NCL Spirit in April

[PAMLIGHT2]

We have never sailed NCL before, only Carnival and Princess. I have read several awful reviews about the restaurants, nothing is like other cruises such as dressing nicely for dinner, kind of a whatever you want to do attitude. We would love to take this cruise but I am hoping to read some positive info on it. Please help. Do you like this cruise line and ship??

 

Thanks,

Pamlight2

[KerCar]

There are many on this board that LOVE the Spirit, myself included. I have sailed her twice in the last 2 years. Here's my review from my May 2008 cruise: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=42458

[Toyz711]

loved our cruise, last dec...review is linked below (in signature), as well as photos in my webshot link.

you are right, you won't see the whole ship dressed up for formal night...but some of us like it that way. i don't own a dress and DH doesn't own a suit or a tie. resort casual worked very well for us.

we had meals that were very good to great...food is so subjective..

[ElizSta]

The Spirit is a great ship, no complaints about her! Roomy, tastefully decorated, well taken-care of.

 

I will say, however, that the food on NCL is seriously lacking. I've found on my 4 cruises, however, that the surcharge restaurants are WELL worth it as the quality is simply phenomenal! If you plan on dining in those, then go for it. I had a few great meals in the main dining rooms on NCL, but they were few and far between.

 

That being said, I don't know what the itinerary is, but if it's the Bahamas/Florida one, I do NOT recommend it unless you're going for the cruise and not for the ports.

 

You get a nice long day on Cocoa Beach (take the $15 Cocoa Beach shuttle and spend the day on the beach!), but that's it! There's mad dashes everywhere else, with only half days in the other ports (unless they're changing it).

 

Who wants to be back on board by 1 after getting off at 10? Come on now...

 

Anyway, I do like NCL. I am not a picky person and don't need to be pampered. I want some sun, some beach, and my book. If that's your attitude, you'll be fine. I just think the itinerary on the Spirit for that cruise was terrible...

 

I met a woman on my last NCL cruise who said it was "disgusting." Her biggest complaint is that she wanted to eat dinner at 11:45pm every night and the dining rooms closed at 10:30 or so...so.... take that as you will.

 

Good luck!

[PAMLIGHT2]

Are all the restaurants,except the main dining rooms, surcharfed? What is the going charge?

Thanks,

Pam

[Toyz711]

included in the price of the cruise:

the 2 main dinings rooms - windows and the gardens

blue lagoon - 24 diner

buffet/actions stations

room service (unless ordering party platters)

fish & chips at pub

late night buffet at casino (usually snack foods, one night it was all desserts)

bbq by the pool, evenings, weather permitting

 

surcharges:

la trattoria..italian, $10 pp

cagney's..steakhouse..regular menu $20 or 25pp (can't remember the new charges), steakhouse menu (lobster, surf & turf, larger cuts of steak..like porterhouse) $10 more pp

le bistro..i think it's $20 for regular menu and $10 more for specialities items.

don't know the prices for the 3 asians

 

last cruise the only reserations dining we did was la trattoria, but that was before the new prices. so much food!! we loved the action stations at the buffet area, we go after the crowds and really enjoy sampling the different foods.

[ElizSta]

As for the surcharges, they have special pricing every day-- whether it's 2 for 1 before 6/after 9, or half price the first night, or whatever. They make these specials very visible and advertise them well at breakfast and around the ship. Of course, you can always call down to the dining reservations desk or wherever and ask personally.

 

If you want to eat in the surcharge restaurants, it can be done on a budget :)

 

IMHO, it GREATLY improves the quality of the cruise.

[newmexicoNita]

We have never sailed NCL before, only Carnival and Princess. I have read several awful reviews about the restaurants, nothing is like other cruises such as dressing nicely for dinner, kind of a whatever you want to do attitude. We would love to take this cruise but I am hoping to read some positive info on it. Please help. Do you like this cruise line and ship??

 

Thanks,

Pamlight2

Pam, if you want to dress up everynight go right ahead, but this is what NCL is all about; freestyle. No, people don't dress much differently than other lines with the exception of no formal nights. You can dress to the 9s if you like, a few will, but no one has to. I would guess you haven't cruised recently. Carnival has just changed thier dress code, allowing jeans and shorts in the dining room at night. We were on Princess last January and lots of people (men particularly wore shorts to dinner even though it was against the dress code. Why is this happening? Because vacationers are requesting it...Do I like this cruise line and ship? I haven't been on the Ship but will be in November. My boss loved it. Do I like this line? Very much. Although I real feel most mass marketed lines are more alike than different if you would like a comparison, NCL is about 1/2 between the two lines you have sailed, A little less partying than on Carnival and a little more than on Princess. Again, this isn't to say everyone on Carnival is a big partier or Princess appeals to the stick in the muds, it is just how I see the 3 lines.

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

Are all the restaurants,except the main dining rooms, surcharfed? What is the going charge?

Thanks,

Pam

I was about to answer you but I see TOYZ did.

 

Nita

[LindaKE]

I agree with Nita. We have sailed both Carnival and Princess. NCL, to us, was very similar to Princess. In fact, there were very few real differences other than the decor was more "fun" on NCL. Our upcoming cruise was chosen based on itinerary, price, and home port. (We can drive instead of flying in.) Price and itinerary will be our basis for choosing a cruise from now on, because, otherwise they are too similar to make a call as to which is best.

 

On the NCL Jewel, we saw much the same dress as we saw on Star Princess and Sun Princess. We didn't see anyone really dressed "down" in the main dining rooms or even in the shows. We saw about as many people dressed up on formal night as we saw on our 2 Princess cruises. The rest were in what I'll call their Sunday clothes or business clothes. We see the same range of dress at fine restaurants in our home area. If you want to dress up, you will not be a stand out. If you want to go more casual, you will not be a stand out. We haven't been on the Spirit yet - that's in February- but from all I've read, I'm expecting to like it just as well.

 

As far as food goes, that is very subjective. We found that Princess and NCL food was very similar. We liked the breakfast buffet on Carnival best, but, again, that is our personal taste. Yours may be different.