NCL Sky 2025 12-DAY MEDITERRANEAN FROM LISBON TO BARCELONA: SPAIN & MOROCCO

[bdever]

Hi everyone,

I am new to NCL with an upcoming cruise booked on the NCL Sky for Nov. 2025. I have sailed with Carnival, Princess, and Virgin Voyages with a Royal Caribbean transatlantic later this year. I am a solo passenger although I booked a second passenger TBD just in case. I booked this particular sailing only for the itinerary which I’m head over heels in love with. But with the bad press NCL has about missing ports and last minute communication concerning missed ports I am having second thoughts. The only other slightly comparable itinerary I could find to this one is a Virgin Voyages Southern Spain and Morocco 10 day itinerary for about $1,700.00 more. In your honest opinion based on your experience with NCL, do I have a reason to be worried that ports will be missed on this amazing itinerary and it would be a safer bet to book with Virgin Voyages instead? Or am I being paranoid about the whole thing? Do you think that there is high likelihood that given the situation there seems to be with NCL leadership now, things will greatly improve by winter 2025 when this cruise happens?

 

Thanks for your honest input.

Edited February 17 by bdever
Spacing

[rodndonna]

I have nothing useful to say/add but am following as we are close to booking the Sky in Nov 2025  for a 9 day from Lisbon for Canaries/Morocco/Spain - so would have the same issues if there are any.

[laudergayle]

We are also booked on the 9-day Lisbon-Canary Islands.  My perspective is this.  Final payment is not due until 120 days out.  So we have plenty of time to monitor the good and bad of NCL before shelling out final $$$.
 

I am not 100% sure with NCL, but if you think you may want to cancel, don’t buy the NCL travel insurance until final payment.  I ran into an issue with MSC where I cancelled a cruise six weeks after booking and they wanted to reduce my refundable deposit by the amount of insurance. Evidently you only have s 30-day cancellation clause for the insurance.  
 

 

[laudergayle]

9 hours ago, bdever said:

Hi everyone,

I am new to NCL with an upcoming cruise booked on the NCL Sky for Nov. 2025. I have sailed with Carnival, Princess, and Virgin Voyages with a Royal Caribbean transatlantic later this year. I am a solo passenger although I booked a second passenger TBD just in case. I booked this particular sailing only for the itinerary which I’m head over heels in love with. But with the bad press NCL has about missing ports and last minute communication concerning missed ports I am having second thoughts. The only other slightly comparable itinerary I could find to this one is a Virgin Voyages Southern Spain and Morocco 10 day itinerary for about $1,700.00 more. In your honest opinion based on your experience with NCL, do I have a reason to be worried that ports will be missed on this amazing itinerary and it would be a safer bet to book with Virgin Voyages instead? Or am I being paranoid about the whole thing? Do you think that there is high likelihood that given the situation there seems to be with NCL leadership now, things will greatly improve by winter 2025 when this cruise happens?

 

Thanks for your honest input.

I noticed in your highlighted text you show Agidar but on the visual itinerary it doesn’t show.  

[bortman23]

10 hours ago, bdever said:

But with the bad press NCL has about missing ports and last minute communication concerning missed ports I am having second thoughts.

 

Don't worry at all. NCL (and all cruise lines) will do everything they can to ensure they get to all ports. The last thing they want is more bad press 😉 It's possible you could miss ports, but the chances are equal on all lines. 

 

Relax and get excited!

[bdever]

3 hours ago, laudergayle said:

We are also booked on the 9-day Lisbon-Canary Islands.  My perspective is this.  Final payment is not due until 120 days out.  So we have plenty of time to monitor the good and bad of NCL before shelling out final $$$.
 

I am not 100% sure with NCL, but if you think you may want to cancel, don’t buy the NCL travel insurance until final payment.  I ran into an issue with MSC where I cancelled a cruise six weeks after booking and they wanted to reduce my refundable deposit by the amount of insurance. Evidently you only have s 30-day cancellation clause for the insurance.  
 

 

Thanks I am opting for 3rd party travel insurance 

[laudergayle]

Ignore my comment in #4.  I realize now that must be the Virgin itinerary.  Sorry about that.

[bdever]

31 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

Ignore my comment in #4.  I realize now that must be the Virgin itinerary.  Sorry about that.

Yes that is the VV itinerary 

[laudergayle]

1 hour ago, bdever said:

Yes that is the VV itinerary 

I thought of something that might make a decision a little easier.  The NCL cruise is on the Sky, which is one of their older ships. From what I seen on YouTube videos, the cabins are extra small.  Also, if you like a more active cruise while onboard, it seems like Virgin offers more to do like yoga sessions, onboard parties, dance lessons.  While NCL does have some activities, IMO the activities are more subdued on NCL.  

Edited February 17 by laudergayle

[bdever]

9 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

I thought of something that might make a decision a little easier.  The NCL cruise is on the Sky, which is one of their older ships. From what I seen on YouTube videos, the cabins are extra small.  Also, if you like a more active cruise while onboard, it seems like Virgin offers more to do like yoga sessions, onboard parties, dance lessons.  While NCL does have some activities, IMO the activities are more subdued on NCL.  

Thanks so much for pointing this out. I did think about these things however this is a VERY port intensive sailing (assuming all goes as planned 😬) and only one sea day. Definitely will not be in the cabin much and going to bed early to be up at the crack of dawn to get off in port the next day. That’s why I booked an inside cabin. This is one ☝️ itinerary where I can say ship age, cabin size/category & onboard activities really don’t make a difference 😁

[laudergayle]

We booked an Oceanview where as we typically do balcony for the exact reason.  And…to save a few $$, too.  Wishing you a fabulous time regardless which one you choose.

[mugtech]

        Sky is a good ship for port intensive cruises.  Our biggest gripe back in September when sailing from Baltimore to Quebec and back was the terrible wifi connection.  Every day we were told "Maybe tomorrow"  never even used our free time.  Agree the inside cabin was the smallest ever sailed in, no reason to spend time there.

[rodndonna]

9 hours ago, mugtech said:

        Sky is a good ship for port intensive cruises.  Our biggest gripe back in September when sailing from Baltimore to Quebec and back was the terrible wifi connection.  Every day we were told "Maybe tomorrow"  never even used our free time.  Agree the inside cabin was the smallest ever sailed in, no reason to spend time there.

 

When you say the smallest you have sailed in, do you mean in comparison to other insides or do you not typically do insides? When looking at the insides, they look at least to be a little bigger than other insides (like the Jade) as they seem to have the heavily coveted small sofa 🤔

 

[mugtech]

4 minutes ago, rodndonna said:

 

When you say the smallest you have sailed in, do you mean in comparison to other insides or do you not typically do insides? When looking at the insides, they look at least to be a little bigger than other insides (like the Jade) as they seem to have the heavily coveted small sofa 🤔

 

We usually sail inside cabins, was smaller than the Gem, Sun, Jewel, Breakaway, Spirit and Pride of America inside cabins.  Also smaller than any inside cabins on Royal Caribbean ships.

[rodndonna]

Just now, mugtech said:

We usually sail inside cabins, was smaller than the Gem, Sun, Jewel, Breakaway, Spirit and Pride of America inside cabins.  Also smaller than any inside cabins on Royal Caribbean ships.

 

Thanks - do you happen to recall your cabin number or area of the ship? Some "look" a little larger but not sure if they are.

 

The ones in the front Deck 6 (which NCL seems to want to auto-assign us) look the smallest .....

[Panama Jen]

Just an FYI...I was playing around on the computer today and saw that the CruiseTour for the Lisbon/Barcelona tour in November of 2025 is the same price as the actual cruise itself.  I contacted our PCC and had ours switched to the CruiseTour as we get 3 nights with breakfast at a hotel, a 1/2 day tour, a 72-hour pass for the hop on hop off bus, and transportation for the same price as the actual cruise ($1697pp USD for inside with taxes, port charges, and fees).  Not sure how long this will last...it says a day, but who knows?  It may be a mistake that they'll take down soon.  If not, it's too good a deal to pass up!  The deal came up on both the USA NCL website and the Central American (Panama) website.

Edited July 30 by Panama Jen
wanted to add additional information

[bortman23]

3 hours ago, Panama Jen said:

Just an FYI...I was playing around on the computer today and saw that the CruiseTour for the Lisbon/Barcelona tour in November of 2025 is the same price as the actual cruise itself.  I contacted our PCC and had ours switched to the CruiseTour as we get 3 nights with breakfast at a hotel, a 1/2 day tour, a 72-hour pass for the hop on hop off bus, and transportation for the same price as the actual cruise ($1697pp USD for inside with taxes, port charges, and fees).  Not sure how long this will last...it says a day, but who knows?  It may be a mistake that they'll take down soon.  If not, it's too good a deal to pass up!  The deal came up on both the USA NCL website and the Central American (Panama) website.

 

Amazing! Sadly I don't get the same deal on the Canadian site. 

[Panama Jen]

2 hours ago, bortman23 said:

 

Amazing! Sadly I don't get the same deal on the Canadian site. 

I used a VPN for Toronto and saw it in the Canadian NCL website as well. It’s $2321 CA for both of them the cruise and the CruiseTour. Look at the last one on the list.  

[luv2kroooz]

Yes, based on the past, I think there is an elevated concern about possible itinerary changes. You are still over a year out and NCL could announce a fleet redeployment, especially if the exotic itineraries don't sell well. They could change for environmental reasons, operational considerations, port congestion, etc. The Caribbean is a very hot market and if they can make more money there, they will shift assets. By your own post, you are already aware of this, so it really comes down to how much risk you are willing to take. I don't expect any changes with management. Dirty Harry will be running NCLH.  It looks to me to be an amazing opportunity as the published itinerary is pretty cool. Itineraries are not guaranteed on any cruise line, but if I was "married" so to speak to the published itinerary, NCL would not be my choice this far out from sail date. I wish you the best and hope whatever you choose works out for you. Cheers.