Norwegian Spirit Balcony Stateroom Review
Yesterday I completed a 7-night cruise aboard the Norwegian Spirit from Vancouver to Seward, Alaska. The ship is from the 1990s but a $100 million renovation was completed in February 2020.
This was my first time cruising with Norwegian Cruise Line. I booked through their casino department to get a discount as a Caesars Rewards Diamond elite. The 7-night cruise in a Balcony Stateroom was $649 plus $245.82 in taxes and port fees. NCL also charges $20 per day in gratuities, brining the grand total to $1,034.82.
Balcony Stateroom
I was assigned stateroom 11010; located forward on Deck 11. It is located one floor under the gym so I was a bit worried about noise, but I never heard anything from above.
The staterooms are small; about 200 sq ft according to NCL.
As you enter, the bathroom is on the left and the closet is on the right. There is a lot of storage space, including six cubbies next to the door. There is a small lip on each cubby to prevent things from falling out.
Next to the cubbies is the closet. It includes four drawers in addition to the wardrobe section with hangers and a shelf for lifejackets.
Next to the closet is another cubby along with the safe and mini fridge. The waters in the mini fridge were extra even with a premium drink package.
It was way more storage than what I needed.
My stateroom had the bed facing backwards towards the aft.
On either side of the bed is a bedside table with additional storage. The beds could be split into two single beds. Most suitcases could be stored under the bed.
Each side of the bed has a reading light with USB power port and switches that control the overhead lights.
The bed faces a wall mounted TV. There is a thin rack/shelf underneath the TV that is good for storing books and other small items. I never turned on the TV (though it was on when I entered the room), so I can’t speak to channels and picture quality. It was a relatively small screen. The door you see below is a connecting room door but was locked off during my trip.
Next to the TV is the vanity with a small desk, mirror, stool and a shallow drawer. This is where you find the only usable outlets in the room — 2 USB, 2 European, 1 American.
In my stateroom, there was also a chair and small table in the corner opposite the vanity. Other rooms have a thin foldout couch.
The temperature is controlled by a thermostat locate under the two hooks near the bathroom. The room stayed cool especially if the curtains were drawn.
The wifi in my room and throughout the ship was horrible slow during my voyage, if it worked at all. I understand that NCL is moving towards faster Starlink internet which will be a big improvement.
The balcony is small but enough to fit two chairs and a small table. I didn’t spend a lot of time out on the balcony but it was nice to be able to step out or open the door to allow for fresh air.
Staff washed the windows a couple times throughout the cruise.
On the second night, staff delivered some chocolates from the casino staff. I hadn’t yet played in the casino, so this was part of my booking through their casino department.
Bathroom
The bathroom in the stateroom was also updated during the renovation in 2020. While not huge, I think it was roughly the size of my bathroom on Virgin Voyages. When you opened the door, the single sink is straight ahead. There is a shelf that can be used for toiletries. There are also four wall mounted glasses that can be used for storage which I found very useful. There is also a little cubby just above the trash drawer. There is an additional drawer under the sink that can be used for storage. There are also two towel hooks on the door.
The toilet is to the left.
To the right is the shower with a frosted glass door (no curtain). The shower head can be removed from the wall mount and used as a handheld shower. There are two shelves, a clothes line you can pull across, and dispensers with a shampoo/conditioner combo as well as shower gel. No bar soap is provided.
Overall the balcony stateroom on the Norwegian Spirit is comfortable and modern. The bathroom is incredibly functional with a shower that was a good size. The bed was comfortable though the sheets were worn. The curtains kept out the sun and the balcony allowed for the feeling of extra space.
Using my previous stateroom on Virgin Voyages as comparison, I would say that the Spirit stateroom is slightly smaller but similar amenities. While not particularly high tech, it is nice to have USB ports on either side of the bed. The bed on the Spirit was much more comfortable than on Virgin. The room was clean and in great shape; with the furniture not showing signs of wear and tear.
What is your impression of the Norwegian Spirit stateroom?