First NCL Experience
Norwegian Sky Cruise Review to Caribbean - Bahamas
Contributor Level:
Second Mate
Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Reviews: 4
Helpful Votes: 85
5 Night Bahamas (Miami Roundtrip)
Sail date: October 28, 2019
Ship: Norwegian Sky
Cabin type: Inside
Cabin number: 9354
Traveled as: Singles/Friends
Reviewed: 4 years ago
Review summary
Overall, this was a good cruise. I had only cruised on Carnival before, so I was always comparing everything to Carnival. NCL does a lot of little things differently. Some are okay, some are a little weird. I do think it's odd that they don't provide beach/pool towels in your room. And the towel station on the pool deck closes at 8:30 pm, but the pools and hot tubs stay open until at least 10 pm. The food at the buffet could be better. Some of the entertainment (Newlywed Game, Battle of the Sexes) should definitely be held in a different venue. The Bliss lounge is just too small. Also, I am not a fan of the "Freestyle Dining." I very much prefer set dining times where you have the same table and same waiters every night. I think freestyle dining actually makes the service in the dining room slower, because the staff doesn't know how many diners to expect at any certain time, especially since you can also choose either of the main dining rooms and aren't in the same one every night. One night I was in the dining room for almost 2 hours, and just barely made the show in the theater afterwards. I chose NCL was because I found this particular cruise for a really good price. While I did enjoy it, I found myself wishing several times I had spent a little more and gone with Carnival or Royal Caribbean. That said, I would probably do NCL again if I found another great deal, though I would probably try one of the bigger ships. The Sky is good for a vacation that won't break the bank, and I'd say probably best during the off-season when it's not full. (This cruise only had around 1400 passengers aboard from what I heard.)Embarkation
The people calling out group numbers for boarding really need a megaphone or loudspeaker or something. I couldn't hear anything they said over the noise. I was in boarding group 2, but didn't board until group 6 because I couldn't hear them call out any of the groups.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
The main dining room food was really good. A the buffet, some items were better than others. Breakfast was the exact same items every day. A little variety would have been nice. There also weren't many dessert options at dinner. I LOVED the red velvet cake at the buffet...that they apparently only served once the entire cruise. I was pretty disappointed they didn't have it again. The buffet food is not as good as what I have had on my Carnival cruises.
Onboard Activities
I love the deep (7 ft) pools. They were big enough that they didn't get super-crowded and I think the fact that they were so deep kept some people from getting in them, which thinned the crowds a bit. That and the fact that drinks are not allowed in the pools (and the lifeguards WILL and DO enforce that!) Hot tubs were almost always full, and they were not clear on opening hours. The newsletter said hot tubs were open until 10 pm, but I saw people still in there as late as 11 pm. Fitness center was not terribly well-equipped. They had plenty of cardio machines (treadmills, etc.) but only a few weight-machines, one of which was broken and didn't get fixed during this cruise.
Entertainment
Shows in the theater were entertaining and well-produced. The comedian was great and the comedy magician put on a good show as well. "Rock You Tonight" was pretty good, but not as good as Carnival's "Epic Rock" show. The ship needs a bigger place to hold certain events. They had the Newlywed Game, Battle of the Sexes, and Halloween costume contest in the Bliss lounge, which is too small, and was crammed full for all three. They couldn't really do any decent challenges for the Battle of the Sexes because the stage is so small and they didn't have room to do much of anything physical.
Service and Staff
The staff was really on top of things everywhere on the ship. My room steward kept everything clean and in good shape. Waiters were polite and attentive. I had a small issue with the door to my room, and guest services was quick getting it fixed and followed up the next day to make sure I was satisfied.
Ship Quality
The ship is older and smaller, of course, but also recently refurbished as well. Everything was very clean and in good shape. Some things could be improved upon, though. You can tell they have really tried to cram chairs into the theater. They are all pushed right up against each other and there isn't much space to maneuver between rows. They also don't have real directories at the elevators/stairs! Yes, they have a sign that tells what is on each deck, but it's just a list instead of an actual deck plan. So it can be hard to figure out how to get to certain areas, especially when you sometimes have to go up or down a deck to cross from the front to the back. Deck plans are way more helpful than a list!
Cabin / Stateroom
This was a smaller cabin than the inside cabins I've stayed in on Carnival ships. There is almost no space beside the bed on either side. However, it was a comfortable cabin for me. It might not be for a larger person. I had a slight issue in which my cabin door would not lock unless I swung the door all the way open and let it slam shut. If I just pulled the door shut as I went out, it wouldn't lock at all. Guest services sent a carpenter up to look at it, and it was good after that.
Ports of call
Didn't really see much of Miami. Just rode through on the way to the ship and back. It looked nice from what I saw, but it also looked like a traffic nightmare and I'm glad I wasn't driving.
Thumbs Up
0
Key West was awesome! I did a bike tour excursion, but I think if I ever come back I will just rent a bike and go exploring on my own. There is a lot to do and look at within walking/biking distance. Plenty of places to eat and shop and a lot of attractions (Hemingway House, Key West Lighthouse, Southernmost point, and more)
I did a snorkeling excursion through the ship, which was pretty good. I'd definitely recommend some kind of excursion at Nassau. There wasn't that much to do otherwise. A lot of the area near the port was just shopping, with a lot of stores selling the exact same stuff. I did walk to a nice public beach (Junkanoo) which has beach chairs for rent and is a good place to relax & swim. It's a little bit of a walk from the port, but not bad.
Great Stirrup Cay (Cruise Line Private Island), Bahamas
My 2nd favorite stop after Key West. NCL's private island doesn't have as much to do as some of the other cruise line islands, but I wasn't really looking to do much. I got a great spot on the beach and spent the day relaxing and swimming. Even with two ships there, the island had enough space for everyone. A buffet lunch was provided, which was actually better than the buffet on the ship. The pizza was really good and the rum cake at the dessert bar was delicious. They do have a zip line, which I saw people using (costs extra), and there are excursions available on the island, as well as a small shopping area with stuff like t-shirts and the usual tourist shop type items.
Disembarkation
Disembarkation was quick and easy. They were testing out some kind of new facial recognition system as we got off, so I didn't even realize that I was going through customs at the time. Found my luggage in no time at all after I got off the ship.