ncl-norway14

Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Charlotte Volnek
Email: cvolnek@yahoo.com
Age: 41
Occupation: Graphic Artist
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: 8/5/00
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: A106
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 70
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland: 80
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 70
GoodForSeniors: 80
BeautySalonStaff: 80
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 70
ExerciseFacilities: 80
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 80
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 80
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities: 80
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 15 Aug 2000
Time: 15:56:13
Remote Name: 208-244-7-12.neblink.net
Remote User:

Comments

The Norway - August 5 - 12, 2000

This was our 'last' family vacation. My oldest son is a senior and soon will not have the time (nor
the desire, probably) to vacation with the family. ;-) We searched and found a steal of a bargain
aboard the Norway to set sail on August 5. The Cruise Company we dealt with, far exceeded my
expectations. On August 5 we boarded our plane to Miami. I was really impressed with NCL when
we got to Miami. We were met as soon as we got off and taken to the luggage area. (Thanks to a
great tip about putting a brightly colored pom pom on our luggage, they were easy to find.) We
took our luggage about 20 feet and then NCL put it on a truck to take to the ship while we boarded
a bus. We never had to find our luggage again, it was taken right to our room. At the dock, there
were many smiling NCL faces. I appreciated that with all the anxiousness surrounding us. A nice
NCL gal came up and said… "You have small children. (My youngest is 10) You don't have to wait
in this big line. We have a special line for you."

So off we were wisked to a desk where no one was
standing in line. We offered the forms that our cruise company had sent us regarding the trip and
in less than 10 minutes we were taking our picture boarding the ship! No Kidding! Our stateroom
was very nicely sized. Not new, by no means, but for the amount we paid for, it was great! We all
stayed in one cabin and had two double beds and a roll-away. There was ample storage and even
though we only had one bath, we never found it a problem because there was a vanity with full
mirrors for us 'girls' to do our hair and make-up without hogging the bathroom. Our room steward,
Ealon, was fabulous. Very friendly and supportive of the family. The ship was beautiful. Yes, she is
older, but I always found staff working hard to keep her clean and beautiful. I do wish there was
some way they could keep the windows on the International deck clearer. But I didn't mind horribly.
Our room was on the Atlantic deck so we did a lot of stair climbing. But it was worth it… I came back
and hadn't gained any weight! And yes, I did eat. Maybe not as much as my boys, but I did enjoy all
the food. ;-) The food… So many new dishes to try. I was pleased with my boys, ages 13 and 16…
they tried everything. The maitre d stopped by early in the week and told them to order as many
dinners as they wished, so they took him up on it. They had 2 dinners each most nights, trying all
the different specialties and eating them up. They even had two lobster dinners. I never had to tell
them to clean their plates. I think they lost money on my boys!

I found the food just wonderful. And
our waiter, Christopher, was great. My daughter, 10, had him wrapped around her finger. She
always found the children's menu at her place setting with crayons and extra lemons to make
lemonade with her water. We never made it to eat at the Li Bristro because we enjoyed the dining
room so much. It did tend to get a little noisy later in the week. Apparently everyone was having so
much fun they just enjoyed all talking at the same time. ;-) We only made it to one Midnight buffet,
just to say that we did it, not because we were hungry. They do a wonderful job of presenting the
food and offering wonderful dishes. The kids programs were excellent. My daughter was in the
10-12 and both boys were in the teens. Most days, my hubby and I had lunch alone because the
kids had their own things to do. Even a couple of dinners. They made the kids feel at home and
really showed them a good time. They made many new friends and hated saying good-bye to them
and to the ship. Many thanks to Kimmy and Twinkle Tiffany. What a wonderful vacation for the
family! The islands were wonderful.

At St. Maarten we grabbed a taxi and for just a few bucks he
took us over to Little Bay, just across the finger of land where we came in. It was a very nice beach.
The kids loved finding the shells, sea urchins, crabs, etc. Little Bay is surrounded by hotels so
there was dining there but we had opted to bring our own lunch from the ship. I had had room
service bring sandwiches, and thanks to another great tip, I put them in baggies that I had brought
from home. I grabbed a few cookies the night before and put them in as well as boxes of cereal and
yogurt from the Great Outdoor Restaurant. A fun day at the beach. The hotel called us a cab when
we were done and we went shopping for a couple of hours and then back to the ship. We opted to
go to St. John. Yes, we got up early, but it was well worth it. I followed some others advice and we
took the Staff fitness walk. It was great. They do ask for kids to be 12 or older but they didn't give
me any grief about my 10 year old. Especially after she did the walk without a complaint and we
had a couple of women start and then turn back because they couldn't handle it. Honeymoon
beach was gorgous. We left the hike there and walked about another 5 minutes to a resort where
there were taxis ready to take us to Trunk bay. What a beautiful beach. There wasn't a lot of
people there so we had no problem having fun in the water.

We learned 2 years ago at Megan's
Bay that by digging in the sand with your toes, you can find starfish and sanddollars. So my kids
when to it immediately. We found one starfish right away but couldn't find anymore after that. But
we didn't lack for entertainment. We had 30 to 40 fish swimming at our feet as we played in the
sand. We even had a stingray come within arms length. Our taxi returned to Trunk Bay for us at
noon, just as we had discussed and off we went to Cruz Bay. We hopped the ferry to Charlotte
Amiele and spent about 3 hours shopping before grabbing the tender back to the ship. At Great
Stirrup Cay the kids snorkeled. The beach was crowded but the kids still enjoyed the water and
finding all the great wonders of the sea. My sons found stingray, shark, octopus, and a ton of fish
and coral. They had a blast. I enjoyed visiting with all the wonderful friends we had made on the
ship and shopping. The entertainment on the ship was wonderful. Vicki and Warren are incredible
dancers! It was a joy to watch. The comedian was funny and I couldn't stop laughing at 'Liar Liar.'
There was so many things to do, we couldn't do them all… not enough time and also we were
exhausted. We were especially pleased and thankful on Sunday that we were able to celebrate
Mass. They had a priest on board that celebrated both a protestant and a catholic mass. He even
celebrated Mass daily when we were not in port. I was pleased to see so many take part in this. It
doesn't happen every cruise, but we were especially pleased it happened on ours. Disembarking
was a breeze. We enjoyed walking around the ship watching the busy staff preparing the ship for
the next set of lucky cruisers. We had breakfast and found friends to say our fond good-byes.
When they announced that we could disembark, we found it very unhurried. Thanks again to the
tip about the pom poms, our luggage was easy to find and we found ourselves on the bus in no
time. As we waited for our plane at the Miami airport we couldn't help but wish that we could slip
into the suitcase of the new cruisers coming in. It was a wonderful and memorable vacation, one
that my family will cherish for a life time. (My daughter even said it was better than Disney World!) It
was so much fun that we have already started looking for specials for next year! The Norway is
going to go to 5 day cruises next spring so it may not be aboard this great ship, but we'll be back
cruising somewhere! I would sail NCL again in a heartbeat.

Name: Jennifer Eccles
Email: ecclesjl@mcmaster.ca
Age: 20
Occupation: university student
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: August 26,2000
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: A068 - Quad
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 96
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 93
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 82
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 94
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 88
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 85
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 98
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService:
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 91
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 94
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 94
OverallPortsofCall: 94
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 94
CruiseActivities: 93
Casino: 92
AirSeaProgram: 85
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 88
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 91
SpaceRatio: 92
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 03 Oct 2000
Time: 18:33:25
Remote Name: vlan180-032-035.maconline.mcmaster.ca
Remote User:

Comments

I had the opportunity to sail with my parents and 16-year-old brother on the Norway this past August.
Being my fifth cruise, I had great expectations prior to the voyage. This was my second cruise with
Norwegian Cruise Lines (I had sailed on the Norwegian Wind the year before), had sailed twice on Royal
Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas and once on Carnival's Celebration. My family picked the Norway
because it had the lowest fares for the third and fourth passenger for the time that we wanted to sail.
Hurricanes had been developing in the Caribbean the week before our departure so we had to keep
close watch on the weather. Fortunately, the storms died down a few days before sailing. We flew from
Toronto to Montreal and then from Montreal to Fort Lauderdale. We had excellent flights, but a family of
six accidently left their luggage behind in Montreal. They were not told by the airline to pick up their
baggage and assumed it would go directly to Florida. This family was told they would not get their
belongings until our first port, St. Maarten, which we would get to 3 days later. This was not a good start
to their vacation. I recommend checking with both your travel agent and the airline regarding luggage
transfer. Otherwise, you may end up with great expenses from having to purchase clothing and toiletries
on board the vessel.

We went by bus to the Port of Miami and learned that we were the last group of
people to board the ship. By the time we went through embarkation, we had missed the welcome aboard
lunch. This was very disappointing. A direct flight from Toronto would have allowed us to board the ship
much earlier. So we were left hungry and had to immediately attend the lifeboat drill before having time to
explore the decks of the Norway. My first impression of the Norway was that it was confusing. The Norway
is an older ship and was once used for transatlantic sailings in which there were different classes. Deck
plans and room configurations reflect this class system. I found myself walking in circles most of the time
or lost within the corridors of the ship. Some of the stairways and elevators don't go all the way to the top
decks so it took me a while to figure out which route to take. Usually I am pretty good with directions, but
even a map won't help you on this ship. You just need time to explore the Norway for yourself and to
remember key areas to find your way around. For example, I always went to International Deck when I was
lost because this is the main deck and it is easy to get to both lower and upper decks from here. Room
size is important to my family especially since four of us have to share a room. We needs lots of room to
move around and good storage space.

ur outside cabin on the Atlantic deck was good for both of these
things. Actually, it was probably one of the largest rooms of any cruise line that we had sailed on. The
room was equipped with four separate closets which was perfect because we each got our own. There
was also a lot of room under the beds for storing suitcases and large drawers. The bathroom was rather
large especially the shower. Generally, we were pleased with our stateroom; however, some repairs and
refurbishings were needed. The Norway has two dining rooms: the Leeward and the Windward. We were
assigned to the Windward dining room and we had 4 other table companions. Throughout the week, we
had great food and excellent service. Our waiters worked very hard and always tried to keep us satisfied.
If we didn't like our meal, within the blink of an eye it was removed from the table and replaced with
another selection. The Windward Dining Room is not very large and it can get very noisy. We were told
that the Leeward Dining Room was much quieter. I was disappointed that the waiters didn't do as much
singing and dancing on various theme nights as on other cruises. Some people may not like this type of
thing, especially during dinner, but it was something I looked forward to. There was only one performance
by the waiters near the end of the cruise. I guess the lack of space in the dining room played a big factor.

Entertainment on Norwegian Cruise Lines is excellent. We had great comedians, singers, dancers,
broadway productions, and cruise staff. I didn't really like the big show lounge just because it was a bit
outdated and I was comparing it to elaborate sophisticasted show lounges on newer ships. However, the
entertainment was so great that once the lights went down I didn't notice the need for refurbishment. One
of the hilights of this cruise was the Caribbean Deck Party. I loved learning all the Caribbean dances and
the decorations (palm trees, party lights, etc.) were great. Our ports of call were St. Maarten, St. Thomas
and Great Stirrup Cay, their private island in the Bahamas. I had been to all these islands before so I
knew what to expect. My family had already done the island tours on previous cruises so we just wanted
to kick back and relax. In St. Maarten we just went to the beach right where the ship tenders to. This
beach wasn't too crowded, had lots of seashells for those who like to collect shells and best of all it cost
us nothing. In St. Thomas we took the public bus (for $1 a person) to Coki Beach. We did some
snorkelling here and had a great time in the sand and sun. Our favourite port of call is their private island
in the Bahamas. It is truly a paradise here if you have good weather and luckily we did. Their beach is
beautiful and there are plenty of beach chairs covered with umbrellas. Snorkelling is good here too. Sorry
that I don't have too much to say about shore excursions, but we just didn't spend a lot of time on the
islands this year. We spent more time on the ship. While everyone else was exploring the islands, we had
the Norway to ourselves. This was great because we had the entire ship to do what we wanted. Overall,
we had a great time on the Norway -- excellent food, amazing entertainment and memories to last forever.

Name: Roger & Jackie Bartlett
Email: bartlettpair@planetkc.com
Age: 41
Occupation: Info systems / RN
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: 9/30/2000
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: N089
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 84
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 89
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 88
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 75
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 93
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 80
CasinoStaff: 91
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 94
TenderService: 93
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 96
OverallPortsofCall: 97
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 94
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 97
AirSeaProgram: 65
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 84
EmbarkDisembark: 93
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 99
ShopsOnBoard: 86
SpaceRatio: 94
OverallCruiseValue: 94
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 16 Oct 2000
Time: 21:03:10
Remote Name: user0217.planetkc.com
Remote User:

Comments

After browsing the 2001 NCL brochure, I had a suspicious feeling about the fate of the SS Norway. With
the change in itinerary I suspected the cruise line was preparing to retire her in favor of a newer, more
modern ship. Since returning from our cruise I have been proven correct. We’ve never been on the
Norway before, but ever since our first cruise eight years ago I’ve been fascinated with this lady, long and
sleek, in the classic transatlantic passenger ship tradition. We made hasty reservations to go on the
9/30/2000 sailing, to coincide with the week of our wedding anniversary. The itinerary suited us well, with
only 3 shore days for exploring and shopping, while leaving plenty of time for relaxing aboard the ship.

In general terms, the cruise was excellent. There are always places for improvement, but we didn’t
experience any of the negative treatment from the crew that I’d read about from other reviewers I try to
treat the staff nicely, knowing they have a difficult job dealing with all of us demanding passengers.
During the lifeboat drill, I came up with one of the generalizations that would crop up from time to time –
The worst part of any cruise is the other passengers. Some people just don’t know how to follow
instructions and go with the flow. Most of our group was happy and jovial, but a few were cranky and
acted like this was an intrusion into their vacation

The Ship and Cabin

As our plane made the final turn to line up with the runway in Miami, a wonderful picture unfolded in front
of my window: The Triumph, the Norway, and the Grandeur, lined up, waiting for their next batch of
passengers. What a sight! You can definitely tell the Norway from the other ships. She is in a different
league. We landed at approximately 12:30 and were on the ship by about 1:30. Embarkation was
painless. We only stood in line for about5 minutes before another desk was opened. We already had all
our papers completed so it was a very quick process.

The ship, while needing a little general maintenance, seemed to be in very good condition. Our cabin was
N089 on the Norway deck. It was very convenient, being near stair tower 3, midship. It was a relatively
small cabin, but had a relatively huge bathroom with a tub. We had picked this cabin specifically because
it has a real double bed. There were a few rattles in our cabin, but no more than in the other cruises
we’ve been on. My biggest comment is that I wish they would wash the windows. Our porthole as well as
the windows along the International Deck was cloudy. Keeping them clean would make for a much more
fabulous view.

The pool areas are fine, and Jackie made use of them a lot. We never had too much of a problem finding
chairs. I just wish there were more shaded outdoor areas. The music at the aft pool deck can get a bit
loud, so I preferred the pool on top of the ship.

This was our first experience with tenders. It was fun at first, but after the week was over I’ve decided
they’re not that much fun. The exception is at St. Thomas, where having to use tenders is like getting a
front row seat for the show.

The Staff and Crew

The staff was nice and always ready to help. The purser’s desk, shore excursion desk and our cabin
steward, Claudy, always responded promptly to our requests. Our waiter, Adrian, and the Maitre D’,
Jorge, were great and adjusted quickly to the personality of our table. Adrian always jumped in quickly
with jokes, napkin folding, and magic tricks.

The Itinerary

Our visits to the islands were much the same as we had experienced before. We had been to St. Thomas
and St. John before, and knew what to expect. St. Martin was a new island, so it was fun to explore. We
weren’t approached that many times about buying trinkets, so that wasn’t bad at all. Those who object to
being approached by street vendors should just stay home with their windows and doors shuttered,
because that’s how many of those people survive.

We took the ‘Under 2 Flags’ bus tour on St. Martin. It was a nice overview and history lesson. We spent
some time at Orient Beach. It is very pretty there. There were a few people taking advantage of the
clothing-optional rule (though most of them shouldn’t have).

We rented a car at St. John, and didn’t have much trouble getting around. Once you get off the main
roads, though, it can get tricky. There are not many street signs there. We took the Centerline road
across the island to see it from the top. It is beautiful. We returned via the North Shore Road, taking
pictures of the beaches along the way. We stopped at Cinnamon Bay, where we snorkeled for a while. At
noon we caught a ferry to St. Thomas. It dropped us off right in downtown Charlotte Amalie. We walked
through the shops there for a while. We didn’t buy much except T-shirts and a few bottles of liquor, but we
did have the best cookies at Grandma Sandy’s Cookies. We had a bite to eat at the Green House and
rested there a while.

The private island is okay if you like a traditional crowded beach atmosphere. It was fine, really. There
was volleyball, Ping-Pong, and a small straw market. The water there is very clear, and it was relaxing to
just sit on the beach for a while. We snorkeled some and caught some rays on the beach.

The Dining Rooms and Food

The food was very good for the most part. Having worked previously in the food service industry, I
understand it’s difficult to serve that many people and always have everything perfect, but there were
very few complaints at our table.

We originally were assigned early seating in the Leeward dining room. When we went to the North Cape
Lounge to ask to be switched to late seating in the Windward dining room, it was handled quickly and with
courtesy. The Windward dining room was very nice, a throwback to the France Days. We were seated at
table 44, just behind the captain’s table, at a table for eight. We were the youngest of the four couples,
but we all got along great, and as the week progressed we had a lot of fun at that table. We told jokes,
argued over the cheese plate, and learned about each other’s lives. That lead to another generalization
– The best part of any cruise is the other passengers. We learned that all four couples had been
assigned at either the early seating, or the other dining room, or both, so I decided we were all misfits,
and belonged here together.

The Great Outdoor Restaurant always had the standard fare: Eggs, bacon, toast, biscuits and gravy,
cereal, yogurt, etc. for breakfast (cold cuts, fish, and other items for international passengers), burgers,
dogs, salads and such for lunch. There were some very interesting salads, and the variety was nice.
There was always plenty of good, fresh fruit, which is mainly what our lunches consisted of. We had pizza
one day, and it was okay for mass-produced pizza. The cookies were pretty good too.

Sven’s Ice Cream Parlor didn’t have much variety, but it was free, so we never purchased the
Haagen-Dazs ice cream.

The exception to our good dining experience was in the Le Bistro Restaurant. I’d have to say that this was
our worst meal of the cruise. The food wasn’t that good, and the location and layout of the dining room
left a lot to be desired. It is located just inside from the pool deck, and there is only a glass wall between
this room and the main trafficway going out to the pool deck, which we were seated right next to. Also, the
Maitre D’s stand was right inside the door, and the phone was constantly ringing. We have dined in the
same dining room on the Norwegian Sea, and it was much more intimate, and the food was better.

Entertainment

The stage shows were very good and energetic. We didn’t get a chance to attend any of the lounge
shows, mainly because we were always too tired to go.

Miscellaneous

Sunday we got up early so that we could attend Mass at 8:00 in the Saga Theater. It was a nice way to
start a cruise. Jackie had her hair done at the beauty salon, and the prices were somewhat excessive.
They put a barrette in her hair, and it cost more than the style. I thought the casino was good. I never had
a problem finding a seat at the blackjack table. I even came out a little ahead! We both tried our luck by
entering the slots and blackjack tournaments but weren’t successful. The sunsets from the deck are
always an awesome sight, so we spent most evenings there. The photographers were okay, though some
of them seemed to be a little impatient. We didn’t buy many of their pictures, mainly because I don’t take
good pictures. We attended swing dance lessons in the Sports Illustrated Café. It was fun. We also
attended formal tea in the Club Internationale. It is a nice room, and although I wouldn’t know, I was told it
was a very good tea service.

There was one unusual incident: Through most of dinner on Wednesday night I had noticed that the ship
seemed to be leaning to port. After dinner, when we went outside, we found out why. There was a medical
emergency, and a passenger needed to be airlifted off the ship. Apparently the ship had been circling
while waiting on the helicopter from Puerto Rico to arrive. Once the helicopter arrived, the captain headed
the ship into the wind at full speed, which meant we had to sail south, the wrong direction for the cruise.
The helicopter hovered over the pool deck and lowered a crewmember and a stretcher. After the ill
passenger was secured in the stretcher, the passenger and another family member, as well as the
crewmember were all hoisted back into the helicopter, and it was off. That night the Caribbean party was
planned for the pool deck, and the crew had decorated the area, but because of the medical evacuation
they had to remove all the decorations along with all the deck chairs and tables. Shortly after the
helicopter left the tables and chairs were quickly replaced and the party was started.

All in all, given the chance I’d go on this cruise again, though it appears this is not going to be possible. I
am sad thinking that this great ship is nearing the end of her life, and is going to be relegated to a
gambling junket. At least we got to sail on her once, and will have good memories of her.

Name: Craig and Donna Bowker
Email: elgroovo@att.net
Age: 42 and 34
Occupation: Registered nurses
NumberOfCruises: 7
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: 7/29/2000
Itinerary: St Marten, St Thomas, Bahamas
Cabin: V033
FoodDiningRoom: 96
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 78
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 99
CabinAmenities: 83
FoodLidoDeck: 98
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 65
FoodMidnightBuffets: 98
CabinSteward: 75
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 98
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 70
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 60
GoodForSeniors: 70
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess: 80
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 22 Oct 2000
Time: 17:54:34
Remote Name: 179.dallas-01-02rs.tx.dial-access.att.net
Remote User:

Comments

This was our 7th cruise, and by far the best overall! I would encourage anyone planning to cruise on the SS
Norway (or any ship) to do your homework first. It saved us a lot of headaches! Having booked our cruise
late, and thus getting an awesome rate, our expectations weren't very high. What we found was that the
ship far exceeded any expectations we had. We read lots of reviews (always with a grain of salt, of course)
and read about the history of the ship (very interesting). Of course there were great things and not so great
things about the ship, but overall we feel this was our best cruise ever. (by the way, on our first cruise our
bathroom was so small you could take a shower and sit on the commode at the same time!)

Having cruised with Norwegian before, our embarkation was very smooth because of a program they have
called The Latitudes Club. We got to board early, and just walked right on the ship. A definite plus! We were
directed to a party for the Latitudes members in the Sports Illustrated Lounge and had a light lunch. The
only down side to this was that the person who escorted us on the ship gave us the wrong directions to the
lounge. Irritating, but we figured out the right way to go pretty fast. The Sports Illustrated Lounge was great!
Very comfortable, and pleasant to sit in. Great smoked salmon!!!

Our room was quite small, but for the price we paid we weren’t disappointed. The room was warm, but once
the A/C kicked in it was comfortable. The shower was a decent size, and the bed was pretty comfortable.
The room itself was not much bigger than the bed, but for the little time that we spent in it, it was worth it.
Our room steward wasn’t personable, and only left us 2 towels each night when we specifically asked for
more, multiple times. There was occasionally a faint smell of urine in the hallway, and I could tell the staff
tried to spray deodorizer around. The walls to the room were very thin, you could hear talking in the next
room. It worked out well for us, we had family in the next room and could converse easily. Overall, it was
probably the 2nd smallest room that we’ve ever had.

We were late leaving the Port of Miami. While Scuba Steve was obviously fixing something under the ship,
we had a few drinks and met a couple from Norway. Personally, I didn’t care if we ever left port, as long as
someone ELSE was cooking and cleaning! We finally left around 11 PM and the skyline of Miami at night
was just beautiful! The stability of the ship was not any worse than any other ship we have been on. Some
reviews we had read said that the ship had trouble when going from the Atlantic to the Carribean. We had
no such problems. At night I could tell it was a little more rocky, and we had probably picked up speed while
everyone slept. But during the day it was just like any other cruise we've been on.

Getting to know the ship wasn't too hard. Of course, it's a big ship so wear comfortable shoes. Also, make
sure you have everything you need before leaving your room. It's a long haul back if you forget something.
We had done our homework ahead, and knew that the elevators were not good to use (frankly, I don't think
I've ever been on a ship that had fast elevator service). Luckily most of the major places to go are located
on adjacent 3 floors. Since the onboard maps weren't the greatest, we carried around the map from the
brochure for a few days until we got the hang of it. The Roman Spa is all the way on the bottom of the ship
(quite a climb down and back up the stairs), and the prices seemed very high. A massage was $90. There
were lots of shops on board. The prices seemed a little steep. I spent $60 on 2 kids t-shirts and souvenir
cups.

The food was great! Gained 10 pounds! The Great Outdoor Restaurant was amazing. There are 6 huge
grills going constantly at least 15 hours a day. There's lots of seating, but with as many people on board, it
gets crowded. I didn't have a problem with getting away from the heat and humidity outside and going inside
to sit in the Club Internationale. The dining room service and food was great. I was disappointed with the
lobster on the last night. It wasn't Maine lobster, like I had expected. My husband loved it, though! We
stumbled upon the sushi bar one night, and were pleasantly surprised. There was a long line, but it was well
worth the wait. I would say the drinks were moderately priced. We brought some liquor and even beer
onboard in our suitcase. No body ever said a word, and our cabin steward kept it on ice for us. The only
time you couldn't bring on liquor was when you are in port. We never went to Le Bistro, but heard it was
great. Enjoyed the ice cream bar and CD jukebox near it. Having access to a computer on board was
wonderful. We sent e-mail to family, and checked on the kids. Very convenient!

The ship is decorated very subtly elegant. It's not overbearing or glitzty at all, like Carnival is (not that that is
a bad thing). The lounges and bars were all very comfortable, and always clean. The staff were all
extremely nice and personable. The assistant cruise directors really got into the fun with us, dancing wildly.
We dined in the Winward Dining room, and liked how it had a planetarium look to it (under the stars
dining--just great!) One night we had the chance to do an open seating, or alternative dining as they called
it. We decided to try out the other dining room for a change. Although it was quieter, we found the
decorations less formal and less appealing. I would highly recommend going to the pool on the top floor and
not on the back of the ship--less crowded, but no music. The music on board left a little to be desired. The
band by the pool was fantastic. The others, not so hot. The disco was usually filled with younger kids, but
the DJ had no problems playing some older rock and roll for us too. The onboard activities were not
constantly jammed down your throat. You really have to read the flier that's left in your room every night to
find out where and when things are happening. The ship is so big that if there's a party by the pool, and
you're on another deck, you'd never know it. We did see some minors being served, but also saw some
being refused drinks. I guess it just depended on the bar person. Legal age on board to buy beer is 18, but
hard liquor is 21.

Of the ports, St Maarten left a lot to be desired. It reminded me of a slightly upscale Dutch version of Mexico
(except on the French side where, by the way, a lot of things were closed because it was off season). St.
Thomas was absolutely breathtaking. The private island in the Bahamas was wonderful. Since this is such a
big ship, it can never dock in port. Just a minor inconvenience for booking on such a large ship. In a few
reviews we read about the tender service being slow, and they suggested to make sure you got the early
tender tickets so you can get off the ship quicker. Well, it didn't take us long to figure out that the tender
tickets (or the show tickets for that matter) really didn't mean jack. We boarded the tenders, and saw the
shows whenever we wanted. What were they going to do to us? Kick us off the ship because we didn't have
a show ticket? All of the staff were willing to make us happy and let us do what we wanted, whenever we
wanted. We were never refused to get on the tender or see a show just because we didn't have a ticket. All
the tickets are for is crowd control, so all the ship doesn't try to get off at the same time.

Disembarkation was equally as nice as embarkation. First of all, you got to stay in your room until it was time
to leave. This is the first ship we have been on that has allowed that. We saw a bunch of people with
suitcases in the lounges, and just laughed. They looked so uncomfortable, while we waited comfortably in
our room. Second, they regulated the people getting off-just like they had with the tender service. (Hint,
Hint!). People with earlier flights were allowed to leave earlier. Hint, hint-they never checked our tickets!! We
just walked right off the ship about 9:30, earlier than any other cruise!

Again, overall this was the best cruise we've been on. I found the flaws to be minor, and easily overlooked.
(Not getting more than 2 towels in my room won't ruin my cruise, we just helped ourselves to extras) We met
lots of interesting people, and had a blast. Frankly, I wonder if some of the reviews I've read were of the
same ship we were on. I think that some of the negative comments were from people who are just always
negative or who expect everything to absolutely perfect . We would HIGHLY recommend this ship!

Happy sailing!

Name: Brian Peach
Email: brian.peach@worldspan.com
Age: 40
Occupation: Sales Training Coordinator
NumberOfCruises: 7
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: Oct. 7, 2000
Itinerary: Eastern Carribean
Cabin: A128
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 80
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 29 Nov 2000
Time: 14:53:20
Remote Name: ns2.worldspan.com
Remote User:

Comments

I sent the following letter to NCL on October 20, 2000 requesting some response by Nov. 15. As of
today, Nov. 29, there has been no response to this letter. I have had several cruises, mainly with the
late great Premier Cruise line, and in my estimation, there was much better service and value overall
with Premier. While the Norway is a wonderful ship in itself, the ship is not my destination--the ports and
excursions are the reason I choose a cruise intinerary. It was a disappointment for the reasons listed
below. I hope others who book themselves on the Norway have a better time!

October 20, 2000

Norwegian Cruise Line 7665 Corporate Center Drive Miami, Florida 33126

To Whom It May Concern:

I wanted to share with you my feedback on my cruise on the Norway, Oct. 7-14. To be honest, I was very
disappointed in many of the aspects of this cruise. Since this was my 7 cruise, I do feel that I have a lot
of experience to compare this cruise with.

My traveling companions (Ms. Dale Shaffield and Ms. Linda Winn) and I were very pleased with our
room, A128. After settling into the room, we went to the excursion desk to purchase our excursions.
Because of Ms. Shaffield’s honesty, she marked that she was diabetic on the order form. She was then
told by “Diver Dan” that she would not be able to attend the excursion to snorkel on Ile Fouche because
of her condition. He stated that the insurance company would not allow it. I thought this very strange
since we had never been refused snorkeling excursions on any of the previous trips we have taken. In
fact, one of the main reasons that we cruise is for the snorkeling opportunities. I may even understand
the insurance problems, but what was unacceptable was “Diver Dan’s” condescending attitude!!! It was
truly appalling and so unnecessary.

I wish that was the only time we ran into that kind of attitude on the Norway, but unfortunately it was not!
The maitre’d for our table (late seating #123) Dennis, seemed to have gone to the same customer
service class!!! On the first evening, we were seated with four fellow cruisers from England. The
gentleman, Allan, found a piece of glass in his rice, and discovered it by biting down on it. This was
about the size of 3 grains of rice—obviously not small. When he showed it to our waiter, Felipe was very
apologetic and called the maitre’d. When Dennis arrived, he tried to pass it off as rock salt! May I just
say, I think our table was smart enough to know the difference between rock salt and glass! No apology
was ever offered by Dennis, but the next day a plate of canapés was delivered to Allan’s room, right
after lunch, with a note of “with our compliments”. Since you are surrounded by food almost 24 hours a
day, a plate of hors d’oeuvres was not really an appropriate apology. However, “with our compliments” is
far from an apology!!! Dennis avoided our table the next two nights, and then only made his obligatory
stop by the table after that to see if everything was o.k. Only when Allan contacted the Assistant Hotel
Director was there ever an apology given, which included a complimentary bottle of wine (much more
appropriate). The final night there was also a complimentary bottle of wine and cherries jubilee for the
table, “compliments” of our matre’d. Obviously someone had talked to him!!!!

Another disappointment came with the St. John’s excursion. After getting up at 5:30 am to catch the
excursion to Honeymoon Beach, it was a bit disheartening to arrive on St. John’s to no catamaran. We
were told that the boat had mechanical difficulties, but that they were sending a smaller boat. They got
the 13 volunteers to give up their space so that they rest of us could go on the smaller catamaran. After
waiting another 30 minutes, we were told that the second catamaran also had mechanical difficulties and
would not be coming. It was now 8 am and there would not be another tender to come get us until 11
am, therefore pretty much standing us on the island. Fortunately we had brought our own snorkeling
gear, grabbed a few other people who had there own gear, and rented a taxi to Cinnamon Bay for our
own snorkeling program. While not as nice as Honeymoon Beach (we had snorkeled there on a
previous cruise), Cinnamon Bay sure beat waiting on the docks for 3 hours! I would like to commend
Jennifer from NCL in the handling of this cancellation. She told us what our options were (either wait for
the tender or take a taxi to the beach), told us that she would wait at the dock to write tender tickets, and
was careful not to promise what she could not deliver! She was pleasant and apologetic throughout the
whole process.

On the last day of the cruise, we were to go to NCL’s private island in the Bahamas. Unfortunately the
weather the evening before and day of the scheduled visit did not allow us to tender to the island. While
I appreciate the concern for the passengers’ safety, the captain announced that they had been
watching the weather, and that it had been bad for the two days prior to our arrival. My
problem/question is, if he knew that the weather had been bad there for the two days previous, why not
reroute us to another port of call? In making this last minute change, it turned a week-long cruise to four
day at sea rather than the scheduled three! I am not one of those people who feel that the boat itself is
the destination (as some fellow passengers felt). I book a cruise because of its ports of call. To make up
for the cancellation of the stop in the Bahamas, everyone was offered free rum punch for 1 hour in all
the bars! May I just say that the offer of rum punch was more like rubbing salt in a wound than anything
else.

Overall, I was very disappointed in the cruise with NCL on the Norway. Perhaps I expected too much. I
also understand mechanical breakdowns and bad weather do happen without control on any person’s
part. However, rude behavior from ship staff and poor decision making on the captain’s behalf are not
excusable. Since I happen to work in the travel industry, I have had many people ask me about my
experience on this ship. Needless to say, my impressions were not positive. Therefore I would like to
hear back from NCL regarding this matter. I would appreciate some sort of feedback on these issues
prior to Nov. 15. At that point in time, I will be filling out an evaluation on cruiseopinions.com. I appreciate
your time in addressing these concerns.

Name: Gerald Johnson
Email: jjohnszco@msn.com
Age: 62
Occupation: Retired
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: 12/2/00
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: P093/Suite
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 70
CabinQuietness: 75
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors: 80
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 75
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 10 Dec 2000
Time: 22:34:03
Remote Name: 1cust229.tnt3.phoenix2.az.da.uu.net
Remote User:

Comments

Please note that this review is based on our comparison with a different cruise line we used for our first
cruise. Our overall cruise value rating is high because we got a real good price.

The ship left Miami on time, arrived at all ports as scheduled and arrived back at Miami as scheduled.
Check-in was quick and efficient, mainly because we had a suite. Regular stateroom check-in appeared
to go much slower.

The ship is old and not as fancy as some of the newer ships, which we were aware of before making our
reservation. The ship is well maintained but hard to navigate around because of the layout. We always
found ourselves walking down stateroom hallways or through lounges to get where we wanted to go. It
was embarassing to walk through a lounge while a show was going on to get to the pool. All of the
elevators do not go to all decks. Make sure the elevator you get on will take you to the deck you want.

Disembarkation went very smooth. Customs officers boarded the ship and cleared all non US citizens
prior to disembarkation. Since we had an early flight, we were allowed to disembark immediately
following those with disabilities. Disembarkation started about 9:00 AM and we disembarked at 9:30 AM.

We did not like the scheduling of entertainment late at night the night before we had to get up at 5:00
AM to prepare for a shore excursion. We missed several programs because of this. We had second
seating in the Leeward dining room. The service was sub par. The waiter was always smiling but was not
very friendly. It appeared he was self conscious about his ability to speak english. On next to the last
night, he came over after dinner and told us his name and asked us to give him a good rating on the
comments card. As you may ascertain, we did not give him a very good rating.

We tried the LeBistro one night and were glad we did. The service and the food were excellent. The
$10.00 cover charge was worth it, at least for the one night.

The Great Outdoor Cafe was OK if the weather was good. If the weather was bad, seating protected
from the elements was very limited. The food selection and quality was average for a buffet. Overall we
enjoyed the cruise very much. We would recommend this cruise to others if you get a good price and
don't expect too much.

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