Norwegian Spirit Cruise Reviews - Reviews

All in all a nice break and good value overall despite the weather. It was January! Some disappointments, but more positives than negatives.

The food was very bad in the free restaurants, which seems to be the norm on NCL, which forces you to eat at the specialty restaurants.  Everything is a NO when you ask for it, including doneness of steak and believe it or not mayonnaise.  My particular cabin had black mold in the bathroom and shower.  Carpets very dirty, automatic doors worked when they wanted, lack of upkeep and very little amount of overworked crew members for the amount of passengers onboard.  You get what you pay for and for a little more money I'd rather go on a real cruise next time that doesn't cater to a mass market like Oceania.  I'll never sail on NCL ever again.  This was my third and final cruise.  I've tried to like them but it all feels so cheap.  The nickel and dime game is horrible.  $10 for an after dinner coffee.  Drinks are expensive, etc.  Drink package alcohol is cheap stuff and bad food quality.  Shore Excursions are way over priced, sometimes double.  Meatballs and lasagna are the same food served at the buffet on Italian night so don't pay extra for the Italian Restaurant.  It's not a fine dining authentic Italian restaurant but more of an American-Stye Italian in the buffet area with a rope to block it off from the rest of the buffet line.  Tacky.  You end up paying overinflated prices for so much onboard that you end up paying more than if you were to have gone on Celebrity which is much better quality.  Spend your money wisely and do not purchase a cruise based on price alone.  You'll end up with a ship full of cheap people and a lackluster experience and will ultimately spend more money.  I wish I could get my money back and I've never said that about a cruise ever.  Don't do it!  Ports were fabulous, again they would take off early so they could open the casino and shops and bars to make money.  Oceania would have stayed over night, I'm just saying again - you get what you pay for.  Buyer beware.

We love the ports we visited. Toulon was a magical city, Florence (Tuscany) was like a dream. Naples (Pompei) was a awe inspiring experience. Exploring Naples was fun and having Pizza at a sidewalk cafe topped it off. Mykonos was breathtaking, so we're Dubrovnik and Kotor. We would return in a heartbeat!

We loved our balcony stateroom and the ship was beautiful. We enjoyed the casino, the shows and the ships band. The crew was very friendly and service was great. The food was delicious and the only complaint I have was the lack of a midnight buffet. Finding something to eat after a night of playing in the casino or dancing in galaxy of the stars was difficult.

I have to admit, I had some trepidations about the cruise after reading some mixed reviews and hearing of plumbing issues, sewage smell problems, and poor service from staff.  Our experience included none of those issues.  It was a very pleasant and smooth cruise.  I found the boat and the crew to be very good.  Everything ran smoothly and all of the crew was anxious to please.  It is only our second cruise (both with Norwegian), so I don't have a lot to compare it to, but I spoke with a number of more experienced cruisers on the ship and they all felt the same about our cruise. 

While the Spirit is the smallest and oldest ship in the fleet, it has a charm and sophistication that we enjoyed.  Our first cruise was on the Dawn 10 years ago, so it's hard to recall everything from that cruise, but I definitely enjoyed this ship and cruise more than our first. 

The Spirit is a well laid-out ship, with nice deck and pool area (which never felt overcrowded, even on sea days).  The restaurants were all very good (even the free ones - The Garden was our favorite).  The Windows restaurant was also very nice, especially the view through the windows at the back of the boat.

The ports of call were amazing (except Toulon, which we sort of skipped, other than a brief walk through the main marketplace area).  Getting on and off the ship was very well organized and was generally a quick process (the nice part about a smaller boat).

In summary, we loved our cruise, and would definitely do it again. It was a relaxing and enjoyable experience. 

Thanks Norweigan!!

One final note:  Dave, the Cruise Director, did an outstanding job in my opinion.  I don't know when he slept, because he was always up and about keeping things going.  He records his daily TV sessions at 4:00 AM.  Crazy man!!

This was our first cruise. It was our honeymoon/ 20th Anniversary celebration all in one. Everyone made this trip memorable. The staff was always asking if we needed anything. 

Horrible service, terrible menu, served cold meals in main dining rooms.  Old ship, broken toilet in our cabin, things were duck taped and glued together.  Stay away!

My daughter and I went on this cruise for her graduation/18th Birthday. We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise experience once we arrived at our stateroom. Our steward, Tutuk, was awesome. He always greeted us by name and with a smile every time he saw us. His smile and welcome made up for our embarkation experience which was not so great. Just an FYI, no matter what they tell you when you call and ask, do NOT get to the port after about 7:00! We had tours scheduled in Venice and asked about embarkation time. We were told up until 10:00. We got off the people mover at about 7:30, and there was no shuttle or any transportation further, we had to drag our heavy suitcases all the way to the terminal which was quite a hike. Then, by the time we got there the terminal was closed for check in so we had to then drag all of our bags to the Guest Services Desk (these people weren't very knowledgeable about much of anything the entire trip). Needless to say, we were not very happy at that point. As I said, things turned around immediately upon meeting our cabin steward and getting settled in, and we had a great time on this cruise. Our first two days were at sea, and there were plenty of things to do if you didn't want to just lay around on the pool deck. We went to see only one show, but it was fantastic (Elements)! We did buy an internet package that we used with no problems (be aware it is satellite based so somewhat slow). We went to the casino one night, and I was relieved that it was not nearly as smokey as some that I have been in on other cruise lines. The ship itself was very nice. They kept it clean and in good repair. Sanitation was really important to the cruise line, which made me very happy. They had staff at the doors to the buffet and at the check-in station when getting back on board from port days with spray bottle of hand sanitizer, and everyone got their hands sprayed. There were also tons of hand sanitizer stations throughout the ship. The food was excellent, of course. We ate at least once a day at the Blue Lagoon (they had great burgers). All of the staff were friendly. The ports of call were outstanding for the most part, although there was not much to do in Toulon. We went to the beach for a bit (note to families - tops are optional). Rome wore us ragged - the tour we booked had A LOT on the itinerary and it was super hot. We loved getting to see all that we did, but we were tired and sickish from the heat by the end of the day. We should have prioritized that day a little and saved some things for next time. In Mykonos, we wished we would have gone on our own to spend more time at Kalafatis Beach, but our tour was great. We did not go through the shore excursions desk for our tours but booked them through outside companies to save money. Disembarkation was incredibly easy. I would highly recommend this cruise to anyone who wants an outstanding sample of the Mediterranean! The only snafu we had was embarkation which was partially our own fault for spending more time in Venice. All else was beyond our expectations!

This is a very busy trip but wow.  We seen so much and was just amazed by all the sights we saw on this trip.  Be prepared for bus rides.  It seems like every excursion we had was 30 to 90 minute bus ride.  Each excursion did provide a bottle of water and pointed out bathrooms that you could use without having to pay.  However, have 1 to 2 euro with you just in case.   Ladies make sure you have toilet paper with you in Istanbul. 

Crew are friendly, beverage waiters on the pool deck are not pushy, staterooms are clean, bathroom showers are big, shows are average but, trivia is a lot of fun.  Liked the Martini tasting but, missed the tequila tasting event.  White night was fun but, several people 'missed the memo' and weren't dressed in white.  That is typical on any cruise.  We had Oceanview 6570 because I am prone to seasickness.  It was a bit noisy at certain times of day as it is located directly under Henry's Pub so you could hear chairs being moved around.  We hit a few golf balls, shot a few hoops and my husband liked the gym okay but, there wasn't a lot of equipment.  Blue Lagoon rocked for their chicken wings and having Raffles overlooking the back of the ship is brilliant!  Watch the sun go down from the tiered tables.  It is breathtaking.  We have been on Royal Caribbean and Carnival so far and liked NCL the best so far for their freestyle attitude.  Don't forget to chat to your neighbour when sunning on the deck or eating in the Blue Lagoon or while playing Trivia at Henry's Pub and Champagne Charlie's and you may just make some new friends for life!  Cruising to us is the best way to see the world.  We pick based on the itinerary so the ship doesn't much matter to us.  It would be more important on a longer journey for sure but, this suited us just fine for a floating hotel.  This cruise is port intensive.  At this time of year, we only had to tender once in Mykonos so we were happy about that.  We got free champagne when we had to wait to be seated at Windows (the only 'formal' dining room) - Nice touch NCL!  If you want a lounger on sea days, get up early as they go FAST!!!  This appears to be the norm at any Resort or cruise.  Enjoy your cruise!!

Really great cruise, great ports of call... I would recommend coming to Europe a few days early for your cruise and staying a few days after. We started in Rome (4 nights), train to Venice (3 nights), then boarded the ship... ended up in Barcelona, disembarced, stayed in Barcelona for 4 days, then home. A cruise gives you a great overview of the places that you want to see... you really have to be portside for a few days if you want to experience your destinations. That being said, the cruise was GREAT and I would recommend it - and this ship - to everyone.

By far our joy on this cruise was the crew... Irish, Jha Jha, Nathan, our steward Sandy... these people were a great joy for us, made our day every time we spent any time with them. These people are soooo upbeat, so pleased to make you happy... really, truly, these crew members made our journey! EVERYONE on the crew, to the person, was fantastic, accommodating, cheerful... we couldn't ask for more! For that reason alone - that, and the great ports of call - we look forward to returning to Norwegian Cruise Lines for future voyages.

What made this cruise great was the number of shore excursions available in all countries.  Very organized and informative.  Ship was acceptable.  Rooms with balcony good.  I would go again.

caution--make sure hotel is on same side as main canal and bus terminal.  Amount of walking is more than listed.  You have to get from ship to bus and sometimes quite a walk.

The most perfect trip to the most perfect place! We loved Norwegian Spirit’s small size, big style, and the stunning vistas of Alaska. As perfect a cruise as I have ever experienced.

Traveled with my wife and sister on a bucket list item that we will cherish forever. We took a suite and the service we received was beyond anything ever expected. Rodney, concierge, anticipated our every need, he was wherever we needed him to be. Kat, butler, kept us stocked with snacks, beverages, and a level of attention we had never thought would feel good. The secret to NCL's free style is hidden in its staff. They are the best, and that is why we come back!

Worse cruise ever. Captain Teo Radun made decisions way in advance to cancel ports of Iceland which was the whole featured destination of this cruise. In addition weather reports did not support his reason for cancelling these ports. Everyone we talked to on ship was very disappointed and agreed that Iceland destination was the only reason they were on this cruise. Iceland cruises are also higher cost than other cruises because of this destination and passengers were given a 'discount' of a whole $60 for missing these two ports. Also they gave us a promise of 25% off a future cruise which is ridiculous. We should not have to cruise with them again to get this discount. It should be refunded on the amount we paid for this cruise. Actually a rating of 3.9 is higher than I would ever give to this cruise. This is Captains fault not the crew though.

Great cruise and great time. First time with NCL and we had great time (HAL, RCI, Carnival, Princess, Celebrity). Chose NCL for the ports and prices. We used mostly private tours rather than ship's tours.

Fabulous time both my husband and myself had a great holiday on the this cruise ,our cabin was lovely, all the staff were so friendly and helpful,will cruise with ncl again.

This was our first cruise on Norwegian after four previous cruises on other cruise lines. We were extremely pleased with all aspects of the cruise, with a few minor exceptions as noted below. 

Our inside stateroom was small but just right for us-  sufficient closet space and drawers.  The bathroom and shower were  sparkling clean and the service we received was outstanding.  It was very helpful to have printed materials left on our bed every evening describing details of the next day's events.

There were so many things we loved- here is a sampling:

The food in the Raffles buffet was really fantastic- with a good variety of delicious meat and fish items, seafood, a big salad bar, crepes made to order, lots of fruit and desserts. Breakfast included made to order eggs, loved the muesli- a lot of variety.  We were less impressed with the food in the complimentary restaurants, mostly because ordering from the menu lacked the variety that was available in the buffet, and partly because the food was just not quite as tasty. Nevertheless the special feeling of being served a several course meal by dedicated serving professionals made a few restaurant meals a must for us.

My husband and I love ballroom dancing, and much to our surprise we found ourselves dancing to live music every evening in the Galaxy lounge- often around sunset.  What a treat, and very romantic.

We attended the shows which were put on twice every evening.  The violinist, Bernadette, was my favorite performer- she was just amazing, and the music was awesome!  We also loved the stage performances by the magicians, the acrobats, and particularly the cruise players.  On a couple of occasions the sound system was set way too loud to really enjoy the performances. That was a bit disappointing. But all in all, the entertainment was very enjoyable.

This cruise had stops at different ports every single day- we were a bit worried that it would be too much, too tiring.  But actually we really loved the daily routine we fell into where we got to explore new vistas and cities, and then return to the ship for dinner and dancing and onboard entertainment.

We went on a full day excursion from Livorno to Florence, where we saw Michaelangelo's David and had a walking tour of the many other highlights of this amazing city.  The tour guide was excellent, and provided sufficient shady spots and bathroom breaks to make the tour a pleasure.  Norwegian Cruise Line staff were really good at organizing and informing everyone about what to expect.

Cannes was one of my favorite spots.  There was a bit of a wait to take the tender (small boat) into town, but after walking a block or so we came to the most amazing shopping area with dozens of clothing stores, shoe shops, pastry shops, etc.  I bought shoes there within the first few minutes of arriving!  

We took a tour train to the Notre Dame Basilica in Marseilles, and got on a Hop-On, Hop-Off bus in Barcelona and Malta.  We paid for these after we got into the cities.  We found this a good way to get a perspective on these places that you can't get from just walking.

Palma, Mallorca was really beautiful- we found ourselves in some lovely quiet narrow back lanes (the restaurants and pubs were still closed), which we followed for blocks before we found our way back out to the main streets.  Very enchanting.

In some of the ports, there was a charge (up to 15 Euros each) to take the shuttle bus into town- it helped us to know about this from prior reviews, because the Cruise Line didn't really tell us about these charges until the day they happened.  It really was worth it to use this service, so go prepared to pay a little extra.

We took the "Pompeii on your Own" excursion, which was essentially a short (guided) bus ride to and from the site- it seemed a bit expensive ($38 each), especially since we also had to pay $13 each to get in to see the Pompeii ruins (another fact we found out at the last minute- not sure why the excursion description did not inform us of this).  Fees can be paid with credit cards, so that helped.  We were awe-struck with the Pompeii experience, well worth every penny!  Going early in the morning allowed us to avoid the afternoon heat, (there is shade from the buildings almost everywhere, but take water- it is hot!) We were back on the ship in time for lunch!

At the end of the cruise we were dreading the prospect of hauling our luggage on the shuttle, the bus, the train, the bus or taxi, and then the hotel shuttle - and we wanted to spend our last day in Rome seeing the sights! We had booked a room at the Hilton Airport Hotel- (expensive, but convenient).  We decided to invest in a "transfer tour" which took us (and our luggage) from the Cruise Ship's landing spot in Civitavecchia into Rome- to see the Colliseum and the Vatican, and then drop us (and our luggage) off at our hotel!  This was expensive, but we have no regrets at all.  It was such a relief to not have to juggle our luggage on the last day.

All in all, we were extremely satisfied with this vacation, and we can't wait to cruise on Norwegian again.

I had read so many reviews of this ship before we left, that I was a bit nervous. We were limited by budget and Embarkation location.  We liked the stops that this ship made, so I was willing to overlook that the ship was old and small. Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, the exterior of the ship needs a good painting.  There are also definitely some signs of  wear on the interior of the ship, too, but after reading a 100+ reviews (the majority which were not great), we booked it and hoped for the best.  The inside of the ship was super clean.  Our room steward was like a ninja and we never saw him after the first day or so, but our room was perfectly cleaned whenever we returned to it.  The rooms have bathrooms with glass doors on the shower and they were larger than I remember other showers being on past cruises/ships.  That was a big plus. The carpets, walls and everything else that I noticed were always very clean. The staff were friendly, helpful and kind.  I had an issue with some shirts that I had washed by their laundry staff and they cleared everything up to my satisfaction.  We have gone on Royal Caribbean and Carnival cruises in the past, and I think overall, the food was better on this ship.  We only ate in the dining room twice, but the buffet food was definitely better than I have had anywhere else.  We received the unlimited beverage package and the Excursion package, which gave you $50 per room/port if you booked a Norwegian excursion. The drinks were stronger than expected with the beverage package.  I had to even ask several times for some of the drinks to just have a dash of vodka, etc., in them.

The only excursion we booked was in Tortola, where we did the land and sea package.  I felt very safe the entire time and we learned so much about the island, as well as pirate history and the surrounding islands.  We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day.

Overall, this cruise was a very pleasant surprise.  The food and the customer service were incredible.  Even the shows, which are normally super cheesy (and particularly bad on older ships), were pretty great. The Elements show was a must see if you are on a Norwegian ship that offers it.  I would have paid to have seen that, which I never had said about one on a cruise before.

This ship is permanently headed to Europe soon, but i wouldn't hesitate booking a trip on it again before it does.

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!! 

This cruise was the very first cruise that both my husband and I, both in our 50s, have taken, and while it wasn’t perfect, it certainly met our expectations. 

We arranged to use NCL’s shuttle service from Orlando airport and we were on the bus by 12:00 PM and en route to the port.  We arrived by 1:00 PM and that is when everything came to a halt.  We stood in line for security and check-in until after 3:00 PM.  By the time we stepped foot on the ship, we immediately had to report to our muster station for the emergency drill.  This put a little bit of a damper on our first day, but we were finally on the ship! 

The Spirit is the smallest in NCL’s lineup and it was rather beautiful.  None of the public spaces ever felt too crowded, which was surprising as we were sailing over a holiday week, so it was a sold out ship.  We both found the ship to be extremely clean and well maintained.  There were occasions where a washroom was out of order, but none of them lasted the entire cruise, so maintenance kept up on the repairs.  There were numerous spills in the buffet, as we had rough seas for our last two days, which happened to be sea days, and they were cleaned up almost immediately. 

Our cabin steward was wonderful.  He always had a smile and a pleasant tone when we spoke to him.  Our room was kept clean, towels were refreshed as needed, and he left us a towel animal for 6 of the nights, which were appreciated since this was a first cruise for us.

We found the buffet to be okay.  My husband enjoyed their burgers while I enjoyed the daily stir-fry.  Of course the buffet is where I went for breakfast as I usually woke up hours before my husband.  We enjoyed the dinners we had at Windows for the most part, though the one time my husband had the lasagna, the cheese was hard.  Our dinner at Le Bistro was okay, though my husband ordered the upcharge of lobster tail, which he said was overdone as it was chewy.  We also had dinner at Cagney’s and while good, I wasn’t blown away by it.  I asked for a cup of coffee with my dessert, but I never received it.  By the time I was done with the dessert, I knew the coffee wasn’t coming, so just didn’t bother asking for it again.

The biggest disappointment we had on the ship was from Blue Lagoon.  Not so much with the food, but with the service.  It was certainly the only place on the ship where we found service to be lacking.  My husband was forgotten there twice.  His order was taken and after a half hour he was asked for his order again.  The customer service we received from the everyone else on the ship was outstanding.

Since we were using NCL’s shuttle service back to Orlando Airport, we were given the “green” disembarkment category, which was estimated to occur at 9:45 AM.  We were told to stay in the public areas for the announcements on the TV screens, but we were sitting outside at Raffle’s bar and they never once had announcements on those TV’s.  We started heading down to deck 7 at around 9:30 and discovered that our category had already been called.  We were through customs pretty quickly and were on the bus in no time.