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Name: Ken Whitney
Email: ken98465@halcyon.com
Age: 38
Occupation: Chief Financial Officer
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Windward
SailingDate: 7/20/98
Itinerary: Alaska Inside Passage
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 97
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 93
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 97
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 21 Sep 1998
Time: 18:50:44
Remote Name: 204.57.220.29
Remote User:
Comments
This was the first cruise for our group of 4 (2 couples). It was my most enjoyable
vacation and we are already planning our next cruise. Overall we
were very pleased with Norwegian and highly recommend Alaska as a travel destination. The
cruise was surprisingly affordable, if you remember
that you don't have to buy every trinket and shore excursion offered (and if you stay out
of the casino). All meals and entertainment are included
(except drinks), and I doubt that we spent any more than we would for any other vacation.
We paid about $1550 per person, spent about $200
each on board and maybe another $200 on shore, for a total of under $2000 each (we drove
to Vancouver and paid about $50 to park the car at
the pier for the week).
We had a 4th (lower) deck outside cabin which was small but certainly adequate considering
that we were rarely in it except to sleep. The cabin TV
continuously showed the view from a deck-mounted camera and the ship's location from the
global positioning system, and we had a nice view
from the porthole, so we didn't feel claustrophobic. The 2 beds can be separate or pushed
together to form a Queen. The bathroom and shower
were small but efficient.
We kept both our room attendant and dinner waiter for the entire week, which was nice. The
room attendant was a little too good, keeping our
cabin so clean that we sometimes couldn't find our stuff. The dining staff was outstanding
(thanks Jorge!) -- always pleasant and efficient, not to
mention entertaining. Dinner tables were reserved, so we never had to wait in line or
fight for a spot. Breakfasts and most lunches were
open-seating, and we met an interesting cross-section of world travelers. I enjoyed the
food very much. A few items were a little stale, but in
general the selection and quality were outstanding, especially considering that they
served about 1000 people in 20 minutes at each seating. It
was easy to take risks, because we were encouraged to sample anything and everything on
the menu.
Le Bistro is a separate special restaurant for those seeking unusual foods and a cozier
environment. People generally take about an hour to have
a regular dinner, whereas Le Bistro's meals can go 2 hours or more. We very much enjoyed
our night at Le Bistro.
I was surprised by the amount of shipboard entertainment, with shows every night and lots
of variety (singing, dancing, magic, comedy, passenger
talent show). The comedian (Fred Klett) appeared in 3 of the shows, and he had me crying
in the aisles during every one. The magician wasn't as
good.
Without exception, the staff and crew of the Wind catered to our needs and made us feel
pampered. I liked the fact that we didn't have to whip out
a tip every time somebody did something for us. (Tips are encouraged at the end of the
cruise, but everything in between comes without strings.)
Alaska and British Columbia are beautiful, and we had good weather except for one day. The
cruise experience is designed so that you can have
fun even if the weather is bad. Glacier Bay is the highlight, but also most likely to have
poor weather. I heard good reviews of the shore
excursions, although I only took one (the White Pass Railway in Skagway, which is
interesting and educational).
I was impressed by the age diversity of the passengers. There were many families (perhaps
attracted by the adventures of Alaska?), and the
atmosphere was pretty easy-going. Even on the two formal dinner nights, everybody was
treated well regardless of how fancy their clothes were.
There were a few things that could be improved. At times the PA announcements got tiresome
(the nature talks were helpful, but no thanks, I don't
want to take advantage of the one-day only special at the gift shop). I took continuing
professional education classes aboard the ship, and the
classrooms are not suitable for large groups. On the first day of the cruise it was hard
to get an elevator because everybody was boarding, but
this was not a problem the rest of the week. As a non-smoker (okay, as an adamant
non-smoker), I was pleased that the show lounge was
smoke-free, but the casino was just as smoky as any you'd find on shore. These
inconveniences did not bother me too much, because there was
so MUCH to do.
As a cruise rookie, I might be easily impressed. However, it seems that only the hardest
heart could dislike Norwegian's Alaska voyage. I look
forward to the year 2000, when NCL will run this cruise out of a new facility in Seattle!
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