A Dream Trip
Norwegian Spirit Cruise Review
Contributor Level:
Second Mate
Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Reviews: 2
Helpful Votes: 103
14 Night Mediterranean Delights (Rome Roundtrip)
Sail date: November 07, 2019
Ship: Norwegian Spirit
Cabin type: Oceanview
Cabin number: 6092
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 5 years ago
Review summary
Our bucket list dream cruise did not disappoint! The itinerary was amazing and despite missing our #1 most desired port ( Venice) we had an amazing time. We loved the ship, the staff and the service!Embarkation
Embarkation was easy and quick. We stayed in Civitivecchia the night before and walked directly to the ship from our hotel ( the pier is longer than it looks! )
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
We ate at Cagneys Steakhouse 3 times and it was fine but not outstanding. I probably would skip the Specialty Dining on future cruises as the Main Dining Rooms ( Windows and The Garden Room) were very good. Raffles felt somewhat repetitive, but on a 14 day cruise that would be expected. The free continental breakfast delivered to our room was a Godsend on days we had early excursions ( just fill out the card and hang it on your doorknob the night before!) We also ordered room service (7.95 charge plus gratuities added) this was worth it when we returned from an excursion cold and wet and just wanted hot food and hot showers! Heaven. The Blue Lagoon had pub type food which was good as well.
Onboard Activities
We went to some shows and liked them all. Ian West at Champagne Charlie's was very enjoyable and the band that played on the Lido deck was awesome. We played backgammon and cards in the games room on our Sea Days and used the library as well. We met people via the Roll Call on this site and all met up for a Wacky Hat Pub Crawl and a few more get-togethers which were great fun. TIP: join the roll call and start a FB group and meet some people before you go. A huge part of what made our trip so enjoyable was the new friends we made!
In Maharinis Lounge there are screens showing the silhouette of a girl dancing that at first was kind of funny but became more distasteful the more you viewed it...that got "old" really quick. Not the best choice NCL and hopefully they can improve that when refitted. p.s. I am no prude but don't want to see a shadow stripper when listening to karaoke 😀
Entertainment
included in the Activities review
Service and Staff
Great service. No complaints at all.
Ship Quality
The ship is older and getting refitted in the new year. We LOVED it. The size was perfect and easy to get around once you get your bearings ( the fish on the carpet outside cabins always swim forward toward the bow). The crew worked SO hard everyday to keep this ship clean.
Cabin / Stateroom
our cabin was at the end of a hall adjoining The Garden Dining Room so we had almost no foot traffic past our door. Because of the dining room were were not able to use midship elevators to get to our room. We took the stairs 90% of the time anyway. The room was typical size and I did like that the toilet could be closed off seperately. The shower area was roomier than the previous 2 ships I have been on.
Bed was very comfortable and we wnjoyed having the large window.
Ship tip
Join the Roll Call and meet people before you go!
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
We took a private tour to Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii. We stopped in Sorrento to taste the local limoncello and bought some to bring home with us. The Amalfi coast is breathtKing, even on a gray day. Our tour included lunch in the town of Amalfi. We drove through Positano and Ravello as well as Salerno. Pompeii was so amazing to see ( and heartbreaking in the tragedy of it all) and wish we had more time to experience it.
This may have been our favorite port! Be sure to be on deck as the ship sails through the fjord-like Bay. You will be in awe. We climbed the hill past the small church up to the fort. The views are well worth the 1500 steep steps up! Watch your step as there are loose rocks in some areas and can feel crowded in spots when there are people trying to go up and down. The town is a beautiful walled city known for its cat population. Visit the Cats Of Kotor store for amazing feline gifts/art.
We got up early and were among the first off the ship and took a waterbus to the Old Port. I loved getting lost in the narrow streets and finding our way to the Windmills. We had drinks on a balcony in Little Venice with amazing views of the windmills and outlying islands. TiP: Go early so that you can take photos without a million people in them. Narrow streets and laneways can make it seem crowded very quickly!
we missed Venice due to flooding which was unfortunate but we docked in Ravenna instead and took a tour to Bologna the next day. We liked that city very much ( less touristy than others)
We did an excursion with a private company. Went to the Acropolis and the Plaka district. It was the day of their annual marathon and the city was very busy. The Acropolis was amazing and the views from the top are very nice. Athens was okay but I do not feel the need to revisit.
We were supposed to do the NCL Cable Car and Town tour but the cable car could not run because of wind conditions. We toured the city on our own and loved it.
Livorno (Florence & Pisa), Italy
Took a tour with a peivate company for 1/3 the cost of the NCL tour. Florence is beautiful and I would like to go back someday. The leaning tower was great but otherwise not much else in Pisa.
We stayed here overnight precruise and explored this little seasidea city which has a charm all its own.
Took "The Charming Oia Village" tour through NCL and felt misled as we only had an hour an 20 minutes to walk around here which is not long enough. We ended the tour in Fira and watched the amazing sunset from a cliffside bar. The lineup for the cable car down was fairly quick but we were the only ship in port.
Used the Hop On Hop Off bus to get around. Viewed the church near " Mouse Island". Walked through the huge park, Went to the old fort and strolled through Corfu town and had lunch at a seaside cafe.
Took the NCL " Godfather" tour to 2 villages used for dilming the movies. Gorgeous views, but the steep hairpin turns to get up are a little harrowing but part of the fun too!
Disembarkation
We walked off with our own luggage in 10 minutes. The quickest disembarkation I have experienced.
Traveler Photos
