We just returned from a 5 day itinerary on the Sky. She is a small ship. Very small. 5 days felt about a day too long and I can see why she is ideal for the 3-4 day cruises. Her refurbishment is A+. The ship is immaculate and the common area decor is sleek and modern. The service and crew were also excellent and we were extremely impressed with the impeccable service and friendliness. I'd compare the level to service experience to Seabourn, they were that good. I never had to ask twice for anything and even at the buffets, the staff were tripping over themselves to be of assistance, wiping everything down, we never saw a dirty table, never waited more than a second after finishing a plate to have it swept away. We'd only done one previous NCL cruise prior to this, (we are Celebrity fans) and will absolutely book our next cruise on NCL, just a larger ship with more space.

Embarkation was a breeze, there were no lines when we arrived at the port at about 10:30. Unfortunately there was a Coast Guard inspection occurring onboard that morning so we could not board until almost noon and it is freezing in the waiting area of the terminal, even on a 95 degree Miami day. Pack a sweater on your hand luggage, you'll need it. They use face identification to embark, which is pretty cool and did not need passport or anything aside form that to disembark.

We had a balcony cabin mid ship on deck 10 and it was quiet and an excellent location. However, it was TINY. We walked in when we embarked and were shocked. There is one small nightstand beside the bed but the other side of the bed butts right up to the chair and the chair is right against the door the the balcony. We aren't large people; I am 115 lbs and BF is 170 and we were having difficulty navigating from one side of the bed to the other. There is maybe 14 inches max between the foot of the bed and the wall and about 2 square feet of open floor space between the vanity and the chair. As I understand it, the Sky was retrofit to include the 2 decks of balcony cabins so I guess they were not designed to have the spacious feel that we'd expect on a newer ship but it was still a shock. I don't think that the bathrooms were updated in the renovation. They are fine but the mini shower has a curtain, not a door. The shampoo, body wash and hand wash are in dispensers and felt very watery. I always bring my own shampoo and conditioner so not a big thing but be advised. There is no conditioner or lotion provided in the cabin. There was also not a robe but our steward brought them for us to use soon as I asked. The balcony itself was great and had enough space so fortunately we kind of worked our way out there when one of us was trying to get ready, etc. We typically book a larger balcony cabin when we cruise so maybe we are just spoiled but this was not an option on the Sky. Another reason we'll try a newer ship with more category options next time. The cabin was super clean, bed and bedding very cozy and comfortable and we slept very well. Our cabin steward was a doll and took wonderful care of our room. The location was super as we could easily pop upstairs to the Garden Cafe for a snack or pop in to the Local for a drink or to refill our Yetis with ice water. Read more