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Not a recommended ship. by
Joseph H. from Memphis Tn. Sailing date: Mar 2011Pros: The food was fantastic in the two main dining rooms. The specialty dining rooms were priced decently Cons: some of the staff on board were extremely rude, at one point while waiting on a tender to leave the ship, a ship staff member even cursed at a group of us while being rude. The ship itself was generally clean, the windows were a little dirty. the overall the ship was well taken care of. The decks were not cluttered, trash was picked up quickly, and the crew worked constantly to keep the ship clean. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodThe food was average, the kind of stuff you expect on cruise, with the exception of the specialty dining. Stateroom QualityThe room that we stayed in was a balcony room. It was a little smaller than some of the other ships we have sailed with, but the overall feel of the room was nice. the bathroom is a little awkward to use and for a larger person may be difficult to use. from what i could see our room may or may not have been handicap acessable. Ship Staff QualityThe overall rating i personally would give the crew is a f. the steward assigned to our room and the bar attendant on the pool deck are the only exception to this. On a few different ocassions we had crew member either cuss at us or they were just altogether rude. Entertainment & ActivitiesThere were a lot of fun activities on board the ship, there were activities for couples, singles, gays, and straights. I personal recommendation would be the "Pub Crawl".  
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Belize City, BelizeThe shopping here was great, the city itself was a little dirty but we had a great overall experience.
Don't Miss: Snorkeling Cozumel, MexicoFantastic!!!! we had a great time at some of the local attractions, the shopping was fantastic.
Don't Miss: Carlos and Charlies Roatan (Isla Roatan), Bay Islands, HondurasThis was by far our favorite port of call. the people were great, and the beaches were beautiful.
Don't Miss: Rent a car for around $50 and make your way to the west end for free reef snorkeling off the beach. 3 out of 4 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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Christmas Cruise by
David R. from North Carolina Sailing date: Dec 2010Pros: Cabin bathroom better than most ships Cons: Ship was very crowded feeling Service was poor, especially in main dining room. Food was mediocre except in restaurants. Ship QualityLayout fine. Public areas well taken care of, clean. Dining/FoodVery poor, slow, service staff in main dining rooms. Long wait times between courses every meal. Stateroom QualityVery poor mattresses. Ship Staff QualityMajority of staff friendly. Entertainment & Activities
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Belize City, Belize
Costa Maya (Mahahual), MexicoWe took an local tour to the Mayan ruins, not part of the ship's excursions. It was excellent.
Don't Miss: The Native Choice Tour Cozumel, MexicoEnjoyed The Mission restaurant
Roatan (Isla Roatan), Bay Islands, HondurasWonderful island to visit. We plan to come again to stay longer than a cruise would allow
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Excellent Dining and Cruise Staff by
Greg L from Chicago, IL Sailing date: Nov 2010Pros: The dining experience Cons: The Entertainment The Spirit is a wonderful ship. It is sized appropriately and offers an elegant feel. The ship is clean and is enjoyable to sail. The pool area could be upgraded with a large screen television or LCD Monitor. Entertainment lacks compared to other cruise lines. Overall, this cruise is most likely best enjoyed by an older clientel, about 55 years of age and up. Ship Quality
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Stateroom QualityThe staterooms are a little small. Also, they are scattered throughout the ship on seemingly every deck. There seems to be a continuity problem with the placement ofthe staterooms on the ship Ship Staff QualityTeh restaurant wait staff and the cabin steward staff are truly tremendous Entertainment & Activities
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Belize City, BelizeThe people are friendly.
Costa Maya (Mahahual), MexicoVery enjoyable. Greatly suggested is the ATV Land tour.
Don't Miss: ATV Land Tour Cozumel, MexicoWonderful shopping-great negotiating-beautiful country.
Don't Miss: Jewelry shopping; inland tour Roatan (Isla Roatan), Bay Islands, HondurasAlthough the country is ppor, it is suprisingly expensive throughout the tourist areas (obviously) and the inland countryside
Don't Miss: Tour of the countryside 0 out of 0 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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Bos-Bermuda August 6, 2010 by
A Traveler from Boston, MA Sailing date: Aug 2010Pros: Service, Convenience, Bermuda Cons: Speciality Restaurants, Pool Deck, Size of Balcony Cabins It's a small, but comfortably sized ship. This is my fourth cruise that I've been on, and probably the oldest ship. However, I think that the larger ships can sometimes be too large and passengers can be treated like cargo. Yet, one should not mistaken a small ship like the Spirit with a Celebrity-type liner in terms of service and food quality. Overall, the ship is basic, the food a bit better than average, and the port of Bermuda terrific!
Btw, the other posts about sea sickness are full of crap. We purchased several over-the-counter sea sickness drugs and did not feel a thing -despite Tropical Storm Colin right near us! The ship goes about 16mph and is really large. So, in our experience, one could easily forget they were at sea in terms of movement. Yes, it was that unnoticeable. Ship QualityThe ship quality was above average, I actually like the older, smaller layout of the ship. I didn't notice any logjams. I liked the Asian art. They had several people at all major areas cleaning the ship and offering hand sanitizers. Dining/FoodDecent food, but the service at Windows is incredibly slow. It took us 30 mins to receive an onion soup. However, we complained and they prompted took care of our needs the next time we visited. The speciality restaurants were awful. Save your money! Shogun and the Taste of India were food court-eque. The buffet was good, but like any cruise began to get old by the fourth day. The best? Try the bbq by the pool. The food actually tastes a bit homemade. Stateroom QualityTiny balcony stateroom. Be prepared to feel even more 'tuna canned" on this trip. This doesn't mean the trip will be awful, but experienced travelers will feel shortchanged in this department. Ship Staff QualityFriendly! Enthusiastic! We loved the guy who greeted people to the buffet by saying "happy! happy!" This was a running joke throughout the trip. Entertainment & ActivitiesWell-done! They offer a bunch of stuff and the entertainment was solid.
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King's Wharf, BermudaSave your money and purchase a two-day public transportation pass and explore the safe and friendly island! We went to Shelley Bay Beach and had a blast! Note: this was free, the buses were easy, and it didn't cost us $75 a pop.
Skip St. George, but explore Hamilton. Of course, the beaches are a must!
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Below our expectations by
Willem F. from Canada Sailing date: Jul 2010Pros: The restaurants are very good. The staff is, as always, friendly and very helpful Cons: The clerks at the excursion desk did not know the beach was closed. That bugged almost an entire day of the cruise! The pool towels were randomly distributed and washed. We had to argue to get clean pool towels in exchange of our wet one. This is not funny. On the return trip, we had two days at sea The ship is just OK. There are no "Wow!"'s on board. The restaurants are very good. The activities are just all right. The Kid's club program is very good. Ship QualityThere is just enough activities for three days at sea. Another family may fall short on activities, especially for teens. Dining/Food
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King's Wharf, BermudaWe loved St-Georges, Bermuda, but the King's wharf is only a small gathering of market. Hopefully, the nearby public beaches (within 20 minutes driving distance) are fabulous. The local prvate beach is, well, private and therefore closed when they are not willing to open... Darn!
Don't Miss: Take the cab to the Horseshoe Bay 1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Boston to Bermuda pros and cons by
A Traveler from boston Sailing date: Jul 2010Pros: food in dining rooms was good, shows and activities were excellent Cons: The shower in our bathroom was dirty and smelly. I asked them to clean it. Tere were kids sox and crayons under our bed, we didn't have kids with us, so clearly it wasn't cleaned from Not very clean. Staff was mostly curt and impatient. Ship QualityWas not a clean boat. Lots of common areas dusty and dingy. Our room was a balacony room on 11th floor (pricey) and had dirty bathroom and leftover items from guests before us still in the room! Dining/FoodWindows and GArdens were excellent. The cafeteria type rest was not very good. Stateroom Qualitysize and decor were ok. but not very clean.
Beds were comfortable. Ship Staff QualityNot too impressed with the staff. The folks at the front desk and excursion desk were very unhelpful. Entertainment & ActivitiesLots of fun activities. We did the pub crawl and it was a blast. Shows were lots of fun too.
Cons: The last show has a song where the staff sing about how wonderful they are... very hokey. There were lots of people trying to sell things jewelry art, etc. Seems like a big info mercial at times.
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King's Wharf, BermudaWe took the boat tour of famous houses and it was excellent. Very informative about the island and a very enjoyable time.
Power snorkeling was a lot of fun too. The guides were excellent, knowledgable and very fun.
Don't Miss: rum swizzle inn was a lot of fun! Horseshoe bay should not be missed! 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Nightmare on the Spirit by
Bob D from Boston Sailing date: Sep 2009Pros: Bermuda was fun Cons: Many things At the dock in Boston I was told they would take the cash deposit for the ship board account after my travel agent called to confirm and they said no and sent us to the pursers desk
Cash deposit error on the 1st day. Partner's deactivation notice
Soda card issue and service no cup for 4 days
Lack of service when I showed my soda card
Partner not being brought a glass with her beer in windows
My sharps notice left on the room door
Windows Restauraunt waiting in line issue with the party of 12 going in right away while we waited 25 minutes as they walked right by us.
My travel agent informed you it was my 50th birthday celebration and nothing was done by NCL
The whole attitude of the majority of the crew and there lack of interest in helping us having the best vacation ever.
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Great Cruise by
Paul M. from Gorham, Maine Sailing date: Jun 2010Pros: 3 Days in Bermuda, more cruises should overnight, I have done the one day and out and perfer to overnight Cons: Food just adequate, could have stayed in Bermuda later on 3rd day, ship slowboats back to Boston to sell drinks Ship OK, needs a refresher, food adequate, goood selection but lacking in taste.
Three days in Bermuda great, more ships should overnight in other places. One day and go is not fun. Ship shold stay in Bermuda later on last day. It retuns back to Boston at half the speed to sell more drinks at sea. Left Bermida at 5pm should have been at 10pm.
Good shows and music. Ship Qualityslightly worn Dining/FoodNeeds help, Carnival has better food but loved the freestyle dinning.
Food is tasteless for the masses, payed extra for the Taste of India and it was great. Stateroom Qualitygood beds and room. Ship Staff Qualitygreat cabin crew all very helpfull. Entertainment & Activities
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King's Wharf, BermudaDo not rent the MoterScooters, take the Bus it is better and SAFE. The scooters are deadly (I ride a Motercycle in US) Many accidents during my week.
Visit the Botanical Gardens ,free.
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