Wind is a good value
Written: Mar 01 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fun Caribbean itinerary, friendly staff, super entertainment, not too formal and not too expensive
Cons: Need to improve new freestyle dining issues.
The Bottom Line: I'd recommend this cruise to first time cruisers and those who like a casual good time. Freestyle makes this not the typical cruise format. Go and have fun!
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| tlw1876's Full Review: Norwegian Wind |
On February 17th, 2001 my wife and I went on a cruise on the Norwegian Wind. This was our third cruise. The previous two were on Celebrity and on Carnival. We enjoy cruising very much and our trip on the Wind was no exception.
The cruise started in Miami. NCL did not have anyone (that we noticed) at the airport, but we found a tour company that was selling seats on their vans. I wouldn't suggest doing this because they are less convenient than a taxi, but the same price. Once at the ship, the embarkation process was both organized and pleasant. No standing in long lines. All employees were both pleasant and helpful. The new facility in Miami is far better than that dump in San Juan. Unless you get up tight about embarkation facilities, you shouldn't care about this.
The Wind had just come out of dry dock, so it was clean and bright. The ship is only 50K tons, so you notice that you aren't getting on a mega-liner. We prefer smaller ships because you don't get that overcrowded feeling and you have the possibility of getting to know the crew and other passengers. The room was clean and comfy except for the showers. If you are a heavy person, you won't fit in the shower. The dining rooms are airy and comfortable; not glamorous, and not glitzy like on Carnival. There aren't big open aetriums on the ship like the mega-liners. This was not an issue for me, but it may be for you. There are several bars, eateries, and lounges on board for evening pleasure and alternative dining. The theater is nice because you can see all the action without needing field glasses. I also used the sports afloat facilities quit a bit and liked their equipment.
We were the first cruise to use the new "freestyle" dining plan. This was a learning experience for passengers and crew alike. Basically, it was designed to allows us to dine when and where we like. So, the first night, everyone wanted to dine at 7:00 P.M. and make the 8:00 show, resulting in long lines and short tempers. My wife and I arrived early, got a nice table, had wonderful service, and a great meal. The next night was not so good, though. The food was fine, but the waiter was VERY slow and had the personality of a lump of clay. After an extended 2 hour meal, I chewed him out and we left without having any dessert. NOTE: this was the only bad waiter service of the whole trip, but it was notable. After that night, we requested (and got) the same waiter as the first night. This brought up our remaining issue. How do you reserve a waiter for dinner? Answer, annoy the maitre de until you get what you want. He wasn't prepared for this type of request. He should be in the future, especially for those of us that like consistent, personal service.
NOTE 2: Good service goes hand in hand with a good attitude. We spoke with people that complained constantly, about every little thing. We found the ugly American tourists and they were aboard the Wind. If you're that type of person, spend the extra bucks on a deluxe cruise, and leave us "happy campers" in peace.
Now, let's be entertained. We thought the entertainment on the Wind was the best we've seen on any ship. It wasn't the type of entertainment where they put poor talent in great costumes. It was good talent. They had a very impressive dance and song group, good headliners, and really good talent in the bars and lounges. It was also a good variety of stuff; something for everyone except for the classical crowd. We are not usually late night people, but we stayed out for this stuff. The comedy is not to be missed, especially the "liars club".
The reason that we selected the cruise was because of the places that it went: Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize and Cozumel. We didn't take advantage of any NCL shore excursions. We were looking for adventure. We did hear that the excursions were generally good, though. We've been to Cozumel before and always love it. Just rent a moped and go to Chankanab, you won't be disappointed. Belize was our least favorite only because they don't have enough facilites yet to get a full ship of people around. We got a maniac taxi driver to take us to the ruins of Altin Ha (sp?), out to lunch, and to the Belize zoo. It was a good time, but I think that a scheduled shore excursion would have been better. The thing to do in Grand Cayman is to snorkel with the sting rays and eat rum cake. Again, we just found a cab to haul us around. We snorkeled at cemetery reef, which was great, but no sting rays. Note, you don't need to do the shore excursion to do the sting rays. The excursion fills up quickly. Just go ashore and someone will help you get there if the excursion is full. We also enjoyed Roatan. It's a poor country but the people are pleasant and happy. We went all over by taxi. Salt and Peppers on Half Moon bay was great snorkeling and really caters to your every need. Try the local beer, it's the best. We also went to the dolphin show just down the road. Lastly, we went to the iguana farm (preserve) where they have about 2500 friendly lizards running around wild. The owner is quite a conservationist, fisherman and worth chatting to. In conclusion, these were fun places for the ship to go and well worth going ashore.
I'll finish with some tips:
- If you like good beef, it won't be found on the Wind. They are very good at most every other food. I enjoyed the seafood and the lamb.
- If you like good wine, bring your own. NCL has only poor wine at low prices. The good stuff will cost you $40/bottle plus 15% gratuity. OUCH!
- Deck chairs, like every cruise ship, are hard to find during "at sea" days. You want to secure a chair early, but give it up when you'll be gone for a while.
- The food that's served in the non-formal dining areas can sit there a while and get cold and sometimes dry. Stick to food that comes straight off the grill, or ask for something special if you want quality.
- Don't go to the "cardiac bootcamp" workout unless you're in really good shape. I am and I still hurt for days. Otherwise, the workouts are good.
- If you are really fussy, this may not be the cruise for you. It's a little less formal (which we like) than other cruises.
- Get to know the crew. They really are pretty fun.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Friends
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Epinions.com ID:
tlw1876
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 1 member
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