My three nieces, Christine, Kaitlyn, and Christine, are all having banner birthdays this year, so being the cruising aunt that I am, I invited them to cruise aboard Norwegian Sky for a two-night cruise. Now, normally, Norwegian Sky offers only 3- and 4-day sailings, but the ship was just privately chartered for five days and had two days to spare until her next Bahamas cruise. Lucky us!
I had booked a Penthouse Suite (since it was only 2-days, it was affordable), and then two days before the sail date, I got a call from NCL asking if I was interested in an upgrade to the Owner's Suite. I couldn't pull my credit card out fast enough. SCORE!
VIP is the name of the game when you book these suites (and you should see these rooms onboard some of their newer ships like Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Jewel - and I can't wait to see them on the brand new Norwegian Epic, debuting this summer).
Ok, back to the goodies - VIP escort to your room. Butler service (ours was Jeffrey and he rocked!). Canapes delivered daily. Two bathrooms. Private hot tub on your private balcony. Liquor bottles. Concierge service to make your dinner and show reservations. VIP tender access. VIP disembarkation. And this is the short list.
The only downfall, I'm spoiled now. I mean, how can I go back to a normal stateroom, whether it's a oceanview or a balcony (forget inside!), after I've seen the light of my own Lavassa Espresso maker glowing in the dark?
I have to tell you, I've sailed NCL many times. At this point, I'm a Silver Latitudes member (their rewards program for past guests) and the reason I sail them is because I love the entire Freestyle Cruising concept. But NCL is no stranger to innovation. After all, they were the first cruise line to start sailing to the Caribbean in the 1960s. I love them.
Our favorite restaurant was Le Bistro, the French-inspired specialty restaurant, where everyone enjoys an oceanview. The cuisine was delightful. My niece, Samantha, the vegetarian, was thrilled with her entrees at each of the restaurants we tried. Kaitlyn was daring and tried escargot for the first time - she thinks it was her favorite dish on the entire cruise.
And of course, we had to do some girl bonding in the Mandara onboard spa. Hot stone massages for everyone! What better way to spend my annual company bonus, right? I agree.
For shorter cruises, long on luxury, get on board Norwegian Sky. Depart Miami for 3 or 4 days - and if you can, get that Owner's Suite! On second thought, don't! I want it all to myself!
I had booked a Penthouse Suite (since it was only 2-days, it was affordable), and then two days before the sail date, I got a call from NCL asking if I was interested in an upgrade to the Owner's Suite. I couldn't pull my credit card out fast enough. SCORE!
VIP is the name of the game when you book these suites (and you should see these rooms onboard some of their newer ships like Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Jewel - and I can't wait to see them on the brand new Norwegian Epic, debuting this summer).
Ok, back to the goodies - VIP escort to your room. Butler service (ours was Jeffrey and he rocked!). Canapes delivered daily. Two bathrooms. Private hot tub on your private balcony. Liquor bottles. Concierge service to make your dinner and show reservations. VIP tender access. VIP disembarkation. And this is the short list.
The only downfall, I'm spoiled now. I mean, how can I go back to a normal stateroom, whether it's a oceanview or a balcony (forget inside!), after I've seen the light of my own Lavassa Espresso maker glowing in the dark?
I have to tell you, I've sailed NCL many times. At this point, I'm a Silver Latitudes member (their rewards program for past guests) and the reason I sail them is because I love the entire Freestyle Cruising concept. But NCL is no stranger to innovation. After all, they were the first cruise line to start sailing to the Caribbean in the 1960s. I love them.
Our favorite restaurant was Le Bistro, the French-inspired specialty restaurant, where everyone enjoys an oceanview. The cuisine was delightful. My niece, Samantha, the vegetarian, was thrilled with her entrees at each of the restaurants we tried. Kaitlyn was daring and tried escargot for the first time - she thinks it was her favorite dish on the entire cruise.
And of course, we had to do some girl bonding in the Mandara onboard spa. Hot stone massages for everyone! What better way to spend my annual company bonus, right? I agree.
For shorter cruises, long on luxury, get on board Norwegian Sky. Depart Miami for 3 or 4 days - and if you can, get that Owner's Suite! On second thought, don't! I want it all to myself!
No comments:
Post a Comment