Some random thoughts from the Spirit

Sitting on the terrace outside our hotel room in Barcelona with a bottle of wine after a very nice meal. I thought I would just make a few observations from the Spirit cruise that finished today.

Over the past few years I have done live reports, but I didn't bother this time as a lot of it would be going over the same old ground. However, I thought I would just make a few comments.

Firstly, the itinerary. I have to say that the Canaries are very nice, but a long way from my favourite of cruise itineraries. Other than Casablanca, we just walked around. All the ports are very nice. The highlight for us outside Casablanca was the Palmetum in Tenerife, a botanical garden which specialises in Palm Trees. A really nice place to wander round.

In Casablanca, we took an NCL tour to Rabat. In all of our cruises, we have only ever taken 5 NCL tours, two of which have been in Casablanca, as it isn't an easy place to DIY. Rabat was a nice place to visit, again without being spectacular. Our tour guise was good, but maybe didn't give the amount of background information that takes a tour to the next level. We were pleased enough with it.

I would happily do more Canary Islands cruises, but it isn't somewhere I feel particularly drawn to. Our Easter cruises tend to be more an opportunity to see the sun after a long winter rather than getting out seeing things, so it is a pretty good itinerary for us at this time of year.

Barcelona is fantastic, as always. We have had a quiet day today, but there is lots to do here. We visited Casa Mila today, which is fantastic, but not as good in my opinion than the other big Gaudi attractions in the city. I could walk round his buildings all day, but would recommend Sagrada Familia, Casablanca Batllo or Parc Guell for a first time visitor in preference.

As for the Spirit, we still love it. Raffles Terrace is a great place for breakfast or lunch and Henrys Pub is a superb venue for the evening.

We were lucky to have Pablo onboard, who plays guitar in Henrys Pub every evening, as well as elsewhere during the day. Probably my favourite entertainer on any NCL ship, and a great guy as well. We originally met him on the Spirit a few years ago and it was great to see him again. Unfortunately for those boarding soon, his contract is almost up, so is only onboard for a few more days.

The other staff are also great. Some excellent bar staff and waiters. A particular mention for Mangesh in Henrys Pub, one of the very best.

I also have to say that Armando Da Silva is the best Hotel Director, in my opinion. I rarely notice who is the HD, but Armando has been on the Spirit for many years and it really is his ship. He runs a great team.

One of the great things about a ship the size of the Spirit is that you rarely leave your room without bumping into someone, staff or passenger, who you can stop and talk to. It is a very friendly place and the size makes it much more of a personal experience than the mega ships (which I also really enjoy).

We ate mostly at the speciality restaurants, as we had the 4 meal SDP included with booking and two platinum meals. All very good, as usual. I also really like Shogun and went there a few times. The buffet is smaller than on other ships, but adequate for us.

Given recent conversations, I have to mention that at Cagneys our server encouraged us to order multiple dishes when using the SDP. I personally only very rarely order multiple dishes, and have never previously been told about any restrictions in advance (as I believe others have experienced), but this was the first time that we have been actively encouraged to order more.

Teppenyaki can't be booked in advance of the cruise on the Spirit, and we make our reservations immediately on boarding. I did notice that there were spaces showing as available on the day even late in the cruise, so it may be possible even if you aren't quick to book. Teppenyaki was also operating at lunchtime on some days.

One final observation. There were quite a few people on the ship who were first time NCL cruisers, or having not sailed many times with them beforehand. Quite a few were British and, based mainly on the comments on this board, I was expecting them to be fairly negative. However, I was struck by the number of people who were very complementary about NCL and the Spirit. I don't think I led the conversations where they said that, but obviously can't rule that out. I wonder whether the Spirit may be more attractive to the traditional UK cruiser than other NCL ships. If it ever gets to Southampton next year then maybe it will be a good match.

As usual, any questions, feel free to ask. I'll try my best.

As always, Keith an informative report on your latest Spirit cruise. I envy you your night in Barcelona - I'm looking out of the window at snow !!!

We are 99% sure we'll book the Christmas/New Year cruise on the Spirit (again) though I had hoped the itinerary would have changed.

From your previous posts it looks like your cruise had some drama and some sadness.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I know many folks love the mega ships but from your descriptions the Spirit sounds like my kind of ship. Hope to sail her one day.

Great review and insights.

Great review Keith, and thanks so much for it! Now we are very much looking forward to boarding Miss Spirit in Rome on the 15th of this month - we can't wait. Spirit was our first NCL cruise back in Dec 2006 and we don't quite remember a lot of it but when we board the memories will flood in.

Thanks for the excellent review!

Thanks so much for your thoughts. It has been a couple of years since we were on the Spirit. We took that cruise to see the “old” Spirit before the planned month-long dry dock.

Thanks, Keith. Always enjoy your reviews.

Thanks for the info, Keith. Your input is invaluable.

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Your thoughts & review brought back memories of our Canary Island Cruise out of Barcelona. We enjoyed the ship, sun & warmth as well as the ports. We love Barcelona & have spent about a week on either side of both cruises we took out from there! First on the Jade & then on the Spirit -- Enjoy your Spring Trip in Barcelona!

Thanks Keith :)

Glad that you enjoyed your time on the Spirit. I have an upcoming cruise on the Epic and imagine it will operate on the same basis out of Spain.

Was just wandering if you could clarify what the situation is regarding Spanish VAT on the Spirit when it leaves from Barcelona as have heard soooo many contradicting accounts of what is going on!

Do you pay the VAT and if so for the entire cruise or just whilst in "Spanish waters"?

Is the Ultimate Beverage Package subject to Spanish VAT charges for each drink ordered?

Only reason I ask is have read people complain they are doing that and kind of think they were mistaken as the package is paid on full and seems bizarre to charge tax on a zero value item. Like double dipping on taxes.

Cheers!

I’m afraid that it is almost impossible to clarify the tax issue completely. There are a number of factors involved, and things can change from cruise to cruise. However, this is the situation as we currently know it:

The itinerary that I have just completed is treated differently from the one on the Epic.

On your Epic trip you don’t leave the EU VAT zone, so tax is chargeable for the whole trip. This tax applies to almost all purchases onboard, including drinks purchased outside of the beverage package. You will also probably find that the duty free shop doesn’t open.

My Spirit itinerary went to Morocco and the Canary Islands, so tax would only be an issue when in Spanish ports.

So, that’s the basics of why the tax is charged, and when. The next factor is how NCL deals with this. First the good news for you. No tax has been charged for drinks obtained via the beverage package on this Epic itinerary for a few years now. Of course, things can change, but history is on your side.

As you have seen, the situation on the Spirit, visiting ports outside the EU VAT zone has been rather more confused lately. In previous years there has been no charge (This was my third Spirit cruise with the beverage package and I have never been charged). It seems that earlier this season they did start charging tax on these drinks, but they stopped doing so during the cruise before mine. I was charged no tax at all on any drinks.

My guess as to why they stopped (and this is very much a guess) is due to the all inclusive rates offered in the U.K. and some of Europe. My suspicion is that they should be charging the tax to US customers but shouldn’t to UK customers as we have already paid VAT on our fare. NCLs onboard systems don’t differentiate between these groups so they have to have one rule that fits all (or introduce loads more packages on the system) and they have finally decided to go with the one that isn’t illegal. I assume that for US guests they are swallowing the tax charge. That may be wrong though.

In conclusion, I would be surprised if you are charged any tax on UBP drinks, but it is possible. If you are then you will be charged for the entire trip.

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I’m afraid that it is almost impossible to clarify the tax issue completely. There are a number of factors involved, and things can change from cruise to cruise. However, this is the situation as we currently know it:

 

The itinerary that I have just completed is treated differently from the one on the Epic.

 

On your Epic trip you don’t leave the EU VAT zone, so tax is chargeable for the whole trip. This tax applies to almost all purchases onboard, including drinks purchased outside of the beverage package. You will also probably find that the duty free shop doesn’t open.

 

My Spirit itinerary went to Morocco and the Canary Islands, so tax would only be an issue when in Spanish ports.

 

So, that’s the basics of why the tax is charged, and when. The next factor is how NCL deals with this. First the good news for you. No tax has been charged for drinks obtained via the beverage package on this Epic itinerary for a few years now. Of course, things can change, but history is on your side.

 

As you have seen, the situation on the Spirit, visiting ports outside the EU VAT zone has been rather more confused lately. In previous years there has been no charge (This was my third Spirit cruise with the beverage package and I have never been charged). It seems that earlier this season they did start charging tax on these drinks, but they stopped doing so during the cruise before mine. I was charged no tax at all on any drinks.

 

My guess as to why they stopped (and this is very much a guess) is due to the all inclusive rates offered in the U.K. and some of Europe. My suspicion is that they should be charging the tax to US customers but shouldn’t to UK customers as we have already paid VAT on our fare. NCLs onboard systems don’t differentiate between these groups so they have to have one rule that fits all (or introduce loads more packages on the system) and they have finally decided to go with the one that isn’t illegal. I assume that for US guests they are swallowing the tax charge. That may be wrong though.

 

In conclusion, I would be surprised if you are charged any tax on UBP drinks, but it is possible. If you are then you will be charged for the entire trip.

 

 

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Thanks so much Keith for your really in depth response!

Sounds like they are at least getting it right now with the tax out of Spain, as you mentioned Spirit has had the tax applied in all sorts of ways since it began this season, enough to give any one head spins! :')

I do realize that Spirit is a different itinerary which leaves the EU VAT area but it does give a reasonably good indication of what will likely happen for the entire Epic Itinerary based on how Spirit is treated in Spanish waters. :confused:

There are so many factors to VAT and how it is applied. Particularly when it is pre-purchased or gifted in "Free at Sea" by NCL in another region, like you said UK/EU already pays the VAT up front and then other regions have regulations that stipulate all taxes and fees have to be included when something is sold in said region such as Australia.

It obviously won't ruin my holiday, I just found the whole concept crazy on what I was hearing that I may have to pay tax with the UBP despite it been already paid in full/ taxed with the cruise fare and on individual items which technically have no monetary value. I would completely understand if I was purchasing individual drinks as these have a taxable value associated to them.

Once again, appreciate the response :D

Keith, it was wonderful to read your comments about the Spirit and it brought back such fond memories. We did our first cruise on the Spirit about 10 years ago from Seattle to Alaska and we really love that little ship. We are looking at Mediterranean itineraries to sail her again. Thanks again for sharing your adventures!

Sitting on the terrace outside our hotel room in Barcelona with a bottle of wine after a very nice meal. I thought I would just make a few observations from the Spirit cruise that finished today.

 

Over the past few years I have done live reports, but I didn't bother this time as a lot of it would be going over the same old ground. However, I thought I would just make a few comments.

 

Firstly, the itinerary. I have to say that the Canaries are very nice, but a long way from my favourite of cruise itineraries. Other than Casablanca, we just walked around. All the ports are very nice. The highlight for us outside Casablanca was the Palmetum in Tenerife, a botanical garden which specialises in Palm Trees. A really nice place to wander round.

 

In Casablanca, we took an NCL tour to Rabat. In all of our cruises, we have only ever taken 5 NCL tours, two of which have been in Casablanca, as it isn't an easy place to DIY. Rabat was a nice place to visit, again without being spectacular. Our tour guise was good, but maybe didn't give the amount of background information that takes a tour to the next level. We were pleased enough with it.

 

I would happily do more Canary Islands cruises, but it isn't somewhere I feel particularly drawn to. Our Easter cruises tend to be more an opportunity to see the sun after a long winter rather than getting out seeing things, so it is a pretty good itinerary for us at this time of year.

 

Barcelona is fantastic, as always. We have had a quiet day today, but there is lots to do here. We visited Casa Mila today, which is fantastic, but not as good in my opinion than the other big Gaudi attractions in the city. I could walk round his buildings all day, but would recommend Sagrada Familia, Casablanca Batllo or Parc Guell for a first time visitor in preference.

 

As for the Spirit, we still love it. Raffles Terrace is a great place for breakfast or lunch and Henrys Pub is a superb venue for the evening.

 

We were lucky to have Pablo onboard, who plays guitar in Henrys Pub every evening, as well as elsewhere during the day. Probably my favourite entertainer on any NCL ship, and a great guy as well. We originally met him on the Spirit a few years ago and it was great to see him again. Unfortunately for those boarding soon, his contract is almost up, so is only onboard for a few more days.

 

The other staff are also great. Some excellent bar staff and waiters. A particular mention for Mangesh in Henrys Pub, one of the very best.

 

I also have to say that Armando Da Silva is the best Hotel Director, in my opinion. I rarely notice who is the HD, but Armando has been on the Spirit for many years and it really is his ship. He runs a great team.

 

One of the great things about a ship the size of the Spirit is that you rarely leave your room without bumping into someone, staff or passenger, who you can stop and talk to. It is a very friendly place and the size makes it much more of a personal experience than the mega ships (which I also really enjoy).

 

We ate mostly at the speciality restaurants, as we had the 4 meal SDP included with booking and two platinum meals. All very good, as usual. I also really like Shogun and went there a few times. The buffet is smaller than on other ships, but adequate for us.

 

Given recent conversations, I have to mention that at Cagneys our server encouraged us to order multiple dishes when using the SDP. I personally only very rarely order multiple dishes, and have never previously been told about any restrictions in advance (as I believe others have experienced), but this was the first time that we have been actively encouraged to order more.

 

Teppenyaki can't be booked in advance of the cruise on the Spirit, and we make our reservations immediately on boarding. I did notice that there were spaces showing as available on the day even late in the cruise, so it may be possible even if you aren't quick to book. Teppenyaki was also operating at lunchtime on some days.

 

One final observation. There were quite a few people on the ship who were first time NCL cruisers, or having not sailed many times with them beforehand. Quite a few were British and, based mainly on the comments on this board, I was expecting them to be fairly negative. However, I was struck by the number of people who were very complementary about NCL and the Spirit. I don't think I led the conversations where they said that, but obviously can't rule that out. I wonder whether the Spirit may be more attractive to the traditional UK cruiser than other NCL ships. If it ever gets to Southampton next year then maybe it will be a good match.

 

As usual, any questions, feel free to ask. I'll try my best.

Hi Keith!

I noticed in another person's post that you said you stayed in cabin 10686. This is the cabin we will be staying in on our cruise in a few weeks. We are first time cruisers as well and really looking forward to our trip.

I'm just slightly concerned with some of the reviews I've read recently regarding the ships condition. How did you find the cabin? Clean? Bathrooms in particular.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated! :):)

We will be traveling with friends next summer and they were )I hope) lucky enough to book 10686. This looks like the only unusually larger balcony cabin. Is this a good pick? How is the furnishing and bathroom? How about the balcony?

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I am confused...for US citizens ...are they charging tax for drinks in Spanish waters??..Had the drinks package in March...and YES..we were taxed...Thanks...Ann

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Heartfelt - This is the cabin we will be staying in as well! I was wondering the same thing. I've seen some not so recent pics and videos and it does look to be considerably larger than a regular balcony room. The balcony looks to be almost the length of 2 balconies. The set up is a little odd inside though. Everything seems to crammed into a corner.

We weren’t in room 10686 on this particular cruise. Unfortunately, someone else on this board who had seen me recommend it got in first and then cancelled soon afterwards, leaving us stranded in a standard balcony (UK booking rules meant that moving would have cost us quite a lot).

In my opinion it is one of the hidden gems on any NCL ship. The room is significantly bigger than the standard cabins. It is especially good for us (family of 3), as the standard balcony rooms are very cramped on the Spirit when the sofa bed is out.

The layout is a little odd, with the bed up one end and then the sofa bed and the little table the other end. The bed still partially covers the balcony door from memory, but it’s a lot better than the standard rooms. There is a load of space to move around in.

In my opinion, the room is a lot closer in size to some of the suites than to a standard balcony, but at a fraction of the price. We have it booked again for next year.

As for the condition of the room, I’m probably not the best person to ask. I’ve not been in the room since the last dry dock. Little seems to have been done on these areas at that dry dock, but I don’t know whether this room was touched. Also, the Spirit does come in for some criticism for the rooms not being in great nick. It may be just that I don’t notice these things, but other than a bit of a musty smell in a cabin once, I haven’t really noticed any problem. The bathrooms could be better, but they serve the purpose for me. If that is likely to be a problem then it isn’t specific to this room.

I am confused...for US citizens ...are they charging tax for drinks in Spanish waters??..Had the drinks package in March...and YES..we were taxed...Thanks...Ann

 

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The cruise that this thread refers to was in Late March/Early April. They stopped charging the tax on the previous cruise apparently.