NCL Spirit Review - 2/20-2/27/2011

[harmonymouse]

I just posted my review. Sorry it's so late, but I've been so behind on everything since I got home. I'll include it here in sections in case anyone has questions. Here's the first bit:

 

We are a 37 year-old couple who booked the fabulous free cabin upgrade deal offered July/August 2010. We told several friends about the great deal, and they told friends, and we ended up as a group of twelve adults. With the exception of me and my husband the rest of the group is in the 50+ age range, however since we are childless we fit right in with the empty-nester crowd. ;-)

 

As a couple we have been on 5 cruises together. We have cruised two times on RCI’s Adventure of the Seas (both oceanview), and then once each on Golden Princess (balcony), Carnival Glory (balcony), and now Norwegian Spirit (balcony). Before we married I sailed on Celebrity Horizon (oceanview – w/my mom and aunts on a week-long bachelorette party). I still consider us fairly novice cruisers compared to many on these boards, though in our limited experience we have tried most of the major lines for the US market.

 

First off, this was the cheapest we have ever paid for a balcony room ($650 pp), so we were interested to see what kind of value for the money we would end up with.

 

We drove to the port. When we arrived in NOLA, we parked at Fulton Place Parking – a secure multi-level parking structure that is walking distance from the pier (assuming you packed light). No worries if you don’t want to walk it, the shuttle is free and runs constantly. The price was a bargain compared to parking in the garage at the pier, and just as convenient.

 

Embarkation was a snap. We got there at around 1 PM and there were no lines. In a matter of minutes we were on the ship. A few minutes later our room was open, so we dumped our carry-ons and ate lunch in the Windows dining room.

 

More to come...

[harmonymouse]

The food overall on this cruise was pretty darn good, and if you like Indian food you will LOVE this cruise. The head chef is Indian, so there were often Indian options in the main dining rooms, and the buffet had a section at lunch and dinner dedicated to Indian cuisine. We didn’t plan on using any of the restaurants with a cover charge, but after discovering the quality of the Indian dishes we decided to do the “Taste of India” dinner at Shoguns. O. M. G.!!! It was like an India-style Thanksgiving – 20 different dishes were served and they were all excellent. I can’t begin to imagine what it would have cost to do the same thing at a fine Indian restaurant at home, so the $20 charge was a bargain in my opinion. Some of our group also had dinner at Cagney’s later in the week and the steaks and lobsters were deemed exceptionally good by all. BTW, the steaks and lobsters were NOTHING like what is served in the main dining rooms. Rather, these were like what you would get at a fine steakhouse, so again the $25 charge is reasonable for what you get. The buffet is good, the main dining rooms were good and the desserts were consistently very good. The Banana ice cream was heaven according to others in our group (I missed it; darn!). If you want something quick and casual and don’t want to mess with the buffet, the Blue Lagoon is another option (they serve a limited menu of things like fish & chips, hot wings, Panini’s, etc.). Our one negative about the food: the parade of chefs doing a Congo line through all the venues every night gets pretty annoying after about the 3rd night. I liked how RC does a parade of nations with the crew and their flags on one night, but this every night thing just ended up being intrusive.

 

More...

[harmonymouse]

We were in a balcony cabin on deck 11 right next to the aft elevators (11150). Our cabin was the smallest balcony we’ve ever had, though the floor-to-ceiling glass for the balcony did help to open up the space so that it didn’t feel so claustrophobic. We were disappointed that the balcony dividers couldn’t be opened to the cabin next to you, since three of the couples in our group booked cabins next to each other.

 

The bathroom was as expected for a cruise ship, and while I wished the shower had a light, it was by far the roomiest we’ve had and it was glassed (the shower curtain on Carnival made me crazy). There was a grout problem in our shower (the tiles squished like a sponge when you stepped on them). We never said anything about it, but apparently someone noticed because one morning they left a note on our door telling us they would be replacing it, and to please not use the shower until 8 PM (a bit inconvenient since we were beaching it that day). The real bummer is that the next morning the shower floor still squished (!). The bathroom also had a distinctly mildew-y aroma (perhaps due to the tile squish?). The blowdryer was wimpy (I have long thick hair), but I prefer to just sit on the balcony and let it dry while reading a book anyway, so it wasn’t really a problem for me.

 

The ship was not in tip-top condition. The railing for our balcony was missing most of its varnish, the floor and deck furniture were seriously dirty (plus one chair had a quarter-sized hole in the mesh of the seat). There were greasy finger smudges all over the doors/drawers in our room, the table for the sitting area still had bits or syrup or something on the surface, and one leg was seriously wobbly. There was visible rust throughout the ship. We also didn’t see much in the way of cosmetic maintenance being performed by the crew, especially in comparison to what we’ve seen on other cruises/cruise lines.

 

That being said, her décor was fairly restrained for a mainstream American market cruise – not quite so “Las Vegas” looking, and had a distinctly Asian influence. I’m sure she was a stunner when she was young. The layout was easy to navigate, much like many of the RCI ships, though on a smaller scale. The stair treads were rather thoughtfully engineered with the spacing/rise just right, which made going up several flights at once fairly effortless – at least more so than on any other ship I’ve been on.

 

The TV options were the most limited we’ve experienced, but really not a big deal (it’s a cruise for goodness sakes), and the TV was a little CRT cube (not a flat panel) so it’s not like having a bunch of viewing choices would have made a difference anyway. We didn’t go to most of the shows, but many in our group did. The shows and entertainment were hit or miss, and typical for a cruise of this size. I did like that they didn’t do a bunch of announcements throughout the day, which kept things relatively peaceful. I thought the cruise director was okay, but my husband found her voice annoying. Go figure.

 

More...

[harmonymouse]

We only booked one excursion through NCL – the Boat Blast in Costa Maya. If you like jet-skis, motorcycles (we ride HD’s) and other motorized things that give you that little speed rush, then you will enjoy this excursion. They are 2 person speed boats, and they lead you out in small groups (4 boats in our case anyway). After a little while you can pretty much put the throttle down and have at it out in the ocean (though it got pretty rough if you went very far out). If I had it to do over again I would wear swim goggles. You get a lot of salty water funneled on you in the turns, and sunglasses are worthless in that situation. Sometimes we had so much salt in our eyes that we had to stop a moment to blink it out enough to see again. Sitting as close to the center as possible helps, but the goggles would have been perfect. It’s only about 40 minutes total in the boats, but it was a lot of fun and was a fair price for the experience. You can then kick back and relax at the Uvero Beach Club, with multiple shuttles scheduled through the afternoon to take you back to the ship. The beach was nice and quiet, and the bathrooms/showers were really great, complete with bathrooms attendants who flatter you outrageously for their tip. :-) A couple in our group who have been on many cruises did an excursion in Cozumel that they said was the best excursion they have ever done. It was the Amazing Secret River and they LOVED it. Check out the description on NCL and the review that is posted there – it sounds exactly as our friends described it.

 

We had already experienced most of the ports on past cruises. Here’s a quick run-down of what we did this time:

 

Costa Maya – we did an excursion and didn’t really check out the tourist village at the pier. There is a swimming pool there with a swim up bar that a lot of people seemed to be enjoying. Looked like typical tourist shops full of trinkets made in China, overpriced poor quality silver jewelry and cheap t-shirts. And of course the ever-present Diamonds International.

 

Belize City – exiting the secure tourist village and walking around the city on your own is not for the faint of heart. There is nothing very touristy about it as soon as you walk through the gate. We walked to the Harley Davidson dealer, which was about a 30 minute walk, much of it though a poor area. Be careful on the sidewalks – the covers for the sewer access are often in disrepair or non-existent. The Harley dealer will soon have a shop in the tourist village for those who like to buy authorized Harley shirts and aren’t interested in leaving the village. The locals we talked to were very nice and we never felt to be in any danger, it's just that the neighborhood will look pretty rough compared to what the average American is accustomed to. This is a tender port. The tenders were fine. It is about a 5 mile tender ride if I’m remembering right.

 

Roatan – the winds were very high that morning. We went past Mahogany Bay and ended up tendering at Coxen Hole. We had to tender because Celebrity was the one who was actually scheduled for the Coxen Hole pier. Not a big deal – it was a quick tender since it was such a short distance. We opted to take a taxi to Mahogany Bay anyway. It was $30 round trip for us, which was totally reasonable for the distance covered, plus the driver gave us a running narrative of what we rode past. He was proud of his beautiful island and it showed. He said another ship earlier in the week had the same problem – the wind made it impossible to safely navigate into Mahogany Bay. Warning – the sand flies (tiny little knat-like things with a painful bite) in Roatan are persistent, even when you are on a beach lounger. You think it’s not that bad, but then you get home after the cruise is over and the bites get really itchy for a few days. I’ve heard coating your skin in oil helps repel them. Also skip the shower at the beach – the residual salt from the ocean is supposed to help repel them. The locals said just get back in the water and they will stop bothering you. Lol! The Carnival ship was the only one that made it in to MB, and since they sailed out at 2 PM we ended up having the entire beach to ourselves and a handful of others from around 1:30 to 3:30, which made the pain of the bites worthwhile.

 

Cozumel – we docked at the downtown pier, so if you like shopping or people-watching you will love it. We walked North along the main tourist drag all the way to Los Cinco Soles/Pancho’s Backyard, then on advice from locals walked four or five blocks East into town and then several blocks back South (maybe 8 or 9?) to go to the Mercado Municipal – aka City Market. This is where the locals buy. There was a butcher stall, a poultry stall, an electronics stall, lots of produce stalls, etc. If you have single dollars a food stand there will sell you cold coke in a glass bottle that has been made with cane sugar just like when you were a kid (if you are into that). Anyway, it was fun to stray off the beaten path.

 

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[harmonymouse]

Final bit...

 

The service we received from the crew on this cruise was unparalleled, and is a big part of what made this cruise an excellent value for the money. In case you are interested, our cabin steward said that about 50% of the crew on the Spirit is from the Philippines (which is also home for him).

 

The one major negative for us was a crazy noise that emanated from the aft elevator shafts during windy times – often at night, though occasionally in the day. It was seriously loud, and if your cabin was next to the aft elevators you could actually feel your floor vibrate with the noise. Guest services took pity on our group and sent us each a free bottle of wine, but we gave it back. Then later they gave us free dinner at Cagney’s, which we ended up doing (and thoroughly enjoyed). We understood that short of moving us, there was nothing else they could do. They did end up moving one of the couples in our group because the husband was recovering from multiple cracked ribs (he slipped on the ice just a week before the cruise!) and the noise was preventing him from getting his much needed rest. Don’t believe me about the intensity of the noise? Check it out here:

 

We did walk-off disembarkation at around 9 AM. There was a small line at customs, but it went fast. The Fulton Place Parking shuttle was at the curb just a few minutes after we stepped outside, and we were back in the car on the road toward home in no time.

 

Anyway, all things considered it was a good value for the money, and while we will cruise NCL again if the price is right, we’ve decided RCI is the best fit for us.

[christiecruise]

Very nice review Harmonymouse. You seem to be a very fair observer and I appreciate your information and insight! Glad to hear that the crew was top notch. Service is truly the most memorable part of our vacations - cruise or non-cruise - so that has me really excited for our July Spirit trip! Thanks :)

[mistshar]

Can you tell me about how far it is from the where you get off the ship to the shopping areas in Cozumel and if it is very far if they have any type of transportation to take you there? I can walk short distances but not too far at a time. Thanks for the info.

[newmexicoNita]

Can you tell me about how far it is from the where you get off the ship to the shopping areas in Cozumel and if it is very far if they have any type of transportation to take you there? I can walk short distances but not too far at a time. Thanks for the info.

 

there is shopping as soon as you get off the ship plus shopping up and down the street for as far as you can see.

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

great review, you were just down the hall from us about 2 cabins. We were directly across from the elevator and didn't hear any noise, we did hear the noise from the power cleaning from time to time.Maybe your being closer to the shaft made the difference. I agree, I would not book those cabins again for that reason. Our balcony wasn't dirty like yours but there was a lot of rust and the balcony carpet was stained.

 

Again, you did a really good and objective review.

 

Nita

[JulieR322]

Thanks for a great review. I'm so excited for our trip, I can hardly stand it! I've never been on a cruise, so the good thing is that I won't know what sounds are normal for a ship and what ones aren't.

 

Oh, and I love me some Indian food. Yay!

[mistshar]

there is shopping as soon as you get off the ship plus shopping up and down the street for as far as you can see.

 

Nita

 

Thank you for your response. We have been to Cozumel several times but not to this port and are looking forward to a different one. This sounds like it will work out fine.

[newmexicoNita]

Can you tell me about how far it is from the where you get off the ship to the shopping areas in Cozumel and if it is very far if they have any type of transportation to take you there? I can walk short distances but not too far at a time. Thanks for the info.

 

hey, hope AR, I should have asked you what port you will be coming into? I think it is the same one we did, but let me know. If it is the other one I am not sure about shopping, I am guessing they both now have good shopping right at the pier.

[SuperTrooper00]

Thanks for the review. We have a balcony booked on this cruise, and I had read about the very small balconies. We spend a LOT of time on our balcony reading. Did you find the size discouraged you or hampered you from using the balocony, or is the size difference simply something that is visually noticeable?

[harmonymouse]

SuperTrooper00 -

The balcony itself was about the same size as others I've had. It was the cabin that was smaller than usual. The nice thing about the balcony on this ship is that it has a floor to ceiling glass sliding door (like a normal patio door) that takes up the entire wall between the balcony and the cabin, so you don't feel as cramped as you would if it were styled like some ships, where all it has is a window and small door to the balcony.

 

I spent plenty of time reading on my balcony, so I don't think it will be a problem for you. We usually bring binoculars too - hubby isn't much of a reader, but he enjoys watching the scenery and the binoculars expand his range a lot. They are also a lot of fun when watching the stragglers hurry to the ship right before sailaway at each port. ;-)

 

Also, don't get too worried about the guy who rolls along in the morning and washes the glass below the railing. The patio glass has a mirrored window tint film, so in the daytime all he would see is a reflection of himself. Nighttime of course is an entirely different matter...

[SuperTrooper00]

Thanks, great to hear.

[mistshar]

hey, hope AR, I should have asked you what port you will be coming into? I think it is the same one we did, but let me know. If it is the other one I am not sure about shopping, I am guessing they both now have good shopping right at the pier.

 

I can't remember the name of it but from what I have heard, I believe it is the downtown one. At least I hope so since we have never been there.

[terrymtex01]

OP.. Very nice review... Thank you for sharing your review with us. That noise is ERRIE... That would have driven me CRAZY.. lol.

[debbyfelse1963]

i was wondering what night the Indian Dinner was on I would love to go to that

[newmexicoNita]

I can't remember the name of it but from what I have heard, I believe it is the downtown one. At least I hope so since we have never been there.

 

I am sure that is where we docked as well and yes, shopping is at the end of the pier. I will mention the pier is very long. We used the bicycle men to take us to the end as we were with our 3 plus year old ggranddaughter with 2 little short legs. Of course her old Ggrandma doesn't like walking forever either.

 

Nita

 

ps: debby, the Indian dinner in Shu-Guns was Tues night. Everyone we talked to thought it was great.

 

Nita

[mistshar]

I am sure that is where we docked as well and yes, shopping is at the end of the pier. I will mention the pier is very long. We used the bicycle men to take us to the end as we were with our 3 plus year old ggranddaughter with 2 little short legs. Of course her old Ggrandma doesn't like walking forever either.

 

Nita

 

I had thought that I had seen pictures that the pier was real long and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to walk that far but if there is transportation available then there shouldn't be a problem. Thanks so much for the info. :)

[luv2c00k]

I had thought that I had seen pictures that the pier was real long and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to walk that far but if there is transportation available then there shouldn't be a problem. Thanks so much for the info. :)

 

There are rickshaw type vehicles that are powered by guys riding bicycles. They will take you to the end of the pier for whatever you want to tip. We used them both ways - I think DH tipped them $5.

[newmexicoNita]

There are rickshaw type vehicles that are powered by guys riding bicycles. They will take you to the end of the pier for whatever you want to tip. We used them both ways - I think DH tipped them $5.

 

I think we gave him about $3.00 and I got the impression he would have liked more. Whatever it was worth it, the pier is pretty long, right?

[mistshar]

There are rickshaw type vehicles that are powered by guys riding bicycles. They will take you to the end of the pier for whatever you want to tip. We used them both ways - I think DH tipped them $5.

 

Thank you! That will be great. I appreciate the information.