This was my first cruise and I really wanted to take my parents away for my mom's birthday. We were skeptical of how the trip would be since this is a small older ship. We were pleasantly surprised, the ship looks great with the renovations, the room was lovely and perfect for a short 5 day itinerary. We really enjoyed the food at the palace and crossings! We had the premium beverage package and it was great, never had an issue with any drinks. All the ports were great, but the weather in Freeport (Grand Bahama) wasn't very good and for that reason our excursion (swimming with the pigs) wasn't worth it. Though we can't blame NCL for the weather. Sadly our final port, and the one we were most excited about, was great stirrup cay was cancelled due to the 10ft swells, so we were unable to tender. We were so upset, as we were all so excited for the day ashore. We understood that safety must come first, and that NCL would prefer us on the island making them money, but it put a damper on the end of the trip. Overall we were impressed with all the things to do on board the whole cruise, the room stew was so attentive, and the food amazing. Read Less

Received quite a good deal when booking from the UK with less than 3 weeks to go. Online booking process very easy and straightforward. Having cruised with Celebrity in the past, who we love, we were looking forward to trying another cruise line. The ship; -Very well refurbished -Although smaller - seemed ample space for everyone -Layout can be a bit tricky at times but really not that much of a problem -Staff could do a better job ensuring public areas are well stocked (especially at the moment with the coronavirus) The Cabin; (balcony 9250) -Lovely decor -Very clean -No tea/coffee maker (we were told by NCL prior to cruise there would be one - once onboard guest services said they don't put them in balcony cabins and didn't know why we were told we would have one) -On the smaller side -All in all a lovely cabin Dining; -Food is a bit hit and miss, main dining room sometimes food was very tasty and hot, other times it was average and barely warm -Waiting staff hit and miss again, at times very slow and inattentive service -Le Bistro & Cagneys very nice.. worth the speciality dining package Entertainment; - one band - D'revelation were absolutely amazing, could sit and listen to them all day. -Always seemed to be plenty on the programme Service; -Unfortunately this is were NCL fall short, there are some amazing staff members however the vast majority seem disinterested and can barely manage a smile Ports/shore ex; -As expected, can't comment on excursions as didn't book any. -Disappointed we didn't get to Great Stirrup Cay as a result of the weather but totally understand safety comes first, so no fault of NCL. Travelled as a couple and have to say although had an average experience, this probably wouldn't deter us from NCL in the future and it certainly didn't spoil the holiday. Read Less

My family and I were on the 5-day Caribbean cruise to Key West, Nassau, Great Stirrup Cay and Grand Bahamas travelling on the Norwegian Sky. We returned on January 29 of this year. I just wanted to share some of our overall impressions of this cruise. The day we boarded in Miami, the registration process was straightforward and because we arrived early, it didn’t take too long. We found out later though, that the room card for my youngest child was not linked to my credit card, which caused us much grief later when I had to stand in a long line at customer service several times to find someone who gave us the correct information about how to do that. After we boarded, we joined the crowd at the buffet for lunch, our first introduction to the ship. We met the fellow making individual ice cream cones to order. It was a got day (we left from Miami) and he was sweating quite a bit, but he was using his gloved hand and the paper hat he was wearing to wipe the sweat from the top of his head. He continued to scoop up the ice cream without washing his hands– no thanks, we were not in the mood for ice cream after that! I was really surprised that a ship that took the time to have staff spray passengers’ hands with hand sanitizer as soon as we entered the dining room would allow staff to ignore proper hygiene like that. In general, the food on the cruise was “meh” at best. The breakfast buffet had the same selection every day. There were 2 separate lines for the indoor dining buffet to grab food, and many times each line ran out of food whether it was the bacon, waffles or some other item. Unbelievably the pancakes actually made noise when they were banged on a plate, yes, they were that overdone. We tried all of the complimentary restaurants on the boat, but we never did get a decent (and by decent I mean flavourful) meal. That was really disappointing because one of the benefits of a cruise is to try different types of food. I have been on other cruise lines (Royal Caribbean and Carnival) and both offered many, many more activities on their ships than we had on the Norwegian Sky. There was one trivia game in the morning, one in the afternoon and that was it for daytime activities with no activies on the pool deck itself. No dance contest, no “hairy chest” contest or any of the funny activities offered by others. They did have a live band for 30 minutes in the afternoon but that was it. Because the Sky was an older ship, a free beverage package was offered. A word of warning for people purchasing this package on the day of the cruise, the basic beverage package does not include a 20% tip for every drink. There is a beverage plus package that can be purchased at the time of boarding, but that is $128 US per person and that also does not include the 20% tip surcharge. We purchased a beverage plus package well in advance of the cruise and I called Norwegian a few times before the cruise left to make sure we would not have any additional charges (we read the warnings on CruiseCritic). We were assured that there wouldn’t be any other charges when we ordered alcoholic drinks. Well, imagine our surprise when we found out a few days into the cruise that there was a “tax” applied while in the US (while we were in Miami and Key West). We also found out – a few drinks into another cruise day – that this “tax” also applied in Great Stirrup Cay as well! The amounts were not huge, but I hate it when I ask a specific question and I am lied to, so be warned! I will also mention that we did not have good luck with our cabin steward. One of our staterooms had no toilet paper for 2 days. If we brought food back to our cabin, there were days when the dirty cutlery and napkins were left behind. In fact, in one of our rooms they were still there the day we checked out. All in all this was the first cruise we were happy to go home, while we had fun as a family, our fun had nothing to do with the cruise. We spend a lot of money for a 2 out of 5 experience. I definitely will not be cruising with NCL again. Read Less

This is our 2nd NCL cruise and have been greatly satisfied with both cruises. Was looking to visit Key West on our own but when we saw this cruise went there, we booked this. The value for this trip is amazing. Embarkation and disembarkation went very smoothly. especially since you leave on a Friday and come back on a Wednesday avoiding the weekend traffic. The ship is a smaller ship but it is very easy to get around. We had an oceanview cabin on the 8th floor and it was a great location and the room was very cozy. We were very happy with the room. It would have made sense though for NCL to have a full length mirror in room for people to get dressed. Le Bistro and Cagneys restaurants were our favorite nights of dining. Food at the palace and crossings were ok but nothing special. We loved that they have a restaurant on the top deck on back of the ship. So you can eat and watch as you pull in or out of ports. Entertainment was great during the 6 days, Lots of activities just like larger ships. Key west was great and you can do everything by foot. NCL own island was pretty nice as well (recommend doing the waverunners tour) if you don't do an excursion then its just a beach day. Blue lagoon is very nice w/Segway at Nassau Bahamas. Did Viator excursion gold rock beach and caverns, worth checking out. Beach is amazing. We were extremely please with the whole trip. Served its purpose, we wanted a relaxing trip to escape the cold north and that's what we got. Would definitely do it again. Read Less

The staff on the sky are amazing. I don't know if it's because it is a smaller ship or because we always tip if we are brought our drinks but after the first day they remembered my husband's and my name. We ate in the main dining room most evening and the food was what we expected. Nothing really wowed me but it was a decent meal. I love how they redid the bliss lounge, such a comfortable area to watch some great shows, dancing with the staff and the newly wed not so newlywed shows were my favorite. Our room steward Lawrence was always there if we needed anything and even brought us a bottle of champagne for my birthday. So far this is my favorite ship, I never felt over crowded like on the bigger ships. I even got a lounger right by the pool several days. The only show we saw was the comedian and we went to his adult only show. He was funny without being to raunchy. Read Less

5 Day cruise for my husband's 50th birthday. Thought we would try NCL because of the cost and dates we wanted to cruise. Itinerary wasn't a concern because we had to been to all the stops except NCL's private island. We have sailed on Carnival, RC, Princesses and Celebrity so we have experienced several different lines. Arrived at the port a hour later than boarding time and had no issues boarding the ship. It was an older ship that had been refurbished, but still showing some age. Carpet and those type items looked nice but doors, closets and the original items need some TLC. We had an ocean view and it was small compared to other ships we had been on. Not too much room for clothing, we talked to one couple that said they were just going to work out of their suitcases. We were in room 4211 and something made noise all night when the ship was rocking and when we docked we had terrible noises. If you are a light sleeper avoid that room. Seemed to have some plumbing. One day the smell was terrible and a couple days had a fan drying the carpet, but it never gave us any problems in the cabin. Food was just ok, Never had anything that I thought was so good I wanted another. Public areas seemed crowded with furniture. Like they tried to seat more people that the area was designed for initially. The main purpose for our cruise was just spending time together so all the other things were not a deal breaker. As the saying goes "I've never been on a bad cruise, just some are better than others". Debarking was a breeze. But avoid the Hop on Hop Off tour in Miami. It was very unorganized. Read Less

This was my first ever cruise. I read a ton of reviews leading up to the sail date so I figured I would contribute as well, because I found them helpful! After reading the reviews, and knowing what we paid, I went onto the trip with the expectation that it was a budget friendly trip. I had no expectations of luxury and my expectations were met. This is not a bad thing! But as a first time cruiser you hear stories of these impressive ships with unbelievable food and service and being "wowed". So I held out a little hope for that wow experience but just know before you book that this is indeed a budget, not luxury, ship. A few things to note: - Drinks were great. I was happily surprised at the number of craft cocktails and the care that went into making them. Loved my mojito at the Sugarcane Mojito bar. - Food was good but not outstanding. I definitely wouldn't complain about it and I loved our meal at Cagney's and Le Bistro. - I'm sure this is true to all cruises, but I found it annoying to swipe your card for absolutely everything you need and all the nickel and dime-ing and service fees. I have been to a lot of all inclusives where you just wear the wrist band and I like that better I think. Not a deal breaker, just something I wasn't prepared for going on a cruise. - Grand Bahama stop was pretty bad. Might have been our fault for choosing the all inclusive beach excursion. We chose this because our Great Stirrup Cay stop was cancelled because of high winds. We wanted some beach time but did not think this was worth it. May be better to do some research and explore Freeport and the beaches on your own. The drive from Freeport to the beach was incredibly industrial and a bit sad due to devastation. The "Beach Club" itself was a makeshift building on a small parcel of beach. The food was not great and the drinks were so sugary. It was extremely windy which obviously they can't control but we couldn't go in the water. The beach chairs were plastic Adirondack chairs so not loungers. All that being said, if there is any time that Grand Bahama needs the tourists it's now. It is a good thing that NCL still makes this stop even if it was not our favourite. Overall we still had a wonderful, fun trip but more so because we went with our best friends with no kids and not because of Norwegian, the ship or the excursions If you are looking for a short getaway with lots of great drinks and a ton of food, then this is great! Just set your expectations going into it and you won't be disappointed! Read Less

I got this cruise for less than $600 (incl. fare, taxes, port charges, and gratuity--AND premium beverage package) for a solo traveller. Embarkation and disembarkation were quick and easy. Inside cabin was perfect; slightly larger than expected. I've travelled on the Norwegian Jade, and two Carnival ships. I thought the food was not quite as good as any of my previous cruises. The food wasn't bad; just not particularly good. Strip steak in the main dining room was undercooked (almost raw) every time I ordered it (three nights). Entertainment was ok: the comedian Keith Bender and magician Jessica Jane were pretty entertaining, but again nothing to write home about. If you're a non-smoker, you'll probably appreciate that there are very limited smoking sections on the ship (the casino in the evenings, and the deck 12 open-air "Champs" bar. The only place to smoke a cigar is Champs. No cigars in the casino.) Considering the low price, I have no complaints. Read Less

I was in 4219, the ocean view stateroom was fairly nice, minus the stained orange rather then grey carpet and broken chips on the sink area of what looked like someone tried carving into it with a sharp object, likely a knife. The person who tidied my room Kept it such except I didn’t like how he always left the toilet seat up and open. On a ship that moves and rocks I felt that was unhygienic. He also, when cleaning moved my stuff around and I am type one personality and very clean and minimalist and don’t leave things messy or out. He through out my water bottle at one point and a tiny pill bottle with, pills I had in it which, was super annoying. The food in buffet and poolside area was always hamburgers and hotdogs and a trio of pasta salads never changing the entire 5 days. Breakfast in the garden cafe was chaos and would run out of everything immediately, no coffee, no milk for coffee or cereal, no eggs, no fruit, no bacon, etc. Ate at the two restaurants requiring reservations that were complimentary and the food was very good in both. I ate at these two restaurants rotating daily as, the buffet got old fast being hamburgers, hot dogs and occasionally pizza. The service in the restaurants that you have to reserve that were complimentary started out with great service but by mid cruise took a steep decline. When walking the cruise ship, I’d often get smells of raw sewage and noticed many doors were bloated as though there had been a flood or water issue, also noticed staining from water on carpets in the halls. The odour was terrible and got progressively worse throughout the 5 day cruise. The people in the shops were lovely, the kindest on the ships. The entertainment crew were hot or miss as was the entertainment. The comedian was great, didn’t care for the magician, the stage acts of rock and roll and things of that sort seemed amateur at best but, killed a night as, what else would there be to do. The casino reeked of cigarette and what was the worst is, you have to walk through it to get anywhere on the ship so, that sucked. The entire ship was actually laid out that you have to walk through bars, casinos and shops to always get to your destination which, is a great way to have them have people with no will power to spend money but, people who don’t have that issue and don’t like cigarette, it’s an issue. All the stops on the way were beautiful. I did an excursion every cruise and loved every one. When walking back to the cruise in the Bahamas, the port area stunk like urine and was very rough, to say the least. Don’t care to go back. On Great Stirrup Caye I was really looking forward to doing the wave runner and it was canceled due to high winds which, was disappointing but, they promptly put the credit back on my account. The cruise ship had water issues all throughout the cruise. It was actually turned off 2x with no prior warning and no information as to how long or when it would be turned back on. This was annoying to everyone so it seemed and the staff were equally annoyed as, every interaction I seen with guests asking about the water they were responded too rudely. The last night coming back from Stirrup Caye greasy and salty from a day at the beach and not having water, wasn’t fun. The cruise I took with NCL Sky was a 5 day to the Bahamas from Miami and, it was offered at great prices but, with that being said, it brought cheap and trashy people aboard. There were people over drinking everywhere, vomiting in garbages and falling. The Newlywed show got cxld mid show as a couple were too drunk and arguing with the audience and the girl got up and fell because she was waaaaaay to drink which, should have been noted on the entertainment staff before picking them and a disappointment as, I look forward to that show. Also, during mr. sexy legs there was 20 young frat like guys and, when describing pool side what their ideal women was, with kids around, made me cringe, extremely unclassy and dreadful. At one point there was a girl so drunk she was trying to go back to her room and just, couldn’t. I seen her struggling and, she was every attractive and seen two guys offer to assist her. Their intentions were sinister and I could tell immediately so, I pointed at them and my eyes and told them if that girl gets assaulted or makes a complaint of any kind, I remember what you both look like and the two bolted. Where was security and why was this girl along, with many of the above not cut off with alcohol? Would I recommend this cruise again, no. I wanted to see more of the Bahama and glad I did but, I didn’t like the layout of the Sky and the type of guests they had on this cruise. The raw stench of sewage was terrible and the buffet was lack lustre. Read Less

We sailed Jan 6-10 2020 on the short 4 day Bahamas Cruise. For the price paid was excellent value. We ate mainly in the Palace dining room service was very good as well as food selection. I had an inside cabin category 1D it was the smallest cabin I have ever had on my many cruises but I was alone so was OK. Entertainment was good, casino slots didn’t pay! Ate at the Le Bistro specialty restaurant the food was not great and overpriced. Was a fun cruise with great staff! Embarkation and debarkation were quick and efficient. Pizza for lunch at L.A. Cucina was excellent. I have sailed on most cruise lines and the Skyndid not disappoint. BEWARE BEWARE in Nassau do not visit the Tresor Rare store on Bay Street. They are selling knockoff high end cosmetic treatment creams. Heavy sales tactics targeted at older women! BEWARE BEWARE! Read Less

My partner and I decided to go on a 4 day Bahamian Norwegian Sky Cruise. It was a first time experience for both of us experiencing Norwegian, and I honestly would give it 3 out of 5 stars. Rooms: We stayed in stateroom #4015. DO NOT PICK THIS ROOM (if you are on Norwegian Sky and like to sleep). There is a disturbingly loud mechanical croaking noise that occurred constantly throughout the night underneath us. I am guessing, it was a part of the ship that was making the noise. Apart from the noise, the room itself was not bad. The bathrooms are a little tight, but it's expected. WARNING: The water temperature of the shower gets extremely hot, really fast. (Be careful). The cleanliness of the room was up to par, and we had daily cleaning services by very helpful staff. Staff: Although our room had noise disturbances, the staff was nothing more than accommodating to our situation. From the moment we voiced our concern, the Guest Services Staff was quick to respond and made the proper accommodations/adjustments necessary. BIG SHOUT OUT TO Alyssa (Guest Services) who was phenomenal, and Frankie (Head Security) who was helpful. Food/Drinks: There is an array of places to have food. It was all pretty tasty and presentable. The only downside was that there are no microwaves in the room, so if you take food to go, you will not be able to heat it up, unless you walk all the way back to the main dining area. UNLIMITED DRINK PACKAGE was a must! It made the experience more enjoyable to not have to keep track of your spending on alcoholic beverages. SPECIALTY DINING is something that isn't necessary, but if you would like a change of scenery than La Cucina was decent and staff friendly. Also "The Palace" and "Crossing" are nice places to dine. Entertainment: Overall was enjoyable. We tried a variety of activities such as Pool Parties, Trivia/Game Shows, Comedy and more. Definitely take advantage of them. Overall, the experience was nice but could have gone a bit smoother in certain areas. Read Less

My boyfriend and I chose this cruise as an affordable and convenient way to vacation in the Bahamas for my birthday weekend. Despite all of the mixed reviews, we had a wonderful time and without hesitation I'd recommend NCL and/or this itinerary to anyone looking for a nice getaway. We boarded the ship at 12:00pm on Friday January 3rd which was the earliest time guests could embark. Embarkation was quick and convenient and we left our luggage with an employee before boarding the ship. We decided to have lunch at the buffet and cocktails from the pool bar which was a nice way to begin our weekend trip. We also pre-paid for the premium drink package which was well worth the money as we did not have to worry about getting a large bill at the end of our trip. It is worth mentioning that while in port, we were responsible for paying port tax which we did get billed for at the end of our trip. It was not much but still worth noting since you do get charged tax for every drink you order while in port. We spent the remainder of our afternoon lounging by the pool and enjoyed listening to the band play music until sail away. Our experience on our first day allowed us to relax and explore the ship at our own leisure. Friday night we had dinner in the dining room and had the pleasure of chatting with the Maitre d' Krystle. She greeted us at our table and we asked her about the ship's many features since it was our first time on the ship and my boyfriend's first cruise. She was very friendly, informative, and attentive to our needs during our meal. When it was time to order dessert, my boyfriend and I each ordered our own desserts (bananas foster for me and a s'mores brownie for him) and then were surprised with a chocolate lava cake and delicious gelato which was the special dessert of the evening. The gelato was so delicious and was a nice way to end my birthday dinner. After dinner we attended the "Welcome Aboard" show, listened to the comedian, and then headed to the lounge to watch the ship's version of Dancing with the Stars. I have never laughed so hard while watching fellow passengers dance with the ship's dancers. After the show we went to the mojito bar which is an absolute must! I ordered a delicious raspberry guava mojito and we watched the couples salsa dance. I thoroughly enjoyed the different nightlife options as we were able to experience multiple entertainment options in the same evening. Saturday morning we woke up early and had breakfast in the dining room. Service was a bit slow but we enjoyed our meal. We then went to the lounge to obtain our number for the tender boat so that we could visit Great Stirrup Cay; NCL's private island. The process of getting on the tender boat was a little time consuming but mostly because other passengers on line did not have their photo IDs despite multiple reminders from the employees. This caused a number of passengers to get off line and return to their state rooms to get their IDs. Once we got on the tender boat, it was only a ten minute boat ride to the private island. Upon arrival we were amazed by the beauty of the ocean and the beach and I really felt like I stepped in to paradise. There were plenty of amenities and a beach right when you arrive but of course that area was the most crowded. I suggested we walk a bit further so that we could relax on the beach with some quiet and privacy. If you like to snorkel, you can definitely bring your own and snorkel right off the beach. There were also floats available to rent for about $15 each. Of course I had to stop to take some pictures and get a pina colada from the Bacardi bar! The beach was immaculate and the bar was only a short walk away. We enjoyed mahi sandwiches and ceviche for lunch. All meals were included and drinks were free if you had the premium drink package like we did. After lunch we decided to visit the beach closest to the tender boat area so that we could get the most of our beach time before we had to leave. The last tender was at 4:30 so we decided to board around 3:30 to avoid the last minute rush. It is worth mentioning that there was a lot of trash left behind by guests and there were no beach servers or employees walking around cleaning up while we were there. We were disheartened by that and wish that other guests cleaned up after themselves like we did. When we got back on the boat we decided to hang by the pool and listen to the band until sail away. We then walked around the ship and explored our different dinner options. We decided to eat in the other dining room and had a very enjoyable experience yet again. Our server was attentive and I decided to order multiple appetizers instead of a main course. The corn chowder was delicious! After dinner we visited the mojito bar again and I ordered the pineapple & coconut mojito. Yum! We then visited the pool deck for the glow party where we dressed in all white and danced the night way. The party was so fun and the music was great! After the glow party we visited the lounge and listened to some more music before retiring for the evening. Sunday was our day in Nassau and we were up early to make the most of the day. The weather was warm but very windy. We had plans of visiting Cable Beach which is accessible either by the local bus or taxi. Upon arrival at port, passengers have to walk through Nassau's straw market which can be a bit overwhelming with vendors, tour companies, etc. so I recommend that you have a plan before getting off the boat if you decide to venture in Nassau on your own. There were also 5 or 6 other cruise ships in port which meant thousands of people were walking through the same area as we were. We walked a few blocks and were able to hire a taxi on our own. It was about $20 for a private cab ride to Cable Beach and we spent a few hours relaxing on the beach there despite the wind. After the beach we visited Fish Fry which is an area that has a few small seafood/bbq restaurants that was recommended by the cab drivers. We had delicious conch fritters, salad, and jerk chicken and then made our way over to Senor Frogs before it was time to leave around 4:00pm. Senor Frogs is an absolute blast but probably not the best choice for families/small children. When we got back on the ship we once again decided to relax by the pool and listen to the band during sail away. Watching the boat leave Nassau during sunset was gorgeous! Due to the weather the boat was rocking a bit but I was prepared with medication for motion sickness and it appeared other passengers were prepared as well. Upon arrival to our guest room we realized we had an amenity of chocolate covered strawberries sent to us from Krystle, the Maitre d' we met on Friday night. We were so surprised that she thought of us and decided to have dinner in the dining room that evening so we could thank her for her thoughtfulness. A small gesture like that really makes guests feel like the ship's hospitality is top-notch. Our dinner was delicious and I ordered the cream of asparagus soup, spaghetti puttanesca, and gelato for dessert. My boyfriend ordered the steak with chimichurri and a souffle for dessert and enjoyed his meal as well. After dinner we went to the "adults only" comedy show which was fun. We called it an early night after the show because we knew we'd be up early Monday morning to disembark the ship. Sadly no visit to the mojito bar on our last night! On Monday morning we chose to take our own luggage off the ship which was actually quite convenient since we could get off no later than 9:30-10:00AM and we didn't have to worry about searching for our luggage. We had breakfast at the buffet on the pool deck and then waited about a half hour to go through customs and get off the ship. I was impressed to see the Cruise Directors and Assistant General Manager greeting and thanking all guests while getting off the ship. I made sure to tell them all how much I enjoyed the cruise and how wonderful our trip was. They were appreciative of the kind feedback. As someone who works in the hospitality industry, I was very impressed by the all of the employees we interacted with; from our Room Steward Jacob to the Assistant General Manager and Cruise Directors.. The service was always attentive and prompt and the ship's staff really do go above and beyond to provide a memorable experience. Read Less

Overall average food and entertainment. Often we did not receive the daily schedule and We did not receive the final instructions for last day Nor the final bill. We needed to make several trips to guest services to obtain info. The First night the toilet wouldn’t flush. We later found out there was an issue impacting most of the rooms on the deck. However, the toilets were working the next day mid-morning. Also the last day of the cruise the toilet failed to flush again. Good staff except cabin the steward ( two towels were provided sometimes even though there were three people occupying the cabin). Leaving the shop was quicker than I expected, and was very organized. One day an excursion day was cancelled due to rough seas so we ended up in the library playing monopoly in the library- very nice setup. Overall I would consider this line again expecting an average experience. Read Less

I had booked this cruise in early August for my daughters birthday in December. The original itinerary was Miami, Freeport, Nassau and Great Stirrup Caye. I booked 2 cabins for myself and my daughter and her boyfriend (both 22 yrs old), I have completed many cruises on Royal Caribbean and Norwegian but this for me was just dreadful!! After hurricane Dorian damaged Grand Bahama Island in Oct 2019 Norwegian revised this 4 night itinerary to skip Freeport and included a “day at sea” instead. We departed from Miami on Dec 16th and literally cruised around at trolling speed following 2 or 3 other cruise ships in a circle for the next day and a half. Thankfully the weather was warm and sunny but I question why Norwegian didn’t take us to their private island or Key West on the 17th instead of trolling around offshore of Nassau for a wasted day??? I’m sure passengers would have referred to be doing activities on their island instead of watching cruise ships going around in circles all day. I didn’t book this cruise to have a day at sea between Miami and Nassau (all of 150 miles apart). We arrived in Nassau on the 18th along with 5 other enormous cruise ships who all disembarked passengers at the same time 8am. It was chaos on the pier and in the cruise ship terminal with people trying to find their island excursion guides and others just trying to get through the building into town. 6 cruise ships with 2000 people avg disembarking = 12,000 people all getting off between 8am and 830am. The cruise lines should coordinate disembarkation in Nassau knowing the constraints of the dock size area!!! The weather turned ugly on the afternoon of the 18th and the captain advised they could not depart Nassau to take us to Great Stirrup Cay (Norwegian’s private island) because of thunderstorms in the area. As the weather deteriorated we remained on board, with the deck doors locked (admittedly we wouldn’t have gone outside in rain and wind anyway...but) while the entertainment staff shifted gears for another night in port. Dec 19th weather was still raining so the ship remained in Nassau in port along with 3 other cruise ships who also did not depart the prior night. I commend the staff for spinning on a dime and being able to create a whole new itinerary for another unscheduled rainy port day, but Nassau was basically shut down for the 2nd day. On a sunny day Nassau is hard to take. Constant hustling by retail vendors, overpriced goods, very expensive food in restaurants (food is mediocre at best). Having to spend another full day there was extremely disappointing. On top of this local authorities do not allow the casinos to remain open during port, so the gambling and prize related games were not available while we sat in port for 2 days. My daughter chose this cruise itinerary as she desperately wanted to swim with the pigs which I had booked for them at Great Stirrup Caye. With the ship staying in Nassau the excursion was cancelled and the whole point of us coming on this cruise was washed away with the torrential rain outside. We departed Nassau at 4pm on the 18th for the return journey to Miami and the seas were rough. The ship pitched from port to starboard like being on a ride and for those who cruise regularly this may not be such a big deal but it wasn’t pleasant for 24 hours non stop. One positive comment was the food in the main dining rooms was good. The buffet was medicore but you get what you pay for. Cheap cruise = cheap food. The ship staff are very friendly and well trained. The cabins are clean and tidy. I would NOT recommend this cruise to anyone regardless of the cheaper price. I’m pretty sure first time cruisers would have been disappointed - my daughter is now saying she won’t go on another cruise. It takes ONE BAD TRIP to ruin someone’s perspective. So our 4 day cruise around the Bahamas turned into a 4 day cruise from Miami to Nassau in bad weather. We never made it to the other 2 ports. Not worth the $$$ with all the surcharges, cost of drinks and excursions. SKIP IT!!! Read Less

Booked this one because airfare and transport was included with all the other free at sea offers. A lot different from my past cruises on Norwegian, less information and features than I was used to. I probably would not book this one again for a while. Nassau wasn’t a great place to be, kind of a sad atmosphere. The comedian show was 2 out of 5. Key west was a fun stop, and a nice spot for a warm day in December. The great stirrup cay was also a good beach day. The taco bar lunch was a nice change. Overall the food options were excellent. Cagneys steak house is always a 5/5 and the steak did not disappoint. Grilled calamari was also excellent. The new Norwegian brand wines were very good. The service wasn’t great, the deck 7 martini bar smelled like vomit every day, however the bartender Stacy was very nice and apologetic about it. The local bar and grill was disappointing, no one there to take orders. O’Sheehans is a much better 24/7 option on other boats. Read Less

My perspective: Single young male no kids, looking for good blackjack, dancing, maybe younger singles groups to meet people my age. Not too picky on room nor food. Novice cruiser. A bit nerdy. I do not smoke nor drink. Overall 3.6 out of 5, rounded to 4/5. 1. Service. +Excellent staff (++). 2nd Engineer (Propulsion?) took time to tell me about ship as I am a nerd (+). Solo Traveller Leader danced with me for a few hours (+)... crowd was mostly too lame to dance and mostly just sat with drink package at Bliss club or pool deck - not NCL's fault. Personal Shopper and Bartenders very friendly (+) (even though I do not buy stuff nor drink alcohol). Guest Services knew my name and family's names (+). Room Steward for my mom and Aunt's room was very attentive to their security on day 1 - when I was trying to get in their room alone to drop off bags from embarkation (when they were eating), steward politely checked to see if I knew the occupants, my name, and their names (+). He paid enough attention that even on first day only females were in room (+). Stirrup Cay snorkel manager gave excellent brief to find underwater statues and avoid stepping on stingrays (+). NCL app kept losing wifi on phone (-) but may have been because my phone was old (Crapple IPhone 5s) however the communication package was only 5$ (+). Mandatory Deck 6 Day 1 safety brief to muster at lifeboats conducted in unpleasantly hot Florida sun on Starboard side for me for about 45 minutes... seriously folks, for those tourists only knowing snow, standing and sweating in the direct hot FL sun for about an hour shoulder to shoulder with other guests is the equivalent of someone up north wearing a bikini in -10 degrees F with 30 mph wind chill... it's not fun (-). I CANNOT stress enough how professional and polite the staff was (+). And the ship was VERY clean, no sickness from anyone I saw. Porters armed with hand sanitizer in plant-spray bottles lined the halls offering a spray to anyone with the endearing note of "washy-washy?" 2. Dining. Sushi should be part of buffet (-) not a la carte. Pizza was free for limited times (-). Breakfast served until 1230 (+) for late nappers. Sit down restaurants had good food (+) but be prepared to wait up to 90 minutes for it at some times. Dessert was limited unless guests enjoy ice cream (-). Very hardworking kitchen staff, always cleaning or working (+). A few good Indian dishes served with a good spice level (+). 3. Cabin. Slept like a rock, very quiet even though close to kids' arcade and activities; barely heard them running down hall (+). Mid ship can feel engine when moving at night at 25 knots (I do not get seasick, but some might). Bring ginger aboard as needed. Mini fridge allows aloe storage for emergency sunburn remedy (+). Decent size, although some may find it too small. Shower pod was small but had very good hot water (had to guess for temperature, finding 11 o'clock to be ideal temp for me). Drying rack-string did not work in room (-) but dehumidifier and air conditioning was very good, and I like it cold-I would say the room was a comfortable 69 degrees F (+). Safe was good, easy to program and had little LED light, but only big enough to fit about nine fists' full of stuff (+). 4. Entertainment. Movies in Sugarcane theater by day: Captain Marvel (-), Spider-Man, and Crazy Rich Asians; no interest but may appeal to others. Surprised no live theater during Sea Day on Day 3 (-). World-Class Juggler was excellent, saw two musicals with themes on 60's-70's music, Motown, and dancing (+). Casino was very bad overall, minimum 10$ for blackjack or anything else... I've played at other casinos that had lower minimums (should be 1$ to 3$) and games last much longer (- -). Smokers are not NCL's fault, but wow they need a smoker's gambling area as the smoke is enough to stagger a non-smoker (myself). Bingo was very bad; for the big drawing the caller goes very fast and actively tries to distract the players with irrelevant information (-). "How to Run a Cruise Ship" event was awesome, got to meet senior engineer, cruise director, director of hospitality, and even the captain. Virtual tour of bridge and engineering was good but diminished by fact that guests could not schedule a guided private tour or something. Senior crew was VERY knowledgeable. Took intense pride in providing relief to Bahamas after Dorian (like 100 pallets of supplies per trip to the islands when they needed it). They fielded dozens of questions expertly and I felt comfortable in their decades of naval expertise. Solo traveler group was all retirees, which is fine for some, but not for me (-). Nearly all younger people my age were married. Recommendation is for cruise to have age-bracketed solo traveler group. 5. Embarkation. If you got priority, MAKE SURE to mention to staff so you can circumvent lines. Luggage delivered later in day but in perfect condition and to correct rooms (+). Be advised if you have valuables to keep them on you as your bags will be sitting in the hall until you secure them. As usual, if you can, pack as light as possible - personal opinion but experience from many other forms of travel. 5a. Disembarkation. Relatively painless, although PRIORITY DOES NOT get you off the ship faster, so that 99$ does not cover it. 6. Excursions. Stirrup Cay staff is as good as the excellence demonstrated by shipboard. PRIORITY DOES NOT get you off nor back on ship faster (-). Be prepared to wait in a long line, although it moved within 30 minutes with the two tenders. 7. Would I go again? Probably not on this cruise in particular as the age group was too senior for dancing (not NCL's fault), the casino was very bad (- -), and I was hoping for more live entertainment. There should have been age-bracketed solo traveler groups with 20 year intervals. The food was good (+) although sushi was a la carte (-), and the service staff was outstanding (++). Props (pun) to you if you read this far! You get a (++)! Read Less

Missed an island, ended up on the boat for three days with too many activities to do. I Had an allergic reaction on the boat and went to rje infirmary which I was disappointed in caus they seemed to care more about getting the money before treating me. it was like pulling teeth just to get some benadryl and the first thing they did was ask for payment for the benadryl even tho I was in anaphylaxis. However the embankmen and disembarking went very smoothly. The staff was always friendly and very helpful. The person that was assigned to my room was always attentive. I traveled with my boyfriend and he liked it overall. My son saw the boat n want to do it for his birthday in March so I'm thinking about that. The shore excursion snorkeling was an amazing and exciting experince. I'm not a huge fan of cruises because the sea sickness is awful after a while, but I would do it again Read Less

I got told that this cruise line was the best and it’s true, embarkation and disembarkation was very smoth, no lines at all. We were celebrating our 22nd anniversary so we wanted it to be like our honeymoon. The cabin was perfect...ocean view good size, lots of room in the closet and good size shelves in the bathroom. Food was delicious, and everyday was like a different buffet specialty. We never got to eat at the specialty restaurant as we love the idea of freestyle dining. Entertainment was great; we spent the whole day looking for different activities to do and we never got bored. The ship is huge and very clean. Service was great from the steward to the cruise director. Shows were amazing like broadway style. Every night was full of joy. Service at the restaurant was great very friendly and polite crew. Although we didn’t travel with kids we realized that they had a program for kids that I wish my kids were there with us to enjoy it. Read Less

I had originally booked an interior room because I was going to travel solo. My mom ended up joining me so we bid on an ocean view room and were VERY pleased with it. Barry the piano guy was FANTASTIC!! Drink package was devine. All restaurants were fabulous, never left one bite!! We played pool games, judged a sexy man leg contest, played trivia, played bingo, saw the comedian (hysterical), played Wheel of Ill Will (hysterical), saw the captain do q&a. Then we did the dolphin adventure in Nassau. It Was Amazing!!!! I will only travel Norweigian from now on. It was clean, fun, great price, overall a fantastic experience. Our cabin was perfect, the ship was CLEAN, dining was fabulous, entertainment (again, Barry), just a great vacation. I will definitely take that cruise again, especially if Barry is at the piano bar. I cannot tell you how much fun he is, very entertaining, he remembered everyone's names and where we were from. My mom is almost 74 and she really enjoyed him. Good clean fun, very personable. Full of "give that guy or gal a hug"! He brings out the kindness in others and that is priceless. We saw him every night on board. Read Less

We booked 4 nt cruise on the Sky two weeks before embarkation after receiving a ridiculously inexpensive "offer". We started in oceanview cabin with 2 free at sea (premium drink package, 1 specialty dining) but were upgraded to balcony on 9th deck after submitting Upgrade Advantage offer of $50pp. THE GOOD *Loved almost all staff, as usual. This time we, surprisingly, had a couple interactions with folks who could best be described as disinterested. we chucked up to a one off. *Cagney's Steakhouse - man, oh man, what a delight. A+. this is pretty much unanimous sentiment from everyone we spoke to who dined there. *Casino Bar - Keith is a WORKER! Very efficient and very kind gentleman. We had a great time spending time in the casino and we even more than broke even the final night. SWEET! *Ship - very clean, nicely upgraded from our last sailing on her a couple years ago. *Room Steward - always solid, in our experience. *MDR - tasty. CRUISE NEXT and CRUISE DIRECTOR - both were very approachable throughout the cruise. Starbucks - I absolutely loved this, the two employees were very nice and hard working. it was only one floor below my room and I loved the short walk to get fresh coffee in the morning. Debarkation - I bet it was only 7 minutes from leaving our room to being on terra firma waiting for Lyft. Amazing. Embarkation - not as efficient as debarkation but it was a very short wait. Nightly Game Shows - we enjoyed a couple of these in the Bliss club area, I recommend it! Art Auction - staff was nice, not overbearing. this was a pretty heavily discounted cruise and I wondered how many folks would purchase cruise art (only a couple). I felt for the auctioneer having to present some pieces for auction that were $2-8k....that's more in the sweet sport for Encore/Bliss folks! ha. THE BAD (actually mediocre) *Buffet - I thought is was decent, but not great like on the Epic/Escape. Part of that is because there isn't as much room in the buffet to offer the Pasta Station/Asian Station/Etc. What we had was fine, however. The UGLY (or the below average, really) *Waitstaff Service - like I said earlier we had a few instances of indifference. First night we decided to hit up The Local for our dinner, just wanted a couple light dishes. We waited 35-30 minutes after we sat ourselves and no one approached us. There was probably 5-6 tables full in the establishment. I'm not a big rabble rouser and certainly didn't try to flag someone down, I prefer to just walk elsewhere. we wound up eating at the late night night buffet in the aft top deck. decent self serve fare. each of us had difficulty getting a drink from different locations, which is really peculiar. im not talking about its busy and wait was a little longer than expected...this was pretty much only person at bar basically being ignored for 5-7 minutes each. We enjoyed our time on the ship. We a sea day following debarkation and GSC was cancelled Day 3...I was very, very excited to get off day 4 in Nassau. Land ho! The Sky is great for folks looking for an inexpensive cruise out of South Florida. I think its 4 nt itinerary was much less a booze cruise than 3 nt sailings, so buyer "beware". The cabins were as good as any I've been in at sea. If I had to nitpick I'd say a lack of drawers in cabin was a shock to wife, but that seems to be the industry standard nowadays. The Captain was out and about multiple days, which was impressive. he was at gangway at debarkation thanking us for sailing ncl, very cool. Read Less

We just got back from a cruise on the Norwegian sky. It was very disappointing. Our first cruise with NCL and will be our last. To be transparent we just had gotten off Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the seas. We did a 4 night cruise then after getting into port of Miami we jumped on the sky with my folks. Thought it would be a good opportunity to compare cruise lines. The two ships are not equivalent so I won’t put my biased review on the ship amenities. My review of the sky is based on the service and the food. First off, the food was poor. Cafeteria quality. So so. It was ok but boring and a lot of repetition. Breakfast was the same each morning. Eggs were not very good. Watery and just not a lot of flavor. The omelette bar was ok but they seemed not very firm and you had to ask for extra cheese. The dining rooms were decent food but we thought the deserts were hit and miss. Some were ok. Others were awful. We were very disappointed with the excursion experience or lack of excursion. We had it scheduled and the night before the excursion they canceled. The desk was closed that night and by the next morning when we were able to get to desk the excursions available were departing and we missed the opportunity. What was even more frustrating was when I told the gal I was very frustrated she rudely said they can cancel any time. She didn’t seem to care and didn’t even work to make us happy or work to make it right. Entertainment on the ship was lame for us. Comedian wasn’t that funny. The venues for some of the shows were crowded and I couldn’t figure why they didn’t have it in the large theater that had nothing going on at the times these shows were going on. At the end after disembarkation they have no bathroom in terminal c and b outside if security checkpoint. You have to go across the street to the c parking ramp in a small white trailer that isn’t very well marked. Overall I was so disappointed with this experience. The customer service wasn’t all that good. Crew didn’t seem happy or helpful. They didn’t keep up with the dirty dishes and attending to the needs of the customers. Bar tenders weren’t as flashy or happy. Maybe because we were just drinking soda and not booze. Read Less

Went on this 4 night Thanksgiving cruise with my girlfriend. It was booked pretty much last minute so we could only get an inside cabin, which is fine. Overall, it was a fun Thanksgiving cruise. The food selection wasn't stellar- I felt like it could have been more quality food served. Why are the appetizers so small? There were a few incidents where they cooks had the wrong signs for food- I almost ate pork thinking it's a veggie dish! this needs to be strictly enforced and I was very disappointed. Kosher Food- I asked for Kosher food before and they told me I have to give the cruise line a 30 day notice, which I couldn't since I booked this 2 weeks prior. Fitness Center- It was surprisingly spacious with modern equipment, a lot of cardio machines and free weights. There was also a whole studio for other activities there. Ocean view is great. Beats most hotels I went to. Hot Tubs- I was under the impression that this ship went through a recent renovation? This ship could definitely use another upper deck pool. And only 4 hot tubs that fit 5 people for this whole ship? too few. Need to add at least 5 more to make it feasible. Also, why is no one watching the minimum age to get into the hot tub? There was a toddler IN DIAPERS that went in there. Pretty disgusting. Drinks package- if I'm paying so much for the drinks package: why isn't Starbucks included? the quality of the buffet coffee was really bad, I don't feel like I should pay extra for Starbucks. The same goes for Red bull or other items. The drinks themselves were actually good. Internet- we are in 2019 and I think it's ridiculous to charge for WiFi. And even if you do- offer an unlimited package and not 120 minutes of usage. You gotta do something about it. OnBoard credit- Apparently I had some onboard credit when I saw my statement- would have been nice to know before my cruise started so I could have used it... Gift shop- wanted to buy makeup removing wipe for my girlfriend, but the only option was a $60 brand bottle and no wipes,nothing else. A nicer variety of product, smaller too, would go along way. Shows- The comedian wasn't good at all and they cancelled a show last minute. I don't feel like entertainment is a priority on the older ships, unlike the newer ones. Latitude Rewards- So I'm at Bronze with 11 points after this cruise... which means in order to move to Silver and start actually getting some discounts and benefits - I have to get to 25. So at least 2 long cruises or 4 short ones. Bronze level should get more respect or make the transition to Silver easier. Great Stirrup Cay- Overall it was nice, I liked that experience. They serve drinks and food as part of your package and if you book in advance you can go on excursions. Read Less

I was so excited to go on the Thanksgiving cruise on the Sky with my dad, his wife, and my three kids. CHECK IN Check in took a while, but it wasn't a crazy excessive amount of time... we were just really hungry so would have appreciated food and drinks. I told the staff at check in that our rooms were on different floors, but of course they weren't able to help. We boarded on floor 6, which I thought was awesome since I had a 6th floor room. But not exactly. I had to go to the 7th floor and take stairs down to 6a so we had to put all our luggage in the 8th floor room. FOOD We ate at the buffet for breakfast and lunch and one of the complimentary restaurants for dinner. I booked 6pm restaurant reservations for each night; I was told only 6pm and 8:45pm were available? There wasn't much I wanted to eat at the buffet. For breakfast, I had yogurt and a muffin. For lunch, I had either a hamburger or hot dog every day since there weren't any other choices I liked. The desserts were terrible. The dining room food wasn't bad; I'm super picky, and there was something I could eat every night. My daughter loved the fettucine alfredo and onion soup; my faves were the eggplant parmagiana and bruschetta (obviously, they're good with the Italian!) We usually skipped desserts in the dining room since the service was so slow. SERVICE The service in our room wasn't great... we think it was because we were on the elusive floor 6a. We were interrupted for cleaning two days at 1pm-ish when we were resting in the room. Some days we didn't get towels because of this. The service in the dining room was terrible. One night, it took half an hour to get a menu and most nights we had a wait a super long time to get the basket of rolls. Strangely, the left side of the restaurant had terrible staff, but when we sat on the right side, it was better. I thought it was weird that at many breakfasts/lunches we were surrounded by Norwegian staff eating. ROOM One word -- 6a. On the plus side, we had a good time making fun of the room the whole time. There was no elevator and only one staircase down that went to our room. To get to my kids' room on the 8th floor, we had to climb to the 7th floor and then walk through the casino which was so so smoky and climb another flight. The bed was the most uncomfortable I've EVER slept on, and I woke up sore each morning. I thought it was me, but my 15-year old daughter agreed. We also slept with the two beds pushed together, which we had not requested. CRUISE ACTIVITIES The cruise director was awesome and had a great personality. We often saw him around the boat. We did all the trivia sessions, and the cruise staff was pretty good although there were no winners or losers :) We had a stamp card for our activities and were able to redeem the stamps for stuff before we left. Read Less

The perks of the suite are totally worth it.....This was our 5th cruise, 4th with children. I must say the Norwegian Sky isn't really set up to keep a tween & teenager occupied so skip it if that's your situation, probably not the right cruise for you. Overlooking that, it's a great way to do a short cruise. We've done 2 Disney cruises and our kids never got in to the whole Disney thing which is fine as it's just another way to funnel money away since those are a higher price point, so this was our 2nd on NCL (which without much else to compare with), seems a good value in general. We over-nighted prior to embarkation on Miami Beach and you'll pay a premium there too but the boardwalk is a nice way to loosen up in the morning and it's a short Uber to the port. The reason to pay for the suite more than anything is access and ease. While the stateroom had some items that seemed to be overlooked from a day to day maintenance consideration (e.g. burnt out light bulbs), the space is nice to have for what is normally somewhat cramped quarters on most cruises and the balcony totally rocks. The ship had purportedly undergone a bow to stern complete refurbishment but it was interesting that NCL didn't take the extra steps to completely update all of the suites. I didn't see many recent reviews of the suite post refurbishment so thought I'd add something current. The Sky is an older vessel and in some ways in shows. I won't say it was absolutely needed but would had been a nice touch. Ultimately the priority access and being able to eat breakfast and lunch at Cagney's made all the difference and so did the premium plus beverage package which you can totally justify if you normally have bottled wine with dinner or a couple glasses of champagne (they offer Veuve Clicquot included with this) . I could go on an on about the benefits of being in a suite but a vacation (despite the cost) that removes most impediments (time waiting) and is such a relaxing way to spend your time. While not extensively utilized, the butler and concierge also offer a go-to way to address anything you might need along they way and kept our mini fridge stocked with Red Stripe. We'll do it again (though nothing shorter than 7 days) sometime just not sure when. The check-in at the port was a bit disorganized albeit effortless. Again, the intangible benefits that go with the suite are great and when on vacation with the family, the splurge is worth it! I never got to taking photos/video of the stateroom but most of what's out there seems to represent the space well. Oh, the in-room Nespresso was really nice also (if you like that). Read Less

I would not recommend anyone this ship. Total waste of money and time. Here are the bullet points. I would recommend Carnival anytime. - showers in the room are piece of junk. Too hot or too cold - service staff rude and not compassionate at all. - horrible dining experience. Takes 3 hours at the minimum. - if you ask for anything, guaranteed you have to wait atleast 30 mins - horrible entertainment experience - from safety standpoint also, they are pretty bad compared to other companies I think NCL has lost their values. I have been to NCL 3 years ago and it was a different experience. I am certainly not doing NCL ever again. 0 value for money that you spend. I hope they take some time to reflect or perhaps learn from their competitors. In this business, guest experience is everything. Sage advice - Don’t waste your money!!! Read Less