Review of NCL Spirit Canary Islands & Morocco Nov 22-Dec 1, 2013

[rhinomike]

Mini refrigerators were added in 2011.

[TracieABD]

Thank you for continuing your review! It is very detailed and interesting!:)

[jlajr]

Thank you for continuing your review! It is very detailed and interesting!:)

 

My pleasure, thanks for reading, and I hope you have a great time on your upcoming cruise on the Spirit.

[jlajr]

On day 8, after I woke up at around 0730, I went up to Galaxy of the Stars to watch the sun rise and the ship arrive at the port of Malaga:

 

 

 

It looked like it was going to be another sunny day, maybe a little cooler in the morning than the previous ports were, but it warmed up by mid-day to a comfortable 17 C/62 F. Again, I feel we got quite lucky with the weather throughout this cruise.

 

I had breakfast at Raffles Court, and then walked off the ship by about 0930.

 

There were a couple of not-free shuttles from the terminal into town. I think the 'Panoramic' shuttle was 3 euros for unlimited rides. As you walk or ride toward town, there's a boardwalk with shops and restaurants (Muelle Uno), from which I took the following photo of a ferry:

 

 

Toward the end of the boardwalk, there's a place where you can rent bicycles and scooters, up to 125cc with a regular driver's license. However, the stand was closed when I passed by it sometime between 0930 and 1000. Later, the guy there told me he was there from 'around 1000' and that it opens at 1030.

 

In the end, I walked around, which was perfectly fine, but I might have been able to see or do more had I been on a bike or a scooter.

 

I'll mention here that before I left home, I had downloaded to my phablet maps of the cities where the ship was scheduled to call, and usually referred to them while walking around. I did, however, pick up a paper map of Malaga at the gift shop for the Museu Alborania - Aula del Mar. At the end of Muelle Uno, I turned left to continue walking along the water's edge. The information office and museum are on the right, and appears to be part of the ferry terminal there.

 

I kept walking in the same general direction, and then, after stopping at the tourist information office at Plaza de la Marina, I walked through the downtown pedestrian mall:

 

 

I've had a digital SLR-lookalike camera for over five years, and every once in a while I find myself propping its lens up with the lens cap or something else. So, at times, I've looked at tripods, large and small, but never actually bought one. On this day, I would stop at a photo shop somewhere in downtown Malaga and spend 6 euros on a mini tripod. Still haven't actually used it though.

 

I eventually found myself at Plaza Merced. I then walked through a tunnel to other side of the hill, where I saw a bullring:

 

[jlajr]

I walked to the bullring and then inside it:

 

 

Then, I walked toward the beach, and had lunch and used the Wi-Fi at Bar El Mercader (a mojito, two bocaditos - small sandwiches, and a chocolate pastry for a total of 13 euros including tip).

 

The following is a photo of the apartment buildings along the beach:

 

 

By then it was about 1400, and even though my feet were sore, I didn't want to go back to the ship, so I walked to the nearby Muelle Uno. I lay down on soft cushion benches, fell asleep, and then was awaken by a police officer apparently telling me in Spanish that sleeping on the benches is not allowed. I don't understand or speak Spanish, but I was able to figure that out anyway:)

 

I decided to get back on board and get into a hot tub, where I found Petra, Luca, and Carlo.

 

For dinner, I went to Raffles Terrace, where they had a Spanish-themed buffet. I had chorizo and potato salad, paella with shrimp and calamari, churros, and flan, which were all good. I think it was the first time I ate paella, and as far as I know, the first time I ate calamari.

 

I then went up to deck 13 aft to take pictures as the sun set, relax on a deck chair, and then watch as we sailed away from Malaga:

 

 

 

 

It was time for Pub Trivia, so I went down to Henry's Pub and met up with Peggy, Ron, and the rest of the group. As I mentioned in a previous installment, I had started drinking alcohol, and Ron ordered me Woodford Reserve Kentucky bourbon. Oooh, is it good.

 

We stayed at Henry's Pub for some karaoke, at which Natalie and Kathy sang, and then went up to Raffles Court for the chocolate buffet.

 

As you may have noticed, I do not take pictures of food, but the chocolate buffet was presented well. While I can't remember exactly what I had, I do remember liking whatever I did eat.

 

We went back down to deck 7 and went to the casino. After my crash course in 2-cent poker the night before, I decided to exchange 10 euros for 12 dollars and have at it. I put a five-dollar bill in one of the machines next to where Tami was playing. Without intending to do so, I bet 25 cents on my first hand, and I would not get back to five dollars. I continued betting two cents a hand, usually five hands at a time, for a whopping 10 cents per deal. I ended up losing $1.46 over the course of about 45 minutes I think, as Carlo watched.

 

But, for some reason, after I cashed out from the machine with a ticket for $3.54, I decided to redeem it at the cashier for cash. Well, they gave me three dollars, a half-dollar coin, and four pennies. I have absolutely no use for a half-dollar coin and four pennies. The machines in the casino only took bills I think, I didn't think I would be able to exchange or spend them in Barcelona, and I can't exchange them for the local currency where I live. I should have just kept the ticket and used it the next night. Oh well.

 

I decided to go up to Galaxy of the Stars, but on the way ran into Simona, who said that not much was happening up there. Instead we went back through the casino to Maharini's, where not much was happening either. I read on another review or thread that the DJ unexpectedly left the ship, maybe in the middle of my cruise, and so they simply played a mix of music, without anyone actually DJing. I didn't really notice, as I did not do any dancing.

 

By then, it was about 0000 and I was pretty tired, so I called it a night.

[jlajr]

(Oops. That post title should read Day 9 - At Sea - Saturday, November 30, 2013.)

 

On the last full day of the cruise, we were at sea, and after I woke up at 0830, I ate breakfast at Raffles Terrace with Petra and Luca. I had what appeared to them as a pretty big bowl of fruit, French toast, and a waffle.

 

I entered another ping-pong tournament, but this time lost in the first round, and then I went up to deck 13 aft to hit golf balls in the driving net and then laid out in the sun for a while.

 

I ate the following for lunch at Windows: the wonderful chicken noodle soup, a Philly cheese steak sandwich, fries (with A1 steak sauce - a personal favorite), and warm apple bread pudding. After that tasty meal, I went to my room to sleep for a couple of hours.

 

I then went down to Champagne Charlie's for Elton Joel Name That Tune, that is, Elton John and Billy Joel. As with the Michael Jackson Name That Tune and the 80s one before that, my hopes were high. Peggy and Ron were there when I arrived, and eventually the entire group showed up and we played as a team. Well, with the strength of so many people in their 30s and 40s who grew up in the US, we won contest and the bottle of champagne - well, sparkling wine - that came with it. It was my first contest victory of the cruise - and possibly of any cruise.

 

We all ate dinner together at Windows, including drinking the Name That Tune victory champagne. Kathy raised her glass and toasted all of us, saying she and Kyle had clicked better with us than anyone else in their last year and a half of travels. That was incredibly nice to hear, and I feel the same way about them and the others.

 

I enjoyed the dessert cheese platter as an appetizer yet again, the NY Strip Steak, and mocha cheesecake.

 

After dinner, we went to the casino, where I proceeded to lose another dollar. :)

 

I went to sleep by 2230.

Edited December 21, 2013 by jlajr

[jlajr]

By the time I woke up at 0530 on disembarkation day, the ship had already docked, and it's possible passengers were already getting off the ship.

 

I had done some research into going to Montserrat after getting off the ship, as my flight home wasn't scheduled to depart BCN until 2355 later that night, and I had already spent some time in Barcelona after my transatlantic cruise in April 2012. I was therefore not in any hurry to pack the night before nor get off the ship.

 

So, I took my time packing after I woke up, and then went to Raffles Court for breakfast, where I ran into and ate with Ron, Kyle, and Kathy, unexpectedly seeing them one final time.

 

I walked with my one piece of luggage and without delay off the ship and onto the port bus, and by 0900, I was back at the bottom of Las Ramblas, where I took the following photo:

 

 

I'll mention here that I am embedding into this review my favorite photos from the trip, but I have posted many more on facebook, where I've made them public.

 

The weather and forecast were mostly sunny, so I had by then decided to go ahead with my plan to go to Montserrat, which is about an hour's train ride from Barcelona. I had done some research about the different transportation and ticketing options - honestly, a little confusing. I knew that at the very least, I wanted to do the following throughout the day:

 

• Take the L3 metro line from Drassenes station in the direction of Zona Universitaria to Espanya station
  
• Take the FGC R5 train from the Espanya station to the Monistrol de Montserrat station and back
  
• Take the FGC rack railway from the Monistrol de Montserrat station up to Montserrat and back (alternatively, you can get off the R5 at the Aeri Montserrat station and take the cable car up to Montserrat - but I don't do cable cars due to an acquired fear of suspended structures and falling - in fact, I barely do rack railways)
  
• Take at least one of the funiculars on Montserrat
  
• Take the FGC R2 Nord train to the airport
  

I also wanted the freedom to take other, as-yet-unknown rides on public transportation after getting back to Barcelona. Therefore, I decided to buy the following:

• At Drassenes, a four-zone TMB T-Dia one-day travel ticket for 16.35 euros, which covered all metro and train rides for the day
  
• At Monistrol de Montserrat, the Trans Montserrat ticket for 17.30 euros, which covered the rack railway from Monistrol-Vila station up to Montserrat, the funiculars, and an audiovisual presentation - although when I got up to Montserrat I completely forgot that the audiovisual presentation was included
  

Tip: You have to actually go through the turnstiles at the Monistrol de Montserrat station to access the machine that sells the Trans Montserrat ticket, and then go back through the turnstiles to get back on the rack railway.

 

After the metro and train rides, which took about an hour and a half total, I arrived at the Monistrol de Montserrat station, and took this photo, looking up at Montserrat:

 

 

After the 25-minute rack railway ride, I took this photo from the Montserrat rack railway/funicular station:

 

 

I decided to take the Sant Joan funicular, and in the end would not take the Santa Cova funicular. I took the following photo from the funicular:

 

 

The only thing to do at the top of the Sant Joan funicular is to take one of the walking or hiking paths. I chose the 15-20 minute path to the Sant Joan chapel, and took the following photos along the way:

 

 

[jlajr]

The following is the Sant Joan chapel on Montserrat:

 

 

I then walked back to the funicular station, and while on the funicular back down to the monastery, took the following photo:

 

 

At the cafeteria nearest the rack railway station, I had lunch of roasted chicken, potatoes, and a roll (7.50 euros).

 

I then walked up to the monastery itself, taking the following photos as I walked around:

 

 

 

 

[jlajr]

Here's another photo from the courtyard Montserrat monastery:

 

 

I then walked around outside the monastery, at one point passing stalls of food set up along the road. It was Sunday, and it's possible that's why the stalls were there.

 

Here are a couple of views from Montserrat lookout points:

 

 

 

And a photo of the monastery from the road:

 

 

My feet and legs were a little sore by this point, so I decided to head back to Barcelona. I took the 1415 rack railway back to Monistrol de Montserrat, and the R5 from there to the Gornal station, crossed over to the nearby Bellvitge station, and then took a train to the Passeig de Gracia station.

 

I didn't have any particular destination in mind, but I didn't feel like wandering too far away from familiar areas downtown like La Ramblas, Plaza de Catalunya, and so on.

 

Well, after getting off at the Passeig de Gracia station, walking up to street level, and heading toward Plaza de Catalunya, I sort of stumbled across one of Antoni Gaudi's buildings that I recognized from photos I'd seen on the Internet, and what I know is Casa Batllo:

 

 

I now see the name of the building on the posters, but did not notice them at the time.

 

Here's a closeup of the roof:

 

[Big Chippy]

Have really enjoyed your review most especially your wonderful photographs, none more so than those in your most recent post, amazing. Thanks for sharing:)

[jlajr]

After taking photos of Casa Batllo, I kept walking down Passeig de Gracia, stopping at a McDonald's to quickly use its facilities and Wi-Fi, and at a tapas bar for a snack, even though I wasn't that hungry. The food just looked so good, and it was. Maybe two euros each for two.

 

Plaza de Catalunya is at the end of Passeig de Gracia, and from there, I walked down La Ramblas. This being a Sunday evening, it was busy and getting a little chilly, maybe 10 C/50 F.

 

I wanted something sweet, and eventually bought a chocolate pastry for a euro or two.

 

By the time I reached the bottom of La Ramblas, it was about 1830, and I had until 2000 to pick up my luggage at the airport. I forgot to mention that I had discovered before my trip a luggage storage and delivery service in Barcelona, Delivery Warehouse. For 10 euros per bag, I dropped off my bag right in the baggage claim area of the port terminal, and picked it up from a van parked outside the airport's terminal 1.

 

They told me when I dropped off my luggage in the morning that the latest I could pick it up was 2000, even though my flight wasn't until 2355. That was fine with me.

 

So, I hopped on the L3 metro again at Drassenes toward Zona Universitaria, got off at Barcelona Sants, took the R2 to the airport, and then the airport shuttle bus from terminal 2 to terminal 1.

 

Delivery Warehouse had told me where the van would be, and indeed it was. Mine was the last piece of luggage to be picked up that day.

 

I checked in, and then decided not to immediately go through passport control because I saw a sign that indicated a bunch of retail stores and restaurants were before passport control. I walked around the stores, and had a beer at one of the restaurants (3.5 euros I think).

 

A couple of hours before my plane's scheduled departure, I went through passport control, and then stopped at the McDonald's on the other side. I had a cheeseburger (1.3 euros), caramel sundae (2.35 euros), and a beer (2.65 euros - I know what you're thinking: "Why didn't I wait to buy the beer at McDonald's?" Well, I didn't know that the McDonald's there sold beer, and for less than what it costs on the other side of passport).

 

I walked around the near-empty terminal for a while, finally sat down near the gate, and proceeded to doze off.

 

I woke up as the plane was boarding, got on, fell asleep once I was seated, and did not wake up until we landed at 0500 at my home airport.

 

By 0600, I was in my car headed home, but along the way, decided to go into the office and work from there instead as long as I could last.

 

Summary and Closing Thoughts

 

This was a short-notice, relatively inexpensive trip, considering its length and that it involved a short-notice intercontinental flight. I enjoyed it as much as my two previous cruise trips, which I booked much further in advance and which cost more.

 

Except for waiting on that elevated walkway prior to boarding the ship and putting up with cold symptoms, I had tons of fun, was completely in my element, and felt comfortable every moment of every day of this trip.

 

A lot of that has to do with my own nature, but I do appreciate how much work the NCL staff put in to make it so, and I also appreciate how much the nature of the people I met also is a big factor.

 

NCL offers a product, service, and prices that appeal to me, and I hope to cruise with them again in the future.

 

I know there are a lot of issues that I simply didn't mention during this review - for example, costs for internet access - so please do not hesitate to ask. Even if I didn't use the service myself, I'll try to answer or, if I don't know the answer myself, at least point you in the right direction.

 

By the way, speaking of internet access onboard, as with my previous cruise on the Carnival Glory, I was able to access the cruise line's website using the onboard Wi-Fi network, for no added charge. There's a mobile-optimized site and the regular, desktop site. I have a tablet, and sometimes I was able to get more information from the regular site. It's not crucial, but can be helpful. For example, I don't like taking or walking around with printed information, so with the Wi-Fi access to the website, ship information was just a touch away.

 

I'll mention here that my base cruise fare was only about $420, with the cruise fare total coming to about $640 including taxes, fees, and prepaid gratuities. Airfare cost about $550, and I guess I spent about another $600 on everything else, including expensive parking at my home airport for 10 days and three exorbitantly expensive phone calls from Casablanca, Santa Cruz Tenerife, and Barcelona. All in all, money well spent.

 

Thank you for reading.

[mypleasure]

Thanks for writing this review I have enjoyed reading it and looking at the pictures very much. Along the way I picked up some good info for the ports which I thank you for. We are sailing on 6th Jan, so only another 2 weeks or so to wait before I go home to my Spirit Familia.

[jlajr]

Thanks for writing this review I have enjoyed reading it and looking at the pictures very much. Along the way I picked up some good info for the ports which I thank you for. We are sailing on 6th Jan, so only another 2 weeks or so to wait before I go home to my Spirit Familia.

 

Thank you for reading it, and I'm glad you enjoyed it.

 

Have a great cruise!

[jlajr]

Have really enjoyed your review most especially your wonderful photographs, none more so than those in your most recent post, amazing. Thanks for sharing:)

 

Thank you for reading, and I'm glad you enjoyed it.

 

I hope you have a great time on the Spirit!

[lex_n_saph]

Thank you, jlajr, for posting your experience.

 

We really enjoyed all of your photographs. They really allowed us the opportunity to have a vision into what we may see on our similar itinerary in early 2015.

 

Thank you, for your pictures and all of your informative text.

[shadst]

Great report and beautiful pictures. Thanks for the helpful information. :)

[TracieABD]

Thank you for completing this! We are on this cruise in 23 days. You thread is just one of three that set my mind at ease! Thank you so much!

[jlajr]

Thank you, jlajr, for posting your experience.

 

We really enjoyed all of your photographs. They really allowed us the opportunity to have a vision into what we may see on our similar itinerary in early 2015.

 

Thank you, for your pictures and all of your informative text.

 

Great report and beautiful pictures. Thanks for the helpful information. :)

 

Thank you for completing this! We are on this cruise in 23 days. You thread is just one of three that set my mind at ease! Thank you so much!

 

My pleasure, and thank you for your patience and taking the time to read it.

 

Enjoy your trips!

[AquamarineBreeze]

Hi jlajr!

Thanks for your review. It's been both informative and fun to read :)

I know you mentioned that the saunas where a bit small.... So I'm just wondering, like crowded, cramped small or just a smaller area compared to the usual spa ? - which I know Spirit doesn't have :( Also, was the gym smaller than usual too? I'm trying to decide which ship to book next in the Med & though I'm leaning towards the Spirit ... I'm not convinced about this part...

[jlajr]

Hi jlajr!

Thanks for your review. It's been both informative and fun to read :)

I know you mentioned that the saunas where a bit small.... So I'm just wondering, like crowded, cramped small or just a smaller area compared to the usual spa ? - which I know Spirit doesn't have :( Also, was the gym smaller than usual too? I'm trying to decide which ship to book next in the Med & though I'm leaning towards the Spirit ... I'm not convinced about this part...

 

My pleasure. Thank you for reading.

 

For men, I thought both the dry sauna and the steam room were small, but I'm not sure if that means smaller than what you consider usual.

 

As far as crowded, I think that would depend mostly on when you go. I was in the dry sauna in the early morning on a sea day, and it wasn't crowded, but the steam room the same afternoon was a bit crowded, or and people were coming in and leaving frequently enough to significantly affect the room's temperature.

 

I hope this answers your question.

 

Sent from my Asus Fonepad using the Cruise Critic Forums app.

[jlajr]

Hi jlajr!

Thanks for your review. It's been both informative and fun to read :)

I know you mentioned that the saunas where a bit small.... So I'm just wondering, like crowded, cramped small or just a smaller area compared to the usual spa ? - which I know Spirit doesn't have :( Also, was the gym smaller than usual too? I'm trying to decide which ship to book next in the Med & though I'm leaning towards the Spirit ... I'm not convinced about this part...

 

I forgot to address your question about gym. Again, I'm not sure it's smaller than what is considered usual. It was smaller than the fitness centers on both the Carnival Glory and the Norwegian Epic, my only recent ships for comparison, but those ships are also significantly larger than the Spirit.

 

Sent from my Asus Fonepad using the Cruise Critic Forums app.

[fokky13]

We'll be sailing on the Spirit Jan 6th. Your insights will come in handy.

 

Thanks for posting.

 

Have a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

 

Cheers!

[jlajr]

We'll be sailing on the Spirit Jan 6th. Your insights will come in handy.

 

Thanks for posting.

 

Have a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

 

Cheers!

 

Thanks, you too, and have a great trip.

 

Sent from my Asus Fonepad using the Cruise Critic Forums app.

[AquamarineBreeze]

Thanks for your answer... It does help:)

 

Happy New Year

[NewtoCruises1959]

Hi Jlajr.

 

Thank you for sharing your experience of the cruise. We sail in one week and this is our very first cruise so it has been great to get a feel for what goes on, on board! We can't wait, and are counting down the days, even more so after reading your review.

 

Can you help me with something please? in the brochure it says that luggage is collected from the cabin on the last night but you mention packing in the morning and carrying your bag off...is it possible to hang on to your luggage on the last night? I only ask because we have booked the steakhouse for our last night and plan to dress-up a bit but I don't want to have to squeeze all my finery into a small rucksack if my suitcase is taken away from me! :)

 

Also, thanks for the great tip about the luggage service from the port to Barcelona airport. We will definately give that a try... and the Trivia Quiz, and the Name that Tune, and the warm bread and butter pudding dessert.

 

Carol