Sky review June 30-July 4

[AMommyof2]

My family and I were looking for a last minute, inexpensive vacation. We hadn't cruised in a while and had not ever been to Freeport so we decided on the 4 night Sky cruise. We had arranged a private airport to cruise terminal transfer and arrived at the pier about 9:30 Monday morning. We were allowed to take a seat just inside the terminal building and then proceeded through security at 10:00 AM. With so few guests at the pier at that time check-in went very quickly and smoothly and we proceeded upstairs to the waiting area to board the ship. We were given a pass for boarding group 1, so we were among the first people to board once the ship had been cleared for embarkation. :D Once onboard there wasn't anyone to direct guests where to go. I'm certain that changed quickly though, as I heard an officer of the ship demanding that someone be stationed just inside the gangway area. We made our way up to the buffet on deck 11 for lunch. We were pleased by the selection of food on the buffet, but found the taste to be average at best.

 

During lunch, an announcement was made that staterooms would be available around 2:00PM. Therefore, we walked around the ship to familiarize ourselves and played a game of shuffleboard. We also signed up the kids for the youth activities for ages 10-12 and teens. DS used went to the activities for 10-12 only one evening for the "Survivor" game. DD did not attend any of the teen activities. The itinerary we were given for the teens seemed more age appropriate for our son's age group and his itinerary seemed better suited for the 6-9 age group.

 

We had booked two guarantee interior rooms and we were assigned staterooms 9349 (for me and DD) and 9350 (for DH and DS). The rooms were ready about 1:30 so we made our way to the rooms to view our accomodations. The room sizes were fine for a short, port intensive cruise. However, we do not recommend the location. 9349 backs up to the service stairwell and the staff was often slamming items around in there, it seemed based on the noise level at all hours of the day and night. We had 5 checked bags between us and received 4 of the right away. DS, DD, and I put on our swimsuits and made our way to the pool deck. The bag that had not yet arrived contained my husband's swimsuit so he stayed at his room to wait for the bag....it eventually arrived after dinner. Since DS isn't a really strong swimmer we opted for the kids pool. We were sad to find both the pool and the hot tub in the kiddie pool area filled with adults. This was the case each day, and the adults did not exit the pool/hot tub even when small children came up to swim. We never used the regular pool area because they were constantly filled with teens and young 20somethings.

 

At 4:30 the alarm sounded for muster so we made our way to deck 6 for the safety drill. No surprise it started storming in Miami about that time, and continued as we pulled away from the pier. We stayed on deck 6 for a while until the rain was just too heavy to stay outside. We decided to freshen up for dinner and decided we would go to the Palace dining room. As we made our way down we noticed lots of people gathered around the balcony looking down into the atrium and on the stairs. At first we thought they were making pictures as they entered the dining room, but we quickly determined that was not the case. It turned out that the heavy rain had overfilled the pool and the water had come in through the sliding doors and spilled over down into the atrium like a giant waterfall. What a sight to see. We were shocked to see guests being allowed to still use the glass elevators as water poured down, even through the light fixtures. The ship came to a complete stop and alarms started to sound. For a bit we thought we might return to the Miami pier but we headed on toward Freeport. Guests were not being allowed into the deck 5 atrium so we headed to the Crossings dining room for dinner. We were seated right away, but the service was pretty slow and the food was OK at best. Average wait times between ordering and receiving our appetizers were between 15-20 minutes each night. Monday evening we went to the officer meet and greet and comedy show. Cruise director Bobby announced that the officers would not be attending as they were all busy cleaning their flooded staterooms. The comedian was fantastic, and we knew right away that we wanted to see his show later in the week. We headed up to the pool bar for a drink after the show and watched a very intoxicated fellow dancing with his shorts around his knees. After a while we headed back to our rooms to call it a night.

 

Day 2 - Freeport

 

This was the port we were looking forward to since we had not been to Freeport before. We had booked the ship's beach hideaway with open bar excursions. However, it seemed then Tropical Storm Arthur had different plans for us. All ship excursions were cancelled and very few people left the ship. The Daily was updated to add more onboard activities but still very few were appealing to us. The Texas Hold 'Em tourney on the new list caught the eye of DH so he headed down. The kids and I just stayed in the stateroom watching television and trying to avoid the heavy rain and wind. DH hadn't been gone too long before he was back knocking on the door. He said about 10 people had shown up for Texas Hold 'Em only to learn it was an error on the sheet. So he joined us for television watching. Our once adequate stateroom was starting to feel a bit like a jail cell (no I've not ever been in one -just assuming what it might be like). That evening we headed back to Crossings for dinner. The service was a bit better but we were disappointed to find that the menu had not changed much from the night before. Looking forward to better weather in Nassau, we called it an early night after dinner. DD and I had fallen sound asleep and I was awakened by a very loud group of girls in the hallway just outside my door. After a while I opened the door and asked them to quiet down some....nope..more girls joined and they got even louder. After about an hour I called the guest relations desk about them only to learn they had already sent security up to talk to the girls. The second visit from security must have done the trick because they finally got quiet.

 

Day 3 - Nassau

 

After much back and forth about what to do we settled on Junkanoo beach follwed by some shopping. We grabbed our pool towels and snorkel gear and headed off the ship. I had been in Nassau twice prior to this cruise but had not been to Junkanoo. We asked for directions inside the information center at the pier. The walk to the beach was super easy...just exit the straw market and exit the gate at the far end by the scooter rentals. Go up one block and turn right...follow the sidewalk around just past the Colonial Hilton until you see the sign for Junkanoo. There were vendors offering chair and umbrella rentals. We got two chairs for $10 each for the day. Food and drinks were also available for purchase....we opted for the 3 beers and 3 shots for $10 and sodas for the kids. Once we got our fill of the HOT sun we made our way back to the ship for lunch and then back off again for a little shopping.

 

In the evening we went to the Newlywed Not So Newlywed show. All 3 couples were great and had the audience in stitches. Cruise director Bobby was a hoot and really added to the show. Immediately following the game show was the comedy show. I guess a lot of people heard about how funny the Monday night show had been because it was standing room only. After the show we gathered DS from the kids room and headed off to bed after our very busy day.

 

Day 4 - Great Stirrup Cay

 

Aside from those with early excursions, guests weren't tendered over to the island until about 10:00. DS wanted to play on the inflatable slide so we purchased him a day pass. Clamshell shades and two chairs were available to rent for $29.99 or uncovered chairs were plentiful at no charge. DD had decided she had gotten enough sun on Nassau and opted for the shade of the clamshell. DH and I grabbed our snorkel gear and were allowed to snorkel in the same area as those who had purchased the ship's snorkel excursion. Once we had swam out a bit we started seeing lots of fish. The tide was pretty strong and in no time we found ourselves being pulled out farther and farther. We changed areas and snorkeled a while longer before time for our stingray city tour. We had never swam with stinrays before so we were a bit nervous. The wranglers showed us how to hold and feed the stingrays and shared their vast knowledge about these amazing creatures. We took turns holding and feeding the rays as other rays swam around us brushing against our legs like cats. We had an amazing time and would highly recommend this excursion. Once we got back to the island we decided to head back to the ship. We got cleaned up and headed down to the Palace dining room for dinner. We had also eaten in Palace the night before. The lady checking in guests told us there were no tables next to the window but offered us a pager if we wanted to wait for one. We told her we preferred not to wait and would take whatever was available as we had not been seated next to the window the entire trip. She commented that the window tables were first come first serve. Of course we knew this wasn't the case as window tables would be empty as we were seated and groups coming in immediately after us would be seated at them. Again, we were disappointed to find little, if any, change in the menu from the night before.

 

After dinner we headed upstairs to pack. Throughout the night I heard bags being banged around in the service stairwell. Between that and the loud drunk passengers going up and down the hallway I didn't get much sleep.

 

Day 5 - Disembarkation

 

We opted to carry our own bags off the ship. After breakfast we gathered our belongings and headed out. With almost no line, we were off the ship and had cleared customs in a matter of minutes.

 

Overall, we have decided that based on this cruise, NCL is not the cruiseline for us. We understand that they can't control the weather and there will always be drunk and/or rude people. However, we had been looking forward to booking with NCL for a while and they just didn't provide the level of cruising experience we've enjoyed on other cruise lines.

[mugtech]

Sorry to read that NCL and the weather did not meet your expectations. FYI 3 and 4 day cruises tend to be louder and involve more drunks than the 7 day or longer cruises. You also booked last minute guaranteed cabins, which means you got the ones no one else wanted, and you found out why. Hope you enjoy your next cruise.

[SissasMomE]

ANY 3 or 4-day cruise is going to be a party cruise; especially in the summer or on breaks. Also, any experienced cruiser will tell you, you can never base a "cruise" on a 3- or 4-nighter. It's nowhere near the same experience.

[david_sobe]

Sorry this cruise did not live up to your expectations. I have been both on the 3 and 4 night Sky and was lucky not to experience booze cruise antics.

But you really cant judge NCL from a short Sky cruise. The Sky was not even built as a NCL ship. NCL had no input as to the design, etc.

But bad weather can really put a damper on cruise experiences. The Sky is not the best ship for kids. The pools have no slides and it sort of caters to couples looking for quick getaways.

Thanks for sharing. Very well written review!

Edited July 5, 2014 by david_sobe

[Keith1010]

Thanks for your review.

 

Keith

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report!

[Susie51]

Sorry about the weather causing you to miss Freeport. I know how your feel, because hurricane force winds caused us to miss Sitka in Alaska. They didn't call it a hurricane but the winds were as strong as that.

 

The service hallways are horrible. I've had that type of room in the past. The last night was the worse, because of all of the suitcases being thrown on top of each other. Each one causes a LOUD thud all through the night. The rest of the cruise the carts for laundry and such bang against the wall.

 

Thank you for your interesting review.

[jertom]

My family and I were looking for a last minute, inexpensive vacation. We hadn't cruised in a while and had not ever been to Freeport so we decided on the 4 night Sky cruise.

 

Overall, we have decided that based on this cruise, NCL is not the cruiseline for us. We understand that they can't control the weather and there will always be drunk and/or rude people. However, we had been looking forward to booking with NCL for a while and they just didn't provide the level of cruising experience we've enjoyed on other cruise lines.

 

Thanks for the review !

Curious as to your previous cruise experiences and your expectations. It seems on the surface that other than the things NCL couldn't control due to weather, time of year/passenger mix and your choice of cabin, the cruise was not that bad. Can you elaborate ?

[AMommyof2]

Thanks for the review !

Curious as to your previous cruise experiences and your expectations. It seems on the surface that other than the things NCL couldn't control due to weather, time of year/passenger mix and your choice of cabin, the cruise was not that bad. Can you elaborate ?

 

Our other cruises have been on Royal Caribbean, Disney, Princess and Carnival....between 3 - 7 day sailings mostly in the summer. Prior to this sailing we had cruised in outside, balcony, jr suite, owners suite, and penthouse suite categories. For us the room type doesn't matter because we prefer to be out of the room as much as possible. Yes, we made the best of our vacation in spite of the weather and cabin location. On prior cruises we've been able to find plenty to do....even on 3 nite sailings. We were turned off by NCL not enforcing the kiddie pool being for KIDS, childrens activities not being age appropriate, trash laying around in the floor, the rude hostess in the Palace dining room, and the slow service and lack of meal choices in the main dining rooms. It was easy to see why they pushed the specialty dining so hard. Since returning home we've spoken to friends and family who have sailed various NCL ships and each one has said they would not recommend NCL. Luckily cruising offers many line and ship options. We just happen to prefer some of the others.

[jertom]

Our other cruises have been on Royal Caribbean, Disney, Princess and Carnival....between 3 - 7 day sailings mostly in the summer. Prior to this sailing we had cruised in outside, balcony, jr suite, owners suite, and penthouse suite categories. For us the room type doesn't matter because we prefer to be out of the room as much as possible. Yes, we made the best of our vacation in spite of the weather and cabin location. On prior cruises we've been able to find plenty to do....even on 3 nite sailings. We were turned off by NCL not enforcing the kiddie pool being for KIDS, childrens activities not being age appropriate, trash laying around in the floor, the rude hostess in the Palace dining room, and the slow service and lack of meal choices in the main dining rooms. It was easy to see why they pushed the specialty dining so hard. Since returning home we've spoken to friends and family who have sailed various NCL ships and each one has said they would not recommend NCL. Luckily cruising offers many line and ship options. We just happen to prefer some of the others.

 

AMommyof2,

Thanks very much for answering my questions. We are booked for the same cruise in November, which will be our first cruise less than 7 days, so we have some apprehension.

Sorry about your bad experiences on NCL. We have had good times on NCL so far.

And good luck on your future cruises, wherever they are.

Tom

[SuiteCruiser]

AMommyof2,

Thanks very much for answering my questions. We are booked for the same cruise in November, which will be our first cruise less than 7 days, so we have some apprehension.

Sorry about your bad experiences on NCL. We have had good times on NCL so far.

And good luck on your future cruises, wherever they are.

Tom

 

I just came back from a weekend getaway on the Sky June 13-16 and an amazing time. We had great weather which doesn't hurt, but being bored or trapped would never have been an issue for us, as we always found lots fun things to do.

 

OP, I totally agree, I'm glad not everyone likes the same cruise line. I'm happy to free up room on RCI and CCL for others :)

[SissasMomE]

AMommyof2,

Thanks very much for answering my questions. We are booked for the same cruise in November, which will be our first cruise less than 7 days, so we have some apprehension.

Sorry about your bad experiences on NCL. We have had good times on NCL so far.

And good luck on your future cruises, wherever they are.

Tom

 

The Sky is a fantastic ship. I've been on her several times, and we have never had a problem. Also, there is not a "kiddie pool". One pool is adults only, and the other pool is for adults and kids. There is a small splash type of "pool" available for small kids, but I doubt that is what the OP was referring to. To call it a pool is a real stretch, and adults wouldn't be in there.

[sparks1093]

Thanks for the review and sorry to hear that NCL isn't your cup of tea. We also enjoyed our cruises on the Sky and I have to say that our Gem cruise was head and shoulders above the Sky, there is that much of a difference in the extra 3 days.

[janpo]

As soon as we sail our Getaway cruise we will be coming home and booking a cruise on the Sky since we bought the BOGO free sale.

 

I have no worries sailing the Sky. I've never been on her but we don't book guarantee cabins. We always book an OV and no balcony since I don't like heights. But, we never do a guarantee so that way we know exactly which cabin we have. You get what others don't want. I'm sure we'll be booking an OV on the Sky also.

 

We sailed on the RC years ago. Granted it was years ago but my sailing with NCL on the Pearl 2 yrs ago showed me just how much better a cruise can be. Love the freestyle. Hated the dinner times. I can't tell you how many times i missed our dinner time because i was wrapped up doing other things.

 

NCL isn't for everyone but so far, it's for us.

[familyfun4]

It's too bad the Sky wasn't what you had hoped for. We sailed on the Sky the last week of April and this was our first cruise ever. I totally agree about the menu offerings, by the 3rd night we were sick of it. Our weather was perfect and we stayed midship so our cabin was really quiet. Drunk people will be anywhere on any cruise unfortunately. We loved our time so much that we are booking on the Getaway in May.

 

 

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[sparks1093]

It's too bad the Sky wasn't what you had hoped for. We sailed on the Sky the last week of April and this was our first cruise ever. I totally agree about the menu offerings, by the 3rd night we were sick of it. Our weather was perfect and we stayed midship so our cabin was really quiet. Drunk people will be anywhere on any cruise unfortunately. We loved our time so much that we are booking on the Getaway in May.

 

 

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I am perplexed about the description of the menu- did not one side of the menu change each night? That is the way it was when we were on the Sky.