Norwegian Spirit Review

New Year's on the Spirit

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Norwegian Spirit
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philamike
First Time Cruiser • Age 40s

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Sail Date: Dec 2009
Cabin: Mid-Ship Oceanview Picture Window

After a few cruises on Royal Caribbean, I first sailed NCL on the Norwegian Pearl in 2008 on an eastern Caribbean itinerary, then again on the Pearl in 2009 in Alaska. I was very impressed with the large Pearl, with a multitude of restaurants and services for its 2,400 passengers, so I was eager to try out the smaller Norwegian Spirit in contrast, with only 2,000 passengers. I traveled with a friend -- last year we spent New Year's in Montreal, and we vowed that if we went somewhere this year, it would be someplace warm! We booked an inside guarantee through through Best Price Cruises. After I noticed that the prices went down, I called the agency to inquire about an upgrade -- they were able to confirm an oceanview cabin at no additional charge!

New Orleans & Embarkation

We arrived in New Orleans a day early, and explored the city and ate great food -- muffuletta from the Central Grocery for lunch, Court of Two Sisters for dinner, and Olde Nawlins Cookery for brunch. All three places were excellent. A very short cab ride took us from our downtown hotel to the pier, arriving around 1 p.m. There was a very short line to go through security (about a 5 minute wait), and we were directed to the Latitudes check-in counter, where there was no wait at all. In another five minutes, we were on board and picking up our champagne. (After the trip, I learned that the free welcome champagne was discontinued on January 1 -- nice to know we were among the last to enjoy this perk...)

Cabin Review

Mid-Ship Oceanview Picture Window

Cabin OB

Walls are a bit thin -- we could sometimes hear the toddler in the room next to us. Toilet would leak water onto the floor. They attempted to fix it immediately upon reporting it, but had to come back after it happened again. It was eventually fixed. Otherwise, a great mid-ship cabin.

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