Norwegian Spirit Cruise Reviews - Reviews

We didn't like the freestyle dining, we had to stand in line for atleast 30 min everytime we wanted to eat in Dining Room.  Service was slow in the Dining Room as well.  The food in the Raffles Buffet was excellent, other than it was not hot, everything seemed quite cool to us.  Drinks were far too expensive, would not go again unless we were offered a free beverage pkg.

I booked 3 balcony rooms for my family, and then we had another family travel with us.  The first oddity that I noticed-our room steward never introduced himself, and never bothered to learn our names-I have never had this happen before, they always know our names, usually by the end of the first day and greet you all the time.  Our room was not clean-we had to wash stains off the couch and found someone else's socks in the closet.  We were often missing towels, and had to remove used food/drinkware when done. One room had a substantial leak from the bathroom, out through the entry into the hall-all week. We brought it to the steward's attention, and an industrial fan was used, both in the room and in the hall to attempt to dry the floor, to no avail.  A bottle of wine was left (for my underaged son) as an apology.  On day 3 all 4 bathroom toilets would not flush, which we also brought to the stewards attention (apparently it was a larger than just our 4 room problem), but when we returned to our room the following day there was a card reminding us what we can and can not flush-we are flush aware-that was not the problem (at least in our rooms) which we found offensive.  Several nights at dinner we found a wait (20 min+) at our table before a server would come to take an order, and a wait between order and arrival of food (20+ min between finish of one course and arrival of next), in both cases without apology or explanation.  I had shore excursion credit on 2 of my cabins, and asked several times about how to use it, both at the shore excursion desk (on day 1) and the guest services desk (on day 4), and learned on the final night of the cruise that I was shorted $250 of that money, as I was given false info from the shore excursion desk, and guest services was unwilling to assist/resolve.  Given that this was an older ship, I was unable to access my onboard account on the tv or thru a kiosk, and had to rely on guest services, which was just an inconvenience.  I was not always charged the correct drink prices for the drink of the day-which resulted in charges to my onboard account, that I would not otherwise have had, given that I had the beverage package.  At disembark one of my suitcases was misplaced, which took an additional 30 minutes to locate (no clue where it went), and when located, it was damaged (brand new suitcase now has a broken wheel), and my sons suitcase also received a broken wheel in this process.  These suitcases were fine at 11pm when we placed them in the hall, and by 8am we had 2 broken.  Shows were ok, not spectacular, food was ok, staff was decent but not great, shops onboard nothing to write home about, bar entertainment funny, but the same script night after night, went to the Sushi bar and the sushi was good but it is only open at 5:30 pm-which conflicts with supper, so if I am buying sushi, I would rather do it at lunch time, and then go to supper.  The main dining room does have a dress code for dinner, no shorts.  I found that the signs onboard were lacking, and people were often left wondering where they were supposed to go, and often printed info was conflicting in the daily guide, citing a start or stop time as one thing on one page and different on a different page.  On deck there were parts of the deck that were roped off for the majority of the cruise, and deck chairs were often tied up/stacked, even when there were no empty ones available and people walking looking for a free one.  Tendering process was as confusing as always, they line you up on pool deck, in front of an open bar, that morning to grab tender tickets, and then when they call the tenders, everyone runs, regardless of the number they have.  Staff often does not turn away a wrongdoer.  One day we scored some priority tender tickets, and were in line for tender #1, but staff got confused and moved the line and the priority folks ended up on tender #2 and had to wait about 30 minutes longer than they otherwise should/would have, had the line not been moved (I would have been pissed if I had paid for the suites and then lost that benefit there).  Port Canaveral was very easy to park, drop luggage, and embark.  I have cruised on 3 lines, multi times each, and just found this one/this time to be sub par, especially for what I paid, and unfortunately has left a sour taste for Norwegian and likely to be my last with this company.

We were promised discounts on 3 shore excursions, per person, (2 people in cabin = 6 discounts) by . Norwegian said no, it was per cabin. My mother and sister were only given 3 discounts. Myself and my husband were given 4 discounts?  

There were a few outstanding crew members. There were also several minor requests we made that were forgotten or ignored, which were very irritating. 

We'll sail with another cruise line, next time!

My cruise in itself was wonderful.  The staff on board the Norwegian Spirit made me feel at home and catered to any need that I had.  The food was excellent, and I enjoyed meeting lots of new folks from around the world.  When I chose my excursions, I made sure they were in the "easy" column, as I went on the cruise by myself and am somewhat handicapped.  My two previous cruises on another line took that into consideration much more than the Norwegian cruise.  The "short walks" turned out to be very "long walks" and there seemed to be a lack of information and a lack of communication between the ship's staff and the excursions.  I spoke with other cruisers who felt the same way.

A floating Senior Citizen home.  Ugly Old Ship  Disgusting.  Ms. Reed our Agent lied to us about the cruise and it was the worst vacation we ever been on.. Ms. Reed knew what our circumstances were and prayed on us. We believed in and Ms. Reed and was lied too and this destroyed our vacation.  

This is the second trip with Norwegian and both were very good. It is a good line to do what you want when you want. Food was good. can't beat the service. If you are looking for a cruise line that lets you set the time for what you want to do Norwegian is the one.

We cruised on the Nowegian Spirit from February 27-March 5. We had a great time. We had a few hiccups along the way though. First our phone in our cabin didn't work and then the coffe pot didn't work. We needed the phone because there were 4 different couples cruising together. Our cabin steward took care of that and we were up & running. Next though, our toilet wouldn't flush, it would take 3-4 flushes to make it flush. We told the steward and he informed the plumbers. It didn't get fixed right away, but the following day they fixed it. Unfortunately, we then  had a problem with toilet filling up and almost overflowing for the next two days. Finally our steward got the plumbers to come back again(3rd time) and they fixed it. After that it was smooth sailing. There must have been a plumbing problem on the whole ship because there were other cabins that overflowed and they had fans running in the doorways. Also, one of the main restrooms near the theater had overflown and was closed most of the trip and the smell was nasty. Other than that we had a great time. 

We had booked 3 staterooms that were next to each other and every room needed maintenance while we sailed, and the room next to us had to be relocated due to plumbing issues. There were several other public restrooms on the ship that were out of order and some overflowed which left a very unpleasant smell in the hallway.  If this ship has plumbing isssues I would think they would make the necessary repairs before it leaves port.

Despite the fact that this is one of Norwegians oldest and smallest ships our group of four had a great time. All of the staff were fantastic and always friendly and helpful. Overall service was great. We ended up going to almost all of the restaurants and were never disappointed. The steaks at Cagney's were some of the best any of us have had anywhere. Always lots of places to get a drink or a snack and we were always able to find four loungers together.

The only thing we found a bit disappointing was the quality of the entertainment in the main theatre but the last ship we were on was The Epic so it is hard to compare.

We would definitely go on this ship again.

Although I like a variety of ethnic dishes, American is my favorite. There were an awful lot of Indian dishes which did not agree with my system. I had the Asian sweet and sour pork in the Garden Restaurant and the Shogun Restaurant, both were hard with very little sauce. The food cooked on the deck was great so I usually ate out there.

We typically use Royal Caribbean cruise lines but Norwegian had some different port of calls we have not been to. Norwegian was ok but not worth the price. The ship was terrible. We had great weather the whole time bit the ship rocked hard back and forth. Standing up was difficult on the upper decks. We have been in rough weather in Royal Caribbean ships and they were much more stable. The food was ok, most of the dinning staff was rude and would just push their way through you without a word. I guess when you are forced to give them a tip they don't feel like they need to work hard to make you happy. Entertainment was very good but the shipped lacked many things to do. We paid for dinner that was pricey and that food was worse than the included buffet. The buffet food was pretty good though. The evening dinning was ok but the gardens restaurant was slow. Be prepared to stay over an hrs to get all your food. The Windows was much better. Even though the ship was remodeled, it still looked out dated and the work done looked terrible.

As frequent cruisers with 4 cruise lines under our belt now, We are very thankful for this opportunity to give witness to our cruise experience. The boarding was good, but could have been expedited more efficiently. With one of us on a cane the standing in lines was not favorable at all. The reception as we boarded was somewhat flat, yielding a bit of confusion. The stateroom was the expected size (an interior), but we were pleasantly surprised withe the bathroom. The commode was chair height (very good), and the shower was 2 1/2 X 4 1/2 in size ( much better than we were expecting). The temperature of the room was very adjustable, a big plus. The disembarking was fraught with the same problems.

There was the usual abundance of food. Our taste buds were not all that pleased with the flavors nor the temperature of the supposed "hot" foods. The presentation was good but not excellent. Cleanliness was constantly being sought by the crew (a big plus). We ate in the specialized dining rooms as well as at the buffet. Found the food noticeably better in the specialized areas. Unfortunately the added costs were a bit on the high side. Those special dining areas had the tables cramped, which made conversation difficult.

The daily activities were abundant to say the least. The same can be said for the shore options, although options for the older crowd did seem to be lacking. For this particular cruise we did seem to be in the younger half (we are 68 + 70) of the population. 

The weather was very good overall. Temperatures were in the low to mid 70s all except one day. Seas were mostly calm.  

The entertainment was an outstanding demonstration of skill and outstanding talent on the part of all concerned. an A- at the least. Could have been a solid A or better if it were not for the over volume on the part of the sound people.

So, overall this was a good to very good experience. Value for the dollar that we spent was good not great. The concept of tipping needs to be back in the hands of the customer, Would we return to this line or ship again? The answer is yes! 

This was our fifth cruise and third on the Norwegian Cruise Line. We were planning to spend some “snowbird”  time in Florida this winter.  We had taken an NCL cruise on this same ship, the Spirit, in Fall of 2015.    We had a great time and like  the small or medium ships like the Spirit.

This time we had a tenth floor middle interior room.  Comparing it to the slightly upgraded eighth floor room we had in the fall, which had a window, but no balcony in Europe,  we missed the second night stand by the bed, a second trash can,  and the “mini couch”.  The room was clean, and the bed was comfy.    However, we had a few bathroom floor tiles stick to our feet and actually come out of the floor.  It took two tries to make the repairs.   It was slight inconvenience but at least that fixed the problem.  The Spirit is showing it’s 18 years of age.  Some of the furnishings (for example, curtains in the Windows dining room) are fraying.   While we gave it a glowing review last Fall it’s going to need significant renovation by it's 20th birthday  to remain competitive.

Dining: We dined only once in the Garden which allows dress shorts for men at night.  Most of our meals were in the Windows dining room, other than a couple of quick breakfasts or lunches at the Raffles buffet were at Windows. All of our Windows meals were excellent and service was prompt. There was a definite improvement in Windows quality over the buffet.   We dined twice at Shogun and found it to be quite good in service and quality of food.  It was a  favorite from our last cruise, and required no up charge.

We dined at La Trattoria on the final night and had a delicious meal and great service at a reasonable upcharge. It was a big disappointment to find that the upscale dining is now charged ala carte.  It is too easy to add another $80 for two dining in Le Bistro or Cagney’s Restaurants.

We had a lot of fun with our free Universal Beverage package.  We aren’t big “boozers”.  However, it was fun to try out a daily mixed drink tropical special, and receive free sodas.  You no longer have to lug 12 packs on board!  However, we were disappointed the UBP won’t let you order from the coffee bar (coffees such as lattes or cappucinos).   It makes no sense that a $5 coffee is extra, when a bar drink costing up to  $15 in the bar is included.

Note:  if you do have the Unlimited Beverage Plan, whether you pay for it or get it free, you are charged  with a $80/person/week tip charge.  Both of you have to pay that tip fee on top of the $13/day tips fee. However even with only a few drinks a day, we still saved a lot with the UBP.

Service: Our cabin steward and members of the wait staff were excellent.  Bar service was slow, and servers seemed overwhelmed.  We may have noticed this more since we had the Ultimate Beverage package option and used the bars more on this than any of the other four cruises we have taken.

Entertainment:  We were surprised most shows were a subset of what we saw on the Spirit in Europe last Fall.  The Cruise Director was new but both the magician Jorgas, and the aerialists were the same, as the Elements finale.  The comedian, Bud Andersen, was new to us and very funny.  We enjoyed the smaller venues like Champagne Charlie’s and Henry’s Pub.  We particularly enjoyed the jazz music by the show band in the Galaxy, and the guitar music of Pablo Rodriguez in Champagne Charlie’s.  

Boarding/all ashore:  There were no problems with the boarding or the “all ashore”.  We were pleased that it went so smoothly.

Other:  This was our third NCL cruise and as Silver Latitudes members we were treated to TWO nice Latitudes events with free drinks and wine, fruit and cheese.

This was my first cruise ever & I really had a great time! My Mom picked this cruise to celebrate her 50th birthday. After reading reviews about the Norwegian Spirit, I was a bit skeptical. I noticed though that most of the complaints are from those who have cruised on other lines. As a first time cruiser, I have nothing to compare this experience too. Overall, I really enjoyed my time on the Spirit. I would recommend any first timers to give the Norwegian Spirit a chance! I cruised with 8 other family members & it was so much fun to experience this together. The beautiful weather made the cruise even better.

I had a great time, The weather was great, the excursions we did were fantastic. I enjoyed the activities on the ship and the people I met. I'm not a fan of freestyle dining, but I liked it better this trip. The food was not the best and the magician act was lame but we had a great time.

We had a great cruise.  Yes the Spirit is elderly, but dinning in Gardens was great, and the nightly shows exceeded what we have seen over the past 3 years on Carnival's similar size ships. We were concerned about reviews we read. But if you want Disney, pay the price. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Because of the experience, we are looking at another NCL cruise.

The overall cruise was good.  The entertainment very good.  The workers were very accommodating.   The ship could use updating.  Could not leave phone messages.  There was a nasty smell in some parts of the ship.  We thought food for the most part was good but thought the choices in the dining room weren't as good as the Princess cruise we were just on in August.  Overall, everything else was clean and staff did everything to make it an enjoyable cruise.

We had a great time on the Norwegian Spirit. The food was excellent in the dining room and Shogun restaurant.  The staff was very helpful, knowledgeable and very friendly. The entertainment was top notch.

Had a good time over all. The inside cabin was very small. The food over all was ok. Last two day were at sea and the main pool was out of service.  Cabin host was very nice and tock cere of any our needs. I think we payed more then the value we got. 

Cruising on a smaller ship has its advantages.  There was always chairs available on the decks, we didn't have to get to the show 1/2 hour early to get a seat, the dining and bar service was more personal.  My dietary restrictions were well taken care of and I have the best food yet in all my years of cruising.  Embarkation and debarkation at Port Canaveral was simple and fast.  Only my 15-year old complained that he was a bit bored.  It is really a cruise ship for an older crowd.