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Norwegian Cruise Line

SS Norway

Your Rating:
Reviewed by: Rob Hart
# previous cruises: 2
Date of Trip: December 8, 2002
Itinerary: Caribbean - Eastern

The Norway still retains the feel of a classic liner. If you are interested in that experience, it is worth putting up with some inconveniences. Unfortunately NCL doesn't seem to know who to market the ship to. Classic liner fans were thrown in with bargain hunters who had no appreciation for the ship. Embarkation was the one sore point, as NCL made Canadians and other non-US citizens go to a separate line up, even though both lines fed into the same counter. The US line moved much faster, and others were made to wait.

The ship rode very well, and was nearly vibration-free.

The Sports Bar is an incongruous and unattractive space. It never seemed to be well patronized. Whoever thought to place the basketball court above the Great Outdoor Restaurant needs their head examined! Hundreds of diners were subjected to the constant thump of basketballs above their heads. The Great Outdoor also does not have enough seats.

The Windward Dining room was an elegant space, let down by the use of cheap looking banquet chairs.

The Club Internationale was very elegant in the evenings, especially when they screened the documentary on the maiden voyage of the France, for which formal attire was requested. The North Cape lounge is well laid out, but needs more colour in its decor. Everything is a uniform navy blue which is a bit monotonous.

Food and service in the Windward was excellent. Server and assistant were friendly, thoughtful and attentive. Some of the QE2's staff should take lessons from these fellows. We were very pleased to have our request for a table for two honoured after embarkation. My one beef is that the wine stewards, while very personable, know nothing about wine! I'm also sure the ghosts of the France's sommeliers were rolling over in their graves over the large amount of diners who chose Diet Coke and Iced Tea to accompany the fine cuisine. Some women also need to be told that formal night does not entail displaying as many tattoos as possible!

Le Bistro was nice, but unless you hate your assigned table mates in the regular dining room, I wouldn't bother to pay the premium. The food is basically the same, and the service was no better.

Our cabin V163 was a gem. Roughly 12' x 20' it featured two single beds, the famous France vanity, lots of space, a bathroom with tub and sink and another water closet with toilet and sink. This came in handy when I came down with a two day "stomach virus"! The cabin was kept spotless throughout the cruise.

We took in one Jean Ann Ryan show and were not impressed. The dancers were good (though I pitied the men having to wear the ridiculous outfits) but the female singers were weak. The Saga Theatre was comfortable and the acoustics were fine.

My stomach virus prevented me from taking in St. Maarten and St. Thomas and the call at Great Stirrup Cay was cancelled; they said it was too rough for the tenders. I wish they had kept the ship's historian on board, more information on the ship would have been nice. NCL should play up the heritage with displays etc, as Cunard does with the QE2.

The passenger list was an uneasy mix of classic ship fans, seniors looking for a quiet ship (ie. no kids) and families who likely booked at a bargain price. NCL needs to decide who the market is for this ship, and where it fits in their "Freestyle Cruising" world. There were no cabins available, so I have to assume the ship was fairly full.