ncl-norwegiansky5

Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Bruce Pickett
Email: Brucepickett@msn.com
Age: 33
Occupation: attorney
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-NorwegianSky
SailingDate: 11-05-2000
Itinerary: Western Carribean
Cabin: inside stateroom
FoodDiningRoom: 89
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 75
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 87
CabinSteward: 87
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 70
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland: 85
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 80
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 75
CruiseActivities: 75
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 89
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 25 Nov 2000
Time: 17:56:19
Remote Name: 1cust215.tnt1.salt-lake-city2.ut.da.uu.net
Remote User:

Comments

We had a great time on the Noreigian Sky. It was our first cruise, but we have traveled quite a bit. We
had read the reviews of the the ship before we left and had some concerns about the shower, the
service and the food. Once on the ship we did not have any problems with any of those things.

I am about 6 feet tall and about 250 pounds and I thought the shower was fine, the food was great and
the service for the most part was good. We had trouble with the service on one night, but it was also the
worst time to try and eat. Other than that one time everything was great. A note on open seating. It is
the only way that I will ever cruise. It gave us so much freedom to make our oun plans and dowhat we
wanted to do. For example we loved the Bahamas, and we stayed on the island as long as possible.
That put us back on board at about 8:00 in the evening. If we would have had an early seating we would
have either has to come back or miss dinner.

Service was good the steward was good. I thought the restraunts were excellent the one we tried was Le
Bistro and we ate there twice. We then ate in Horizions 3 times and had a great experiance there.

My one complaint was that the staff could have been more forthcoming as to how to see and do the
islands. I realize that they are trying to make money and I understand that but at least give out some
information that would be useful. I went to all the meetings that expalined about how to do the shore
excursions, and I thought that they could have explained other options and ways to do it cheaper.
Example was Dunns river falls. I felt taken advantage of based on the fact that I could ahve waked out
the gate and got a private taxi and gone right there rather than wait for a bus to fill and then go 2 miles
and pay $12.00 However we did have a great time at stingray city.

Overall I would love to go on the Sky again and hope to soon

Name: Analea Wayne-Fryzuk
Email: amwayne@yahoo.com
Age: 26
Occupation: Lawyer
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-NorwegianSky
SailingDate: November 26, 2000
Itinerary: Eastern Carribbean
Cabin: Inside Stateroom
FoodDiningRoom: 75
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 60
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 75
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 75
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 60
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 70
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: 50
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 06 Dec 2000
Time: 13:58:26
Remote Name: edtn015192.hs.telusplanet.net
Remote User:

Comments

Essentially had a fabulous time on the cruise. The ship is practically brand-new, so at this time the
cleanliness of the ship improves upon everything. This applies to the inside staterooms, which were
small, but so tidy that you could live with it. There was actually a fair bit of storage space for two people -
lots of hangers and space under the bed for the suitcases.

Embarkation was quite easy and it was fairly simple to set up the on-board account. Front of house staff
were fairly nice, although I saw more than a few people either unknowingly or knowingly (likely the latter)
cut in front of people for service as there aren't really any line-ups set up. A few days into the trip,
however, my mother, however, witnessed some fairly bad behavior by a front desk girl who, when asked
by an elderly couple as to how to get to a certain deck, told them to "just go that way" and proceeded to
loudly make fun of them with another staff member as when they left the lobby atrium. Staff seem a bit
young and this may be a contributor to the problem of not realizing that there are eyes and ears
everywhere. It was rather tacky.

The ship is fairly easy to get around and only took a few days to get to know. I suppose as this was my
first cruise I had to get to understand how a cruise liner is normally laid out. There's a great track for
jogging on Deck 6, and I'd recommend early morning or late evening strolls. I was surprised at how little
traffic there was on that deck.

Public rooms are very nice - the dining rooms have great decor and great lighting - although they have
these lamps on the tables that are fairly large and can obscure your view of your table guest (maybe it's
for roving eyes?). The only way to move the lamp is to pull it out of the table, leaving a hole, and no
light. Just a bit weird in its design. The Stardust Theatre was great, and I'd say seats are definitely better
on the lower level as the upper balcony seats have poor lines of sight.

Food was a bit disappointing. The dining room food looked really nice, great presentation, but tasted
worse than something I could cook up at home. They need to learn how to make pasta sauce with garlic,
if you know what I'm saying. The Garden Cafe food, (more casual) was pretty bad. Hot dogs were sitting
for a long time, by the looks of things. Also, stay away from the scrambled eggs. I don't know what they
are, they're yellow, yes, but they're not eggs. Ick. The busboys/maitre d's, waitresses, etc. were
fabulous, and I've never had better service. Huge filipino crew, so I'm not surprised, as their hospitality is
second to none.

Felt a bit nickel and dimed by having to pay for pop. Wine and liquor I can understand, but you just feel
like NCL is a bit cheap for not giving free soda with meals. Espressos/cappucinos are free with dinner,
but not Coke. Go figure. Also, they should do away with charging $10.00 USD a head for those who wish
to eat at the alternative dining Le Bistro and Ciao Chow. They can simply limit the people by limiting
reservations there.

Great night life - for those of you who can stay up late, Checkers Cabaret is a great time and I commend
the host staff for keeping the party going - Kudos to Host Chris and to DJ Darrell. Great to see the staff
mingling with the public.

Entertainment - the best entertainment was the Jane L. Powell band - a soulful jazz/gospel singer with a
fabulous band (incredibly talented bass player). The in-house dance/singing troupe had some shining
stars - but some of the singers made you cringe during solo numbers. Shows had great numbers with
lots of energy - seeing as how it's included in your price, make the effort to see every show.

I'd cruise with NCL again, but I'd like to see them change some of their included/excluded items policies.

Name: Gene Scothorn
Email: gene@c2gengrs.com
Age: 62
Occupation: Consulting Civil Engineer
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-NorwegianSky
SailingDate: July 16, 2000
Itinerary: Alaska (Seattle-Sawyer Glacier)
Cabin: 329 & 330/H
FoodDiningRoom: 81
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 89
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 89
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 88
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 5
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 65
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 10
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 70
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 04 Jan 2001
Time: 00:43:45
Remote Name: adsl-63-197-232-235.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net
Remote User:

Comments

Our Sawyer Glacier Cruise on the Sky left out of Seattle. I made our flight arrangements personally and my
three granddaughters (12, 12 and 10) and I arrived at SeaTac International just before noon after our
two-hour flight from San Jose.

I had made arrangements for a limo to take us from the airport to the Bell Street Terminal (Pier 66). Although
it was a relatively quick trip, the limo had a fixed cost and was actually cheaper than a taxi. Not only did the
girls enjoy riding in a limousine, but the bonus was that all our luggage fit in the trunk. The limo was a definite
plus.

The embarkation process was well organized and we had only a short wait once we reached the upper floor of
the terminal. Most of our luggage was delivered to our cabins in a timely manner, but several pieces
belonging to the 10-year old didn’t show up for a couple of hours. This didn’t present a great problem, since
we had lunch and explored the ship in the meantime.

Departure gave us a great view of the Seattle skyline and each of the girls used my cellular telephone to
share their excitement with their parents. Since two of them were cruise veterans (Disney Magic) they enjoyed
the comparisons with the Disney ship.

Since we didn’t expect to spend much time in our rooms, I had secured inside cabins. Big mistake! The cabins
were located amidship well away from elevators and stairs. While the cabins themselves were clean and
comfortable, they were very small and had poor ventilation. I got sick (thanks NCL) and would have paid a
king’s ransom to be able to open a window. Our cabin steward was friendly and efficient and the cabins were
well soundproofed.

The ship is beautiful and well-appointed, but it is poorly laid out. To go forward or aft requires going through
the restaurants or lounges and even through the casino. There are four glass-bubble type elevators (glitzy
but small) in the atrium rotunda, and eight conventional elevators fore and aft. We found the conventional
elevators more practical and less heavily utilized in peak traffic periods.

The girls found the organized youth activities boring and the Kids Corner facilities quite limited. They had a far
better time playing ping-pong, swimming and playing board games on their own. With only one day at sea,
there was more than enough to entertain them. Our observation was that most of the kids on the ship (and
there were quite a few families) felt similarly about the shipboard programs.

On my previous Alaskan cruise (Crown Princess) I greatly enjoyed sitting in the forward lounge reading a
book and watching the magnificent Alaskan coast slip past. The problem with the Sky is that I couldn’t find a
quiet place to do so. The library was small and dark and really more of bar than a quiet place to read. While
the Observatory Lounge didn’t offer particularly great views it would have held out some promise – except for
the daytime entertainment. The first day it was a German ump-pa-pa band. Not particularly good but very
loud! The next day it was a dance instructor with an absolutely grating Australian accent shouting ‘1-2-3,
1-2-3 . . .’, over and over again through a PA system pegged to maximum volume. Excedrin time!

The shore tours were typical of most of the cruise lines on the Alaska summer route. There were no less than
six cruise ships in port when we arrived in Skagway. Needless to say that the in-town traffic in tour buses and
similar vehicles was intense. We booked a bus tour to the White Pass eschewing the railway trip (which I had
done previously and while interesting as a one-way trip, would have exceeded the attention span of our
family’s next generation of shoppers-in-training.) The girls thoroughly enjoyed shopping in Skagway (and
most everywhere else for that matter) and always returned to the ship happy with their treasures. I should
note that shopping in Alaska is largely given to tourist junk, although a few shops have some authentic (but
pricy) native art.

We booked a wild life cruise in Juneau. It was interesting, but most of the wildlife was relative dormant. We did
happen upon a breeching whale and that more than made the day trip worthwhile.

Now to the food and service. As someone that enjoys really good cuisine, I found the food on the Sky to be
considerably below the level of good on-shore restaurants. I permitted the girls to have breakfast and lunch at
the buffets, but I insisted that they dress up for dinner and that they select their meals from the adult menu.

I was disappointed to find that the menus in the main dining rooms was the same, in fact food was prepared in
a common kitchen. The speciality restaurants, Le Bistro and Ciao Chow, do have unique menus. Le Bristo
was good. Ciao Chow was not. I found the Seven Seas dining room to be a good place for a quiet breakfast. I
could read and have table service while the majority of the passengers crowded around the buffet tables. The
food served for breakfast in the Seven Seas was, however, no better than that found in the buffet. The
principal advantage, it seems, in choosing the dining room for breakfast and lunch is that you don’t have to
hunt for a vacant table or fight off half the Baby-Boomer generation to maintain your place in the buffet line.

While the wait staff was courteous and efficient, many of our fellow passenger were rude, crude and
obnoxious. Perhaps some of this was just the clientele drawn by NCL, but I feel that the FreeStyle Cruising
concept was a major contributor. Gone forever, I fear, is the civility and dignity of dining that has characterized
the great cruise ships. Instead we have the same kind of hash lines you find at amusement parks and WWF
wrestling matches. The dumbing-down of America continues! On several occasions, I saw gray-haired old
women literally shove one of my granddaughters out of the way, so the old bat could get to the food a few
seconds quicker.

What made this so distressing to me was that one of my goals on the cruise was to introduce my
grandchildren to cruising and the qualities of refined courtesy and manners that once were synonymous with
the great ships. To this end, I made reservations for the four of us to dine in Le Bistro. This is a small dinning
room with a distinct menu and elegant furnishings. I made it a big point with the girls and they responded
magnificently.

On the afternoon of our big dinner date, all three disappeared in an aura of girlish secrecy. When they finally
emerged from their cabin, the reason was clear – they had all gone to the beauty salon to have their hair
done. Unfortunately their budget of $50 apiece was insufficient at the pricey salon, so they settled for a
cosmetic make-over.

So there they were, in their evening finery, sporting pale pink lipstick with hints of blush and eye shadow
tastefully adorning their young faces. Their grandfather could not have asked for more a beautiful bevy to
escort. We had a great time in Le Bistro. Its food (although not 5-star) was excellent and well presented. The
service (as expected) was outstanding.

Lest you dismiss my comments about the other passengers as the rantings of a stiff-necked, gentrified snob,
let me share another frustration with the Baby-Boomers on the ship. This had to do with the 50's and 60's
night. The girls had been looking forward to participating in the festivities. They had each packed an
appropriate costume (poodle-skirt, flourescent wig, tie-dyed hippie clothes, etc.) and Grand-faw´-ther (as they
had lovingly chosen to refer to me) had his own surprise. On leaving their cabin for dinner time they found me
hanging out in the hallway in a ‘Fonzie’ get-up (blue jeans, a white tee shirt, black leather jacket, and
slicked-back hair.)

Apparently we were the only people on the ship who bothered to dress in costume. The girls had practiced
the twist and other 50's dances, but were literally pushed off the dance floor by the adults. When the crew
began its ‘Happy Days’ buffoonery, the adults pushed in front of our table so that none of us could see. We
eventually gave up and went back to our cabins. The Ugly-American strikes again.

We all enjoyed the chocolate buffet which is set up in the atrium rotunda at midnight, but here again, the
crowds were as bad as a New York subway. You could barely move. The staff made a vain attempt to control
traffic into and out of the rotunda, but they were largely ignored.

All of these frustrations would have been bearable, however, had I not come down with food poisoning our
third evening out. This was no minor bout, either. I have never been so sick in my life! I spent a half day
hooked to an IV in the ship’s hospital and the rest of the trip in my tiny little cabin wondering if I were going to
die. I was so sick that I was sure that they would have to airlift me off the ship.

Since I had not eaten anything off the ship, I owe this experience totally to NCL. The ship’s doctor diagnosed it
as E-coli poisoning. And I learned on my return home that the he had given me exactly the wrong treatment.
To add insult to my injury, NCL billed me $327.00 for medical care and $13.00 for bottled water into which I
had to mix my medicinal Gatorade.

In Vancouver, the Sky docked at the Ballentine terminal, a second-rate facility located in the cargo container
area of the port. Apparently being a relative late-comer to the Alaska market and based in Seattle, NCL could
not secure docking rights at the Canada Place passenger terminal. This made sight-seeing in Vancouver
inconvenient at best. We took a cab downtown, but after walking a few blocks in my weakened condition, I had
to return to the ship.

Overall, the Sky has potential. A beautiful ship, good crew and well appointed (albeit smallish) cabins. Food
quantity and variety is good, but quality definitely needs improvement. And my illness suggests that better
care and/or hygiene could be observed in food handling.

I think NCL would do well to lose the FreeStyle Cruising concept, but I suspect I am in the minority on casual
vs. formal attire. The ship’s layout does not provide good traffic flow and there are few quiet locations in the
public areas of the ship. Most of the Inside Passage cruises share the same scenery and ports-of-call, but I
would give the Glacier Bay itinerary the edge over Sawyer Glacier.

Based on my experience, I would never again cruise on NCL. Life is too short and vacations too few to again
compromise quality for price, or shorts-n-sandals grab-food for sophisticated cuisine.

Name: Catherine Johannesson
Email: micajo@powersurfr.com
Age: 35
Occupation: self-employed
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-NorwegianSky
SailingDate: November 26, 2000 - Dec 3, 2000
Itinerary: Eastern Carribean
Cabin: 9327
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland: 85
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 83
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 89
EntertShowLounge: 87
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 08 Jan 2001
Time: 00:53:58
Remote Name: c23743-001.powersurfr.com
Remote User:

Comments

I'll warn you now... this is probably going to be long....

This was my first Mother/Daughter cruise, booked out of Edmonton. My mother, sister and I were part of a
group of 22 other women. We flew from Edmonton to Calgary to Montreal and finally Miami, it was a long day
of flying, but I guess that's what you get when you use airmiles. The nice part was that we arrived on the
Friday night prior to the cruise and had an extra day after the cruise. We stayed at the Best Western Beach
Resort Hotel in the Art Deco District of South Beach. We now name it the Worst Western! Upon departing the
hotel we cancelled our return reservation and booked at the Radisson Mart near the Airport.

Upon arriving to embark we were greeted by a gentleman who took our luggage and carted it off to be loaded
into huge cages that would take it up to the ship. One thing that I didn't appreciate is when he said that now
was the time to tip him, making us feel like if it wasn't enough we wouldn't get our bags. We then began our
adventure into the Norwegian Sky. Upon lining up to check in we were handed several forms that needed to
be filled in, along with water or orange juice. It was a beautiful terminal and the excitement in the air was
wonderful. Upon checking in we walked up and into the ship. It was exciting being that it was mine and my
sisters' first cruise, we were awestruck at the size of the ship. Each floor had staff that were handing out our
room cards, which went very smoothly with hardly a wait. We found our inside state room with no problems.
The room to our surprise was quite spacious, two single beds on the floor and a bed that came down from the
wall (that was mine). We also had a small single couch that turned into a bed if required. We each had a small
drawer for smaller items and there was quite a bit of closet space for hanging clothing up. The suitcases fit
perfectly under the beds (4 large suitcases and duffel bags). The bathroom was small, however we didn't plan
on vacationing in the bathroom. The shower stall was round and a bit tiny, made for shaving your legs a little
difficult and I'm only 5'3. There were 6 shelves for your toiletries/makeup etc. When our luggage arrived,
within an hour, I noticed that one of the straps on my suitcase had been broken during it's brief journey up to
our room, so before the cruise ended I had to purchase a luggage strap from the gift store. I never thought to
complain at reception.

After our initial get to know the ship tour, we headed back to our room for the mandatory fire drill. It was quite
an event and I could not believe the number of passengers who had their life jackets on incorrectly, mostly
seniors. Fire drill over it was off for fun and excitement.

Views on our dining experiences... Freestyle dining is the way to go. Eat when and with whom you want to.
Four Seasons Dining Room and Seven Seas Dining Room were very attractive. Ample seating. The
appetizers were unbelievable, however most times I felt the main courses were somewhat not as tasty as the
appetizers. The lobster we had one night was quite tough (even our waiter couldn't cut it) and so he brought
me another one which was almost as bad as the first. What impressed me on two occasions in these dining
rooms was when the waiters sang! They circled the room and sang 'We are the world', it was unexpected and
sounded terrific! Another thing that impressed me is you didn't have to finish the bottle of wine ordered at
dinner. They would keep it for you until the next time you were out for dinner. It didn't matter which restaurant
you chose to go to they would go and retrieve your wine from the restaurant in which it was left. I didn't
particularily care for the fact that Le Bistro and Ciao-Chows charged an extra $10.00/person for eating in their
restaurant. The buffets on board I found had quite a variety of food, not all looked appealing however I could
usually find something that hit the spot. The pizzeria was wonderful at 2:00 AM. Met a lot of nice people there
after the disco closed!

On entertainment... For the shows that I saw all were top notch! What was really amazing is that some of the
entertainers came to the disco afterwards and it was great to get to know them and talk about where they
came from and how they got their job, it was nice that they were able to mingle/dance with the passengers.
Pool side entertainment... the band that played was great. Carribean music really makes you feel like you've
gotten away from everything! As for entertainment we played a few games etc. around the pool, I wish they
did more! It not only gives those who want to participate something to do it provides something for the others
to watch and laugh at. For those who want the more peaceful surroundings they have ample lounge chairs all
over the Pool Deck, Sports Deck and Sun Deck. One thing that I wish I had known prior to cruising is the
theme nights that were planned. There was a Carribean Night, Country Night, 50's night to name a few. We
only found out about them by reading the Cruise News that was delivered to your room every evening. Read
them! They are full of information and things to do. The Disco was frequented each and every night of our
cruise and we had such fun closing it down! DJ Darrell was awesome and if you go on this cruise request
Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springsteen!!! Bet ya he'll smile!!!!

The staff... Kudos to Phillip Simpson, our room steward, he was totally awesome and he and I had some great
'hallway' conversations (when there is three in the room it sometimes get's just a little crowded so I
occasionally had a cigarette in the hallway) and he always seemed to show up for some nice conversation.
Our room was impeccable every morning and every evening! Thank you Philip, hope your shoulder is feeling
better!

The Cruise director was not a regular sight during the day, however at night he was visible at the shows.
Young and energenic, he did a good job. On the 'hosts' Chris Roberts was awesome. He was so friendly and
visible all the time! Maddy was very nice and so was the girl from Germany (she was going home for six weeks
and was so excited). We all know that these people give it their all day in and day out to make sure that
hopefully everyone is having the time of their life yet we forget that they too do this for months 24/7 and they
can get homesick too! It was great that they all have the country in which they are from on their nametags. I
certainly enjoyed meeting a bunch of them at the disco every night and it was also a pleasure to dance with
one or an entire group of them!

On the ports of call... Nassau, we toured around the markets however we weren't there long enough to do
anything really worthwhile. I wish I had had the time to do Paradise Island, however perhaps next time. San
Juan... Interesting and a lot of history there but no real beaches to speak of, probably wouldn't vacation there.
The Bacardi Rum Factory was interesting. St. Thomas... Beautiful. Our tour booked a private tour and toured
up the mountain to (I forget the name) but it overlooked Megans Bay which was breathtaking, shopping was
great but again time was a factor, and snorkelling at Coco Beach. If you haven't tried it (snorkelling) try it, it's
a whole new world under the water! The Private Island... really nice, however I wish they had let us know that
there were 'shops' there and to bring some money with you. The only thing that your card was good for was
alcoholic beverages and water. The tenders to and from the island were a little scary as one felt like you were
being packed into these boats like sardines, for wheelchair users it could have been a little scary, I think they
could improve on this regard.

One thing I feel that I should mention is that any wine or alcohol purchased in port or in the gift shop on board
are held until the Saturday evening prior to disembarkment. My mother who has cruised 4 times before with
Holland America did not like this feature of Norweigian. She was allowed to bring on pop and beer but wine
and alcohol were taken. With the price of pop and alcohol on the ship, I felt this a little unfair.

The only downfall that was experienced during our cruise is that the Air Conditioning quit one evening. During
dinner we all kept our menus and everyone was fanning themselves. I felt sorry for the waiters/bus people,
they were so hot. Even after going out on deck you realized that the ship wasn't travelling very fast and there
was absolutely no wind to speak of to cool you off. After what seemed like 3 to 4 hours they finally got it
working again and everything was back to normal. I couldn't imagine what would have happened if they hadn't
gotten it under control. The captain was decent enough to let everyone know what the problem was and when
it was expected to be fixed.

The ship was extremely clean and the staff was awesome. Next time, if I am lucky enough, I will have a room
with at least a window in it, hopefully a balcony (they were beautiful rooms). I didn't enjoy not knowing what the
weather was like however I was able to turn on the TV and see the front of the ship and where we were. If you
are leaving children at home and have the internet, let them know of the viewcam that is under www.ncl.com
and they can see where you are at any given time! If you are planning on bringing a video camera - make
sure you use it. I used it primarily the first day and now wish I had videotaped more of the ship and the sites
and the people I met! Beware of the internet charges! My sister's first charge was for $24.00 US and the
message was never received! At least the staff reversed that charge. Very pricey to e-mail and to phone.

Overall I had a wonderful time. I only wish the weather had been better. I've met a lot of friends from all over
the world and have hopefully created some lasting friendships.

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