This was one of the best cruises I have ever been on! The itinerary was brilliant and visited some incredible places. The ship may be the oldest, smallest and least refurbished ship in the fleet, but it has some of the best, if not the best crew in the fleet. They worked so hard to keep the ship in great shape and give us a very enjoyable cruise.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
We were able to check-in straight away upon arriving in the terminal. We had to wait a while before embarkation began, but once it did we were onboard straight away!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The selection in the buffet was plentiful and the food was always excellent. The main dining rooms, Windows and The Garden Room both had a good variety of food options that changed daily, however I was disappointed they no longer offer chocolate lava cake for dessert every day! We also ate in Le Bistro, La Trattoria and Cagney's steakhouse. The experience in these specialty restaurants was exceptional and the food was fantastic. The service in all the venues onboard was consistently brilliant.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
This ship doesn't have all the attractions of the mega-ships like waterslides, rock climbing walls etc. However, the cruise director and her staff were fantastic and put on a great array of activities everday, so we never got bored!
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The entertainment on offer throughout the cruise was very good. The 3 main stage shows were fantastic, particularly Elements. There was something in the theatre every evening with some great variety acts, including singers, dancers, musicians, trapeze artists, magicians, comedians and jugglers!
Children's Programs
Did not use.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
All the crew were fantastic and some of the best I have experienced. They were super friendly, attentive and helpful. The cruise director, Lorena was superb and her cruise staff were great, particularly Marta, Sandra and Ralph.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Despite its age, the Norwegian Spirit is in a great condition. The crew work very hard to look after it, always cleaning and maintaining it. the common areas were good, especially Galaxy of the Stars. The ship's layout was good and fairly easy to understand, however I did find it confusing having the theatre at the aft of the ship (compared to its usual location at the front on most other cruise ships).
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
This was a small cabin, especially with 3 people in. However, our cabin steward, Rhandy was fantastic. He kept the room clean and kindly folded the 3rd bed in everyday to give us more space, which made a huge difference. There was just enough storage space and the bathroom was actually quite large. Despite its size, our cabin was very comfortable and we got used to it!
We were docked in Rekyjavik overnight. On the first day we took a shore excursion to a Viking museum, geothermal fields and the blue lagoon. The blue lagoon was a unique experience, however we probably wouldn't be in a rush to do it again.... The viking museum was very interesting and the geothermal fields were great. The highlight of our stay in Rekyjavik was our 'super 4x4 adventure' excursion that we took on the second day. We had an amazing trip around Rekyjavik/the countryside in these super trucks and had great fun off-roading and driving through rivers!
In Akureyri we did a whale watching excursion. This included an enjoyable boat ride and spectacular views up-close of 2 humpback whales in the water. The trip was fantastic.
Geiranger is absolutely stunning! Our shore excursion took us up the Eagle road, with 12 hairpin turns and great views of the valley at the top! We then went up Dalsnibba mountain which has sensational views of the fjord.
In Nordfjordeid we did a shore excursion which included a boat ride and visit to the Kjenndal glacier. It was a long coach ride from the port, but it was worth it! The boat ride was beautiful and peaceful and afterwards we enjoyed waffles and tea/coffee in a small cafe. We then took a short drive and walk to the Kjenndal glacier, which we got close-up and spectacular views of.
In Amsterdam we did a shore excursion that visited the Hermitage museum and included a boat ride. The Hermitage was interesting and the boat ride was enjoyable. Our guide was very good.
In Bruges, our shore excursion included a nice walking tour around the town with our excellent guide, followed by a boat ride in the canals and some free time. It was an enjoyable trip.
Disembarkation was efficient. Since we weren't in a hurry to leave the ship, we waited until the last call and walked off with ease then (around 9am). Our bags were ready for us in the terminal and we were on our way home within 15 minutes.
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