Cruising on the Norwegian Spirit--Our First Cruise & 25th Anniversary?

Question

We are cruising on the Norwegian Spirit in December from New Orleans. We will be onboard for 8 days with stops in Roatan, Honduras, Santo Tomas De Castilla, Guatemala, Belize and Cozumel. Any thoughts on things we really shouldn't miss, tips, etc. would be greatly appreciated. We are basically quiet and enjoy relaxing with a good book when on vacation, not really into large, rowdy groups. So any and all info (positive and negative). We are also interested in knowing what temperatures we might expect.

And a question for the ladies, is it OK to wear white pants or skirts. We are from the New Orleans area and white is out during this time of year. The thermometer might say 80 in New Orleans but the calender says December so you go with winter colors.

Answer 1

I have cruised on The Spirit 5 times. A Great ship & crew. Many areas on the ship to sit & read on just relax. A great area on deck 11 behind the buffet. Temps should be warm however always pack a light jacket. White pants, wear what you want. It is your vacation. You will meet great people from all over. Once aboard you are free to do what you want.

ENJOY.

Answer 2

We took a Southern Caribbean cruise on the Spirit in 2005.  Here's a heads up on what to expect and my recommendations based on the almost 20 cruises I have been on all over the Caribbean.

The standard cabin that most people get (inside or outside or balcony) is generally between 175 and 200 Square feet, about the size of a 9 by 12 ft home bedroom (balconies are about 45 to 55 sq ft).  Each cabin has two beds which can be made into a queen, a bathroom with a shower stall, a closet and some drawer space, a TV and telephone, a safe for valuables, a mini-refrigerator, and a life vest for each passenger.

When you arrive at the port to check in you (each passenger) will have an on board charge account set up and receive a key card which will serve as your room key, charge card for anything you buy on ship (i.e.,drinks, souvenir, tours, photos, etc) and its also your pass to get on and off ship in each port. When you first board the ship the security personnel will have you insert your key card into a scanner and then will take a photo of you that is included in the magnetic strip on the card.  Each time you get off ship you will need this key card and many times also a photo ID (passport or driver's license). This card allows them to keep an accurate track of all passengers entering and/or leaving the ship.

The first order of business when everyone is on ship is  a MANDATORY safety drill and everyone must go to their cabin and get the life vest and report to the muster station shown on the back of your cabin door.

Each day of your cruise you will receive in your cabin a "newsletter" listing the time, place and particulars of everything happening for you on ship. There are generally activities like demonstrations of ice carvings, napkin folding and towel folding, and cooking demonstrations.  There will be organized games and other activities around the pools. In the evenings there are generally shows, one show for those with an early dinner seating and another (same show) for those who eat late. There is always food available. Usually there is a place in ship where you can go get something. Or, you can always just pick up the phone in your cabin and order from the room service menu (food is free).

Your ship should have  a casino with slots and table games and maybe a small movie theaters, or you can watch free movies on the TV in your room.  There will be a tour and activities desk so you can schedule land tours and activities.

free morning exercise programs, stretching and walking, etc, and on some you can pay for other things like Spinning. All cruise ships have gyms so you can go workout, usually any time from 6:00 AM until late at night. There is usually a walking/running track on one of the decks also. They call the gyms Spa because they do promote getting pampered with things that you have to pay for like wraps and massages with aroma therapy. They will also generally have a beauty salon to do hair and nails.  

The Spirit has a pool and hot tubs on the top deck.  There is a really nice terrace area on the back of the ship which is great for eating and/or reading.  There are places on ships to play cards and board games, and the cards and games are provided. If you want to just sit and read, there’s a library where you can bring your books or select one from the shelf.   There will be plenty of places where you can have quiet.

The dress on ship is casual all day until 6:00PM. So take swim wear, shorts, sandals, beach shoes, your snorkel equipment if you have it, sun glasses and sun screen, lotions, a cap or big hat for the sun, a book if you are a reader, your music player, sneakers and clothes to workout in if you like to use the gym, good walking shoes, your camera, and other personal toiletries.

Your cabin will have towels and soap provided, including pool and beach towels. It will also have a generic hair shampoo so you do not need to bring that unless you like a specific brand. They do not provide tooth paste, mouth wash or lotions. They DO provide a hair dryer.

After 6:00 PM they request that you wear "sports or resort casual" attire. That's attire that you would expect a person to wear in a business office, (like a bank employee), shirt with a collar, slacks, skirt, blouse, etc. You can still wear shorts and swim wear in the pools and spas but not in public areas like dining rooms and restaurants, show rooms, bars, casino, etc. For the most part people do not pay any attention to the color of clothes; most any will be just fine.

Most cruises have a formal night or two when you can wear your best stuff and get pictures taken, and maybe meet the ship’s Captain. The formal nights are REQUESTED not required attire. But most people do dress up in a tux for men and a long dress (any color) for women.  Some men just wear a suit and tie and some women wear a nice dress but not a gown. You will not be denied access to the dining room or anything else if you choose not to dress up.

Here are some other tips:

- Its best to pack using soft-sided luggage because with space limited in your cabin it fits under the beds better if its not hard sided luggage. Take a small carry-on bag for the last night of the cruise. On the last evening you will be required to put your luggage outside your cabin by about 2:00 AM so that they can start taking it down to the lower deck for offloading the next morning. So you will need a small bag for your toiletries and your clothes that you sleep in.

- Join the cruise club so that the cruise line will send you their specials and so that you can get discounts on future cruises with them. The discount will typically be $50 to $100 per person. If you will be celebrating a honeymoon, anniversary, or birthday during the cruise, be sure to tell them, they will do special stuff for that.

- Cruise lines charge a lot (about $15 to $25 per photo) for the photos they take so take your own photos around the ship when you get the chance, especially on the formal nights. Take your own camera and ask other passengers to take photos for you, they generally are very willing.

- The cruise lines do not allow you to bring alcoholic beverage on board, but if you can, take a six-pack of bottled water and soft drinks in your carry-on for your cabin. You will have to pay for both on the ship and its nice to have those handy in the cabin.

- If you are taking your cell phone, MP3 player or other item that needs to be plugged in take an extension cord as the plugs in the cabin are generally not in the best places and there are usually only one or two.

- Take a small bottle of hand sanitizer. There are generally sanitizer dispensers at the entrances of restaurants, the buffets and dining room, but some times the are not there or not working. The sanitizer helps prevent the spread of the Norwalk Virus that sometimes occur on cruise ships.

The temperatures will be hot, at least as warm as it is in New Orleans when you leave there.  But it will be breezy on the open decks while the ship is underway.

NCL has Freestyle cruising.  "FREESTYLE" means you can go to dinner in the main dining room, or any other alternative restaurant, any time of the evening after 6:00 PM..  But you will have to reserve a time in the alternate restaurants.  It also means that you don't have to "dress up" for dinner, but just go "sports casual".   These dining options can cost $10 to $20 a person for dinner each night.  The optional restaurants are very nice, including French, Chinese/Sushi, Tex-Mex, Italian, and steak house restaurants. We always skipped the optional restaurants and just got to the main dining early.  If you go to these optional restaurants you can really run up your onboard tab.

Answer 3

you can wear white pants or skirts.

go to cruiseclues.com for packing lists.

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