NCL Spirit restaurants cover charges, non smoking cabins? Can you share your experiences on this ship.?

Question

I am looking at my first cruise. Called NCL and wasn't impressed with the help offer by rep. Very pushy, just wanted to book my cruise, not forthcoming with much info on my direct questions. First, he states there are no Non Smoking cabins on board. All have and can be smoked in. Second, he couldn't/wouldn't tell me about the cover charges for the speciality restaurants or explain the system of standard menu, if they had dietary restricted menus, etc. Can anyone share their experience with NCL Spirit Caribbean Cruise? Do I need to look at another cruise line? Carnival is the only other available at the port I want to leave from. I was swayed toward NCL due to their "freestyle" cruising without so much scheduling. Any input would be appreciated.

Answer 1

First of all there is a lot about the "Free style cruising" that they do not tell you about.  I heard nothing but horror stories about that cruise line and about freestyle cruising from them.  

First person said the whole ship they were on was infested wtih Bed Bugs.

The second person said the Freestyle cruising was horrible because they only had about 4 or 5 resteraunts and each only held about 70 people.  They didn't end up getting to have dinner until 11pm at night.

Do more research it will definatly help you out.  I know the commercial for them shows people on non free style cruises looking like robots but that is HIGHLY UNTRUE!  I was just on a Celebrity cruise and it was NOTHING like that at all.

Try Celebrity Cruise lines they are the best.  They have the best food too.

Answer 2

Here is some basic info regarding dinning on the NCL Spirit ...

NCL's "Freestyle Cruising" concept allows passengers to choose when and with whom to dine -- for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

There are two main dining rooms on board the Norwegian Spirit: the Garden Room and Windows. Windows is actually one of the most breathtaking spots on the ship, sitting at the aft end of Deck 6. Try and get a table near the gigantic Palladian windows looking over the stern.

Cagney's Steakhouse, on Deck 7 behind the Grand Centrum, levies a $20 per-person fee. Cagney's offers entries ranging from grilled salmon to steaks and chops to whole lobsters.

Le Bistro, NCL's French restaurant (surcharge $15), is located forward on Deck 7. Menu items range from appetizers of escargot in garlic butter to Spirit's version of "surf and turf," which includes four small half-tails of lobster, filet mignon, three sauces and a choice of vegetables. A salad is also offered, including a Caesar salad complete with anchovies, and a spinach salad with pine nuts and goat cheese. The Bistro's most popular dessert, is chocolate fondue: Chunks of fresh fruit are served in a pineapple "boat" and a pot of warmed chocolate is placed on the table for dipping.

The Thai/Japanese/Chinese Shogun ($12.50) serves Asian-fusion dishes such as chicken in green curry, sweet and sour pork, and teriyaki salmon. The restaurant also includes a Teppanyaki room and sushi bar (a la carte pricing applies), as well as a Tatami Room where guests sit on the floor for a traditional Japanese dining experience (it accommodates eight, so make reservations early).

The buffet is Raffles Cafe. While the food itself is hot and ample, the space is a bit problematic; Raffles features a two-sided buffet line rather than the staggered food station system many cruise lines -- including NCL -- have embraced.



In the evenings, a section of Raffles is converted into a fee-free Italian restaurant -- La Trattoria -- serving pasta and popular Italian fare.

Late-night snacks are provided in the casino and include sandwiches, olives, pickles, veggies and dip, and some sort of hot item. The Blue Lagoon serves up burgers, fish and chips, and wok dishes 24 hours a day. NCL's signature Chocoholics' Buffet is also present.

Room service is simple, with mostly cold items. The exceptions are Ramen noodle soup, made-to-order pizza and grilled cheese sandwiches. Breakfast is continental only, though suite guests get a wider range of room service choices, including hot breakfast, dining room meals served in-suite and a couple of sandwiches not on the menu for guests in standard staterooms.

Answer 3

Before you call to book a cruise, you really should do some research, because there are so many variables.  You can get books on cruising from your library or bookstore and they will give you an overview of what cruising is like, describe the different itineraries, give an idea of what the different lines are like, etc.

Norwegian isn't known for customer service or for the quality of their cruises, although some people love that line.  Carnival and Royal Caribbean are good for a first cruise, generally.  Re the "scheduling" on Carnival.  You can always find somewhere to eat on your own schedule - only the main dining rooms have set seatings.  I guess you've seen the ads about how "other" cruiselines are regimented.  Every line has certain things scheduled at certain times - karaoke is at 9 pm, or bingo is at 2:30, etc, etc.  Some people really enjoy a set time/set table dining experience - your waiters get to know you [and vice versa] and you can have some great tablemates [or not!].  

Carnival is often scoffed at as the "WalMart" of cruiselines; if that's true, it is partly the fault of the passengers [who don't follow dress suggestions, hog pool loungers, get drunk and obnoxious], and you can have that on any line.  I know someone who had gone on several Carnival cruises [and loved them] but decided to try NCL just for a change.  She came home and said, "If Carnival is WalMart, then Norwegian is the Dollar Store!"  Carnival, Royal and NCL are the lower-priced mass-market lines and you get what you pay for.  I've been on several Carnival cruises and enjoyed them all, as I have every cruise I've been on.  

What you need to do is to do the reading and try to match up what you read with what you are looking for and go from there.

Since you have a lot of questions, you might want to work with a travel agent, but even then you will be asked questions about your preferences.

Another good source for info about cruising is CruiseCritic.com.  Click on "Boards" and/or "Reviews" at the top of the page.  Be sure to read the passenger reviews of each ship you might be interested in.  Another site that give a lot of info is CruiseClues.com.  There, you can easily find pictures, menus, daily schedules, etc.

I hope you find just the right cruise for you.

Answer 4

I have been on the spirit several times & really enjoyed every second from the cabin, food etc. I do not know of any cruise line that allows smoking in the cabins. Some allow you to smoke on a balcony of the cabin & have areas on the ship & bars. I Liked the Freestyle idea & other lines have the same idea with buffets. If you tell the cruise of dietary needs before you sail they will make sure your needs are met. As for the extra charge for speciality rest. the most is between $10. to $20.00 each. Some reps are not very help full I can only say that my time on the Spirit was GREAT.

Answer 5

i recently took a cruise on carnival, when i had questions they were very helpful, very professional. i booked thru trussvilletravel.com.