Spirit Review - 3/19/06 - Fresh from the trip!

[wardline]

Actually, there were several drink specials throughout the cruise. There was an official drink special prominently displayed every day in the Freestyle Daily... but this was consistently an $8.00 mixed drink in an NCL souvenir glass. If you read the fine print on the actual agenda, "real" drink specials are listed for the evening. These were much better deals... $3.50 a pop.

I can't remember all the specials, but I do know many of them were pre-mixed specialty shots like kamikazes and woo-woos. They were all very decent drinks-- and got the job done.

 

TIP: order the shot over ice and sip it like a cocktail. It's the same amount of liquor but its colder and lasts longer! The "shots" actually fill up a low ball glass once they're over ice!

[Travelbug23]

Excellent review! I loved it! I just booked the Spirit today! Leaving on 4/23! Knew very little about the ship in general and now I am excited to go. Thank you for taking the time to write it!

Coka

 

 

Coka..where are you from? We are also booked for 4/23! Did you go to the roll calls on tjis site? There are other people sailing on 4/23 too! Welcome!!!!:)

[terpla]

My husband and I just booked the Spirit for next Feb. and since this is my first Norwegian cruise after reading your review it made me feel more comfortable booking it. I have decided the fares to Florida have become ridiculous and Norwegian is the only cruise line offering something in the winter out of New York thus far. Realizing we will have some cool days traveling it is good to know the ship met all your expectations.

Thanks so much for such a great review.

[wardline]

Hi Terry,

 

I'm sure you'll enjoy it. We got the highest grade "B" category balcony cabin for right at $100 per day... you can't beat it. Just be sure to pack a few jackets and long pants for the days right after and right before New York, as it can be quite chilly (especially with the wind). Have a great time!

 

Michael

[linsue1231]

:D Thanks for the review....it was great. It made me laugh out loud on the train ride home from work.....I am booked on the Spirit leaving Nov. 9, 2006. I cant wait, as I am a big NCL fan and have only cruised on NCL. Not that I have cruised a whole lot or on different NCL ships, only the Dawn twice. I refuse, at least for now, to try any other type of cruise but free style.

 

A friend of mine went on celebrity for her 25th Anniv., but God she sure needed to pack as if she was going to a week long wedding.

 

I find freestyle very relaxing and what I would call a vacation. I do not like being told I have to pick a dinner seating time, I want to go about as I please.

 

Well thanks again for the review, as there have been quite a few really bad ones.

 

Linda :rolleyes:

[Seago2]

Hahahahahaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Man oh man was that a funny review. Stay tuned for mine- as soon as I scan my pictures I will post a link to them and you can see EXACTLY what he means by the... cobra/"cobra" towel animal. We also took a nice shot of one of the wierder, undistinguishable towel creations with some pill bottles, a Coors Light bottle, and a pack of Marlboros spread strategically around it. Just trying to beat them at their own game...

 

Yes, we went to the same beach at GSC. Did you by any chance leave the chairs there for us? Thanks. Funny story there, too. DH decided to bring home the point that it was truly a private beach by taking his suit off and walking out of the water towards me until I noticed. Of course I start screaming my head off laughing, snapping pictures, and then OF COURSE someone starts walking around the peninsula there. First person in an hour and of course it was right then. Oh well- hopefully he didn't see anything or he is probably still trying to get over his newfound inferiority complex!

 

Oh, funny, funny review. Good times. Stay tuned for mine!

[Suesan Jean]

What an EXCELLENT REVIEW.....!!!!

 

You are VERY, VERY FUNNY.....!!!!:D

 

Your review makes me want to cruise on the Spirit. But, every time I plan a cruise from New York, the Dawn always seems to be the ship we choose. (2 cruises on the Dawn so far, last April, this past February and one planned for next April...!!!!)

 

My friend and her family are going on their FIRST cruise this Sunday, on the Spirit..!!! She is quite excited and looking forward too it.....!!!:)

 

I told her to arrive early at the pier too. With three young children, I think, the easier-the-better....I can just imagine standing in line for hours, you'd loose-your-mind.....:o

 

I perked up at your statement about the shark nets......:eek: Do you think that most beaches in the Carribean have shark nets...??? And, Great Stirrup Cay has shark nets...??? How did you find that out..??

 

I LOVE the Carribean and I LOVE swimming and snorkeling, but I gotta tell you, I have to supress my fear of sharks constantly...... When we were on our cruise in February, I was on CONSTANT "shark watch" while my DH and two teenage girls were swimming......... Talk about STRESSFULL...!!!

 

Do you have any more cruises planned..??? KEEP THOSE REVIEWS COMING....!!! You write GREAT REVIEWS.....!!!!

[hersheycat]

My friend and her family are going on their FIRST cruise this Sunday, on the Spirit..!!! She is quite excited and looking forward too it.....!!!:)

 

Send your friend to our roll call. We have a small, but really nice group of people and we have a cruise critic meeting set up for the first sea day.

[e.durban]

Terrific review! Ghosts on the Spirit?...how appropriate! We might have to eat in Shogun every night....

 

PS: Don't write off Cunard until you try QM2 (there are a several 4 night holiday weekend cruises next year if you want a sample.) She's an amazing ship and a must for any liner lover! Hmmm, she IS dressy, though...

[Cosmopolitan]

Wardline ~

 

Thank you for the enjoyable, entertaining and informative review.

 

I enjoyed every minute of your cruise:)

[djmike]

I have to say that you really have a positive outlook on life. I will be on the Spirit next month, and after your review I am looking forward to it.

 

How was the nightlife? Disco?

 

Thanks again, your positive attitude is a breath of fresh air.

 

 

Mike

[AdelaideAussie]

Thanks for the great review. I leave on the Spirit in about a week and a half. I loved reading your review. It makes it all seem real.

 

Lisa

 

Lisa,can you help my friends & me?Have posted before & have not been successful.Sailed on [star Leo] Spirit 5 times when she was in Australia.A beautiful ship!We are planning to sail on Spirit out of NewYork later this year.My friends husband has Motor Neurone Disease & is wheelchair bound now,& we all want to have one last fling & a bloody good time.We had so much fun on her, & Crew & Officers were outstanding & are hoping that some of them will still be the same.Can you find out for me if Angeline is still the Supervisor in The Cafe near The Atrium,& if Chief Engineer Rolf Isaacson ,& Staff Chief Engineer Ulf Vljanen are still sailing on her.Photos of the Officers are displayed down in The Bridge viewing area, or may be some one will be able to tell you. Thanks so much. I wish we weren't so far away down here.In Adelaide [south Australia] where we live only 7 cruise ships docked here this summer.We have been on 2 cruises ,Saphire Princess,& Pacific Princess since [Leo] Spirit & nothing compares to the friendliness & service of Spirit .We even have to fly about 1000kms to Sydney to sail. Thanks again. Margie.

[lah]

Margie:

 

I'll see what I can find out for you. I hope you guys have a great cruise, when are you going?

[wardline]

Thanks again to all you responders out there... BTW, I love the idea of posing the terrycloth franken-beasts with booze and various vice-related paraphanalia! I bet that was really funny.

 

djmike... the nightlife was GREAT on our cruise. Maharini's, which is all th way forward on Deck 7, was always packed after 11:00 p.m. right up until 2:00 a.m. or so, and often later. (It closes at 4:00 a.m.) Keep in mind, though, that there were quite a few spring breakers on board, so that may have influenced the club's popularity. Funny, but I never once saw a single person in the Disco on Deck 13. Maybe because it's tucked out of the way? I don't know. It was always conspicuously empty and silent.

 

The music in the club, with one night excepted, was really great (thanks, DJ Alfer). The first and last two nights were clubby, poppy songs (like "Call On Me" by Eric Prydz, some Destiny's Child, Gorrillaz, etc.) that most people would recognize. This can be quite funny actually, since there were several VERY WHITE guys who were "break dancing" (in theory, anyway) a la MC Hammer... and an older gentleman who was apparently convinced that he was, in fact, Beyonce. SHOCKINGLY DISTURBING. But very, very funny.

 

There was also an 80s night (a blast-- bring it on!) and a 70s night (a real downer... sorry all you Captain & Tenille fans out there, but the crowd just wasn't feelin' it). Any other questions, just ask... I am becoming a Cruise Critic junkie... quick, help me find a vein...

 

OK, found one. Here goes: for those of you who have been on the Spirit, what other NCL ships do you recommend? Are any of the other fleetmates as classy and laid back?

[electricron]

The Celebrity Disco at the very top of the Spirit is a teen club now, and doesn't serve alcohol, which is why it appears empty. It really rocks during the evening, but not late at night.

 

As for other ships you will probably like, any ship newer than the Spirit will be great choices. That includes, in order they were built, the Pride of Aloha, Sun, Star, Dawn, Pride of America, Jewel, and later this year the Pride of Hawaii and Pearl. Late next year, you'll be able to add the Gem.

 

That will make ten modern cruise ships in the NCL fleet.

[holomuku]

wardline-

 

thanks for the review! I too enjoyed it, especially the part about you and your partners cruise on the Cunard ship. Many moons ago my (now husband, then BF) took a one day cruise on some must have been ancient ship out of San Diego to Ensenada. Man, our room was SOOO small. It was DEFINATELY an inside cabin, you had to shower while sitting on the toilet (I am NOT kidding) and at 5'4" my feet touched the other side of the cabin when I sat on the bed (which was one of two bunk beds). In reterospect, I'm guessing maybe this was a crew cabin in a previous life. It was many years before we cruised again, and wow- now we know the difference! However it's great for a good laugh!

 

One question- you said that NCL is definatley checking all bottles, including shampoo bottles...can I be so bold as to ask if you carry your shampoo in a glass bottle or a plastic bottle???

[AdelaideAussie]

Margie:

 

I'll see what I can find out for you. I hope you guys have a great cruise, when

are you going?

 

 

Thanks Lisa,great of you to reply so promptly.Have heaps of fun,& a cocktail of the day for me!Just rang my friend & her husband ,& we have been remeniscing for about 1/2 hr.We have not booked yet,as we are playing it by ear ,all depending on the progression of the illness. Thanks. Margie.

[wardline]

Holomuku,

 

The only reason I know about the shampoo bottles/alcohol connection was because of a conversation I had with a crew member on board. She said she was put on duty checking ALL bottles-- plastic and glass alike-- and that this was orders from her manager. She noted that NCL has a very aggressive policy about alcohol and went on to say that so many bottles were being checked because there were a number of spring breakers on board... so maybe they were unusually strict on our trip. I wasw suprised they were so vigilant about it!!!!

 

Hope this helps... but as I said, be creative... we were...

 

P.S. They were checking all bottles coming back from the ports, too... I actually witnessed them uncapping passengers' water bottles and smelling them! Funny thing is, quite a few were actually straight vodka... how embarrassing. It's like having to announce "I'm cheap!" and "I'm a drunk!" at THE SAME TIME to all your fellow passengers, right there in the wide open. I say this without hypocrisy because goodness knows I am a cheap drunk on cruises :)

[holomuku]

Boy, would that be embarassing! (water bottle check).

 

I'd like to hear some more details on your cruise off the boards - any chance you could email me at sallye53@netzero.net? Just put "cruise critic" in the header...

 

thanks again for all the info. Glad you got your other half to look forward to many more cruises together.

[kids1stcruise]

going in july dh 2 ds--hope we all have a great time as you!!

really i hope my boys have a wonderful time--they are the ones that wanted to cruise

[Cosmopolitan]

Holomuku,

P.S. They were checking all bottles coming back from the ports, too... I actually witnessed them uncapping passengers' water bottles and smelling them! Funny thing is, quite a few were actually straight vodka... how embarrassing. It's like having to announce "I'm cheap!" and "I'm a drunk!" at THE SAME TIME to all your fellow passengers, right there in the wide open. I say this without hypocrisy because goodness knows I am a cheap drunk on cruises :)

 

I just LOVE your honesty:)

[Lunchlady]

Our family did the Dawn last April and wanted to do same week and itin this year but the ship is only doing 10 day trips at this time, which are to long for us. The Spirit was our second choice, and like you we were skepitcal from the reviews that we have read. Your review really give us hope!!! Doing the 1 night cruise to on the Spirit June 17th to see if we want to spend 8 days on it. Thanks again.

 

So hooked on cruising!!!!