After a $100m refurbishment, there’s lots to love about the Norwegian Spirit. This 1998
built ship is packed full of surprises, having been completely and thoroughly reimagined during
its 2020 refurbishment. It is the most extensive redevelopment of a cruise ship I’ve ever seen.
I recently cruised aboard the ship as a guest of Norwegian Cruise Line. While I
was aboard I promised you all I’d share my top 5 favorite things about the ship. But
I had no idea at the time how hard it would be to narrow it down to a top 5.
I really liked this ship. The 1998-era design is beautiful, and the ship has an attractive
exterior profile. She’s mid-sized, so she feels welcoming and friendly, but also packs in a lot of
amenities which make for a fun an exciting cruise. Ok, so enough stalling – let’s get into the list.
Number 5 – The ship has a wrap around teakwood boat deck! This is a MUST for me on a cruise
ship – and despite it being a ‘non-revenue space’ - the boat deck on every ship I’ve been on is an
area that brings joy to passengers who want to interact with a traditional seagoing experience.
Norwegian Spirit’s boat deck is wide, uninterrupted and easy to
walk. Access to the deck is simple through multiple automatic doors.
The lifeboats are tucked away high enough that my almost-2-metre-tall frame doesn’t need to
duck – which is more than can be said for many other ships I’ve cruised on. The stern area has
a raised area on a steady but noticeable gradient. This is to accommodate the show lounge underneath
but gives the impression of a sheer – which is a nice little nod to older liner designs.
Number 4 – I also really loved the ship’s top deck. There’s some fantastic amenities here,
including a big pool, whirlpools and plenty of space to soak up the sun. NCL have made
the obvious connection between poolside life and a cold drink and offer roaming bartenders here,
so you can easily get a drink and relax by the pool. There’s also a jogging track, a basketball
court, lots of space to take in the view and an outdoor beer Garten under the shade of awnings.
NCL provide on deck entertainment with live music, but the space is quite large so you
can also escape the noise and grab a quiet spot at the forward end of the top deck.
And on the topic of decks, here’s a huge shout out to the aft decks too which are terraced, providing
heaps of space, and a beautiful, nautical touch. Number 3 – The accommodation aboard was a very
pleasant surprise and one of the areas that you can really see how extensive the ship’s refit was.
In our cabin, there was no sign of the old, pre refit interior. The cabin décor was modern, the
bed was comfortable and everything worked – from plugs and switches to wifi and the television.
The bathroom, while typically compact as most cruise ship bathrooms are – was well
designed and featured a shower door – which is something I wish all cruise lines would invest
in… whoever thought a cheap plastic curtain was the gold standard clearly had no taste. Also,
NCL seem to have realized that tall people exist – so the height adjustable shower head
gave the cabin bonus points for me. Number 2 – It’s getting tough now,
and my top 2 are probably interchangeable. The crew aboard Norwegian Spirit need to get a huge
shout out as they were fantastic. There were so many interactions that its hard to keep track, but
some memorable ones include our brilliant cabin attendant, who kept our room spotless the entire
voyage. The team at the Starbucks were brilliant – getting to know our favorites early in the voyage,
while we were also welcomed wonderfully each time we visited Windows restaurant.
On one occasion, we were among the last ones in the dining room, yet our waiters never rushed us.
NCL could spend $100m on a refit and it can all fall over if the crew are unhappy,
but on my cruise, nearly every crew interaction displayed genuine care and engagement,
and the entire crew seemed really happy to be there and proud of their work.
Number 1 – The Spinnaker Observation Lounge takes first prize for me. This is a stunning
location with amazing, sweeping views over the bow of the ship, and out both port and
starboard sides. The room has been extensively enhanced during the refit, opening up sight
lines and enhancing the interior décor to create a welcoming yet sophisticated feel.
The central bar is striking, with great bartenders who could anticipate my order and recalled my name
after just a few visits. The room is well used, with trivia, bingo, small scale production shows,
dancing and even a Q&A with the Captain. And the icing on the cake – the two little overhanging
nooks on port and starboard where I spent several happy hours watching the waves as I worked.
I struggled with this list, which is why it took almost a month to upload this
video. There’s so much more I liked – from the multiple extra dining options to the glorious
view in Windows restaurant; the quality of the production shows to the coziness of the
pub – but a top 5 is a top 5 and if you’re keen to learn more about the ship I have also uploaded
a full tour of Norwegian Spirit that you can find in the description or info card above.
Thanks so much for watching. If you sailed aboard Norwegian Spirit,
before or after the refit, let us know what your top 5 favorite things are in the comments below,
and until next time I hope to see you on board.