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The
Norwegian Sky is bright, light,
cheerful and contemporary, with some wonderful and innovative features. I
must admit, the style and decor was quite similar to the recent generation
of Celebrity ships. Nothing wrong with that! Some similarities include the
elegance of the dining rooms, the complimentary color schemes, the wide
hallways, the superb use of floor to ceiling windows, and an overall
feeling that the vessel has a common thread or theme, with nothing to jar
the senses. Aside from the Stardust Lounge, which holds 1000 passengers,
all of the public rooms are intimate and cozy - making it easy to forget
you are on an 80,000-ton vessel with up to 2,000 other guests.
One of
the striking improvements in the NCL on board experience is the addition
of Executive Chef, Mr. Henry Haller. Famous for creating menus in the
White House for five consecutive US Presidents, Mr. Haller has been
retained by NCL to implement the same culinary delights. And what a job he
has done! The food is tasty and artfully prepared with fresh quality
ingredients. Anyone who has sailed with NCL in the past will surely notice
the upgrade.
The
entertainment needed no enhancement, and is as lavish and professional as
ever. It is impossible to match the talent of Jean Ann Ryan when it comes
to on board theatrical productions. She is right on the money every time.
The difference (from other cruise lines) is that on NCL the singers can
dance and the dancers can sing - and they can all act. It's hard to fool a
native New Yorker (that's me) when it comes to Broadway-style
entertainment, and NCL certainly continues to shine. You will love the
two-tiered Stardust Lounge, where you have a great view from every seat.
The Sky
offers several eating and drinking establishments, proving that bigger can
be better. Of course, as with any ship of this size, passengers are
assigned to main or late seating in one of three dining rooms - the Seven
Seas, the Four Seasons and Horizons. The first two are traditional
restaurants, set up with rounds for 2 to 12 guests. The decor is simple,
cheerful and elegant. There is certainly ample space between tables,
allowing for good service. The Horizons dining room is a spectacular
innovation. Bridging the Fours Season to the Seven Seas, this 84-seat
hideaway
is reminiscent of an elegant European rail car with floor to ceiling
windows. The upper tier consists of four-passenger crescent-shaped
banquets, while the lower level offers intimate table for two. All seats
offer an ocean view.
If you
prefer, you can enjoy French Mediterranean cuisine in the 90-seat Le
Bistro, which features table-side cooking and flexible dinner hours.
Before dinner at Le Bistro, be sure to catch the connecting Gatsby Wine
Bar with its horseshoe shaped bar. Or try the 80-seat Ciao Chow, the first
Italian/Chinese eatery aboard a cruise ship. In the style of a casual
Wolfgang Puck Cafe, you can enjoy a variety of Asian cuisine, Italian
specialties and the best pizza at sea. Open for lunch and dinner. And
don't forget the 24-hour Garden Cafe (216 pax) and the Great Outdoor Cafe
(253 pax) for casual serve-yourself buffet meals. Inside the Garden Cafe,
you can
treat
yourself to European gelati at Sprinkles Ice Cream Bar. Of course there is
also 24-hour cabin service. Just try to go hungry on this ship!
Thirst
does not seem to be a problem for the Sky either, with at least 13 bars
and lounges. To begin, there is the signature Checker's Cabaret, the
longest cabaret bar at sea, offering live music and dancing for 309
passengers.
The
Internet Cafe and Coffee Bar is host to nine computer terminals available
for guests to go on-line while enjoying a cappuccino. "Astronet ' is
available at all terminals to provide guests with personalized
astrological reports and horoscope analysis.
The
Windjammer Bar, serving specialty martinis and Churchill's Cigar Club,
featuring hand-rolled cigars and fine cognac are great spots to hideaway
and enjoy soft music and conversation. If you enjoy caviar, foie gras,
premium vodka and champagne, head over to the Atrium Bar, where you can
also enjoy piano music and spectacular views of the ocean.
Of
course, as with most of my reviews, I have a personal favorite. On the
Sky, it is the Observation Lounge. Every large ship has a lounge on one of
the top decks at the bow. Some are done in nautical themes, some are
galactic discos - but the Sky has the best one of all. Done in an
Indonesian theme with lots of wood and warm colors, the Observation Lounge
has multiple areas to relax and enjoy the ride. There are even wood
ceiling fans and Asian parasols to completely transport you to a foreign
land. Here, you can also enjoy high tea with white glove service. Perfect
for a cocktail party for 300+ passengers. Well done!
And how
can anyone forget to tell about NCL's sports bar. This lounge features
multiple televisions featuring videotaped and live broadcasts of
international sporting events. Here, you will also find NCL's first
non-alcoholic juice bar with power and protein drinks.
In
addition, there is The Victoria Conference Center, which seats 126 and can
be divided into three equal rooms. You will find plenty to buy in the
Galleria, including gorgeous jewelry in the Columbian Emeralds shop. Of
course there is the Monte Carlo casino for passengers feeling lucky, or
just wanting to donate some pocket change. But if you are really in need
of some pampering, visit Body Waves, a full-service unisex beauty salon,
full-service spa, and a gym/aerobics area offering state-of-the-art
exercise equipment.
The
outdoor deck space on the Sky has been designed with both the Caribbean
and Alaska in mind. Caribbean cruisers have two large swimming pools on an
expansive deck filled with comfortable padded deck chairs, in addition to
four hot tubs covered with a canopy. (Why doesn't everyone think of that?
And
here's something you must see to believe - the "Skymobile"; beverage
cart, a specially converted golf cart, makes drink deliveries directly to
guests out on deck. In addition, pool attendants will be about to offer
guests a cool water spritz or Hawaiian Tropic suntan lotion, as well as
cold face towels and freshly sliced fruit. In Alaska, that same deck
boasts a great deal of covered space sporting floor to ceiling windows to
take in the majestic views.
And
finally, the cabins and suites: The four Owner's Suites are a tribute to
luxury at sea. Each features a private teak-floored balcony with outdoor
hot tub, private bedroom and elegant living room with sofa bed, bar and
separate dining area. Butler service and exclusive room service menus are
included.
The ten
Superior Deluxe Penthouse Suites also feature a private bedroom and a
separate sitting area with stereo and queen-size sofa bed, luxury marble
bath with whirlpool and private teak-floored balcony. Again, butler
service and exclusive room service menus are included.
The
balance of the cabins on the ship are relatively identical, with a balcony
in the AA's being their primary difference. The cabins are by no means
large at 150 square feet, but they are certainly charming, colorful and
well-equipped. I would have liked to have seen a little more storage
space, but could certainly be comfortable on this ship for a seven-night
cruise. Each comes with two lower twins that convert to a queen-size bed,
sitting area, private bath, dressing table, refrigerator, safe, remote
control TV and large circular windows.
Congratulations to NCL on the arrival of the Norwegian Sky, a cruise ship
that offers elegance, versatility and value. |
