Spirit Review - Week of Feb. 28, 2010

[PlayTheAces]

General thoughts on the ship.

This was our first time on the Spirit, and my first time back to the western Caribbean in many years. The Spirit is one of the prettiest ships I’ve been on in a long time. Lots of art, woodwork and attention to detail. It’s apparent the ship was designed and built to be an above average vessel. There are plenty of places around the ship to sit, relax, talk, read, or just watch the ocean. The kids play area on the stern is impressive. The overall feeling was one of higher energy than what I’ve seen recently with NCL, with plenty of activities offered and a dynamic cruise director and staff. On the other hand, while professional and competent, the crew seemed to me to be a little more subdued and less outgoing than other NCL ships I’ve been on. They’re pleasant, but more of a robotic pleasant.

 

There are no refrigerators in the cabins, which at first bugged me. But, NCL fills the refrigerators completely full of soda, booze and snacks they try to sell you anyway, and in my experience the stewards hate to have to remove it all if you ask them, so all in all it really wasn’t much of a loss. There were only a couple of bottles of water in the cabin on consignment. I really appreciated that.

 

Then we come to ice. It appears filling the ice bucket is no longer a part of the cabin makeup routine. There was a sign by the empty ice bucket saying you now have to call for ice. We did it once and received a huge bucket of ice, more of a party bucket. Looks like in the future if I want just a little ice, I’ll be trekking up to the buffet with my bucket. Assuming the buckets hang around. Why on earth they’ve stopped filling the ice buckets is beyond me.

 

The ship is in fantastic shape. I don’t think I noticed a dent, ding or scrape anywhere on the ship. Either the ship was recently in dry dock, or the maintenance crew is hands down the best on the ocean. I suspect it’s the latter.

 

The balcony cabin we had was a little smaller than average, but had more than sufficient storage for our needs. The bathroom was completely tiled and attractive. All in all, the Spirit may supplant the Star as my favorite NCL ship.

 

So, what did we do for a week?

 

Saturday

Flew into New Orleans and took a taxi ($33 plus tip) to the Drury Inn. Walked down to the French Quarter and did some exploring. Had a few complimentary cocktails back at the Drury and called it a day.

 

Sunday

After a complimentary breakfast at the Drury, my wife decided we should walk to the cruise terminal rather than take a cab. I was game so we took a walk, pulling our luggage behind. An hour later we had our ship cards in hand and were waiting for the call to board the Spirit. By a quarter to one we were having our first on board lunch in Windows. After that we spent some time exploring the ship, a little time for me in the cigar lounge (met some great people there over the course of the week), unpacked, watched an enjoyable Cajun music show and had dinner.

 

Monday

This was a sea day. We had breakfast and headed down to Henry’s pub for the CC Meet & Greet. Then lunch and the Latitudes gathering at 1pm. Hit the magic show at 3pm, I checked in at the cigar lounge, and then changed for dinner. We hit the early show (Broadway tunes) and had dinner. I’m sure I’m leaving some things out. All in all the most active sea day we’ve had in some time. We were always heading somewhere or doing something. Like I said, the Spirit seems more high energy than most recent cruises we’ve been on. This cruise we had to prioritize and skip some activities. That hasn’t happened to us in a while.

 

Tuesday

If it’s Tuesday, it must be Costa Maya. Breakfast at Windows (excellent smoked salmon eggs benedict) and then off to a tour of the Chaccoben Mayan ruins. The tour showed us a bit of the countryside, and we found the ruins fascinating. There’s shopping at the terminal if you’re looking for Mexican souvenirs, although I suspect a good percentage are made in China. Back on board, we had dinner in Windows. It was lobster and grouper night and we bit. Shall we just say chewy, and leave it at that? The evening show was acrobatics. This couple is good. Really good.

 

Wednesday

We’re now in Santo Tomas, Guatemala. After breakfast, we took the Trolley Tour. It goes through Santo Tomas and the neighboring village, and gives you a good idea of the environment the people live in. There are no shopping stops. As we passed a flea market, the gal in front of us had her arm out the window of the trolley. She never saw the hand come up and grasp toward her watch. Good thing the trolley took off at that moment. She never knew how close she came to losing that watch. Back at the pier, there’s good shopping in a safe environment, especially if you want locally made items and like to negotiate. My wife managed to snag me a nicely embroidered leather belt (may or may not hold up) for $10, and a beautiful wooden cane (I get intermittent arthritis and can use it) for $20. She picked up a few things for herself as well. She’s a master haggler. I don’t even try anymore. In the rare instances I see something I’m interested in, I just point and let her go at it. While I never felt unsafe, there’s a certain tension in the port, as though everyone is worried something could happen. That may explain NCL’s decision to drop Santo Tomas from this itinerary next year and pick up Roatan instead.

 

Back on board, we attended the latitudes gathering for silver and above members. The Hotel Director Prem stopped by for a few minutes, but poor Laura the Cruise Consultant (she’s great) pretty much had to represent NCL by herself. Not another officer made an appearance.

 

Ian the shopping guy put on a nice presentation on Belize and Cozumel. We had a great early dinner in Windows (scallops), sitting next to the window on the stern and watching as we pulled out of Santo Tomas.

 

Thursday

Today is Belize. Breakfast was interesting. There were a couple of I.T. guys from Miami working with the hostess at Windows, and they asked for our key card. Apparently they are computerizing the MDRs and this was the kickoff. If you ask, you’ll be told this will allow them to identify those having birthdays and anniversaries. This will give them quite a database. How they utilize it in the future will be interesting to see.

 

Off the ship, we took the Altun Ha Ruin/City tour. Nice comfy bus, an informative guide, interesting ruins, and a tour of the city – what’s not to like? My wife bought me another beautiful locally made cane when we were at the ruins for less than $20. I don’t really think I need two canes quite yet, but they are so pretty I’m not complaining. I saw a few others come back on board with canes and wooden artwork as well. If you’re into locally made wooden objects, the vendors at the ruins could be your friends.

 

Back at the ranch, we saw the 2nd City comedy show. Entertaining, but I’ve never been overly wowed by 2nd City. Depends on your tastes. I prefer straight stand up, but these folk are good. At dinner, we watched a water taxi speed out of the harbor chasing a Carnival ship. It looked like the Carnival ship slowed down for a bit, stopped, then sped up and disappeared as the water taxi came leisurely back minus a couple of passengers. Now that was entertaining.

 

At 11pm we were back to Windows checking out the chocolate buffet. A few ice sculptures and plenty of chocolate but much smaller and less elaborate than what we’ve seen on other ships. I’m not sure if that’s something unique to the Spirit, or if all the ships are toning down their buffets.

 

Friday

Cozumel has to be one of the prettiest places in the Caribbean. If you just stay in the shopping district, you’ll never know what you’re missing. Take a cab, a tour, rent a car, but somehow get over on the other side of the island. You’ll find pristine undeveloped beaches that are simply beautiful. And of course there’s plenty of souvenir shopping within an easy walk of the ship.

 

We were about 45 minutes late departing. Finally, we see three guys running up to the ship with everyone cheering them on. I suspect the staff had a talk with them that didn’t involve cheering.

 

The Friday evening show is called Elements and was the best show we’ve seen on any ship in some time. Don’t miss it. It features magic, dancing, acrobatics and a great finale.

 

Saturday

We pretty much kicked back on the last sea day. I spent time in the cigar lounge spinning tales with guys I’d met there during the week. We saw a towel animal demonstration, grazed constantly, and just plain relaxed. If you wanted a MDR lunch, you had to go to the secondary dining room. Windows was reserved for those willing to pay $15 for a “brunch”. First time I’ve seen a charge for a meal in a MDR.

 

Sunday / Disembarkation

We signed up for a tour of New Orleans so we among the first off the ship. The tour was excellent as we’d never been in N.O. before. We saw the devastation Katrina caused in the Ninth Ward, which put a pretty sobering face on what the people there went through. We toured one of the unique cemeteries, saw the Garden District, and generally relaxed and enjoyed the tour. We were dropped off at the airport and began the journey home.

 

If you made it this far, congratulations. I tried to keep it somewhat brief, but probably rambled on anyway. All in all the Spirit is a great ship and this is a really nice itinerary. I’ve been cruising NCL for over twenty years, so I tend to make comparisons to what I’ve experienced on different ships over a fairly long period of time, and a level of service that is gradually disappearing. Because of this, I’m probably more critical than a new cruiser would be. Make no mistake - I’d recommend this cruise without hesitation.

 

I spent the time to put this review together to help anyone getting ready to cruise on the Spirit, or for those interested in the Spirit. I'll gladly answer any questions I can.

 

I respectfully ask the bashers and cheerleaders to find another thread to jump on. This one is for those with legitimate questions.

[OKCThunder]

Great, Great, Great review. My eyes dont burn and my head doesnt hurt!!!

We are leaving in a couple days, we were/are unsure about Guatamala, not necessarily b/c we might feel "unsafe" but just dont want to walk around feeling "uneasy". It is amazing to see how other people live though.

[OceanDreaming2]

Thank you for the review. We're on her in about a month and I'm reading as much as I can about this ship.

[MrTexTJ]

Great TR Aces....thanks for posting. We'll be leaving N.O. on the Spirit in 4 days. We don't have anything planned for Guatemala, and after reading your report, we may just stay on the ship....

You didn't mention anything about the casino... well, did you "play the aces"? Why did you almost always eat at Windows? Aren't there other restaurants with no surcharge? Were there any special "dress up" nights we need to be prepared for?

The Spirit sounds like a fun ship. Our only other cruise was on the NCL Sky. Thanks again for posting.

[PlayTheAces]

Great TR Aces....thanks for posting. We'll be leaving N.O. on the Spirit in 4 days. We don't have anything planned for Guatemala, and after reading your report, we may just stay on the ship....

You didn't mention anything about the casino... well, did you "play the aces"? Why did you almost always eat at Windows? Aren't there other restaurants with no surcharge? Were there any special "dress up" nights we need to be prepared for?

The Spirit sounds like a fun ship. Our only other cruise was on the NCL Sky. Thanks again for posting.

 

Let's see. Guatemala - the trolley tour we took was inexpensive and only about an hour long. It shows you the local flavor, but if I returned I'd probably stay on the ship except for shopping in the terminal area. We had longer tours booked both the day before and the day after, so this was a chance to relax and recharge. It's really a poor country and not all that geared to the tourist trade.

 

Casino - I live just outside Vegas. :D I can get better odds at home. It's a fairly big casino though.

 

We found the food at Windows to be entirely acceptable. We just didn't have any interest on this trip in doing the extra charge stuff, though I did come close to hitting the sushi joint. I believe the only other places besides the two main dining rooms without an extra fee would be the buffet, room service or the Blue Lagoon.

 

I think there was only one "Dress up or not" night, either the first or second day out. We went informal this time so I didn't pay much attention. The photographers set up each night in the lobby, so if you want to do a formal photo, you can choose your night.

 

Both the dress and dining room food has changed from what it once was. You go with the flow and enjoy the cruise. The past is the past.

 

We were on the Sky in Alaska. I prefer the Spirit between the two - we'll see what you think.;)

[pieshops]

what time did boarding begin?

 

thanks

[PlayTheAces]

what time did boarding begin?

 

thanks

 

They gave out group numbers, and you boarded when your group was called. We were in group number 4, and our group was called at 12:15pm. They started shortly after noon.

 

We got to the terminal around 11:15-11:30am.

[clmom]

Maybe I can clarify the ice issue. We just returned from cruising the southern Caribbean on the Dawn and had the pleasure of dining with the head of housekeeping one evening.

We too were beyond frustrated that the ice placed in our room every morning by our cabin steward was reduced to cold water by the time we returned from our shore excursions. We were told to call Room Service....they didn't pick up (now, how aggravating is that??) so off DH went with bucket in hand to the bar, along with several other DHs on the same mission. We presented this frustration to the H of H at dinner. He explained that the cruise lines have all cracked down hard on items that could contribute to norovirus outbreaks and ice is one of the big culprits...or rather the many (possibly unwashed) hands diving into the ice coolers that used to be left in the hallways. The ice machines are now locked away and one now must call....not Room Service (which still doesn't explain why our phone call was never answered by them)...but the Reception Desk who will notify a room porter/room butler...can't remember what official name he gave. Hope this helps.

[wskon]

Maybe I can clarify the ice issue. We just returned from cruising the southern Caribbean on the Dawn and had the pleasure of dining with the head of housekeeping one evening.

We too were beyond frustrated that the ice placed in our room every morning by our cabin steward was reduced to cold water by the time we returned from our shore excursions. We were told to call Room Service....they didn't pick up (now, how aggravating is that??) so off DH went with bucket in hand to the bar, along with several other DHs on the same mission. We presented this frustration to the H of H at dinner. He explained that the cruise lines have all cracked down hard on items that could contribute to norovirus outbreaks and ice is one of the big culprits...or rather the many (possibly unwashed) hands diving into the ice coolers that used to be left in the hallways. The ice machines are now locked away and one now must call....not Room Service (which still doesn't explain why our phone call was never answered by them)...but the Reception Desk who will notify a room porter/room butler...can't remember what official name he gave. Hope this helps.

 

If we have a collapsable cooler will the cabin steward fill it in the morning??

[OceanDreaming2]

Maybe I can clarify the ice issue. We just returned from cruising the southern Caribbean on the Dawn and had the pleasure of dining with the head of housekeeping one evening.

We too were beyond frustrated that the ice placed in our room every morning by our cabin steward was reduced to cold water by the time we returned from our shore excursions. We were told to call Room Service....they didn't pick up (now, how aggravating is that??) so off DH went with bucket in hand to the bar, along with several other DHs on the same mission. We presented this frustration to the H of H at dinner. He explained that the cruise lines have all cracked down hard on items that could contribute to norovirus outbreaks and ice is one of the big culprits...or rather the many (possibly unwashed) hands diving into the ice coolers that used to be left in the hallways. The ice machines are now locked away and one now must call....not Room Service (which still doesn't explain why our phone call was never answered by them)...but the Reception Desk who will notify a room porter/room butler...can't remember what official name he gave. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks - that info will come in handy for our upcoming Spirit cruise!

[PlayTheAces]

Maybe I can clarify the ice issue. We just returned from cruising the southern Caribbean on the Dawn and had the pleasure of dining with the head of housekeeping one evening.

We too were beyond frustrated that the ice placed in our room every morning by our cabin steward was reduced to cold water by the time we returned from our shore excursions. We were told to call Room Service....they didn't pick up (now, how aggravating is that??) so off DH went with bucket in hand to the bar, along with several other DHs on the same mission. We presented this frustration to the H of H at dinner. He explained that the cruise lines have all cracked down hard on items that could contribute to norovirus outbreaks and ice is one of the big culprits...or rather the many (possibly unwashed) hands diving into the ice coolers that used to be left in the hallways. The ice machines are now locked away and one now must call....not Room Service (which still doesn't explain why our phone call was never answered by them)...but the Reception Desk who will notify a room porter/room butler...can't remember what official name he gave. Hope this helps.

 

So your cabin steward did deliver ice in the morning during the cabin makeup? We had no ice ever - just an empty bucket.

 

One lady I spoke with had been trying to get ice for several days. She had called pretty much everyone, with sporadic success. The last time I saw her, she had a small personal ice bucket and was heading to the buffet.

[jmc27]

Great review - we are heading to NO at the beginning of April and loved the detail you have given. Thanks

[asand5554]

I am curious about your comment regarding scanning your key card to gain information about birthdays, anniversaries, etc. We will be on the Spirit in April/May (Bermuda out of Boston) and I will be celebrating my birthday while on board.

[Toyz711]

I am curious about your comment regarding scanning your key card to gain information about birthdays, anniversaries, etc. We will be on the Spirit in April/May (Bermuda out of Boston) and I will be celebrating my birthday while on board.

 

they scanned our cards, 3 years ago. they were tracking service, if they scan your card and keep track of who served you they can handle complaints better.

[Don Haynes]

I don't mind them locking up the ice machines in the halls, but I still expect ice to be delivered twice a day by the stewards, mornings and evenings. I guess I will have to be satisfied with calling, but I don't see how NCL saves any money sending someone to do someone else's job...

[mactrio]

The ice situation must be very recent, we sailed 2/14-2/21 on the Spirit in room 10160 and WiWikka Sukmawatti (our stewardess) filled our ice bucket twice a day and when I asked for more ice she filled it right away. I think an insulated ice bucket would be so much better than what they have now. The ice would last much longer.

[luddite]

I was on the Spirit for the feb 14 sailing.

I can tell you that we got ice twice daily without fail. On a couple of occasions, we needed more. Found a guy in the hall wearing NCL colors. Asked him "where can I get more ice?" He located his key, said 'be right back' and was, with ice.

Easy Peasy.

[PlayTheAces]

I'm not sure what's going on with the ice. All I can say is last week we didn't get our ice bucket filled even one time by the room stewards. Others I spoke with had the same experience. Normally you see them in the hallways with coolers full of ice when they make up the room. Didn't see that this time around. It's very possible this might be a one time deal where they were worried about a virus outbreak and felt ice might pose some type of risk. Since they didn't remove the buckets from the cabins, that could very well be the case.

 

As far as the card scanning, this is a new software package that we were told is going fleet wide. I've never had my card scanned before in the dining room (that I can recall), but from what the hostesses said, it's the new procedure.