Ship Profile of the Day--Norwegian Spirit

Today we will profile the Norwegian Spirit, one of Norwegian Cruise Lines ships positioned year round in New York City.

Spirit, formerly known as the Starship Leo when she was a part of Star Cruises' (NCL's parent company) fleet, was transferred to the US Market in 2004; and underwent a minor refurbishment at that time.

• Staterooms: Spirit boasts over 600 oceanview staterooms, 65% of which have balconies. She also has 18 suite staterooms. Total complement of staterooms is as follows: inside 374, oceanview 217, oceanview with balcony 374, penthouse suites 16, and owners' suites 2. Most staterooms are done in cherrywood, and feature an in-cabin coffee maker.
• Public Rooms: Spirit has enough public spaces to avoid that cramped feeling that you often have on a mid to larger sized cruise ship. Notable are the two deck main showroom, the Stardust Theater; the shopping arcade, jogging and walking tracks, conference and meeting facilities, and a good selection of bars and lounges.
• Dining: Being Norwegian Cruise Lines, Spirit uses their Freestyle concept, in which guests can determine where, when and with whom they will dine throughout the entire cruise. I personally can say that, having once experienced this type of dining, I find it hard to return to the traditional method of two seatings for meals and look for a cruise and cruise line that offer this concept (though other lines have different names for it) when choosing my vacation options. Aside from the two "traditional" type dining venues, the ship has a number of specialty restaurants, some of which do have a per person service charge, but others of which are free. There is also a 24 hour buffet venue, as well.
• Itineraries: Spirit offers a variety of Caribbean itineraries, ranging from 7 to 11 days, depending on the time of year.

For more information, or to book a cruise aboard Norwegian Spirit, feel free to contact me at any time.