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Norwegian Cruise Line

SS Norway

Your Rating:
Reviewed by: M. Richards
# previous cruises: 10+
Date of Trip: April 14, 2000
Itinerary: Caribbean

This ship just does not cut it anymore. It has few of the amenities one expects from a modern cruise ship. It's superstructure, carpets, walls and decor are too worn to be anything but dated. Most of the standard cabins are cramped, poorly ventilated, and spartanly equipped. The passageways are narrow creating pedestrian bottle necks. The need to use "tenders" to ferry passengers to and from port represents a significant inconvenience in the form of line-ups, long waits, and a herd mentality for loading and unloading. This ship is ready for retirement. A floating museum would be an appropriate fate.

Promenade areas are generally crowded. Traffic flows are impeded. All the public areas are in need of refit. The main lounge areas smell old.

The food was generally good, and the service was generally friendly and efficient. The Norway has still not bought into the idea of intimate dining, anytime dining, and dining on demand. This means that there are two seatings for dinner with little choice of table companions, and strict times for eating. People on holiday do not want this kind of scheduling. It is the very thing they are paying to avoid. The Lido restaurant was our chosen respite from the tyranny of the dining room. The service there was first class and the meals were good. However, the menu was limited. We had worked our way through that menu twice by the end of the cruise.

Cabins, with the exception of the most expensive, are sub standard. Avoid the Dolphin deck and those just above and below. The photo processing lab is on this level with accompanying fumes. Also these cabins are too small for any level of comfort. Access to them is through narrow corridors where people have to turn side on to pass. Also the lineups for the 'tenders' are sent to this level resulting in long lines right outside your cabin door. The cabin service and level of cleanliness was good.

The entertainment was generally good. The theatre is comfortable and tastefully furnished. But the theatre is small and shows were quickly filled, meaning that someone in your party had to be alert to getting tickets. . . the very kind of obligation one tries to avoid on holiday. The lounge acts were better and easier to access.

The ports were St. Thomas, St. Martins and Norwegian Cruise Lines private island. These stops were entertaining with lots of on shore activities from which to choose. We chose scuba and snorkeling from a sail boat that took us out the bay. This was quite enjoyable. Many options sold out quickly, so again one had to be on one's toes about securing them. The biggest obstacle to on-shore enjoyment is the need for the Norway to use 'tenders' for shore transportation. While other cruise ships were docked and available to their passengers throughout the stop, Norway passengers had to endure the line-ups and inconvenience of being ferried. This no longer makes the grade for modern cruising.

Most of the clientele were over forty in age; certainly over thirty. There were few children, and I would not recommend this ship for children. This cruise appeals to people with a nostalgia for the old days. It is a throw back to the days of the Queen Mary. It is classic ocean lining and falls short of the expectations of today's cruisers.