Last Minute Cruise

Item: Norwegian Sky
Rating: 4
Author: lhandel26

Norwegian Sky Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

lhandel26

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 3

Helpful Votes: 33

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

Verified Review

9 Night Caribbean: Dominican Republic & Antigua (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: October 16, 2023

Ship: Norwegian Sky

Cabin number: GTY

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 6 months ago

Review summary

This was a last minute cruise that replaced our canceled trip to Israel. We got the last room. We knew the ship was small but it was smaller than the small ships we have been on on other lines and Norwegian. The room was a disgrace. We are used to amall inside rooms but the closet space was not acceptable especially for a 9 day cruise. It is very outdated. This ship should be used for a shorter cruise. We missed the ports of St. Maarten and Antigua due to tropical Storm Tammy. That was disappointing. we were rerouted to Nassau for two days and we were thankful that the weather was awesome. We took an excursion to Blue lagoon island and we loved the beach , water and food. We were thankful that we took this excursion because the next day after picking up our tender ticket the captain decided it was not safe to tender at Great Stirrup cay. we passed CocoCay , Royal Carribean's private island and they had two ships docked there. Norwegian needs to build a dock for boats to be able to park so there is not an issue with tenders. We lost 3 ports on this trip. We did have a awesome time anyway meeting people and cruising. A plus for Norwegian is the 50 dollar perk for second passenger excursions. it saved our trip.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Everything went smoothly and there was no line.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

The main dining room food was very good. There was a variety of choices every night for appetizers, entrees and desserts. The breakfast buffet also was very good with omelets being made and pastries, toast and other side dishes offered. The lunch buffet was not our favorite. The same pasta dishes were offered each day. There should have been a pasta bar like we see on Celebrity or Royal. There was always hot dogs and hamburgers available as well as chicken breast or turkey burgers upon request. The salad bar was lacking with subpar lettuce and few things to add in compared to other cruises. The line set up was not good as buffet area is small. You had to wait in one line for all parts of the buffet . They offered sliced meats and cheeses , salad , hot dishes and carved meats. The rotisserie chicken was the best. Pizza station only open for 3 hours a day which is not acceptable compared to other cruise lines. The back buffet was nice with seating on the back of the ship and up to date patio furniture to sit at. The hot food was hard to get at because dishes were in a small buffet cart . Choices were random and could have been more coordinated maybe with a theme to them each day. The back buffet had cakes and cookies as well as some food at tea time ( after hours).

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

The fitness center was small. The pool was a nice size and we were able to enjoy the pool and hot tubs.

Entertainment

3 out of 5

The same comedian and magician stay on ship for three shows each. The magician was good and we didn't mind seeing him three times but not so much for the comedian. More variety was needed for a 9 day cruise. The dancers and singers were very good. We enjoyed the theme parties and the bands on board were excellent.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

The staff was accommodating and very helpful. We enjoyed our time in the dining room after we found some good waiters to request.

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

The ship is very old but it was clean. The theater had large club chairs and was not a practical way to have seating.

Cabin / Stateroom

2 out of 5

The inside room is extremely small. I have had inside rooms on 21 cruise on 4 major cruise line and this was the smallest. the closet space for hanging was ok but there were 4 small drawers only useable for underwear. We had to use the shelves above and below the television for our clothes.