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Name: B. Modica
Email: modicab@tcnj.edu
Age: 32
Occupation: College Administrator
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Leeward
SailingDate: 12/16/96
Itinerary: Mexican
FoodDiningRoom: 70
CruiseDirector: 89
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 70
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 70
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 60
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 87
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 70
GoodForSeniors: 75
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 70
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 70
CruiseActivities: 70
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram: 85
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 80
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 65
Stabilization: 65
ShopsOnBoard: 65
SpaceRatio: 75
OverallCruiseValue: 65
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 13 Jan 1997
Time: 22:49:58
Remote Name: 159.91.15.162
Remote User:
Comments
While the service was excellent on the Leeward, the quality of the cruise in general was
poor. The food was mediocre, at best, and the variety and presentation were poor. Where
were all of the tropical fruits and lovely presentations? The preparation and taste were
poor. Shore excursions were expensive yet not worth the value. Snorkeling was terrible in
comparison to snorkeling that I have done previously in Cancun. Trips could be arranged
individually at a much cheaper rate with a greater variety of fish and fun! For the amount
that our family paid, we received what I would anticipate from one of those
"cheesy" inexpensive cruise lines! Never again for the Leeward!
Name: Elaine Lamothe
Email: elaine@shared-management.com
Age: 50-60
Occupation: Educator
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Leeward
SailingDate: March 27
Itinerary: Key west-Cazumel
FoodDiningRoom: 89
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 89
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 75
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram: 89
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization:
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 88
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 09 Mar 1997
Time: 15:13:02
Remote Name: 207.60.157.197
Remote User:
Comments
We had a very nice 4 day cruise. The food was plentiful and and for the most part very
good. The sport lounge open cafeteria varied from good to fair and often needed
replenishing of simple items such as milk and fruit.
As a first time cruiser, I was amazed at the added costs and found this to be one of the most costly vacations we have taken and we have travel extensively both in and out of the US. The staff was friendly and helpful and efficency was very good both in the boarding and disembaking. We had to pay extra to have a flight that was within a reasonable time for us to travel. A general coach class flight to Florida for us is about 3 to 5 hours. Initally our return would have meant two changes and about 7 hours. The tranfer from the airport to the hotel-Supersaver Van, arranged by NCL was a horror show. The hotel was pricey but comfortable. The transfer from the hotel to the ship was terrific.
Our visit to Key West was lovely and we also enjoyed the well planned and exicuted trip to Tilum, complete with too much food in a nice boxed lunch provided by the ship. Our biggest disappointment was the swimming pool aboard ship, very small, deceivable in the picture. Our deluxe stateroom was too much bed, a kingsize in a very small room. We would have preferred a double and more floor space. One person sat or got out of the way while the other dressed.
We enjoyed most of the shows but felt they were too much Vegas style rather then just good entertainment. All the bands and vocal groups were very good. We never did make a midnight buffet although we started to go to the chocolaholic one but didn't want to stay in line after a long first day and we were still full from a late dinner. I had a wonderful massage accompanied by super salespersons. There were super sales people everywhere. $2.50 for a quart of water in your room, $4 to $6 drinks, softdrinks only available at $1.75 quickly add up to an expensive trip.
Yes we enjoyed our cruise and our trup and we will have mnay fond memories of it but we would not hurry to do it again. We would have much more for our money by taking a weeks trip to London or other places.
Name: C. Kurt Holter
Email: ckholter@erols.com
Age: 44
Occupation: Photographer
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Leeward
SailingDate: July 28, 1998
Itinerary: Carrib - Eastern USA
FoodDiningRoom: 99
CruiseDirector: 70
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService: 99
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 80
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 99
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 99
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 99
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 99
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 75
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 99
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 80
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 10 Aug 1998
Time: 08:17:25
Remote Name: 207.172.144.178
Remote User:
Comments
NCL Leeward 7/28/98 - 8/5/98
Introduction
My wife and I cruised for a week on the Celebrity Century in July 1996 (our first) and
found the experience nearly perfect in every respect. Our July 28,
1998 eight night cruise on the NCL Leeward was our first with our sons, who are eight and
fifteen.
The ship has been leased by Didion World Cruises and will be docked at Alexandria,
Virginia throughout the rest of the year, as I understand it. Ours was
the repositioning cruise from Cancun to Alexandria, and was the first of the Leeward
cruises under the Didion lease. We'd originally thought that we
would be unable to cruise this year, but Didion's excellent prices combined with nearby
Alexandria as the endpoint made it possible.
We had a great time! The Leeward is not the Century, NCL is not Celebrity, and you get
what you pay for. We feel we got a lot for our money though, and
I'd get back on that ship in a heartbeat.
Our package included the flight from Dulles International Airport to Mexico, bus
transportation to the dock, and shuttle transportation back to our car at
Dulles on our return on August 8. Transportation arrangements were handled reasonably well
on both ends of the voyage. We were impressed with how
well things went at debarkation at Alexandria upon our return, considering that this was
the biggest ship ever to come that far up the Potomac River, and
it had been a while since anyone at that port had dealt with a large cruise ship
approaching the 25000 ton Leeward and her 900+ passengers.
The Ship
We assumed that the smaller and older Leeward wouldn't be as spectacular as the Century,
and we were right. The ship is supposedly getting a complete
interior overhaul in the near future, and while it was clean, many things looked a little
shopworn. There are many very attractive areas, though. I saw
crew members painting things on and off as the cruise proceeded.
One thing really surprised me. NCL apparently permits smoking in all of the public areas
onboard except for the dining room and a few other spots. As a
result, I could smell stale smoke odor in more than a few spots.
Although we could always find a deck chair topside, the pool was small and filled with
salt water. It was unavailable for the last two days we were on the
ship, since the bottom was being painted. Why the crew decided to do this immediately
prior to one of the two 'at sea' days I'll never know. There is a hot
tub at pool side which was nearly always monopolized by kids. The other hot tub on the
rear deck was never crowded, and it's the one we would have
used had we desired to do so. That same rear deck has its own bar, and is the location of
trap shooting around 5 PM daily. I don't shoot, but I enjoyed
watching. This was one of the nicer and more intimate spots on the ship.
Both dining rooms are very attractive and pleasant places to dine. We ate every meal in
the dining room.
The Sports Bar on Deck 9 (of 10) was the site of around the clock coffee, tea, and milk,
and also that of the buffet meals, afternoon snack, etc. Because
I'm such a coffee drinker I spent a lot of time passing though, but found the cramped
quarters less than fantastic otherwise. There were a ton of
televisions, with half tuned to CNN and the other half to ESPN - making it very difficult
to hear clean audio from either channel.
Gatsby's Bar on Deck 10 pretty much always smelled like cigar smoke. Entertainer Susan
Rose played piano favorites there from time to time, but that
whole scene really had lounge lizard written all over it. I never saw this lounge very
full.
Opposite Gatsby's is the Observatory Lounge, where there was generally a disco, karaoke,
or a teen activity at night. We went one evening, and enjoyed
the varying levels of talent performing karaoke. Unfortunately, we missed our oldest son's
15 minutes of fame when he gave it a try.
The best kept secret on the ship may have been the Tradewinds Lounge. It is on Deck 8 and
very intimate, quiet, and seemed to have the best service of
the indoor lounges. Stan Sykes played piano there, and he has a terrific blues voice.
The main auditorium is the Stardust Lounge - a large room which looks great until you
actually try and attend a show there. A large percentage of the
seats are restricted view, including the entire balcony except for the front row. We
learned to get to the shows very early on in order to get seats where
we could have decent visibility.
The lobby, on deck five, was pleasant and attractive, and most of the time the main desk
was staffed. off the lobby is the shipboard store. This not only
featured a greater variety of merchandise than the Century's store had, but the prices
were really reasonable. It was a pleasant surprise.
One advantage of a smaller ship like the Leeward is that you're never as far from anything
as you are on the big new ships. We found ourselves
frequently using the stairs instead of the elevators. It seemed that at least one elevator
was nonfunctional on more than a few occasions, but never for
long.
There were nice views out of all of the lounges and bars, but the seating all looked a lot
more comfortable than it really was. Not all drinks on the drink
menu were available at all bars, despite the fact that they all have the same drink menu.
We did not feel that the service in the bars and lounges was as
personable and pleasant as in those on the Century, but there were notable exceptions,
especially in the Tradewinds Lounge.
There are youth activities for teens and for younger children. Our eight year old son was
a fairly regular participant with his group, and had fun. Our
fifteen year old son did a few things with the teens, but wasn't with that group as often.
Our Cabin
All four of us shared an inside cabin on Deck 4. There were two beds, and two folding
overhead bunks. All were small, but were comfortable. Since we
knew we would rarely be in the cabin except to sleep, we were resigned to cramped quarters
when we booked the cruise. Our steward, Rodney Duval,
was flawless. We tried to pick up after ourselves, but he still had to deal with a lot of
our 'stuff'. The bathroom was small, but workable. I could always get
a hot shower, and the toilet always flushed.
The four young men, and sometimes their sisters or girlfriends, in the cabin next to ours,
got off to a noisy start. We put up with it until 4:30 AM the
second day, when my wife literally jumped up out of bed, went out in the hall, and gave
them what for in a big way. They were not a problem after that.
There were a lot of kids and teens on this cruise, and I feel like the crew, or better
yet, their parents, should have been a bit more diligent in keeping
them in line. Towards the end about a dozen teens started lying around all over half of
the double stairways at the landings, congesting the both halves
of the stairway. Fortunately, there were no groups of hundreds of teens which have
apparently been a problem on the Leeward on past cruises.
The Dining Room
There are actually two formal dining rooms on the Leeward, plus Le Bistro (an optional
dining room with a fixed menu and minimum additional gratuity).
We ate every on board meal in the Four Seasons dining room, and believe that the
experience was every bit as good as that on the Celebrity Century in
terms of both service and food quality. Our family of four had a table to ourselves. Both
our waiter, Daniel from Venezuela, and our busboy, Wayne from
Jamaica, were great. Each went of of his way to socialize with every member of our family,
and we got the feeling that we were their only customers.
We simply had no complaints about the food. I expected it to be fantastic, and it was. We
occasionally opted for multiple appetizers and deserts.
It was all we could do to keep silent as we watched a nearby couple come anywhere from a
half hour to an hour late every night for the 6 PM seating,
and then frequently make special 'not on the menu' requests, order multiple entrees, and
generally pay no mind to the fact that there would be a second
seating at their table and the wait staff was only human.
Cruise Director and Staff
The cruise director and his staff, for the most part, came off as inexperienced, lacking
in confidence, and not particularly professional. This aspect of the
trip was perhaps the most disappointing in light of our earlier experience on the Century.
We noted that the crowds at the evening shows, in the lounges,
and at pool side seemed somewhat numb, and we believe that this was primarily a result of
the lame staffing.
The young assistant cruise director who conducted the bridge tour knew less about it than
several former military members of the crowd, and when she
talked about 'parking' the 'boat', as opposed to docking the ship, I could see several
men, including the bridge officer, visibly cringe.
George, the representative from Didion, did his best to generate some fun and party
atmosphere during the pool side activities, and had it not been for
him thing would really have seemed dead.
We are not party animals, but we really look back upon the fun atmosphere of the 1996
Century cruise with fondness. A top notch cruise director could
have made a lot of difference on the Leeward.
Entertainment (by Colin Holter, 15)
Stage Shows: The Leeward's private theater company, the Jean Ann Ryan company, put on two
shows in the Stardust lounge: Sea Legs at the Copa, a
song and dance revue; and The Pirates of Penzance, the famous Gilbert and Sullivan
musical. The members of the company were very talented and
enthusiastic, and the Sea Legs at the Copa show was excellent. The Pirates of Penzance was
equally well-executed but somewhat surreal. The
accompaniment - usually a full orchestra- was the show band, a
bass/drum/piano/saxophone/trumpet group that normally plays jazz and swing
standards in the evenings.
To compensate for the lack of a more traditional orchestra, the show was altered so as to
be more compliant with the show band's combination of
instruments. This resulted in what can only be described as a Las Vegas version of a
Victorian operetta. If you enjoy that kind of thing, the stage shows on
the Leeward will amaze you.
Solo Acts: There were several single performers on the Leeward in the evenings, also
backed up when necessary by the show band. The pianist, Glenn
Smith, was a fine rock musician and is someone I'd be eager to see again. The magician,
Jean Boucher, was equally entertaining. He was also quite
funny. The last solo act was Ralph Achilles, a hilarious comedian. Overall, the quality of
performers hired by NCL was higher than I expected, and I was
pleasantly surprised.
Lounge Music: I thought that the lounge music on the Leeward was unbalanced. There were
two pianists (Susan Rose and Stan Sykes), a reggae band,
a jazz band, and a disc jockey. Susan Rose was forgettable. I found her voice and choice
of music intolerable. Stan Sykes, on the other hand, was
excellent. He sang mostly R&B and top 40 songs; his voice was ideally suited to these
styles. The reggae band, called Mind, Body, and Soul, was difficult
to enjoy. The members were good musicians, but they lacked energy and fun.
Unlike the reggae band, the show band was full of energy. All great musicians, they often
played jazz, swing, and blues for couples to dance to.
Surprisingly, several young people, myself included, were among their regular listeners.
The members were also very personable. The bass player, who
also happened to be the musical director of the entire ship, chatted with me for awhile
after one of the shows. I felt that the show band was the ship's
greatest musical asset. I can't comment on the DJ, because the only time I was in the
disco for an extended period of time was when I sang Karaoke.
Itinerary
Wednesday, July 29: Cozumel - Since two of us had been there before, we all took the
tender to the pier and walked around all morning, visiting the
museum and stores. We'd have probably dropped in at Carlos and Charlie's if the kids
hadn't been with us, but we figured we didn't need to expose
them to that particular war zone. We passed on the jazz and swing music at night in the
Stardust Lounge. My fifteen-year-old son, himself a musician,
was present for the music, however, and enjoyed it. The members of the M/S Leeward Show
band were very personable and took time after the show to
chat with him. In his opinion, at least, they were much more sociable, experienced, and
energetic than the cruise director and his staff.
Thursday, July 30: Day at Sea - Beautiful weather made this very relaxing, and a pleasant
day. At night the Sea Legs at the Copa show in the Stardust
Lounge was a variety song/dance thing which wasn't bad, but wasn't the level of quality we
enjoyed on the Century.
Friday, July 31: Key West, Florida - We took the Conch train tour excursion with
attractions, which included the Shipwreck Historium, and the Aquarium. All
were enjoyable. We walked back to the ship (not far at all) for lunch. Great guides for
all three. Highly recommended, especially if your kids are along. The
Stardust Lounge featured piano music by Glenn Smith which we passed on.
Saturday, August 1: Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas - This is NCL's private island, and we
could have stayed here for the rest of the vacation and it would
have been fine with me. There are plenty of umbrellas and beach chairs, and lunch is
served buffet style on the island. Bar service ($), music, and games
are also provided. One can rent everything from rafts to snorkeling and diving equipment.
The water was clear and warm, the scenery is spectacular, and
one could see plenty of fish just walking around and looking downward. Converted WWII
landing crafts are used to tender to and from the ship, and run
all day. Despite repeated applications of SPF 45 sun block, the boys got badly sunburned
since they spent so much time in the water. Ralph Achilles, a
comedian, was onstage in the Stardust Lounge at night and was very funny.
Saturday night: Rough water - Beginning shortly after we cast of from Great Stirrup Cay,
the boat pitched all night. Although none in our family got seasick
or fell down, some people had trouble. I was never worried, but I can see where this was
probably a long night for anyone prone to motion sickness.
Sunday, August 2: Port Canaveral, Florida - We took the excursion to Kennedy Space Center,
and enjoyed it thoroughly. It seems that the NASA tour
guides are real space heads, and extremely entertaining and enthusiastic. It would be best
to be able to spend two days here to see everything. Other
excursions available were Epcot Center and Universal Studios. We felt we'd see too little
of interest and spend too much money to consider these. Jean
Boucher, comedian and magician, provided a great show that evening in the Stardust Lounge.
Monday, August 3: Charleston, South Carolina - Since I'm always up early, I was on deck as
we entered the beautiful entrance to this picturesque city. We
docked across the water from the aircraft carrier Yorktown. Our horse and carriage ride
was conducted by yet another excellent guide past one
magnificent home after another. We went back on board the ship for lunch and then walked
to the street market a block from the dock in the afternoon.
Although I highly recommend the carriage tour, there are plenty of historic buildings,
restaurants, and park areas within easy walking distance for most
people from the dock. At night in the Stardust Lounge, Pirates of Penzance was staged. As
my wife said afterward, if you like Gilbert and Sullivan, you
won't like this. It was a little too 'Vegas' for her. I passed on this show.
Tuesday, August 4: Day at Sea - We hung out by the pool, the kids did a number of youth
activities, and we shopped at the on board store all day. It was
semi-overcast and the pool was closed. Since everyone in the family but me was still
hurting a bit from the Great Stirrup Cay sunburn syndrome, thins
worked out pretty well. The reggae band played in the afternoon pool side, and there were
some games. My wife and kids won third place in a trivia
contest. At night I bypassed the Leeward Farewell show in the Stardust Lounge.
Wednesday, August 5: I walked up on deck about 4 AM, just in time to watch us dock at
Alexandria, Virginia. The view from Deck 10 was spectacular,
since I could see the illuminated US Capitol Dome and Washington Monument, as well as the
surrounding skyline. We got off the ship about 8:15 AM, and
debarkation was handled efficiently. It was nice knowing we wouldn't have to deal with a
flight to get home.
Summary
I'd go again tonight - or any other night - if I could.
The great price of this cruise enabled us to have the vacation we thought we might never
have the chance to take. However, not until I read several
questions pertaining to pricing on the post-cruise NCL satisfaction survey did I realize
that this line may be trying to position itself as a 'bargain' line. Up
until then I'd just figured we'd gotten a good deal. Of course, one-way air fare instead
of round trip also made a dent in the cost.
The ship's size is really comfortable. We'd have been somewhat leery of letting our eight
year old son have the run of a ship the size of the Century - at
least so early on in the cruise. Everything seems conveniently close. Waiting lines, are
rare and short.
It sounds like the upcoming interior rehab of the Leeward will potentially make it an even
better experience than it is at present. After the refitting, NCL
should do like Celebrity and only allow smoking in designated areas - most of which should
be on deck somewhere.
The biggest single change NCL needs to make on this ship is the cruise director and his
staff. In my mind, there must be an endless line of qualified
individuals for jobs like these out there. Cruise director Dave and his staff on the
Century in 1996 all exhibited the charisma, charm, energy, enthusiasm,
and genuine affection for the passengers. It felt like the Leeward bunch were simply
putting in their time.
The food and experience in the dining room was tremendous. The wait staff as a whole all
seemed to be enjoying their work. My eight year old son
enjoyed being addressed as 'Senator' by the maitre'd on the two formal evenings.
We live about 50 miles from Alexandria, Virginia, and we think it's exciting that a ship
of this caliber is, at least for the time being, docking so close to
home.
Name: greg lundstrom
Email: lundstrm@midusa.net
Age: 41
Occupation: Hospital administrator
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Leeward
SailingDate: March 21, 1997
Itinerary: Nassau, Great Stirrup Cay
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 885
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 27 Mar 1997
Time: 18:31:19
Remote Name: 207.1.160.161
Remote User:
Comments
My wife and 13 yr. old son just got back from the three day cruise. We had an excellent
time, although we have decided that the 4 day cruise would have been more relaxing. My son
and I are ready to go again and my wife will go, but feels that there are other places to
go first before returning to a cruise. Pleasant surprises were the embarking and
disembarking process. Both were extremely smooth with no problems at all. We chose to go
on a post cruise tour and were the first off the ship. The last day could be extremely
long however, if you had to wait to get off the ship as you disembark based on the time of
your return flight home.
We boarded the ship at around 3:30 p.m., so had time to go to the room and explore the
ship before we left port. The cruise staff had a fun party around the pool as we left and
put everyone in a festive mood. After the party, we went back to clean up for dinner as we
had chosen the early setting due having our son with us. Dinner was an enjoyable
experience. The food is good on this cruise, but not exceptional. Our waiter was a young
man named Polo. He was terrific! He was efficient in his work and his personality made
dining a joy. Although I said the food was not exceptional, please do not take that as a
negative. I would compare it with a good resturant. You have to remember that they are
cooking for 950 people. Presentation of the food was nicely done and there is plenty of
food on the cruise.
After dinner, we went to the lounge to listen to a young couple perform. They were
wonderful and we listened and danced until the main show began in the stardust lounge. The
first night they put on a show call Sealegs at the Copa. This show is full of singing and
dancing. I enjoyed it, I wife thought it O.K.. During this time, my son participated in
youth activities for teenagers. He seemed to enjoy the opportunity to be with other kids
his age instead of hanging around with his parents. We enjoyed it too! After the show, my
wife and I went to the casino until it was time for the midnight buffet. It was all
chocolate and was great.
First port was Nassau. This is the second time we have been there and did not like it any
better than the first time. Nassau is dirty and if you do not enjoy going to the straw
market and bargining for T-Shirts, then you are in for a disappointment. After a few hours
on shore, we went back to the ship to sit by the pool, listen to the entertainment and sip
drinks.
Next stop was the private island. We enjoyed this a great deal. They have a nice setup and
it is an enjoyable way to spend the day. Although the waves were higher than normal, my
son did get to snorkel while we were there.
We really enjoyed the evening entertainment this night. We danced and enjoyed a comic who
performed on the last night.
All in all, we did have a wonderful time. I might warn you however, you may get surprised
when you get you final bar bill. If you enjoy drinks around the pool, wine with dinner,
cocktails while at the shows it all adds up. But what the heck, it vacation.
As first time cruisers, we really did not know what to expect, but it was a nice way to be
gone a short while, yet feel like you have been someplace special.
Name: Mel Straus
Email: Mel@Straus.net
Age: 54
Occupation: Funeral director
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Leeward
SailingDate: 3/3/97
Itinerary: Key West FL, Cozumel Mexico
FoodDiningRoom: 70
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 75
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 70
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 70
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 70
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors: 80
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 80
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 75
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 70
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 70
OverallCruiseValue: 75
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 02 Apr 1997
Time: 21:55:35
Remote Name: 206.228.196.45
Remote User:
Comments
We took the 4-day cruise from Miami to Key West and Cozumel Mexico. We had only a few
hours in Key West, and
would have liked more time there. There was lots of time in Mexico. NCL was very well
organized getting us from the
airport to our hotel, and the next morniing, to the ship. We booked the cheapest outside
cabin, and it was more than
satisfactory for us, as we spent little time there. This is a small ship, and inexpensive,
and it shows.
Entertainment was
limited, and the accent seemed to be on the casino. The floor shows nightly varied in
quality from good to fair. The
lounge band was too loud for our taste, but then we're old folks! The frequent loudspeaker
announcements got on our
nerves after a while. They are not limited to the Captain calling attention to sights, but
were often blatent advertisements
for their excursions and gift shop. It was hard to separate the important announcements
from the ads. After a while, we
stopped listening altogether.
The bigest problem was the food service, one of the main reasons we cruise. Dining room
service waiter service was only fair, but the food was often inedible. All of the food
looked great, but when you bit into
it, you had flashbacks to the school cafeteria. They frequently recycle the leftovers into
another dish, and it's obvious.
The midnite buffet was also leftovers. If you miss the dinner bell, your alternative is
the Sports Bar buffet, which serves
the same menu every day, mostly hamburgers and the like. Sometimes there was nothing
available when we wanted a
snack, as even the Sports Bar closes food service at non-mealtimes. The deck space seemed
less than average, as the
pool area was often wall to wall people. However, they have a great band playing and the
bar service there is
outstanding. First time cruisers seemed to think that it was terrific, while veteran
cruisers were disappointed, as were we.
We suggest that you save for an extra month or two until you can afford to cruise on
Princess.
Name: Sinclair Lagergren
Email: SinAir@aol.com
Age: 26
Occupation: pilot
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Leeward
SailingDate: 5/5/97
Itinerary: Cozumel & Key West
FoodDiningRoom: 92
CruiseDirector: 92
CabinComfort: 93
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 93
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 78
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 94
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 87
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 97
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 96
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 78
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 11 May 1997
Time: 11:39:06
Remote Name: 152.163.205.20
Remote User:
Comments
My wife and I really enjoyed this cruise. This was our second cruise on NCL. We sailed the
Norway last summer.
We were very pleased with our trip. In fact, we are planning another quick get away on the
Leeward for fall. First of
all, embarkation was a breeze. We are Latitude members and we checked in and were escorted
onto the ship. For
those passengers who were not Latitude members, the staff at check in was very polite.
Absolutely no lines, no
waiting!
The room we had was small and cozy. We had an outside room overlooking the lifeboats.
We looked at the
other rooms and found many of them spacious. (even the inside rooms) Our room stewardess
knew our names
within hours and she was very nice.
Overall, the food was good. We did not eat at the Sports bar. Our waiter was
fine. The busboy was wonderful. We were pleased. Compared to the wait staff at the Norway,
our dining room
service was wonderful. We attended the evening entertainment. We both thought the Sealegs
at the Copa was very
poor. The Pirates of Penzance was o.k. My wife thought this show wasn't much better than
Sealegs. I enjoyed it.
Shore excursions- the variety was fine, the prices were high. We chose the Cozumel ruins
and beach tour for $36.00
per person. This was a waste of money. The tour brochure stated we would spend 1 hour plus
at the beach. We
spent 30 minutes. very disappointing. The ruins were o.k. The tour guide spent 45 minutes
talking in what we felt
could have been said in 20 minutes. Tulum was not an option on this cruise.
We had an emergency on Tuesday. A
gentleman had a heart attack and needed medical attention. The doctor and ship's crew
determined that the man
needed help that they could not provide. The captain turned the ship around and for
several hours headed back to
Key West. Eventually, the Coast Guard was able to rescue the man via helicopter. It was an
interesting rescue to
watch. The reason we had to turn back to the States - we were 12 miles from Cuba. Cuba
does not allow the Coast
Guard to approach the coast of Cuba within 30 miles. This delay cancelled several tours
for Wednesday in Cozumel.
We were impressed with the crew's professionalism during the rescue. Most passengers were
understanding. We
participated in the Sports Afloat exercise program. We really liked the fitness
coordinator, Joy. We had a lot of fun.
The facilities are limited so go early or late. In Key West we walked 2 miles to the
southernmost point in the U.S.
and shopped. If you have the chance to be at Mallory pier at sunset watch the cat trainer.
Very unique. Overall, a
great relaxing time.
Name: David K. Smith
Email: galawdog@aol.com
Age: 36
Occupation: Attorney
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Leeward
SailingDate: June 30, 1997
Itinerary: Cozumel/Key West
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService:
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 100
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 100
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 97
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 10 Jul 1997
Time: 22:53:45
Remote Name: 152.163.207.85
Remote User:
Comments
A Review of the M/S Leeward, Norwegian Cruise Lines. David K. Smith, galawdog@aol.com
Itinerary: Miami, day at
sea, Cozumel, Key West, Miami. Monday, June 30- Friday, July 4th, 1997.
Previous cruises: Carnival Jubilee, honeymoon, 1987. Carnival Ecstasy, 1996, with
children.
Why NCL? We had been pleased with Carnival on our two previous cruises. We wanted a longer
cruise than our
previous 3-day trip with the kids (two girls, 5 and 7«), but could not take a full week.
Therefore, we needed a 4-day
itinerary from Florida. The Ecstasy and Leeward have the same itinerary (Key West and
Cozumel), but our quotation
for the Leeward was much less ($400.00) than for Carnival. The Ecstasy was SO big, and our
cabin in 1996 was all
the way aft on Upper Deck. We felt like we hiked a mile to get to any public space.
The Leeward is a much smaller ship: 25,000 tons displacement vs. mega tons for the
megaships. I was a little worried
about what we would lose in going from a mega-ship to this one. Not to worry. Essentially,
the only difference was
the lack of some public areas, such as a 7-story atrium. I enjoyed the atrium on the
Ecstasy, but did not miss it at all.
The lobby/purser's desk/shopping areas on the Leeward are compact, but were never crowded.
The art deco look is
tasteful and not overdone. There are fewer bars/nightclubs, but this was not an important
factor to us. As we cruise
with our kids, late' nightlife is not crucial to us. The Leeward makes very efficient use
of its public spaces.
AIR ARRANGEMENTS: For some reason, it was $146.00/person round trip from Atlanta to Ft.
Lauderdale, $500+ to
Miami on the day we booked. The choice was easy. Miami's airport is not my favorite place
to hang out. Ft.
Lauderdale's airport is pleasant, small, and easily accessible to/from the Port of Miami.
EMBARKATION: Very smooth. Less than three hours from the gate in Atlanta to being dropped
off at the pier by cab
(11:30 a.m.), so I thought we would have a long wait. Not so. Six agents were serving the
arrivals, so we didn't have
to stand in line. The agent told us we could board at approximately 12:30 (rather than the
advertised 1:00). A pleasant
surprise, and it was accurate. We had been told by our TA that we were wait-listed for our
requested seating
(main/early, 4-seat table). This caused some concern, as our schedule with kids just works
better with main seating.
We had been instructed to speak with the maitre d' upon boarding. However, our embarkation
agent informed us that
we had already been moved to our desired seating. Another in a series of pleasant
surprises.
It is traditional in these reviews to chide the cruise line for the welcome buffet on the
lido deck, or sports bar, etc.
You've heard it, you've read it: dry burgers, greasy fries, but we'll excuse it since it's
the first afternoon, etc.' NCL
offers an option: a casual buffet or an open-seating luncheon in one of the dining rooms.
This was another pleasant
surprise. After a long morning of airport food, this was quite welcome. We needed to
re-educate the kids to eating
from real plates and using goblets instead of Georgia Bulldog plastic cups.
FOOD and FOOD SERVICE: I don't think our cruise memories will ever rise or fall on food
quality. Having worked in
numerous restaurants in high school and college, I realize that quality will suffer
somewhat when you're cooking for
two seatings of 475 people, all of whom expect to be served their appetizers at precisely
5 minutes past their appointed
seating hour. The food was somewhat better than Carnival's, but not appreciably so. We ate
virtually all our meals in
the dining room and received excellent service from our waiter and busboy (Adonis and Jean
Lucien).
My standards are high for the service of food onboard ship. A few more hundred dollars
will apparently buy better
meals on other lines, but there is no reason why table service should not be equal to that
offered on a luxury cruise. I
was not disappointed. We had requested a four-seat table--not because we aren't sociable,
but it is apparent from
reading rec.travel.cruises that many adults don't like being exposed to children onboard.
My kids aren't perfect, but
they do know how to behave. One hint, parents: kids tend to act better if they are dressed
up. Our girls wore dresses
for all dinners, and behaved accordingly. Our waiter and busboy paid them a proper amount
of attention without
obviously scamming for large tips.
A pet peeve: we were alarmed at the number of passengers who showed up 20, 25, even 40
minutes late for their
seating. This is unfair to their table-mates, the chef, and the passengers at the other
tables served by the waiter/busboy
combination. If you can't make your seating at the proper time , try room service or the
casual dining option. CABIN:
We booked a Superior Outside Deluxe' cabin. No complaints whatsoever. The furnishings were
very appropriate, and
storage space was adequate for the four of us. We slept on the queen bed in the middle of
the room, and the girls slept
on converted day-beds arranged in an L-shape next to the window. We preferred this
arrangement to the
pull-out-of-the-wall berths for the girls on the Ecstasy. I didn't feel that my kids were
safe on a bunk 5 feet off the
floor, so I ended up sleeping upstairs most of the time last year.
Our cabin steward, Teresa, did a very good job without being seen.
CHILDREN'S PROGRAM: Once more, better than expected, more than promised. The brochures led
me to believe
that there would be plenty of activities for the 7 « year-old, but that our 5-year old
would have programs only on one
or two mornings, nothing in the afternoon or evening. We like spending time with our kids,
and this didn't dissuade us
from taking this cruise. Imagine our surprise when we found out that there were as many
activities for 3-5 years olds
as for older kids. The kids loved the facilities on the Ecstasy last year, but not the
programs or the staff. Indeed, the
Ecstasy's staff seemed ill-equipped and bored. On the Leeward, the facilities were
somewhat spartan, but the
enthusiasm and qualifications of the staff more than made up for the fact that most
activities took place in a conference
room. Our kids begged us to allow them to spend more time in the children's program this
year than last.
The security for the program was far superior to that of Carnival. All kids wore plastic
name badges that had their
name, cabin number, emergency station location and an indication as to whether they were
free to come and go.
Children weren't allowed to be dropped off without their name badge. I don't disagree with
that at all.
On the last full day, the kids competed against adults in the Olympic Games.' Of course,
all children received elaborate
gold medals in an impressive ceremony. The girls are still wearing theirs four days later.
NIGHTLIFE/SHOWS: We didn't go dancing or do karaoke, but those who did were pleased with
the quality. The
lounges and showrooms were tastefully decorated and adequate for the size of the ship. We
did, however, attend all
three shows in the Stardust Lounge. We attend lots of touring Broadway shows in Atlanta,
and as such, our kids have
been exposed to numerous shows. Therefore, their standards and ours are high. We were not
disappointed. The first
night's show was called Sealegs at the Copa.' This was an amusing Latin-themed revue. The
audience, however, was a
dud.
The second night's performance was a cabaret-style show by Jane L. Powell. She had a
wonderful command of the
audience. She demanded our participation and deserved it. Although the ship's music combo
was very good, Ms.
Powell had her own band that had obviously performed often with her. Her repertoire was
nothing fancy--just
standards that anyone over 35 has heard.
NCL offers a scaled-down Broadway show on each ship. The Leeward's current show is Pirates
of Penzance. If you
are used to seeing the operetta as intended by Gilbert & Sullivan, this will surprise
you. This is the 1980's updated
version. It's silly, it's fluff, but it is very entertaining. I don't want to see
Shakespeare onboard a ship.
SHORE EXCURSIONS: In Cozumel, we signed up for the Island Adventure Party Boat.' We
expected a boat ride to a
beach, with the traditional watered-down rum punch. The literature vaguely mentioned an
opportunity to snorkel. This
didn't attract us to this particular excursion, since I really didn't want to pay an extra
$25/pp to rent equipment, with
small kids. Surprise! The equipment was included in the $36/pp price of the excursion. So,
we all snorkeled for a
while. The girls were unaccustomed to snorkeling, and they got a little scared after the
big fish swam up around us.
After snorkeling, the bar was open. Unlimited soft drinks and Dos Equis on the boat, and
the traditional watered-down
rum punch and margaritas at the beach. The beach and facilities were clean and safe. There
were no add-on charges
for the floating mattresses. All in all, we were extremely pleased with this excursion. We
had plenty of time back on
ship to take showers, then flag a cab into town ($4) and walk around for a while.
KEY WEST: We took the Conch Train Island Tour. ($16/adults, $8/children). This was better
than expected. I am no
great fan of architecture and plant life, but the tour driver made it interesting. Once
again, the tour was short enough to
allow shopping in town afterwards.
DEBARKATION: Smooth as silk. We were ticketed on a 4:15 p.m. flight from Ft. Lauderdale,
but hoped to fly
stand-by on a 2:30 or even a 12:50 flight. We were off the ship so quickly that we were at
the airport before 10:00 and
took a 10:30 flight. No charge for changing flights--back in Atlanta before noon. Thanks
again, Delta.
SUMMARY: We expected a great cruise, and our expectations were exceeded. We will
definitely cruise NCL again, but
would not rule out cruising another line if the price and itinerary were right. We're
ready to do a 7-day cruise next time.
Name: Judy E. Hall
Email: jhall@neocomm.com
Age: 49
Occupation: Secretary
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Leeward
SailingDate: 6/16/97
Itinerary: Cozumel, Mexico - Key West
FoodDiningRoom: 93
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 89
FoodRoomService: 97
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 97
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 89
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 93
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 82
GoodForSeniors: 89
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 91
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 82
CruiseActivities: 87
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 88
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 13 Jul 1997
Time: 21:10:09
Remote Name: 208.22.179.103
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first cruise, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The Leeward was beautiful and
full of fun things to do. The crew was friendly, helpful, and
promt. There were more menu selections than I expected. One member of our party is a
vegetarian, and we were concerned about the
non-meat manu selections...no problem, she had wonderful meals every night. Our favorite
crew member was Glenville from Jamaica (our waiter).
He was efficient, thoughtful, and very entertaining. Glenville was going to Jamaica on
vacation after our cruise. Our busboy, Junior, was also
excellent.
We were a little disappointed in Cozumel, but we really didn't see much of the island.
We snorkeled through the Dive-In program. This
cost $30/person for a 2-hr. adventure. If you've never snorkeled before, the instruction
was very good, and it was worth the money. Some of
the people in our group brought along their own snorkeling gear and snorkeled on their own
in the roped off beach area. They said they saw
many beautiful and unusual fish. However, they didn't get to see the coral reef. We
enjoyed Key West, but didn't feel we were there long
enough. We didn't do any of the shore excursions, but just explored on our own. We visited
the Mel Fisher Museum which was a treat for us
since we'd read one his books about finding the Atoche treasure. In fact, my husband met
Mel. I wish the Leeward would have stayed in Key
West long enough for us to be part of the Sunset Celebration.
The entertainment on the Leeward was very good for the most part. The
comedians were exceptional, but the Sealegs and Pirates of Pinzance shows were
disappointing. The entertainers were very talented, but the
shows were silly. Bingo was fun, but expensive. The bingo callers added a great deal to
the enjoyment. The Casino was active and beautiful. Our
17-yr. old son had room service one night, and he was impressed. In fact, our son and his
girlfriend enjoyed everything about the cruise, and
they did it all! We hope to cruise again, but will probably choose another cruise line
and/or another ship in order to compare.
Name: Elizabeth Degnan
Email: BETTUG@aol.com
Age: 48
Occupation: teacher
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Leeward
SailingDate: July 18,1997
Itinerary: Key West $ Great Stirrup Cay
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 75
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 10 Aug 1997
Time: 13:55:43
Remote Name: 152.163.206.32
Remote User:
Comments
We were greated warmly by the staff and shown to our two room suite for our cruise. The
rooms were clean, bright, and spacious. The
queen size bed was very comfortable. The amenities we received in our accomadations made
for a very pleasant trip. Our dining
assignment was pleasant as were our waiters and busboys. I truly enjoyed the intimacy of
the Captain's cocktail party and the
entertainment in the theatre. NCL's island was a day well spent only negative comment
regarding the island was the lack of fresh water to
shower off the salt water. As for the ship, I was not impressed with the midnight buffet,
however I was extremely satisfied with all the othr
meals and meal choices. Next year we are going to Alaska and we will travel with NCL
Name: Jim McQueen.
Email: SEAWARDII@aol.com.
Age: 44
Occupation: Production Planner & P/T Travel Agent
NumberOfCruises: 15
TravelAgent: Yes
Ship: NCL-Leeward
SailingDate: January 7, 1996
Itinerary: Key West/Cancun/Cozumel.
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 89
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 93
CabinAmenities: 91
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 80
FoodMidnightBuffets: 91
CabinSteward: 93
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 86
DeckService: 88
ShoreExcValue: 94
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 92
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 75
LoungeService: 91
TenderService: 94
GoodForSeniors: 94
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess: 88
ExerciseFacilities: 89
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram: 96
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 88
DiscoNightclubs: 99
DeckSpace: 81
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 70
SpaceRatio: 75
OverallCruiseValue: 89
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 12 Aug 1997
Time: 18:37:49
Remote Name: 152.163.207.37
Remote User:
Comments
Having been on mostly megaship size vessels over the past few years, it was quite a
pleasure to sail on a mid-size ship, stopping at quite
an interesting itinerary. After half a day in charming Key West ( go see the Truman Annex:
fascinating!), we sailed to Cozumel for the next
evening with loads of fun at Carlos & Charlies........then on to sunny, clean,
refreshing and relaxing Cancun; we opted for an afternoon
with lunch at the El Presidente, and we could see the Leeward docked in the
distance......just beautiful! My major disappointment with this
vessel is that deck space is minimal during your day at sea back to Miami; however, if it
is entertainment you are looking for on a short
cruise, you have found your dream boat! Both the Sea Legs at the Cococabana, and the
Pirates of Penzance ( Linda Ronstadt's version )
were some of the most professional stage shows I have seen on the seas! The Stardust
Lounge is tiered and has an upper balcony for
unobstructed views of the stage.......cuisine is hit and miss but above average for a 3
day cruise.......only one duty free shop makes for
cramped quarters; and an additional elevator or two might help! All in all, well done NCL
for the short cruise market!
Name: ken mcmullin
Email: kmcbmc@aol.com
Age: 27
Occupation: proffesional
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Leeward
SailingDate: 4/7/97
Itinerary: keywest,cozumel
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 70
FoodMidnightBuffets: 99
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 50
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 99
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 27 Oct 1997
Time: 20:35:16
Remote Name: 152.163.195.241
Remote User:
Comments
The cruise was the best 4 day get away we have ever had. My wife and i did the cruise as a
honeymoon, and were
treated like royalty. The food was always great, except for the sports bar food was kinda
subpar compared to the
rest of the amenities on board. The shows were good but lacked variety. The only real bad
thing about the whole
cruise was that on our way to cozumel, the ships engines died and we were stranded at sea
for 4 hours, with no
a/c , and with no lights or powere in our cabin. Naturally this made for a very
uncomfortable day, and also took
about half our time we should have been in cozumel away from us. I guess stuff like this
happens, but i think NCL
should have tried to make it up to us some how, like a discount on our next cruise, or
even offering us
complimentary drinks while the ship was broke down. Anyways i would definately recomend
this cruise to all
honeymooners, or families it is a great quick getaway from reality.
Name: Tom Kanitra
Email: TKANITRA@worldnet.att.net
Age: 47
Occupation: Assoc. Director Engineering
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Leeward
SailingDate: 11/14/97
Itinerary: 3 Night Bahamas - Nassau, Great Stirrup Cay
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 50
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 99
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 75
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService:
TenderService: 98
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 70
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 75
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 22 Nov 1997
Time: 11:11:21
Remote Name: 12.68.36.74
Remote User:
Comments
Our three-day cruise on the Norwegian Cruise Line Leeward was a nice extended weekend get
away. We were a
party of four, with my wife and two children, ages ‘almost 11' and ‘almost 8'.
This was our fourth cruise, the
previous three on the Royal Caribbean Nordic Empress, the Royal Majesty and Celebrity
Century. Our itinerary was
Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay, NCL's private island.
The air/transfers program was smooth. It was a bit disappointing that we had to collect
our own luggage at
baggage claim. When previously traveling with RCI and Celebrity transfers, our luggage was
sent directly to the
ship.
Our arrival at the pier was in the middle of a hard rain storm. We dropped our luggage off
under a canopy and
were then allowed to enter the terminal through the luggage area, rather than walk out in
the rain, along the
sidewalk, to the terminal building. Only later we realized that because of this we missed
our embarkation picture.
Now our set is incomplete. Oh well.
Embarkation was made a snap by some perfect timing. The day before the cruise we received
notification in the
mail that we were now members of NCL's Latitudes (Repeat Cruisers) Club because of our
previous cruise on the
Royal Majesty. Since our sailing, the Royal Majesty had been purchased by NCL and, as a
result, we were
automatically enrolled into the Latitudes program. So when we entered the terminal
building, we went directly to
the Latitudes check-in, where there was no one ahead of us in line.
As we boarded the Leeward, we were escorted to our room by an attendant. The Leeward is a
smaller sized
vessel. It has a cozy feeling compared to sailing in a mega-ship like the Century. While
the ship is small, the cabin
we had on the Biscayne Deck was very large. Much larger in fact compared to cabins we had
on the Nordic
Empress and Royal Majesty. It was an outside quad with a separate sitting area which could
be curtained off from
the sleeping area. There was also a lot of closet space, in fact more than we needed since
we didn't fill up the
closet. The bathroom was a bit cramped. Overall, high marks for the size of the cabin.
The temperature in the cabin was a different matter. The cabin was very warm even with the
thermostat turned
all the way down to cold. It turned out that the vent mechanism had broken. It took two
trips by maintenance to
temporarily fix it with string. The second trip by maintenance was around 10:00 at night,
when it was too warm in
the cabin to sleep. Once that was resolved though, the cabin was excellent.
After we had checked into our cabin we changed into shorts and went to get something to
eat. Someone told us
that the buffet in the Sports Bar was open so we decided to go there. We have always eaten
at the embarkation
buffets. We should have broken with tradition. The buffet was only hot dogs, hamburgers
and salad. I thought it
was terrible, although my son disagrees, since he liked his burger. While attempting to
get drinks, I couldn't get
the ice machine to work. Instead of helping me, a crew member 5 feet away only snapped
instructions at me. And
there were no slices of lemon for the iced tea, only plastic packets marked lemon juice
that had ‘brown' liquid
inside. All in all, the Sports Bar buffet made a terrible first impression. Fortunately it
was our only bad experience
with the food.
Food in the two main restaurants was very good. Instead of one large dining room there are
two smaller, more
intimate ones: Four Seasons (on deck 5) and Seven Seas (on Deck 8). We thought they should
be on decks 4 and
7 instead - to fit with the names. While not up to Celebrity Cruises' standards, the food
was comparable to, and
possibly better than food on Royal Caribbean. The desserts were probably the best we've
had at sea, better than
Celebrity's. We even celebrated birthdays for our two children on the cruise. Actually
their birthdays were each
about two weeks away, but NCL didn't seem to mind. And the kids really seemed to enjoy the
surprise. After our
experience with the Sports Bar buffet, we ate in the main restaurant for the rest of the
cruise - except for our
private island lunch. Service in the restaurants was excellent. Lunch on our second day
was an outstanding buffet
in one of the main dining rooms. We didn't try the Le Bistro alternative restaurant.
The passengers on the sailing were primarily middle aged and seniors. There were very few
children. We had our
children along since schools were shut in our town for the New Jersey teacher's
convention.
Aside from the one attendant in the Sports Bar, the staff on the ship was very friendly
and helpful. Particularly
helpful was the diving shore excursion team.
Our ports of call were Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay. It was our second trip to Nassau. We
decided to go
snorkeling at Crystal Cay. It was nice. The weather was good, the water was warm and there
were quite a few fish
to see.
Our second day at Great Stirrup Cay was even better. We went to the island on an authentic
World War II landing
craft. It was a nice treat. It can sail right up to the beach, open the front, and let
everyone walk right onto the
sand. The weather was a little bit overcast, which was great for us - we didn't have to
worry about sun burn. The
water was great for snorkeling. There was a multitude of fish to see. We even tried out
our new underwater
camera (my last birthday present). The island lunch buffet was very good. There were fresh
fruit, roast beef, and
barbecued chicken in addition to the burgers, hotdogs and salads. Since the Leeward is a
small vessel, holding
only about 900 passengers, there weren't a lot of people on the island. There were no
lines for food, or tender
service. It was great a great day for us.
One disappointment with on the Leeward was that there was no trivia contest. We really
enjoyed them on our past
cruises, and had even won daily contests on both the Century and Royal Majesty.
Something that we noticed was that many passengers left the restaurant on the last night
of the cruise without
handing out any of their tip envelopes. We were once told that the waiters and cabin
attendants earn only a
minimal amount (like $25) per week base pay. They are totally dependant on tips for their
earnings. We would
personally like to see the tipping practice eliminated (like on the higher priced cruises)
and simply have the base
cost of cruises increased accordingly.
Breakfast the last day was a bit early, 6:15. After eating we went to the observatory in
the rear of the ship. We
were off the ship by 9:20, picking up our luggage, and off to the airport.
My one recommendation to NCL would be to abandon the buffet in the Sports Bar. I would
suggest that one of the
two main restaurants be dedicated to buffets for breakfast and lunch, while the other
offers menu service.
All in all it was a very nice weekend get away.
Name: Frank Vassallo
Email: Frank@madbbs
Age: 51
Occupation: Gen Manager Country Club
NumberOfCruises: 6
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Leeward
SailingDate: 11/19/97
Itinerary: Key West, Cancun , Cozumel
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 60
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 60
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 65
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 75
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 75
Casino: 75
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 75
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 28 Nov 1997
Time: 19:54:29
Remote Name: 199.190.126.70
Remote User:
Comments
This was a relaxing four day cruise that I would reccomend to anyone. We did have a
wonderful time.
If you are thinking about taking this trip, you should lower your expectations. The food
and service were good, but
not up to the standards of other ships that I have been on.
I booked an inside room and was very dissappointed. The area was only 56 square feet. Room
service was great,
but you had to take your food out on the deck to be able to enjoy it because of the
crowded situation. I talked to
passengers that booked the larger rooms and they were very happy.
My favorite spot on the ship was the Bistro Dining Room. It was absolutely wonderful. The
food and service was by
far the best on the entire ship.
This was my first experience with NCL and I have to say that I would go again.
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