Ncl Spirit

What is everybody’s thoughts about the spirit? I will be on her in August.

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What are your specific concerns?

Spirit is NCL's oldest and smallest ship. Because it wasn't originally built for NCL, it definitely has a different vibe than the rest of the fleet and the decor is what I would call a little quirky. But she has many loyal repeat passengers who like her uniqueness and manageable size. Those looking for the latest and greatest in style and amenities will no doubt leave disappointed.

I just disembarked ~2 weeks ago and had a wonderful cruise. If you want, you can read my full review with many photos at http://travel4brews.com/2018/03/22/ncl-norwegian-spirit-review/

Depends what you are looking for. Spirit is oldest ship in the fleet but IMO a great ship. Easy to get around, classy old style ship, nice main pool deck, good buffet, nice lounges.

If you are traveling as a family not a ton of those types of bells/whistles.

We were on the Pearl in 2015 on a med cruise and we loved the ship, it was our first NCL cruise so it was kinda special, but I prefer the Jewel class.

A friend of mine was on last month and did not enjoy. She had contacted NCL about the 10% Spanish tax and was advised that she did not need to pay as she had the beverage package included in her fare. Her email from NCL was ignored and she had to pay the tax on the ship and then claim it back on her return! As a suite guest, she did not receive priority embarkation and found the check-in chaotic and the staff rude. Her butler (Jose, I think) was never to be seen and ignored breakfast requests made the previous evening. The concierge did try and get him to do things but she felt the service was very poor compared to other ships.

I’ve been on the Spirit twice in the last 6 months. She is not a resort ship. She’s great for the port intensive Mediterranean itineraries. As a floating hotel, she fits the bill. Her itineraries are value priced and highly recommended.

The common areas are well maintained but there has been plumbing issues on both of our cruises though it didn’t inconvenience us.

The service staff is excellent and the only issues I’ve had are with guest services. Guest services will provide the basics but will not solve any issues that may arise if there’s discrepancies in your booking.

I did not receive my dining perk even though I had the Dinmeal code on my final payment invoice in October.

This February I finally got my obc after 4 attempts even though it was marked on my invoice along with a letter from NCL HQ.

Even with the guest services issues, I would sail her again if the itinerary and price was right.

October 10 day Eastern Mediterranean with Malta was $1000us for our sideways family inside cabin. sister paid $700us for a sail away inside. Assigned deck 9

February 10 day Canary Islands with Morocco was $500us for a sail away inside cabin. Assigned 10019

My 2 day Malaga getaway was only $75us so it counted as a B2B and received extra wine and water.

The ship itself was way too boring for us. There just isn't enough to do. I agree with the poster who said it would be good for port intensive cruises, where you don't really need much out of the ship. We did it once many years ago, and won't again.

I have sailed on the Sun (2), Spirit, Star and boarding the Pearl in two weeks. So far the Spirit has been my favorite for a couple of reasons. First I loved the observation lounge where you can comfortably watch the ocean scenery all afternoon if you want and then it has great live music at night and never feels crowded. My absolute favorite thing though was Henry's Pub and this is where I spent much of my time, by the end of the cruise it was that place where "everybody knows your name"

I have sailed on the Sun (2), Spirit, Star and boarding the Pearl in two weeks. So far the Spirit has been my favorite for a couple of reasons. First I loved the observation lounge where you can comfortably watch the ocean scenery all afternoon if you want and then it has great live music at night and never feels crowded. My absolute favorite thing though was Henry's Pub and this is where I spent much of my time, by the end of the cruise it was that place where "everybody knows your name"

Here’s another [emoji106] on the observation lounge on Deck 12. I’d love to do the Panama Canal from the comfort of that vantage point.

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A friend of mine was on last month and did not enjoy. She had contacted NCL about the 10% Spanish tax and was advised that she did not need to pay as she had the beverage package included in her fare. Her email from NCL was ignored and she had to pay the tax on the ship and then claim it back on her return! As a suite guest, she did not receive priority embarkation and found the check-in chaotic and the staff rude. Her butler (Jose, I think) was never to be seen and ignored breakfast requests made the previous evening. The concierge did try and get him to do things but she felt the service was very poor compared to other ships.

All of these issues needed to be addressed on the ship. Waiting and complaining after the cruise does not help.

A friend of mine was on last month and did not enjoy. She had contacted NCL about the 10% Spanish tax and was advised that she did not need to pay as she had the beverage package included in her fare. Her email from NCL was ignored and she had to pay the tax on the ship and then claim it back on her return! As a suite guest, she did not receive priority embarkation and found the check-in chaotic and the staff rude. Her butler (Jose, I think) was never to be seen and ignored breakfast requests made the previous evening. The concierge did try and get him to do things but she felt the service was very poor compared to other ships.

We traveled in a penthouse suite on Spirit two years ago and had excellent service from both our butler and the concierge.

Agree with others that Spirit is a great choice for port-intensive itineraries. I love the smaller ships but for kids especially, there just isn't much to do other than kids club. My only complaint about my cruise on Spirit (and it didn't ruin my cruise by any means) was that our cabin was really showing signs of wear and tear. If I'm traveling without kids, I would pick the smaller ships all day long, but I do wish they'd update all the staterooms with modern décor.

I really enjoyed my 11 day cruise on the Spirit this past August. She is older, however the ship looked in great shape after the update last Spring. I had only one day at sea on our itinerary, however enjoyed all the activities and shows onboard. Food was good as well, service could be slow at times, but to me that's what cruising is all about. Staff was also very friendly and attentive.

All of these issues needed to be addressed on the ship. Waiting and complaining after the cruise does not help.

They did complain on the ship and were told to contact NCL on their return to claim their refund for the wrongly collected Spanish tax. Given that they had just suffered a bereavement, they were hoping to have some quiet time for reflection and spending the whole holiday complaining about lack of basic service, which the concierge was well aware of, should not have been necessary. Sorry if I did not make myself clear, they have not complained after the cruise and I was illustrating the fact that a recent holiday on the Spirit was not up to NCL's usual high standards.