Looking at Norweigen Spirit

[Gingee]

My sister just got back from Noweigen Jewel and they had a good time. This was their first cruise (and I don't think they are wild about cruising) but anyhow. We are looking at the Spirit and as you can tell from our signature, we are not use to freestyle cruising. Can someone enlighten me about the dinners? Can you get decent dinners without paying extra?

[halos]

My sister just got back from Noweigen Jewel and they had a good time. This was their first cruise (and I don't think they are wild about cruising) but anyhow. We are looking at the Spirit and as you can tell from our signature, we are not use to freestyle cruising. Can someone enlighten me about the dinners? Can you get decent dinners without paying extra?

 

I think I can help you out a little.

 

We had only sailed CCL (5) and Celebrity (1) when we took our first NCL cruise on the Spirit. It was a 15 day repositioning cruise.

My expectations were low because of stuff I had read on the other cruise boards, but we booked this cruise because it was a deal we couldn't pass up.

 

I had a fabulous time on this ship. A lot of my enjoyment came from all the CC members on the roll call. There were a lot of us and we got along great and had an amazing time.

The crew on this ship was top notch as far as friendliness. The activities on this 15 day cruise were plentiful and the ship is gorgeous and easy to figure out...I didn't wander around for days totally lost, which was very nice.

 

The entertainment ran from good to excellent.

 

Freestyle eating....Ok, let me start by saying that the food in the dining room was nowhere near as horrid as I had heard. In fact there were many dishes that I thought were excellent. Every steak I had (whether it was in the regular dining room, or the surcharge restaurant, Cagney's) was cooked perfectly. The desserts were very good and the soups were excellent. On this 15 day cruise we probably ate in the dining room 50% of the time, and specialty restaurants the other 50%. We, personally had not one night that we had to wait for a table. One night we did want to eat at a certain restaurant that was already very busy and they couldn't take us, so we ate at another one. There are so many to choose from....it was great.

Now, I LOVE traditional dining but this was really nice for a change. If we ran into somebody from our group on the way to dinner, we could ask them to sit with us. You can't do that on the other lines with traditional dining.

I will say that dining room service is kinda lacking (or, it was on our cruise). They weren't very efficient, but this didn't spoil our 2 weeks and it certainly won't stop us from cruising NCL again.

 

Don't forget that NCL is also rolling out that Freestyle 2.0 thing...which makes it sound as if they're trying to really improve some. Even without improvements, I think they're worth a try.

 

Try 'em all is my motto. My next attempt will be RCI Nov 2009 :D

[Gingee]

Thanks a lot. What is this Freestyle 2.0? I saw someone else mention it.

 

So do they have regular dining rooms like Carnival and Royal?

[Grandpaul]

I assume by regular dining rooms you mean the sitdown type with the waiters and all? Yes they do. I've been on the Spirit 4 times so I guess I enjoy it. I really enjoy NCL for it's service and relaxation I always expect and receive. As far as the dining rooms, the biggest one is the Windows restaurant in the rear of the 6th deck. Nice big restaurant like Carnival and the rest of the lines. In fact one of my favorite views is in the Windows rest. If you get there early you can get a table by the back wall which is all windows(ergo the name Windows) and watch the wake of the ship. Pretty cool. There is another restaurant called the Garden Room but I haven't been there much so I can't comment on it. Smaller than Windows.

[halos]

Thanks a lot. What is this Freestyle 2.0? I saw someone else mention it.

 

 

 

NCL Rolls Out Freestyle ... 2.0

Move over Freestyle Cruising: At a press conference today onboard Norwegian Gem, which is currently sailing its two-night post-christening inaugural cruise from New York, NCL CEO and President Colin Veitch announced the arrival of an enhanced version of the line's signature Freestyle Cruising concept -- Freestyle 2.0.

 

Freestyle 2.0 is a fleetwide initiative to upgrade several aspects of the guest experience, including dining, staterooms, and onboard activities and amenities; NCL will also revamp its tiered Latitudes past passenger program. The initiative is the result of customer and travel agent feedback, and is being helped along, at least financially, by the $1 billion investment Apollo Management offered the company earlier this year.

 

Here's a glimpse of what's to come:

 

Dining

Freestyle Dining is the largest component of the current Freestyle Cruising movement, and that will not change -- most of the 2.0 improvements involve food and beverage. In fact the line expects to spend $50 million on dining-related upgrades before its next new-build (the first in the prototype class now known as F3) launches in winter 2009. Look forward to:

 

No more buffets. Well, sort of. The lido eateries on NCL ships are being transformed into action-station-only restaurants. We've seen the shift throughout the industry from standard buffets with long lines to those peppered with action stations -- but this move will completely eliminate heated holding trays, with all cuisine carved or cooked to order. Staffers on hand carry trays. At night, tablecloths and candlelight will transform the space into another alternative for dinner, with full bar service.

 

Each specialty restaurant will get a signature dish. For example, the steakhouse will offer a 48-ounce porterhouse -- an entree Veitch calls the "Fred Flintstone" cut.

 

A tapas-style food sampling will be offered on embarkation day from all of a ship's specialty restaurants.

 

Lobster will be available in at least one restaurant every night of the cruise. The main dining rooms will serve lobster multiple times each sailing (generally on sea days).

 

All guests will be welcomed onboard with a glass of bubbly -- a nice touch.

 

The room service menu will be expanded.

 

Staterooms

NCL will upgrade mattresses, sheets, pillows, duvets, towels and bathrooms in all cabins on all ships. Coffee makers will be added to any cabins in the fleet that don't already have them, and all suites will get sofa beds. Guests booked in balcony cabins and mini-suites will receive priority check-in and disembarkation, a personal escort to their staterooms, and a special "At Your Service" hotline (not a concierge, per say, but a team of folks who can field questions and delegate requests).

 

And suite and Courtyard Villa holders, who already receive perks such as butler and concierge service, will get extra benefits including a private breakfast and lunch menu available in the Courtyard and in Cagney's Steakhouse; previously, the Courtyard had only light snacks for breakfast, such as pastries and fruit.

 

Activities & Amenities

The line will launch NCL "U" -- an education and enrichment program that will offer new classes, including organic cooking, improv with Second City, and how to be a bartender or sommelier. The health and wellness program will be expanded, and even the pool deck experience is getting an overhaul -- each deck chair will have a flag on it so when you need a cool drink, you don't have to signal or wait for a bartender. Chilled towels and Evian spritzes will also find their way poolside.

 

Some of the enhancements, such as the action-style "buffet" restaurant, are already in place on Norwegian Gem. Though there's no target date for a complete fleetwide rollout (it will take time as dry dock is required for some ships -- especially in the lido eateries), Veitch says Freestyle 2.0 changes will be largely implemented on all ships by the summer of 2008, and that more details on specific additions and changes will be revealed in the coming months.

 

Oh, and those F3 ships that we mentioned earlier? Veitch tells us we can expect to see even more changes -- Freestyle 3.0 -- with that class, a new prototype for NCL.

 

We'll keep you posted.

 

--by Melissa Baldwin, Managing Editor