50,764 tons
1,748 passengers
754 feet long
94 feet at beam
10 decks
Crew of 614
International crew
Bahamas registry
Built in 1993 as the Windward
Stretched in 1998
Major refit: March, 2001
Quality Rating:
Value Rating:
Best For People Who Want:
Plenty of alternative dining options; An older, convivial ship with intimate cabins, a lively atmosphere, and bargain fares.
Should Be Avoided By People Who Prefer:
large cabins with balconies, uncrowded ships, the imaginative decor of Carnival or luxurious surroundings of Princess.
Article continues below
Onboard Experience:
From the moment you step into this 1,748-passenger Norwegian Wind's circular marble lobby, you know that, whether you choose to gamble in the casino, enjoy a show in the comfortable Stardust Lounge, or dance in the Dazzles disco, as long as you are happy with the bargain price you probably paid to sail on this older ship you are in for a very good time indeed.
Originally built considerably smaller, the ship was "stretched" in 1998 at a German shipyard, with new 130-foot midsection inserted. The good news is that there's more room in the public rooms on board, but the bad news is that it is filled with all those passengers from the cabins that were also added. Many public rooms lead into one another now, so the extra open deck space is especially welcome. Younger passengers will like this ship, especially the video arcade and special programs available for both youngsters and teens.
Decor:
Norwegian Wind is decorated in subtle pastels complementing muted blues and greens. A diverse selection of original art adorns the passageways and stairwells. Full-length windows flood most public areas in light.
Public Rooms:
These ships may well offer the most varied collection of public rooms
afloat. On Deck 13, a low-key martini bar overlooks the pool area one
deck below. Further aft is Cagney's, a 1930s-style American
steakhouse. Below, on Deck 12, the airy, forward-facing Spinnaker
Lounge functions as an observation lounge during the day and a
secondary showroom at night. Nearby are two card rooms, a genuine
reading room complete with writing desks, and a tranquil library. Deck
12 aft is also home to the Barong Fitness Center and the Garden Cafe
buffet-style eatery. Unlike too many modern ships, the shopping area
isn't laid out to make you feel as though you're in a mall ashore, but
in an elegant duty-free shop.
Other public rooms are spread out over three decks. Around one level
of the atrium is the Salsa Restaurant and Bar, from which you can
observe the patrons of the Java Café to the accompaniment of live
music. Just aft of the atrium on the port side, the English-style
tavern serves fish and chips with malt vinegar while a guitarist
encourages his listeners to do the singing.
The state-of-the-art Dawn Club Casino, forward on Deck 6, features
blackjack, mini baccarat, roulette, three-card poker, and Caribbean
stud poker, not to mention craps tables. Before dining at Le Bistro,
you may well want to enjoy a drink at Gatsby's Champagne Bar, an
elegant, faux Art Deco lounge with a two-story-high ceiling. Nearby,
the Havana Cigar Club seats a dozen on leather. Besides other bars,
the ships also have Internet cafe, conference rooms, additional bars
and extensive teen and children facilities, including a large outdoor
playground and pool.
Cuisine:
The desserts are delicious beyond our paltry ability to describe. The nachos and fresh popcorn in the Sports Bar are marvelous, and the chocoholic buffet will make many passengers feel as though they've died and gone to Heaven! The pizza's not sensational, and the burgers are sub-par. NCL's Free-style dining service offers open seating dining and a huge choice of onboard restaurants - everything from French bistros to steakhouses to sushi bars. Room service is available around the clock.
Restaurants:
The two main dining rooms are on Deck 9. The Terrace, situated aft, has acres of glass and views of a swimming pool and beyond to the sea. The Four Seasons Restaurant, midship with glass walls on both sides, has no tables without views. There are quite a few tables for two in each restaurant.
Alternative dining venues include The Sun Terraces, a virtual solarium due to its huge windows, serves traditional Italian trattoria food from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Le Bistro is open from 5:30 p.m. to closing. There's expanded seating in the Sports Bar and Grill, open. serving buffet style breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks throughout the day. You'll also find an on-deck Caribbean Night barbecue with jerk chicken, pork, ribs, and fish. Freshly baked pizza is always available at the Cafe and Pizzeria. The 24-hour room service menu has a section just for kids.
A major part of Freestyle Cruising is the change in dining arrangements. In addition to new dining choices, open, restaurant-style seating in the main dining rooms gives passengers the option to choose their dinner companions each evening and request tables of any size, seating from two to ten people.
Service:
The staff, recruited from all over the globe, is generally attentive and pleasant.
Tipping:
NCL automatically adds a fixed service charge of $10 to the shipboard accounts of passengers over 13 to make service personnel feel appreciated; children between three and 12 are charged $5. Those under three get off scot-free.
While further tipping is not compulsory, NCL recommends a 15 percent gratuity for bar service and urges the beneficiaries of concierge or butler services to come up with a little something extra. All else is at the passenger's discretion.
Entertainment:
NCL's Broadway musicals and production shows have been keeping Jean Ann Ryan Productions in chocolate and nylons for years. JAR shows generally feature themes like "Salute to Hollywood" or Broadway, or the Fifties. Whatever they are saluting, the shows offer ongoing medleys of popular songs, lively dance-steps, costumes that look like costumes, unusually tall dancers, and an adagio duet who perform beautiful pas de deux. If you like cruise ship production shows, you'll like these.
Dazzles Disco stays open to the wee hours with a D.J. who does his best to tailor his mix to the crowd. The Sports Bar & Grill is almost always packed with sports fans gathered to ogle live ESPN broadcasts on banks of huge TV's. The inviting Observation Lounge offers panoramic views by day and a live band at night. Chockfull of memorabilia, the Sports Bar.
There are a variety of intimate watering holes to sip cocktails, most of them on the Star deck. The expanded casino (yet small by modern standards) is dark in the old-style Las Vegas manner, but with six blackjack tables, one roulette, one dice, one Caribbean Stud Poker, one Let it Ride table and 158 slots -- enough to please all but the most compulsive gambler. For the ultra-active, NCL's excellent shore excursion program features snorkeling and diving (even in Alaska!), hiking, kayaking and biking. The Internet Café is open 24 hours, charging the usual 75 cents/minute.
Cabins:
Mostly on the small side, the cabins are still comfortable and pleasantly decorated. Given that there are very few balcony cabins available, the standard outside are the best deals at 160 sq. feet, with safe, hair dryer, color TV and separate sitting area. There isn't a world of storage, and the bathroom is small, but there are shelves for your toiletries and as a rarity on a cruise ship, the shower is actually tall enough to accommodate many NBA point guards, albeit not all at once.
Inside cabins include the same amenities and are spacious enough to accommodate up to four. The Penthouse Suites are 194 sq. feet with floor-to-ceiling windows, as are the superior penthouse suites, which offer private balconies, mini-refrigerators and concierge service.
Do note that not everyone who uses the jogging track on Promenade Deck pays scrupulous attention to the posted times; those in cabins below may find themselves being awakened earlier than they counted on. Note also that the views from the six 384-square-foot Superior Deluxe Penthouse Suites amidships on Norway Deck are partially obstructed by the overhang of the restaurant above.
Fitness/Spa:
The Norwegian Wind's fitness center is divided into two small square rooms --one with aerobic exercise machines, the other with strengthening equipment. Because there are only four treadmills, four Stairmasters and five stationery bikes, the room is often filled to capacity with passengers waiting in line to work out.
The Steiner Spa offers massage, sauna and Balinese-inspired treatments. There are also a full-sized basketball court on the Sun Deck, a golf driving range, and a jogging track. Aerobics classes are scheduled throughout the day. The large swimming pool midship has a terraced deck and is protected from the elements, but the more inhibited will want to head aft, to a smaller pool offering greater seclusion.
Kids:
NCL offers "Kid Crew" -- age-appropriate activities ranging from parties and video arcades to learning sessions -- to Junior Sailors, ages 2-5; First Mates aged 6-8; Navigators, aged 9-12 and Teens aged 13-17. Staff members won't change diapers, but you'll be given a beeper so the staff can let you know that your Junior Sailor has committed an indiscretion. There are cribs for younger passengers.
In-cabin private babysitting is no longer offered, but group babysitting for ages two to 12 is available from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. each evening and on port days from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a fee.
Attire:
The designated dress code is "resort casual," which for ladies means sundresses, blouses, sweaters, slacks and skirts, and for their male companions shirts with collars, such as polo shirts, and khakis or trousers. Dressing up for formal nights is optional, as informal attire is permitted in several areas, but jeans, shorts, T-shirts, swimsuits and beachwear are forbidden in the restaurants after 5:30 p.m. On the one formal night per one-week cruise, most men say to hell with it and put on a dark suit instead of a tux.
