ncl-norway13

Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Robert J. Huff
Email: megahurtz@earthlink.net
Age: 41
Occupation: Registered Nurse
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: May 2000
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: V161 - A
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 75
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 100
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 100
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 65
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 100
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 80
AirSeaProgram: 35
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 99
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 06 Jul 2000
Time: 08:18:30
Remote Name: ip81.st-louis15.mo.pub-ip.psi.net
Remote User:

Comments

Positives:

The Norway was overall a very positive experience. Service provided in the Dining Room by
everyone involved was excellent. The food was top quality despite being (obviously) mass produced.
Our randomly selected tablemates were extremely pleasant to dine with and as veterans of many
cruises they were able to give us plenty of solicited advice on how to better enjoy our vacation afloat.

One could not have gone hungry on the voyage. At least one of the restaurants was always serving
food - if only a light snack and coffee was always available. The Midnight Chocoholics feast is not to
be missed.

Dazzles Disco was much fun, particularly on Karaoke night. Waitress service was good and the
crowds were (surprisingly) light. This might be directly related to what we perceived as a mostly
senior demographic passenger list. At 41yo and 30yo, we were among the youngest passengers on
the voyage.

The variety of lounges made it possible to enjoy different atmospheres (nightly) as one cared to.

The ship was extremely easy to navigate with much signage posted to let one know where they were.
Our mother was able to find her way around the ship without difficulty (and she has no sense of
direction whatsoever!)

The crew was extremely friendly and always eager to assist when called upon to do so.

The photography services were excellent and we obtained numerous photos at very reasonable
prices.

Negatives:

The Norway lost power for several hours and we were dead on the seas one early morning. It was
well over an hour before the Captain (or anyone else) explained to us what was occurring. Although
we were in no danger, there was no electricity or potable water available. The Captain explained to
us that this type of situation was not uncommon on an 'older ship'.

The room service menu left much to be desired. Choices were extremely limited.

The wait service in the casino was extremely slow and would have benefited from additional staff.
There were times we couldn't even find a waitress.

Service in the casino to refill slot machines with coins or to pay off winners was also extremely so. We
waited almost an hour to be attended to.

NCL could do a much better job of promoting / informing passengers before the cruise what the
'special' nights will be (other than the dress up nights) so that if one does want to participate, one
can bring the appropriate clothing. Although their brochure mentioned nights such as
Country/Western and 50's - they did so as if these nights were possibilities and not absolutes.

Although we expected we would tip the bus driver on our NCL arranged transfer from the airport to
the pier - we didn't expect that the driver would urge us every 5 minutes to remember to 'take care of
the driver'.

While perhaps not applicable to all, the air fare charged to us by NCL from our hometown (Saint
Louis) was outrageous and on our next (New Year's) cruise we have made our own flight
arrangements at more than a 50% savings per person.

The 2 pools were not of sufficient size to accomodate all who wished to utilize the areas.

Although realizing space is at a premium, the 'full-size' bed provided to sleep 2 people was barely
more than a twin bed.

General:

As stated above, our cruise was a positive experience and it could be that some of things we
percieved as being negative are simply because we knew nothing of cruising since this was our
maiden voyage.

Embarkation and debarkation went very smooth smoothly with the line moving rather steadly. Any
delays while in line that did occur seemed to be with fellow passengers not having their
documentation in order.

We would certainly sail with NCL again - and in fact are over New Year's. Now armed with cruising
experience, we are sure we will enjoy this next cruise even more.

We are confused about one aspect of vacation cruising: who started the 'tradition' of donning
Tuxedos / formal wear for 2 nights (on a 7 night cruise) when you're suppose to be on vacation?

Name: Iris Blum
Email: Fapsy@AOL.com
Age: 52
Occupation: Teacher
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: July1,2000
Itinerary: E.Caribbean
Cabin: A012/F
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 78
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 75
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 88
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 85
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 80
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 85
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 88
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 88
DiscoNightclubs: 87
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 88
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 88
OverallCruiseValue: 87
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 09 Jul 2000
Time: 20:46:13
Remote Name: pppa54-city-2r7370.saturn.bbn.com
Remote User:

Comments

This was our second cruise and the Marco Polo (Orient) is a hard act to follow. We had no idea what
to expect from a Caribbean cruise and were delighted with the Norway.

The Norway is BIG ! Getting from place to place takes time and if you plan to take an elevator, plan
on alot of time. There are plenty of elevators but they are slow. Use the steps. Luckily, most of the
things you want are close to eachother. Dining rooms, shops, theatre,lounges, etc. are centrally
located.

The lower decks are in need of a little sprucing up. This includes the staterooms. The decks that
were added are more modern. The stewards are invisible but do a great job. The room was always
clean. We had a small room ( not much room to walk around )with a full sized bed.

The food was never ending. Passengers continuously joked about the availability of nourishment.
Better diet before you go. There was alot and it was good for the most part. We didn't care for the
outdoor restaurant. It was too hot and too crowded. However, the indoor dining was great. The
waiters and busboys were attentive and and friendly. Lots of variety ( Breakfast was the least
enjoyable since we are not bacon/sausage eaters) .

The entertainment was better than we expected.All the shows were enjoyable.

The upper pool was quieter with less people and few children. The jacuzzis were adjacent to the
upper pool. The Sky and Sun decks offered quiet places to read and doze.

The only real negatives were the bar staff. We are not drinkers and found their constant solicitation (
poolside and in the lounges ) distracting. They weren't rude, just always there. Others did not find
this irritating.

There was great diversity among the cruisers. There were families with babies and small children,
honeymooners, seniors, and singles. Everyone was friendly and pleasant, except for one nasty man
who couldn't find toast.

The Norway is a great value. Great ports with good tender service,great private island and a good
time.

Name: John "teech" Worobetz
Email: funandfish@hotmail.com
Age: 50
Occupation: Tech Ed. Teacher
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: June 24, 2000
Itinerary: St Martin, St John, St Thomas, Great Stirrup Cay
Cabin: FO16-Cat. H
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 75
FoodMidnightBuffets: 75
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 82
FoodVariety: 82
DeckService: 75
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon: 75
CasinoStaff: 75
PrivateIsland: 85
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors: 75
BeautySalonStaff: 80
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess: 75
ExerciseFacilities: 80
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 75
Casino: 75
AirSeaProgram: 75
MedicalFacilities: 75
ShipCleanliness: 80
EmbarkDisembark: 70
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 75
OverallCruiseValue: 80
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 19 Jul 2000
Time: 18:48:53
Remote Name: cc587295-a.sumt1.nj.home.com
Remote User:

Comments

Finally, after months of anticipating our NCL Hockey Theme Cruise we can now write a review of the
classic oceanliner Norway. Many reviews can take the form of quite detailed diaries of the seven-day
experience. I will take the vivid impression strategy, picking out those events, food experiences and
the ship’s environment that might inform future cruisers and update past Norway passenger alumnus.

The flight was non-stop from the Garden State to Miami and was fine, even ahead of schedule. We
had the short coach ride to the pier and got our first glimpse of Norway. Beautifully well maintained in
her updated royal blue, she truly reminded you of days gone by when white was not the color of
choice for majestic ocean going vessels. We did notice the Latitudes line was much longer than the
almost deserted general passenger area. We decided that shorter was better. Our ticketing person
placed our latitudes stickers on our boarding passes and we noticed that the people on the Latitudes
lines were making little progress. Go for the quickest line.

When we boarded, we quickly discovered the necessity to learn’TOWERS’! You must learn the stairs
that will take you to the decks that are important to you. This comes from the old two-class system in
ship design and some decks were not meant to meet. Know this when you book, because this also
affects stateroom size if space is a priority. We were on the Fjord Deck in two inside deluxe
staterooms and had a view of the inside of the pool through some porthole like windows…and a
kingside bed after some room rearranging. We did experience some noise from the deck movement
early morning, not a big deal.

Food…Great Outdoor Restaurant was crowded with a sold out cruise, go early go late, or just do the
dining room thing. The food was pretty good with plenty of choices. The ribs are not something you
want to miss, barbecued to perfection outside on the biggest Webers you’ll see! If it is just too crowed
for you, use the dining rooms and the fare is top notch. The culinary experience in the dining rooms
very pleasing, I did the two entree thing and found all beef dishes were excellent, stay away from the
skewered lamb, get the lamb at lunch, and the lobster is a must order! Le bistro was also excellent
and we had table #2, all glass view of the Caribbean. It is a table for four and we sat at said good-bye
to St Thomas feasting on filet mignon! It was well worth the $5 dollar per person gratuity. The room
service food was pretty good with the pizza getting high marks and the grilled cheese falling into the
not so category.

The reggae band on the pool deck was first class and we danced to the Soca tunes till the band
finally gave up! The jazz group in the Club International was big city quality and the room was an art
deco treasure. Dazzles Disco was a big party hit for the younger crowd! I did not attend any of the
show productions but heard only good things. The hockey events were hosted by ESPN announcer
Darren Pang. He got to introduce NHL Hall of Fame players Gump Worsley, Yvan Cournoyer, and
Brad Park. The four on four tourney was fun and the Panger Kid game was the best. A sudden death
game watching NHL’ers as teammates with ten-year-old kids was fun. Many NHL players did not make
the sailing and that was disappointing.

The fitness studio on board was well equipped – Cybex, treadmills and cross trainers. There was a
good variety of fitness classes offered each day (to work off some of the food we ate) – if you
participated in ten fitness activities, you won a ‘Sports Afloat’ T-shirt. Each day they had a mile walk
around the ship (approx. 3 – ľ times around was a mile) – I can’t think of a more beautiful place to
walk a mile, Caribbean waters in all directions!!!

The SS Norway is a ship not to be missed by novice cruisers and cruise addicts alike. She is in great
shape, well maintained, and tribute to day’s gone by.

Name: Dawn D.
Email: boomc98@hotmail.com
Age: 32
Occupation: Medical Technologist
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: 7/29/00
Itinerary: 7-Day Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: A116
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 50
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 65
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService:
TenderService: 50
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: 100
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 95
EntertainmentPoolside: 65
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 50
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 65
ShopsOnBoard: 65
SpaceRatio: 65
OverallCruiseValue: 80
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 05 Aug 2000
Time: 21:37:51
Remote Name: adsl-141-154-66-96.bellatlantic.net
Remote User:

Comments

This was my third cruise, first time with NCL, and my boyfriend's first cruise ever. I was familiar with
the Norway's history, but didn't realize what it would mean to our cruise. I'll get to that.

We booked through a travel agent, but NCL set up all the air times. Our flight to Miami was a
NIGHTMARE, plain and simple. Due to our disastrous airline's scheduling, our 6:15AM flight left at
NOON. Since our cruise was to sail at 4PM, we were anxious for a LARGE portion of the day. Once
we got to Miami at 3:30, an NCL staff member met our plane and assured us we'd be okay. We finally
arrived on board at 5:30pm. The ship was now scheduled to leave at 6. That got moved to 8PM, then
10PM. We finally sailed at 11PM, and no information was ever made available as to WHY. A
looooonnnnggggg day, to be sure...

Our cabin was on a lower deck (one above the lowest) and had a lot of ship-related noise going on at
all hours of the day and night. The room was designed for 4 people, two on lower single beds, and
two on bunk beds. It was a good size for the two of us, but I don't know how 4 would have managed.
We had been informed we would have a double bed. The woman at the information desk said no the
beds won't go together, and that's that. However, our cabin steward (George?) managed to set us up
quite nicely, pushing the two singles together and using one fitted sheet over the two mattresses. He
did a *wonderful* job, then and for the entire cruise. Left us plenty of towels and dimmed the lighting
in the cabin in the evening, which added a nice romantic touch.

The ship...well...Let's cut to the chase. My boyfriend liked it fine, I did not. It's too long, for starters,
and we were always walking from one end of it to the other to get where we were going (example, our
room to the dining room. I couldn't figure it out, and it always took forever to get there). It's not laid
out practically, particularly the pool deck. The pool, then a busy tight-squeeze lounge, the photo
gallery, and the casino all one right after another? These were the most crowded areas of the ship,
and you just could NOT get through them half the time. And all the lounges on one deck, one right
after another? Makes no sense. There are six stairways spread out the length of the ship, and the
maps on the wall did not help you to find where you were going and what was the best route there.
They need to be bigger and involve NAMES of the areas of the ships, not just dots on a map. The
Norway is 40 some-odd years old, and, though it's been refurbished, shows its age. It's elegant from
a distance (like from the tender going away from the ship, where you spend a lot of time because the
ship's too long to dock anywhere, even St. Thomas), but up close, the decor everywhere looked
tired, the public areas were too small, and nothing struck me as pretty.

We chose this cruise for the itinerary and the islands did not disappoint. The two days it took to get
there did, however. There were a LOT of children on board, so anything free (the pool, basketball
court, game room) was always crowded and noisy. The casino was as expensive as you let it get, but
was either empty or crowded to the gills. I didn't bother with bingo, it didn't seem worth it, and the
shops' prices were OUTRAGEOUS for souvenirs. I wasn't looking for a good deal on a rolex, just
some t-shirts and bibs. NO bibs or baby items, and the t-shirts, brand-new, already had some faded
letters.(Atlant c stands out in my memory as one example.)

What I did enjoy, ship-wise? Ram, the art auctioneer. I knew NOTHING about art going into this, but I
got a great deal on a painting I fell in LOVE with. Ram said BUY IT, it's worth a LOT more elsewhere.
He said that about all the pictures, but some internet research when I came home proved him correct
a thousand times over. The man knew his stuff, and I appreciated his enthusiasm and humor
regarding what could have been a very boring subject. My boyfriend and I LOVED Antoine, our
original waiter in the Windward dining room. We had to switch our seating assignment due to a VERY
unpleasant mother and son who NEVER stopped arguing, but we both regretted leaving Antoine. He
fed us WELL, and we were never neglected, from water refills to bread to cream to everything. Our
new waiter and busboy were friendly, but not nearly as efficient, and we had to ask for several basics
(pepper, grated cheese) more than once. We couldn't help but miss Antoine and his teammate
(whose name now escapes me). My boyfriend made much use of the Lido Bar cigar/cognac hours
and enjoyed the quality of both immensely. I enjoyed the few drinks I had, though I limited them
because they were STRONG. Good thing, because at $5 and $6 each, they were on the high side. A
negative re: the alcohol is they don't card anyone, and I'm sorry, 18 y/os are too young and
irresponsible to be drinking the quantities they were, and I think the NCL bartenders and staff should
be paying more attention to that.

Islands: St. Maarten was a disappointment. We did some minor shopping, but due to duty-free
restrictions, could not buy much. Too bad. The prices were MUCH better than in St. Thomas, we
discovered too late. We booked one excursion here, the Golden Eagle Catamaran. BEAUTIFUL! An
hour ride at a GOOD rate of speed to a mostly deserted island off the French side of the island. An
hour swim in the ocean there, then a sail back to the tender to the ship again. Free drinks (mimosas,
beer, sodas), great music, and a fun crew. WELL worth the time and money. St. Thomas: The
Norway is too big to dock directly at the island, so we had to drop anchor and take the tender in.
Other ships, you dock, you walk off, you're on the island. MUCH more convenient. We took an 'Island
Tour/Shopping' tour. We ended up shopping first, and it would have been better had it been the way
the ticket read because it would have left us with more free time to shop later, instead of rushing
through what turned out to be shop after shop of the EXACT SAME THING. Our tour guide, Ronald,
was thorough, but his accent was a bit difficult to understand at times. I was more interested in the
sights than their history, so it was fine, anyway. Souvenirs were a tough thing. The shops
recommended by the port consultant, Liz, were more expensive than those we found on our own, and
had all the same merchandise. Still couldn't find a decent t-shirt at a decent price, but those emerald,
diamond, and rolex "deals" were everywhere.

This subject of price brings me to one more thing about the ship: the passengers. We as a couple in
our early 30's had nothing in common with most of the other people on this cruise. They were either
families or older couples, fifties and up. And NO ONE seemed to be in our income range. Very
discouraging to be sitting at a table at dinner with people you have NOTHING in common with.

I may cruise again with NCL, but never again on The Norway.

Name: candace spratlin
Email: sprafam@flinthills.com
Age: 50
Occupation: lab tech
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: 29 july 00
Itinerary: eastern carribean
Cabin: a154
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 770
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 0
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 0
GoodForSeniors: 60
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 60
CruiseActivities: 70
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 07 Aug 2000
Time: 10:20:45
Remote Name: fh-205069.flinthills.com
Remote User:

Comments

We decided after a few days to rename this lovely antique ship the slow-way. the embarkation
process was fair. we did wait in line for a short time. it's amazing that people wait until they are in line
to fill out all those forms and that really slows up the process. we avoided the photographer that was
taking the pictures and went right up the steps. we were greeted at the door and given directions to
our cabin A154. We knew it would be small. We had booked the lowest category and got and really
good price so we were not expecting much.. There were bunks, a very small closet and a small
dresser with 4 drawers. The bathroom was big and you could even shower without getting intimate
with the curtain.

After checking our the cabin we went to explore the ship. It was very confusing but only took a day or
two to get to know her. I read a review before that had called her the SS Stairmaster and i would like
to second that opinion. The elevators were few, small, and SLOW. I am proud to say I only used them
twice during the entire cruise and by the last day my legs muscles had a good workout.

We had a light lunch in the outdoor buffet. This area of the ship needs some work. It was very
congested and seemed very disorganized. there were 4 lines to go through to get your foods but
only 2 of them had plates and napkins in front of them, so you had to go to another line to get those.
then the drinks and condiments(salt,pepper, etc.) were on the perimeter. of the area so you were in
another line. there were very few table and very many people wanting to sit down. I took the advice
from another review and we took our plates to the promenade deck where they had a few tables. You
can also get a table in the Club Internationale or the Sports Illustrated Bar. Again a very SLOW
process from start to finish.

The sail way party was going on and the Norway was scheduled to depart at 4pm. We found a spot
on the top decks, ordered a drink and waited. By 5pm the ship had not left port and we watched two
others a RCL and a Carnival and waited. We finally gave up at 7:30. Someone near us commented
the Norway was now the No-way. Rumors were circulating with everything from waiting for a large
group of passengers who were detain to the propeller problems. There were few public
announcements about this or at least I couldn't hear them. It was 11pm before we started to move.

We ate most of our meals in the dining room and the food was very good. My only complaint would
be for them to be more creative with the salads. I think there were shredded beets on every salad I
ordered. Our waiter and his assistant were adequate but not outstanding, I think he had 3 large
tables so maybe he was over worked. That might explain why the service was very SLOW. The 3rd
night we ate in the Le Bistro and the food was outstanding but again the service was extremely
SLOW even worse that the dining room. Our waiter kept apologizing for the delay and at the end of
the meal explained they were short a waiter. I would definitely suggest you try this at least one night.
Our cabin steward was good but not outstanding. My daughter and a friend had a cabin and their
steward was very rude to them when they asked for more towels. (I just happened to be in the
hallway and heard the conversation) The rest of the service staff were also good but most didn't
seem to enjoy their jobs. Again not outstanding.

There were the usual planned activities. Bingo, art auction, napkin folding, etc.

The ports were fun and there were many of shore excursions to choose from. here is where it gets
really SLOW. The tenders. The ship is so large it cannot dock and must drop anchors way out to
sea. It carries it's own boats that must be off loaded from the deck. (very SLOW) Each can carry 450
passengers. Do you know how long it takes for that many people to get on and off a rocking boat?
(very, very, SLOW). Once the tender gets underway and you think the end is in sight you realized
that it only travels at putt-putt speed (very SLOW) I think that some people could have swam faster.
They would fill up the bottom of the tender first and then the top. We sat out in the hot sun and I do
mean hot and waited for at least 20 min for them to fill the tender and then it was another 15 min trip
back to the ship. I thought i was going to have heat stoke.

I hope that this review wasn't too negative,it was worth the bargain price and that made up for the
some of the slow service. We really did have a great time and the ship is lovely and has an
interesting history.

Name: Ray Lupkas
Email: raylup@pinehurst.net
Age: 41
Occupation: Anesthesiologist
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: 7/29/2000
Itinerary: Caribbean
Cabin: V212/Superior Oceanview Stateroom
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 75
CabinAmenities: 93
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 70
CabinSteward: 97
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 70
DeckService: 91
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 75
LoungeService:
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 96
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 78
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 94
OverallCruiseValue: 80
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 09 Aug 2000
Time: 21:39:55
Remote Name: cobalt.pinehurst.net
Remote User:

Comments

We were very disappointed in the NCL Cruise Experience. It started wonderfully by the embarkation
process was very fast (once the government forms were filled out). We later found out that this is the
case since your onboard account was not established at that time. The second day of the trip
greeted us with a snotty form letter saying we had to establish our ship-board account or we could no
longer charge anything.

Well we waited in line and finally established the account with our credit card. We informed them our
children were not authorized to charge. The counter person then gave us the 5th degree about will
we inform the kids not to charge. Well, duh, this is not our first cruise and we told them we would take
care of it. Wouldn't you know, we found a charge from on of the kids. Shows their tight security.
Additionally, you could have given any cabin number and charge to any room you want (this was
confirmed by waiters/waitresses), this is especially true on the island.

The food in the Great Outdoor Café was poor. You could see the fat glistening on the coldcuts. The
Menu was the same every day. The midnight buffets were mere snacks the first 3 nights.

The children's programs need some reworking in the 11-13 year old category. I brought my
small-statured 11-year-old to the disco one day and refused to leave her for a while. The kids were
extremely rambunctious, running and climbing over tables, chairs, and railings. There were even 6
kids hanging all over the command center with the supervisor inside! I stayed next to my kid so she
would not get run over. After 15 minutes of this, I lambasted the supervisor and let him know I did not
think it was right I needed to worry about the safety of my child and it was unacceptable these
children were unsupervised and rambunctious. He told me that they are 11 years old and act like
this. At that time the 2nd supervisor arrived and she knew how to exercise control and got the
situation under control. Luckily on one got hurt in the proceedings.

The good part of the cruise was the size of the room were great. I needed 2 Staterooms, as there are
6 in my family. The kids room had a bath-tub, and both rooms were at the end of a small hallway and
had a door to the outside so we could have a "suite" and walk privately between the 2 rooms.

The elevators were very slow and hot, the deck space limited due to the wind from the ship
movement, and the ship rocked in relatively mild seas (I would hate to see it in larger seas). The ship
layout was very confusing, and all the different stairways went different heights.

The overall entertainment was excellent if you were into bingo (up to $38) a pop. I can say the
comedian and juggler were excellent.

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