The NCL Sky - enjoying the ship, staff ... even the casino

[smaxwell]

Well, after 15 years of reading other people’s reviews – starting with my honeymoon back in 1996 – I decided it was finally time for us to start contributing.

OK, so I'm a slow starter.

Nevertheless, since we're just 2 days removed from our 4-night Bahamian cruise on NCL’s Sky –- and had a great time -- this seemed like as good a time as any to get started.

 

First, a little background about us:

This was our 9th cruise. We’ve crusied 6 times on Royal Caribbean, but have also tried Celebrity and Carnival. (We used to feel like RCL exclusives. No longer.)

We have two kids – ages 8 and 11. We all like active days in port, especially snorkeling. And on board, I like visiting the casino and doing decktop activities with the kids (rock-climbing, wave machines, putt putt, etc.), while my wife is happy poolside with a book and a fruity drink.

 

We stumbled onto NCL through Harrah’s/Caesar’s “Casinos at Sea” partnership. Basically, every once in a while, Caesar’s will invite regular players to visit a casino and pick up a voucher for a “free cruise.” It’s not really free. It translates into more like half-off a cruise for two (which is nice) and more like a 25 percent discount on a cruise for four. So, it’s a ways from “free.” But still very nice.

Just as nice: A few of the perks … more on that in a bit.

 

DAY ONE - embarkation

We headed to the Miami Port. And as soon as we were 5 miles away, the sky opened up to begin a wicked, ugly rain that would continue through most of the afternoon. Please, Mother Nature, get that outta your system, will ya?

Check-in around 1:30 was a breeze. No wait to get in. And only 10-15 minutes waiting for the NCL host before we were posing for the obligatory quick-everyone-hide-your-luggage-tags-and-sweat-stains-and-smile-like-you-just-LOVE-check-in-lines photo.

Up the gangplank we go, where we found the staff staff was dancing and making the dreary day seem a lot more festive. I’d heard tell of welcome-aboard champagne. But we never saw it.

This was one of many times where we found ourselves happy to be back on a ship with "only" 2,000 people. (I dig the amenities on Freedom of the Seas. But tendering with 5,000 people is simply ...bleh.)

Our room was ready – outside window on deck 8 aft, right next to stairs and elevators – one of the best locations we’ve had as far as convenience goes.

When we got inside, it was about like how many people have said: Small and rather dated. I would go so far as to say “junky” in a few instances with rusted fixtures and missing paint. And the clothing storage space was the smallest/worst we’ve ever seen. 3 tiny drawers … for a family of four. (The biggest FIXABLE law: NCL, take out the old minibar fridges that are no longer in use and simply under lock and key. Replace with drawers!)

I admit: I was thoroughly unimpressed.

But I also admit this: I never gave a second thought to the room for the rest of the trip. Why? We had too much fun. And frankly, once your stuff is jam-packed in a room, the little blemishes aren’t visible anyway. I suppose anyone can focus on the negative and turn their vacation into 5 days of griping. But that's not our style. :)

On to lunch for the opening-day cattle call ... er, I mean buffet.

Now don't get me wrong. I like a buffet too. But something about that first-day buffet drives me crazy. It's like every single person on the ship hasn’t eaten in a week and is determined to eat their weight’s worth during that first lunch ... myself certainly included.

Well, we decided we weren't down for that scene today. So we headed to Il Adagio, at the suggestion of a waiter. Nicely done, waiter.

There, in an outta-the-way locale, they had pizza, ready-to-custom-order pasta and a few other Italian eats. Only about 16 people in here! This was the kind of welcome-aboard meal I want!

Then we explored a bit.

Overall observations: Very nicely appointed public areas, bars with well-kempt wood and furniture. Dated looking dining rooms. And a true dearth of “activities” on the deck, compared to most ships, especially for kids. (Virtually nothing a la rock wall, water slide, etc. aside from basic shuffleboard, pingpong and basketball court. There was a golf cage, tho!) But we knew all that going in. And while we’d want a lot more on a week-long cruise. With four days – in port every day – this was fine.

And as the ship pulled out, the sun came out – foreshadowing the good weather we would have for most of the cruise.

Dinner was in the main dining room. I thought my appetizers were great. Salads were OK. For the entrée, the lobster was very good, while the baked fish was a bit overcooked. A very nice kids menu. Overall, a good meal.

The kids checked out the kids club – which they loved all week long, making good friends and enjoying the staff. And my wife and I played (lost) a bit in the casino and enjoyed the welcome-aboard show. We used room service to order ice cream and cookies for late-night dessert. The kids were asleep before their heads hit the pillow. And then I went up the casino, as I often do after the family goes to bed, and managed to score a mini-jackpot of $200 on the slots, putting us @ $100 up. A good first day.

[smaxwell]

DAY TWO - Freeport

We contemplated a lot of excursions. But with the weather threatening, just couldn’t bring ourselves to book one. (We’ve done snorkeling in the rain before … it ain’t a lotta fun.) So we cabbed it ($20) to the free beaches (entrance next to police station) and had a wonderful morning snorkeling, swimming and building sand castles. (Notes here: I felt unusually uncomfortable snorkeling with the kids very far off shore, due to waverunners jetting back and forth. Also, don’t try to wander towards the resort. Guards inform you those are for “paying” guests.) I’d say 150-200 of our fellow passengers enjoyed the same beach we did – the NCL Sky was the only ship there that day – and we all had a very nice time.

Afternoon back on board consisted of eating, napping and hitting the gym for a wimpy 45-minute workout before a quick steam.

That night, we grabbed a quick buffet bite and then caught Rich Pampura’s comedy magic show. More comedy than magic. But it was very entertaining. (My one gripe was a handful of rather obvious/stereotypical jokes about people in the audience … like asking a group of young black men if they were “from the hood.” Even if it wasn't offensive, it wasn't funny either. Kinda like watching my grandpa muse on stage ... except no one would pay grandpa to do so.) Other than that, though, a good - and funny - show that had the crowd laughing. The guy was particularly good with sound effects, songs and video clips. He also used our two children (sitting in the front row … of course) in his first trick … and it made their whole cruise. Plus, he gave them an autographed copy of his DVD. Overall: fun show with good mix of funny, magic and self-depricating humor.

Then shopping, exploring, quick late-night swim, one more dessert. And family goes to bed ... meaning dad, of course, has to check out the casino again. This time I lost and am now down just a bit. Err.

 

DAY THREE -- GREAT STIRRUP CAY

Probably our favorite day. While we generally can’t stand tendering, this process is a lot more tolerable on a ship with only about 2,000 people. So after a wait in 20-minute line, we were en route.

I like how close together everything is on this island. On some of RCL’s, it’s quite a hike. The beach is gorgeous. And with a little bit of effort, the off-shore snorkeling by the rocks at the far end of the swim area allowed us to see some really neat Parrotfish and whatnot.

Lunch was a bit-better-than-average beachside buffet with burgers, jerk chicken and the like.

The children could’ve stayed here til the ship pulled out. But after we’d been there @ 4 hours, we figured we’d had enough. So we headed back to the ship. Wife wanted to read book poolside. The kids wanted to explore with new friends. So I went to the casino again and lost a bit more. Errrr.

Dinner was at Longboard bar and grill. Sidenote: I really dig this place! It’s like an outta-the-way Applebee’s on the ship. You can order off a small menu – wings, burgers, fish-and-chips. And it was tasty, uncrowded and with nice views.

Then we caught the Broadway show. This is where I have to give major huzzahs to Norwegian for truly breaking the cruise-ship mold. Soooooo many of these shows at sea are the same … songs from the 50s, 60s and 70s. The Broadway numbers from “classic” musicals, etc. Well, NCL goes contemporary with a high-energy rock show on the first night. And excerpts from six relatively new Broadway shows on the other. (Shows like Wicked, Mama Mia and Into the Heights.) My 30-second review: The two female singers were great and blended beautifully. The two guys were good individually, but had trouble blending well with much of anyone else. The dancers were A-plus throughout. The Wicked set was great. Into the Heights, not so much. Overall, a very enjoyable show.

Then the kids went to the kids club. My wife and I caught the Jeopardy! Show. (Kinda dull really) and then tinkered around the casino again for a bit … where I lost a bit more. OK, now REALLY Errrr. But wait …

Dessert in the main dining room tonight. I had the cheese plate (yummm) and Apple pie (ok). Kids had sherberts and sorbets, which made them happy.

Then (you probably guessed it), kids and wife ready for bed. Me to the casino.

But here’s where the fun twist comes:

By this point, I had long gone through my first win and had lost, lost, lost. So I was probably down about $500. Not the end of the world. But darn-sure not what I wanted either.

Well, I watched a woman win $400 on a machine and then $500 on the same machine. I figured she’d probably tapped it out – especially since she was betting more than me ($3.50 a spin) – but that I’d at least give it a whirl when she was done.

I started betting 70 cents a spin. Won a bit. Bumped it up to $1.05 a spin and got a bonus round. (Hey, maybe I’ll win $50-$100 and call it a night!)

On the VERY FIRST bonus spin, almost the entire screen filled up with the top symbol of the lions. And the meter began counting. I figured it might be $200. But it kept climbing. The lady who had just won told me I could hit the “take” button and get my total. No way, lady! This was too much fun watching it climb!

Then it gets to $400 – and I tell her: "Wow, I might get as much as you."

She warily responds: “You might do better.”

She was right.

The meter finally stopped running at $1,000. Hot damn.

Printed out the $1k ticket, took it to my cabin where I showed it to my while – who was confused about why I woke her up ... for about 3 seconds. Then she was thrilled i did.

I cashed it in. Nice ending to the day.

[smaxwell]

DAY FOUR – Nassau.

In case you couldn’t tell, I’m blessed not to need much sleep. Last one to bed and first one up most every day. My son woke up with me @ 7. So I invited him to join me on what I knew would be a happy errand. First, we got coffee for me and pastries for him at the coffee bar (across from gift shop. Nice little place next to internet café).

Then we went to the customer-service desk with my stack of hundreds. I immediately paid back all of the casino charges I had put on the room … Plus all the gratuities, onboard purchases and everything else on our account … and still had a few Bennies left over. I liked that.

Then back to the cabin with coffee and a wake-up call for my wife.

Nassau is one of our least-favorite ports. Atlantis seems great. But $150 a person just seems insane to use the facilities for a few hours. So we went ashore to shop and buy a few things and then spent a GREAT day on the ship.

We saw the captain later that night, and he said the ship was down to 270 people total. So that was nice.

Wife and I enjoyed the NCL version of the serenity deck. And the kids explored and went swimming till an afternoon gullywasher came through. Afterwards, I went back to the gym for another wimpy workout. (Funny stat: On day 1, I had to wait for a machine. Every single treadmill, elliptical, etc. was full. On the last day, there were only 5 other people in the whole pace.)

I trudged through 500 calories and then decided to take advantage of the steam room. It was nice – and free. They even give you a locker. So I steamed up and showered down there before heading back down to meet the family for final dinner in the dining room.

Wife and I both ordered steak. OK. Nicely favored, but too tough. Appetizers continued to impress.

Then my 11-year-old left to meet her new friend for dinner on their own. They too decided to dine in the main dining room and order steaks. (Cute!) They, of course, were perfect ladies … which is why they were allowed to go and why her younger brother will have to wait until he’s 38 to be allowed to dine without his parents.

That evening, the kids really wanted to close out the trip with their friends at the kids club. No need to ask us twice.

My wife and I both THOUGHT we were playing slot tourney rounds. We had both been fortunate enough to win our preliminary rounds. But turns out, our winning scores were pretty wimpy. Of the 9 winners, only 6 made it to the finals. And we were in 7th and 8th places. Oh well, I can’t complain.

We watched the Farewell show. (Good singers. Nice violin/piano. Funny magician …. Very weird final skit called “fountains” where the cruise director and her staff spit water on one another.)

Overall, though, I was a big fan of our cruise director, Candy. Too often, the CD’s just seem to try too hard … to either be funny … or make themselves the center of attention … or whatever. For the most part, Candy said what she needed to, was pleasant about it and moved on. I liked that.

We bought a couple of bottles of booze as gifts after 9:30 pm when you can just take it back to your cabin. (This is also when they ask everyone who purchased it earlier to COME BACK and pick it up. I thought that part was strange. If you’re not going to let me take the bottle when I pay for it, at least do what other lines do and deliver it to my cabin, so I don’t spend my final night in line. Fortunately, we saw that mess coming in advance and just decided to buy on our own after the rush was over.)

We spent the final hours soaking up the ship one last time, reflecting on our good week.

 

DAY FIVE – LEAVING

Breakfast in the main dining room. Service was slow, but the food was good. And we weren’t in a real hurry.

Leaving ship was the best ever. No wait at any point along the way – from gangplank to customs to luggage in 5 minutes. You go on with your efficient selves, NCL.

Then, off to our car and back on Interstate 95 to head home.

 

Overall, this was a great trip. The service was nice. I will say that we noticed a difference in service with prepaid gratuities (which NCL uses heavily). It meant we didn’t see our cabin steward every day. And the wait staff and head waiters didn’t make sure they said hello each and every day. But I was fine with that. In fact, I prefer it.

In fact, overall, I am now a BIG fan of Freestyle cruising – with both apparel and dining times. Also with the “Casino at Sea” program. I forget to mention the biggest perk: If you’re part of it (and again, that involves pre-enrollment … ours came from an invite from Harrah’s), you get a card for free drinks throughout the cruise at the casino bar. That was truly nice. And the bartender, Edwin, was a great guy with a good memory. (He even got pliers once to remove a cork screw that actually broke off in the top of our pre-bought bottle Santa Margherita … the ‘crisis’ of the trip.:)

So, if another NCL cruise works for us, we will definitely be there.

 

P.S. - I just realized that, in the time it took you poor souls who indulged me for all of this lengthy report, you could’ve TAKEN a 2-day cruise.

Fortunately, I don’t levy any port charges.

Happy freestylin’ …

:)

[david_sobe]

Thanks for the great review of the Sky. I am taking a second Sky cruise in October and I cant wait, especially to see all the changes on GSC. A short cruise is the best way to wake up in a different port every day. It really keeps you busy and not complaining about lack of activities on board.

But to win $1,000 on a cruise would definately rank my best cruise ever ;)

CONGRATULATIONS

[smaxwell]

Concur on the various ports, David.

I really enjoy relaxing days at sea. But when the ships' amenities are scarce, a new port a' day spices things up.

Happy to answer any other questions folks might have about the Sky ...

[spacepotatoes]

Glad you enjoyed your cruise! And congrats on the casino win! Nice :)

 

Just an FYI about a couple of things in your review...Welcome Aboard champagne has been gone for a while. They stopped doing at the end of 2009 I think, or maybe early 2010. Also, if you do another NCL cruise, you can avoid buffet cattle call on embarkation day by going to the MDR. One of the two MDRs is always open, though they won't direct people to it. If you ask someone which one and where it is, though, they'll tell you.

[Tomct]

Great review; we're in the early stages of planning for the Sky, but will likely do it quickly. Did you see any of the performances of the ship band, the Ironics? They are our favorite band from our 10 Norwegian cruises, and look forward seeing them.

[smaxwell]

Tom,

If the Ironics were the house band that accompanied the show (which I think i saw someone else here post), then yes - and they were truly great. So good, in fact, that they featured them prominently on stage during the rock show.

And potatoes, as for the Main Dining room, that's actually where we headed before we even put down our luggage ... around 1:45. We thought we should be ok, since it said they stayed open til 2. But they were very dilligent (but polite) in suggesting we eat elsewhere. I actually asked if we COULDN'T eat in the MDR. They said we could, but kept looking at their watch and suggesting Il Adagio instead. It was a wee bit offputting. But I didn't wanna kick off the trip eating somewhere they didn't want us ... or with bad mojo. :) And Il Adagio ended up being fine. So we were grateful for the suggestion.

But I think I would suggest that, for those wanting to use the MDR for lunch on embarkation day, to get there before 1:30.

[krolyat]

DAY FOUR – Nassau.

 

Also with the “Casino at Sea” program. I forget to mention the biggest perk: If you’re part of it (and again, that involves pre-enrollment … ours came from an invite from Harrah’s), you get a card for free drinks throughout the cruise at the casino bar.

 

How do you pre-enroll for the Casino at Sea program? We are also members of Harrah's however when we attempted to book through the 1-877 number and was told that our stateroom category wasn't included in their promotion (SB)

[che5904]

How do you pre-enroll for the Casino at Sea program? We are also members of Harrah's however when we attempted to book through the 1-877 number and was told that our stateroom category wasn't included in their promotion (SB)

 

If Harrah's offers you a comp for a cruise, only certain staterooms are eligible on certain cruises. As a diamond player I get balconies offered on some cruises, only oceanviews on others. I can upgrade from there but again only to certain categories.

 

You can't pre-enroll for Casino at Sea. If you go through Harrah's to book or get comped then you are automatically handed to CAS when you board to take care of you. Your CAS card, as well as your drink card (if you are eligible for one) is waiting in your stateroom.

 

If you are below diamond status you probably wouldn't be eligible for comped cruises. If you are over diamond, contact your exec. host at Harrahs and ask. Not sure if he/she could help you as I believe they are just randomly sent out from their promotion dept.

[krolyat]

If Harrah's offers you a comp for a cruise, only certain staterooms are eligible on certain cruises. As a diamond player I get balconies offered on some cruises, only oceanviews on others. I can upgrade from there but again only to certain categories.

 

You can't pre-enroll for Casino at Sea. If you go through Harrah's to book or get comped then you are automatically handed to CAS when you board to take care of you. Your CAS card, as well as your drink card (if you are eligible for one) is waiting in your stateroom.

 

If you are below diamond status you probably wouldn't be eligible for comped cruises. If you are over diamond, contact your exec. host at Harrahs and ask. Not sure if he/she could help you as I believe they are just randomly sent out from their promotion dept.

 

Thank you, contacting them now. I hope it doesn't make a difference if i've already booked.

[bahama2]

what was the name of the game you won the $1000 on?Thanks.:)

[dznymom]

Very nice review smaxwell! You have me thinking about booking the Sky again. It was one of my first NCL cruises and led to NCL being my cruiseline of choice :) I love the Freestyle and the CAS benefits.

 

Nice job in the casino. It is a great feeling to pay off your S&S with your winnings!

[boomonster]

Is the gym free in case I feel the need to work of some meals?

[fshagan]

Loved the review! It reminded me of our first cruise on NCL, also on the Sky, and like you we got an oceanview cabin. With four ports in four days, and "risking" going with NCL the first time, we didn't want to spend too much money.

 

It ended up being one of our favorite vacations. It was a celebratory vacation for us (having made it through a medical crisis), and we did a flight into Orlando, a day at Epcot, then drove to the port, and boarded the Sky. Like you, I was impressed at the efficiency of the boarding process and the general dancing & party atmosphere. It was also during Spring Break, and that cruise gets an inordinate amount of young, happy people who remain happily drunk most of the time (over 50% of the passengers were under 26 according to one of the ship's officers we talked to).

 

We enjoyed going to the aft MDR at about 6 each night, getting immediately seated at the aft windows, and watching as the ship pulled away from the ports. It was a very nice, almost romantic way to enjoy dinner with 800 other people.

 

The comedian, Rich Pupora was on our cruise too, and his funniest line was about the showers. They are very small, and the walls are rounded, and Rich's line was that he simply soaped up the walls and spun (he's a big guy).

 

We became NCL cruisers after that cruise. We enjoyed ourselves so much on what is arguably one of the line's "lesser vessels" that we figured we would fit in on any ship. Our second NCL cruise was a Euro cruise on the Jade, with a balcony stateroom. The upgrade fairy called and I was able to upgrade to a Penthouse (2 bedroom) suite for $500; I didn't tell my wife, but surprised her when we got on board. 2010 was a very good year for us on NCL!