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Norwegian Spirit Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

4masons

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 48

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Western Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)

Sail date: March 19, 2016

Ship: Norwegian Spirit

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: 6076

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 8 years ago

Review summary

Pros: CLEAN, well taken care of ship! Most crew members were awesome. Especially Allen, who was based in the top outside bar! Every disembarkation, tender, etc, was smooth as butter. You never felt crowded or waited too long in lines, etc. Very well organized in every aspect, especially as you learn the system. Each port of call was wonderful. We especially liked Jamaica. Some of the shows were entertaining, but others, like the magic show was cheesy!

Cons: Food in the Windows restaurant, (which you had to be somewhat dressed up) was just mediocre. If you like to stay up and party all night, this ship is not for you. Outside bars close way too early and the little entertainment things were lacking. Our beds were hard as rocks. Hint: get a ton of pillows to sleep on. This is not a kids ship either. We had a 13 year old that was bored out of his mind. The layout of the ship kinda stinks, until you can figure out how to get from one place to the other. If you are late to the poolside, you will not find a few chairs together for your family. If you bring something on the ship, like a bottle of rum, you may not get it back. Ours was never sent to our room and got home, realized it was missing.

A majority of the guests were white, mid-40's, and spoke English, which was right up our alley. I would say we made the right move by taking this ship. The larger ships may have more to do, but the crowds would go with it. We walked right to our tinder in Grand Cayman to re board our ship, and watched a line of over 500 people waiting to get on the Celebrity X cruise tinder. If you like smaller, quieter, more relaxed cruising, this one is for you!!

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

1 out of 5

I would have expected better food....midnight snacks at the blue something......were great though! The buffet was just edible, but good for breakfast.

Onboard Activities

1 out of 5

We expected more to do. Every once in a while they would play a game at the pool. They needed more of this. FUN Stuff...Come on guys!

Entertainment

3 out of 5

It was OK, but nothing to write home about.

Children's Programs

3 out of 5

Not a lot for a 13 year old to do. We signed him up in the teen lounge, but no one seemed to want to hang there at that age.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Majority of the staff were great! There were a couple of grumpy bartenders that shouldn't be in public.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Ship was CLEAN! Made my wife VERY happy. The design sucked. Just remember, red, blue, and green carpet, and you will be ok.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Cabin was great with exception of the beds, which were very hard. Love the bathrooms and the window. Our phone didn't work, but they replaced it with a new one. Cabin temps fluctuated, but we liked it cold. The fold down bed was nice for our younger son.

Ship tip

Make reservations for the Windows or Garden restaurants via the phone, like about 2 hours prior to wanting to eat. They will get you right in. No reservations, you will wait, even though there are empty seats all over. Get a cabin with a balcony. We wish we would have done that.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Port Canaveral, Florida

5 out of 5

Key West, Florida

5 out of 5

Jet ski's would have been great here, if the water was warmer. Otherwise, just walk around Duvall street. Pretty cool!

Thumbs Up 1

George Town, Grand Cayman

5 out of 5

Do the excursions, such as swim with stingrays...It is SO worth it. But, just book something after you get off the ship. It's way cheaper as you step on land.

Thumbs Up 1

Ocho Rios, Jamaica

5 out of 5

Book an excursion from the ship for this place. We did ATV and wife did zipline/bobsled. We all enjoyed both excursions. Dunn River falls would have been cool, but way too many people want to do that.

Thumbs Up 2

Great Stirrup Cay (Cruise Line Private Island), Bahamas

5 out of 5

Make sure you get in line to come back to the ship somewhat early, as everyone leaves this place on the tinder at the same time!

Thumbs Up 2

Traveler Photos

1 Comment

njcruis80239007 8 years ago

Totally agree, we have sailed Spirit twice on the 12 day Mediterranean cruise and enjoyed "no waiting." Long lines and waiting can really get tiring after a day of touring. The worst is waiting hours to get off the day of disembarkation. The Spirit was the easiest "no waiting" event ever.

Thumbs Up 0

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