This was our 4th cruise on NCL and second on the Spirit. We chose this cruise because it was a port intensive itinerary and visited islands that are not typical for cruising. We arrived in NOLA a few days before our cruise so we arrived at the terminal by taxi around 1:30 pm. Our previous experience was out of NYC and we were pleasantly surprised to see the port relatively quiet and very organized from the outside. Arriving in the terminal we saw some very lengthy lines. We asked the attendant for the latitudes line and was pointed into a queue that had about 20 people ahead of us. It took about 45 minutes to get processed, which we later found out that the computers had slowed dramatically due to some remote connection problems. By the time we arrived on the ship the rooms were ready so we went to drop off our carry ons and head up to the buffet for a quick bite. After the muster drill we prepared for the sail away which ended up being late due to fueling.

Itinerary: Our first stop was Roatan, we arrived 1 hour late and was able to watch a storm over the island as we sailed into port. We chose a private tour here as recommended by others and was extremely satisfied with our guide. He took us everywhere we had asked to go and then showed us some of his favorite areas as well. The pace was up to us and he had us back to the ship at the time we requested.

Our second stop was Santo Thomas, the port here is very industrial however at one end their is a large building that locals sell some great native crafts and goods. They also had several shows with dancers throughout the afternoon. We took the ships trolley tour which did not give you much of a tour except through the town and a quick stop at a colorful local cemetery. Be sure to be on deck during sail away the locals put on quite a show to show their appreciation for your visit. Read more