goodoggy

Thinking about booking the 4 day cruise to the bahamas on the norwegian sky. I have never been on a cruise before and I think i would enjoy the free-style cruising. There are 3 couples all in their mid-twenties hoping to attend. We will be going during the April vacation week since some of us are teachers. the price just seeems to great to pass up! Any suggestions would be great!

gail

We did exactly the same cruise last spring - 3 cabins, including 3 19-year olds, 3 middle-aged women, and my mother, age 80. We all had a great time - there is a trip report somewhere here on this board.

Just keep your expectations realistic - it is so incredibly inexpensive (where else could you get food, lodging and activities for that price). The food was fine - just not small gourmet restaurant quality - always something that I enjoyed eating. Ship was full but did not feel over-crowded. I did not even get off the ship in one of the Bahama stops. The "private island" stop was fine - basic grilled food, not quite enough lounge chairs, but enjoyed basking in the sun so I could go back to New England with a tan.

I think you will have a fun time. Read some reviews on cruisecritic website, but read carefully - people who complain about the brand of tea and no lobster do not,l in my opinion, have reasonable expectations for a 4-night inexpensive cruise.

Vettman454

My wife and I took this exact cruise last January. It was our third NCL cruise. This was the shortest and least expensive. The Sky is one of their older and smaller ships. It used to be used on the Hawaiian cruise route. For the price it couldn't be beat. We had a balcony cabin and it cost us $399 for the two of us. You couldn't stay in Florida for the weekend, eat out three times a day, and get away that cheap. The food is fine. Just don't expect gourmet food. The casino is a little smaller than the big ships but still felt to be just the right size. The balcony had a metal wall instead of the clear plexiglass used on the newer ships. Still, the balcony is a welcome break from the room, which is also somewhat smaller than the newer ships. For the money we felt that the Sky was an excellent value. Enjoy your cruise. You will come home with many good memories. Also, when you book, if you book direct with NCL, ask about all possible discounts. I got discounts for being a former military member and also for being over 55. Not big discounts but it always pays to ask.

Spfspark

My wife and I went on this cruise last August. We had so much fun that we have already booked the same cruise, on the same ship, at the same time for this year. Only difference is we are bringing more money. Things on board aren't really that expensive, but...ok I'll say it...we like to drink. Hey, its a vacation right?? LOL. We also took advantage of the hot stone massage (highly recommended). The food is good from the "inclusive" restaurants. Even better food in the non-inclusive, specifically the Le Bistro. Freestyle cruising is awesome. You can do what you want, where you want, when you want. It is a good idea, however, that if you want to go to one of the specialty restaurants that you make a reservation. You don't have to, but that way you are ensured a table of your choice for when you want to eat.

Have a great time!!

LLindaC

I would sooner have a nail run through my foot. If you want a nice short cruise, do RCCL's Enchantment or the Grandeur/Enchantment.

LLindaC

Oops- I meant to say the Navigator. A first class ship doing short cruises and many, many activities for all.

goodoggy

Thanks Spfspark - we also enjoy a beverage here and there.. for the price it seems to good to pass up

melody55

My husband and I just took our first cruise on the Sky from Jan 18th to 22nd. Since it was our first, I don't have others for a comparison but can tell you our thoughts are on this one. We had a balcony room which was quite nice and had plenty of room. We had coffee delivered every morning to enjoy the balcony. The food on the buffet was adequate but nothing to rave about (but I still managed to gain about 6 pounds. We ate at one of the specialty restaurants, Cagneys steak house, which was excellent. It was an additional charge of $25 per person. The atmosphere was very quiet and food wonderful. You really need to keep track of your bill while on the cruise. Drinks add up very quickly along with the $12 per person daily service charge. Also you need to note that there is an automatic 18% gratuity added to all drink charges. Most drinks were around $12 each unless you ordered beer. We did 2 excursions, one for an island tour of Nassau and one to rent snorkeling equipment on the private island. Our bill was $789 when we left the ship. Although we had a good idea of what we were spending, it would be very easy for the total to surprise you at the end if not careful. Staff were very pleasant and helpful and other passengers were great as well.
It seemed like much of the night time entertainment was geared more towards the 20-30 crowd (we are in our 50's). The casino was small, but we were always able to find a seat at our game of choice and my husband did play in a poker and blackjack tournament and enjoyed them.
The gym was great and I took my first spinning class. The gym facilities are free but the specialty classes such as spinning, pilates and yoga were $12 plus the 18% gratuity.

We were happy with this cruise as our first and don't have any regrets. We are looking forward to another cruise but will probably try another line just to have a comparison.

AAFrequentFlyer

<b>melody55</b>,

thanks for the review.

We have one question. Do the cabins on the Sky actually look like the pictures on their website? By "actually" I don't mean that it has to be exact same color, but the basic design and the "freshness" of the cabins?

Thanks in advance.

FYI, I did 2 long (14 day transatlantic and 11 day repositioning) cruises solo with Celebrity and loved it. That was almost 10 years ago. We are couple of days away from doing a short (4 day) Royal Caribbean and hear very good things about that line. I can recommend Celebrity and I will let you know about RC as soon as we get back.