We happen to love NCL ... for this cruise we wanted to visit places we've never seen & the cruise choice was super. We read about the Spirit & understood it was an older & smaller ship. Yes, a bit smaller and perhaps a few worn spots here and there but it was a grand ship nonetheless. Perhaps the bars were a bit smaller & crowded but we always managed to find a spot to share with others & met several people. Others have complained or commented on the "Chinese restaurant feel" of the Spirit but we didn't mind at all & found it quite appealing.
We had a 4 night dining package which worked out nice for us... we enjoyed The Garden Room more than the huge Windows dining area (not as romantic). Carney's is always our favorite but we did enjoy the oriential restaurant a couple times. Our service was always wonderful and if you get a chance ... look for Raymond in Cagney's -- he's the BEST.
If you are looking for a large pool - this ship might not be right for you. However, in addition to the main pool & 4 hot tubs ... there is a children's pool with various activities. We easily found a couple of chairs & enjoyed time there - the poolside food was great, as was the service.
Wow - was amazing. Totally separate bedroom & living room ... plus two bathrooms - master with double sinks, walk-in shower, separate toilet space, vanity & jacuzzi tub. Both decks were on the smaller side so on the one very sunny day, we opted for poolside - but we both love having both front & side decks. Perhaps some of the cabin space was a bit worn, but we were extremely comfortable for all 10 days. The bedding & towels were superior (and I'm fussy). We didn't mind the oriential theme - plus we visited another forward suite and loved ours much better (and it was also the SE category).
Bottomline, if you have the chance to book #10002 - grab that suite before anyone else does. Our cabin personnel - Jose & Ricardo - were some of the best we've ever experienced. And, our concierge, Karin, was absolutely wonderful ... making reservations, checking on us multiple times a day and escorting us off the ship when we returned to port. We hope to meet up with them and the Hotel Director, Armando, again.
Each of the ports showed us the magnificence of Spain, Morraco & Portugal. The history, sites and tours were wonderful. We would repeat this cruise (and on the Spirit).
Visiting the mosque was wonderful. We dined at Rick's Cafe ... fun & good food
We loved it here ... was very windy & chilly due to a rapid change in the weather but we just love seeing all the historic sites. We also visited a beautiful winery and that was super & very educational.