We are empty nesters in our late 50's - early 60's. We cruise for the convenience of being able to unpack only once - and the itineraries. We are foodies, but certainly do not expect gourmet dining for every meal. We expect our room and the ship to be clean and comfortable, but do not go looking for the little things that might be wrong. We have cruised on Holland and Celebrity in the past, as well as several others that are no longer in business. This was our first NCL cruise.

We traveled across the country to our comfortable little hotel 2 days prior to boarding the Norwegian Spirit, meeting up with our good friends from England. Having the extra time before the cruise was worth it, giving us time to relax and catch up with the jet lag. Boston is a beautiful, clean city loaded with a blend of the historical old and upscale new.

We arrived at the pier on Saturday (via our $5 shuttle from our hotel) at noon, and were immediately shown to a short line to begin the embarkation procedure. It was a fast, easy process and we were on the ship in about a half hour. We proceeded to Windows dining room for lunch, thanks to the recommendations from CC members (the staff was sending guests toward the buffet). We enjoyed a nice, quiet lunch before hearing the announcement that our rooms were ready about 1:30 pm. Our stewards were there to introduce themselves, and called us by name every time we saw them. Read more