Spirit Boston to Quebec - long review

[LindaKE]

Our background: DH and I have cruised 4 times previously, once on NCL. I have limited mobility, so some of my comments reflect that situation. We didn't have an HC cabin, as I can get around short distances, just not long ones.

 

We flew into Boston the day before embarkation and stayed at Embassy Suites, Logan Airport. Since all we wanted was a restaurant and a place to sleep, it was an excellent choice. The free breakfast buffet was a plus. The minute we stepped off the elevator the day of the cruise, we were asked if we wanted a taxi to Black Falcon, so they must get a lot of pre-cruise business.

 

Hoping for an early boarding, DH and I arrived at Black Falcon at 11:00 am. for our 7 day Canada / New England cruise going from Boston to Quebec. Dropping off our luggage was quick and easy, but then we had to join an unmoving line snaking around the entrance. At 11:30, NCL representatives came around explaining that the Coast Guard had arrived for a surprise security check. No one could be admitted until the Coast Guard released them. Around 12:15 they finally started embarkation. NCL did a good job of keeping us informed about the situation.

 

The Spirit is beautiful. Even knowing that cabins would be small, seeing their size for the first time was a shock. But our belongings fit in amazingly well, and we adjusted to the size quickly. We didn't see as much seating in public areas as we have come to expect, so I sometimes had a long (for me) walk.

 

Muster Drill was held on the Promenade Deck. Everyone had to stand in line wearing their life vests until it ended. For everyone, this was an uncomfortable change from Muster Drills held in lounges as we had always seen before.

 

Since our only Sea Day was Day 6 of our 7 day cruise, we had an informal Meet and Greet immediately after Muster. Much to our disappointment the captain turned down our CC petition requesting that he turn off some lights one night for better viewing of the Northern Lights that were predicted. Since it was cloudy for most of the cruise, we probably would not have been able to see much anyway, and the prematurely cold weather convinced us that we would have been miserable waiting for a display with no guarantee of seeing anything.

 

Thanks to posts from previous cruisers, we found more food to our liking than on our previous NCL cruise. The chilled fruit soups were delicious as were the crepes in Raffles where we ended up going most nights for dessert. Hamburgers at the Blue Lagoon were very good. One unexpected treat was the availability of Alaskan King Crab Claws for $15.95 at the Blue Lagoon, Shanghai Bar, and Henry's Pub. This was much cheaper than paying a $25 pp cover charge plus $10 to order them at Cagney's, yet they were just as good! The only drawback was the limited seating during peak hours.

 

We got excellent, courteous service throughout the ship except at Windows MDR. There, I finally saw what many posters complain about. Service was slow, and the servers were abrupt. Service was quicker in Cagney's than in the Garden Room, but that could be explained by the relatively small number of passengers to be served. Other than at Windows, the crew went out of their way to be helpful, and several knew us by name.

 

We didn't enjoy the shows as much as we've enjoyed them on previous cruises. The musicals seemed to be randomly patched together songs with no real connection unless it was the style of music. We didn't go to the comedy shows, but, from what we saw in the Freestyle Dailies and on the TV when they were broadcast later, they were not always family friendly.

 

We did the Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor. It was a pretty drive, but the photo stops were momentary pauses so photos could be made through the bus windows. We couldn't see anything but fog from Cadillac Mountain, so if you do this excursion, go in the afternoon after the fog burns off.

 

We chose to wonder around on our own in Halifax and Saint John. We got lobster at the Steamer across from the dock in Saint John. It was good, but according to locals, it would have been much cheaper at Billy's.

 

In Sydney the Heart of the Island excursion was enjoyable, but again photos were made through bus windows.

 

Our only real problem was due to my limited mobility. The ports of Sydney and La Baie had accordion ramps requiring passengers to walk about ¼ mile before reaching ground, then another1/4 mile returning to the ship. La Baie was worse because the ramp went downhill, then uphill, then downhill, etc. For a person with limited mobility, this was a real challenge. They had placed park style benches at the landings, but they were always occupied when we got to them. Since this was a new NCL itinerary, the Shore Excursion desk and the Special Services were not able to tell us in advance that I would be required to walk so far. We did the Saguenay By Land and Sea excursion, which was enjoyable until I had to walk an additional ¼ mile to get from the excursion boat to the bus which took us back to the ship. So even though we enjoyed seeing the Saguenay, the day in La Baie was not good.

 

In Quebec, we enjoyed the Caleche ride through Old Quebec. It was very informative and gave us a good view of the old parts of town without my having to do a lot of walking. Our room at the Manoir Victoria Hotel post cruise seemed palatial after a week on the Spirit. This hotel was also a good choice for us as we were close enough to be able to see Old Quebec, and I was able to enter without having to climb stairs. The St. James Pub in the hotel provided surprisingly good food.

 

Other than the problem with my having to walk long distances, we had a wonderful cruise! The Spirit is beautiful, and we felt pampered and spoiled. Once again, we saw why we love to cruise.

[hello]

Thank you for your review -- I've noted down your city comments for our Spirit cruise next year!!

[tinaclose]

Hi Linda

 

I enjoyed your review. We were on the same cruise as you. We might have met you at sail away. I agree with you that the Spirit was great. We probably had the best time of any of our 6 cruises. The ship was lovely and well kept, and easy to get around - not huge. The crew were friendly and pleasant and they worked hard. We never felt pestered to buy anything on the ship - we were left alone if we said we were not interested in something. We loved the relaxed atmosphere and the freedom to do and eat whatever and whenever. I don't think I'll ever cruise on a ship where I have to dress formally again. We met some really nice people and enjoyed ourselved thouroughly.

 

I agree with you that the itinerary was best for outdoors activities. We enjoyed hiking and walking at all the ports - I understand it would have been tough for someone with mobility issues. It's too bad the weather was so cold because it pretty much cancelled out the ability to be outside on the ship. On the sea day it got pretty crowded inside - but we took the opportunity to rest in our room, enjoy the light from the balcony, and do some reading. Our only disappointment on this cruise was the food and service at dinner in the main dining rooms, although the food in general was very good and it was fantastic in the 4 specialty restaurants that we ate at (even at the Italian Restaurant which I've seen has gotten some bad reviews). Nothing is perfect.

 

We loved the Norwegian Spirit and would definitely sail Norwegian again - we are thinking about maybe sailing to Bermuda aboard the Spirit next summer.

[LindaKE]

Hi, Tina.

 

Do you know if anyone got to see the Northern Lights either leg? I'm wondering if I should kick myself for wimping out of even trying. Even if the weather had cooperated, I guess we should appreciate a captain who put safety first.

 

I think the Spirit is beautiful. I've commented several times that Princess' decor is much more "refined" than NCL, but I couldn't say that about the Spirit. I don't think any cruise line could have better service than we had everywhere but in Windows. All the crew were smiling, friendly, and seemed to just want to please. They were constantly asking if they could help, but they never became a nuisance. I didn't feel nickel and dimed, although I admit that we spent too much on photos.

[dalgirl]

LindaKE, I too enjoyed your review. We are thinking about this cruise for next fall and taking my 70 year old mother. She is mobile, but not very athletic - she prefers siteseeing to "doing". Since she has never been to New England or Canada, would you or anyone recommend the round trip from NY, or the Boston itenerary you followed? Why did you decide on this intenerary? I would welcome your thoughts. We have cruised on the Dawn and loved her, but not yet the Spirit.

[LindaKE]

Hi dalgirl,

 

We chose based on having enjoyed NCL before, making a guess about fall foliage dates, and DH refusing to go through New York. We really did enjoy the cruise; it just ended with a little too much walking for me.

 

If your mom gets around on her own well enough, the Spirit wouldn't be a problem. I ended up sitting on my rollator (walker) sometimes to rest when, on other ships we've been on, there would have been seating available. But that was a small problem.

 

If your mom is like DH and prefers to just watch the sights rather than taking lots of photos, the tours we went on would be good. For me, it was frustrating trying to get good pics through a window, but I still enjoyed the excursions and did get a few good pics. Depending on her physical condition, your mom might not want to go ashore in La Baie. I wouldn't have if I had known ahead of time what the ramps were like.

 

I included comments about the walking situation in my review hoping to alert future cruisers so they could make informed decisions on what to do or not do. I've found that I can plan very enjoyable trips if I just have enough advance knowledge. NCL didn't know what conditions would be like since it was a new itinerary for them.

 

Good luck on finding the right cruise for your mom.

[tinaclose]

dalgirl - We loved the itinerary out of Boston. Regarding whether you should sail from Boston or New York, I'd say you should pick the cruise that has the itinerary that interests you the most - especially if you have to travel a long distance to get to the embarkation port. We just drove to the port since we live juset outside of Boston.

 

The Boston to Quebec itineray was great. You don't have to be active to have a good time at all the ports. As long as your mother gets around OK she should be fine. There's a lot to sight-see. We rented cars in three of the ports and did our own thing which was nice. Next year the Spirit Boston to Quebec cruise is not docking in LaBaie - it's going to Cornerbrook Newfoundland instead.

 

Good luck making a decision. I know you will love the New England/Canada cruise. I hope you consider the Spirit. I agree with Linda that the Spirit is a beautiful ship - the Asian art and influence is tasteful and beautiful. It is very well kept and didn't feel like an older ship at all.

[dalgirl]

thanks for the advise. DH and I did a drive from Portland to Boston last May and enjoyed all the sites. DH is very keen to see Canada, and so is Mom. And Mom has been to NY, but not to Boston. If the Canada sites are mostly scenery and wildlife, that would be less appealing for her. She gets around fine, just tires if she walks too long - and won't admit she is tired:rolleyes: so I am trying to plan everything around her without her knowing that I am planning around her:p

[Don Haynes]

I was wanting to do this cruise this fall, but other expenses more or less will delay this cruise for next year. I have seen the Pacific Northwest, and the Inside Passage. Its beautiful. With the autumn colors, the St. Lawrence River should be just as nice and wonderful too. Plus the price is very reasonable. And I know already the Spirit is one of my favorite ships. Her Asian decor is a treat in itself. I won't miss any small refrigerators as long as the crew do a great job filling my ice bucket....

[LindaKE]

We chose excursions with little physical activity required. There are historical sites such as Fortress of Louisbourg and Alexander Graham Bell's home in Sydney, the Maritime Museum in Halifax where there is lots on the Titanic, Tall Ships Sailing also in Halifax, and, of course, Boston and Quebec are rich in history if you can do a few days pre and post cruise. In Saint John you can ride the rapids on the Bay of Fundy, and there are walking tours almost everywhere. The area does seem to be about history with fall foliage an added treat.