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Just Back From Spirit Review 2/19/06


POOHISME2

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Let me give you some background on myself first. I am in my late 30's and I have sailed NCL 4 times. This was my 9th cruise over all.

 

Now fellow CC'ers..Remember this is just MY opinion of this cruise and my experience of it.

 

Day 1 - 2/19/06

 

Boarding: We arrived at NYC terminal at 10:30 AM. It was in the low 30's. We were checked in right away. We went upstairs to the Latitudes area to wait. There were no snacks, coffee or tea offered in this area, but there was a coffee set up near the check in downstairs. We were called to board at 11:45. Since we had already checked in we just had to pick up our room keys and have our NYC photo taken on a green screen. We then just walked right onboard. There was no one waiting for us at the entrance of the ship, so we called for a staff member to swipe our cards. We then headed right for restaurant reservations in the main lobby. We were a little perplexed that the two girls sitting there did not know which nights were formal nights, the reason we were given was that it was the first 7 night cruise and they had no listings. We guessed using last years Dawn itinerary. Made our reservations and headed up to our room.

 

Cabin 10580. We have read on CC the rooms were small, but I was really surprised to see for myself exactly how small they were. IMHO our ocean view on the Crown was bigger than our Balcony cabin on the Spirit. We had a queen bed, a small desk and chair and a love seat size couch (that turned into a twin bed) A TV that does had AV jacks on the front to plug in game systems or portable DVD players. NOTE: This would be a great idea as we only had CNN, ESPN and 2 cartoon channels and a movie channel that was 1/2 the time an NCL info channel and some random time movies. Under the TV were 1 open shelf and then 2 larger open shelves under that. Underneath there were 4 SMALL drawers. In the closet was 4-5 corner shelves which actually held a lot. room for shoes underneath, and plenty of hangers. The room was warm and basically clean (found a few dust bunnies hiding and pair of flip flops under the edge of the bed someone had forgot to repack).

 

The balcony on the other hand was filthy, with bird droppings and cigarette ashes and just plain old dirt and some rust showing its age a little out there. We were told it would be cleaned when we hit Port Canaveral, which it was. The railing also on the balcony are in great need of repainting and sanding (IMHO think that should have been done in dry dock, but wasn't).

 

Waiting in our room was our Latitudes pins and welcome letter, as well as my confirmation for our CC get together scheduled for the next day. We dropped off our carry on bags, set up our safe code (by the way it is located at the bottom of the closet). We called house keeping for robes (don't bother with the robes if your bigger than a size 8 they are TINY, not like the waffle robes like on the Dawn, Sea or the Crown) and more towels and then headed out for a little exploring of the ship.

 

The ship is decorated beautifully. It has an Asian theme, but not overdone and the many small details are just stunning. You can look at the same place over and over again and still find a small detail you missed the first few times.

 

Raffles: What can I say? Disappointment was not the word. There was such a small selection and not the usual embarkation food choices. Food was a little cold and unappealing. We did try and taste it but were not impressed. We decided to go to Blue Lagoon.

 

Blue Lagoon: It is placed on deck 7 right past reception desk. Wait time was running about 15 minutes (the only day we had to wait to sit). There is a door to the promenade located right there that was stuck open, and it made the cold and winds freeze us out. The staff kept trying to get the door closed, but with no avail, it was stuck. About 20 minutes later a crew member came and fixed the door and we were able to finish our lunch in warmth. The food was good. Note here a comparison to the Dawn. There were no buffalo wings, potato skins or mac & cheese offered. I don't know if this is fleet wide or just on the Spirit?

 

After lunch we headed upstairs to look around some more. Listed in the Daily was the 3:30 was the mandatory Muster drill. BRING YOUR COATS. Julie called us down at 3:00 so we headed outside on Deck 7. The bells didn't ring till 3:30 so we stood in our straight lines for almost 50 minutes. We should have waited for the bells to ring before heading outside.. At 3:50 it was over and we all headed back to the warmth of the ship.

 

Sail away was uneventful. There was a party scheduled for Galaxy of the Stars, we didn't attend so I can't comment on that. Because of the poor weather there was no poolside band or BBQ as stated in the Daily.

 

6:00 PM trivia in Henry's Pub was fun. Christopher, one of the cruise staff was a blast. They had this every night from 6-6:30 in the pub.

 

Murder mystery sign up was 8-8:30 in Maharini's lounge deck 7 fwd, thru the casino. We didn't attend this either so I can not comment on how it was.

 

We ate dinner in the Garden Room. Food was good. Menu choices have changed since last year. The problem is the staff. Seems like they are running short on staff on this ship. They had people running all over, but yet it took a long time between courses to get the food to the table.

 

The show this night was the "Welcome Aboard Show" with Julie Valeriote the CD. She has a unique style. Not very motivating to the passengers, very laid back. I like the get off your chairs and get moving CD's that really put 110% into their jobs.

 

Today's drink of the day special was the "Fruit Bowl" cost $8-, Smoothie special was Cantaloupe $9-

 

We spent most of our night in Henry's Pub. The staff is FANTASTIC and the atmosphere was great.

 

Day 2:

Cold and rainy we woke early 4:30 AM to check out the rest of the ship we missed yesterday. The seas were rough and yes the ship creaks at night, the beds are hard so if you can get an egg crate I recommend it. They were all gone by the time I asked.

 

Though the Daily says the Blue Lagoon is open 24 hours, its really not. We went at 5 AM and they only had coffee available, at 6 AM they had Danish and coffee.

 

After our walk around the ship and down to see the Bridge, this is a Don't miss experience. We saw the Dragon and got a close up look on how the ship is controlled even in the bad weather we were able to see everything.

 

We decided to try Windows for breakfast. Another big disappointment. The grease running off the eggs was unbelievable. Cold bacon and toast and frozen butter. Had our coffee and left. Service was also very slow in Windows even though there were not many people in there. They open for breakfast 7:30 - 9:30. That was the last day we ate breakfast in Windows.

 

The rest of the week we ordered morning in cabin coffee service was great. The card says 6:30 onward but we wrote in 5 AM and they were on time and it was piping hot. We wanted toasted bagels and cream cheese, so we just wrote it in on the card, and there was no problem getting it.

 

Today they had crafts going on (beaded bandana's) we didn't stay but it was very crowded in Champagne Charlie's. We went to watch some of the port & shopping presentation in the Stardust theater.

 

Our CC meeting was scheduled for 11 AM in the Clipper conference room. Located on Deck 8 behind the photo shop. They had coffee, teas, cookies, Danish, juice and milk. We met the Alex the Hotel Director, Tony the Food and Beverage Manager, Julie the CD, Sherry the Latitudes consultant who was also in charge of future cruise bookings and some of the other staff. They were very informative regarding many questions we all had. It seems like those deck 13 cabins are sitting in CA. They don't believe they will be put on for quite a while if ever. Tony is well aware of the Raffles situation and is trying to correct the problems. They said they all read CC and try and get as much from it as they can. Our meeting lasted till noon.

 

The Latitudes Party was at 1PM

 

The Martini clinic was at 2 PM today in Champagne Charlie's on Deck 8.

 

Tonight we ate dinner in the Garden at 5:30 it was French night. Food was OK, service again lacking. We were not offered coffee after our dinner and felt a little rushed. As they had started to fill up by 6:30 PM.

 

Tonights show in the Stardust theater was "On the Radio" which was a tribute to songs from the 60's thru the 90's. Show was at 7:30 and 9:30. I actually thought I was watching a High School production. The music was great, but the dancing and the backgrounds were not terribly interesting. Another disappointment.

 

Karaoke tonight was in Maharini's nightclub from 9-11 PM

 

NOTE: The Non-Smoking lounges are Glalxy of the Stars, Stardust Lounge and the Shanghi Bar.

 

I will post the next few days when I get some more time.....

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Thanks for your review. I have been "lurking" on the boards for some time but just had to register and post because my wife and I are sailing on the Spirit on March 5th and we will be in the EXACT cabin that you were in !!! Looking foward to the rest of your review.

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Here's some more.... Day 3 - Port Canaveral

 

Docked at 9:15ish all aboard was 7:30 PM Temp was low 70's and all pools were open. Fog cleared by 11 AM and the day turned out beautiful.

 

Disembarkation...What a mess this was. We docked about 10-15 minutes late due to the dense fog advisory . Everyone had worked their way down to deck 7 for their tours at the time stated on their tickets. We all waited for at least 40 minutes before they would clear the ship and start letting us off. Kids were screaming, people were just getting really cranky from having to wait for so long in a huge line that went from both sides of the promenade deck into the main lobby. Once off, I think things ran smooth.

 

We did the NASA Up Close tour. Very interesting. We had a great time, but wished we really had more actual time. We arrived about 1 hour late to Kennedy and were given a 1/2 hour additional time. We still loved it so much we could have stayed a lot longer. Arrived back at the ship at 5 PM.

 

Once changed and we ate dinner at the Garden. Tonight was Chef's dinner. Once again food was OK. Nothing to rave about but no major complaints.

 

Tonights show was "America's Beat" in the Stardust.

 

After dinner we headed to Henry's Pub to see guitarist Scott Allman he did a Beatles tribute for about an hour then it was requests till close. Great sing along type of music. This was one of our favorite activities onboard.

 

Day 4 - Miami

Docked at 9 AM all aboard was 5:30

 

Today we did the BB Hopper. We started at South Beach and walked about 12 square blocks back, Stopped in at Senor Frogs for a drink, took a stroll looking at all the buildings. The sights are beautiful. We then picked up the BB back to the marketplace. Walked thru some of the shops and headed back to the ship by 4 PM.

 

Tonight we ate at La Trattoria. The best meal we had so far. Service was fantastic, food was prepared perfect and quickly.

 

The main dining rooms menu tonight was Caribbean.

 

The show tonight was "Second City".

 

The temp today was mid 80's.

 

Day 5 - GSC - FULL DAY

Weather was beautiful. Island is in good condition seeing it was hit by the hurricanes last year. A little disorganization by the crew as most have never been there before we were told. We only stayed a short while on shore then headed back. The day went quickly. We enjoyed the pool which was pretty empty.

 

My one complaint here was there was no music playing at the pool area. not even a tape or a cd. It was very quiet. I would have liked to see more activities for those who stayed behind going on up on the pool deck.

 

Tonight again we ate at La Trattoria.

 

Main dining room menu was Freestyle dinner.

 

The show tonight was Standing Room Only in the Stardust. But again we headed to Henry's to watch Scott.

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Thanks for your review. I have been "lurking" on the boards for some time but just had to register and post because my wife and I are sailing on the Spirit on March 5th and we will be in the EXACT cabin that you were in !!! Looking foward to the rest of your review.
Cabin is in a great location..(the reason we picked it almost exactly midship) easy walking to both banks of elevators. We mostly used the center glass ones. Glad you registered. now we can wait to see your impresion of the Spirit.:D
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Day 5 - Continued.. I forgot to mention here that Karaoke was moved into Henrys pub because they didn't want the children having to go thru the casino. This caused a bit of a problem as Henrys is the smoking pub on deck 7. Many of the people that came to karaoke complained about the smoke. IMHO the pub is way too small for that many people to be in it. NCL needs to think of a better place to put karaoke.

 

Day 6 - Nassau

Arrived in Port 7 AM all aboard was 12:30 PM

Temp was mid 80's

 

Today we had booked the Pearl Island Treasure Hunt thru NCL. Our tickets said 7:15 to meet on pier. We really didn't leave till almost 7:45. It was a wonderful excursion.

 

There were I believe 50 of us. It was a 30 minute boat ride, once there we had Rum punch (Pearl Punch) then a safety lesson, equipment fitted and we were able to snorkel looking for oysters with pearls inside and conch shells till 10:30 am. Water was warm and clear.

 

After the snorkel we were given a demonstration on how to get out the conch meat and how to eat it. They made us a salad out of the raw meat and we all got to taste it. After that it was off to the cooking area for lunch. We then had the whole island to ourselves to either swim, play volleyball in the water, relax by the sea or walk up to the light house. There was no charge for drinks of any kind and lunch served was also included. Diablo (Big D) who ran this tour for us was wonderful. He was a real crowd pleaser. We returned to the ship at 11:45.

 

We had a small delay leaving Nassau due to a hydraulic problem with one of the life boats they were testing. They got it down and then could not get it back into place. We ended up leaving Nassau at around 3:30 PM.

 

The chocolate buffet was today in Windows. Picture taking started at 1:15. I didn't see any really long lines but I did see many people walking with plates of chocolate's.

 

Also today was the Margarita tasting ($15-) at 2:30 PM

 

Tonight was the second Optional Formal night. It was the Captains Gala Dinner in the main restaurants and lobster tails were served.

 

We ate at Le Bistro's tonight. The one complaint here was that you can see the cooking area right in the restaurant. I would prefer not to see where the cooking is done, I thought it was a big distraction from the usually cozy restaurant. Dinner was wonderful as usual and we finally got to try the infamous chocolate fondue and cheesecake.

 

After dinner we headed to our favorite pub for Irish pub night.

 

I also forgot to mention the trio Los Amigos that played in the grand centrum every night were fantastic. It was very nice to hear as you walk thru the lobby area.

 

DAY 7 - AT SEA

Temp started at 50's and dropped to about 30's by night

 

It was COLD when we woke up. The day started clear and then turned very gray and cloudy. We ended up running into some rain storms and a lot of rocking.

 

We spent this day wandering around the casino, chatting with new friends and settling our affairs. Because of the cold and the rain we decided to pack up the room early and just relax on this last day.

 

11 AM- I headed up to bingo to see who won the free cruise (though I didn't play). Too bad the person with the first ticket drawn didn't show up. It was a real suspense waiting to see if the person holding the second number called was there. Sure enough they were. I was very happy for them.

 

They offered a towel folding class with the housekeeping staff and a craft class, both around 1pm.

 

12-2 was fish and chips in the pub. It was very crowded on this last sea day.

 

Tonight we ate at the Garden It was the Italian dinner menu.

 

After dinner we went to watch karaoke in the pub and had a few farewell drinks with our new friends.

 

Put out the luggage around 8 and was told they would not start collecting till 11 PM.

 

BACK INTO NY

I woke early to catch the ship coming back into NY harbor. The ship had rocked a lot this last night. The winds according to the captains report were force 8 - Gail. We felt it all night.

 

We went under the bridge around 7 AM. We were aside the Statue of Liberty about 15 minutes later. The best place for this viewing was Galaxy of the Stars. From here you have a 180 degree view of the harbor.

 

We actually docked at 9 AM. Debarkation went rather smoothly. We were sent to Henrys pub to wait at 9:15. By 9:45 they started calling express debarkation by floors, highest floor to lowest. Once they were all off, we were called off. We were off the pier and home by 11:15.

 

I hope I covered the majority of it. If there are any questions I have the Freestyle Daily for each day. I can always look it up. I have to say this was not my favorite cruise on NCL, though it was not the worst either. I have found that as the years go by, the more nickel-and-diming that goes on is increasing with each cruise. This is not just with NCL, but I find it more obvious on NCL.

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Thanks Sherri,

 

I found your review very informative. We will be on the Spirit March 12th and I really appreciate the detail you included in your review. I am making notes of all the dinners and special events.

 

Allison

Glad I could help.. Have a great cruise.
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Former Dawn cruisers who are planning to sail on the Spirit appreciate your detail and comparisons with the Dawn. Hopefully, NCL is paying attention. If both ships are now sailing out of New York year round, they should have similar food and service in the Blue Lagoon, buffets and breakfast in the main restaurant (which was very good in Venetians on the Dawn). If NCL wants repeat passengers to sail both ships out of New York, they must maintain the high standards they gave us previously on the Dawn.

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If both ships are now sailing out of New York year round, they should have similar food and service in the Blue Lagoon, buffets and breakfast in the main restaurant (which was very good in Venetians on the Dawn). If NCL wants repeat passengers to sail both ships out of New York, they must maintain the high standards they gave us previously on the Dawn.

 

I disagree. They are two entirely different ships, with different restaurants and galleys. Maybe they should change the name of the Blue Lagoon on the Dawn or Spirit to avoid any confusion. The Spirit has a Bier Garten, which the Dawn doesn't have. Shucks, even the Dawn's sister ships the Jewel and Star have different restaurants setups, why should anyone expect the same features on the Spirit which is smaller than the Dawn, when ships the same size aren't identical?

The Spirit has Henry's Pub fish and chips, which the Dawn doesn't have. And yes, the Dawn has things the Spirit doesn't have either. Comparing ships of different sizes feature per feature isn't cool. They are different ships, one should expect different features. NCL obviously goes through much trouble making their ships different from one another. One should look at the differences as a GOOD thing, not BAD.

 

For Pete's sake, I don't wish to sail on exactly identical ships, with the exactly the same restaurants and decor. I prefer a refreshing change of pace. That's why I like NCL's Freestyle concept so much. No straight-jackets for me.

I wouldn't be dissappointed if NCL used completely different menus on all their ships.

 

Change is good!

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I disagree. They are two entirely different ships, with different restaurants and galleys. Maybe they should change the name of the Blue Lagoon on the Dawn or Spirit to avoid any confusion. The Spirit has a Bier Garten, which the Dawn doesn't have. Shucks, even the Dawn's sister ships the Jewel and Star have different restaurants setups, why should anyone expect the same features on the Spirit which is smaller than the Dawn, when ships the same size aren't identical?

The Spirit has Henry's Pub fish and chips, which the Dawn doesn't have. And yes, the Dawn has things the Spirit doesn't have either. Comparing ships of different sizes feature per feature isn't cool. They are different ships, one should expect different features. NCL obviously goes through much trouble making their ships different from one another. One should look at the differences as a GOOD thing, not BAD.

 

For Pete's sake, I don't wish to sail on exactly identical ships, with the exactly the same restaurants and decor. I prefer a refreshing change of pace. That's why I like NCL's Freestyle concept so much. No straight-jackets for me.

I wouldn't be dissappointed if NCL used completely different menus on all their ships.

 

Change is good!

 

I respectfully disagree. The Dawn and Spirit are different enough without changing the popular features of freestyle-cruising. Dawn has Salsa, Spirit does not. Would you change the name of the 24 hour Blue Lagoon restaurants on both ships to avoid comparison? Why would they eliminate some of their popular entrees on one ship and retain it on another? Finally, since both ships sail out of the same port year round on similar itineraries with similar rates and cater to the same passenger base, comparisons are inevitable. If the impression is made that one ship is markedly better than the other, as has been pointed out by many who have sailed both, NCL does not benefit.

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I respectfully disagree. The Dawn and Spirit are different enough without changing the popular features of freestyle-cruising. Dawn has Salsa, Spirit does not. Would you change the name of the 24 hour Blue Lagoon restaurants on both ships to avoid comparison? Why would they eliminate some of their popular entrees on one ship and retain it on another? Finally, since both ships sail out of the same port year round on similar itineraries with similar rates and cater to the same passenger base, comparisons are inevitable. If the impression is made that one ship is markedly better than the other, as has been pointed out by many who have sailed both, NCL does not benefit.

 

I'm going to have to side with Dolphins and POOHISME on this.

Most of us taking the Spirit out of NYC did so because of their experience on the Dawn. It is because of the food and the service on the Dawn that most of us have booked the Spirit. Different ship and decor as well as some small changes in the menu is fine, but for the most part, I think it would benefit NCL to try and keep the features of the Dawn that has made in such a popular New York ship with the Spirit.

 

Don

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poohisme -- great photos - thank you for sharing --going on the Spirit on 4/2 ---that's 32 days away !!! Nice review and some new tips I hadn't heard yet - Thanks - Doxxie

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I'm going to have to side with Dolphins and POOHISME on this. Most of us taking the Spirit out of NYC did so because of their experience on the Dawn. It is because of the food and the service on the Dawn that most of us have booked the Spirit. Different ship and decor as well as some small changes in the menu is fine, but for the most part, I think it would benefit NCL to try and keep the features of the Dawn that has made in such a popular New York ship with the Spirit.

Don

 

Really, I can't fathom how a ship that's been around less than four years could possibly have had over 25 million passengers aboard. Let's just say a few, not most select the Spirit because they had once sailed aboard the Dawn.

Many have sailed on the Spirit from Seattle and Miami long before it arrived in New York.

 

The food and service aboard the Spirit is just as good as those aboard the Dawn. While it's true the Spirit has two less restaurants than the Dawn, I fail to see where NCL could squeeze the other two aboard the smaller Spirit. NCL ships approximately the same size as the Spirit; the Sun, Pride of Aloha, and the Pride of America, also don't have a Salsa restaurant. Sucks, neither does the newer Jewel that is the same size, or slightly larger.

 

The Sun has the Four Seasons Main Restaurant (Main Dining Room), Seven Seas Main Restaurant (Main Dining Room), Pacific Heights, East Meets West, Ginza Restaurant, Le Bistro French Restaurant, Il Adagio, Las Ramblas Tapas Bar & Restaurant and the Garden Café/Great Outdoor restaurants, for a total of nine.

 

The Pride of Aloha has the Palace Main Restaurant (Main Dining Room), Crossings Main Restaurant (Main Dining Room), Royal Palm Bistro, Kahili Restaurant, Pacific Heights Restaurant and the Hukilau Cafe restaurants, for a total of six.

 

The Pride of America has the Skyline Dining Room (Main Dining Room), Liberty Dining Room (Main Dining Room), East Meets West, Jefferson's Bistro, Lazy J's Texas Steakhouse, Cadillac Diner, Little Italy, Key West Bar & Grill and the Aloha Café, for a total of nine.

 

The Spirit has the The Garden Room (Main Dining Room), Windows Restaurant (Main Dining Room), Shogun Restaurant, Cagney's Steakhouse Restaurant, Le Bristo Restaurant, La Trattoria, Blue Lagoon and Raffles Lido Cafe, for a total of nine. And that doesn't include fish & chips that's available at Henry's Pub on sea days and the freshly baked pretzels and hot brauts at the Bier Garten.

 

The only NCL ship this size with Salsa cuisine food is the Sun at Las Ramblas. Are you suggesting that the rest of these ships, along with the Spirit, aren't good enough for New Yorkers?

 

From the lists above, it's apparent that NCL purposelys mix and matches restaurants aboard their ships. I ask again, why must every NCL ship have exactly the same restaurants?

 

When the second new NCL ship comes on line in late 2007, you may get your wish. The Gem has been rumored to be going to New York. Will it replace the Spirit? And the next biggest question for you, will it have a Salsa Restaurant? Suppose NCL decided to give it an Il Adagio Restaurant instead of Salsa, shucks there's many more Italians in New York than Hispanic, would that make the ship with Courtyard Villas worse than the Dawn?

 

Get real. One restaurant doesn't make or break a ship!

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I'll bet within two years Salsa is a pay restaurant and no ship has more than two inclusive restaurants.

 

If you read the annual reports of the publicly traded cruise companies, the future is all about those ancillary revenues that come from other than ticket sales.

 

It is becoming like cable TV--basic is your room, a buffet, two decent restaurants, water and iced tea.

 

Anything else, you pay for it.

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Electricron- Nobody is saying that one restaurant can make or break a ship. What we are saying is, if both ships have a 24 hour Blue Lagoon restaurant, they should have similar menus. Especially, the most popular entree- buffalo wings. For Pete's sake, passengers who enjoyed them on the Dawn have every right to expect them on the Spirit. Is that asking too much?

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