We chose this cruise for the destinations and they are all wonderful ( Dubrovnic, Venice, Split, Corfu, Malta ) Recommend you take the guided tour in Malta through the city and onto Mdina. The guide was exceptional. We recommend you be careful taking the water busses in Venice as they may not go where you think, are extremely over-crowded, without ventilation, and become an intolerable sauna. Our stateroom was on deck 11 starboard aft and beneath the ships funnel. It gave off strong gas fumes when it sailed and docked using the sideways propulsion. We also sensed fumes from our air conditioner from time to time. The props also cause shaking at times in certain parts of the ship. Food was so-so. This was our 8th cruise and 3rd on NCL and it seems the quality is diminishing so. Well done meat needs to be sawed to eat, provided you are strong enough. Not many extra items to eat which seemed available on prior cruises. You get what you pay for. Read Less

I had chosen this ship for the destination, how romantic sailing around the Mediterranean for your 30 th wedding anniversary. The NCL SPIRIT is a medium size ship If we wanted a quiet romantic candle light dinner one was easily found or if we wanted to share a table and chat all night the choice was there. if we felt like kicking up our heals and dance the night away or just sit and listen to some light music a large variety was available. Our cabin was an inside cabin that was quiet and had plenty of room. The cabin was perfectly situated , one floor up was the piano bar, one floor down was a restaurant , just down the hall was the lift that took us to a variety of entertainment singing ,dancing,magic and comedy. We loved to walk around the ship investigating different areas , casino ,karaoke and number of bars , nearly every night we would find some thing new. It was never boring. I was worried about the disembarking as I have never self disembarked before. I was worried that my husband would not be able to manage the suitcase with his bad hips. There was nothing to worry about. It was easy to carry the suitcase off the ship and the private transfer that I had booked was just in front . No problems. Easy . The only thing that I was disappointed with was that I never was introduced to our cabin crew, i never met them or know their names and I thought that was disappointing as we have had a lot of laughs with post cruises. So the only suggestion I could give to this cruise company is have a introductory note from the cabin crew giving their names and to say hello. Read Less

This was our 17th cruise, with 6 different cruise lines. NCL has become our favorite with 7 cruises, and the last 4 being in NCL suites. Gotten kind of spoiled by them. Platinum Members, and will only be 3 nights short of Platinum Plus, after our Transatlantic in April. Chose this cruise over a year early, because of the extras we received. Booked an aft facing balcony on deck 9. Great location to get on elevator - never had to wait. The theatre was 1 floor down, for reserved balcony seating. The Chinese Restaurant was also on 8th floor and Cagney's was 7th floor, both located at the back of the ship. The suites get to eat breakfast and lunch in Cagney's. Had 4 specialty dinners with package booked, 2 more for being platinum members, and the Hotel Director (Armando) invited us and another couple from Florida, to dine with him in Le Bistro. Ate twice in the Chinese Restaurant, and twice in the main dining room. Had one breakfast in Windows, and one lunch in Windows. Great food in all the restaurants, but our favorite was Le Bistro. On the early port days, we had breakfast delivered. We enjoyed the smaller ship. A lot of the Chinese Statues and other items still on display. It may have been 20 years old, but in great shape. Still have the original Versace carpet in the Atrium. All the crew were so friendly and helpful. Didn't get much rest with only 2 sea gays on the 11 night cruise. But you can rest when you get back home. There was a heat wave going on in Europe, so a little warmer than usual. Seen a lot hotter days in Texas, though. Would love do another cruise on the Spirit, in another part of Europe. The various shows in the Theatre were very good. Kind of geared more to the European crowd, because we didn't recognize a lot of the artists mentioned. Most of the cruisers were from Europe and Australia, with some from Canada and the least from the US. Embarking and disembarking went very smoothly. Stayed at Hotel Traghetto in Civitavecchia. The hotel was right across the street from the free bus transportation to ship. Took about 5 minutes to walk from hotel to bus stop. On our return, we walked back to Hotel Traghetto, and they stored our luggage. We walked around the port shopping and had lunch. Arranged for Civitavecchia Cab to pick us up at hotel, and take us to airport. That was much better than sitting in the airport for 8 hours. Did 2 private tours, 2 NCL tours, and 4 tours with Cruising Excursions. The private tours was a small group and worked well. Cruising Excursions tours were in a large bus, and probably not much different than the NCL Tours. Don't think I would use them again! Booked the 2 tours in Venice both days with NCL. NCL charged $20 R/T to St Mark's Square, where all the private tours started. Read Less

Cruised with Norwegian last year on the Norwegian Epic and thought it was good value, however found on this occasion that this cruise was far from value for money. Firstly the restaurant experience was average at best, service not great (seemed as it was understaffed) therefore was very slow and meant that we missed the late show virtually every night, the food was OK but in my opinion not as good as previous cruises, I can only surmise that this is due to cutting of costs. Bar experience can only be summed up as below expectations: Bar staff didn’t seem happy to be there and even complained to customers the hours they were working. One member of our party saw a barman pouring unbranded spirits into a branded bottle ( this is illegal and should be reported to the authorities) I experienced inconsistent taste of the branded spirits that I was drinking especially when a new bottle was opened, the question has to be asked whether you can afford the all inclusive packages that you are offering. Gratutuities anode service charges seem extortionate for the service and friendliness experienced. I give you the following example: I purchased 3 cigars in the smoking room that was by the way in a dreadful way and it was obvious that had not been serviced for several hours, with ashtrays overfilled tables dirty as well as all this I was charged $7.50 gratuity for a barman handing me 3 cigars from a locked cupboard it’s obvious that the level of gratuities expected is subsidising your payment of salaries rather than as well as a decent salary Read Less

Had a fantastic time on this cruise, the itinerary was excellent as were the excursions that were available. Excursion prices seemed quite reasonable for what was included particularly when compared to arranging things for yourself when you arrived into port. The ship itself was good although in parts it lookes 'tired' and dated and lacked attention to detail eg missing light bulbs in public areas. That said the shipwas clean, functional and welcoming. The staff were very friendly and always ready to help across all areas/services. The evening entertainment in the Theatre was okay and we have certainly experienced better in terms of quality. and variety on previous cruises.The absolute star of the entertainment was the on board group Souled Out.....absolutely fabulous, the best cruise poolside entertainment i've experienced and really worked hard to create a party atmosphere! Good range of bars & restaurants. All in all wonderful holiday, would happily recommend. Read Less

This had a 2 day Rome stay and one of the children had not been to Rome before and it included a overnight in Venice we had never been before. Ship was just right size for our first cruise. Staff were excellent credit to the company facilities good cabins were good. Varied amount of activities. Food excellent. For our first cruise I could not complain. Any problems were sorted quickly and there was only one.nice touch with the cold face towels waiting for us when we returned from trips out Entertainment was good including the shows. Ship was lovely in good order. Food what can I say so much so good and so varied. If you asked for something the staff did there best to accommodate.the daily news sheet was a great idea especially for us newbies.took us awhile to find way around but we got there . Library was a good quiet place to go when things got hetic. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the varied ports of call. It went to 5 different countries and 10 different cities. The staff were friendly. The ship was very well organized so that all our excursions left on time and we had very good guides. We stayed overnight in Civitavecchia so that we wouldn't miss our embarkation, which went very smoothly. Since it was a very hot day, we appreciated the speed at which we were admitted on the ship. The cabin was very comfortable, with plenty of storage. We took advantage of the laundry service, and were satisfied with the results. We went to most of the scheduled entertainment and found that all of them were excellent. We enjoyed the White Hot dance party by the pool! We went to two specialized dining. The steaks at Cagney's were excellent, and we enjoyed our meal at Tapanyaki - the cook was entertaining. The only thing that was disappointing was the coffee - no matter what day or which restaurant, the regular coffee was terrible. Consequently, we always ordered expresso although it was not included in our beverage package - we suggest that in future, specialty coffees should be included in the beverage package. Read Less

First of all, I find it interesting that my effort to get 7 people to attend this cruise was not acknowledged in any kind of way, but, some of the members in my party received champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries. I arrived on the day of ship departure, in the morning so that I had enough time to get to the port which was an hour away. Because of worry about getting to ship on time, did not have time to explore the city on the date of arrival. The shuttle bus ride to port was quiet, calm, and scenic. Of course, an old shuttle bus which was a foreshadowing about the cruise ship. The Norwegian Spirit is an old ship but you can't tell that from the outside as it appears to be well maintained. Embarkation went smoothly and faster than I expected. I was shocked at how small the cabin with a balcony for two was. I now understand the many emails about purchasing an upgraded cabin which starts at $750.00 per person. I am thinking that they should have offered me an upgraded cabin for free as I got 7 other people to take this cruise with me. What also shocked me was how incredibly small the bathroom was. I was constantly scraping my skin or bumping my head, trying to use the toilet or shower. Dining was okay. Nothing to brag about. The Buffet restaurant had the best variety of food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The 2 main dining rooms had decent menus but a but a bit fancy. I did not like the lack of clarification about the unlimited beverage package which I was able to choose for my cruise. During this cruise, you could get unlimited beverages for free. I was expecting to be able to get the beverage of choice (soda or pop), unlimited. You are only able to get this beverage from the bars or the main dining rooms. It just occurred to me that you could also get soda/pop from the outside bars located outside on deck 12. This only makes sense if you are eating at tables out there. You can also get unlimited cups of water from the buffet area or buy bottles of water from the cruise ship. I was allowed to bring my unopened bottle of water on the ship when I embarked but told that I could not do it after that. The DJ on this ship sucked. This is not about him personally, just about his skills. He was able to take a party from 200 mph, to 45 mph, with hazard lights flashing, within 15 minutes after getting started. The trivia games were for geniuses, and I had no interest in gambling. I never made it to Karaoke sessions as I was always on excursions, I believe. The young man attending to my cabin was excellent. I did not mind having my hands sanitized everytime I entered the dining room, but I so hated the loud playful approach the attendants took with the phrase "Washy, washy!" Please, I am a grown woman, I can handle a simple "Hello!" with a squirt. The food services managers were awesome as well as main dining room staff. The front desk/guest services peole were stiff and gave conflicting information about the ship they were working on. Service hours for things like currency exchange and gift shop could improve. Ports were excellent, excursions, not so great, and expensive. I would definitely try excursions where you could meet some of the citizens and try the food in the region if possible and available. Most of my excursions were bus tours or walking tours around the city, which left a lot to be desired. Read Less

NCL could not have made this dream vacation run any smoother. From Embarkation day to disembarkation day we were treated as valued customers. The food was fresh & delicious. With menus ranging from kid friendly to formal dining there is certainly something for everyone. Even the pickiest of eaters. I suggest taking advantage of all the specials / freebies they have to offer as it lends to a more carefree style cruise. The entertainment was fabulous both on stage and in the many designated areas. The atmosphere on the ship was wonderful adding to the experience. The staff were super friendly and always willing to go the extra mile to please. Making reservations for dining / excursions are easy as one two three. The itinerary was out of this world. Many items on our bucket list were checked off such as; walking around (and in) a crater on Mount Etna; exploring the ruins of Pompeii; touring the palace of Princess Grace & Prince Rainier of Monaco and so much more. The scenery was stunningly beautiful at night with Italy's boot sparkling with lights and the sunsets over the Mediterranean Sea . . . well . . . you just have to experience it. Would we go again?? In a heartbeat! Read Less

This is our 15th cruise, the 3rd with NCL we have been on the Pearl and Epic. We have sailed with most of the mainstream lines. The embarkation was the fastest of all the cruises we were on and we went to windows for lunch, we were eating before one. Lots of room at breakfast, there is seating outside at the back and also tiered down seating. The buffet was never crazy busy like we have seen on other ships. ‎It looked like they had less variety of food but what they had was good. There were always ample choices for us. The service in the dining room was great. We prefered Windows as it is very airy and they always managed to get us a seat near the window. We never had to wait for a table. The food was fine. Their portion sizes are large for the appetizers. Had an excellent salad at lunch of arugula with shrimp and an arugula and beet on a different occasion. Desserts that were really good were cherries jubilee, lava chocolate cake, tirimasu Their public washrooms near the pool buffet and theatre all were good. They even have a sign telling you to use a paper towel to open the door and then they have a garbage can to drop it in. They were functioning during the beginning of the cruise but some were blocked off later in the cruise. The pool area is more airy and you don't feel sandwiched in like on the newer ships. In the bathroom they provide a lemongrass hard soap and soft soap dispenser in the shower and at the sink. There is also a shampoo and shower gel combo. The shower floor and the floor in the bathroom at the corners looked really worn. We had an outside room on the sixth floor mid ship and it was very stable. The closet was very large and there were shelves and drawers. Our suitcases easily fit under the bed. This room was definitely more roomy than the balcony we had on the Epic. The bad part is that by day three we started getting brown water in our sink and then in our shower. We contacted management and they told us that they probably changed the cartridge, to run the water and it would be ok. The following day it happened again and then on and off for the rest of the trip. We spent a lot of time with management and the bottom line is they have an issue with the water, that NCL has chosen not to fix. We were told that if they moved us they could not guarantee that we would not have the same problem in another room, what does that tell you? We had to use bottled water for brushing our teeth for the remainder of the trip which was 7 days. Brown water is totally not acceptable and for this reason alone I would not choose this ship. Norwegian has not put money into fixing this ship. If it chooses not to, then it should not put passengers in rooms with this issue. We waisted a lot of our vacation time dealing with this issue. It has been over a month and we are still waiting to hear back from Norwegian. The shows were very good. We went to a show every night and they were all very good with Elements being excellent.The sound system in the theater and in the galaxy lounge are not very good. The main band southside was not very good. There was a Latin duo that were good but played the same stuff over and over. There was a single musician that was in the champagne lounge sometimes and he mainly talked. The Trio Royale who boarded in Barcelona were very good. Also, for debarkation don't bother carrying your luggage out. Make sure you pick up the colored tags for your suitcases a couple of days before and your bags will be waiting for you, very easy. They don't automatically put tags on your bed like other lines. We picked this cruise because of the ports and they did not disappoint. We left from Chivitavecchia and we stayed the night before, I would highly recommend to come in same day as boarding, as there really is nothing to do there. We went to the Lungomare which is the beach area that has restaurants and had a lovely dinner but aside from that nothing much to see. Ports: Livorno- Took a bus from the centre of town to Florence for 30 euro, did Florence on our own. Cannes-We walked around town, beautiful area lots of shops, market and the old town Marsaille-Took the train around the city, I hadn't realized how huge it is. Even the waterfront area is really large Barcelona-Second time here so we took a taxi to Guell Park and then took another to the main shopping area. Palma - we took the hop on hop off bus which is directly across from where the ship docks. Make sure to see the gardens around the cathedral, they are beautiful. This stop was not long enough. We had to rush thru everything Calgiari- We went to Poetto beach, which is beautiful. The bus stop is kitty corner to where the boat is docked. When you buy your tickets for the bus make sure to buy a return ticket. The beach area is really large we got off at the third beach stop and found a great beach club. We paid 20 euro for two beach chairs and umbrella. The public beach was crazy busy. We had a relaxing couple of hours. Malta-Took the elevator up to the main town and walked around. The architecture is stunning. Lots of shops and restaurants. Messina-This was the only tour we booked. It was thru Costco and our tour guide met us inside the gate as soon as you get off the boat. The tour was to Taromina, we had to wait 20 minutes for one of the couples to arrive. The tour was excellent. Taromina is beautiful and we had about an hour to walk around. If we ever come back I would book a taxi and then stay in town longer. I feel we really rushed thru. Naples- We went to Capri. We took the high speed hydrofoil to Capri. It is located across from where the boat is docked. If you are sitting at the back of the ship by the buffet seating you can see the Hydrofoil station. If you see the old castle it is directly underneath it. When we arrived in Capri we took a bus to Ana Capri and took the finicular up to the top of Mont Solaro. I highly recommend this, you get the most amazing views of the island. It takes about 10 minutes to get to the top and it is single seats. At the top you get off and then come back down when you are ready. The town of AnaCapri is really cute, I liked it much better than Capri. We took the bus back to Capri spent about an hour and a half there. Also, don't book your return trip when you are buying your ticket to Capri on the hydrofoil, there are multiple companies. Buy your ticket when you are ready to leave and you can get on the hydrofoil that is leaving. Read Less