner options there were on the stomach-twisting side. All in all, the cover charges are relatively cheap for the quality upgrades. Stateroom QualityJust gross. We "splurged" and got a balcony stateroom. People told us prior to the cruise that it would be like a "floating hotel"... this is NOT accurate. At best, it's like a floating airplane or train. It looks and feels like a transportation device. Moreover, this particular ship is falling apart. Literally. The closet doors were broken, the gnarly-yellow tiles in the tiny claustrophobic shower were cracked, retaining pungent water and allowing black-mold to rot the grout away. The shower door also fell off it's tracks and couldn't close properly. The plastic fixtures in the bathroom were painted to look metal, but the paint was all chipped off, and the green/brown rotting plastic parts came through. The toilet would often smell like sewage. :( !!! The balcony door and exterior walls/ceiling were heavily rusted. The TV rarely worked inside the stateroom. There is no internet service in the rooms. Boo. Ship Staff QualityVery friendly. Not always helpful, though -- they often didn't know the answer to your questions or couldn't understand your question because they couldn't speak English very well. Most requests required a "supervisor" who was never available. Go figure! But overall, very nice people. Entertainment & ActivitiesThe onboard shows were impressively bad. Just as uncomfortably old and rusty as the ship itself. We thought we'd try something really goofy one night, and we signed up for the "Murder Mystery Dinner"... the "game" was really awful, poorly written and poorly organized. Really tragic, because something silly like that should be fun, shouldn't it?? Anyway, the casino onboard is small but effective. We had a good time talking to dealers and meeting other guests there. Oh, and they don't disclose all of the facts about "Bingo" either... often times "nobody wins"... boo! Save your cash for the Spa, or something. Children's ProgramsNo kids for us! But I do remember some teenagers sleeping next to me during one of the onboard "shows," if that means anything to you.... (?)
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Belize City, BelizeMayan Ruins of Altun Ha & Belize City Tour. The ruins are awesome, as all ancient ruins tend to be. You can climbs up onto one of them, which was very cool. The Belize City bus tour was a little awkward because the country is so poor and desolate, a sharp contrast to the "happy theme park" quality of the ship and the pier. :/
Costa Maya (Mahahual), MexicoZipline over the jungle canopy. It was terrifying and fun! BUT ... you're only on the zipline for about 2 minutes total, and it's an all day trip; so you do the math! We enjoyed it, but I doubt we'd do it again.
Cozumel, MexicoAtlantis Submarine dive!! Awesome. :) Really cool way to go 100 ft. below the water to see the fishes and the reef. It's also very short, which left time for me to also book a snorkeling trip thru one of the "locals" on the pier. Had a fantastic time there, too. The fish are so used to people that they swim right up to you. Loved both experiences.
Don't Miss: Submarine dive and/or snorkeling!! Roatan (Isla Roatan), Bay Islands, HondurasDolphin Encounter!! Amazing, adorable and brilliant creatures -- and you get to pets them, hug them, and get kissed by them. LOL. It was really cool though, truly. Great photos (for $40 at the end of the experience, but worth it).
Don't Miss: Dolphin Encounter! 4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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