Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Lenore Egan
Email: shopperlee@bellsouth.net
Age: 54
Occupation: retired
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: Nov. 20, 1999
Itinerary: eastern Caribbean
Cabin: v29
FoodDiningRoom: 99
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 75
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 80
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess: 69
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 89
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 89
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 95
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 89
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 28 Nov 1999
Time: 19:44:53
Remote Name: host-209-214-132-185.jax.bellsouth.net
Remote User:

Comments

I enjoy cruising as it provides you the luxury of traveling to several ports without packing and worrying where I would be
eating each meal. The food was wonderful and our waiter Wesley could work at a five star restaurant with his talent of
making sure his guests are happy. He made suggestions and was very accomodating without being overbearing. The food
was outstanding and plentiful as it offered excellent choices and served with style. On the downside of this cruise was the
use of the Sports Illustrated lounge for an art auction which was conducted daily. Sure we were able to watch some
games, but the name Sports Illustrated lounge should be used for this purpose not to conduct a sale to benefit the ship
with this overpriced merchandise. If I want to go shopping for art, go to an art show not a cruise.

The dining room late seating should be for adults only. The table located near ours seated 6 unsupervised children who
were loud as their parents chose to sit at another table. Our matriD upon our request asked to have a parent at the table.
This should have been addressed prior to placing them at the second seating.

The room size was adequate, but the squeaking when the boat moved the first night prevented me from having a quiet
sleep. I guess with the toilet running and the squeaking it would be difficult for any passenger to have a restful sleep. In
fact, the toilet was a problem until the day before we left the ship. I complained daily to no avail and finally learned how to
move the handle and kept it from running. It was a definite problem when the paper refused to be flushed and finally the
plumber promised he would snake it while we went to the private beach on Friday. Also, having bunk beds could be
difficult if you have a fear of heights and can't climb the ladder as some seniors were forced to do as they wouldn't change
their rooms without an additional charge. The cabin changes were handled very poorly by Sasha and not very organized
the first two days as some guests waited as long as 3 hours to meet with her as she was the only one who could assist the
guests. She definitely wasn't what I would call a friendly employee and the passengers will never forget her lack of care
with their concerns regarding their accomodations.

Overall, the cruise was great, but if I have my choice, I would travel on a newer cruise ship as the elevators were
antiquated and I used the stairs which were more accessible and definitely good exercise after eating the most wonderful
desserts which were served at each meal. No willpower on this end and if you go to the outdoor restaurant at 4:00 p.m.,
you can indulge in the most delicious macademia cookies you could imagine. Yum, Yum!!!!

Name: Mark S. Miller
Email: marksharon@netzero.com
Age: 32
Occupation: Attorney
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: 12/11/99
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: F018
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace:
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 19 Dec 1999
Time: 14:25:05
Remote Name: dialup-63.210.154.149.boston1.level3.net
Remote User:

Comments

This was our third trip on the Norway - our last being in January. There were many significant
improvements. First, the quality of the performers in the Broadway Style shows improved radically. Guys
and Dolls is kind of a corny musical, but this very talented cast pulled it off marvelously. Sea Legs Goes
Hollywood and Sing, Sing, Sing were likewise radically improved over the past performances by a skilled
performing troupe. NCL, don't let that female lead singer go away! The cabaret/variety acts were not as
good. I don't like magicians and the magician was pretty dull. They had a ventriloquist whose dummy is a
duck - enough said. But Richi Minervini, the comedian, was OUTSTANDING. Rumor has it that he might
land a recurring role on CBS's King of Queens and good things couldn't happen to a better comedian.

As for dining, we ate at a table for two in the Windward Dining Room that was adjacent to a very friendly
table of 6 people - four younger people like my wife and I and two older people of our parents age. We
made some very nice friends from this table and were glad that they adopted us into their table. Our waiter,
Malit, was very good - although not exceedingly friendly, but our busboy Dionar made a special effort to
learn our names and wait on us exceptionally. If NCL reads these reviews, then they should definitely find a
waiter position for him. The Windward food was generally very good with no surprises - the soups were
better, but the breakfast food wasn't really warm enough. Same for the Great Outdoor Cafe french fries -
for crying out loud, serve them HOT. Great Outdoor Cafe food was a little better than expected - the
burgers tasted fresher than previous trips. We had the late seating so midnight buffets were not that
appetizing 2 hours after meal completion.

The Internet Cafe opened for the first time while we were on board - I did not use it but costs 75 cents a
minute with a five minute minimum.

The art auctions were well done by John Berry. He's a very nice guy and does a great job educating his
audience and doing nice things for his audience.

Now for the negatives and lessons learned for the future: First, they seem to be repairing and replacing all
of the floor tiles on International Deck...it isn't nice to see yellow construction things on the ground or smell
the smell of tile grout on a closed-in deck. The smell only happened once for a couple of hours but still
should not have happened at all.

We had a problem with a member of the photographer's staff who did not take any effort to assist us in
locating our missing photograph from the gallery. She was uncooperative and aloof until my wife mentioned
the cruise review comment card submitted to NCL to her. Then she perked up a bit.

We had to go to St. Croix instead of St. Maarten because of Hurricane Lenny. St. Croix is lousy - we were
advised by the shipboard consultant to go to Rainbow Beach which was horrible. Dog excrement littered
the sand (or what was left of the sand after the hurricane) and there was no real place to go once the tide
came in. There were no lounge chairs either. St. Thomas and the Private Island were fine.

Our room had a couple of glitches - this is the lessons learned section and I hope it will help others. First,
the TV was giving a bad reception. This is the second cruise in a row that this happened. I called a
technician who replaced the entire TV. Second, we had a handicapped accessible room (which I didn't
request or know was handicapped accessible and I really didn't care - the room was very spacious, nice
and had a king size bed) with a handicapped bathroom. Therefore there was no tub - just a shower with a
drain on the floor. The problem was that the drain backed up after my wife took her shower the first night
so I bathed in a cesspool of my wife's filth as the water did not drain. I went to the information desk,
reported my problem, and a plumber fixed it that night.

The lesson learned is: Don't wait until your cruise is over to complain about things on websites. Just tell the
staff onboard your problem and give them a chance to make it right. After night one, we had NO problems
with our room or its amenities at all.

Finally, I should mention that we love the Norway. True, she is old and is not a glitzy "party ship", but that is
what makes her special. Now that I'm back on land my mind wanders to the Windward Dining Room (which
was the first class dining room when she was the SS France) and recalls the electric startlit dome and the
French Colonial Murals on the walls and I wish that I were still onboard having a wonderful time.

Name: Bobby Smith
Email: bsmith@avana.net
Age: 46
Occupation: 401(k) Compliance Consultant
NumberOfCruises: 7
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: December 4, 1999
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: B116
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 88
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 40
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess: 80
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 50
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 89
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 92
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 26 Dec 1999
Time: 18:06:50
Remote Name: ava-216-89-248-187.atl.avana.net
Remote User:

Comments

My roommate and I decided to take this cruise because we enjoy having more days at sea and less ports.
This cruise featured 3 1/2 sea days and only 3 ports. We were originally scheduled to go to St. Martin, St.
Thomas and Stirrup Cay.

Due to Hurricane Lenny a few weeks before this cruise departed from Miami, we were not able to get to St.
Martin and St. Croix was substituted to replace it. NCL also gave each passenger a $50.00 shipboard
credit for the change.

I especially like Norwegian Cruise Line's Sports Afloat program. Each of their ships has a full deck you can
jog on between 9:00am and 8:00pm. The Norway's health club was also located on their jogging deck
along with a full size basketball court. This particular cruise had several sports figures on board including
Tom Glavin of the Atlanta Braves, Al Joyner and others. Thus there were activies such as fastball pitching
etc that guests could try their skill at. This was very popular with the teenagers and 20 and 30 somethings
on board.

The average age of the passengers on this ship was in the 60s, so outside of the sports deck, things were
relatively quiet. There were classes in Tango and ballroom dancing, which seemed to be enjoyed by the
majority of the guests.

Our room was an outside cabin on the lowest level of the ship that allowed passengers near the number 3
stairway. The Norway was built in 1962 and thus the elevators are real small on this ship. This created a
long wait time during meal times and port calls as a lot of the passengers did not wish to walk down or up
10 flights of stairs. I would stuff my roommate into the elevator and then walk up or down the flights of stairs
to give others who really needed the elevators faster access to them. Everyone got along and no major
problems occurred. My roommate suffers from asthma and needs water at night. The room steward made
sure we had plenty of water and was excellent at making sure our room was very clean and comfortable.
We even had an actual tub in our bathroom - something I've never had on any other ship.

The meals were excellent. I worked up enough nerve to finally try escargot. It was excellent and did not
taste anything like chicken. I also tried lobster for the first time. The lobster was allright, but it won't be a
regular feature on my plate.

Our flights from and to Atlanta were on Delta so we had no problems with our arrival or departure times.
Embarkation and Debarkation were smooth and without incident.

Although not as festive as some of the other ships we have sailed on my roommate and I had a very good
time on the Norway. This was the 6th cruise we have taken together. I highly recommend the Norway and
NCL in general for persons looking for relatively quiet ships. As much as I thoroughly enjoy NCL's sports
afloat program I personally like the party atmosphere on Carnival a little more than NCL's. Also the
Inspiration and Triumph (of Carnival) happened to pass us while we were in port in Miami. What beautiful
ships! And while waiting to board our plane back to Atlanta from Miami, the passengers from those ships
were all excitedly talking about their sailing experiences. I think everyone on the Norway and Norwegian
Wind (another NCL ship which was also in port the same time as us and which we have sailed upon)
enjoyed their cruise as much as the Carnival guests. We just weren't quite as expressive about it.

Name: Andrew Taylor
Email: ataylor@lta.com
Age: 46
Occupation: Administrator
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: 12/18/99
Itinerary: Bahamas
Cabin: N-038/Cat.N
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 88
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 88
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 75
DiningRoomService: 75
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 88
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 75
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 60
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 88
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 75
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 75
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 80
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 80
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 29 Dec 1999
Time: 10:01:35
Remote Name: 216.51.21.135
Remote User:

Comments

Norway Cruise In Review

Dec. 18 - 21, 1999

Having sailed on several cruise ships by now (and the SS United States as a child), I was anxious to see what a true 'classic'
liner would be like. The Norway was offering an unusual 3 night cruise and we jumped on it as soon as we heard about it. To
save money we got the least expensive grade of cabin on the ship, it was fine for the price but I will probably stick to fancier
digs in the future.

We flew into Miami the night before and spent the night at the Marriott Biscayne Bay. While not a fancy place, it is a dream
for cruise addicts. If you request a port view you will be stunned at the great view of the ships from your window. It was dark
when we arrived but by morning the line up of cruise ships was exciting. I awoke about 6:30 am to see five huge ships
docked stem to stern. The farthest from view was the Carnival Imagination, next in line was the Carnival Triumph, the
smaller Norwegian Wind was next and then the Norway, looking every bit the grande dame. The line-up was completed by
RCI's Grandeur of the Seas. After breakfast in the room enjoying the view (we could even hear the shipboard
announcements with the windows open!) we met our cruising buddies William and Jo Ann in the lobby for a very short cab
ride over to the ship.

We arrived at the ship at about 11:30 AM and because of our Latitude memberships, we were whisked onboard after a few
minutes of being in the wrong line. The cabins weren't quite ready so we were asked to wait in the Sports Illustrated Cafe for
15-20 minutes. It sure beat waiting in line on the dock with the masses. After a quick drink we were off to unpack (having
carried on our luggage). Our cabin, N038, was tiny but actually nicer than we expected. It had just an upper and lower
(which we were expecting) but had 4 drawers, two closets and a really nice size bathroom with quite a roomy shower. The
cabin was in good shape and we thought it would serve us just fine for three nights.

After unpacking we set off to explore the ship. Initial impressions were pretty good as we poked around here and there. We
took a look a several of the upper deck cabins with balconies and were quite impressed with them. The deck space is
enormous, and many of the major rooms lovely. We particularly liked the Club International (certainly the most glamorous,
nostalgic room on the ship), the Windward dining room, the Leeward dining room and, while not really suited for the ship,
the Sports Illustrated Café. The six grand stairways (all with different balustrades) where beautiful and nostalgic too. The
Library and just installed Internet Café were attractive and the cozy Windjammer Lounge looked nice but was plagued with
really uncomfortable seating. That said, there were many areas in need of improvement. The Saga Theater looks really
dated and lacks anywhere to put your drink. It has vinyl covered movie theater type seats. The Disco really needs a facelift,
the Great Outdoor Restaurant is dreary and the Le Bistro alternative dining room, while attractive (sort of) looks very dated.

The most disappointing areas of the ship to me though were the indoor promenades, Fifth avenue and Champs Elysees.
These areas should have been stunning when they were actually quite unattractive. The flooring, of some type of vinyl
made to look like slate, was in terrible shape and badly patched with new flooring. This floor should be teak or marble or
something dramatic. I'm sure it isn't original but even if it is, it should be replaced. There was hardly any seating in this vast
space and the ceiling and lighting fixtures were tired and certainly not period. The promenades are lined with ficus trees
which helped, but I just couldn't get over how bad this important space looked.

Another space in need of work is the jogging deck or outdoor promenade. It had some horrible surface that looked like
pitted metal but was some sort of shock absorbing covering. I would be very surprised if this deck was not originally teak
and should be again. The ship had a lot of rust, which is not surprising, but what did surprise us was that we never saw
anyone painting or working on much of anything throughout the ship. Most ships don't ever seem to stop painting and the
poor old girl certainly could use a few coats.

This was a full cruise and that probably had something to do with the service but it really wasn't very good. Our waiter was
so-so at best, and the food really hit and miss. Some of it was quite good, particularly the food in Le Bistro, but all in all
pretty average. I found the Great Outdoor restaurant to be very unappetizing. The presentation was no better than a high
school cafeteria. The afternoon snack was a joke with long lines and sad little sandwiches on stale bread. Sven's ice cream
parlor had decent ice cream but really long lines and a server who seemed to sneer at most passengers. At breakfast the
final morning I asked for Cream of Wheat, bacon and a croissant. All I ever got was the Cream of Wheat. The waiter
disappeared and about 20 minutes later when we were leaving he showed up with the bacon, unbelievable.

The service around the pool wasn't any better. We waited three hours one day for someone to bring some towels to the
upper pool area.

Someone did suggest that the better staff had probably been transferred to the new Norwegian Sky. This would explain
some of the bad service but it still should not happen.

We tried spending as much time as possible in the Club International but the music was so loud it drove us out most times.
We thought it odd for them to have a band blaring loud music during cocktail time when a quiet pianist would have been
much more appropriate. The pianist in the Windjammer lounge would not have fit the bill however as he was dreadful and
didn't crack a smile the whole time. Looked like he was just "putting in his time". Didn't really see any shows so can't
comment on them.

NCL's private island was very nice and we had a great time there. It was the first private island I have been to and I liked the
concept very much. The other port, Port Lucaya, I didn't see much but what I saw was pretty nice. This is not the regular
itinerary however so the Norway probably won't be back there.

Overall, we had a decent time but not a great cruise. I felt bad for the once grand old lady and have to agree with a French
friend of ours who sailed her in her prime. He refuses to sail on her, has no desire to see what she has become. I would
have to agree. Although it was interesting to see a famous former ocean liner, she just isn't kept up to a high enough
standard. Maybe with some more time and effort she will look better but I'm not holding my breath for NCL to do it for her.
There was definitely a lack of care evident almost everywhere.

I read a review of this ship recently that said that had this been their first cruise, it would have been their last. Sadly, I would
have to agree with that. Nostalgia buffs might find enough to make them happy but there are certainly many people who
would not like this cruise experience. With the proper care and cruise staff she could be fabulous, unfortunately, in my
opinion, she just isn't getting what she needs.

Pictures from this cruise may be found at:

http://members2.clubphoto.com/andrew89261/

Andrew Taylor Arlington, VA

Name: shelley cook
Email: cshell@fuse.net
Age: 45
Occupation: sales
NumberOfCruises: 9
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: 9/18/99
Itinerary: eastern carib
Cabin: International deck "C"
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 60
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 80
ShoreExcVariety: 75
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 60
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 60
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 75
BeautySalonStaff: 75
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 80
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 70
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 70
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 80
AirSeaProgram: 50
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 50
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 70
Stabilization: 75
ShopsOnBoard: 75
SpaceRatio: 70
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 30 Dec 1999
Time: 17:03:50
Remote Name: delta-953.fuse.net
Remote User:

Comments

After reading another review, I needed to comment. I went a week after the other reviewer and
found the opposite! Embarkation is not a pleasant experience--NCL's arrival staff made us carry
our own bags to the bus--a long way by anyone's imagination. I was very upset getting on a bus
sweaty and strained. Trying to find an escort to our cabin took and inodrinate amount of
time--once there, wondering if we would find our way to any where later.It's a diffcult ship to
navigate... The food and DR staff were surprisingly good even tho we ate dinner in Le Bistro every
night--what a bonus!! Our food was the best to date of 9 cruises. The entertainment was
outstanding except for a trio in one lounge and the captain and tenille knock-offs in the Sports
Illustrated Bar. All others were top-notch.

We delighted every day in tea time--lovely pastries and
sandwiches and tea and music and a past relived...The Cafe Internationale became our favorite
place--it still oozed the charm of the SS France. I could have lived without Sports Illustrated
Bar--yuk--way out of place on the Norway! Cold and tooo NEW. There were lovely shops on board,
but I don't usually use them. The highlight of the Norway is the Roman Spa (albeit tricky to get to)
it's the best value of the cruise--$55 week gets you steam/sauna, salt pool, jacuzzi, refreshments,
chaise lounges and use of Turkish terry robes, mini-gym and locker room. Of course they use a
sort of hard sell tactic for the optional massages, etc. If you can resist them (I could not!!!) it's a
cheap treat. The itinerary is minimal so the purpose of this cruise is to relax.

The private island
was wiped out the previous week, so we spent 5 days at sea. We were not told until last minute,
which was unsettling .The PA system is not heard in cabins so it's difficult to get the day's info
without having to read the newsletter for everything. Passengers do not dress any better than they
do on most ships--always appalling to me--but the Norway deserves guests with a bit more taste
and elegance--ALAS! I wore a gown every evening. No shorts after 5pm should be enforced. I
found the purser's desk to be way too busy all the time as well as NCL's future sailings dept-lines
waiting to book the next cruise--both very understaffed. I plan to return to the Norway very
soon-next month. I look forward to Captain Jan Otteson's gracious staff and having a great time! I
will book my own air and take a taxi so I can begin my cruise pleasantly. Hope you enjoy the ship.

Name: Mark Pierce
Email: mhplaw@aol.com
Age: 50
Occupation: Attorney
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: 12/21/99
Itinerary: Cayman Isl., Bahamas, Jamaica
Cabin: A093
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 80
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 75
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 50
GoodForHoneymoon: 50
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 80
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 75
GoodForSeniors: 75
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess: 70
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 75
AirSeaProgram: 10
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 80
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 04 Jan 2000
Time: 20:02:35
Remote Name: spider-we032.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

This was our first cruise as a family and I would say that it was well accepted by all of us. I read
many of the reviews and they were very helpful. Overall I would compare the ship to a fine older
hotel. There is not a lot of glitz, but she is a grand old lady.

The food and service was very good. I really could not have expected more. We were in the
Windward dining room, which was very conveient to our cabin. Originally we were in Leeward, but
the staff changed rooms for us without any problem.

The entertainment was very good. We enjoyed the shows as well as the lounges. The Christmas
theme was carried out with some Christmas trees, but was nothing special.

All of the staff was very helpful, from childcare to the purser. I thought disembarkation was
remarkably easy compared to my prior cruise.

The major complaint that we had was the air/sea package which we purchased through NCL.
Given the holiday season, I thought that we would get better flights with NCL doing the booking.
Wrong! While there are many non stop flights to Miami from San Francisco, we wee routed
through LA going, and through Washington DC on our return. We had to leave SF at 6:00AM, and
can you imagine how our 2 1/2 year old felt getting up at 3:00AM to catch the flight. In the future I
will always book my own flights. We did try to change them as soon as we got the tickets, but no
luck.

There were other minor things to be aware of. I would always book shore excursions on shore. We
wanted to go on the stingray trip, but it was sold out. When we got to shore, we booked the same
trip at about on half the price. While the ship was generally quite clean, our bathroom had rust on
the floor. The tenders operated pretty well but it was sometimes tough to tell when you could
board.

We travelled with my parents, both of whom are in their 80's. They enjoyed the trip very much.
However, the ship is vey long and requires a lot of walking. And, as everybody has remarked, the
elevators are slow and overcrowded much of the time.

We enjoyed our trip very much and would do it again...except for the air/sea.

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