Fine dining, unapologetic game shows, adult-only cocktail pool lounges, entertainment worthy of selling out Eden Park, and elegant stingrays tickling your back in French Polynesia.
Welcome to a holiday on board Norwegian Spirit, whose cruise and itineraries ensure first-time cruisers with contrasting holiday styles can walk away with bucket-list memories being ticked off in a collision course of once-in-a-lifetime experiences and unusual thrills.
As my partner and I stepped on to my first-ever cruise, a holiday through French Polynesia’s Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora to Samoa and Fiji, the feeling of excited apprehension draped over me. Had this 31-year-old Kiwi bloke just booked a week on a floating retirement village or an eye-opening glimpse into the joys of cruise life? At the first turn, I was put at ease.
The Norwegian Spirit is the smallest of the ships in Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet, a blessing for a first-time cruiser. With a passenger capacity of 2018 and 911 staff on board the 13-deck haven, space was at a relaxing premium without taking away the bubbling energy of holidaymakers. This cruise newbie was positively overwhelmed, with something to do or experience at every turn. A recent US$100 million refurbishment turned a tired ship into an exciting floating city.
Opening the door to my balcony stateroom on deck 9, I was pleasantly surprised by the cloud-like king-size bed waiting for me. Pulling back the curtain I was greeted by peach-orange sunset views of Tahiti as the crystal-clear ocean reflected a mirror image. Every morning we would draw the curtain back and gaze out at a different vista.
The storage space was plentiful, with a set of drawers, a wardrobe and cubes allowing me to unpack everything and hide the suitcase away - a truly underrated feeling while away from home. Our quiet haven away from the fanfare that is cruise life. We were ready to explore.
Without hesitation, my partner and I made a beeline for Spice H2O bar and pool, which would become one of our favourite parts of the ship. The recently added adult-only cocktail pool/spa bar is kitted out with padded lounge chairs across three levels on decks 10 to 12, overlooking the sun-drenched stern deck. NCL completely removed the kids’ club to bring alive Spice H2O, creating the perfect place for my partner to soak up the rays while I, the water baby of the group, enjoyed a splash. No kids, no worries, and staff delivering your favourite cocktail the moment your glass reaches empty. And come sunset, Spice H20 transforms into a cocktail lounge and open-air bar.
Just when you think one pool isn’t enough, the bow of the ship on deck 12 is home to the largest pool on board, surrounded by the Wave Pools Bar and The Great Outdoors eatery. It became a morning ritual to head to the spa pools where we would be serenaded by musical duo Soul Inspiration, with classics like Hotel California and Brown Eyed Girl, as a big screen overlooking the pool played live sport in the background. For those who wanted an extra touch of pampering, the newly-doubled-in-size Mandara Spa has a thermal suite including a steam room, sauna and shower experience. The golf cage and basketball court on deck 13 added another element for the active holidaymaker. It was my escape when my partner wanted to tan and I needed to burn some energy. Hitting golf balls while glancing out into the rolling deep blue Pacific Ocean – for the go-getter, it doesn’t get much better than that.
While the top deck is the Insta-worthy photo op, the food is always a make or break for how successful your holiday is. In Norwegian Spirit’s case, the food - both speciality and buffet style - delivered on all fronts. The Garden Cafe buffet on deck 12 became a place we visited every day without hesitation.
We were welcomed by friendly staff standing by the hand sanitiser: “Hello sir, washy washy!”, a greeting we’d hear every time we dined and a timely reminder we are fortunate to be back travelling post Covid. The buffet was restaurant standard, with authentically themed lunches from Indian to Mexican, Italian, and Asian, pastries and omelettes, gourmet carvery meats and cakes and cheesecakes to add another 3kg to your weight.
Buffet aside, Spirit is known for its top-notch dining options. With seven complimentary dining eateries and five speciality dining restaurants, we were never short of a place to eat. The hardest part was making a decision.
Le Bistro (French), Cagney’s Steakhouse (American), and Sushi (Japanese) had me drooling but the showcase speciality was the Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant on deck 8 where the chef prepared our meal before our eyes. Our chef Jason created a masterpiece with shrimps, scallops, steak, chicken and fried rice, chopping and sizzling our meals into the shape of a heart. But it was the chef’s creative entertainment that won my heart. Where else would you find a food-throwing, egg-juggling, utensil-flipping, drum-playing comedic chef singing Apple Bottom Jeans by Flo Rida?
The other standout was the recently added speciality Italian dining Onda by Scarpetta, one of Norwegian’s signature restaurants. Appetisers, such as beef carpaccio, yellowtail crudo and short ribs were a hit, as well as Scarpetta’s signature pastas and pizzas. My favourite meal was Onda’s beef fillet - so soft you could cut it with a spoon. If you want the fine dining experience at no extra cost but the same level of flair, Taste and Windows, the ship’s two main dining rooms, were the places to visit where service was beyond brilliant.
At times after overindulging in four-course dinners we were craving a simple meal, and the newly added bar/restaurant The Local on deck 7 hit the spot, giving off a sports bar vibe with tasty pub grub in burgers, fish ‘n’ chips and pasta, the perfect place for when the Fifa World Cup was in full swing. The ability to go from fine dining to butchering musical classics at the karaoke lounge in the space of five minutes was an unexpectedly attractive highlight and a mash-up of contrasting holiday vibes.
After stuffing our faces with four-course meals every night, we made a habit of waddling to the Stardust Theatre, the 1000-seat auditorium on decks 7 and 8 where the showcase of the night happened. We saw four performances in four nights, including Blazing Boots, a first-class tribute to pop country music, World Beats, a tribute to the world of entertainment including African and Irish influences, and Rachel Dudt, an American “pocket-rocket showgirl” singer with a voice that could sell out stadiums across the world.
Buzzing from the shows we were itching for more, so the two-minute dash to deck 7′s Social Club for comedy and karaoke became our regular 9.30pm ritual. Comedian and songwriter Steve Womack was the hot ticket in town, spitting jokes at the expense of the predominantly American and British passengers on board. If you were wanting to sidestep the comedy and keep the party going, the English-styled Henry’s Pub offered live music and honest grog to lift your energy. Dancing more your thing? The Spinnaker Lounge on deck 12 overlooking the evening horizon is where the dance floor lit up. The ship’s rock band busted out 80s and 90s bangers, enticing punters as young as 20 and others as old as 70 to break generations and share the same dance floor.
For the more relaxed holiday-goer the mornings at sea were gently paced and the entertainment offered at that time of day was just the kick-start needed to get into cruising mode after a restful night. This is when the game show fans come out to play, with a variety of games to sink their teeth into. Bingo and Trivia proved popular but it was Deal or No Deal that was the draw card, and it was loud.
The casino was also a quiet place to pull up a chair, and due to the lack of players our Blackjack dealer gave us a free one-on-one lesson in the dos and don’ts of the game, an experience you wouldn’t get at any other casino.
While ship life was a thrill, the joy for any cruiser both first-time and seasoned is the destinations you visit, often places you’d never experience booking family holidays. The Spirit’s journey through the Pacific was no different.
Stepping off the ship for an excursion at an island I knew nothing about, French Polynesia’s Moorea blew away my wildest dreams. Despite being the lesser-known French Polynesian paradise, Moorea, just 30km from Tahiti, is the tropical Milford Sound. Big praise, but the parting mountains that dwarf the cruise ship, mixed with “50 shades of blue” ocean colours and remote white sand beach islands had me declaring it the prettiest place on Earth. Local host Arii was taking us to our own private island, and along the way, the surprise of a lifetime glided past our boat - the chance to swim with stingrays and sharks. I blinked, and I was suddenly in chest-deep water surrounded by some of the world’s most misunderstood creatures. As I lowered myself to my knees to bask in the water, a stingray lifted its flaps and slid up my back giving a tickling massage.
In the distance, we saw smoke coming from a remote island and the waft of barbecue filled our noses. It was to be our final stop on our Moorea adventure. Arriving, we were welcomed by traditional French Polynesian music of ukuleles and bongos and the voices of Pacific angels. As we ate chicken, fish plucked from the ocean just hours before, and locally grown fruits, we saw more stingrays glide past. Not another human soul was within 30km of us. Complete isolation, our own heaven on Earth that no one else could experience at that moment.
Our five-hour excursion was finally over and we were transported back to the cruise. It was time for dinner, followed by another show at the theatre, before sampling cocktails as the sunset dropped behind the mountains and drew a curtain across the experience of a lifetime.
I started this trip across the Pacific as a cruise virgin, unsure of whether this way of holidaying was right for me. What did this 31-year-old cruise newbie from West Auckland learn about the Norwegian Spirit? Cruising is for everyone. The young, the old, the rugged or the sophisticated, from the active holidaymaker to the poolside tanner – the Norwegian Spirit has an experience for all. As we disembarked in Fiji I walked off the ship one last time and waved goodbye with life-long bucket-list experiences ticked off. This rugged Westie bloke had been converted thanks to a journey shared by all walks of life that’ll be treasured forever.
DETAILS
For more information and upcoming itineraries, see ncl.com
To be in to win an exclusive tour and lunch on board Norwegian Spirit in Auckland, go to nzherald.co.nz/win
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