Name: Mark Mitsock
Email: dpgardner@worldnet.att.net
Age: 39
Occupation: Safety Engineer
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: February 1997
Itinerary: Eastern Carb.
FoodDiningRoom: 75
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff:
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 70
CabinQuietness: 65
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 70
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService:
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities:
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 70
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 09 Oct 1997
Time: 19:20:54
Remote Name: 12.68.106.216
Remote User:

Comments

Our arrival to Miami airport and the transfer to the NCL provided bus was flawless. Then we started the bus trip form hell. We must have been routed to
Miami too early and the bus driver was told to kill time until he brought us to the ship. It turned into an hour and a half ride all over Miami in a poorly
air-conditioned bus. It was lunch time and I thought the other passengers were going to jump me when I took a candy bar from my backpack.

When we arrived at the ship we were in awe of it’s size and beautiful lines. I have always been a fan of the old transatlantic liners and this ship is one of
the last remaining examples of that now almost extinct group. We got to our cabin without too much trouble even with wrong directions from the crew
member at the gangway. We had studied the ships plan so much waiting for the cruise I think we knew the layout better than he did.

Once in the cabin we realized our first mistake. We had left Boston where it was about 35 F and were now on a ship in Miami where it was 85F and we had
no shorts, short sleeve shirts or any clothes to change into. We kept our essentials in our backpack but they didn’t include warm weather clothes or even
soap and shampoo (after the bus ride we both needed a shower badly). We were lucky and our bags arrived at the cabin in enough time to shower and
change for dinner. Lesson learned.

From the start food in the Dining Room was good but not great. The waiter, it turns out, was in a very grumpy mood because he had gotten a bad review
on the last cruise so that he had been put at our table and two other half filled tables for this cruise (the fewer people at your tables the less you will get in
tips at the end of the cruise). His attitude did improve as the week progressed but I don’t think he was a good example of what I had heard from the other
passengers as typical waiter service. Others couldn’t say enough about how they were treated.

Our cabin had a balcony and was fantastic, except for one thing - it vibrated in time with the turning of the port propeller. The faster we traveled the more
the room vibrated. It was not a steady hum but a coming and going vibration that was hard to get used to.

To sum up: we enjoyed the cruise as a whole, the ship was fantastic, the food was OK, the ports of call were great, the snorkeling was great and really
made the trip, the private island was the best. I would recommend the trip to anyone who wants to see what it was like to sail on a beautiful old liner on a
modern Eastern Caribbean itinerary.

Name: Don & Judie Neill
Email: donjudie@eclipse.net
Age: 49
Occupation: Systems Analyst
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: Sept 20, 1997
Itinerary: St Martin, St John, St Thomas, NCL private island
FoodDiningRoom: 60
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 75
CabinQuietness: 80
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 75
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges: 75
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall:
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 75
CruiseActivities:
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 85
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 75
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 70
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 75
OverallCruiseValue: 80
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 11 Oct 1997
Time: 10:24:53
Remote Name: 207.207.200.166
Remote User:

Comments

Hi,

This is a review of the Sept 20, 1997 voyage of the SS Norway from Miami to St. Martin, St. John, St. Thomas & the NCL private island. It was originally
intended for posting on the internet (and has been) but are sending it to NCL as well. This was our first cruise, we have traveled a lot but wanted to try
cruising. It was relaxing but not satisfying for us. Perhaps we just are not the cruising type.

The ship: built as the SS France and now known as the SS Norway, we loved it! She is older and has 'physical plant' limitations that cause lots of twists and
turns in the passageways but she is still beautiful and comfortable. Our cabin was N001. The cabin farthest forward on the Norway deck (#7 of 14 on the
ship). We got there primarily because we wanted a moderately priced outside cabin that could convert to a double bed (they don't all convert). It was very
comfortable actually. Plenty of room and a nice bathroom with shower was included. The 'view' was two portholes in the ship's hull that were about 3 feet
from the cabin wall; so we had a 'tunnel' from cabin wall to hull. But it gave us the natural light & a small view of the world that we needed. The steward
was excellent. Our primary demand was two sets of towels a day and lots of ice. Dillon, the steward, gave them to us without having to request them and
without ever seeming to be present. It was magic; it all just happened the way we wanted it to happen! A first class job!

The trip: we chose this trip primarily because it had two days at sea on the way down to the islands and one day on the trip back. We were thinking of
traveling Trans-Atlantic sometime and wanted to see what the days at sea would be like. The only thing we didn't like was that there was no dark place on
the ship where we could look at the stars. The whole thing was lit up like Las Vegas. We enjoyed the traveling but there was not near enough time to
spend on any of the islands.

St. Martin is a good example. The ship anchored about 06:30. We could hear the anchor chain but it was no big deal. Then we could hear them taking off
the ships tenders; again no big deal. However, the first tenders were reserved for people who had purchased tours from the company so the first 'open'
tenders were at 11:00! So our day on St. Martin, became half a day. We had hoped to tour the island but decided it just wasn't worth trying to compress it
into half a day. St. John was even worse; you prepared to leave the ship at 7:30; left at 8:30 and had to leave for St. Thomas at 11; 12 or 1pm. Want to
stay longer on St. John? Too bad!

The other problem with the islands is that the company appears to have agreements with the local merchants to deliver x number of customers. Therefore
they offer advice about touring the islands that consists of 10% warnings of the sharp practices of 'some shopkeepers', 10% sexist jokes about women
shopping all day while the men sit around drinking and 80% advertisements for other, specific shops. Want to know something about the formation of the
islands or the towns? Don't ask here, they only know about diamond and emerald prices.

Private Island: we had a suprisingly good time on the island. It sounds pretty lame; no one around but 2000 people from the ship but the beach was nice,
the water excellent for swimming and the lunch was better that I would have expected in the dining room.

Food service: the Norway seems to be an elegant basis for the cheapest kind of travel. There was a nice dining room (Le Bistro, evenings only &
reservations required) that had room for about 70 people with fine food, though a limited menu, reasonable wine and excellent service (tipping required,
$5 recommended). There was also the Great Outdoor Restaurant (a buffet) with huge lines for cold cereal in the morning (or eggs, bacon, etc. if you
wanted to wait) and hamburgers & pizza the rest of the day. Of course, if you ate here you could feel ok about stiffing your assigned waiter!

In between those extremes, there were the two restaurants to which everyone was assigned: the Windward & the Leeward rooms. The Windward looks
like it used to be the 1st class dining room from the France; the Leeward looks 2nd class in comparison. But apparently there is a completely random
dining room assignment going on; we had people at our table who could touch both sides of their cabin without getting up and we had people who got
complimentary bathrobes in their private balcony suite. We also met someone on board assigned to the Windward dining room, who had an experience
similar to ours. So, we assume the food & service to be the same in both. However, the three meals are treated differently.

Breakfast was 'open seating' so you would get a waiter just based on where you were seated in the dining room. We found breakfast to be excellent with
the exception of the citrus fruits, which were kind of dried up and gray looking, and the Eggs Benedict; the sauce of which was poor. The service at
breakfast varied only from excellent to very good.

Lunch and dinner were served at your assigned table with your assigned waiter & busperson. Our waiter was somewhere between poor and barely
acceptable while our busperson was excellent. When Judie wanted extra lemon for her tea, our busperson brought her 5 to 6 pieces. And he
remembered to do so again later in the trip without her having to request it. That is the kind of service we were hoping to find on our trip. The waiter,
however, was a different story. When asked to take an overdone steak back to the kitchen, he acted as though it was a personal affront. And he always
acted as though he had a chip on his shoulder. Maitre d? Did we have one? Don't know, we never saw him.

Perhaps we are being too tough on our waiter; the food was so lousy we ate in the dining room as little as possible! For example, when Judie traded in
that overdone steak for one that was at least closer to medium (we'd both asked for rare) she got one that was extremely tough. When Judie asked for
the cheese plate (listed on the menu), it was made up apparently just for her but without any bread, crackers, etc. At another meal, Don got the first fish &
chips he'd ever needed to cut with a knife! We both had lasagna that was tough as anything, had around 2 tablespoons of sauce, very little cheese and
lots of spinach that was mostly stems. Don's Cajun Catfish had absolutely no spice to it; believe me! The clear soups, chicken noodle and pheasant
consommé for example, were usually very good. The others were not reliable. Judie had an ahi tuna steak at lunch that looked and tasted as if it had been
severely mistreated. Ahi is a dark red fish that is normally served seared rare or medium rare. This steak was gray and completely overcooked. The same
thing happened with the lamb the last night out. Even though the waiter from Le Bistro tried to get a serving that was not cooked well-done, it was not
possible. The lobster in Judie's lobster quesadilla was spongy, like it had been frozen too long. Based on that, we were glad we didn't have to suffer
through the Lobster Thermidor at the Captain's Farewell dinner. You can tell from our comments that the menu had a lot of seemingly appetizing choices,
but the execution was usually mediocre. On the positive side, Judie had a gorgonzola quiche appetizer that was fantastic. The rolls and breads tended to
be very good. The Pink Peppercorn Filet on Le Bistro's menu was consistently wonderful, we both had it twice, and yes, the filet was served rare as
ordered! Now, on to the liquor. A couple of glasses of wine with our first lunch on board was $5.50 each plus mandatory 15% gratuity. Not a pleasant
surprise! An appetizer of Buffalo Wings consisted of two(!) completely unspicy wings. Some people at our table wanted a simple salad; they got a solid
1/4th head of lettuce with 2 slices of tomato. Presentation was zilch! As soon as we found Le Bistro(the second day out), we stopped eating dinner in the
dining room: the food, the ambiance, and the service were all better.

Drinking: you are not supposed to bring your own alcohol on board. If you buy any either on board or in the islands, it is stored until you leave the ship.
The bars on the ship were a surprise. First, they were not inexpensive. Wines were $4 & $5 a glass; mixed drinks $4 and up; and beer (a limited list) $2
to $4. You could get a 'drink of the day' for $2.50. Also, the only bars open until noon were those near the pools (started at 9 a.m.). So if, for example,
we wanted a Bloody Mary in the morning, it meant a trip from the front of the ship where our cabin was located to the rear where the pool was found.
Some, like Club Internationale, only opened at 5 p.m.

Room service: didn't try it. The only breakfast offered was 'continental' - rolls and coffee. The rest of the menu consisted of sandwiches (no charge) & hors
d'oeurve plates (at $15 to $30). There was no mention of drinks or wine on the menu.

Shows: didn't attend. We just don't care for them. We looked into one; saw two guys on stage, one wearing a paper beard & left. Heard one of the bands
doing show tunes; every instrument must have been out of tune! There was dancing to a piano-drum-guitar trio nightly in the Club Internationale complete
with Remy Martin XO cognac at $7.50 a glass. The people at our table who went to the shows, though, said they were very good.

Casino: didn't attend. Do you really expect decent odds when you are playing at a casino that is 500 miles from the competition? Lots of people spent lots
of money there though.

Spa: Judie had a massage-facial. It was a little more expensive than the day spas on dry land, but maybe the best massage she has ever received. The
facial was also good, considering that it was a combo offering. Again there is a 15% tip included. When Judie wanted to tip a little more, it was actually
difficult to do! Obviously not a common occurrence.

Would we go back? Probably not but we 'never say never'. Their customer satisfaction survey asked 4 different ways if we chose them because they were
cheapest. It seems to be their corporate intent to be cheap. If Norwegian can figure a way to improve the food and train all the waiters, we did like the ship
and do feel that we were completely away from everything. But if we want to visit St. John again, it will be by plane.

Name: Rick Williams
Email: RickW@IOL.INC
Age: 43
Occupation: Welder
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: August 5, 1996
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 99
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 97
CabinAmenities: 97
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 97
FoodMidnightBuffets: 93
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 98
FoodVariety: 97
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 98
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 98
LoungeService:
TenderService: 99
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 97
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 97
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 92
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 96
AirSeaProgram: 96
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 96
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 94
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 19 Oct 1997
Time: 12:31:26
Remote Name: 208.134.215.79
Remote User:

Comments

This was my first cruise, and my whole family enjoyed. There were many good things about the cruise. We spent quite
a bit of time in our room, and we stayed in the beds because they were comfortable. Any time we left the room and
came back our beds were made. It suprised us, because we had always stayed in hotels before where your bed was
made once a day. The dining was excellent and the people we sat with were great. We had requested a table to
ourselves before the cruise, but we were glad we got to sit with the people we did. They helped us through our cruise,
because they had cruised many times and knew what was good. So they helped us decide what we should do.

The
shore excursions were great. Although when we snorkeled at St. John we encountered many jellyfish. The private
island was very nice. Although I decided to get comfortable in the hammocks, my family snorkeled. Although the
cruise was not all good. It ws mainly good. We did not see the point in tipping the maitre'd. He did not do anythingbut
cook dessert one time. So we felt that was a waste. Also the Roman Spa was not that good. When we went down there
to find out what it was about, they looked at us like we were the scum of the earth. This wsa disappointing.

Another
thing the pools were not use during most of the cruise. They had leaks, but when they were in use they were really
crowded and hot. I know this seems like many downpoints, but I felt that it was great. The food, service, and basically
everything else was excellent. I am in the process of planning another cruise, because this cruise was so good. I
would recommend this ship for people that like to have fun and spend some money. If you like bingo or any type of
gambling this is a good ship. If you expect to be waited on hand and foot don't get a lower category room, because it
probably won't happen. The entertainment was great. Well I did not mean to make this so long or scare anyone off. If
you have any questions about the cruise, please email me at RickW@IOL.INC

Name: Ancelin Shah
Email: fwnelson@shellus.com
Age: 30
Occupation: Computer Analys
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: 10/11/97
Itinerary: Eastern Carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 91
CruiseDirector: 98
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 91
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 92
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 98
FoodVariety: 99
DeckService: 99
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: 85
EntertainmentLounges: 97
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 99
EntertShowLounge: 99
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 99
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 99
SpaceRatio: 99
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 27 Oct 1997
Time: 17:03:31
Remote Name: 204.243.213.30
Remote User:

Comments

We traveled on the 10/11/97 sailing of the S/S Norway to the eastern Caribbean. This might be a little long, but I
found that the longer articles are the more helpful ones. This was our honeymoon cruise and we were in a P3
cabin on the Sun deck with a great balcony. It happened to be the Beauty and Fitness cruise which I had not
realized until the week before we sailed. To be honest, I was pretty disappointed when I found this out because I
had heard that theme cruises were to be avoided at all costs. I must say, we were pleasantly surprised … with
everything.

First, the cabin we were in was great. One whole wall had floor to ceiling windows and the balcony was large
enough for 2 lawn chairs and a table with 2 regular chairs. We spent most mornings ordering room service for
breakfast (which is only continental, but adequate) and eating on the balcony. It was great!! The room even comes
with complimentary bathrobes which are great for sitting on the balcony late night or early in the morning. The
bathroom was larger than on most ships. Plenty of storage space and a tub/shower combination. It was very
adequate. The room was cheaper than similar type rooms on other cruise ships which is one reason why we chose
the Norway. One tip, the room service menu for breakfast does not have a lot of choices (for example, they have
toast and danish listed, but no croissants, no sweetened cereal, etc…). I started writing in certain requests (like
croissants) and I found that they did bring it up on our order if they had some available that day. You CAN NOT
order eggs, bacon, etc…, but I think if you saw a particular cereal downstairs in the buffet and they did not have it
on the room service list, you might be able to ask for it. Other than that, we thought the continental breakfast was
fine.

The Beauty and Fitness cruise turned out to be great. Most of the EXTRA activities they had due to the theme
cruise were related to exercise (exercise bikes, specialty aerobic classes, etc…) which were in out of the way
locations, and actually, not a bad thing since we ate much more than intended. Many olympic athletes were aboard
(Dan Jansen, Mike Powell, Janet Evans, etc…) along with body builders, a baseball player, basketball player, and
tons of fitness experts. It really didn't get in the way, but yet there were tons of activities available due to all of this.
One day they have an autograph signing session with around 15 of the athletes (including all the Olympic athletes).
We recommend buying one of the 8x10 photographs of the S/S Norway in the photo room and then having the
athletes sign that (instead of or in addition to the t-shirts they sell you there). The picture came out great, and it's
a great souvenir. If you do go on the Beauty and Fitness don't miss Samy. He's a famous hair stylist (in Miami, but
does many hollywood people) and extremely entertaining. I doubt I would go on other theme cruises, but this one
truly wasn't annoying; rather fun, actually.

As for the ship, yes it's old. We had only been on one other cruise ship before, the Nordic Empress, and when we
first boarded the S/S Norway we were a little surprised. We knew it wasn't suppose to be fancy, but it really wasn't,
at least not the entrance. It's strictly ship. The elevators are old and slow (though it doesn't really hurt to walk the
stairs and burn off some of the food). Whenever I wanted an elevator, I did get one, but I pretty much figured there
were a lot of other people who needed them more than I did and so I just chose the stairs. The ship is old and
there are things that could be maintained a little better, but overall, it's worth it. This is a SHIP, not a Las Vegas
hotel on water. It's probably one of the last cruise ships like this, and it's an experience. It is a large ship, but it's
not that complicated. Spend the first day exploring, and after that it's really not that hard. The trickiest thing to
remember is that not all the stairwells have access on every floor. There are maps in the room and then large
maps in each stairwell. Get use to looking at those and after 2 days you probably won't get lost at all. People were
complaining on the last day, and I didn't understand why. It really isn't that complicated.

The International Deck was my favorite. It stretches from end of the ship to the other. There are lots of stores (with
prices very comparable to St. Thomas), lounges, chairs, ice cream parlor, etc… There is a concierge office by the
ice cream parlor that use to be the 1st class passenger children's room. The walls are still the original painted
walls. Most people go in there to take pictures.

The service in the dining room was great. We were in the Leeward, and even though it's not as impressive as the
Windward, we liked it better. There was more breathing room between the tables and so it didn't feel as conjested.
You can always go to open seating breakfast and eat in the Windward, if you are assigned to dinner in the Leeward.
Since we were on our honeymoon we were able to get a table for two, which I thought was great. If you request a
table for 2 you will more than likely end up in the Leeward. There are only 4 table for twos in the Windward. Our
waiter was Clive from India and he truly was enjoyable. One thing I also liked was that we had a bar server instead
of the wine steward (on other cruise lines). I found this a lot more enjoyable and he never forced us to have to buy
fancy wines, etc… He also was totally enjoyable and the two of them were probably the highlight of the cruise. The
maitre'd was pretty non-existent, but he is the one who was able to get me copies of the menu. Don't even bother
asking the first few days, they won't give it to you then. Wait until the last or 2nd to last day. Also, don't ask the
waiters, etc… Only the maitre'd seemed to be able to get copies of the menus.

Le Bistro, the dining alternative, was really good. Make a point to try it out once. We also enjoyed the wine and
cheese bar which is attached to Le Bistro. We use to go there before the late seating dinner and, of course, be full
by the time we got to dinner.

On the Carribean theme night and last formal night the waiters parade/dance around the dining rooms with Baked
Alaska desserts. It's really fun so don't forget your camera. If you can only make one, go to the last formal night
dinner. They dance and then they all sing We are the World. We were in the Leeward so they all stood on the spiral
staircase and it was pretty fun.

The biggest complaint I have read is about the tenders. Personally, the tenders make for an added adventure, and
they do drop you off right in the heart of St. Thomas/St. Maarten, etc… HOWEVER, there is a drawback. If the
weather is bad, which is what we experienced, it is not safe for the tenders to go to shore. Thus, the island visit will
probably be cancelled. We had the worse weather they had seen in 2 years, and St. Maarten and St. John were both
cancelled. (St. Thomas is rarely cancelled since they have a better dock for the tenders). At first it was
disappointing, but we decided to just enjoy the ship instead. If you are going on a cruise to see these islands, and
only to see the islands, be aware that bad weather could cause a problem.

Like I mentioned, we had bad weather for the first 4 days, and so quite a few people were seasick. It did rock, but I
think it rocked a lot less than on the smaller RCCL Nordic Empress (where we also hit bad weather). The pursers
desk had plenty of free seasickness pills. But the nights were great. The rocking made for incredibly peaceful sleep.

On St. Thomas if you want to go to the beach, just get a cab. The cabs are all mini-vans, and if they fill it up you
only pay $4 per person each way. Which is half of the $16 the shore excursion charges. Also, from St. Thomas you
can see all the cruise ships in port. The Norway is truly the most impressive one from far.

One of the reviews I read earlier stated that the top 2 levels of the ship got early service to the private island (which
made the other passengers feel like 2nd class). That is NOT true. The people with early service to the island were
ONLY the ones who bought Dive-In shore excursions, or who were participating in the 5k run. Everyone else had to
wait in line for tender tickets, regardless of cabin. We were on the 3rd tender over and did not have any problem.
Yes, many of the umbrella chairs are taken, but there is so much shade that we just moved some of the other
chairs into the shade. Also, not many know of the 3 hammocks which are kind of to the left and back after you get
off the tender. That's a great place. And the private island is great, so don't let the worry of tender tickets ruin it. If
you are really worried just go wait for tender tickets early.

The theater where they have the broadway shows is really nice. It's got that old feeling to it. We saw Crazy for You
and enjoyed it. We also saw the farewell Broadway show on the last day and enjoyed that. We missed the
comedians but did see the cruise staffs roaring 20s revue. It was pretty cute. We didn't do that much of the night
life other than what I mentioned, but there seemed to be plenty of activities/lounges/discos/bars/etc... There is no
large movie theater, but we were happy just watching the movies in our room. They had a decent selection.

As for negative aspects, there were some. The quality of the food is pretty standard, nothing great, but by no
means horrible. I think RCCL's quality was better. I found that we had quicker food service on this ship then on
RCCL. I guess you sacrifice a little on the food quality for faster service. I personally liked the faster service better,
especially since the food wasn't bad. The outdoor café was definitely cafeteria quality; personally I liked the dining
room much better (for lunch and breakfast). The Roman Spa is definitely something to check out. It's beautiful, but
as far as their services, I suggest staying away. I've had much better massages on land, and they spend 5-10
minutes at the end trying to sell you their products, which I found most annoying. (They did that when I had a facial
in the salon, also). I think having massages was the only thing I regretted on this cruise. But I would recommend
going down there to at least look at it and take some pictures. The suite rooms also have access to a concierge.
Personally, the concierge was pretty useless. You can go to her to set up onboard credit and you don't have to
wait in line (and also go/call her with shore excursions), but there were plenty of times in the day when the lines
were non-existent, so I didn't think this was a must-have service. But I didn't expect a concierge at all, so it really
didn't matter. Also, smoking is allowed on one whole side of the ship, but I didn't get too bothered by it (and I hate
smoke). Maybe it was because this was a fitness cruise and there wasn't that much smoking, but whenever I did
run into it (in the North Cape Lounge, etc…), I just moved to the other side. I found most people followed this rule.
And finally, we did not do the air/sea package. We were debating on whether to take a taxi or ride in the Norwegian
van (which is for people who purchase air/sea packages). The Norwegian staff member there told me that it was
$20 per person, which is the same as what a taxi charges. We almost went along with what she said but checked
with a cab driver in the last minute. The fare is 15.75 from airport to cruise terminal, regardless of how many in the
cab. That's definitely the better deal. I was a little irritated at the Norwegian staff for lying to us, but I guess no
matter where you go, there will always be some people who are not as helpful/friendly as others.

Overall, we had a wonderful time, even with 4 days straight of rain and 2 out of the three ports cancelled. The cabin
didn't hurt, and being on our honeymoon probably didn't hurt either. There are probably less activities then say on
a Carnival ship, and it's definitely not as glitzy. Some people were really friendly, and some of course, were not. If
you are going to find faults, you will, but that's true about everything. We're not the type to just stick to one cruise
line or ship, I think they all have their pros and cons, but we would sail the Norway again, and definitely NCL. It
made for a great vacation, and it's a one of a kind ship. It seems to be a good compromise between price and
quality.

Name: Kelvin & Barbara Canady
Email: canady@infocom.com
Age: 62 &59
Occupation: retired
NumberOfCruises: 44
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: Nov.8, 1997
Itinerary: Eastern Carib.
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort:
FoodRoomService: 100
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities:
FoodLidoDeck: 100
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness:
FoodMidnightBuffets: 100
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall:
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities:
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace:
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 25 Nov 1997
Time: 18:14:30
Remote Name: 208.196.32.136
Remote User:

Comments

We have cruised 26 times on the Norway in 6 years. This says what we think of the ship. We have sailed 44 times
in the past 10 years so we have a little to compare to. The Norway is not for everyone, if you have a problem
walking, it can be a bit difficult as the ship is 1035 ft. long & many decks. Although is is very easy to find your way
around. We cruise the Norway so often because we love to dance, we have a lot of opportunity to do this as they
have many lounges & very good dance groups, we love the sea days, there are 3 on a 7 day cruise. We meet a
lot of repeat cruisers on the Norway, which says a lot for her. The staff is always friendly and helpful.

It amazes me what people on vacation complain about. The toilet wouldn't flush, the drain was slow, the elavators
were too slow, etc. Most ships that are sailing now hold 1000 to 3500 people, passengers & staff, I don't know of
any city that size that daes'nt have some problems. You are on vacation on a beautiful ship being totally spoiled.
Relax, enjoy! See you on the fantastic S. S. Norway!

Name: Gerard Lee
Email: gtkyl@aloha.net
Age: 45
Occupation: Data Processing Management
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: November 8-15, 1997
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 69
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 70
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 70
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 80
EmbarkDisembark: 75
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 75
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 80
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 28 Nov 1997
Time: 15:45:30
Remote Name: 207.12.1.38
Remote User:

Comments

CRUISE REVIEW ss Norway - 7-Day Eastern Caribbean November 8-15, 1997

INTRODUCTION

Aloha! My wife Iris and I just got back from our second cruise, this time aboard NCL's ss Norway. (Our initiation
was aboard Carnival's ms Ecstasy exactly one year ago.) We are in our mid-forties and live in Hawaii. I'm an
Information Systems Manager at a commercial Bank in Honolulu and Iris is retired.

We booked this cruise in February after reading about NCL's Valentine's Day 'suite for the sweet' special on the
Internet. This was a guarantee of an S1 or S2 category stateroom (i.e., a suite) for $879 per person. Including
port charges and insurance, our cruise fare came to $2,171. In comparison, the published cruise-only fare for an
S2 stateroom was $2,245 per person.

As promised, we didn't find out to which stateroom we were assigned until we received our travel documents. The
documents arrived just seven days before sailing.

EXPECTATIONS

I had greater expectations for our second cruise. The ss Norway is supposed to be NCL's flagship and a classic
liner to boot. (I think that ships should look like ships, not floating hotels.) I was anticipating a dressier
environment, superior dining, and more elegant surroundings than the flash, glitz, and neon found aboard
Carnival's ms Ecstasy.

The Eastern Caribbean itinerary didn't really interest us and Iris wasn't too keen about using a tender at each of
the ports. However, I wanted to experience a real ocean liner and the idea of three full days at sea was
appealing.

What I was not looking forward to were more crowds. Embarkation and debarkation were the worst parts of our
first cruise. We had planned to try a smaller, more upscale ship this time but this deal was too good to pass on.

We rated each facet of our voyage using a scale of one to ten, 10 being excellent.

THE AIR PROGRAM

We didn't use NCL's air program as they wanted $899 for travel from Honolulu. (The normal air add-on is $299
but supposedly wasn't available with this special cruise fare.) Instead, we used mileage awards on Delta Airlines. I
made reservations in April but was unable to book the flights that we wanted on the days we wanted. However, a
Delta agent was able to get us on more direct flights when I checked back in October.

We left Honolulu at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, November 6, and arrived in Miami (via Atlanta) at 9:59 a.m. the next day.
A short cab ride later we arrived at the Marriott Biscayne Bay hotel next to the Omni where the Crowne Plaza is
located. (The latter hotel is used by cruise lines.) We wanted to fly in a day early just in case of airline difficulties
and besides, who would want to start a cruise after having flown all night?

The return leg began on Saturday afternoon, after booking a shore excursion that toured Miami. We did this
because our flight to Las Vegas (via Orlando) didn't leave until 3:35 p.m. and we didn't want to wait in the airport
all day. (We islanders will make up any excuse to stop off in Las Vegas when we're on the Mainland.) Argh, Delta
uses Comair between Miami and Orlando and we were placed upon a turboprop for the 45 minute journey.

Alas and alack, our return home to Honolulu from Las Vegas was not routine. Our flight out of Los Angeles was
delayed when the L1011 suffered a malfunction of one of its three generators. A three hour delay to find
replacement plane resulted in our return to Hawaii at 10:00 p.m. HST.

Rating: I didn't rate this portion as we were flying for free.

EMBARKATION

We caught a cab from the Marriott to Pier 2 at 12:30 p.m. as the cruise documents indicated commencement of
boarding at 1:00 p.m. We arrived at 12:40 p.m. to find large crowds at the two piers that service the ss Norway.
The lines snaked into the building where a ship's photographer took our picture at the bottom of the escalator
that led to the registration area up on the second floor. Some passengers got testy as they thought the
photographer was creating a delay in boarding. Upstairs, there was another serpentine line that led to a bank of
agents. Actually, there were three lines, one for Latitudes members, another for non-U.S. citizens, and the largest
for the rest of us. The agent took our forms and handed out our boarding cards, which included our dining room
table assignment. We then passed through security and boarded near Stairwell Six where a number of NCL
representatives were providing directions to the staterooms. We trundled up the stairs to where our stateroom
was located. Iris thought she would never get used to the maze of corridors leading to our suite.

The entire process took about 45 minutes which was the same as last year but for some reason it didn't bother
me as much this time around. Maybe it was not having to lug around my laptop on this trip. However, Carnival
seems to have a better system as we were able to complete all the requisite transactions, including activation of
the onboard charge cards and obtaining the room keys, before boarding. In addition, I think the paper boarding
cards issued by NCL are chintzy in comparison to the 'plastic card' passes that Carnival and others use.

Rating: Five. Not bad, but improvements could be made.

THE SHIP

This ship sits lower in the water than others. It seems smaller than the newer ships even though its volume is
greater. We boarded on Norway Deck (a.k.a. Deck 7) and were faced with six flights of stairs up to Sky Deck (a.k.a.
Deck 13). As before, we found that it was much faster to use the stairwells than to wait for the elevators.

There are ten passenger decks, beginning with Biscayne Deck (a.k.a. Deck 5). This deck is where you transfer
to/from the tenders. The Roman Spa, which we never got down to see, is located on Deck 4, Dolphin Deck. There
is no relationship between deck names and numbers (that I could determine) so I have provided both. Personally,
I found it easier to navigate using numbers than names. These decks are accessible from six stairwells and nine
small elevators.

Iris and I really enjoyed Deck 10, International Deck. You can find a description of this deck in my section on
onboard entertainment, later in this review.

Olympic Deck, Deck 11, contains an open promenade which is used as a jogging track as it provides for an
uninterrupted circuit of the ship. A number of passengers used the area near the railings as a semi-public
verandah as there was sufficient space to accommodate both the joggers and deck chairs.

Fjord Deck, Deck 12, where the lifeboats were positioned, was an interesting one to me as it contained a mix of
obstructed view staterooms as well as sixteen suites. In addition, a number of inside staterooms have portholes
into the swimming pool on Sky Deck. I've read that this space was once a courtyard before it was converted into a
pool.

The 'top of the line' suites are located forward on Sun Deck (a.k.a. Deck 14). There are two hot tubs located
amidship, aft and above the Sunspots Bar on Deck 13. Above the suites is Star Deck (#15), which is a great
vantage point for photography. Unfortunately, they rope this deck off at night to prevent disturbing the
passengers in the expensive suites.

The ss Norway is one of the few ships still using steam turbines for propulsion. When it was the ss France, it
cruised at 28 knots. When NCL purchased the ship in 1980, they modified its systems to burn less fuel. It now
cruises at 18 knots.

A word about its stabilizers (or lack of). We had benign conditions during the entire week, with the seas running 2
to 3 feet with up to 6-foot swells. This ship rolled noticeably, much more than did ms Ecstasy in rougher waters.
In addition, its periodic motion (change of direction from side to side) was quite fast. Either the stabilizers weren't
working, they're too small, they're too slow to react, or the hull was twisting. The length of this ship would make it
weaker longitudinally than a shorter vessel. This classic, deep draft, hull design is supposed to work better in
rougher seas versus the newer, squarer hulls being built today. Does this mean that the newer ships ride better
in calm conditions?

The condition of the ship belies its age. Except for its design and the indoor promenade, one wouldn't think that
this ship is almost 40 years old. Kudos to Captain Geir Lokoen and his staff.

Rating: Seven.

OUR STATEROOM

We occupied stateroom K035 on Sky Deck, a category S2 (junior) suite located on the starboard (smoking) side.
Fortunately for us nonsmokers, there were no traces of smoking residue or odor. The stateroom was 16' by 13'
(208 sq.ft.), with four floor-to-ceiling picture windows (74x142 total) that provided spectacular views of the vistas
outside.

The stateroom was decorated in shades of blue and light grey (a little cold for my tastes), with three mirrors,
excellent lighting and air conditioning. I couldn't get the room warm enough at night. The dial read in centigrade,
from 0 to 30. Even at 30, which is supposed to be 86 degrees Fahrenheit, the room was cold. I was happy to see
that the beds made up as a king and were positioned in my preferred longitudinal orientation.

There was ample closet, drawer, and storage space for all of our belongings and we were able to store our
luggage under the bed. Each of the closet doors and exterior drawers were equipped with a neat latching
mechanism that prevent their inadvertent opening. A password-protected safe was located on the floor of one of
the closets. The other closet contained four large drawers. Adjacent to the closets was a bureau with three
drawers, a refrigerator, and a TV. Next to it was a vanity with four small drawers and a large lighted mirror. Three
of the ten bulbs were not of the correct type and I almost started a fire a few days later. A nylon carry-on bag
was resting against one of the (wrong) bulbs and the latter burned a hole right through the bag and halfway
through my leather portfolio.

Across from the bed and adjacent to the windows was a sitting area that included a small convertible love seat
and a freestanding 24-inch round glass table. We had breakfasts in-cabin on three occasions and easily
repositioned the table to allow seating on both the love seat and the bed.

The bathroom, which seems to be of interest to many readers, was 57 by 88, decorated in shades of white and
grey marble, with a vanity, good-sized medicine cabinet, hair dryer, full-sized tub/shower, and the ubiquitous
marine toilet.

Alas, no verandah. I suppose we may be atypical, but we are willing to spend more to get a private space with an
ocean view. The small verandah in our demi-suite aboard ms Ecstasy was well used. (Our home in Hawaii has a
12.5 by 21-foot lanai that overlooks Kaneohe Bay on the northeastern shore of Oahu.) However, I peeked into a
verandah for one of the Penthouse Suites and was dismayed to see the size of the partition between staterooms.
It begins about a foot off the deck and ends at about eye level. I guess NCL wants to make it easy to converse
with your neighbors.

I was afraid that the location of our suite would prove problematic as it was situated at the end of a corridor that
led to the pool and the Sunspots Bar as well as adjacent to Stairwell Three and a flight of stairs leading up to the
Sun Deck. Thankfully, my fears proved groundless as we were not bothered by any extraneous noises.

Our stewardess was Daisy Escalona, whom we almost never saw. She kept the stateroom neat and tidy and well
stocked with bottled water, towels, and ice. What more could you ask for?

Rating: Seven. The windows needed a good cleaning due to rain and the salt spray.

ONBOARD ENTERTAINMENT

Most of the activities aboard ss Norway revolve around two decks, the International Deck (a.k.a. Deck 10) and Pool
Deck (a.k.a. Deck 9). The former features an enclosed promenade and is very similar to that found aboard the
Queen Mary. I guess all ships built for trans-Atlantic crossings featured an indoor promenade. The port side is
called Fifth Avenue and the starboard side is called Champs Elysees. All of the shops can be found on this deck as
well as three lounges, the library, the kid's playroom, and the ice cream parlor.

The Saga Theatre is smaller than that found aboard Carnival, requiring that the passengers be split into three
groups (red, blue, and white tickets). There is one to two shows nightly, each for a specific group of ticket holders.
Thus, we were scheduled for shows on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The Theatre is nonsmoking and there
weren't any posts to obstruct views and the sight lines, at least from the balcony, were excellent.

The Jean Ann Ryan Company staged three different productions during the week. The cast is made up of six
female and four male dancers, an Adage team, and three male and three female actor/singers. They put on
Crazy For You, a Gershwin musical comedy, Sea Legs Goes Hollywood, a Las Vegas style revue, and Broadway
Tonight, a salute to musicals. One of the cast members, Laura Compton Cook, has an excellent voice. The others
were fair to average.

The North Cape Lounge, located on Pool Deck, is where entertainment was 'staged' for those ticket holders that
weren't scheduled for the Saga Theatre. There were four different shows during the week. We attended the first,
which starred Rich Purpura, a comedian. The problem with this lounge was twofold. One, smokers wouldn't stay
on their side of the ship and, two,the design of the room isn't conducive to viewing a performance. There are
many small cocktail tables with barrel chairs in addition to the booths that line the perimeter of the room. The
numerous posts also present a problem. This room is intended for listening to music and dancing. During the
day, this room was used for Bingo.

Club Internationale, on International Deck, is a very elegant space where High Tea is served at 4:00 p.m. (The
wait staff from the Le Bistro services this function.) Duo Amor, a violinist and pianist, provided music during the
tea. At other times, The Richie Franks Trio played music for the older crowd.

The Captain's Cocktail Reception begins in this room and ends up in the North Cape Lounge. Because you can
enter Club Internationale from either the Fifth Avenue or the Champs Elysees promenade, there are two Captains
to greet you and for picture taking. The master, Captain Geir Lokoen, manned the port entrance, and Staff
Captain Magnus Rodberg, manned the starboard entrance. If you want a picture with the 'real' master, check
where each is standing before entering.

The Checkers Cabaret was where the art auctions were held. At night, Cross My Heart and The Fred Sample Band
entertained. We didn't attend any functions in this room.

The Monte Carlo Casino, located on Pool Deck, is a very large space with the usual slot and poker machines,
cards games, and a craps table. Iris was luckier than I and managed to win at the table (her first time with the
dice).

Dazzles, a discotheque, is located at the rear of Viking Deck (a.k.a. Deck 8). A portion of it is situated under the
main swimming pool. It wasn't very easy to get to as it was one of the few public spaces that was buried amongst
the staterooms. We never attended any functions here other than to wait for the Miami tour on the last morning.

Ratings: Shops - Seven Saga Theatre - Eight Checkers Cabaret - NR Club Internationale - Ten North Cape Lounge
- Six Monte CarloCasino - Eight Dazzles - NR

A special mention is in order for Duo Amor. The violinist (I didn't get her name) is excellent. (What is she doing
performing on a ship?) Alas, her partner, the pianist/guitarist, couldn't match her virtuosity. This pair also
serenaded us during dinner.

DINING ROOMS

We were assigned main seating in the Leeward Dining Room, which is the aft of two aboard the Norway. This is a
two-story space, located on Decks 6 and 7. Unless you are located at a table in the area open to the second
floor, it is a rather dark low-ceiled space. In contrast, the Windward Dining Room, located amidship, is a beautiful,
airy space with a blue domed starlit ceiling. Our waiter, William Codrington, and busboy, George Stevenson, were
Jamaican and were very gracious and friendly. George must have been new as he was often scolded by the Maitre
D' and could never remember who wanted which type of coffee.

A tip to the Maitre D' before dinner on Saturday resulted in our placement at a table for two. (The table was set
for four, but he said no one else would be assigned to the table.) This was nice as it allowed us to dine at our
own (fast) pace and gave us plenty of time to relax before the shows. I also asked him for a set of dinner menus
to allow us to peruse the offerings in advance. Alas, I couldn't obtain the menu covers, some of which were very
beautiful.

I thought the wine list was reasonably priced and ordered four bottles over the week. Since Iris doesn't partake, I
ended up ordering only whites. My selections included a 1993 Pavillon Blanc du Chateau Margaux for $45, a
non-vintage Moet & Chandon for $45, a 1993 Puligny-Montrachet for $38, and a 1993 Meursault for $32. The
latter was one of two wines I didn't like. Typical of a lesser white Burgundy, it was somewhat thin and acidic. (I
also had red wine by the glass. What a mistake.) The best red Bordeaux that I could recall was a Cos d'Estournel
for $60. Igusti, from Indonesia, was our 'wine steward.' Actually a bar waiter, he provided excellent service and
turned our receipts into origami (folded paper objects).

We tried the Windward Dining Room for breakfast on one occasion. What a beautiful space! Alas, the food didn't
measure up to the atmosphere. I ordered Eggs Benedict, which was actually a full order unlike on Carnival (which
seemed to serve half portions). The Hollandaise sauce was tasteless and the muffin wasn't toasted.

LE BISTRO SUPPER CLUB

We tried the alternate restaurant, Le Bistro, on Country & Western night (Tuesday). This very popular restaurant
is located on Pool Deck, between the North Cape Lounge and the main swimming pool. It offered a limited menu
in a more intimate atmosphere than the other dining rooms. The food and service were excellent. I ordered
Beluga caviar as an extra-cost appetizer for $40. There was no charge for food, save any caviar and drinks, but
you are expected to tip the staff.

INFORMAL DINING

The Great Outdoor Restaurant, a self-service cafeteria, is located at the rear of Deck 10 and had one to four lines
operating, depending on the time of day, which meant that we never suffered though any lines. There were a few
salad items, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, and an alternate dish at lunch. Breakfast offerings were limited to fruit,
cereal, inedible scambled eggs, two meat items, and pancakes. (What! No French Toast?) There was ample
seating outside but we ended up taking our trays into the enclosed promenade (Fifth Avenue) where there were
a number of tables set up for this purpose.

MIDNIGHT BUFFETS

We also attended two of the seven Midnight buffets, including NCL's famous Chocoholic Buffet, held on Sunday. I
didn't enjoy the latter as it was just too much chocolate. The locations of the buffets varied, some were held in
the dining rooms, others took place in the Great Outdoor Restaurant.

FOOD RATINGS:

Ambiance: Leeward Dining Room - Six. Windward Dining Room - Eight, this is a beautiful room. Le Bistro Supper
Club - Six to eight, depending on where you are seated. Great Outdoor Restaurant - One. Military messes are
better. Food: Leeward/Windward: Breakfast - Five. Poor eggs. Lunch - Six. Good, but nothing special. Dinner -
Seven. Good to very good. Le Bistro: Dinner - Eight. Best meal onboard. Great Outdoor - Two, for its limited food
selection. I thought Carnival was fair, this was far worse. Service - Eight (in the Dining Rooms and the Le Bistro
Supper Club). Midnight Buffet - Six. The food was good but the plates were too small.

ST. MAARTEN

We arrived at about 8:00 a.m. to find HAL's ms Westerdam already at anchor. I watched the crew lower the two
tenders, Norway I and II, from their storage area on the bow. Passengers that booked a shore excursion met in
the Saga Theatre at 8:45 a.m. and were ushered to the tender using Stairwell One. A hint for those that are
prone to mal de mer. Be among the last to board the tender so you won't have to sit on a bobbing boat for 10 to
15 minutes.

I wanted to try the America's Cup Regatta excursion but Iris demurred, so we booked the Under Two Flags Island
Tour ($25 each) instead. This was a 3-hour ride in an air-conditioned bus around the island with a short stop at
Hope Hill and in Marigot on the French side. Alas, we arrived on November 11, which is a national holiday so
everything but the restaurants were closed. The tour started and ended in Philipsburg where we had hoped to do
a little shopping. We ended up buying just some souvenir T-shirts and magnets at a flea market.

The devastation caused by the hurricane in 1995 is still being repaired. I thought Kauai after Iniki ('92) was bad.
This was much worse. You can tell who has money and who doesn't. Most of the expensive areas have been
renovated. The poorer areas haven't.

Rating: Four, because almost everything was closed.

ST. JOHN/ST. THOMAS

We were tendered to the dock at Havensight. Already in port was RCI's Grandeur of the Seas, Fred. Olsen Line's
Black Watch (formerly Royal's Star Odyssey), and HAL's Westerdam. We booked the St. Thomas Island Vistas tour
($28 each), which turned out to be a 3-hour ride in a Dodge Ramcharger truck converted into a jitney for about
20 passengers. No doors, no air conditioning, and sporadic unintelligible commentary from the driver. It turned
out to be a scenic ride on the upper roads of St. Thomas with frequent stops for 'junk' shopping. Next time, we'll
pool a group of passengers and hire a van. A couple we ran into did this and they looked a lot more comfortable
than we did. In addition, they paid only $10 per person.

The 'tour' ended in Charlotte Amalie and, after lunch at Cuzzins, we had intended to take a taxi back to
Havensight to ride the tramway up to Paradise Point ($10 each). However, the traffic was so bad that it would
have taken more time than we wanted just for a view of the city. A rain shower shortly thereafter confirmed our
decision to bypass the trip. We ended up browsing the many shops in town. Let me state that I enjoy shopping
just as much as Iris so this wasn't a chore. We were shopping for gifts for relatives and I was looking for a
Breitling Navitimer or Girard-Perregaux 'Ferrari' watch. No one carried the latter but I found a limited edition
(1000 pieces) 'Top Gun' Navitimer 92 with Navitimer bracelet in steel and gold for $3,460. This model is priced
between $4,675 and $4,925 in Hawaii. The 'savings' amounted to $1,356 (after accounting for taxes and duty).
The shipboard jewelry store also carried Breitling watches, but they were more expensive than the stores in St.
Thomas by about 15%.

Ratings: Tour - Three. Shopping - Eight. If you want it, you can find it.

GREAT STIRRUP CAY

We were late to NCL's private island because the ship had to make steam for San Juan on Wednesday night to
rendezvouz with a medivac helicopter to airlift a passenger that suffered a heart attack. This detour cost three
hours, which Captain Lok en was unable to make up. He tried, but in his attempts to coax a knot or two more,
something broke. The air-conditioning in the public spaces was inoperative for about five hours. Anyway, we
arrived at 1:00 p.m., about two hours late. Because of the delay, the island picnic barbeque lunch was canceled
and the dining rooms were opened to serve the passengers. (There must have been a problem with staffing as
our busboy was missing and our waiter had to perform double duty.)

I didn't think the Captain would even try to make up the lost time as the ss Norway burns fuel at a prodigious
rate. At a cruising speed of 18 knots, she uses 200 tons of fuel per day. This equates to 33 feet per gallon. It
takes more than 31 gallons to move her just one ship length. During the week, the Norway consumed 1,500 tons
of fuel, which equated to 400,000 gallons. When the ship was the ss France, she cruised at 28 knots and burned
800 tons of fuel per day!

I suppose the idea of spending a half day at the beach appeals to most mainlanders (as we call those of you who
live in the continental U.S.) We rarely go to the beach at home and I didn't travel 5,000 miles just to go
swimming. Call me jaded, but a Caribbean beach can't be much different from a Hawaiian beach and I prefer to
spend my time performing turf management (i.e., golf) rather than experiencing salt and sand first hand. Thus,
we passed on tendering to NCL's private island in the Bahamas and spent much of the day exploring the ship and
watching movies in our suite.

Rating: No experience.

DEBARKATION

Hey, if you want to disembark early, book a shore excursion! We ended up on the Miami Scenic Tour which was
somewhat interesting. It was worth spending $20 each to debark the ship early (and to avoid the long wait in the
lounge as well as the lines down the stairwells to the gangway). Furthermore, it saved us from a long wait at the
airport as we weren't scheduled to depart Miami until 3:35 p.m.

Rating: Seven. Actually, this would have received a higher mark if not for the inept tour guide and bus driver. The
latter was talking on his cellular phone, planning to meet someone after work. The guide was new and, although
informative, giggled at humor known only to herself.

OTHER COMMENTS

Cruise number two is history and we can't wait to go again. Iris and I enjoyed the ss Norway so much that we
wouldn't mind making the same trip again. We had lunch with a couple where the husband was making his twelfth
voyage aboard ss Norway.

Captain Lokoen has an engaging personality and he made a detailed report over the intercom each morning at
9:00 a.m. He provided details on progress, speed, sea conditions, and the weather.

An advantage of booking a suite is gaining access to the ship's concierge. I visited with Pat Morgan before dinner
on the first night. She was able to activate our onboard charge account, book our shore excursions, and make
reservations for dinner in the Le Bistro Supper Club on the day and at the time we requested. (The Le Bistro is
very popular and getting a reservation can be difficult.)

Another word about NCL's boarding cards. These are the only forms of identification required to return to the
ship. This doesn't seem very secure as someone could steal a card from a passenger and obtain access to the
ship. In comparison, Carnival required their 'plastic' card as well as a picture ID. In addition, Carnival stamped
each passenger as they debarked with the colorless ink that shows up under 'black light.'

Dress Code. NCL has an interesting dress code. There are two formal nights, everything else is casual. I didn't
bring a tux, and neither did most of other the diners in main seating. Next time I'll just bring one suit. I was one
of the few passengers that bothered to don a coat every night at dinner.

Tips. We spent more than $200 on tips. This included our stateroom stewardess ($50), waiter ($50), busboy
($25), Maitre D' ($25, and $20 for the table change), wine steward ($10), Le Bistro ($15), concierge ($20),
porters ($10), and room service ($10). There were actually two Maitre D's, thus the need for two tips.

LAS VEGAS

This doesn't really belong in this review but as it was a part of our itinerary it's been included. I didn't realize that
COMDEX (the largest computer show in the world) was scheduled to begin on November 17 until after I'd booked
our flights. In September, our travel agent couldn't find a room anywhere on the strip nor downtown and ended
up putting us at the Boulder Station Hotel way out in the boonies. Hertz was out of cars but I managed to get one
from Avis.

Wow, you have to constantly return to 'Lost Wages' as it is always changing. I was here for a convention in 1994
and the changes were noticeable. Iris hadn't been to Las Vegas since 1983 so the changes were even more
dramatic. If you like shopping and have lots of money make sure you visit the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace.
They've doubled the space in the past year. Caviarteria is located in the new wing. You can get sampler plates of
Beluga, Sevruga, and Ossetra caviar at reasonable prices and Champagnes by the glass. Of course, whether or
not you agree with me that the prices are reasonable depends on your affection for caviar.

If you pass on the pearls of the sea, then by all means try the meatloaf at Spago (located near the entrance to
Caesar's). It's sublime.

SUMMARY

Overall rating: Seven.

We're slowly working our way up the cruise line hierarchy. NCL, at least aboard ss Norway, is a decided step
above Carnival. I was hesitant about NCL, after reading tons of literature and cruise reviews, but our positive
experience on this trip may cause us to rethink our future cruise plans. My Mom wants to try Alaska and I still
want to try a more upscale line like Crystal, Radisson, or Silversea, but the ss Norway in Europe looks appealing
so we're as yet undecided about our cruise plans for 1998.

Aloha from Hawaii!

Gerry and Iris Lee gtkyl@aloha.net

Name: LJ Slaski
Email: bdclub@erols.com
Age: 47
Occupation: Professional
NumberOfCruises: 30
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: 11/22/97
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 75
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 75
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 75
FoodLidoDeck: 20
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 75
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 75
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 80
GoodForFamilies: 75
LoungeService:
TenderService: 25
GoodForSeniors: 75
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 80
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 75
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 75
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 70
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 75
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 04 Dec 1997
Time: 21:18:08
Remote Name: 207.172.36.208
Remote User:

Comments

This was my fifth cruise on the Norway and although I enjoy the ship, the quality of the cruise experience has
declined over the years. The Norway is still a unique cruise experience, but the ship is beginning to show its age
and can't compare with similar priced newer ships run by Celebrity or Holland America. However, the Norway has
some very nice features. The staff running the fitness center were great - good classes and lots of them. The
shows were entertaining, the cruise staff was helpful, and the dining room staff and room stewards did their jobs
well. The enclosed promenade on the International Deck is great for strolling in the evening without getting
windblown. The most outstanding negative aspect of the Norway is its Lido buffet - the choices are not very good,
the quality is fair at best, and the food is not held at proper temperatures - virtually every hot entree I tried at
the lunch buffets was cold (and this even applied to the hot dogs and barbequed ribs on NCL's private island). An
additional inconvenience on the Norway is the size of the tenders they use - it takes too long to load and unload -
too much waiting around. Because the Norway has to tender into every port, between climbing in and out of the
tenders and allowing enough time to get to and from shore, I would not recommend this ship to senior citizens
unless they plan to spend most of their time on the ship. Overall, I would rate a cruise on the Norway as fair - if
you can get a good special, go for it. Otherwise, in my opinion, you can get a comparably priced (with a similar
itinerary), but more enjoyable cruise experience on Celebrity's Century or Holland America's Westerdam (both of
which I've cruised).

Name: Carolyn Smith
Email: TravlGuru@aol.com
Age: 49
Occupation: Paralegal/AOL cruise board monitor
NumberOfCruises: 21
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: 11/8/97
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 75
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 78
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon: 70
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 82
WheelchairAccess: 65
ExerciseFacilities: 78
EntertShowLounge: 78
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 98
CruiseActivities: 70
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 82
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 78
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 87
SpaceRatio: 72
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 05 Dec 1997
Time: 00:36:19
Remote Name: 152.163.206.106
Remote User:

Comments

THE NORWAY REVISITED

We first sailed on the Norway 8 years ago -- before she was renovated to add the Roman Spa and the verandah
cabins on Sun and Sky Deck -- and before numerous cruises on more modern ships, both large and small. Some
things haven't changed -- due to her deep draft, she tenders in all ports; the itinerary is the same (St. Maarten,
St John/St Thomas, and NCL's private island); and she still has the feel and look of the classic ocean liner she was
many years ago when she first sailed as the SS France. The ship was full and there were plenty of deck chairs,
but long lines for meals in the buffet area and tendering 2000 people off can be quite frustrating. Great Stirrup
Cay, their private beach island, has a smaller beach area, less snorkeling space, fewer activities and not enough
chairs -- and is obviously not on par with Princess Cays or Coco Cay.

Several times a year the Norway does sail the western Caribbean and there are still numerous theme cruises
but, for the first time, she will be repositioned to Europe next summer for a series of cruises.

There were several hundred non-English speaking passengers onboard (mostly German and French) which
posed quite a challenge for the front desk, shops and dining personnel. The maitre'd finally got everyone situated
at a table where they could be understood but the company needs to hire more staff that is fluent in at least one
other language if they are going to continue to market the Caribbean season in Europe.

Overall the ship is in good condition but there are obvious signs of wear -- part of the webbing on many poolside
lounges was missing, carpet in many areas was either dirty or worn, some upholstery was stained, most bed
pillows are about 1/3 their original thickness and the bathrooms need upgrading, although there was plenty of
hot water, good storage space above the sink and you can (just barely) turn around in the shower. All cabins
have in-cabin TV but movies were shown at odd times. Standard cabins don't have a safe or refrigerator and
need more drawer storage space.

ACTIVITIES - There were quite a few children/teens onboard and the youth counselors kept a full schedule, which
most of the younger passengers seemed to be participating in and enjoying. Daytime activities were more limited
than on many ships especialy considering the 3-1/2 sea days. Bingo was often scheduled in the evening. Pool
games one afternoon and the NCL Olympics were the only organized outdoor activities except for trap shooting.
Art auctions were held on at least 4 days and seemed to hold quite a fascination for some passengers as all
sessions were well attended and the bidding seemed to go quite high! There is a wraparound jogging track and a
fitness center aft with a views of the sea. The staff were quite friendly and knowledgeable, but classes were
scheduled only in the morning or late afternoon and none at all on two port days. The outdoor pool band,
Sunshine Rhythms, was excellent, with a good mix of calypso, pop tunes and original songs and very few
marathons of the Macarena or the ever-present 'Hot, Hot, Hot'! The lounges had a good mix of music but the
shows were, for the most part, long and repetitive, and the cabaret-type entertainment was definitely not on par
with Princess, Celebrity and RCCL. The disco was the most popular place on the ship late with 2-for-1 drinks from
11:30-1a.m. The cruise staff seemed friendly and their Roaring 20s Revue was corny and amateurish but
absolutely hilarious and great fun! Two late night outdoor deck parties were too crowded on the relatively small
aft pool area.

A wide range of shore excursions was offered... we did the America's Cup Yacht Race in St Maarten (and won!),
which was great fun, lots of work (but only if you wanted to) and is one of the BEST excursions offered in the
Caribbean.

Bar drinks were excellent, a little stiff if anything but well made, not overpriced and there was very little hustling
for drinks in the pool areas and lounges.

DINING - Food in the dining room at dinner was generally good and, at least at our table, at the service was
excellent. The only glaring inconsistency was in the pastry department, which produced bland, unappealing
desserts for the dining room but down-right awesome cookies for afternoon snacks on deck! We did not eat at Le
Bistro, the alternative restaurant. Breakfast and lunch buffets were pretty much the same each day with limited
selections. The hot food wasn't really hot and the grilled burgers were dry and full of gristle. The 'Great Outdoor
Restaurant' is just that and can be quite a challenge on windy days and stifling on hot days forcing many people
indoors to the International Deck promenade to eat.. This will be quite a problem in Europe next year on the
northern itineraries and this ship really needs a indoor lido dining area.

CONCLUSION - Since I just wanted to catch up on a couple of books I hadn't read, take a few exercise classes and
be waited on, the cruise was just right. Everyone else at our table was on their first cruise and having a wonderful
time, but if you've only cruised on the newer large ships, don't expect the same onboard experience -- the
Norway is older, the layout is confusing and there are distinct differences in decor, food, service and
entertainment. However, if you don't mind tendering everywhere, love your time at sea and are looking for a good
cruise value in the classic style, the Norway is an alternative worth considering.

Name: Brenda Harwood
Email: bharwood@city.london.on.ca
Age: 35
Occupation: Administrative Assistant
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: November 29, 1997
Itinerary: Eastern Carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 87
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 75
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 85
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 98
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 09 Dec 1997
Time: 16:48:01
Remote Name: 204.225.163.1
Remote User:

Comments

My husband and I travelled on the S. S. Norway from November 29 to December 6, 1997 on the eastern Carribean
itinerary with my parents and his parents. I am 35 and my husband Jim is 41. The following are some of our
impressions of our trip. If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to e-mail me at
bharwood@city.london.on.ca

First of all, my husband was dying to go on the Norway. He is fascinated by the history of the ship and was
eagerly anticipating this cruise. He was not disappointed with any aspect of the experience - he loved it! The ship
was exactly what he was hoping for, and he enjoyed every minute of the cruise, with not one complaint about
anything. Although I heartily enjoyed the cruise myself, I have a few minor negative comments, although they are
far outweighed by the positive aspects of the trip. For comparison, I am using my three previous cruises on
Carnival ships, two of which were brand new. The Norway is definitely an elegant old ocean liner, compared to the
Carnival ships which are more like a floating Las Vegas hotel. My husband preferred the Norway in every aspect,
while I think, although both types of cruises have their merits, the Norwegian cruise was a little better in most
ways.

My few negative remarks

Cabin We booked the smallest, cheapest cabin (one upper and one lower bunk) and that was exactly what we got.
On our previous Carnival cruise, we booked the cheapest cabin, but were upgraded four levels and therefore, had
a much larger, nicer, newer cabin. Of course, we were told by our travel agent that we would not be upgraded on
this cruise, so we got pretty much what we expected. Although we were well prepared for the size of the cabin, I
was a little disappointed in the decor and general condition of the accommodations. The walls seemed pretty
dingy, and paint was peeling (or had been scraped off) from the door frames and beds. All the money that has
been spent renovating the Norway has not been applied to the older, smaller cabins, from what I could see. On
the plus side, as small as the cabin was, it was very well laid out and there was more than enough room for all
our luggage, clothing and toiletries, which was amazing when you consider that the entire cabin was about the
same size as the largest bathroom in our home! The beds were very comfortable and the rocking of the ship put
us out in record time every night. Our cabin steward took very good care of us, making sure our ice bucket was
always full, and replacing our towels as fast as we could use them. The greatest mystery is how the cabin
stewards manage to always know when you're out and clean the cabin while you're gone. Not once did the
steward knock on the door to see if we were in - he just always knew. Also on the plus side, our cabin was I040 on
the International deck, which is in the middle of everything. You couldn't get a better location. Although the nicer,
newer cabins were on the Sky deck and Sun deck, you would have quite a hike every time you wanted to eat or
shop or gamble. I agree with someone else who has posted to this database - take some time on the last day
when the cabins are empty and left open, and check out the beautiful cabins on the upper decks. Next time, I will
be sure to spend the extra money and get one of the lovely suites with the balcony, walk-in closet, refrigerator,
king-size bed, etc. Although we didn't spend much time in our cabin, something a little bigger would have been
nice.

Pool One thing that really surprised me, and which I don't recall reading elsewhere on this database, was that
both pools are seven feet deep, with no shallow area. Although I personally love a deep pool and don't need to
put my feet down, my mother, who is not a strong swimmer, was afraid to go in, and was a little disappointed.
The people with small children seemed to be prepared with water wings and life preservers for their little ones.
The neatest thing I saw was a little girl whose swimsuit had built-in floatation pads - what a great idea!

Dining Room Service Although I enjoyed every meal I ate in the dining rooms, I felt that our waiter and bus boy
were not quite as excellent as those I experienced on my Carnival cruises. For one, it appeared that our bus boy
spoke no English at all, and had a difficult time understanding anything said to him. For example, my mother
asked for decaf coffee, and when she received her coffee at the end of the meal, she asked him if it was indeed
decaf, and he replied ‘Yes' and then proceeded to give her coffee from the same pot as everyone else, which was
definitely not decaf. However, our bus boy seemed competent otherwise, and always had a friendly, charming
smile for everyone. Our waiter was very good, but unlike the Carnival waiters, he never asked if we wanted
seconds of anything, or offered us anything extra i.e. more than one dessert. Another small problem was that
several times we ordered things and did not receive them. A salad or appetizer was forgotten a time or two, and
although we ordered a dessert off the menu, if there was a special dessert which everyone received - ie. Cherries
Jubilee or Baked Alaska, they didn't bring the ordered dessert. They also forgot to bring the cheese tray when we
ordered it a few times. It didn't seem worth making a fuss over - we definitely weren't in any danger of starving to
death on this cruise - and I didn't want to put the waiter out by sending him back to the kitchen to retrieve a
course that had already been served to everyone else. The difference between this and my other cruises could
have been that this is the first time I have had early seating, and it seems more rushed than late seating - the
staff can't relax and take their time because they have to get everyone out in time. The waiters and bus boys
have extremely difficult jobs - ours had 22 people to wait on at our seating, and the waiter told us he works 16
hours a day, which was evident when you would see him at breakfast, lunch, dinner and then the midnight buffet.
They really work for the suggested gratuities and more - we were sure to tip the staff more than the
recommended amount - they sure do earn it.

Elevators We only used the elevators once, and they were extremely slow. On the newer Carnival ships, the
elevators were really fast. Since we really needed the exercise on the Norway, we would not have used the
elevators much even if they had been fast. However, a few times we noticed that some physically challenged
passengers had to wait a very long time for elevators. My parents and in-laws likely would have taken the
elevators if they had been quicker.

Bistro Restaurant After reading all the positive comments about the Bistro, I had really looked forward to eating
there; however, no matter what time we called (even the day before), it was always booked up and we never had
the opportunity to try it. I think it would be nice if they opened the Bistro for lunch once in a while so that more
people would have a chance to experience it. The ship was full, so there was a lot of competition for reservations,
I guess.

My positive comments

Food The food overall was terrific - a wonderful selection of wonderfully prepared delights. Especially noteworthy
were the Chocoholic Buffet and the Gala Midnight Buffet. Seafood lovers would be in heaven at the Gala Buffet -
smoked sturgeon, sushi, black caviar, salmon, and whatever else your heart desired, from pasta to jalapeno
poppers to fantastic desserts. Even the Great Outdoor Restaurant (cafeteria-style) had a good selection of salads,
meats, onion rings, burgers, etc. Their cookies in the afternoon were a masterpiece - warm white chocolate
macadamia nut and double chocolate cookies were heaven on earth, not that we had enough stomach room to
enjoy them much. Another tasty treat was the Elegant Tea Time in the Club International - yummy scones with
cream and marmalade, finger sandwiches and little fruit tarts. I found the salads in the dining room to be a little
on the dull side - the Caesar salad, which was to have been prepared tableside, was uninspired, and most of the
salads consisted of little more than lettuce with one or two hints of tomato or peppers, etc. However, man cannot
live by salad alone, and we sure didn't even try. My husband raved about the lamb that was served once at lunch
and once at dinner, and we both thought the lobster thermidor was to die for. If we had been offered seconds, we
would have gone for it. My dad had a steak every single night, and couldn't complain. Although I am by no means
a vegetarian, I found myself selecting some of the inventive vegetarian choices and was not once disappointed.
They were so delicious I found myself thinking I could perhaps give up meat entirely (well, maybe not). Anyone
who loses weight on the Norway must be doing something wrong. A couple of times my husband and I went down
to the midnight buffet ‘just to look' and ended up scarfing down a plate full of delightful treats we could well have
done without. However, I was saved by the . . .

Fitness Club I work out a fair bit at home, but didn't have very high expectations for the fitness facility on the ship.
I expected a few old weight machines and maybe some half-hearted attempts at senior stretching aerobics. I was
very pleasantly surprised. The gym is fully equipped with Cybex weight machines, lots of free weights, the latest
stairmasters, treadmills and bikes. And best of all were the fabulous aerobics, led by a nice, energetic young lady
and the most handsome, friendly young men - I was in heaven! Nothing like working up a sweat with some
gorgeous young hunk in front of you! And although they had aerobics for seniors, stretch classes and line
dancing, they also offered high impact aerobics and advanced step classes, which are my personal favourite. It
really is a challenge doing advanced choreography on a step box while the ship is rocking back and forth, but it
was a blast! They have a program where, if you participate in organized athletic activities or walk or jog around
the Olympic deck enough times, you earn seven tickets to get a free ‘Sports Afloat' t-shirt, which I thought was a
nice touch, and incentive to counteract all the wonderful food. Plus, the aqua aerobics is a great opportunity to
check out the Roman Spa, which you might otherwise not have a real reason to visit (the Spa treatments looked
pretty expensive).

Entertainment The shows we managed to catch on the ship were all very enjoyable. Our only complaint was that
the lead female singer's voice was so loud, it was hard to handle when she really belted it out - if I were
operating the sound equipment, I would turn down her microphone a notch or two. Other than that, the shows
were quite enjoyable, particularly ‘Crazy for You' and ‘Broadway Tonight'. From what we saw of the lounge acts,
they all seemed pretty good. The female violinist who played both in the dining room with a guitarist and with a
pianist in the Club International seemed to my husband and I a little out of tune occasionally. I thought she was
playing an octave higher than I would have chosen sometimes, but I'm by no means an expert. The captain's
welcome party was very nice, with free-flowing champagne. The similar Carnival parties were ‘one free drink a
person' type, so it was nice to see Norwegian not being as thrifty. My husband and I stopped in to the disco for all
of about three minutes, and it looked like a lot of fun - probably where most of the young singles were hanging
out. My husband is not a disco kind of guy, so why should I torture the poor guy by making him listen to that kind
of music. We spent a little time in the casino playing slots, and they seemed pretty much like every other casino
we've been to in Las Vegas, the Carribean and Niagara Falls - win a little and lose a little more - no surprises. At
least the casino is a little more attractive than most, and their staff was friendly. My husband wanted to pan
around the casino with the video camera although any type of photography is banned in any casino we've ever
visited. He asked a staff member if he could video tape for a few seconds and the man replied ‘Well, it's not really
allowed, but if you do it, I didn't see you'. That was kind of nice.

Lounge Chairs The Norway must have about three thousand lounge chairs on board. There was never a time you
couldn't get a chair in the sun or in the shade when you wanted it, along with a nice soft towel and a helpful
waiter nearby. They have a policy whereas you can't save a chair with your towel and take off for more than 45
minutes, which I think is very fair; however, it was never an issue - there were always plenty of chairs for
everyone.

Air Conditioning I have read that some people didn't think the air conditioning was up to par on the Norway, but
we never had a problem with it. I found that most of the time in the cabin, we didn't turn it on because we found it
a bit cool (and I'm generally one to complain about heat more than others).

Tenders We had no problem whatsoever with the tenders - we got tender tickets very easily by sitting in the
directed lounge, and were always on the first tender out. The two tenders each hold 450 people and move fast
enough that even if we had not got on the first tenders out, I don't think we would have had to wait long - two
tender runs would pretty much empty the ship. And let's face it - what man wants his wife spending any more
time than necessary on St. Martin and St. Thomas, tempted by all the jewellery stores. I personally could have
frittered the house away shopping on the islands. Luckily, the voice of reason (my husband's) kept a close eye on
me and his wallet.

Shore Excursions On St. Martin, which my husband and I have visited before for a land vacation, we opted for the
Golden Eagle Catamaran tour and were not disappointed. I was a little concerned about the price, which was $63
(I think) per person, but it was worth every penny. What a wonderful time! A beautiful catamaran, an open bar
with friendly staff running to fetch you drinks (I thought for sure we'd have to get our own) and a lovely island to
snorkel at. The music was great and I had the time of my life. Of course, handsome young Australian and South
African men pulling up sails, bringing drinks and generally just looking good helped (can you tell I've got a thing
for nice young guys - it's tough being old and married!) One thing on St. Martin I found kind of amusing was that,
when you shop for jewellery, they offer you beer while you're looking - a nice touch. Also, when we went to a
liquor store, I decided I'd like a beer out of the cooler (which costs only 75 cents). When I went to pay for it, I only
had a twenty dollar bill, and the owner said ‘Oh, I don't have any change. You can catch me later, or don't catch
me at all. It's okay.' Wow! When's the last time that happened to you in Canada or the U.S? (we did catch him
later when we went back to buy our liquor and he also gave us a 10% discount). On St. John, we opted for the St.
John Island Tour, which was generally a two hour driving tour with stops for pictures at lookout points and some
time at the last remaining sugar mill (or whatever it was). The views were simply breathtaking and I was sorely
tempted to forget to ditch the bus and stay on St. John for the rest of my life, sitting on the beach and living on
coconuts. What beautiful beaches! However, this tour had no beach time. It was like hanging a canteen of water in
front of a man dying of thirst and saying ‘No, can't have it!'. Next time, we will just take a cab and spend a few
hours at one of the beaches. On St. Thomas, we walked around town, me going into one jewellery store after
another, and my husband trying to coax me back out. He did buy me a lovely ruby and diamond ring in St. Martin
(I don't know how much it cost), and I purchased a couple pairs of gold earrings which were a terrific deal.
Unfortunately, we didn't make it to the private island - it was raining and apparently the waves were too high for
them to get the tenders to shore. I was pretty disappointed since I planned to snorkel, but I guess I'll have to wait
until next time.

Extra Little Nice Touches One thing I found really impressive is the way Norwegian catered to passengers from
countries other than the United States. Although I'm sure the majority of their passengers to hail from the U.S., it
was nice to see that steps were taken to ensure that people speaking languages other than English were not left
out in the cold. Important announcements were made in several languages including French, Spanish, German
and what I think was perhaps Norwegian. They also had a daily news release for several countries that you could
pick up at the information desk. It was nice to see some Canadian news once in a while, although when you're on
vacation, who the heck really cares what's going on at home! There was a pretty young girl who I saw speaking to
non-English speaking passengers in their language quite often and she seemed remarkably friendly and
good-natured - I'm sure she was a pleasure for the people who couldn't speak English well. The Great Outdoor
Restaurant had a terrific selection of herbal teas, as well as the usual assortment of hot chocolate and coffee,
available 24 hours. It was nice to have a relaxing cup of tea on deck in the evening before bed. Embarkation and
disembarkation was well organized and quick, with no confusion and no unpleasant surprises. On the Carnival
ship, as on the Norway, we had to give up our passport at embarkation, and it was returned the day before we
disembarked. However, I was quite cheesed off on the Carnival ship when they confiscated our passports, which
was the only photo I.D. I had thought to bring, and then demanded photo I.D. as well as the boarding pass when
returning to the ship from the islands. Nowhere in the brochure or travel documents were we informed that we
needed photo I.D. in addition to a passport. No such problem occurred on the Norway. The staff were very
gracious about letting my husband photograph the special buffets before they were officially open to the
passengers. My husband very much enjoyed the bridge tour, during which they handed out facts about the ship -
my husband loves that kind of stuff! I found the ship rocked a bit more than I expected, but it was kind of nice in
way, being rocked to sleep at night. And for anyone who was seasick, the information office provided free Gravol,
as well as Tylenol and bandaids for anyone in need. Cabin TV's had a good selection of movies, although we
weren't in the cabin enough to take advantage of any. They had movies that had not yet even been released on
video (as far as I know). For example, they were showing ‘My Best Friend's Wedding', ‘Face Off', ‘Air Force One',
‘Out to Sea', and ‘GI Jane'.

Staff The best think about the Norway is its staff - from the guys cleaning the carpets to the officers, everyone was
really, really friendly and helpful. On my previous Carnival cruises, it seemed that the international staff (waiters,
cabin stewards, etc.) were all really great, but the staff in the purser's office, officers and entertainment staff, all
apparently British, seemed really distant and somewhat snotty - they acted like dealing with passengers was
below their dignity. The Norway was the opposite. Every single staff member - even the highest officers - were all
eager to be helpful and nice to the passengers. Either everyone on that ship truly enjoys their work or they're all
accomplished actors. Every staff member said hello when you passed them in the hallway, and all seemed
genuinely happy to be helpful. We were also impressed with the lifeboat drill - Julie, the cruise host, was the staff
member at our station and she was extremely professional and serious about the whole thing. We were told that
if wewere below in our cabins and the emergency horns sounded, we were to grab our life jackets and head to
the International Deck, where everyone meets to get the lifeboats which are lowered down from the Olympic Deck.
If we were not near our cabins, we were just to proceed to the International Deck where additional life vests were
stored. All in all, the lifeboat drill was taken very seriously, with everyone's name and cabin number being called
to make sure everyone was there and at the right station. The ship did not leave port until the lifeboat drill was
complete (we ended up leaving a little late). On our latest Carnival cruise, the ship was already at sea by the time
we had the lifeboat drill (if I remember correctly) and the person leading our station was a bubblehead from the
spa who clearly was bored by the whole thing and did not take it seriously. We were told on that ship that no
matter where you were on the ship, if the emergency horns sounded, we were to proceed to our cabins, get our
life jackets, and then go to our station (some stations were nowhere near where the lifeboats were). I can just
imagine an emergency where you were at the top deck and then had to fight through the throng of people going
upstairs to go down to the bowels of the ship to get your life vest and then make your way back upstairs to your
assigned station - not exactly the most efficient or safe way of doing things, if you ask me. Norwegian seemed to
handle things much more intelligently and safely.

All in all, we had a wonderful cruise and would do it again in a heartbeat (right now would be good!) Please feel
free to e-mail me with any questions.

Brenda Harwood bharwood@city.london.on.ca

Name: Robert C. Lovell
Email: rclovell@pldi.net
Age: 71
Occupation: Retired
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Norway
SailingDate: 08-16-97
Itinerary: Miami to LeHarve, Fr., and return
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 50
CabinComfort: 60
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 60
CabinAmenities: 50
FoodLidoDeck: 50
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 50
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 80
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 50
ShoreExcValue: 60
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 75
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 75
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 60
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 70
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 40
Casino: 75
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 75
EmbarkDisembark: 65
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 65
Stabilization: 70
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 50
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 13 Dec 1997
Time: 00:37:05
Remote Name: 137.118.8.2
Remote User:

Comments

We say this cruise advertised when it was first anounced and made arangements to get on it before travel agent even had
information. We thought it would be a great cruise at a bargain price. Our previous 3 cruises had been with Holland American
Lines. We asked several people about Norwegian Cruise Lines and were told that it was one of the very best. We furnished
our own air transportation to Miami. The price was considerably cheaper than NCL's. When we arived at Miami, we were met
by NCL personel who showed us to the bus. The trip to the dock was o.k. It would help if porters at the dock had some
identification other than a hard hat. I did not like giving a man laying on a bench, $5 and all my bags and going off towards
the ship, without knowing if I would ever see them or not. The lines to board were not organized. They had refreshments, but
it is hard to try to eat and drink in a long winding line while holding your carry-on baggage. They had a special express
window for the Mariner Class which is made of of people who have traveled with NCL before. The trouble is that it was slower
than the other lines for first-timers.

Even though we had filled out several forms before we left home, we were handed new
form to fill out while we were trying to move through the line. When we reached the window, the attendant was rude. Snapped
at me because it took my wife a few seconds to get her passport out of her money belt. Someone could have told us to have
passports ready. After check-in, there was no one to show us where to go. Some of the other passengers showed us the way.
After getting our pictures snapped, we went through the security post and boarded the ship. We knew where our cabin
(V012) was located and it was a good thing because there was no one to show us the way. We got to the room and stowed
our carry-on luggage.

I was ready to go eat some lunch right away,(I have a sugar problem and must eat.)but, there were
no keys for the room. We did not want to leave our carry-ons in the room unlocked. We called information and were told that
we were mistaken and to look again. Then we were told to look again and finally that we would have to go to the purser's
office. I told them to get the keys down to our room at once. In about 15 minutes they arrived. Our room was about half as
big as I thought it would be. But I had booked a cheap room and did not complain about that. However, it was shabby and
chairs and corners of the room were dirty. I took my knife and cut the raveled carpet away from the bathroom door so that
we would not trip over it. We only saw the cabin stewart twice the first week on the ship. We had to call to get any services.
The TV remote was delivered on the 5th day. (It was not a problem though, because the room was small enough to easily
reach to change chanels.) There are no shipboard movies, even though the ship has the largest theater of any ship and was
unused 90% of the time. The movies in the room were very limited and the scheduling was so that you could not see a whole
movie and also make your dining room assignment. The TV was of very poor quality. The dish was between the two smoke
stacks and could not receive the signals much of the trip. They blamed it on the route we were traveling. ( If that is the case,
I wonder about the navagation.)

Most of the shows were held in the lounge which was crowded and had poor vision and
sound. It did nothing to help the quality of the shows. The one exception was Miss Jane L. Powell. On the trip over, we had the
troupe give 3 shows in the theater. They were o.k., but not of the quality that we had expected from other cruise ships. On
the way back, they gave the same 3 shows. In 29 days we got to see 3 different shows. The library was a few shelves in the
end of the card room. It was only open for a copuple of hours a day until one of the passengers volunteered to be librarian.
There was not enough room in the cardroom for the card players and chairs were in short supply. It was either go to the
lounges or your cabin to read.

The tours were mostly good, but overpriced. The New Your City tour cost the same as a day
and night time tour would have cost if we had booked it ourselves. Our Newfoundland tour was on a bus without sound, so
that the half of the passengers in the back could not hear the tour guide. It turned out to be a 6 hr bus ride in the rain for
$110. In England, again poor sound system on the bus. We complained to the guide but she just sat down behind the driver.
Several people wanted the bus to stop for a rest stop, but the driver would not stop. There was a representative from NCL on
the bus, but they seemed to have no authority to do anything about the conditions. The Nova Scotia, Ireland and Paris tours
were much better, but over priced. Bus trip to Paris from LeHarve, including lunch, was $150. It was interesting to watch the
reception that the ship received in each of the ports of call.

The sailing out of LeHarve with all the boats and people and a
giant fireworks display was marvelous. The first morning on the ship we tried out the Great Outdoors Resturant. It was a
disaster. Bad food and poor service. Thick salty bacon, dried grapefruit and if they weren't powdered eggs, they sure tasted
like them. We ate the rest of our meals in the dining room. The Windward Dining room was the brightest spot of the cruise.
The food and service was good. We had a table in the very corner and after 2 weeks of looking at a wall, we asked to be
moved and on the return trip got to sit under the dome. I did notice that the longer we were out, the worse the quality of the
food got. It was the first time that I ever got a lobster too tough to cut with a knife. I also noticed that when there was open
seating, the service was not very good. You better hurry with your breakfast because it was not long until waiters had moved
to another part of the dining room. For entertainment, they had fitness siminars, which turned out to a man selling diet pills.
A few days later he was selling franchises. The also had art auctions. I could not believe that people were actually buying that
stuff. The bingo was $25 a session and the prizes were not that big. Before the cruise was over, hardly anyone was playing.
The man selling diet pills also was on the cabin TV. Only clear picture on the set. The public restrooms did not even have
paper towels in them. They had a little electric hand dryer. (Women dried on Klenex; men dried on the seat of their pants)
The windows on the International deck were dirty when we got on the ship. They were not washed for the 29 days that we
were on the ship. I was so bored on the trip that my wife suggested that we buy memberships to the Roman Spa at $55 a
piece. We bought them 3 days before we reached South Hampton. And it was a help. Was nice to be able to go to the spa.
However, they would not allow us to use them while in port. At LeHarve, they changed the spa personel. They first got the spa
so hot that a couple of people got burned, then it was too cold for several days and then they put too much clorine in it and
would not let anyone use it. We did not get to use it but the 3 days. We requested a refund prior to reaching Miami, but were
refused. The ship rolled more than I thought it should and one night the carpenters left a door unlatched in one of the
compartments and it banged with every roll of the ship. But no one could find a key to open the compartment to stop it.
They had 3 standard answers for any problem: 1. 'That's not my job, man.'2. 'We are only geared for 7 day cruises.' 3. 'We
have not made this trip before.' The passengers had one standard answer: 'This ain't Holland American Lines.'

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