Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Spirit Cruise Review
Bahamas

Jeremy H.

If you're looking for a vacation where you can completely relax and not have to worry about doing a single thing, then you will love being on the Norwegian Spirit. This is a cruise ship where you can do absolutely nothing and never be bored, if that makes any sense. (It does to me..lol) Disregard all the bad reviews that are on this site or on any other. I read all of them too and I was really worried that the cruise would suck, just like you.

Well, I quickly realized that those people really don't know what they're talking about, because I enjoyed the ship so much that it broke my heart when the trip was over. The biggest myth in all of those bad reviews is that the buffet restaurant, Raffles, is terrible. Not True!!

My girlfriend and I ate all of our meals in Raffles except for one. We never got bored of it. Those reviews made it sound like it was tiny and that they offered practically nothing. So Not True!!

First of all, it's huge. You will never have a problem finding a table, even during the busy times.

Second of all, they offer you practically everything under the sun. There is something for everyone.

They have an enormous assortment of food, and it's all delicious. Some things were standard for every meal, but they always switched around the menu so it was never repetitive. There was always something new that I hadn't seen the day before. The carving stations are excellent, and the meat was always juicy and well-cooked. You name it, roast beef, strip steak, roast turkey, roast chicken, roast lamb, they had it. They had every kind of salad, a separate station just for Ceasar, and every kind of dressing. Everything was always fresh, especially the fruit. I ate so much pineapple that I thought I was going to turn into one. My favorite part of Raffles was the stir-fry station. You pick out all the ingredients and they make it to order right in front of you. There was this one cook from Jamaica who made my dishes so good, that I liked his stir-fry better than the mediocre pad thai that I ordered in Shogun, the Asian specialty restaurant. The desserts were plentiful and addictive. All kinds of cakes, cookies, mousses, jellos, and brownies. There was also a separate ice cream bar, which admittedly wasn't all that elaborate, but definitely sufficient. Believe me, I never felt that I missed out on anything by eating there all the time. You will get your money's worth.

I highly recommend getting a room with a balcony. It made the room feel twice as big, and there's nothing like being able to breathe in the ocean air and the sea mist while wearing nothing but a towel. I took all my pictures from there, the views were stupendous. I saw some of the interior rooms and I don't know how anyone could breathe in them. They were very small. And don't listen to people who tell you that you'll never be in your room. Oh yes, you will, and that is when you will be glad that you have a balcony.

If you like gambling, you will love their casino. It was such a refreshing change of pace from land casinos where the dealers and the pit bosses always tend to have attitudes. Everybody in the casino was very friendly and very welcoming to reluctant gamblers. They went out of their way to make sure that you understood the rules of the game. There was no pressure and no dirty looks. It was perfectly fine to stand around and just watch other people gamble. Watch out for those slot machines though, they don't pay out very often, if at all. I and lots of other people lost a lot of money in them. Stick with the tables. $5 minimums, how cool is that? Try finding a $5 minimum blackjack table at Mohegan Sun or in Atlantic City. If you're not a gambler, there are a ton of other activities, too many to list here.

The stage shows were cheesy, yes that's true, but it's a nice theater, and the performers definitely exude a lot of energy despite their hideous costumes. There was always a band playing somewhere and at any time, which was nice, and they represented a nice array of musical genres.

I wouldn't try to do any swimming in the pool as it does get very crowded. It's a weird pool too. It's not very big, but it is very deep, even from the steps going into it. Save the swimming for your shore excursions when you can hit the beaches. All I will say about Great Stirrup Cay is that you will never want to leave. It was easily the highlight of our trip. We felt like we were in that Corona commercial, "Miles away from Ordinary." The beauty of the water is hypnotic. I snorkeled with fish I've only seen behind glass in aquariums. Enough said. Get there on the early tenders though because it fills up fast.

Oh, watch out for the women who want to braid your hair in Nassau. They tell you it's $2 a braid, but they fail to mention that they'll put in like 40 braids. My girlfriend and I got ripped off. Stay away from the Straw Market too, unless you like extremely hot, claustrophobic places. Instead, go next door to Senor Frog's. It's a nice place to wet your whistle, and it's right on the water with a great view of the ship at the dock.

I'm sure your eyes are getting tired, so I'll wrap this up. This is not a fancy cruise, or a luxury cruise, but this is a really fun cruise and it's a very friendly cruise. From the room stewards who greet you by name to the reception desk who will answer any question at any hour of the day, these people really know the meaning of customer service. Always smiles from the staff. I didn't see one frown on anyone's face for the whole trip, staff or passengers. I highly recommend the Norwegian Spirit.