Great Itinerary, "Package Deals" Provided Excellent Value
Norwegian Spirit Cruise Review to Europe - Mediterranean
12 Night Grand Mediterranean (Barcelona To Venice)
Sail date: October 24, 2016
Ship: Norwegian Spirit
Cabin number: 10512
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 8 years ago
Review summary
The offer we received from Norwegian with a deluxe penthouse -- pre-paid gratuities, beverage and dining package -- really made our cruise a great value, plus an exciting itinerary! NCL Spirit is an older ship in need of decor updating, but the ship was clean and well maintained. The majority of the staff were very good and provided excellent service. Our stateroom was very large and well laid out, the steward was superb, but the butler was little seen. Again, the decor was dated, although the bed / linens were very comfortable. The bath offered a toilet room, double sinks, a jacuzzi-style tub that I wouldn't use because paint was coming off, and a shower cabin -- all very clean. Little glitches were frustrating; unable to regulate the water temp (it was too hot) and main light switch wouldn't activate. Our dining experience was a highlight (DIning Package); Cagney's was Excellent, Windows was Very Good, Le Bistro and La Trattoria were Good, Shogun was O.K with an uninspiring menu. We didn't do other dining venues. The real benefit of the penthouse and above is having breakfast & lunch in Cagney's, as well as a dedicated concierge (Karin). She was a real professional, patient and kind, and got us on/off the ship efficiently, plus provided port info. Overall, NCL does a lot of up-selling (photographs, tours, next cruises, jewelry, knick-knacks, etc,) which can get bothersome, but it's easy to pass on. The Captain kept passengers informed of the ship's status, especially during a medical emergency event: two passengers required evacuation which caused the Captain to return to Messina, delaying the onward schedule, and the port call in Mykonos was cancelled giving us another sea day. Overall, a very good cruise given the price and packages. We would definitely take another NCL cruise!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
The ship is relatively small and easy to maneuver. Take a walk-about on the first afternoon to get familiar. Galaxy of the Stars is a great place to grab a drink, watch the sea or coming in/out of port.
Ports of call
Livorno (Florence & Pisa), Italy