Hi This was cruise No 53 for me as I started in 1958 & was looking forward to the Ex SuperStar Leo/NCL Spirit as I cruised her sister ship SuperStar Virgo in '99 from Singapore. Boarding was handled well at New York about 30 mins shore to ship. Spirit still looks good considering 8 years of service & my balcony cabin was clean & spacious. Public rooms still show the Asian themes that the ship was built for & make for an overall pleasant experience. The Karaoke rooms shown on deck plans & deck signage no longer exist & karaoke is now covered in Henry's Pub on occasional nights. The lack of a piano bar is a shame, because Ariole Jacob is the best pianoman I have heard on a cruise ship in many years, & does a fine job in Champagne Charlies most nights. Dining is more a challenge than an experience on Spirit as service is slow to very slow in the main Windows or Garden Restaurants, food is either warm or cold but never hot, & I can honestly say food standards & service is the worst I have experienced in many years of cruising.  Shogun Teppanyaki was the only food highlight of the cruise but Le Bistro (both chargeable)was very slow, food just about reached normal cruise fare standard ie. RCI Carnival P&O Etc. Formal Nights are a joke with very few Tuxedo's appearing, Baseball Caps & Shorts being commonplace.

Ports of Call, St Thomas, Antigua, Barbados, St Martin & Tortola were a good choice, although time ashore was limited, with careful planning we maximized shopping & beach times to the full. If you're new to cruising, I'm sure you will enjoy the experience tremendously. However if you're a grumpy old cruise dog like me, you will stick to the other 4 star cruise lines where meals are at a set time, hot & a rapport with your table steward can be built up over the length of your cruise.