Norwegian Spirit

[lilschnauzer]

This my first time to cruise and I just have a few questions if anybody can help me out. We are going on the Western Carribean cruise. I need to know if I will be able to call home on my cell phone while I am on the ship and what kind of charges am I looking at? Second question, what are the buffets on the ship like? What kind of food, etc.

[Toyz711]

cell phones, on the cruise ship, are expensive to use. besides your own roaming charges (if you have those), you have the ship's charges for using their tower (no matter what service you have). it's better to wait until you are in port and just pay the roaming charges? i think (?) charge for the ship's tower is $2.49 a min?

 

the spirit has action stations and the food (being discussed in a recent review a few postings down) is actions stations with some international fares. carved meats, made-to-order ceasar salads, made-to-order pasta, made-to-order crepes at dinner. along with other indian-style foods, more salads, veggies, more pasta .

lunch has ready made sandwiches, made-to-order sandwiches and other food items on the regular buffet.

breakfast: ready made eggs (sometimes eggs benedict), made-to-order eggs, cereals (hot and cold) and more.

plus food at the 2 main dining rooms, the made-to-order food at the blue lagoon, food served by the pool (weather permitting) and food served at a couple of the bars. THEN theres the surcharge/specialities dining :D

while we love the buffet and the ease of getting our food fast..since, on a cruise, we are on the GO GO. i will say that the atmosphere and food are better in the main dining rooms.

[newmexicoNita]

as toyz just mentioned, forget the cell phones, it just isn't practical. We cruised for many years with no way to communicate back home and did just fine.

 

The Spirit buffet is the best we have had on any cruise and we have cruised all mass marketed lines. I say the best, this is for breakfast and lunch, we do not do dinner at buffets...Buffets are for a quick meal when you are in a hurry..At least that is how we view buffets...

 

Nita

[Ms belp]

Thanks Nita and Toyz! Chris and I are going on the Spirit for the first time the end of March. Glad to hear you like the ship and the buffet. We will plan to eat buffet for lunch and dinner in the main dining rooms and specialty restaurants. Do you have a preference for main dining room atmosphere, decor, etc? Does one have a more Asian theme?

 

Thanks for any tips!:)

[Louiseec]

Been on the Spirit twice. One suggestion, the day you arrive, don't go to the Buffet for lunch, eat in one of the main dinning rooms. Most people head for the buffet and they are incredibly busy. The Garden room and Windows (the two main dinning rooms) are quiet and relaxed. Another suggestion, don't order the sandwich on the menu, they are not great.

[Toyz711]

now i am one that likes the buffet on embarking, i head out the back to the aft section. a open area with a bar, tables/chairs and great views of the NOLA river action. we watched the boats for an hour or so, until we could take our carry-ons to our cabin. very relaxing, the crowds stay in the actual buffet area. why they want to stay indoors in nice weather, on a cruise ship, is beyond me.

niether of the 2 main dining rooms are really asian decor. most love the windows...a huge room with a lot of decor. very high ceiling, huge aft windows, it is a nice room. i just like the small room with lower ceiling, i get less noise. check out both to find which you like.

the dinner menus are on display after noon, each day. we would go check them out and decide if we ate in the dining rooms or the buffet. we plan each meal 5 mins before the meal :D

[Don Haynes]

One won't find a more Asian restaurant than the Shogun restaurant on the Spirit.

[GORDONCHICK]

I thought the Garden Room dining room had nice Asian undertones, but I didn't notice any Asian influences in Windows - probably because of the high ceilings and all the huge windows.

[newmexicoNita]

Thanks Nita and Toyz! Chris and I are going on the Spirit for the first time the end of March. Glad to hear you like the ship and the buffet. We will plan to eat buffet for lunch and dinner in the main dining rooms and specialty restaurants. Do you have a preference for main dining room atmosphere, decor, etc? Does one have a more Asian theme?

 

Thanks for any tips!:)

I think I am in the minority but we like, for main dining, windows,we seemed to get better service. As for specialty, we did 3, Le Bistro of course, the Italian and Shoguns. all were worth the money in my opinion. Shoguns is lovely, very asian looking and yet not cold as can be the case. The Italian is just really good for $10, the antipasto cart alone was worth the money and Le Bistro is always Le Bistro. What more can be said..???

 

As for going to the buffet on the first day for lunch, yes, it is really busy but the barron of beef which is rare as well as medium and the salad bar are worth fighting the crowds we thought.

Nita

[Schnauzergirl]

Lilschnauzer, I LOVE your name! You must have at least one of those darling 16 pound creatures that cruise lines won't let us bring along, no matter how well-behaved they are! :) We have two salt-and-pepper mini's and they go on "puppy-vacation" to the outlaw's instead. A couple years ago, my MIL made a scrapbook of their "vacation." Hilarious!

 

I have read the same thing about calling or taking calls on the cell phone, but have also read that texting is a much more economical way of communicating if needed. I could be wrong, but have read like 50 cents per text. Check with your service provider for more info.

 

We are going on the Spirit in April. We will probably use the buffet for quick meals but if we have time, eat in the restaurants/dining rooms. I like a leisurely meal.

 

I think as far as the buffets go, it is a matter of personal taste. Some love 'em, some hate 'em but typically you will find different and more international things on it than you would at a buffet-style restaurant at home.

 

Hope that is of help!

[mactrio]

cell phones, on the cruise ship, are expensive to use. besides your own roaming charges (if you have those), you have the ship's charges for using their tower (no matter what service you have). it's better to wait until you are in port and just pay the roaming charges? i think (?) charge for the ship's tower is $2.49 a min?

 

I have a blackberry w/ AT&T and will need to text message our son when he is in the play area. He will have a plain old cell phone that he can use to send and receive text messages. Will we be charged a per minute rate or will standard text message rates apply? I DO NOT want a $1,000 phone bill when I get home. I don't need to actually talk on the phone or use my email services or internet or anything like that, only a regular text message.

I called AT&T but they wouldn't or couldn't give me an answer.

[SoArk]

about the Text Message charges while on-board...... and off the ship at ports of call. Does anyone have any viable information n texting?

 

Thanks !

 

SoArk

[mom5252]

We have Verizon and I was told that for international texting every received message is .50 and every sent message is .05. Of course, that is on top of the roaming charges which vary (depending what country you are in) from .99 to $1.99. We are leaving on the Spirit on 2/8 and I told my 23-yr. old daughter she might want to shut her phone off (she is on our cell phone plan!)

[lilschnauzer]

I love your name to. Yes, I have a 12 year old male salt and pepper. He is so precious, he rules the household, THE BOSS. I told my husband that I was going to disguise him as a seeing eye dog so that I could take him with us. Hate to leave him at home but he will be staying at Grandma's.

[SoArk]

And, with his eyesight, he wouldn't qualify for the job! :D

[lilschnauzer]

We do not have to tell them he is almost blind

[lilschnauzer]

Thanks to all who responded. Has made me feel better about the food.

[lilschnauzer]

Thanks everyone!