We sailed on Spirit on a Mediterranean Cruise 2 years ago, loved it so much had to do it again. We weren’t disappointed....in the itinerary or th majority of the staff onboard. We tried 3 different specialty restaurants this time, all were incredible- especially Le Bistro and Cagneys. The weather wasn’t always on our side but it held off during the day for excursions which was great. The activities staff were good, they had a tough crowd...not a lot of people wanting to join in on activities but it was still good. The only concern I had, and still have, there was a young couple at karaoke one evening. The young lady got up to sing, was doing a beautiful job when an older man cane up beside her and put his arm around her. At first we thought he was joining her to sing then quickly realized he was being VERY INAPPROPRIATE and was grabbing her butt. When she pushed him away he quickly ran from the room. Shortly after I saw someone come in and go over to the other side...I walked up to the “stage area” and sat down to look around and realized the man had come back to the room. I immediately went out the door to the bar staff and asked them to call security and I knew that not only was the couple upset but witnesses to the event were also and I was concerned there’d be some sort of encounter. Security came, took statements and pr used to check in with the couple in the morning and speak with witnesses again the next day. A little while later the young woman was approached by the “older mans wife” and others who started giving the young lady a hard time because she had reported her husband...and that this type of behaviour is normal and ok in their country. The young lady asked for security to come back and ensure she’d be safe. Unfortunately non of us heard from security for days and we eventually went to senior officers to get some answers. All the victim wanted was an assurance that the area was being monitored and she was safe, but they couldn’t even take the time to do that. As platinum members we were shocked. We offered up a dining coupon and wine to the couple so they could enjoy a peaceful evening together which they thanked us for. This couple say they will likely never cruise again...sad...we love cruising and we love Norwegian. I don’t think security handled this as professionally and discreetly as they could have. I’ve left a lot out but this gives you an idea of what had transpired. I for one will never try karaoke , knowing know how situations are handled. Read Less

In October 208, my husband and I experienced our first European cruise with the Norwegian Spirit, Leaving the Civitavecchia Seaport, we began our ten day journey of the Greek Isles, Malta, Sicily and Naples. We booked eight excursions through the ship because the ship will wait for your return if the excursion is a ship sponsored excursion. The ship itself was renovated and modernized in 2017. We had an ocean view, Room 9501, that was clean with comfortable beds. The guests on board were primarily American with the remainder mostly being other native English speakers. The theater on board offered a different show each evening, which is not the case in the Caribbean on the Norwegian cruise ships, and the entertainment was very good. We dined mostly in the dinning room because my husband has a gluten allergy and there is less of a chance of cross contamination in this venue. The food was varied and delicious and the service was good. We would do this cruise again but both of us think that the day at sea would be better to have at the end of the voyage allowing the guests a day of rest before returning. Read Less

We chose this Cruise on the Norwegian Spirit because of the great Greek Islands itinerary. We only had 1 sea day, but, that was great for us. We're 71, pretty active and wanted to see and experience as much as we could. Which we did. We had a few excursions that were booked in advance. We took a couple of excursions from the ship. We would have had a couple more, but, they were sold out. Why wouldn't the ship make a list of those excursions that were full and if enough people signed up and filled another excursion then just schedule another ? We, also, did our own thing on a couple of islands, too. People tend to complain a lot about Cruises and the ships they Cruise on. I guess, a lot of people are so spoiled or so unhappy that they've got nothing better to do. I see so many old people walking around that do not appear to be happy. They're frowning and scowling as they're walking around, sitting around or even eating and they can be rude to the Crew. My Wife and I appreciate how hard the Crew works to please everyone and my Wife and I always show and tell them that ! The food was great everywhere. We ate Breakfast at the Buffet, it was always great with many choices. We always got a window seat. We only had lunch once, we were always out and had it at the Windows Main Dining Room. Again, could not have been better. For dinner, we had the Dining Plan, 4 dinners at the upscale restaurants and the rest in Windows. We liked to eat by the Windows at the Aft of the ship. Maybe, because I always said, please, to sit in the back and when we left we always said Thank You for the great table again. Guess what, we always got a great table where we wanted it ! Please and Thank You, I didn't hear it very often from the Guests when they talked to the Crew, try it, it works wonders ! Our Room was more than great !! I had read about it in advance and was able to have our TA book it for us. It's room 10686. The last room on the Port side of the ship on Deck 10. It's a double wide room with a double length Balcony. I think there was some sort of construction in the back of the ship, maybe, for the kids pool area, but, what a great location, 2 floors up to the Buffet, 2 floors down to the Theater and 3 floors down to the Windows Main Dining Room and the Raffles Bar is, also, up with the Buffet. The Atrium and other restaurants and the Observation Lounge are a hike, but, great exercise hiking to them ! Previous reviews complained about the condition of the ship, but, again, we thought it was in great shape. The entertainment was great. Nothing to complain about and we always got a great seat whether we went at 7:30 or 9:30 and we never went any earlier then 15 or 20 minutes before the show. The music around the ship was, also, very good. Some of it was a little old even for us. It would have been nice to have some current music on board, also. Getting on and off the ship was snap. We couldn't had a better time and we are looking forward to our next Norwegian Cruise. I think this was our 5th Norwegian Cruise. All of them great ! Read Less

We sailed on the Nowegian Spirit in October 2018. It was a great time of year and the crowds were light on our stops around the Mediterranean. I chose the cruise because of the itinerary and our stops did not disappoint. However the cruise ship itself was an entire mess and not catered to younger couples at all. By avoiding bingo, the bad shows, and the casino we were left to the pool (which they drained during the cruise), drinks, bad food, and a fitness center that had out of order signs on half of the equipment. So let’s talk about this food. We utilized the buffet, main dining rooms, and specialty dining restaurants. The best food we had on the cruise was from the sushi restaurant, it’s hard to mess up Asian food. The worst food came from the main dining rooms and the buffet. We were served cold or old food, it definitely did not exemplify the fine dining that you’re supposed to experience on a cruise ship. Same thing with the specialty dining restaurants, although the service was so much better the food still lacked flavor and in Cagney’s their “best restaurant” the steak was great but all of the sides came out cold. A couple of days at sea they did have a grill buffet by the pool and that was nice along with the Latin band. Read Less

This was a surprise birthday cruise for a friend and we were part of the surprise Itinerary was terrific- Greek isles, Malta and two stops in Italy What we didn’t like: Nickel and dime u for everything and NOT eco friendly. Make a big deal that they have eliminated use of straws to limit plastics use, but forced u to buy their bottled water. Signs everywhere not to use your own water bottles. Despicable. Don’t patronize us by suggesting it’s for health reasons. Cash grab was all it was and environmentally irresponsible Staff tired looking. When we boarded the ship they were less than enthusiastic to have us come aboard. Turns out they don’t get days off, just a few hours at a time. It shows Food good. Not spectacular Gym v v v small. Some equipment not functioning. Little space to do free weights. V limited classes and at awkward times Handrails dirty and sticky. Leave u with icky feeling Loved our room steward and select staff At ports very minimalistic in any amenities. Ie zero. One of the ports had a welcome, water, towels, near the end of cruise. Might have been nice to be consistent On board stores v limited and uninteresting Liked sushi restaurant, Italian restauurant - staff great there Washy washy lady was awesome - unstoppably cheery and upbeat Room was OK. Only one outlet Hair dryer from the previous century Would think carefully whether to do Norwegian again. Not impressed Read Less

We chose this cruise for its great itinerary. I was a little wary of the ship because of some reviews I read, but I found the ship immaculate and very well maintained (our bathroom needed a little maintenance) and the staff was very nice. The captain had a good sense of humor and got us to Malta, which I understand is a stop that is at times bypassed because of the winds. I would have given the cruise 5 stars, but the food was a little disappointing, the internet was problematic, as well as some of the entertainment. Our last two cruises were on Holland America, and the food was superior to the one on this cruise. The major complaint (as has been stated previously in other reviews) is that some dishes are just too salty. Also, we don't eat meat and the fish dishes were so so, and there were not enough vegetarian main dishes. We only ate at the free venues. Breakfast was good. Included internet was slow and we had to upgrade to the unlimited internet, which was pricey, although the value of the free program was deducted from the total cost. Entertainment was variable and some was very loud. The Italian opera singer was excellent. We took the ship excursions in every port. On the whole they were good but some were pricey. The last excursion in Naples, which included Pompeii, Sorrento and Capri, would have been much nicer if there had been 2 or 3 tour groups instead of one. It was just way too large. The guide spent too much time counting us and it took away from what should have been one of the highlights of the trip. Our favorite stop was Rhodes - we had a fantastic guide (Tour: "Highlights of Rhodes") and beautiful weather, and free time to wander in the old city and then a very short walk back to the ship. Where NCL really shines is in its organization for embarkation and disembarkation and everything in between. I've never been able to get on or off a ship so quickly and easily. The people in Guest Svcs and Shore Excursions and Tour Director were also nice and efficient. Overall, I would recommend the cruise if you choose a cruise based on its itinerary. We got to see and learn a lot and overall had a wonderful time. Read Less

The embarkation and disembarkation was very well done no complaints here. The ship showed its age, but all in all it was okay and clean, not exceptional. We had an inside cabin, it was fairly roomy, no noise from the outside. We had a few issues initially these were reported and within a few hours they were all rectified. Dining was okay, food definitely better in the restaurants. I love my matcha tea and this was only in the japanese restaurant. Windows restaurant food was quite good you definitely don't want to sit near the big arched windows as the engine noise is very loud. The side opposite of the entrance is also very noisy with dishes clanking, best spots were the centre and right side (side where you enter). The desserts were awesome, staff was very good always smiling. Entertainment was awful, they had a magician that all he did was make his coworker disappear. I would say the cruise should invest in better entertainment. Shore excursion - don't waste your money we paid 229$ US and not worth more than 50$. Took an excursion with VIATOR paid 150$ excellent guide, food was great - would go with Viator everytime. Don't wast your money on the Cruise excursion spoke to many people on the cruise and they all said the same thing. Service was excellent, no complaints. Read Less

We chose Norwegian Spirit particularly for their excellent quality freshly prepared food. Superb dining experiences. And, when you enter each eatery location someone stands before the entry door to spray little alcohol into your hands. If you choose to accept it... Most people do it and are happy that their great staff is concerned about general safety health issues. You can eat just about any time and no reserve seats are necessary. The waiters and waitresses are extremely polite and accommodating. They pull out your chair and want you to experience all the great menus. Great choices for a ship that really wants you to be happy and you can sense it in the atmosphere. The ship has been refurbished and quite lovely including all sleeping quarters as well. What I also like about Norwegian Spirit is a family experience as well. The ship is not overly crowded and not as large as the new ones. We thought that was just great. Senior Citizens love this ship and so do the middle and younger crowd as well. Not too crazy. Just right. Credits: I particularly want to thank " Ryan Salvacion " a great waiter, One of the best you can find. And, " Will Pope," A great acrobatic stage dance - performer " at the theatre on 10/15/ 2018. Read Less

We were on the October 11th sailing on Spirit. Ports included Rome (embark), Mykonos, Santorini, Athens, Rhodes, Chania, Malta, Messina, and Naples. This was my 16th NCL cruise. My review will be primarily about tours as this was a port intensive cruise. That said, we found the fairly recently renovated Spirit to be in excellent condition, clean, friendly staff, and had the usual activities. I will say that due to the intensity of port days, we did not see one single show in the Theater so I cannot comment on the entertainment. As for dining, we ate at both MDR’s, Blue Lagoon, Cagneys, LaTrattoria and LeBistro. Specialties were very good and no complaints. The food in the MDRs was not piping hot, and service took forever, sometimes 2 hours for breakfast. This was a diversion for us as usually we find the MDR’s to be very good such that we do not waste money on specialties (we only paid for one specialty and used my two platinum plus vouchers for the other two). Also orders were often messed up. I assumed the slower service may have been intentional so as to cater to Europeans? Also, if you ordered a hot app and a salad, they brought everything up at once but instead of serving the hot app first, they’d serve the salad course which then resulted in your hot app sitting and getting cold at the service station. We also did one night the dinner with an officer for being PlatPlus. We had a lovely dinner with just 6 of us, and the Safety Officer who was from Sicily. Sadly, even that night our dinner orders were messed up but we still had fun. We had a basic Balcony Room on Deck 9. Small but adequate. Ports and Tours: ROME: We chose to fly over 3 days early to tour Rome. We booked transport through our hotel for 55 EUR. At the recommendation of Rick Steves, we stayed at the Hotel Smeraldo. You could not beat this location. We could walk to all of the sites from here including the Colisseum, Vatican City, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Mouth of Truth, Plaza Navarone, etc. We did not use one single cab the entire time in Rom. The first day we did a fantastic nighttime food and wine tour thru the Jewish Ghetto. This allowed us to explore a bit in the morning upon arrival, then nap before going out as we flew over on the red eye. We booked this with www.foodtoursofrome.com We ate SO MUCH FOOD on this, well worth the cost. There were 7 different stops on the tour. We had a fried artichoke, gelato, tiramisu, 4 kinds of pastas, espresso, pizza, and meats and salamis. We also had ample wine and an Italian beer at the pizza stop. Day Two we had a private tour of the Vatican booked thru Italy Private Excursions. https://www. italyprivatexcursion.com/ private-walking-tours/vatican- tour-in-depth/. Our guide was Rosie and she was terrific. We saw EVERYTHING and she expertly avoided the crowds. If you are Catholic or just really interested in the Vatican and history, this was an excellent tour. Day Three we booked skip the line tickets for the Colisseum. It got us in, included about a 40 minute tour with history, then you could stay and walk around as long as you like. That evening we used Rome Cabs to get us to the Hotel San Giorgio in Civitavecchia. We had a lovely water facing room that included a free shuttle to the port. I highly recommend this hotel, and there are ample restaurants in walking distance. Rome Cabs arrived on time (early, actually) and the service was fantastic. MYKONOS: We booked a private tour with Delos Guide (another Rick Steves recommendation). It was fantastic, our guide Antonis was top notch and showed us everything. He was also patient with my group of older travelers (4 of our group of 6 are in their 70s). Highly recommend this company and tour. One extra highlight was a stop and tour of the Mykonos Farmers creamery where we tasted the best homemade greek yogurt I have ever had. https://mykonosfarmers.com/en/ George was an absolute delight to visit with and I dream about that yogurt. https://www.delosguide.com/mykonos-past-4hrs/ SANTORINI: We booked a private tour here with Ocean Wave Tours (another Rick Steves recommendation). www.oceanwavetours.com While we saw all of the sights and got great photos, our tour guide Dan was not overly talkative. We are used to drivers narrating and providing history on the ride between locations. Again, he was very patient with my older travelers. ATHENS: We booked a full day private tour with PK Travel (www.pktravelgreece.com) All I can say is WOW. Our guide was Dora, and she was extremely well educated having degrees in history and archaeology. We saw all of the highlights and again everything was perfectly timed to miss crowds. The full day tour includes: The Acropolis [Temple of Parthenon, Propylea, Temple of Athena Nike, Temple of Erechtheion, Cariatides, Herodeon Theater, Theater of Dionysus, Areopagus (Mars Hill)], The Temple of Zeus, The Panathenaic Stadium [Kallimarmaro], The Hill of Lycabettus, The Old Palace, The Tomb of The Unknown Soldier in front of the Parliament & The Changing of The Guards, The Catholic Cathedral, The "Neoclassical Trilogy" [The Academy, The National Library, The First University of Athens], The Plaka for lunch, and finally The Acropolis Museum. Well worth it, and again she was very patient with my group who all made it to the top of the Acropolis! She also was generous with taking photos for us. We highly recommend. RHODES: We booked a private tour with Rhodes Private Tours (www.rhodesprivatetours.com) Our guide was Michael, but Nicholas the owner met us at the port as well to make sure we were well taken care of. Top notch service all around. We saw everything including the Acropolis of Rhodes. Highly recommend. CHANIA: We did not book any tours here and opted for a ship day as we were very burned out. MALTA: We had a tour booked here that did not work out. We used a recommended tour provider who farmed the work out to another guide/company (we knew this ahead and were ok with that). However, we ended up not even getting the tour as it was poorly organized, the assigned guide lied to us, and it was just disastrous. I will refrain from naming the company, however, because she was very apologetic, we corresponded back and forth after the fact, and I am confident she will never use this guide/company again when she cannot cover a tour herself. Everything worked out, we saw many things on our own including St. John’s Co-Cathedral which was a highlight for all of us. MESSINA: We opted to do a two our walking tour booked thru Viator. The Company was Discover Messina Sicily and our guide was Maria who was lovely. She timed everything perfectly such that we had great viewing of the Church in the center at 12noon when the music plays and the statues move. Well worth the price. NAPLES: We did a fantastic tour with Italy Private Tours that took us to Pompeii, Sorrento, and a drive along the Amalfi Coast. https://italytours.eu/book-now/ It was well worth the price and we saw gorgeous vistas on the Amalfi. Pompeii was incredible. Our driver was Luca, and at Pompeii we met up with Sabina who was our private guide for 2 hours. Her knowledge and passion for the history of Pompeii made this tour. I cannot recommend enough. Again, the crowds were expertly avoided and she was patient with my group. Luca was a delight and a funny guy. All in all a wonderful trip, itinerary and experience. Read Less

We booked this cruise specifically for the itinerary, which included Malta, Sicily, Rhodes, and Crete. While we had a number of issues on board, there were a few outstanding crew members who helped redeem the experience. The food was pretty good in all venues. The boat is fairly old (20+ years) and shows its age. Overall, we would give it a 2.5/5 based on the following: 1. We lost count of the number of cruise staff who told us how many months they had left in their contracts. It made us feel like they couldn't wait to be off the boat, which then made us feel like perhaps we should be eager to get off the boat, too. 2. We were happy to keep our hands washed and use hand sanitizer, but if one more person chirped, "Washy washy!" at us, we might have jumped overboard. 3. The hand sanitizer stations at the specialty restaurants really killed the elegant atmosphere we were paying extra money to experience. Surely there's a better way to deliver sanitizer without spraying it all over people's jewelry and evening clothes? Perhaps bring a warm towel to the table that discreetly contains sanitizer. 4. We purchased a wine package, and even though there was a bit of cost savings, we wish we hadn't bought it based on the hassle of getting the wine each time. When crew members found out our bottles were prepaid, their obvious disappointment in both having to retrieve the bottle and not getting the automatic gratuity for the sale made it uncomfortable every time. 5. All of the add-on charges made this cruise feel like flying with a bargain airline. We would've much rather paid a higher fee to book the cruise and had things included (gratuities, drinks, fitness classes) than be nickel-and-dimed every waking minute of the 11 days. Every single thing you purchased had an automatic 20% gratuity added. Cocktails were $10 to $15 each, plus 20%. Fitness classes were $12 to $25 each. And the constant add-on sales pitches from literally every crew member in every department were exhausting. Aside from the itinerary, my lasting memory of this cruise will be of hand sanitizer. Read Less