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Norwegian Cruise Line

MS Norwegian Wind

Your Rating:
Reviewed by: Ken Whitney
# previous cruises: 1
Date of Trip: July 20, 1998
Itinerary: Alaska

The cruise is designed such that one will never be bored even if the scenery is blocked by bad weather. Family-oriented entertainment, excellent and plentiful food with very fast service, lots of activities, and attentive staff.

The outdoor areas are large and pleasant, including a jogging/walking track around the 7th deck. The Stardust Lounge and comfortable (nice couches and chairs), but arrive early to get a good seat for the shows. Being a non-smoker, I found the casino a bit stifling, but the actual games were up to casino standards. The dining rooms and most public areas are non-smoking, which I appreciated.

The food and service was spectacular, overall. Once in a while a muffin would be hard or a pancake would be cold, but that might be expected when 1000 people are being served gourmet food in 20 minutes. We ate mostly in the Terraces, at an assigned table. Since most meals have assigned seating, we never had to wait in line for a table. For the open seatings, we also ate at the other dining rooms, which were good as well. Le Bistro is a small restaurant which prepares each meal to order (unlike the dining rooms), and was quite nice. Le Bistro asks for a $5 tip per person, but the extra cost is worth the culinary adventure. Without exception, each dining room and restaurant had excellent service (you keep your own waiter for the entire cruise).

The cabin was smaller than a hotel room, but adequate for our needs. Closet space was tight, but fit our belongings perfectly (good engineering or lucky packing?). The bathroom and shower are also small, but adequate. We were on the lowest passenger deck, and had two round portholes. One of the TV channels showed the view from the front of the ship at all times, and another used a Global Positional System to show our location.

We saw 6 shows: Broadway Legends (a medley of Broadway show tunes), Liars Club (a comedy show), the Circus (featuring gymnast Lance Ringnald), Standup Comedy, a Variety Show (comedy, singing, dancing, magic),and the passenger's talent show. All were entertaining, and the highlight was definitely comedian Fred Klett, who made me cry with laughter several times. The Jean Ann Ryan Company did the musical shows, and the performers were professional. The Cruise Staff, overall, was very helpful -- the tried to cater to our every need. Rooms were cleaned twice a day, and room service was prompt. Our one complaint was that our room steward was so attentive that he rearranged the room every day to make it look its best, and we sometimes couldn't find things. He was trying to be helpful, but actually made us stress out a little.

We stopped at Juneau, Skagway, Haines and Ketchikan, with a day cruise to Glacier Bay Natinal Park. I did not use the pool, health club, or childcare. In Juneau we visited family and friends and toured the Mendenhall Glacier. The White Pass Railway in Skagway is interesting, especially for fans of trains or the Gold Rush. There are many tours available (for a price) -- the train was the only one we did. The kayak/hike in Haines received good reviews from our travelmates.

There were cruisers of all ages and nationalities, more of a broad spectrum than I expected. There were many kids and activities designed for kids. The elevators can be crowded, so those who like stairs can get around easier. Overall, the crowd was mellow and friendly. A few people got cranky, but I think they are the same people who beat their dogs. I would definitely invite most of these people to dinner. Maybe if I charge $3 I can afford to do another cruise next year?