Norwegian Spirit

First of all the ship was leaving from a different port than originally advertised and there was no update given to the new location either by email or text. Many complaints. If you go to the Doctor in the Cruise it is around $USD 600 per hour. So people were just sitting outside the Doctors door throwing up because of the cost. If you fly on a… Read more

plane and have an issue the staff will look after you at no cost. Not on a Cruise. The food was not good quality, everything was bland and some food was past it’s used by date.

This was 2 weeks past its used by date. We started sailing on the 17/01/26 Not sure about the Cooked food being past its used by as off course we didn’t get to see the dates on that but certainly quite tasteless. And every day the food seemed to be the same or recycled. I spoke to people from Africa, America, China Filipino, Jamaica England and they all said the same. One person went and had Fish and Chips at the Taste Restaurant on board and had to cut the Fish with a knife as it was that tough. This bread which was served with the soup was definitely reused it was hard like a rock. There was a door banging the first night when we were trying to sleep so we told the housekeeping if they could check the empty rooms and find the door and close it please. 3 days later I asked again as the problem had not been fixed, he told me he reported it to be fixed, well into our 6th night the door was still banging so I called reception it took 30 minutes for someone to come and it was the housekeeping Supervisor who should of come the first time we complained, he now heard the noise and apologised. But couldn’t fix it so offered us a new room.

A Cautionary Tale: My Unsuccessful Experience with Norwegian Cruise Line We booked what we thought would be an unforgettable 12-day Asian cruise aboard the Norwegian Spirit, sailing from Hong Kong to Taipei. Excited about our journey, we purchased excursions at every port stop and prepared ourselves for a memorable vacation. What Happened? On the… Read more

day of embarkation in Hong Kong, after checking in our luggage and receiving customs cards, everything seemed normal—until it wasn’t. When presenting my documents (both my wife and I are Russian citizens), the paperwork operator flagged my file and called over a female officer and a manager. Despite having all necessary documentation, including valid passports, the manager demanded additional proof of residency from another country—a requirement never mentioned during booking or prior communication. Here’s where things took a turn for the worse: • Discrimination Against Russians : The manager refused to allow us onboard solely because of our nationality. When questioned, she provided no clear explanation or legal justification for this decision. • Lack of Support : She ignored repeated requests to contact higher management or offer assistance. Instead, she handed me a piece of paper with the company’s website address—hardly helpful in resolving such a critical issue. • Family Separation : Another heartbreaking incident occurred when the daughter of our friends, a student from Russia living in Israel, was denied boarding. Her parents and siblings were permitted to sail, leaving her stranded at the port. It felt like segregation straight out of a dystopian novel. Why Is This Wrong? Other major American cruise lines, like Royal Caribbean International, do not impose similar restrictions on Russian travelers. In fact, they comply fully with U.S. laws regarding travel and tourism. NCL's actions appear arbitrary, discriminatory, and politically motivated—punishing innocent individuals who have nothing to do with geopolitical tensions. The Fallout Not only did NCL ruin the vacations of two families by separating loved ones, but they also failed to provide any accounting documents or refunds. They simply kept our money without delivering the promised service. Essentially, they stole thousands of dollars from us under false pretenses. This experience has left both families devastated. We had high hopes for this trip, only to be met with incompetence, disrespect, and outright discrimination. Final Thoughts If you're considering traveling with Norwegian Cruise Line, proceed with caution. Based on our ordeal, NCL prioritizes politics over customers, disregards basic human decency, and lacks accountability. For us, this will forever remain one of the most negative experiences of our lives. Let this serve as a warning to others. Choose wisely when planning your next adventure.

Perfect size ship, great entertainment – There are many positives about this cruise and the ship itself. It is clean and newly refurbished, has excellent staff who are friendly and energetic (I don’t know how they do it). The Seaview suites are quite good, like a four-star hotel. The shower worked better than many hotels’. We slept with the balcony door open most nights and it was like… Read more

being rocked to bed.

The bars were seemingly always open and bar staff continually asked whether we’d like a drink. Having said that, there were no drunks for the entire SYD to AKL cruise.

The best restaurants were Cagney’s steakhouse, the French Bistro and Onda Italian, in that order. Food was abundant and of quite good quality. I would have liked more fruits.

There were plenty of obese Americans on our cruise. They seemed to be content to be eating constantly, which was easy to do.

The gym is excellent and at times full, so go early or late. The treadmills are a great idea. As is taking the stairs every time. I only gained 1 kilo as a result of taking the stairs for 12 days. There’s also a walking track on Deck 7.

Negatives include the bad American coffee. (How do they drink this stuff?!). I tried Starbucks and it wasn’t much better. I wish they had a full time Italian (or Australian) barista onboard making proper espresso coffee.

Also the photographs are very expensive. $US29.50 per print. They’re of good quality and the photographers are characters and professional, and you don’t have to buy. Five pics cost me $A294.93. It included the digital copies.

Overall a lovely trip, not overly crowded (just over 2,000 passengers on board, incl 300 kids) and some interesting ports of call. (About 4 days at sea due to weather conditions). The adults-only area was a godsend. The crew were great. Entertainment was excellent.

Five cruises completed with NCL – I have loved my time so far with NCL. No cruise line is perfect but reading T&Cs and joining groups prior makes for a perfect vacation! I’ve been on the Encore (2023), Epic (2022), Spirit (2023) and Sky (2018,2023) The ships itself have been great. The only annoyance is the layout of the Sky. You need to walk through the smoking casino to get… Read more

to the other part of the ship. The layout need works and there are parts you have to go to a different floor to access the restaurant on the same floor. The encore was full while I was on it but didn’t feel like it!

There are plenty of activities on board to entertain. There’s trivia, game shows, sudoku, arts/craft… all for free! Then there is bingo & deal or no deal which cost.

The food is pretty good in speciality dining rooms and their free at sea package allows you to try it. I would say it’s typical cruise food for the rest of it. There is a crepe station at night which it’s freshly made.

The spa is very expensive for what it is and you have to tell them at the time of treatment if it’s bad treatment, you have to say something about it at the time, which isn’t always possible. I don’t believe it’s worth the money unless you have onboard spending.

The thermal area are really nice but unless you’re going to spend a lot of time in there, not worth the cost.

The staff have always been amazing to deal with! They’re human at the end of the day & the amount of joy they bring others is incredible! The only times I’ve had negative with staff is guest services. They will promise you things then won’t uphold it. Get everything in writing or actioned straight away. Once you’re off the ship it’s impossible to resolve anything. Just make sure you check your onboard account and fix it on the ship.

The rooms mostly have good storage but definitely bring hangers!

I’ve reached platinum and the benefits are 100% worth it! Better then other cruise line benefits too.