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Name: Stewart Callahan
Email: vinocruz@erols.com
Age: 42
Occupation: Licensed Professional Counselor
NumberOfCruises: 8
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Windward
SailingDate: 10/11/97
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 84
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 89
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets: 99
CabinSteward: 99
ShoreExcVariety: 97
FoodVariety: 83
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 88
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 90
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 94
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 99
WheelchairAccess: 85
ExerciseFacilities: 78
EntertShowLounge: 96
OverallPortsofCall: 91
BeautySalon: 82
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 88
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 91
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 96
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 93
Stabilization: 96
ShopsOnBoard: 91
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 19 Oct 1997
Time: 14:04:05
Remote Name: 207.172.63.84
Remote User:
Comments
First let me say this cruise exceeded all my expectations. This was our 8th and best
cruise. I didn't realize how nice it
was to eat in smaller dining rooms. With 3 major dining rooms, plus the Le Bistro and
Sports bar all meals feel not
rushed and elegant. The food was always hot and the service was the best. Eating in the
Sun Terrace (smallest of the
3 major dining rooms) was our favorite. Located on deck 11 where many never ventured to,
our meals felt more like
a private dining room. Then the special meals prepared in the Le Bistro was perfect. Meals
prepared before your
eyes in a very beautiful setting. What a treat! The entertainment was grand. No Dance
troop can top the Jean Ryan
dancers. All show were done the perfection. lance Ringgold (Gymnast) provided us with
wonderful gymnastic feats as
well as all the personal stories of being on the Olympic team. And of course the comedian
and magician provided the
other nights entertainment. The cruise director (Charlie Oski) and his staff were laid
back. Not flashy but solid in their
people skills. Although they themselves never provided any direct entertainment they were
always around to answer
all those questions. The ship has a wonderful layout. Everything is in easy walking
distance. You never feel it will take
a hike the reach one area to another. The Stardust lounge is large with great seating. Yes
the carpets were stained
and worn, but everything was very clean and everything else was well maintained. The ports
of call were Aruba,
Curacao, Tortolla (vrigin Gorda) and St. Thomas. If one likes scuba or snorkeling you will
love these ports. Sign up for
these quickly as they sold out (and the ship was not full) Most tours can be bought off
the ship for a cheaper price.
Two things we did that I would recommend is to rent a car in Aruba and Curacao and enjoy
the Island on your own. In
Curacao just walk across the bridge and go into the major hotel. Driving is a little
tricky but well worth it. We drove 50
Kil. to the National park on the other side of the Island. If you do this rent a jeep
($49.00) and tour the entire part.
This will take you about 1 hour to get here and 3.0h to drive this rough but beautiful
part. In Tortolla we took the
Ferry over to Virgin Gorda and headed to the baths. From the Baths take the water rail
through the boulders to (to
the left) to Devils bay. The hike through the boulders is really unique. Be sure to take
your bathing suit and camera!
To get back to the parking lot there is a trail over the hill to the parking lot! Be sure
to then have a beer at Mad
Dogs! The rooms are well thought out. Drawer space is limited and it would be nice if all
rooms had safes in the
rooms. We were able to get the new brochures that laid out the plans for the ship when it
is stretched. She will
become 130 feet longer with a dining room overlooking the sea and many more suites. I was
at first fearful that this
would alter the ship too much,, but after looking at the drawing I don't think it will. I
will look forward to seeing her all
new in March. The Windward will continue sailing the Southern Caribbean through December.
Then she will sail to
Germany for the refit. Bargains can be had. On Thursday night all logo items go on sail.
Although there are many
other sails throughout the week. Overall this was a wonderful experience. NCL has improved
greatly. Work still needs
to be done on increasing the options at dinner On has the choice of 1 light entree, one
Vegetarian, and 3 others.
Otherwise the food was very good with the Bistro being superior!
Stewart in Virginia
Name: Jeff Danner
Email: goldwing@nextdim.com
Age: 43
Occupation: U S Postal Service
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Windward
SailingDate: 10/18/97
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 60
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 80
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 100
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram: 60
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 75
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 26 Oct 1997
Time: 17:43:46
Remote Name: 205.235.135.59
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first trip on NCL and we loved it. We will definitely be returning to this
line soon. Our itinerary included
Aruba, Curacao, the British Virgin Islands & the US Virgin Islands. The Windward has
lots of windows & open spaces
everywhere that Alaska cruisers tell us make it perfect for that trip. We enjoyed the food
in the dining room so
much that we never made it to The Bistro which is highly rated by many. Room service was a
struggle to get things
off the dining room menus instead of just the room service menu (however the concierge had
assured us that it
was possible, so each time I insisted & they brought what we wanted). The breakfast
buffets in the Sports Bar were
very basic continental breakfast fare. The only midnight buffet that we made was the
Chocoholic one which was
good but nothing extraordinary. There were many honeymoon couples on board (including next
door) who all
enjoyed themselves. There is even a special champagne reception for them. There is a youth
program & a game
room for them, but all the video games except one machine were inoperative. Our dining
staff never did learn our
table's preferences (like people who asked for iced tea or hot chocolate at every meal)
and one woman who
prefers lime with her iced tea was told that wasn't possible even though there was a bar
right outside our dining
entrance. We had to repeatedly leave notes for the cabin steward to leave us 3 bath towels
instead of 2 and that we
wanted bananas every day in our fruit bowl. In the casino, there were several slot
machines out of service that were
never repaired, but it was nicely laid out and included a nonsmoking slot section ($1
machines paid us well).
Center pool always crowded with few (if any) open chairs. The aft pool was better, but had
ashes in the water. We
picked our balcony cabin location based on the brochure layout that showed the deck above
us as containing "crew
area" behind the reception desk. We thought that this would be offices, but it turned
out to be a kitchen. Theis was
very noisy until about 1 AM and starting again at 4:30 (now we know better). Other than
the kitchen noise however,
the cabins are EXTREMELY quiet with no noise from surrounding cabins & very minimal
from the hallways. The
shore excursions were many & varied. Many people rented cars on Aruba & Curacao.
We went on snorkeling
excursions on all islands that were well organized but on the costly side. The staff that
accompanied us were
extremely knowledgeable about everything we saw underwater. We usually go snorkeling on
all the islands we go to
and the trip to the Underwater Park in Curacao was the BEST we have ever seen. The water
clarity was outstanding
and includes a sunken tug boat that swarms with fish. This ship is small enough (we avoid
mega-ships) that we
docked everywhere (NO tenders). The variety shows in the main lounge were excellent. We
traveled from
Washington state on a red-eye flight that resulted in us having been awake for 36 hours by
the time we got
underway on Saturday night at 11 PM. On our return last night, our flights were late out
of San Juan & Atlanta which
resulted in having to run through the Seattle airport to catch the last flight out to
Spokane at 1130 PM. Another
L-O-N-G travel day. We had to wait to get on board because our flight arrived 2 hours
before the ship opened at 1
PM, but getting off was very quick & well organized compared to our other cruises.
Lots of places to wait in lounges
& conference rooms. Airlines met us on the pier, took our luggage and issued our
boarding passes there. We found
absolutely no problem with the ship's motion. Our balcony room qualified us for concierge
service and this was a
fantastic plus. His name is Sean & he is from Oxford England. He was a total delight
to deal with and guided us to
the best excursions based on what previous cruisers had passed on to him. He was right on
target every time. We
were celebrating our 10th anniversary on this trip and he arranged for us to be one of
only 8 couples that ate at
the Captains table (4 couples each formal night). What an experience!!! This ship (&
its sister ship The Dreamward)
are going to be stretched 150 feet early next year. This will allow actual owner suites
with balconies. The current
suites look out onto public weatherdecks.
Name: William F. Rogers
Email: CopperBill@aol.com
Age: 53
Occupation: rETIRE POLICE EXECUTIVE
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: Yes
Ship: NCL-Windward
SailingDate: Nov 8, 1997
Itinerary: Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 89
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 89
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 99
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 89
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 85
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff: 80
EntertainmentLounges: 89
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 99
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 89
CruiseActivities: 89
Casino: 89
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 89
DeckSpace: 89
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 75
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 25 Nov 1997
Time: 16:01:19
Remote Name: 152.163.197.39
Remote User:
Comments
Cruising the Windward
This was our first cruise. We had heard great things, but this was beyond our
expectations. The food on the
Windward was only surpassed by our servers. They were from many parts of the world. Our
dining room waiter
was named Ambrose and was from Granada. He was fantastic. On the opther hand the Assistant
Maitr D (first
name Harris) came off rather phony with his lavous praise of the ladies at the table.
Seemed to me he was
working on a bigger tip. The ship is small but very comfortable and very clean. We
actually saw the Captain check
for dust and after finding some on a ledge was soon followed by a crew member cleaning
vigorously. The
stateroom was clean and quiet. The bathroom shower was a tad small but acceptable. If you
are a big person or
overweight you will be cramped. The excursions were very good, but I may try developing
some of my own with
taxi drivers the next time around. All in all I would definietly cruise on the Winward
again in the future. One small
complaint before I go. NCL and the Winward itself needs an E-mail; address so that I can
send compliments to the
Captain and company CEO directly.
Bill Rogers
Name: Philip Cabibi
Email: cabibip@panasonic.com
Age: 44
Occupation: Corporate Travel Manager
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: Yes
Ship: NCL-Windward
SailingDate: 11/22/97
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 75
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 79
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 99
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 75
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 98
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 60
DiscoNightclubs: 83
DeckSpace: 86
Stabilization: 70
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 97
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 01 Dec 1997
Time: 14:47:37
Remote Name: 140.212.2.2
Remote User:
Comments
This was my first cruise. Overall, the Windward provided a very enjoyable first
experience. I was very surprised
with the amount of space provided. There were no lines anywhere and plenty of room and
comfort in the cabins
and in the dining rooms.
The food quality and service however, were mediocre. Although our dinner waiter was
excellent, the morning
serving staff were not attentive, slow, and sometimes rude. The food was a step up from
cafeteria style dining.
Nothing great. The 'Chocoholic Buffet' although plentiful, was absolutely tasteless.
Cabin steward was fantastic and attended to all details.
Ports of call were interesting however it was felt that more time should be spent in port
rather than anchoring
off-shore at night for the sake of gambling and shopping on board. This tactic, as well as
other scheduled 'events'
were planned in order to increase revenues for NCL (picture taking, art auctions, etc.)
The Windward did not fare very well in rough seas. Some passengers fell and many were sea
sick as the ship
rolled from side to side on the first day at sea.
Suite accommodations were extremely comfortable and quiet providing adequate space. The
only negative
comment I must make however, is that it was impossible to hear important public address
announcements
unless your TV was on.
Name: Wayne Varner
Email: wayne.varner@corp.sun.com
Age: 32
Occupation: Marketing Executive
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Windward
SailingDate: November 15, 1997
Itinerary: Aruba/Curacao/St. Thomas/Tortola
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 60
CabinComfort: 96
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 88
FoodLidoDeck: 75
DiningRoomService: 78
CabinQuietness: 93
FoodMidnightBuffets: 75
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 83
DeckService: 91
ShoreExcValue: 84
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 100
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 88
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 78
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 91
EntertShowLounge: 71
OverallPortsofCall: 77
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 79
CruiseActivities: 70
Casino: 89
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 93
EmbarkDisembark: 97
DiscoNightclubs: 78
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 71
ShopsOnBoard: 94
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 84
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 05 Dec 1997
Time: 16:43:40
Remote Name: 192.9.25.21
Remote User:
Comments
Before I get into specifics of the cruise let me first tell you that my girlfriend and I
are experienced cruisers and
know what we can expect from cruising. This was our 4th cruise and our second on NCL. Let
me say what was
good about the cruise, was VERY good. And what was bad was was almost unacceptable. We
flew out to San Juan
on a red-eye flight and were nervous that we would not be able to board the ship until
late in the afternoon. We
were pleasantly surprised to have NCL officials allow us to board right at 1:00pm. The
process was smooth and
flawless. After getting settled I made a complete assessment of my stateroom and a tour of
the vessel. The
following were some immediate observations. First, the stateroom was very well insulated
for sound and included
a sitting room that later proved nice to have. The toilet did not have the traditional
70-decibal volcanic suction
that we have seen on other ships and there was shelf space provided under the sink. Anyone
with a spouse or girl
friend will know how invaluable this can be. At 40,000 gross tons this was one of the
largest ships we have ever
cruised on. We found the elevators to be a little cramped. Any more than three people was
a tight squeeze.
Time
for our first meal. Hot dogs and hamburgers up on the sports deck. The meal was
unspectactular but acceptable.
After returning to the room we were reminded in notices placed in the room of a number of
guidelines NCL
expected travelers to follow. Two of which required immediate plans to circumvent. First,
absolutely no liquor was
to be brought on the ship or consumed in your stateroom. While I have no problem being a
patron of the ships
fine array of bars and lounges. I do like to have the ability to fix my own drinks and
invite people over for
cocktails. I told our steward that we would be drinking in the room and were happy to
discover that he couldn't
care less. He even went out of his way to come up with an ice delivery schedule that kept
us well stocked for the
entire cruise.
I liked our steward from the onset. Second, shorts were not to be worn in any public
area's after
6:00 pm. Now I don't have any problem participating in formal nights, but being a
Californian, shorts are a fact of
life. I can see where the ship wants people to be presentable and not wear cut-offs and a
Budweiser tank top to
dinner, but a polo shirt and tasteful Bermuda shorts are another thing. While the Maitre
D' gave me some icy
stares throughout the week, it was not a problem as he knew that confronting me on the
issue could be
detrimental to his gratuity at the end of the cruise.
Unlike other cruises, you could definitely feel the pitch and roll
of the ship. The seas on the way to Aruba were a little choppy and you definitely felt
yourself moving with the ship.
My girl friend actually became seasick. On Aruba we went on a snorkeling excursion to a
ship wreck. Roughly 30
people were on the tour and lunch was provided. We had fun and would recommend the trip.
The port itself was a
dirty little city full of tourist shops. Curacao was much the same providing a Dutch
version of Tijuana for the
shopping enthusiast. In the afternoon we went on the ship sponsored Dive-In snorkeling
program. While the
logistics were fine, and we really enjoyed the crew and diving staff. There were WAY too
many people allowed on
this excursion. It felt like 100, but was probably more like 70+. The dive sight, a
submerged tugboat was an
interesting location, but when we arrived there were three other tourist vessels with as
many people on board.
There must have been 200 snorkelers in the water. It was difficult to see much as there
were too many legs
kicking and splashing. After 20 minutes I was accidently kicked in the balls by another
snorkeler. I decided to call
it quits and have a rum punch on board.
St. Thomas was a whole other story. We spent the morning shopping
and signed up for the best excursion of the cruise. Sailing the Virgins, which involved 6
people on a 40-foot
sailboat going out to Buck Island. This trip was great. NCL could learn something from
this tour and not pack
people into theirs! The next day was Tortola where we simply went to the beach for the
morning and returned to
the ship for lunch early in the afternoon. We missed the sit-down meal and proceded to the
sports deck for the
hamburger and hot dog fare. We were bummed to see that the lunch spread had just folded up
shop about 5
minutes earlier. So while we're trying to make the best of the situation the captain walks
in and says he wants a
cheeseburger. He was kindly walked into the kitchen and walked out with a nice juicy
burger and some fries. I
asked the captain if he could pull some strings and fix us up. Not only does he have a
couple of plates delivered
from the kitchen, he joined us for about 20 minutes and was a very personable fellow.
Which brings me to the
topic of the cruise director. With the exception of scheduled time when he presented a
show or something, he
was never seen on the ship. And when you did see him, he had about as much charisma as Bob
Dole on
downers. In addition, while the show lounge entertainment definitely got the E for effort,
it greatly explained why
my dad and I experienced a generation gap. George M, and a Vegas-style show from the 50s
is hardly something
I go out of my way to see.I usually spent the evenings gambling. While I pretty much broke
even for the week, I
applaud the casino staff's professionalism and courtesy. Disembarkation in San Juan was
actually pretty smooth.
We were off the boat and through customs by 8:15 and made our 9:30 Delta flight. All in
all, a good cruise. The
food was average, but we enjoyed ourselves. Keep your eye on the shore excursions and what
to expect.
Name: david jaquay
Email: davidj@sgi .net
Age: 46
Occupation: business owner
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Windward
SailingDate: 11/8/97
Itinerary: southern caribean
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 78
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 82
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 100
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 100
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 70
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 14 Dec 1997
Time: 15:09:35
Remote Name: 206.151.182.79
Remote User:
Comments
As noted this was our fifth cruise and we are beginning to get the hang of it (no, you do
not need to bring three suits for two
formal nights) .What we liked about this cruise was the 'sports afloat' program and the
'dive in' program.For a sports
enthusiast this ship has to be the premiere of the industry,yes sometimes the dive sites
could be crowded,fortunately we
timed our excursions to avoid that pretty much ,but the the personel were excellent.There
might be 60or 70 people but NCL
provides their own ,english speaking, in water instuctor for every 8-10 people .
That means instead of the dive masters
spending all their time herding after stragglers and newbees they spend time with YOU
teaching you about the sea
,snorkeling and the various sights and interesting fish that they have gleaned from months
of snorkeling at the sites.Kathy
and I have snorkeled all over the world and we would both agree we learned more on one NCL
excursion than all of our
previous snorkeling tours put together and there were new trips almost every day.
The sports afloat program was nearly as
impressive.It is hard for callisthenics to compete with snorkeling but the instuctors were
first rate and there was a genuine
olympic gold metal athlete to inspire you.This is my first cruise that I arrived home in
better shape than I left(at 47 this is an
important concideration) Another diference in this ship is the informality of the cruise
itself, NCL has found a way to engineer
out some of the lines so typicly found in cruising.Since this is a pet peeve of mine it
was a most welcome change .
If you are a
person who hates waiting in lines, dressing up, and long formal dinners this is the cruise
for you .With a little planning all of
those can be entirerly avoided. on the down side the service was a bit too informal .As an
experienced cruiser I have come to
enjoy the formality Kathy ,my companion, loves so much .I now view cruising as an
inexpensive way to experience the level of
service that is a time honored tradtion in Europe and the east that somehow we in the U.S.
have lost.Why americans
associate service with servitude I do not know ,but as a businessman I perceive the major
benefit to my cruising is learning
and applying ,to my business,the higher level of service the cruise ships provide .In
order to unstuff the air NCL has lost much
of the' continental atmosphere' that makes me look forward to cruising so much. The last
item I feel it necessary to talk
about is of course the food. I notice first time cruisers almost universally rate the food
as the best they ever had ,2nd time
cruisers rate the food as excellent,but after that cruisers get a lot more discriminating.
The travel guides list the windward as
'not for gormands', I would agree with this evaluation Though.the 'Bistro' does have a
limited menu of,what I would consider
5 star quality the regular dining rooms are just that- regular dining rooms .If you are a
gormand there is hope ,the
Norwegians do know fish and if you demand from your waiter the first day that it is
properly prepared and served chances
are good for the rest of the week you will get the best the ports have to offer.Also not
to be missed is the fish served for
breakfast. I realize that most Americans are shocked by the idea of fish for breakfast but
I assure you it is a scandinavian
tradition and they do it well.Go beyond the smoked salmon try the kipperd snacks and
pickled herring they are tiny fillets not
the over spiced ,over pickled 'steaks' that we get in the grocery stores here in the
states.Well. Thats about all I have to say
at the moment, please feel free to email me with any comments Thank You davidj@sgi.net
Name: Ed Arterbury
Email: Ed@Century21Amador.com
Age: 45
Occupation: Real Estate Broker
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Windward
SailingDate: 12/13/97
Itinerary: caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 99
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService: 89
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 88
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 75
DeckService: 89
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 85
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 86
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 99
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 75
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon: 99
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities:
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 86
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 75
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 75
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 23 Dec 1997
Time: 19:16:47
Remote Name: 205.138.124.199
Remote User:
Comments
We enjoyed this cruise mainly for the itinerary to the various islands we visited. We
we're unfortunate to have been assigned to a table in the
Sunset Terrace that had a lousy waiter and bus boy. The table next to us had a wonderful
waiter and so I think our experience was not the
norm. The Sunset terrace is beautiful and I think would be great with the right waiter,
etc.
We ate at the Le Bistro the next night and it was so fantastic that we asked the maitre de
if we could eat there every night which he
graciously allowed. We heard from other shipmates that the food was good but not great.
The first night out from Aruba was rough and my
wife became a little seasick but after that it was great. The itenerary was Aruba,
Curacao, Tortola, St Thomas RT to San Juan. We were
fortunate and had great weather the whole trip. We went on the jeep trip on Aruba and had
a great time. You tour the whole island in a four
seater jeep and then end the trip on a private island with a barbeque and snorkeling
combination. We went on the snorkeling trip to the
Baths at Virgin Gorda and it was outstanding. The shows on the ship were OK but nothing
spectacular. The band Upgrade is good but they
take more breaks than I thought was normal. I feel everything else was good but not great.
This is the first time I have been on NCL and I feel
if you can get a good discount on the cruise it would be a good choice.
Name: Harry Johnston
Email: Harry.B.Johnston@gpc.com
Age: 44
Occupation: Accounting Manager
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Windward
SailingDate: 3/16/96
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 100
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 895
AirSeaProgram: 85
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 75
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 23 Jan 1998
Time: 14:29:54
Remote Name: 146.126.61.240
Remote User:
Comments
My wife and I, both 44, sailed the Windward for our 20th anniversary - the first cruise
for either of us. In summary, we were
delighted and expect to cruise again often. The ship is beautiful, and the food and
service were great. We weren't
thoroughly impressed with the air/sea program, but it probably wasn't NCL's fault for the
most part. They booked us on a
very early morning American flight out of Atlanta, with a plane change in Miami to San
Juan. The flight was overbooked and
we were bumped. We were in a panic that we would miss the cruise, but fortunately Delta
found us a seat on a direct flight
later that morning (why didn't NCL put us on that flight in the first place?). The bus
transfer to the airpoat was fine. The San
Juan airport is something to get used to, though. It's very crowded with cruise
passengers...not really a problem arriving,
but there's no place to sit while waiting to depart(possibly for hours). Return flight was
direct to Atlanta on Delta...no
problem. Embarkation wasn't too bad, and we were filled with excitement to see the ship.
We were not disappointed. I know
it's not as impressive as some of the new megaships, but I loved the subtle beauty of it.
We had a deluxe outside room on
one of the higher decks (same deck as the Stardust Lounge), and it was great...bigger than
I had expected. The bath was
pretty small, but fine. The seating area by the floor-to-ceiling window became one of my
favorite spots to sit and read, have
a drink, or just look out at the ocean. Our room stewardess was superb...appropriately
friendly and taking care of everything
beyond our highest expectations. One minor inconvenience in our cabin location and the
overall ship layout was that the
Stardust Lounge was between us and the main activity centers of the ship. Since it covers
the full width of the ship, we had
to go up or down a deck to get past it whenever something was going on in there. I really
loved the first day out (at sea).
We sailed southward past all the Leeward Islands, and the captain or another officer would
give the history and other
information about each island as we past. The topside pool is very nice....a little
crowded, but the terraced sunbathing area
makes it seem less so. The poolside band was great and they played almost constantly. The
ports were really good, too. I
especially love St. Barts, where we just rented a car and drove all over the beautiful
island. We took a few NCL-arranged
excursions, and they were pretty good, though somewhat expensive ($40+ per person). The
best was 'Sailing the Virgins'
at St. Thomas, where just six passengers go sailing on a 36 ft. boat. Captain 'Z' and
first mate Anna were delightful, and the
snorkeling was much better than on the larger excursions. We were assigned to the Terraces
dining room, which is
stunningly beautiful and has a great view of the fantail pool and the sea beyond. The
terraced layout makes the room seem
uncrowded and quiet. Actually, it is fairly uncrowded because the Windward has three main
dining rooms plus the small
alternative LeBistro dining room. The Sun Terraces dining room, just above, is equally
nice. I wasn't as impressed with the
Four Seasons dining room located father forward. (We visited both of them during the
open-seating breakfasts and
lunches.) The dining room service was outstanding, and I found the food to be excellent,
though not exotic (which suited me
just fine). Dinners were one of the highlights of the cruise, and the dining room
breakfasts and lunches were also very good.
We never tried LeBistro, though we heard it was great, because we enjoyed dinner in the
Terraces so much. One weakness
of the ship was the cafeteria-style dining. The only offering is in the Sports Bar, which
is a neat place with lots of TVs and
sports programming, but the food wasn't much. I suppose that with the three + one main
dining rooms on a medium sized
ship, something had to be sacrificed. Room service was very good. My wife's not a morning
person, so we ordered and got
good hot breakfasts a couple of days, and good coffee every morning. The ship is also
limited in its bar/entertainment
areas, probably worthwhile concessions to have the four dining rooms. The observation
lounge isn't particularly beautiful,
and it turns into a teen club at night. Lucky's, near the casino, had a combo playing for
dancing, but it's a small area. The
shows in the Stardust Lounge were mostly very good. I was impressed with ther
Broadway-style shows even though I don't
usually go for that stuff. The casino is fairly small, but perfectly adequate for my
limited needs (and funds). My guess is that
the planned expansion of the Windward will address some of these limitations in the public
spaces. Overall, we loved
virtually everything and would highly recommend this ship to others.
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