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Norwegian Spirit |
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| Norwegian Spirit was originally known as SuperStar Leo, when she was first built in 1998. SuperStar Leo was given to NCL by its Malaysian parent company, Star Cruises. As far as its interior design goes, Norwegian Spirit looks pretty different than the rest of the NCL line. This ship does not have as much of the bright colors that her siblings do, giving her a somewhat classier look. Why the difference? Because of her Asian roots...although she was refurbished in 2004, you will definitely notice many Asian influences/themes still running throughout the ship. Since Norwegian Spirit was not originally designed for NCL, she does not have the Courtyard and Garden Villas (NCL's most premium suites) that you can find on most of Norwegian's newer ships. Going along with NCL's Freestyle Cruising concept, Norwegian Spirit features 11 restaurants to choose from, along with 10 bars and lounges. In addition to that, she has a casino, a Broadway-style theatre, a spa and fitness center, and much more. Norwegian Spirit is very a family-friendly cruise ship, as it has over 300 connecting staterooms and almost 600 oceanview staterooms (most with private balconies). During November of 2008 Norwegian Spirit was given a thorough refurbishment by NCL. This included new staterooms and suites (including eight balcony staterooms), the replacing of a diesel engine, new seating in the Stardust Theater (the ship's main show lounge), new carpeting throughout the ship, new wallpaper in various suites and public areas, new curtains to for all suites, new tiling for 300 bathrooms, the refurbishment of a few pools and hot tubs (including the ship's main pool), upgrades to the Roman Spa & Fitness Center, over 60 windows being replaced, and the phone system is being upgraded to a wireless system. |
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| Norwegian Spirit will be featuring cruises in the following regions (subject to change, based on the cruise line's discretion): 2010: Bermuda, Canada & New England, Western Caribbean 2011: Western Caribbean |
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| As mentioned above, Norwegian Spirit does not have the newer NCL suite options, such as Courtyard and Garden Villas. However, it does offer a fairly nice variety of accommodations. The staterooms onboard Norwegian Spirit are more brightly decorated than the public areas, and have basic styles with simple features. The majority of the staterooms are interconnecting, making this ship very family-friendly. Because Norwegian Spirit was originally built with an Asian market in mind, there is a lot of 220-volt wiring (but rooms usually have at least one 110-volt outlet available). Because of this, it's recommended to not bring your own hairdryer (if you're from a 110-volt market like the US, since they may blow the socket); just use the one provided in your room. Interior Staterooms: Norwegian Spirit offers a wide variety of interior stateroom categories. The main difference between them is their location on the ship. Usually, the higher the deck the room is on, the higher the price of the room. The most basic room is the category N rooms, as they are located on the lowest passenger deck of the ship. The most premium interior staterooms are the category II rooms, located much higher up on the ship than the N's. In addition to that, there is a sitting area in the most of the more premium interior staterooms. All of the interior staterooms have two lower beds that can convert into a queen-size bed, a closet, as well as a bathroom with a shower and vanity. Oceanview Staterooms: The oceanview staterooms have all of the standard features found in the interior staterooms. The category H oceanview rooms are the most basic oceanviews onboard Norwegian Spirit. These rooms have a porthole window. The category CC oceanviews are the most premium oceanviews on this ship, featuring a picture window. Balcony Staterooms: Balcony staterooms (also called oceanview staterooms with a balcony) are a very popular option. These rooms have a floor-to-ceiling glass door that opens to a private balcony. They give you the option of enjoying the outdoors, and breathtaking views, in privacy. The most basic balcony staterooms are the category BF's, while the most premium are the BA's. Suites: All suites on this ship have butler and concierge service available. Norwegian Spirit does not have nearly as many suite categories as the newer NCL ships; however, there are a few nice options to choose from. The most basic suites are the Penthouses. These accommodations feature a sitting area, private balcony, a dining area, a bedroom with a queen-size bed, and a luxury bath with a whirlpool tub and separate shower. The most premium suites on this ship are the category AA Owner's Suites. These rooms have a living room, private balcony, dining area, separate bedroom with two lower beds that convert to a queen-size bed, and a luxury bath with a whirlpool tub and separate shower. |
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| All Norwegian Cruise Line ships have an open dining setup (which is one of the main aspects of their Freestyle Cruising format). Open dining means that you can eat where you want, when you want. Norwegian Spirit has 11 dining venues from which you can choose from, besides the 24-hour room service! Norwegian Spirit's two main restaurants are Windows, appropriately named for its amazing panoramic views, and the Garden Room, offering a more intimate atmosphere. These two restaurants offer the same five-course menu as each other, but the menu changes each night of the cruise. Dinner is served from 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm. Raffles Court & Terrace, located on deck 12, is Norwegian Spirit's indoor/outdoor buffet. It features a wide array of options for you to choose from, depending on the time and day you dine there (including omelets, pastas, soups, ethnic specialties, sandwiches, pizza, salads, and more). Perfect for those "midnight snackers," the Blue Lagoon Cafe (located on deck 7) is a family friendly 23-hour eatery, featuring a menu that includes favorites such as hamburgers, french fries, and even fast-wok dishes. Bier Garten Grill is a Bavarian-themed eatery, featuring German favorites including bratwurst and sauerkraut...and, of course, beer. The specialty restaurants onboard Norwegian Spirit offer many dining choices to choose from. Most of these venues have a per person cover charge, ranging between $10 and $25. Some of the specialty dining venues only charge half the normal cover charge from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Cagney's Steakhouse (located on deck 7) is one of the most popular specialty restaurants onboard Norwegian Spirit. Cagney's is an upscale traditional American steakhouse, with a 1930's theme. This restaurant charges a $20 per person cover charge for those that dine in it and choose anything but the Surf 'n Turf (which costs $25 per person). Le Bistro is a French specialty restaurant with a great menu, located on deck 7. Shogun is Norwegian Spirit's Pan Asian restaurant, featuring a Japanese/Chinese/Thai menu. This restaurant features a sushi, sake and sashimi bar and teppanyaki (also known as Hibachi) room. There is an all-you-can-eat sushi option available at a flat fee of $10 per person. La Trattoria is a casual Italian Restaurant located on deck 12, with a $10 per person cover charge. This restaurant features classic Italian favorites, such as pizza and pasta. Reservations are highly recommended for the specialty restaurants, as they are very in demand and can book up quickly. Dining reservations cannot be made prior to your cruise. You can make a reservation 24 hours prior to the day you want to dine, unless you have a balcony or higher (in which case you can make a reservation within 48 hours). Be sure to make reservations at least the night before you want to dine, to help ensure that the time (and restaurant) you want to dine at will be available for you. |
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| Norwegian Spirit, going along with the NCL Freestyle Cruising concept, features a ton of activities to participate in while onboard, as well as a lot of places to go to. Perhaps the most popular thing to do while onboard is to go to the nightly featured show in the Stardust Theatre. This theatre is very large (but not as large as those on the newer NCL ships), as it is located on decks 7 and 8 and accommodates up to 899 people. Shows include comedians, musicians, singers, acrobatic performers, Broadway and Vegas-style shows, and more. The shows are top quality, and are sure to keep you entertained each night of your cruise. During the day you'll find the majority of the ship's guests outside on the main decks, especially by the pool. Because of this, you'll want to get to the deck early if you plan on getting a few lounge chairs in a desirable location near the pool. The Tivoli Pool is the main pool, and it's located on deck 12. Nearby the Tivoli Pool are four hot tubs. Kids will love the Buccaneer's Wet & Wild area, on deck 10. This area features slides, a padding pool, and even a hot tub just for the kids! Aquaswim, located on deck 12, is an exercise pool. There are many other sport-related activities available onboard Norwegian Spirit, specifically on deck 13. These include a jogging/walking track, a basketball court, and a golf driving net. The Roman Spa & Fitness Center is on deck 12 and is a very popular area for Norwegian Spirit's guests. The spa offers exotic treatments and a full service beauty salon (Oscar's Hair & Beauty Salon). Feeling lucky? Well, the Maharajah's Casino is located on deck 7 and is quite large. There are 158 slot machines and many card tables. There may be various slot machine, blackjack, and poker tournaments throughout your cruise. Also on deck 7 are the karaoke rooms, for those brave enough to get up and give it a try! There are 3 karaoke rooms that can be reserved for private parties. The main atrium, the Grand Centrum (also on deck 7) is where you can find the shore excursion desk and the main reception area. There are quite a few popular ship facilities on deck 12. These include a card room, a writing room, a well-stocked library (for a cruise ship's standards), and a smoking room. There is a conference center & meeting rooms on deck 8, which can accommodate up to 72 people. This room can be converted into boardrooms, theatre-style meeting rooms, or even classrooms. The gift shops and the photo gallery are all located on deck 8. The gift shops offer a variety of items, including jewelry, perfume, clothing, memorabilia, and even duty-free liquor. |
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| Because of the Freestyle Cruising concept, the dress code is not very strict or formal on a Norwegian Cruise - it is actually quite casual, relative to other cruise lines. As far as dining goes, casual attire is preferred during the day. Examples of casual attire are: khakis, skirts, jeans, casual tops, and shorts. At the buffet and outdoor dining venues, swimwear with a cover-up is just fine. During dinner a collared shirt and pants (or nice jeans) is fine for men. For women slacks, jeans, dresses, skirts, and tops are fine. If you'd like to dress up for dinner and wear something more formal or glamorous that is OK too, as on most NCL cruises there is usually at least one night were many people will do so (known as the "Captain's Night" or "Formal Night"). For kids 12 and under, shorts are OK in all of the restaurants. |
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| NCL's children's program is called the Kids Crew. The Kids Crew program is run by NCL's Youth Staff and is free of charge (of course, gratuities are appreciated by the staff). Each staff member is CPR and First Aid certified. The Kids Crew program features complimentary activities that are scheduled throughout each day of your cruise. Examples of these activities are painting, pajama parties, pizza making, and shows. A parent or guardian is required to initially register 2-17 year olds for this program. Children are assigned to groups, based on age (Juniors = 2-5 years old, First Mates = 6-9 years old, Navigators = 10-12 years old, and Teens = 13-17 years old). Kids under 13 may not sign themselves out. There is not a one-on-one care program available in the Youth Program. There is group-sitting available for kids. The "Late Night Party Zone" and "Port Play" are both programs for kids 2-12 years of age. The "Port Play" program is run from 9 am to 5 pm and is for parents that want to go on shore excursions alone, leaving their kids in the hands of qualified professionals. The "Late Night Party Zone" is available from 10 pm to 1 am. The cost of these two programs is $5 per hour, per child, and $3 per hour for each additional sibling in the same family. These charges are applied to your onboard expense account. There is also a Teen Program available onboard Norwegian Spirit. This program is for those that are 13-17 years of age. This program is a great way for teens to meet and have fun. Buccaneer's Deck Amphitheater, a great water park area for kids, is located aft on decks 10 and 11. Charlie's Child Care Centre is located on deck 10, right by the water park. |
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| NCL charges a fixed fee for what they call service charges on all Norwegian Spirit cruises. This fee is $12 per person, per day and is charged to your onboard expense account. There is no such charge for children under 3 years of age. If while on your cruise you find that these fees are more than you'd like to pay (or if you are very unhappy with the service you've been provided with by the staff), you can adjust the service charge fees to the level you prefer (as long as you do so before you leave the ship). NCL does not consider this service charge to be the same thing as a gratuity or tip. NCL states that they do not auto-charge you for gratuities (even though the service charge does seem to be a similar fee). If you find a few staff members that really stand out and make your vacation more enjoyable, NCL's staff is allowed to accept cash gratuities. The recommended gratuity for guests purchasing bar beverages is 15%. For those purchasing spa and salon services, please be aware that NCL automatically adds a gratuity of 18% (called a service charge on certain ships). |
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| The official legal drinking age on a Norwegian cruise is 21 years of age. However, guests that are 18 to 20 years old with written consent from their parents or guardian are allowed to purchase beer and wine when the ship is sailing in international waters (except in Alaska & Hawaii, where you must be 21 years old to do so). |
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| The minimum gambling age on all NCL cruise ships in 18 years of age. A valid photo ID may be required, so be sure to have one with you while in the casino. Please be aware that onboard casinos are closed on NCL ships while sailing in Hawaii. |
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