Norwegian Spirit Review
Norwegian Spirit Mediterranean Cruise
Rating by category
Additional details
We sailed on the Norwegian Spirit out of Barcelona on Oct 12, 2012. When arriving at the embarkation point the staff of the Spirit were there to cheerfully greet us and usher us on our way to the start of a fantastic vacation. Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) are noted for their "freestyle cruising". Being a first time cruiser this did not mean a lot to me at the time but I have to say it definitely fit my lifestyle. Not one who likes to dress in fancy clothes and sit with people I don't know to make stilted conversation, NCL is my best fit. Freestyle cruising, you do not have assigned seating, you can eat when you want, where you want and the only rule is you must wear long pants. Respectable jeans are allowed. You can certainly dress up if you like, lots of people were dressed up and the have dress up or not nights. Life Safety drill was done before leaving port.
Our room was mid-ship balcony - port side. Everyone says the balconies are small, my question - what are you doing on the balcony - how much bigger do you want it? The balcony was fine, the room is fine and the bathroom is great. I have been in smaller rooms in hotels in NYC. We did not spend a lot of time hanging out in our room or on the balcony of our room.
The food was great, in all the venues. We ate at the buffet, dining rooms, ordered pizza, ate wings and salad - we never had a bad meal on this cruise.
Cabin Review
Mid-Ship Balcony
Never having been on a cruise before I did not know what to expect for a cabin. The cabin was great. I am a fussy person and I had no issues with this cabin. Space was big enough for a king sized bed and a 3/4 couch/futon, desk, chair and built in dresser. Closet space was great, lots of hangers and my husband discovered that the suitcases fit under the bed - great discovery as that left lots of room in the closet for shoes, backpacks and parcels.
The bed was super comfortable.
The balcony - everyone says it is small. I found it fine. I used it every morning and every evening to have my coffee and fresh air break on. I don't know why people want a large balcony - for the 15 mins a day you spend on it, why do u need it any larger? The ship provides lots of space for sunbathing, quiet rooms, etc. For me the balcony was great.
Bathroom was fantastic. You walked in to the sink area, on the right with a sliding door was the toilet and on the left with a sliding door was the shower. It was a good size.
Our location mid-ship/balcony was quiet. Rarely heard hall noises and definitely heard no noise from other rooms. We were across from a small crew area but again no noise what so ever.