Norwegian Sky Review
Our first time on NCL; everything good but food & dining needs improvement.
Rating by category
Additional details
I have cruised numerous times (Celebrity, Carnival, Royal Car) and this was our first time on a NCL cruise. The Sky is a nicely appointed ship. Nothing over the top. State rooms (we had a balcony on deck 10 aft) are a little smaller than some other ships. Nothing that you would really be bothered by if you've cruised a lot too. You expect smaller accommodations. First off I have to say our room steward was excellent. We traveled with my parents (senior citizens) and my sons (teenagers). We had three rooms together. Two were attached balcony rooms and the third was next to them. This was my first time having a balcony cabin and I was really pleased. Deck 10 is convenient to the outdoor and buffet area (deck 11) and it was an easy trip down the AFT stairs to deck 5 to the dining room. The embarking and disembark processes were quite simple..and seemed well organized. We did not sign up for any excursions this time. This is the first time we have not purchased excursions through a cruise line. The reason being is that we have been in parts of the Bahamas before and pretty much knew what we wanted to do. We rented a car thru Island Jeep Car Rental in Grand Bahama Island, and drove to High Rock and spent the time in a more private scenic beach area. We used our day in Nassau as our shopping/walking day. The stop at Great Stirrup Cay was excellent. Next time I will be in the first tender off the ship so I can spend more time there. We also knew that the water temps were chillier than we felt comfortable with regarding snorkeling excursions, and such. So I cannot give any feedback on excursions. From what I viewed they appeared to be well organized too.
Overall: Cruise staff were pleasant and helpful.
Dining: This is where I feel there can be some improvement. NCL offers Freestyle dining which is great because you can eat when and where you like, from the included dining areas to the extra $$ dining restaurant options. Because of that you are not crammed into first or second seating in the dining rooms, where you feel you are on a time clock to finish your meal before it's time for the next group to arrive or the staff to leave. There is also ample room all over the ship, outside and inside to eat...decent buffet options, and locations. The overall quality of the food options, and choices is not on par to say...Celebrity, RCCL, or Carnival. A few times for dinner in the dining room, someone had to return a entree because it was overcooked (couldn't cut thru the Chicken CDB with a knife), or wasn't the quality that we would have seen before on another cruise line. For example, a crab/fish cake having more potato than crab/fish. The thing you give up with the freestyle dining is getting to know your wait staff like you would if you ate at the same table every night. We had the option to try and sit at the same table but that unfortunately didn't work out. We were a group of seven so it was hard getting the same servers. Our first night we had an excellent and attentive head waiter and servers. After that, it seemed that they really didn't care so much. We had to ask numerous times for soda refills or other simple requests. I did like the more quiet reserved atmosphere of NCL dining rather than the party atmosphere of Carnival. Just my personal preference.
Cabin Review
Family Balcony
Balcony cabin has fold out "full size" bed. Other beds are two twin size or combined to a kingsize. Balcony has two chairs and small table. Bathroom was adequate and similar to other cruise lines. Small round shape shower. Shampoo, Shower gel, and Hand Soap provided in dispensers. The beds were very comfortable and the linens soft. You get two generously sized soft pillows. Only negative at times were you had one bath and hand towel (and washcloth) per person. Beach towels were provided. No cabin bathrobe. We loved our view from deck 10 and it was an easy walk up to deck 11 for buffet food and outside (AFT) eating. AFT dining room was convenient down to deck 5. Elevators close by to our location. Our room steward was awesome. Adjusted beds to accommodate my parents,my mom's swollen leg, a downdraft from a wall vent, etc. We had rooms 0257, 0258, and 0259.
Port Reviews
Miami
Nassau
This is your shopping port. If you are willing to walk up and down the main shopping street, you can find great deals that are tax and duty free. Everyone is friendly. You will have to run through the gauntlet of taxi and bus drivers, hair braiders, and vendors. If you are looking for those outlets, you will not be disappointed in the variety and availability. No shortage of taxi drivers willing to take your $$ and you. Make sure that you are clear about your expectations.
Great Stirrup Cay
Our first time on GSC! It is awesome, beautiful, and well maintained. In fact they are expanding and building as I write this! You will not be disappointed. Lunch was provided. You will get wrangled through the food line by over zealous staff members but overall, it was a pleasant experience. The vendors are very pleasant and helpful.