The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
Norwegian Sky Cruise Review to Caribbean - Bahamas
Sail date: June 06, 2016
Ship: Norwegian Sky
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 9266
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 8 years ago
Review summary
The Norwegian Sky is an older ship that needs updating as far as furniture and decor. Broken seat on the desk chair in our stateroom and the leather sofa was pretty scuffed up. The Atrium chairs were looking old and the color schemes were old fashioned.
During rain storm, there was a bad water leak coming into the Palace dining room. The friendly, efficient staff makes up for the the deficiencies. Our room steward kept our room spotless and was attentive to all our needs.
The food in the complimentary dining rooms is fair and forgettable. After our first meal, for the rest of the trip we ordered from the specialty menu and also dined at the specialty restaurants. It was worth the extra money. The food and service at these restaurants was outstanding. Cagney's Steak house especially. Great food and great service. A must for anyone dining at a specialty restaurant.
Many on board activities to suit everyone's individual likes. You could find music at many locations. Captain Cook's Bar was great. Richard the piano player was exceptionally entertaining. Michelle, the cocktail waitress has to be the most pleasant staff member on board. She remembered our names whenever we came in. Found us seats and recalled what we were drinking. She would spend time chatting with us whenever there was a lull in orders and showed a genuine interest in what we were saying. A little itty- bitty gal with a great big smile that is infectious.
The casino was large enough to accommodate those who wanted to play. They didn't have a "Let it Ride" table, which is my favorite, so I entertained myself at the roulette table. The shows weren't "Broadway Productions" but they were entertaining.
The free drinks were a definite plus. Many bars at many different locations. Some had frozen drinks which I preferred. I liked the pool deck bar since they had TV's that showed the Professional Basketball finals.
My wife visited the many shops on board. No need to say more about that.
The onshore excursions are another story. Due to weather our Glass Bottom Boat trip was cancelled. I can't fault the ship for that. We had booked an excursion to Atlantis Aquarium that was "disastrous" We disembarked the ship to go to the pier at the designated time. We had to search for the excursion Representative who we found sitting on the side of the area. She put gold plastic wristbands on us and directed us to the bus at the end of the pier. The bus took us to the front gate of the Resort and left us off. There was no one there to guide or instruct us what to do next. The group decided to go into the main building where we encountered Atlantis staff, who had no idea what we were to do. We were directed to the ticket counter and once again encountered puzzlement by the Atlantis staff. A Supervisor was called and she informed us that the Aquarium tour required a different colored wristband, ours were for the water activities. The Supervisor then found us a guide, Ella, who was very entertaining and made us forget our aggravation. The problem with the guide, I believe she thought we were to take a tour of the resort and the Aquarium. We then proceeded to take a long hike through the grounds. I felt like I was back in the military. There were many older people on this tour including my wife and I, and when we finally got to the Aquarium we were exhausted. This wasn't the guides fault, it was the company that set up the excursion and their lack of personnel to take care of our group. Many of us voiced our complaints when we got back on Board. Caution if you are hungry while at Atlantis, stay clear of the restaurant next to the casino, unless you want to pay$105.00 for a burger, seafood salad and two drinks each!
The private beach island was nice but the weather was not good so the Barbecue was cancelled. It still was a nice excursion. Go early to get a good beach lounger by the water. Later in the day it reminded me of a seal island. It still was good fun though.
All in all it was a good cruise, that had it's flaws.
We met some really nice folks on board and struck up some friendships. We have already had contact with some since getting home.
The bottom line is if you want to relax and have a good time, you can't beat a cruise. I would travel Norwegian again but maybe choose a newer ship.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
The food in the complimentary dining rooms is fair . After our first meal, for the rest of the trip dined at the specialty restaurants. It was worth the extra money. The food and service at these restaurants was outstanding. Cagney's Steak House a must! Too bad the food in complimentary can't be.
Ports of call
Great Stirrup Cay (Cruise Line Private Island), Bahamas
Traveler Photos
