3-Day Bahama Cruise on Norwegian Sky

[pseudochicken]

Here is the deal: I am really hankering for a warm-weather cruise next winter (February-March) but I don't have the money or time for a longer 7 day cruise to the Caribbean. I do want a balcony room however, and the Norwegian Sky 3-day cruise to the Bahamas seems like the best deal to me. The ports of call are Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay. I have never been to either destination. I have only done three 7-day Caribbean cruises (Carnival, Princess, Royal Caribbean) and I will be doing a 7-day Alaskan cruise this summer with Celebrity (big part of the reason why I won't have money for a Caribbean cruise :cool:).

 

I have really enjoyed the cruises I have done already. I would really like to try all the lines, and this would also give me the opportunity to try out NCL. I was just wondering how the experience would compare to typical 7 day cruises. I'm sure I will be have fun, but is it worth it to fly down to Miami from Newark or Philly for a 3 day cruise on the weekend? I mean a cruise is a cruise, but I'm a newbie to short cruises so I am not sure what to expect.

 

I like going to destinations and I don't like like sea days, so this cruise is also better than the Carnival/RCI options for that reason. I also LOVE roaming the ship and watching the ship come into and out of port. Not to mention looking at the other ships while in port. I am NOT big at all on the party scene, but I figure if I have a balcony I'll be able to relax there.

 

Any suggestions? Am I crazy to try this? Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!!!

[asylum575]

I'm booked on the Sky for a three day in August. I've done 4 day cruises, they go fast. I imagine the 3 day is a tease. Schedule just didn't allow a full week cruise. I got a good price on airfare so I said, what the heck. A cruise is a cruise. I'll let you know.

[CruisnGram]

We did this exact thing this past January. My MIL had never been on a cruise and we wanted to give her a cruise as a Christmas present. Having never cruised, she was wary, so we decided to let her try a short cruise before going on something longer.

 

We're in Baltimore and I actually checked out a 2 night CTNW out of NYC first thinking that it would be the only reasonably priced option available. Imagine how surprised I was to find that we could fly to Miami and cruise the Sky for 3 days for less money that a 2 day out of NYC. So, that's what we did. So, if you think you are crazy...you are not alone. :D

 

We had a great trip and enjoyed the Sky very much. I would highly recommend it however, one word of caution. The Bahama's are really not "tropical" and it's not all that warm in January and February. Much,much warmer then Philly for sure, but not "caribbean warm". Air temps were around 72 degrees and the water was very chillly. In Nassau, I did a sea lion swim and we wore wetsuits because the water was that cool. At GSC, some were swimming, but a lot of people were just lying on the beach as the water was too cool for swimming. So, if you are looking for a true warm weather Caribbean type get away in January or February , you may be disappointed with Nassau. However, if you don't care if the water is too cool for swimming, and you want to get away from snow and ice into mid 70's temps, then by all means do it...you will enjoy the Sky.

 

The 3 days do indeed fly by, and before you know it, the cruise is over. That's the tough part of the short ones...they leave you wanting more. :)

 

CG

[pseudochicken]

Thanks for all the responses so far! I know that a 3-day cruise will be real short, and be over in the blink of an eye, but I feel like that would be just a wonderful get away at the end of a dreary winter.

 

As it turns out, it appears Mid March is actually better. How is the weather and the water in the Bahamas in March? Is it at least swimmable? It's not a big issue for me, but it could be a small one.

 

What's funny is that I am also considernig staying at beach front hotel in Florida somewhere, but a 3-night cruise is actually cheaper than a 3 night stay at most of the hotels I'm looking at. Go figure!

 

Thanks for the info so far!

[phabric]

We have done the 3 day cruise with Carnival and RCI. We will be doing NCL Sky in October 9-12, the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. We have been on 10 cruises, mostly 7 days.

 

Carnival it was sea day, Nassau. RCI it was Coco Cay (private island), Nassau.

 

We have to fly to Florida, also, so it is 2 days travelling and 2 days on the ship. We found it very relaxing just to be away.

[familyof4cruising]

We have done the 3 day cruise with Carnival and RCI. We will be doing NCL Sky in October 9-12, the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. We have been on 10 cruises, mostly 7 days.

 

Carnival it was sea day, Nassau. RCI it was Coco Cay (private island), Nassau.

 

We have to fly to Florida, also, so it is 2 days travelling and 2 days on the ship. We found it very relaxing just to be away.

 

I did the Carnival Imagination last year that weekend ( which is Columbus Day weekend in the USA)...it was a nice getaway, but I probably will never go on that ship again. I have done the RCCL Majesty Thanksgiving weekend the year before and it was GREAT. I love that ship and if it was less expensive I would be doing it again this Columbus day weekend, BUT the Sky was $250 cheaper ( per couple and its only 3 nights so not worth the extra expensive) so for now I will be trying the Sky on the same weekend you are.

[pseudochicken]

Yeah, well, basically I'm debating whether it is worth it to fly down to florida for a 3 night, 2 day cruise. The flight cost round trip for the two of us will be $500, plus the cost of getting from the airport to ship, and then back again to the airport = $600. The cruise itself is $700ish. It just seems a bit weird to me... but the truth is a cruise is actually cheaper than any beach front hotel in FL, so it would be illogical to go with a hotel.

 

But I know I am going to need that getaway. I needed it bad this past winter, and I feel like a 3-day cruise on that Norwegian Sky would be the best bet.

[phabric]

I did the Carnival Imagination last year that weekend ( which is Columbus Day weekend in the USA)...it was a nice getaway, but I probably will never go on that ship again. I have done the RCCL Majesty Thanksgiving weekend the year before and it was GREAT. I love that ship and if it was less expensive I would be doing it again this Columbus day weekend, BUT the Sky was $250 cheaper ( per couple and its only 3 nights so not worth the extra expensive) so for now I will be trying the Sky on the same weekend you are.

 

We must have been on the Imagination at the same time last year.

[Tideone]

In our quest to sail on every ship that NCL has and also to get to platinum level just a little faster, my dw and I have booked a back to back cruise on the Sky in June...

We have been to Great Stirrup Cay many times and have been to Nassau, but never by ship... We also have never been to Grand Bahama Island...

We have booked an aft balcony and will have the same cabin on both cruises...

We just sailed on the Spirit earlier this month and I don't think I ever will again... at least not with a cabin over the propellor... too much vibration for me...

Someone posted that vibration is really not a problem on the Sky because it never gets to going fast enough....

It will be fun to go to Nassau again and I am going to contact a taxi driver friend of ours to see if he can pick us up and we will head away from downtown and to the non-touristy parts of the island...

[electricron]

We just sailed on the Spirit earlier this month and I don't think I ever will again... at least not with a cabin over the propellor... too much vibration for me...

Someone posted that vibration is really not a problem on the Sky because it never gets to going fast enough....

 

I hope you enjoy your upcoming Sky cruise. The vibrations felt on the Sky should be far less than on the Spirit. But, since the main thrust bearings are mounted inside the hull, there will be some vibrations aft.

 

On the bright side, the Sky's Bahamas itinerary is relatively slower than the Spirit's Western C. Reinforcing the idea there should be far less vibrations.

 

Discussing vibrations aft brings up this question? How did past cruisers experience the "power of the engines" long ago? Answer was simply by the vibrations. Of course, long ago, there were no passenger cabins all the way aft.

[EmmasNana]

I just got off the sky, 3 day. I had never been to Nassua, but now that I have, proabably woulnd't do this cruise again. We ended up in Nassua on a Sunday so it was pretty closed up so that might make a difference. I was on the ship that someone went overboard, so we spent most of Saturday(was supposed to be in Nassua) searching the waters for him.

3 days is just not long enough for me. We missed GSC due to our situation so I can't say anything about the private island. I think in the time frame you are thinking of going the island is missed frequently due to wind issues. If your choice is 3 days in Florida or a 3 day cruise I would take the cruise. We were on deck 10, 0056 balcony and it was great.

[familyof4cruising]

We must have been on the Imagination at the same time last year.

 

 

The weather was good...my kids had fun...but I didnt love the ship. I prefer the RCCL Majesty.

[familyof4cruising]

I just got off the sky, 3 day. I had never been to Nassua, but now that I have, proabably woulnd't do this cruise again. We ended up in Nassua on a Sunday so it was pretty closed up so that might make a difference. I was on the ship that someone went overboard, so we spent most of Saturday(was supposed to be in Nassua) searching the waters for him.

3 days is just not long enough for me. We missed GSC due to our situation so I can't say anything about the private island. I think in the time frame you are thinking of going the island is missed frequently due to wind issues. If your choice is 3 days in Florida or a 3 day cruise I would take the cruise. We were on deck 10, 0056 balcony and it was great.

 

 

Overall what did you think of the Sky?

[pseudochicken]

I was wondering the samething as the above poster. What is the Sky like and how is the lay out? How are the views of the ocean from the upper decks? I'm wondering if I should consider a 3-day western caribbean cruise instead. Is there such a thing?

[OceanBull]

We went on a three day cruise on the Sky back on March 27. Our group included me, my wife & two kids who are 4 & 2, her parents, my parents, one of my younger brothers, and an uncle. We loved the ship. We thought it was heads and shoulders above Carnival and RCCL. In their defense though we had only been on the Carnival Sensation and Sovereign of the Seas before so it may not be a fair comparison since those ships are much older.

We had no issues getting a table for 10 people each night but we only ate at the free restaurants. The buffet was always crowded it seemed. One piece of advice for breakfast, get a table at the Long Board Bar or in the Italian restaurant. There were usually empty tables in there and none in the buffet itself. You could always eat in the sit down dining room as well.

I personally don’t care much for Nassau. Maybe we will enjoy it more when the kids get older and they can participate in some of the more adventuresome type excursions but otherwise they can keep it. Most of the people are friendly enough but some are very pushy as well.

I also felt that Great Stirrup Cay was inferior to Coco Cay. It seemed like the beach was much smaller and there were much fewer activities. The weather was nice though and rarely cracked the low 80’s. The flip side of that however is that the water was still pretty cold. You could still swim but you had to acclimate to the water.

Despite some of these issues, we really loved the Sky itself. I would go back on it in a heartbeat. The ship was clean, the décor was not outdated, and the crew was courteous and friendly. I spent most of my time at the Long Board Bar watching the NCAA basketball tournament at night with my brother. They serve bar type food like wings, fish & chips, and chicken tenders until 3:00 A.M. if the mood strikes you.

If you choose the Sky, have no fear. It is a beautiful ship and you will have a good time!

[BIG_Steve]

I pretty much agree with Ocean bull

 

I was wondering the samething as the above poster. What is the Sky like and how is the lay out? How are the views of the ocean from the upper decks? I'm wondering if I should consider a 3-day western caribbean cruise instead. Is there such a thing?

 

The two upper cabin decks are all balconys. The view couldn't be better. I don't recall seeing 3 and 4 day cruises to the Western Carribean while we were looking into cruises.