Disappointing and Poor Value for Money
Norwegian Sky Cruise Review
3 Night Bahamas (Miami Roundtrip)
Sail date: February 03, 2023
Ship: Norwegian Sky
Cabin type: Oceanview
Cabin number: 7012
Traveled as: Large Group
Reviewed: 1 year ago
Review summary
We celebrated a friend’s 40th birthday on the Sky in February 2023. Locals to South Florida, we were hoping to find a ship that would be ideal for future weekend getaways that wouldn’t break the bank… the Sky, alas, isn’t the solution we were looking for. This was my 3rd voyage with NCL, and my girlfriend’s 2nd. For point of reference I’ve also sailed with Celebrity and a cruise line no longer in business. I have future cruises booked currently with Celebrity, NCL, and Virgin. First off it has to be noted that NCL naturally can’t control the weather, and a lot of the negatives from this trip come from an itinerary that changed from Freeport and Great Stirrup Cay to a day at sea and Nassau. However, NCL are in control of your enjoyment in lieu of these changes and I feel if this has happened on any cruise I’d been on previously, it wouldn’t have been a big deal for the most part. Freeport isn’t exactly renowned for being a great spot (I’d just been happy to tick it off the list) and on a vibrant ship with lots going on, I would’ve probably taken a sea day over going to Nassau again. Another thing - it’s been said before that any cruise barring disaster is still a good time, and I agree with this. We did have a good time. However, there was a lot of disappointing factors that stopped it from being a great time, and a 2 night vacation that costs $1,500 for two people really should be great. It’s not pocket change and you have a lot of quality options for a weekend at this price. When looking at short cruises that leave from this port, there really isn’t much of a price difference between the Pearl, a ship I’ve been on and enjoyed before through Alaska, and the Sky - so the Sky needed to really pull out the stops to match a ship that offers a lot more. This is a hard task, but not impossible. Sadly the Sky feels limited by its smaller stature, rather than embracing it. What could be an ideal, intimate ship for adult couples instead feels like an attempt to do everything the larger ships of the fleet accomplish, but falls flat and lacks its own identity. With a refurbishment only a few years ago, nothing is likely to change in the near future. Some people love the Sky and the Facebook group is full of accounts singing its praises and saying they’ve sailed on it multiple times. Even if luck had gone more our way I still can’t see this being our opinion personally. Despite the food onboard and service quality (altho feeling understaffed) matching what I expect from this line, I just can’t think of anything unique that the Sky has to offer. It’s a genuine shame.Embarkation
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Crossings Main Dining Room
We had a group of 12 people and the MDR was accommodating and made sure we had a big table for the night we celebrated a friends birthday. There was a lot of food being ordered (you gotta try all the appetizers afterall, and not all will be great) but the kitchen kept on top of everything well. It was a good meal to end a mixed trip with, and while it’s not as grand as some other ships it’s still a very nice room and they’ve done their best to impress with it.
The Atrium Bar
Disappointing for a bar in the focal point of the ship, there’s not much in the way of seating and they could’ve used another bartender during our sailing. The best part was if you were lucky to get a seat, especially on the other side of the stairwell, sometimes they’d be doing table service which made it a bit more enjoyable. Compared to every other NCL ship, this was a let down - however most other ships don’t rely on the atrium bar as being their main mid ship bar, but with The Local being elsewhere they don’t have much choice on the Sky.
Palace Main Dining Room
We only had a single lunch at this venue, but everything was as expected and gave us opportunity to try a few dishes that’ll definitely be ordered again on future sailings.
Le Bistro
We used our speciality dining at La Bistro, and racked up a $200 bill over 8 plates and 2 drinks between the 2 of us, so definitely a good spot to use this perk. I haven’t been to this restaurant on my other NCL sailings, but enjoyed it a lot. We sat with another couple we were sailing with, and it was a good atmosphere despite the small space. If I was sailing on the Sky again, I’d probably pick here as much choice still.
Onboard Activities
Sky Club Casino
NCL loves making the casino a huge focus on their ships, they’re big and in your face and right at the mid section meaning they’re pretty unavoidable. I’m not a big gambler so I usually just pay no attention as I walk through, but this is such a detriment to the enjoyment of the Sky. First and foremost, unlike most ships operating currently the casino is fully smoking. It stinks, and because of its location it causes the surrounding areas to stink too. If you have sensitivity to cigarette smells, it’s going to be a real sour point and it should’ve been dealt with. Smoking on the Sky is worse than any other ship I’ve been on, and it makes no sense.
Entertainment
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
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