Norwegian Spirit Review

Spirit to Bermuda Relaxation all the way

Review for Bermuda Cruise on Norwegian Spirit
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RinfromMA
First Time Cruiser • Age 50s

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Sail Date: Jul 2009
Cabin: Aft-Facing Penthouse with Large Balcony

Embarkation went smoothly and easily.  Long line to check bags, but it moved fast.  Arrived around 11:15 and were in our room by 12:10, but we got to go through check-in quickly due to being in a suite.  Great perk!First day had a great lunch in Cagney's another perk of suite that definitely helped make the extra $ worth it.  Wonderful service all cruise long by the staff there.  Got to know our suite and the ship.  Lovely ship lots of wonderful Asian art and kept very clean and lovely at all times.  The lifeboat drill was boring but relatively quick (20 minutes maybe), and pulling out of Boston was great.  Dinner that night at Windows the only time we at there.  The food was fine and the service was good, but it was noisy and crowded, and just not our idea of a relaxing dinner experience, so we ate in the specialty restaurants the rest of the nights.  Went to opening night show with the cruise director, but left after awhile not really our idea of entertainment.  Trip to Bermuda smooth sailing and fun relaxing in the sun, eating great food, and enjoying our room for downtime.  We enjoyed some time in the casino, though never spent a lot of money.  No pressure to spend more than we wanted there, either, which was refreshing as compared to on-land casinos we've been to.  Enjoyed dancing in the Galaxy of the Stars.  Generally, a relaxing cruise to Bermuda.Bermuda docked by 11:00 and were off the ship by 12:00 didn't rush to be among the first.  Lots of public transportion available, and extra busses were running to the south shore beaches, which is where we went.  Horsehoe Bay is lovely, but we wanted to snorkel.  When we moved to a different beach nearby, we discovered that the southshore beaches have very rough water that makes snorkelling impossible.  The Royal Naval Dockyards where the ship docks are worth a look around, and the Snorkel Park there is adequate if you just want to see a few fish.  Not many to see, but enough, and if you don't rent anything, you can go there for free.We ate most meals on the ship to save money.  Did eat in St. George one day at the George and Dragon pub - -nothing special, but not awful.  Definitely recommend going to St. George on a sunny day to snorkel at Tobacco Bay.  Hamilton was a city without a lot of charm, but lots of shopping.  The nearby Botanical Gardens were lovely.LOVED the Second City improv group on board.  They put on the best shows we saw the whole time.  The White Hot Party was a lot of fun, too.  Beyond that, we didn't find many of the shows to be that great, but there were other options to keep us busy, so no big deal.Cruising back we hit rough waters, and it was not much fun for about 5 hours one day.  But we got through it and moved into calmer waters for most of the rest of the trip. Overall, it was a wonderful cruise, and the staff were what made it so.  We were pampered all the time, and not only because we were in a suite.  While having a concierge and butler was nice in theory, it was actually the staff in the restaurants and our room steward who made us feel most taken care of.  Every staff member we talked to was upbeat, pleasant and very helpful.Being in a suite was a wonderful experience, and if it's possible for your budget, go for it.  The jacuzzi tub with a window looking out to the ocean was wonderful, and the meals at Cagney's were the other major perk we enjoyed.  The concierge was fine, though she dropped the ball once or twice so we weren't blown away.  We rarely asked the butler for anything, but when we did he was attentitive.The Spirit is a beautiful ship with lots of public space and lots to do.  And lots of time to just relax, too. 

Cabin Review

Aft-Facing Penthouse with Large Balcony

AD suites are aft on Spirit, and there is some rumbling from the engines and some rocking when in rough seas.  But it never kept us awake, and we grew to enjoy being rocked gently to sleep at night when at sea.  And the cabins are GORGEOUS lots of special aspects that are definitely worth the extra money.

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