Best and worst experience onboard the Spirit

[kaparzo]

Can you talk about your best and worst experience onboard the Spirit?

This will be my very first cruise and I just don't know what to expect. I know I am going to love Bermuda beaches but what about the ship itself?

[Mooder]

Can you talk about your best and worst experience onboard the Spirit?

This will be my very first cruise and I just don't know what to expect. I know I am going to love Bermuda beaches but what about the ship itself?

 

The Spirit is a great ship and a wonderful choice for your first cruise. I have only done a one-nighter on her, but here's what I can tell you. Be sure to take advantage of the outdoor tables at Raffles Terrace. And, since you asked for a negative. The only time I have not enjoyed Teppanyaki was on the Spirit. May have been because it was a one-nighter, but I wouldn't want you to judge Teppanyaki by what I experienced on the Spirit.

 

Bermuda is wonderful - enjoy!!!

[CruisinMaterial]

The Norwegian Spirit is a wonderful ship and has great Hotel Directors onboard her to see that you have a great time and that the crew is great. I was on her last year and don't have one single complaint related to the ship at all. It was a GREAT vacation, which is why I gave them 5+ stars for the review!

 

There is a down side which NCL is not really at fault for and that is embarkation and disembarkation in Boston. I have never seen a lazier bunch of union workers as longshoremen than in Boston. No matter how many NCL hires they still manage to screw it up and never get everything onboard on time or in one piece. I've sailed out of Boston two years in a row and both times we've left late. When disembarking which is a sad part of the cruise it is usually delayed for whatever reason, sometimes customs but usually because the luggage is not off or setup - again longshoremen.

 

NCL does the best they can with what they've got for Boston. If Boston wants to stay an attractive cruise port they need to get a faster and more efficient operation like the bigger homeports of Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

[Abear2]

I have been on the Spirit twice. Since this is your first cruise, I think it was wise to book this ship. It's not a very big ship compared to others, so you will enjoy the fact that it's not overcrowded. It's one of the older ships, but it's in good condition. I loved the casino and I loved the crew in there. I'm not sure if it would be the same crew, but they were very friendly to the guest. :) You will have fun on here, but once you have sailed her, you really need to try a bigger ship, like the Epic ! ;):p Have a great cruise.

[STARFISH*4]

my worst experience on the SPIRIT well it would be MISSING Marthas Vineyard:(they dont go there anymore and the best would be their quaint BLUE LAGOON~similar to STARs which we absolutely LOVED:) pre dry dock changes:mad:!!!LOVE the Spirits decor too...ASIAN...very UNIQUE much like the SPIRIT;)ENJOY YOUR CRUISE!!!

[OceanDreaming2]

Loved everything ON the Spirit - the only negative (which won't affect anyone else, I'm sure) was the absolute disgrace of a tendering system in Bermuda. We were on a repo and 2 ships were already docked, so we had to tender. Took 2-1/2 - 3 hours away from our short stay in Bermuda.

[Fivehole]

Loved everything about it! The Asian decor is very nice, food excellent at all venues. We loved the rear-facing seating around the kids pool in the back of the ship, perfect for families. If you are traveling with kids, its a great setup. If you're not, you might not see very many of kids on board, as it seemed most were back there with us! Have a great trip.

[mikenhe]

Staff – most very friendly – one or 2 surly character but out of nearly 1,000 staff that will happen.

Space – always plenty of it. On the recent spirit repo it was fully booked but only about 100 kids. Even with that number of adults around it never felt crowded. You may struggle to get a lounger right by the pool but there was never a problem elsewhere on the ship and there is plenty of elsewhere!

Entertainment – varied and plenty of it to appeal to all but the fussiest people.

Kids club – great. Our 7 yo loved it.. our biggest battle was getting her to spend time with us!! Our 13yo wasn’t so impressed with the teens club but there were only about 10 teens onboard so trying to get them organized and in the same place was tough – and therefore activities were limited.

Food – good. Always a good variety of food available and plenty of it. Obviously catering for 2,000 people means that the individual attention to dishes wasn’t always there in the main dining rooms. Never had a bad meal though.

Buffet always had plenty of choice.

Front desk/ guest relations: they could do with more training. Sometimes the request for further information was met with just a point to the freestyle daily in front of them. Nothing to get too irritated about but if you can’t answer my question then what is your job? I can read a freestyle all by myself.

Bermuda – great island. Will be very good for the summer visitors on the Spirit as they will be dock. Buy the ferry/bus pass and its easy to get around. However as Oceansdreaming2 mentioned we ended up tendering and it wasn’t the most successful operation every. More like Dunkirk than D-day. Luckily I’ve been there before and didn’t let that one-off put me off.

Casino – very average. They have a captive audience and they know it.

Cabins. Small. We had 4 in an inside (not much choice for 4 on the Spirit) and it was cramped. They also do it with a upper bunk as the 3rd bed and a trundle bed as the 4th. That bed fits between the twins and dramatically reduces the space available to move around. You can do it – but you have to be organized. The stewards did a great job of keeping the room in order though.

Overall it’s a great ship and you’ll get out of it what you put into it. Go with a positive frame of mind and you’ll have a great time. One hint – on the day you board ignore the buffet and head to Windows on the 6th floor for lunch and relax. Nice lunch while everyone gets on board and you’ll be done about the same time they open the cabins up. No point all trying to fit in with everyone else on the 12th floor!!

And the terrace at the back on the 12th floor is a great place to hang out in the evenings!

[Don Haynes]

NCL/Star consider the Spirit as their first new built ship. She has plenty of balconies, restaurants, and lounges. While she is now their smallest, oldest ship in their fleet, she has a great crew. She does have smaller inside cabins, but they are much larger than the former Majesty which used to sail to Bermuda from Boston.

 

Her Asian decor is unique, and beautiful. She has a teak promenade deck which makes her look smart. I love her public spaces aft. Too many newer ships reserve this space for the high price suites. I'm of the opinion she would rate another half star if she had some mini-suites and balconies which could sleep four.

 

A few years ago when she visited Bermuda for a day the new Heritage wharf had not been built. NCL has signed a long term agreement with Bermuda for two ships, one being an exclusive from Boston. Without this agreement Bermuda would not have built Heritage Wharf. If there are too many ships visiting Bermuda today. NCL gets the wharf...

[luddite]

I don't have a best experience. The decor is terrific. The crew is terrific.

The food was terrific.

 

The ping-pong tables are in a cramped space.

[kaparzo]

Staff – most very friendly – one or 2 surly character but out of nearly 1,000 staff that will happen.

Space – always plenty of it. On the recent spirit repo it was fully booked but only about 100 kids. Even with that number of adults around it never felt crowded. You may struggle to get a lounger right by the pool but there was never a problem elsewhere on the ship and there is plenty of elsewhere!

Entertainment – varied and plenty of it to appeal to all but the fussiest people.

Kids club – great. Our 7 yo loved it.. our biggest battle was getting her to spend time with us!! Our 13yo wasn’t so impressed with the teens club but there were only about 10 teens onboard so trying to get them organized and in the same place was tough – and therefore activities were limited.

Food – good. Always a good variety of food available and plenty of it. Obviously catering for 2,000 people means that the individual attention to dishes wasn’t always there in the main dining rooms. Never had a bad meal though.

Buffet always had plenty of choice.

Front desk/ guest relations: they could do with more training. Sometimes the request for further information was met with just a point to the freestyle daily in front of them. Nothing to get too irritated about but if you can’t answer my question then what is your job? I can read a freestyle all by myself.

Bermuda – great island. Will be very good for the summer visitors on the Spirit as they will be dock. Buy the ferry/bus pass and its easy to get around. However as Oceansdreaming2 mentioned we ended up tendering and it wasn’t the most successful operation every. More like Dunkirk than D-day. Luckily I’ve been there before and didn’t let that one-off put me off.

Casino – very average. They have a captive audience and they know it.

Cabins. Small. We had 4 in an inside (not much choice for 4 on the Spirit) and it was cramped. They also do it with a upper bunk as the 3rd bed and a trundle bed as the 4th. That bed fits between the twins and dramatically reduces the space available to move around. You can do it – but you have to be organized. The stewards did a great job of keeping the room in order though.

Overall it’s a great ship and you’ll get out of it what you put into it. Go with a positive frame of mind and you’ll have a great time. One hint – on the day you board ignore the buffet and head to Windows on the 6th floor for lunch and relax. Nice lunch while everyone gets on board and you’ll be done about the same time they open the cabins up. No point all trying to fit in with everyone else on the 12th floor!!

And the terrace at the back on the 12th floor is a great place to hang out in the evenings!

 

Thanks a lot Mike... I appreciate you taking the time and writing a very well detailed review. I will keep the "Windows" in mind as I ll try to be one of the first to board the ship.

[klingoncruiser]

I was pretty pleased with the ship at Spring Break out of NOLA. I will say those are the smallest rooms I have ever seen on a cruise ship with a balcony.

[snowmom]

Best: Public spaces...nothing ever seems crowded, even if the ship is full!

 

Worst: Balcony cabins are so small that you cannot fully open the connecting doors between cabins without physically lifting the bed out of the way. And the beds are heavy!! Tiny rooms!

 

Overall fabulous ship, great crew and great itinerary!

[miss-riss]

I love the Spirit. I think the best of it is the kids pool, which kept my 9 year old very happy..... Kids club, excellent! Had a blast on the spirit. But hey, when I pay for a cruise, I will have a blast no matter which ship I am on!

 

Enjoy!

[mtwingcpa]

Best: I'd say the Spirit has the best dining room food of the four NCL ships I've been on.

 

Worst: The aft deck buffet (Raffles Terrace?) was a disappointment compared to the Great Outdoors aboard the Pearl.

[Litehouse9]

My DH, DS and I loved the Spirit! Went on it last spring out of NOLA.

 

- Crew and staff: Super nice and friendly

- Asian decor... loved it

- Boat never felt crowded (and we were on it during SPRING BREAK!)

- Had the most fabulous Meet and Greet, the ship arranged it, provided breakfast, coffee, several officers to talk with us, etc.

- Itenerary: Costa Maya, Santo Tomas de Castillo, Guatemala, Belize and Cozumel... great trip

- Trivia Contest: My DH and I won, had a super fun time playing every night at 6pm

 

Downsides:

- Yes, balcony cabins were small, balcony was tiny (but so cool to stay

on balcony for 6 hours as we cruised down the Mississippi to the Gulf!!)

[dznymom]

We really loved our repo on the Spirit this month. The MDR food and service was the best I have had on NCL. I loved the crew and my fellow passengers, and the ship is really pretty. My favorite person onboard was Mitch, the sweetest most attentive beverage server ever. You can find him in the casino.

 

We had the crappy tendering situation in Bermuda but that was the only negative in our 12 days onboard, and won't be a factor for future cruises. It was pretty amusing to watch them screwing around with the lifeboats though!

 

The Spirit is a really great ship!

[cliffd64]

The worst experience I've ever had on the Spirit was having to leave her at the end of the cruise. We have enjoyed every minute of every trip on board her in the past, and expect to be on her twice this year for a total of 16 days in 2010...

[spacewoman]

In 2006 we did a group cruise on her - 9 day I believe. Itinerary was Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Tortolla and Bermuda. Sweet itinerary.

 

We did the Dawn the year before and did 2 CCL Spirit class ships before that. We felt the ship was too small. From our cruise history above, we were used to larger ships. I'm only 5'6" and my feet hung off the bottom of the bed, my knees hit the wall when I sat down on the john and the balcony was very very small. It was a running joke among the passengers that you had to sit sideways on the john:D These complaints were really minor though it was a great cruise. Many of the crew had been on the Dawn with us the prior year and they remembered us!!! How they did that, seeing so many passengers per week, amazed us. This cruise we met entertainers Patti & Jose (they're now on the Dawn). What a great show they put on every night. We never went to any of the theater shows we just loved to listen to them every night.

 

We've never had a cruise we didn't love. The spirit has a nice size pool that you can swim laps in early when no one is in it, the food is great and the crew did fine by us. Bermuda is my favorite island. Embarkation in NYC is no picnic either so just put aside the bit of inconvenience with the pier and have yourself a blast!

[Gatorj]

Looking forward to the Spirit in November! Bummed a bit about cancelling Guatemala, but we cruise for the ship and the people we meet.

[mag]

Love love love the Spirit. She is beautiful, the crew is friendly, the food was very good, and the entertainment was good too. Of course Bermuda is the BEST.

 

The only bad experience was that our toilet overflowed late one night. We made a phone call and someone was there within 15 minutes and he fixed it and totally sprayed down and disinfected the entire bathroom. He was awesome. My mom and I just stayed in bed and my sisters mother in law watched and was fascinated and amazed at the efficiency (it was her first cruise).

 

Can't wait to see her again - 132 days!

[jojomay]

My husband & I took the Spirit to Bermuda last fall. We loved it so much we're going again this year. I really can't think of anything that we didn't like!

[Valchie]

We cruised Spirit last year, our second NCL cruise, and totally enjoyed the ship. Great food, great entertainment, fun activities for the guests. The cabins may seem a bit small, but if you are neat and organized you'll get by. The only disappointment was that I could not use my own hairdryer because the electrical current on this ship (the only one in the fleet) is different. If you have a converter and a standard plug on your own hairdryer you will be fine, but I was not. The one in the bathroom is strong and very very hot. Bad hair day all week :eek: But I survived - going back on it this summer!

[luv2c00k]

What kind of converter do you need? How about for plugging in other things?

[Valchie]

What kind of converter do you need? How about for plugging in other things?

To be honest, I researched the heck out of this last year, and thought I was good by purchasing a converter (from Walmart) for all kinds of different electrical currents....this ship is from Asia, so the converter I purchased was fine for that type of current. My problem was when I opened the package ON BOARD THE SHIP (not before - shame shame) it said the converter could not be used with plugs that have a built-in surge protector, or trip, which mine does. So I tried plugging my hairdryer straight into their plugs and it would work but it blew so fast I was afraid it would explode. A curling iron will work because it is only 15 watts of power, or something like that (check it out on the NCL website, it talks about the electrical system). Next cruise I will bring my curl iron and maybe a curl brush, for styling, after I use the horrible hairdryer in the bathroom. Let me know if you find anything good - I'm not sailing 'til July!;)