Spirit 3/21 - 28

[roger001]

Boarding the Spirit was fast and easy. Drove, so dropped off luggage and $5 with porter at terminal around 10:30. Parked car and shuttled back to terminal. Cold and windy. Processed in quickly and boarding began by 11:30. No bubbly but plenty of smiling NCL faces. Buffet and MDR open and ready. Rooms ready by 2 p.m. No refridge, but room (balcony) seemed as large as other ships. Took small cooler and asked room attendant to ice it during the twice a day cabin makeups. Worked great. Room did have coffee maker and robes. Spirit is beautiful with the oriental decor and well maintained. Ate MDR 3 times. Service was wonderful, staff wonderful. Food was good to wonderful, depending on the meal. Ate Le Bestro once and my first snail. All excellent, but MDR just as satisfying. First night and half first day, moderate seas with ship doing a little rock and roll. Costa Mayo, a cruise ship disney world port. However, Mayan ruins tour fasinating, though a little to short for a good look. Santo Thomas Rio Dulce river boat tour wonderful for us. However, not for all. Ride in fast skiff in open bay for 30 minutes to river, very bumpy and windy. Up river for about 20 minutes to small house on river and visit with family. Children in dugout, some only 4 or 5 years old asking for dollars. I wish I had more dollars. Loved them. Stop in Livingston. Our guide Evelyn was wonderful. Asked if we wanted to walk up to Catholic church with her. Did. Wife gave Evelyn a little money to give her church. Evelyn will do it. Long hot up hill walk, but she knew the locals and good way to see a different world. Went across street to school. Kids being kids, wearing uniforms, in run down dirty school, studying civics. So very interesting. Makes me realize how we've got it made. Stopped in local restaurant. Food very basic local rice and beans and beer. Such very nice people. I loved Evelyn, I loved visiting Livingston with her, I loved the tour. She welcomed us like firends to her world. Several persons on the tour hated it all and just wanted to be out of there. If you go, know what you can expect. Belize, Mayan ruins tour excellent with another excellent tour guide (these are all NCL tours). He was nursing 22 stiches in his face from and "accident". Spoke 4 languages. Bus ride out about 50 minutes with the last half very bumpy on narrow road. Again, wish had more time at ruins. Tendering at Belize is 15 - 20 min boat ride to Belize. NCL tours get early tender tickets. Cozemel, just shopped and ate. Very nice people with little vendor pressure on you. NCL got downtown docking. The other cruise lines were a taxi cab ride away. Overall, the cruise, I loved it all. The Spirit staff, our room attendant, bar servers, dining room persons, they were all a delight. Were they all bubbly happy always, no. But you could bring out smiles and conversation in all very easily. They work long, hard days. I admire them (and yes tipped extra). Our Galaxy of Stars usual server tracked up down last morning to say goodby and shake our hand. Our room attendant hugged my wife goodby. You will get out of the Spirit what you put into it, and I don't mean the extra tips, but genuine friendliness and a genuine smile. Is everything perfect...well no. However, is it all a great value for the price of the cruise, absolutely. Getting off the ship, due to extra security was a very long process. No ones fault except the times in which we live I guess. Another thread addresses that. Well...back home and sad....except we did already do an on board credit deposit for the next time. Hummmmm....where to?

[scottamemnon]

Thanks for the great review, going on the Spirit in 12 days and the wait is killing me!

 

Glad to see you made comment on the coffee pots and robes in the balcony room. I know there was lots of talk over the new year that robes were gone in Balcony level. Did you have a standard Balcony or a Mini-Suite?

[newmexicoNita]

Thanks for the great review, reminded us of our cruise on the Spirit a little over a year ago. I will just say one thing, it was a little hard to follow cause of no paragraph breaks, but that's ok, it was worth the effort.

 

Nita

[dtiger]

Nice review, glad you enjoyed yourself.

[roger001]

. Did you have a standard Balcony or a Mini-Suite?

 

Regular balcony, rm. 10130. A few extra thoughts. Check good for items in room when leaving ship, especially the safe. This time found a cell phone, last time as set of house and car keys. Mailing phone to owner today. Be sure to see ship bridge from viewing area down spiral stairs, Galaxy of Stars lounge, forward deck 12. Also a fine place to just sit and drink. Like the Spiniker on the other ships (except the Star now). For those who don't know, don't miss NCL famous delicious chilled soup, different flavor each day. Get a burger and grilled chicken from outdoor cookout in pool area several times during cruise. Have a snack of wings and fries from the Blue Lagoon...ummmm. To each his own, but I believe my favorite MDR meal was the last night, crusted pecans on baked flounder sitting in a puddle of the best seasoned gumbo I've ever had, with a side of sweet potato bisque. Wow...

[roger001]

Thanks for the great review, reminded us of our cruise on the Spirit a little over a year ago. I will just say one thing, it was a little hard to follow cause of no paragraph breaks, but that's ok, it was worth the effort.

 

Nita

 

Thanks. You're right. Got in hurry. I guess it's the "cruise is over " mentality I suffer from for a while.

[newmexicoNita]

Thanks. You're right. Got in hurry. I guess it's the "cruise is over " mentality I suffer from for a while.

 

not to worry, I was just having a little trouble..again, glad you had a good cruise, we should all enjoy our time on board. Life is too short to spend complaining.

 

Nita