Norwegian Spirit Review
Rating by category
Additional details
The cruise took in a number of ports I wanted to see - Gibraltar, Malta and Cartagena. The stops were excellent, although with 10 ports in 11 days another sea day to relax would have been welcome.
The Spirit herself was clean and in excellent condition - you would never know how old she is. She has two features which stand out - the raffles terrace overlooking the back of the ship which gives you a peaceful area to eat, drink or sunbathe away from the crowds of the pool deck; and the observation lounge in Galaxy of the Stars which is far superior to the other ships. The atrium is also very distinctive and attractive, although not over-large.
The downside to Spirit is that she is small and does not make best use of the space she has. There is no thermal suite, the blue lagoon is extremely small and limited in its offer, and there are fewer types of restaurant available. Shogun, in particular, had very lengthy waits to get a table.
Cabin Review
Mid-Ship Balcony
This is conveniently located near the mid-ships stairs and only one flight of stairs away from the buffet. It is quite spacious and in excellent condition, with plenty of storage space.
The balcony is not large - you can only fit upright chairs on, not a lounger - but it has a ceiling so people aren't looking down on you. But you still get plenty of light, and can hear the waves.
There was no disturbances from the other rooms, so soundproofing must be good. However, it is directly below the pool deck so early each morning you would hear thumping and scraping as they set out the tables and chairs. This took place between 5.30-6am and always woke me, although it was fairly muffled. Light sleepers, or late sleepers, might prefer another cabin, or to at least take ear plugs.
Port Reviews
Palma de Mallorca (Majorca)
I walked in to the cathedral from the cruise port. Be warned that it took an hour there, and an hour back. There are buses and taxi that could take you there faster - better still hire one of the bikes from outside the cruise terminal.
Valencia
We visited Sagunto and St Joseph's caves on a ship excursion. Being punted through the caves in a boat was quite fun and interesting. The trip to Sagunto was less enjoyable - we went to the extensively restored amphitheatre, when actually the fortress a bit higher up would have been more interesting.
Cartagena (Spain)
I organised a four-hour walking tour through viator, which showed us all the highlights of the town. This included the House of Fortune which ship's tours can't get to because they have too many people. Well worth a visit, along with the punic wall and the amphitheatre.
Rome (Civitavecchia)
No tour, but I did use a shared shuttle transfer to get me from the port to Fimucino airport. The car was right outside the terminal and we made it to the airport in 50 minutes. It was an excellent service.