NCL Spirit Review January 10-17, 2010

[FloridaGators]

NCL Spirit - New Orleans

January 10 - 17, 2010

Ports of Call: Costa Maya, Mexico

Santo Tomas, Guatemala

Belize City, Belize

Cozumel, Mexico

This was our first NCL cruise. We have sailed on Royal Caribbean three times and on Carnival seven times. NCL Spirit is a beautiful ship. She reminds me of Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas.

Embarkation: We spent the night before the cruise in Baton Rouge so we had an easy one-hour drive to the port on Sunday morning. We arrived at the parking garage at 10:30 a.m. Parking for a 7-day cruise is $112.00. The porters took our luggage and we parked, took the elevator down to check in and were boarding the ship at 11:30 a.m. Latitudes guests board first (past guests)

We had a group of 50 Cruise Critics on this cruise and we met up with several of them for lunch. On NCL, one of the main dining rooms, “Windows” is open for lunch on embarkation day. The buffet, “Raffles” is also open, but all headed for Windows. We then explored the ship until our cabin was ready at 2:00 p.m.

Cabin: The cabins on Spirit are slightly smaller than on Carnival….more the size of the cabins on Royal Caribbean. However, they do have a coffee pot in them. When we arrived in our cabin, the beds were not pushed together and we were deciding whether to have the room steward push them together, but we decided that there was more room to walk around in the room if we left them the way they were. We were in an ocean-view cabin on deck 5. Cabin #5560 and it was in a great location with easy access to the elevators. It was a nice, quiet deck to be on.

The bedding was hard as a rock. I had read previously on CC that you could ask the cabin steward for an “egg crate”. We didn’t do that, but probably should have. I talked to some of the other CC folks on board who were loyal NCL fans and they agreed that the beds were hard and they were very surprised because they indicated that all of their other NCL cruises had the new bedding.

Restaurants: The two “free” dining rooms are Windows and Gardens. There is also the buffet, Raffles. In addition there is a small, great place to hang out, called, “Blue Lagoon Café”. This is where you will find the fish & chips (excellent by the way); as well as hamburgers, hot dogs, wings,etc. You will also find “free” food at the Bier Garten Grill on deck 13.

Shogun Asian Restaurant…..$15 pp

Tappanyaki…..$25 pp

Le Bistro…..$20 pp

Cagney’s Steakhouse…..$25 pp

La Trattoria…..$10 pp

While I’m here on restaurants, I would like to mention that “Freestyle” does not mean you can eat at any time. The restaurants are open for certain hours.

Windows opens for breakfast from 7:30 - 9:30 a.m.; Lunch from 12 - 1:30 p.m.

Dinner from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m.

The Garden is not open for breakfast or lunch…..dinner from 5:30 - 10:00 p.m.

Raffles opens for breakfast from 7:00 - 12:00; Lunch from 12 - 2:30 p.m. and

Dinner from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m.

We have decided that “freestyle dining” is not something that we enjoy. We like having our tablemates each night and getting to know our waiter and having him get to know us. We ate most of our meals at Raffles buffet…the food up there was excellent, compared to the dining rooms. Please remember, this is my opinion only, but the food certainly did not compare to what Carnival serves. In fact one night when we ate in Windows, Bill ordered a steak. Since scallops were on the menu and I love scallops, that’s what I ordered. We both started laughing when the meal was served. I had what might have been ¼ cup of cheddar grits on the plate with 4 (yes four) dime size scallops sitting on top of it. By the time Bill got his steak cut up, I was finished. We headed straight for Raffles so that I could get more food. Yes, before someone jumps me, I could have asked the waiter to bring me another plate, however, rather than make a fuss, we went up to Raffles. We also felt that the service in the main dining rooms was rather slow and the waiters were not as attentive as the waiters on Carnival. Some of them acted like the guests were an inconvenience to them.

Meet & Greet: As I mentioned, there were 50 Cruise Critic members on board this week. Big L, also known as Laurence from England, set up our meet and greet with NCL. We had nametags and lanyards and our Meet & Greet was held on Monday, our first sea day at 10:00 a.m. in Henry’s Pub. I think all 50 CC’s came and at least 10 of NCL’s officers also came to meet and mingle with us. Lots of time for questions, etc. A big thank you to Big L for setting this up and a thank you to NCL for the coffee, tea, pastries, etc. Everyone had a great time!

Costa Maya has come back strong after being wiped out by a hurricane a couple of years ago. We had been there before the hurricane and were very pleased to see that the port is alive again. I got to chat with a man at the information booth and when I told him that we had been there before the storm, he pulled out a binder full of pictures of the damage to show us. It was just amazing to see how destructive the storm was.

In Guatemala and Cozumel, we visited the gift shops and walked around some. We did not get off in Belize. You have to tender in Belize and we just decided we would rather spend the day on the ship. We heard later that night that one of the passengers was mugged in Belize and was left in the hospital there.

Shows: We saw an excellent show, “Duo Acrobatique”. The two performers, Ilia and Valerie have preformed with “Cirque du Soleil” and they were great.

Also on board were 5 of the entertainers from “The Second City” doing a medley of sketch comedy scenes and improv. They were wonderful. Do not miss them if you get the chance to see them perform. They are with NCL for a 4-month contract and will be going to NCL Epic next.

The final night of the cruise the show is called “Elements” and again….this is a “not to be missed” show!

Debark: Well, NCL lets you go to the information desk on the last night and pick out the luggage tag that you want. If you want to get off right away, it’s pink….if you want to stay on board longer, you pick another color. We took pink and when we got off the ship to claim our luggage, it looked like everyone on board took pink.

But once again, New Orleans knows how to get people on and off a ship in record time. We were in our car headed back to Texas by 9:30 a.m.

If you have any questions…..ask away!

[bike1964]

Thanks for taking the time to post a review. We sail on the Spirit 2/14.

 

We are very similar in that we have sailed Carnival and RCCL several times, but this will be our first NCL cruise. The big question: Will you do another NCL or go back to the "other" lines?;)

[madgolfer3]

We just got back from this cruise also. We really enjoyed the food and service in the "Windows Dining Room". All our portions were very large---did not get the scallops. As they say, we all view dining differently. Agree with the comments on the Raffles Buffets. We thoroughly enjoyed the variety and presentation. Separate stations for eggs cooked to order, waffles, etc. At lunch, separate stations for subs, pasta, stirred fried, etc.. Getting on and off was the quickest of any ship/port we have used. Rooms are truly small and the bed was very firm---but we love it that way. The shower was huge, but the rest of the bathroom was tiny. The room steward kept things immaculate.:):)

[amistad]

Thanks for taking the time to write a review. How was the weather in Guatemala? Last year we went in April and it was cold and rainey so this year I am kind of afraid to book and excursion ahead of time, because I don't want to spend a lot of money to do something in the cold rain again. We are going on the March 7th sailing and I appreciate all the recent reviews, it helps in planning. I liked your candor about the difference between NCL, CCL and RCCL, I think variety is a good thing even though we have been on more RCCL, we have more recently been going with Carnival and NCL, just needed a change I guess.

[amistad]

Sorry one more question, did they still have you take your life jacket to the muster drill?

[Tenderpaw]

I was on the previous weeks cruise and thought the food was equal or at least close the Carnival in quality. Of course it is subjective and also depends on what you order. However, I agree the scallops were a joke. I was expecting large ones too, and they were very tiny!

 

Dave

[FloridaGators]

Thanks for taking the time to post a review. We sail on the Spirit 2/14.

 

We are very similar in that we have sailed Carnival and RCCL several times, but this will be our first NCL cruise. The big question: Will you do another NCL or go back to the "other" lines?;)

I don't know that we would do NCL again....but as I said, Spirit is a beautiful ship. It's quiet and the decor is beautiful.

Oh, don't bother taking a hair dryer. The one plug in the room says "no hairdryers". They have this big old box on the wall in the bathroom with what looks like a vacuum cleaner hose coming out of it......that's the hair dryer!

[FloridaGators]

Sorry one more question, did they still have you take your life jacket to the muster drill?

 

 

Yep and you get to put it on too!

[Ocean Spirit]

Excellent review! It was helpful. We also prefer the traditional dining but prefer the itinerary's of NCL.

I can live with small cabins and the freestyle dining but my number one

complaint is with some (not all) waiter staff. We've been on 3 NCL ships and have experienced having servers on each ship that never smiled and as you said, acted as if it was an inconvenience to serve you. (And we aren't demanding folks.) As Dolly Parton would say.... if you see someone without a smile, give them yours. (But don't count on getting a smile back in return when you are in a NCL dining room)

However it hasn't slowed us down, we have 2 more NCL cruises booked.

[DMAB]

Excellent review! It was helpful. We also prefer the traditional dining but prefer the itinerary's of NCL.

I can live with small cabins and the freestyle dining but my number one

complaint is with some (not all) waiter staff. We've been on 3 NCL ships and have experienced having servers on each ship that never smiled and as you said, acted as if it was an inconvenience to serve you. (And we aren't demanding folks.) As Dolly Parton would say.... if you see someone without a smile, give them yours. (But don't count on getting a smile back in return when you are in a NCL dining room)

However it hasn't slowed us down, we have 2 more NCL cruises booked

 

I think it has something to do with Freestyle dining.

 

When customers don't plan to come back to the same table, they have less incentive to behave, and waiters have less incentive to excel if they don't expect to build a relationship with dinners and get a nice extra tip at the end of the cruise.

 

Reading other threads about NCL penny pinching by cutting back extras makes me think that if they will cut corners where it's right in the customers face that they will treat the hired help even worse. The way the hired help treats the customers is a good indication of how management treats the hired help.

[kateydid14]

Thanks for the review! We'll be on the Spirit in late February; it's our first cruise.

 

You posted: "We did not get off in Belize. You have to tender in Belize and we just decided we would rather spend the day on the ship. We heard later that night that one of the passengers was mugged in Belize and was left in the hospital there."

 

Do you know any details about the mugging in Belize? How seriously was the person injured? Was it an attempt to rob a wallet or snatch a purse or was the tourist mugged "just because"? Did he/she try to fight back? Did it occur in Belize City or on one of the excursions, such as the cave tubing or trip to Lamanai?

 

Thanks!

 

Katey

[stlcheer]

You will also find “free” food at the Bier Garten Grill on deck 13.

I was wondering about this comment. Is some of the food free and other costs money? Also what kind of food is in the Bier Garten? I can never really find a list, just generic phrases like "German type foods".

[mactrio]

Last year we had burgers, sausages, potatoes, fries, pretzel rolls.....at the grill by the pool.

[brussogj]

My wife and I just returned from this cruise and had a wonderful time. We are first time cruisers so we have nothing to compare against. In terms of any mugging in Belize, we can say that it did not happen on the Lamanai tour as we were on it. We highly recommend that tour as the ruins were beautiful and our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable.

[FloridaGators]

Thanks for the review! We'll be on the Spirit in late February; it's our first cruise.

 

You posted: "We did not get off in Belize. You have to tender in Belize and we just decided we would rather spend the day on the ship. We heard later that night that one of the passengers was mugged in Belize and was left in the hospital there."

 

Do you know any details about the mugging in Belize? How seriously was the person injured? Was it an attempt to rob a wallet or snatch a purse or was the tourist mugged "just because"? Did he/she try to fight back? Did it occur in Belize City or on one of the excursions, such as the cave tubing or trip to Lamanai?

 

Thanks!

 

Katey

 

That was the only info that we had on the mugging.....and of course it could happen anywhere. My guess is that someone went off by themselves...where they shouldn't have been. As I said, it could happen anywhere. And when you are in a foreign country you have to be aware of what you are doing and where you are.

[RaMar]

Nice review! Brings back memories from our New Year's cruise.

[tjosh7]

We too were on this cruise.....Regarding the Belize mugging, we heard that the victim wondered outside of the secure shopping area and was openly drinking from a just purchased bottle of rum.....I'm just sayin.......

 

We are NCL loyalists and have already booked the Spirit for next year.....

 

The blow dryers in the rooms are European style, somewhat slower and cooler than we Americans are accustomed to using.

 

We LOVE freestyle dining and have no problems with the wait staff. We always try to engage them in conversation and with a smile ALWAYS saying please and thank you.

 

We thoroughly enjoyed the cruise and the ship - it was our first time on the Spirit, but the 6th time on the particular cruise. The weather was the coolest it's ever been but we didn't let that influence us from having a wonderful time.

 

We ate in Cagney's, Blue Lagoon, Teppanyaki and LaTrattoria in addition to Windows. Enjoyed them all!!!

 

Thanks to a huge on-board credit we splurged on specialty restaurants - alot...Well worth it!!!

 

We love to people watch on these cruises - very interesting and funny. That's all I'll say about that....

 

It was wonderful to meet some of the fellow cruise critics on the cruise.

[CTCruisers]

Thanks for taking the time to write this review.

 

It is good that you helped to explain your views to let others interpret what they are looking for in information.

[Alebd]

Thanks, Tex, for your review. We sail on Spirit on the 31st and can't wait!

I do have a couple of food-related questions.

 

Is the Blue Lagoon a buffet-style or a sitdown, table service restaurant? And what about the Bier Garten? What type of food do they serve?

[FloridaGators]

Thanks, Tex, for your review. We sail on Spirit on the 31st and can't wait!

I do have a couple of food-related questions.

 

Is the Blue Lagoon a buffet-style or a sitdown, table service restaurant? And what about the Bier Garten? What type of food do they serve?

 

Blue Lagoon is a SMALL table service restaurant......they have fish & chips; chef's salad; hamburgers; fries; wings; chicken strips; fries, etc. Here is a picture of the Blue Lagoon.....

 

 

[daisy-mae]

This may sound like a silly question, but does the Blue Lagoon allow you to "take-out" your order (in view of the small numbers they can accomodate at any one time)?

[martinchem]

The Spirit is a beautiful ship, always one of my favorites. Might take her again to Bermuda.

[FloridaGators]

This may sound like a silly question, but does the Blue Lagoon allow you to "take-out" your order (in view of the small numbers they can accomodate at any one time)?

 

Yes they have the "covers" for the dishes and you can take it out or to your room..

[bluefish17]

Also when Blue Lagoon gets busy, they spill over into the adjacent Shanghai Bar where there are more tables.

 

Biergarten has brats, burgers, fries, soft pretzels.

 

On a different note, I have to agree about the scallop dish. As soon as I ordered it, the server said she'd order me a double helping. I still thought it was not much considering the small size of the individual scallops. My wife's prime rib was great however and they offered to run get me a helping of that-- but I was trying not to overeat so I declined. Next time I think I will just ask the server what are the good entrees for the night because I'm sure they know.

[bike1964]

These soft pretzels you speak of, are they like the pretzels you get in a kiosk @ the local mall? Anyone have any pic's of these little devils?:confused: