Norwegian Spirit Review

Great itinerary, good ship

Review for the Eastern Mediterranean Cruise on Norwegian Spirit
User Avatar
Devilaw
6-10 Cruises • Age 60s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Service

Additional details

Sail Date: Apr 2017
Cabin: Balcony

My wife and I selected this cruise solely because of the itinerary as we really wanted to go to Israel and this was the only NCL cruise going there. The fact that several other ports are not on the regular schedule was an added bonus. We also knew that the Spirit was an older smaller ship, so we were not surprised by condition of the ship. That's not to say that the ship was in poor shape, just that in some places it is showing its age. The ship however more than satisfied our needs. Embarkation was smooth, though I dislike NCL's new policy of boarding by group number with no preference to those that have reached a certain frequent cruiser status. By the time we were able to board, we could go directly to our room and our luggage was waiting for us. We met our steward, Switly who did a great job throughout the cruise. He was very attentive and always smiling. He took care of our cabin every day without exception. The cabin itself was slightly smaller than other cabins we have been in, but we don't cruise to stay in our cabin. In spite of that there was sufficient storage for all of our belongings.

We were pleased for the most part with the food on the ship, especially the specialty restaurants. Unfortunately being a smaller ship there was not a big selection, only four specialty restaurants and two main dining rooms. The buffet was the only disappointing aspect to the food. There was a lack of variety and the selections were repetitive. Most concerning was the absence of smoked salmon for breakfast, though you could get it in the main dining room. One plus, was the number of omelet stations. You never had to wait. Our favorite restaurant was Cagney's A special shout out to Samantha the hostess and Carlton our waiter on two evenings Both were attentive and pleasant to talk to. Our steaks were always cooked perfectly and the sides were excellent. We were also happy with the Le Bistro and La Trattoria.

Entertainment on the main theater was good to excellent. The production shows were well done, and magicians were amusing. The acrobats were somewhat repetitive. We did not watch the musical acts. The singer at Champaign Charlies was terrible.

Cabin Review

Balcony

Cabin BD

Small but sufficient for our needs. The second day we noticed a rubber mat in our shower which was covering cracked and broken tiles. We brought that to our stewards attention and were offered a new similar cabin. We didn't want to pack again so we decided to stay. The balcony was a little smaller than other ships but was okay. The bathroom tiles aside looked dated.

Port Reviews

Venice

We joined another couple we met through the role call who had booked a local tour guide. The local "Lefty" was a no show so we took a risk and hired a local driver who was waiting at the pier. He agreed to do the same itinerary for the same price. We could not have been luckier. Panos was fantastic he took us all over the island and saw all the highlights. At one point he took us to a small church where 4 generations of the same family were having a picnic during Holy Week. The insisted that we join them and gave us homemade wine and food. We finished the day at a local café for Greek Appetizers and lots of Raki

2 Helpful Votes
previous reviewnext review

Find a Norwegian Spirit Cruise from $686

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.