Norwegian Wind/Western Caribbean
Written: Jan 11 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Ports of call, tours
Cons: service, quality of food
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| smilley's Full Review: Norwegian Wind |
We sailed on the Norwegian Wind on their special Millennium Cruise of the Western Caribbean. We left from Miami, had two days at sea including new year's eve and new year's day. We then stopped at Cancun, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; Cozumel, Mexico; (skipped Key West because we sailed through a storm that slowed us down) and Norwegian's private island. We had cruised the western Caribbean once before but the only repeat stop for us was Cozumel. This was a 10-day cruise as opposed to the normal 7-day Western Caribbean cruise. It was much more expensive than a non-millennium cruise.
We had an inside stateroom on deck 4. We actually prefer the inside staterooms, not only for the cost, but because the darkness makes it easier to sleep. The room was a typical size (small!), but it had less storage space than usual, it had no refrigerator, and no in-room safe. I guess some rooms did have these items. On this cruise, the ship was only about two thirds full and it did not seem very crowded. But with 50 percent more people, I can see why some have said that the ship did seem crowded. Because the ship was so empty, we asked for a room upgrade (there was a larger empty room right across the hall from us) and they wanted an additional $1200!!! We talked with several other guests that had similar experiences. Since this upgrade does not cost them a penny, we thought it was very unfriendly of them not to give us an upgrade for free - even when we are Latitude Club (repeat Norwegian customers) members!
In general, we had a good time. The days at sea are really relaxing and a good way to start a cruise. Since we've cruised before, we felt comfortable doing our own thing in the Mexico ports. We did take a tour in Roatan (the Tabyana Beach Tour - the snorkling there is great, as is the beach. Getting there is not easy and the roads are primative in a lot of spots. Remember that this is a 3rd world country). We also took a tour in Belize (the Shark Ray Alley Tour - again great snorkling with sting rays and nurse sharks. This tour left right from the ship and lasted all day so we never did go into Belize city). In Cancun, the tender docked next to a restaurant/bar named Fat Tuesday's that was very friendly to cruise passengers. There's a nice beach there and you can do lots of water sports (parasailing for $40, bannana boat for $10, jet ski for $35 per half hour). Beach chairs and umbrellas are available and free and Fat Tuesday's has changing facilities and fresh water showers. There is also a place near by to buy your soda (Diet Coke) for 0.60/can as opposed to the $1.50 per can on board - stock up! (another hint - if you're big soda drinkers, take it with you when you board in Miami). In Cozumel, we had planned on more snorkling but the weather didn't cooperate so we just shopped and hung out on the ship. On the way back to Key West, we passed through a storm front that slowed the ship down, and we would have arrived in Key West with only a couple of hours there, so that stop was skipped and we headed for their private island (no compensation for the missed stop). The private island is really nice and relaxed, although the snorkling is not that great. The beach there is nice and there are lots of chairs and umbrellas available. You can rent floating rafts for $5-15.
The meal service was not up to my expectations. We tend to do the buffet service for breakfast and lunch, and the selection was poor and the food was not that great. We did eat lunch in the dinning room one day and the food there was better. The dinners were OK (for a cruise ship - in "real life" these meals would be called great). We went to the midnight buffet only twice and again, the selection was not that great, but the food was OK. Overall, the wait service was spotty.
We were not impressed with the staff. The waiters did not seem as friendly as on other cruise lines. The reception staff was particularly cold in my opinion. However, the dive staff was great! We talked with them at length about snorkling and they gave us honest answers (didn't just try to sell their tours) and they were very friendly and entertaining on the two tours we did take with them. The cabin steward was fine although I don't think he was able to read the English language notes we left for him.
The shows were average. The stand-up comedian was really good; however, the acts change regularly so your experience may vary.
The common areas were in good condition and kept clean, and because the ship was not full there were plenty of deck chairs available.
Our nine year old enjoyed the kids programs. The staff there seemed friendly and there were quite a few kids in the 9-12 age group on board (which is what makes the kids program fun for the kids). One drawback is that there is no kids program when the ship is in port.
A cruise is a big expense and you should enjoy it. I would recommend spending a few extra dollars and going with one of the more upscale cruise lines and/or a newer ship. We enjoyed our cruises on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity more that this one.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
smilley
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Location: Essex, VT
Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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