Friday to Monday cruise itineraries are typically popular with party hungry travelers and small to medium sized groups. Norwegian Cruise Line s three day Bahamas cruise from Miami fits this niche well: the Norwegian Sky and its staff serve up a lively atmosphere where drinks flow freely and there s always upbeat music playing somewhere. This itinerary normally has two ports of call, Nassau, Bahamas on Saturday and NCL s own private island, Great Stirrup Cay on Sunday.
This review covers the sailing that departed Miami on December 4, 2009. The sailing was slightly unusual for two reasons: the stop at Great Stirrup Cay was canceled due to choppy waters, plus the ship docked back in Miami about eight hours earlier than scheduled. Norwegian Cruise Line s Web site does forewarn cruise passengers that the scheduled visit to Great Stirrup Cay is dependent upon the weather. Great Stirrup Cay is a tender port, and when the waters are rough, it s tough to transport passengers to the island s shore safely. In this case, the captain informed passengers of the cancellation at about eight o clock on Sunday morning. Later, at sixty thirty that evening, the captain announced the second itinerary adjustment; due to a medical emergency onboard, the crew had decided to head back to Miami immediately. Passengers were impacted by this decision in two ways. First, the casino closed several hours early, which could be viewed as either a blessing or a curse, depending on your gambling habits. And second, the ride was a little rockier than normal because the ship was moving at such a fast clip. Although the ship docked in Miami early, passengers were not allowed to leave the ship until the scheduled debarkation time in the morning.
Cruise Embarkation
Embarkation was slightly unorganized, but not overly time consuming. After passing through the baggage screening area, cruise passengers were directed to check in any bottles of wine or champagne, and then sign the health screening form. Norwegian Cruise Line charges a 15 dollar, upfront corkage fee on all bottles of wine brought on board. (By comparison, Carnival only charges the corkage when the bottle is opened by a staff member which gives you the option of opening your bottle in your cabin and avoiding the corkage altogether.) Norwegian s health form asks you to certify that you do not have cold and flu symptoms before boarding the ship.
The next step is to wait in line to check in to your cabin. This involves showing an ID and credit card, getting a photo taken and collecting the cabin key. For us, this part of the process went relatively quickly, and the staff member who helped us was both knowledgeable and friendly.
Fellow Cruise Passengers
The passenger group on this cruise was diverse in age and ethnicity. A few groups stood out, including a large contingent of insurance adjusters enjoying a company holiday party, a smaller gathering of gay men, and several family parties. The general vibe was a buzzed contentedness, although there were a few passengers here and there who appeared to have let the booze get the best of them.
Onboard Activities
Simply hanging out by the pool was one of the more popular activities onboard. Passengers could also enjoy live music at various venues throughout the day, pamper themselves in the spa, or work out in the gym. For those who prefer outdoor exercise, the Norwegian Sky is also equipped with a volleyball/basketball court, shuffleboard courts, a golf practice cage, and ping pong tables. The nightclub kicked into gear around eleven at night, but it was a little disappointing after the first night; it appeared the DJ was using the same mix CD every night. The late night piano bar offered more spontaneous entertainment, as the singer was happy to take requests. The casino was also open whenever the ship wasn t in port, which is the usual practice in cruising.
The more formal entertainment activities included Bingo games, art auctions, Broadway style shows, and live comedy. The shows were modestly amusing, even though the talent was marginal. The comedy, on the other hand, was quite good; the performances were clean (i.e., family friendly) and made use of audience participation and some minor magic tricks to complement the stand up narrative.
Norwegian Cruise Lines has a signature party event called the White Hot Party, which was put on Saturday night. The White Hot Party is essentially a poolside dance party, complete with gogo style dancers and flashing glow necklaces. For the passengers, it was another occasion to dance and have a good time. There was also a toga dance party on Sunday night, and Norwegian supplied the sheets.
Cruise Food
The cuisine aboard the Sky was not memorable, which is about what you can expect from a three day cruise. The highlights were the burgers grilled over charcoals on the pool deck, the pasta station, the hot breakfast buffet, and the chocolate chip cookies. Room service, available around the clock, was convenient, as long as you had time to wait. The meals served in the dining hall offered some standard choices, such as grilled salmon and roasted chicken, plus specials like chateaubriand and a sea scallop appetizer. Passengers could also pay extra to eat in one of three specialty restaurants: La Trattoria ($10 per person), Le Bistro ($15 per person), and Cagney s steakhouse ($25 per person).
Norwegian Cruise Line s Freestyle Dining, which allows passengers to choose their own dining times and seating arrangements, works well in the three day itinerary. Large groups dined together by choice, while couples could enjoy a more romantic table for two. There was no rushing to get ready for a set meal time, which was a nice change of pace from other cruise experiences.
Cruise Debarkation
Norwegian Cruise Lines allows passengers to walk off the ship early, or select a time to pick up luggage that has been checked. If your luggage load is manageable, choose the first option; you may have to wait in line for a few minutes until the debarkation begins, but ultimately, you will end up walking off the ship at your own pace. This beats waiting for someone to bring your bags at the appointed time. The line through customs moved quickly and, about five minutes later, we were hailing a cab outside.
Author Resource:-
Catherine Brock operates BrockComm Travel (http://bookcheapandgo.com), an online travel agency specializing in Las Vegas travel planning, that has access to high quality travel products, services and unpublished travel discounts.
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