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Excellent cruise but in part because ship was half full

Rio de Janeiro

We chose this cruise for the itinerary.  We are experienced Princess customers with 10 cruises. 

They claim to have the best dining.  We found the dining very good but behind in quality from our experience with Princess.

We never received a post cruise survey email.

Excursion deployment was managed poorly.  Excursion employees struggled with correct English and talked on PA system too fast with accent  to understand.  You had to ask where to go after leaving ship.  No signs or posts showing the excursion number.  It seemed to be turned over to excursion contractors and you are on your own.  

Internet was basic with basic speed.  I purchased the unlimited but they turn it off at 7am on disembarking day.  Seems it should close upon swiping out of the ship.  Many need to check flights before the 8:30 out of the room time.  I guess it’s too bad if you need it.  I felt it was poor service and poor customer relations.  Take your money and then have that inconsiderate policy.

Disembarkation was bad.  You leave the ship and it’s chaos on the dock.  Again, no signs…you have to ask and ask.  Again, you felt released to a contractor.  

Sent on bus to a hotel to wait for airport transfer.  We were piled into a hotel conference room that was hot and the snacks seem to be a surprise.  Also, no access to wifi for those that need to check on travel arrangements.  Once again…released to a contractor.

We ended up taking a taxi to the airport on our own.  There was 200 people in the conference room that were about to fight over the first buses.  Not interested.

It seems the ship has a lot of good going on but these items we consider as failures that could easily be fixed with training and resources.

Nice ship but some things were lacking

Overall my wife and I agreed overall cruise was excellent. The Entertainment really really made the cruise. The Sea Shakers, and Diego Bartolini - the one man band — were so exceptionally good and enjoyable night after night. Blazing Boots was great (hated Kinky Boots on a prior cruise). 

The Spirit is an older ship however recently went thru major renovations and they were top shelf.  Without hesitation I would cruise the Spirit again. A+ on cleanliness, staff friendliness, amenities, balcony cabin. As previously noted the entertainment was excellent and mirrored the average cruiser age playing live music from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s n numerous locations every day. Food was hit and miss - some great meals and some just standard fare. 

Regrettably the departure let us (and many others) with a 10-12 hour airport down time followed by 3 connecting flights. On the day before departure NCL advised would provide transportation, a hotel lobby to wait in, and lunch sent from the ship. Still uncomfortable however KUDOS to NCL. Dispite NCL “stepping up” unfortunately the last minute notice limited everyone’s options that might have been available with 2-3 days prior notice.

We have been on many cruises (Celebrity, NCL, Royal C, Viking, Carnival but I must admit NCL is our favorite.

Great cruise excluding dembarking 

We mainly choose this based on the itinerary.  And we got a great price on it too.  I had read that this was NCL's smallest ship and somewhat geared toward adults.  We found that to be the case. The only time the kids were a problem (and it wasn't really a problem) was that the game room was about the only place for kid activities.  So it was full of them on the sea days.  The itinerary was great except for this weird stop in Kauai.  It just didn't make sense since we docked at 3pm and left at 6am the next morning. All other stops were great.  The ship is smaller but packed full of great places.  They had nightly karaoke; lots of great dance music; and a nice gym and thermal suite (it is expensive tho).  We opted for a penthouse suite and it was wonderful.  Nice and roomy and you get some extra perks with the suites: escorted off the ship at stops, special seating in the showroom, breakfast and lunch in Cagney's steakhouse, and more food brought to our suite than we could eat. Also a welcome bottle of champagne or wine.  We ate in 4 of the specialty dining restaurants.  They were good.  Not great.  As far as the food.  The staff at each of them were superb!  The main dining room Windows was also good but not great. But again, the staff made it wonderful.  The comedy of Vince Acevedo was fantastic.  Just really funny.  The production show was wonderful and the aerialists were amazing.  We felt we got a lot of bang for our buck on this cruise.  Would sail on the Spirit again for sue!

Wonderful ship and staff

Pago Pago

The ship was only at 60% capacity, which made it very comfortable for all onboard. Plenty of space for everyone. Food was great. Would recommend the wine tastings for the at sea days. The shows were very interesting. The excursions that we opted for were all great. The Tastes of Maui was awesome, there were about 7 stops. Food was provided at them all. Not large servings but enough so that you were never hungry. Used the spa at the beginning of the cruise, as a way to work out the kinks from the air plane trips. The wine stewards were very knowledgeable and friendly. As this is the oldest ship in the fleet, it has went through a recent update. All the spaces have been updated. The behind the scenes tour onboard the ship was interesting to my wife and I who are both former sailors. Getting to see the galley areas, engine control room and the bridge made our day.

Great Cruise

We originally chose this cruise in 2019, booked, paid and all, and then the pandemic came and all was cancelled.  We took the offered future credit incentive.  Back then no-one knew what would happen. Being from New Zealand we also faced government obstruction and closed airline travel, but now finally we were able to re-book this cruise.  Despite initial reluctance from NCL to finally honour the credit, they finally agreed to do the right thing and away we go.  .

The ship was very nice from its refurbishment.  We finally were able to visit Hawaii which was great.  The crew were welcoming and obliging.  However it is plain that NCL are determined to make up their pandemic losses, which I suppose is fair enough.  20% gratuities is over the top in my opinion for mediocre service, combined with high prices for almost everything.  Perhaps it was reflected by way of a half full ship.

Entertainment was sparse, but the live shows were high energy and professional.  The only singing and dancing show was repeated.  Magician and comedy guy really good, Hypnotist - average.

Food was largely concocted from "bought in" ingredients, once again to save on staff wages perhaps?

Finally for us we managed to contract covid at the end clearly from someone who cheated at boarding an then shared the loving.  4000 dollars US at the medical centre later.......  Luckily we have comprehensive insurance, but still, a large amount for some antiviral pills.  Suggest people should have to do a rat test on the spot at embarcation to wipe out this kind of cheating.

Cruise Line Still recovering from pandemic

Brisbane

My wife and I really enjoyed the ship.  Excellent food, excellent staff and first rate facilities on board.  The ship is amazingly clean  and the staff is very attentive.  Drawbacks include the use of Coffee Mate in all restaurants instead of real half and half, cabins that are a bit smaller than expected and an interior cabin with much too much furniture inside.  The fold out bed for a 3rd or 4th guest really intrudes on the space needed to get into the main bed.  This fold out bed should be removed and a smaller chair put in its place.

Drink packages are very expensive and decent coffee is only available if you are willing to pay for Starbucks or get the Starbucks package.  Soft drinks / sodas are only available at the bars, so not easy to enjoy while at the buffet.  

The ship feels spacious and there is usually room in all the venues for the customers, with the exception of Henry's pub, which is way too small when they are running Trivia Nights.

Really Nice Ship geared for adults

Trondheim

Overall this was an amazing trip, full of once-in-a lifetime memories with friends and family.  Our family cruises frequently and have cruised on Disney, Royal Caribbean, and NCL.  This was only our second time on NCL and overall we had a wonderful time on the Spirit.  The only downside was that we were traveling with our 14 YO son, and this cruise is definitely not the best for kids or teens - more on that later. 

The Spirit is the oldest in the NCL fleet and I believe it is the smallest.  We thought it was a very nice ship and refurbished very nicely.  Overall, it was clean and the common areas looked high-end.   We particularly liked how the dining rooms all had magnificent views.  You could see the water in almost all of the dining rooms.  I love ships that have a lot of places to look out and see the water.  This one did not disappoint!  The layout is a little weird because of the mid-ship atrium, which causes you to have to take some strange pathways to the dining rooms, but overall not a bother.  We liked the classic feel of this smaller ship and really appreciated that it never felt crowded.  We had no problems getting a table at the buffet  - even during busy times, and we never had an issue getting seated right away at the dinner venues, even with a party of 7.  We had some very nice weather during sea days and had no problems getting a deck chair.  Overall, we really liked this ship and would highly recommend it for couples.  

Now for the downside.  The cabins are SMALL!  We sailed in a midship balcony cabin (Me, husband, and 14 yo son).  This was by far the smallest cabin we have ever had on a cruise and there was pretty much no room when my son's sofa bed was pulled out.  The sofa bed blocked the balcony door, so if I wanted to go out when the bed was pulled out, I had to climb over it.  It also completely blocks the only vanity/desk space in the room.  Unfortunately, NCL has discontinued evening turndown service, so our fantastic cabin steward always put the sofa bed away during our morning service, but we then had to pull it out ourselves and make it when my son was ready to go to bed.  I understand that NCL is trying to save $$ post pandemic by discontinuing the turndown/late service, but I REALLLY missed it!  I love coming back from dinner / evening activities to a clean room, chocolate, towel animal, etc.  If NCL is really trying to position themselves as                  a more high-end option than Carnival and RCI, then they should consider bringing this back.  I did really like how quiet the cabin was.  I didn't hear any noise from neighboring rooms, or above our cabin.  The bathroom refresh was also nice because it included a glass shower door instead of a curtain, which is amazing.  We did think that the cabin had a good amount of storage for the size and we were able to shove our suitcases under the bed, which helped free up the limited space. 

My son was also disappointed at the lack of teen areas / activities on the ship.  We only discovered that the teen/ kids clubs had been removed on this ship after we had made our reservations along with our friends, and it would have been really difficult to change.  It wasn't clear on NCL's website that the kids' club had been removed during the refurbishment.  We even called NCL and the rep told us there was still an Entourage teen club onboard - there wasn't.  We only found this out by watching a youtuber who did a full ship tour.  Even though we spent most days in port, my son was disappointed that there wasn't more to do in the evenings.  He spent most evenings in our crowded cabin watching old movies.  

Overall, I think this cruise is fantastic for adults - the adult areas are amazing and plentiful, but if you're traveling with kids or teens, I would consider another NCL ship, RCI, or Disney.  

Now on to the food, which was fantastic.  We ate at the Italian and French specialty dining and they were both fresh and delicious.  Some of the best cruise food I've had, coming in second only to Palo on the Disney Fantasy.  The included dining was also spectacular and we really enjoyed our meals at Windows and Taste.  We were kind of disappointed in the Asian restaurant, which was mediocre.  The buffet was good enough - it had a pretty good selection and was always clean.  The best thing I had in the buffet were the crepes (yummm!).  The food was far-and-away better than our last cruise on Royal Caribbean.  The specialty drinks were also enjoyable and didn't taste watered down.  The only frustration I had is that you have to request soda from a bar, or a waiter.  Many times I had to wait for the bartender to make numerous complicated cocktails before I could get my diet coke.  It would be so nice if NCL would make it easier for those with the soda package to actually get the soda!  Since most people get the soda package with the Free at Sea package, why not just put a soda fountain in the buffet or pool deck like Disney does? - seems like it would save labor costs too.

The entertainment was just OK.  The theater shows were kind of cheesy and cruise-shippy.  The comedian was fairly funny.  We didn't really mind because we weren't really on the ship for the entertainment, so it wasn't a big deal.  If you're used to the water theater show on Royal, or any of the DCL shows, the entertainment on this ship seems very amateur.  Not a deal-breaker for us though.  I understand that NCL has recently discontinued some of their live entertainment offerings, so hopefully this doesn't get worse.  

The service was also amazing.  Waiters, deck staff, bar tenders, trivia host, room steward, etc.  All friendly, and efficient.  Some of the best service we've had on a cruise. 

Our excursions were  absolutely incredible!! I would recommend the helicopter that lands on the glacier to everyone.  Words cannot describe this experience - totally worth the $$!  We also took the wilderness safari and it was also incredible.  So much amazing scenery.  I think I will be processing all of the beauty for years to come.  

With the caveat that this is not the best cruise for kids and teens, I would highly recommend the NCL Spirit Alaska cruise.  It was truly an amazing experience from beginning to end.

Wonderful Cruise, but no so great for Teens

We went on a cruise to Hawaii last year with NCL Pride of America and loved it even though 1/3 of the restaurants and  facilities were closed due to (Covid) staffing. We had a fantastic cruise and what was open was superb. I cannot say the same about NCL Spirit! Our cabin was ok but clearly not refurbished. The bathroom vanity was cracked with a jagged edge and sticking out, the trash receptacle was broken and the door had pry marks on it. While underway we got a notice that they wanted to come into our room and paint the balcony! We could smell the paint in the hallway and in our cabin! Why was this not done while in port between cruises? Poor management and not what you would expect on a cruise. We looked forward to dining at Cagney`s Steakhouse as our meal onboard the Pride was excellent. Not so on the Spirit. I ordered a Rib Eye steak and got a thin piece of meat that looked like a Chuck Steak but certainly not a Rib Eye and when I said something to our waiter, I was told that was their Rib Eye. Likewise a few days later we went to Le Bistro and had an equally bad diner. The Lobster Thermador was chewy and tasteless. I Know children come on cruises but why are they allowed to run around in the adult night clubs, bumping into you when you are on the dance floor and disrupting the entertainment at 9:30 / 10:00 at night?  Overall we were not happy with the ship or the specialty dining. Alaska is a must see destination and I will go there again, just not on NCL

Disappointed with NCL Spirit

First time on Norwegian but a frequent cruiser.  I've done 32 cruises across other brands, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Virgin, and Avalon for river cruising.  The Spirit is an old ship, but completely gutted and refurbished in 2020 or 2022, depending on who you talk to.  The public spaces and my room appeared fresh and the furnishings are in good condition.

I paid for the ship transfer to and from the ship.  The motor coach was supposed to be at the curb at the airport at 10 a.m. but didn't show up till 11 a.m.   The transfer back to Anchorage was 4 hours and supposed to include one hour at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, but due to poor scheduling, we only got 30 minutes there.  It was more of a bathroom break and stretch your legs stop.

The one excursion I booked directly with the ship was cancelled the day before due to lack of participants.  However, when I booked it before the cruise, I specifically asked and the NCL agent told me that the excursions don't get cancelled because of minimum numbers not being met.  I was left with nothing to do on that day.

The food was truly awful and the worst I've ever had on a cruise.  I'm not a fan of buffets, but sometimes I had to go there because of lack of seats or service in the main dining rooms.  The food lacked freshness and flavor and heavily laden with oil.  Even the pizza was inedible with canned tomato sauce and tasteless crust.  Who can't make a decent pizza?  The only decent meal was in Le Bistro, and I only went there once as a part of the Free at Sea package.  If I didn't have it included, I wouldn't have paid $87 for it.  Their specialty dining only allows you one appetizer, one soup or salad, one entree, and one dessert.  That's it!  Other cruise lines let you order whatever you'd like with no restrictions.  The dining service was very slow and there was no table service for drink orders.  You have to get your own drinks from the bars.  

At least once a day, my meal was not prepared correctly.  I made no special requests.  I ordered straight from the menu, but then the dish comes to me with missing items.  A cobb salad with no egg, croutons, and the wrong kind of cheese.  I ordered juice with breakfast, but they forget it, and it's impossible to flag someone down.  Watery oatmeal, eggs ordered over easy and arrive with broken yolks.  The chicken flautas come with avocado cream sauce, but it's really just a spritz as a garnish; forgot the tomatoes and just got a fried flour tortilla with a tiny bit of shredded chicken on the inside.

Their ridiculous Free at Sea basic beverage package does NOT include bottled water or coffee.  You get beer, wine, spirits, juice (not fresh squeezed), and soda.  If you want bottled water, it's $5 apiece.  I brought my own water bottle with a filter and Starbucks Via packets to make good coffee.  There's a Starbucks on board, but it's not included in the package.

The nightly shows were good, but the daytime music throughout the ship was uninteresting and boring.  The magician, Jackson Rayne, was very entertaining, as was the Elements show.

I had an inside cabin and the bed had a big divot in the middle, so back pain was a morning annoyance even with extra pillows to fill the hole.  The A/C and plumbing worked fine and the shower had good pressure with hot water.

The stateroom attendant was very pleasant, friendly and respected my privacy when I did not want service.  However, the rest of the staff throughout the ship were robotic, not smiling, not personable, and just generally had an "I don't care" attitude.

I would have given this cruise a 1 star, but I was happy that, at least on this ship, there was a solo cruiser gathering every night at 6 p.m., and there was always a good turnout of other solos with whom to chat.  The cruise director, Corey, led the gathering.  I found this refreshing, as other cruise lines completely ignore solo travelers and have zero recognition or activities for us.

Terrible Food & Service-Avoid the Spirit!

I am remiss that I have not sailed an Alaskan inside passage cruise before but I will definitely book this cruise again. Loved sailing out of Vancouver. Very easy to navigate in the city and take the water ferry to Granville Market if you can. Such a great place to visit. 

Boarding the ship was easier than expected. Advice, bring your global entry card and board early to skip the crowd. Got to explore the ship, store some of my luggage extras in my cabin. 

This was a beautiful sailing from port to port with snow capped mountains, waterfalls, and the occasional glacier while slicing by on a smaller ship. Ports of call were great - this depends on the quality of excursion choices that you make.

Ship: Superb...fantastic renovations by NCL - everything worked, everything updated, what more can you ask for?

Crewmembers: So nice and helpful. Not a single negative issue.

Food: Sublime, Had Cagneys, Le Bistro and Onda for specialty dinning. Better than I had on the Escape but it could be the size of the ship. I find smaller ships have better taste. Could be me.

Entertainment: Mostly hung out in Spinnaker Lounge and did not partake a lot in shows. Danced a bit but mostly went to bed earlier to catch the early morning excursions.

Family: while there were kids on the ship, this is not the ship for families with small/young children, no kids club.

Gym: Adequate - saw a whale

Bucket List Cruise! 

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