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Ship Details
Began service: 1993
Guest capacity: 1,748
Total staff: 754
Length: 680 feet
Passenger decks: 10
CDC
inspection score: 97
Norwegian Wind Overview
The Norwegian Wind cruise ship departs from San Francisco,
CA, Los Angeles, CA, and New Orleans, LA. Throughout
the year, she offers ocean cruises to Alaska, Caribbean, and Panama Canal.
Check Dates &
Prices for cruises to Alaska, Caribbean, and
Panama Canal.
The Norwegian Wind offers a wide array of activities,
dining and entertainment. Active passengers find plenty
to do, including a 24-hour fitness center and an ambitious
shore excursion program that features snorkeling and diving
(even in Alaska!), hiking, kayaking and biking. Norwegian
Cruise Lines top-notch entertainment offerings
include three production shows. The Wind was stretched
in 1998, adding 251 cabins
and new and enlarged public rooms. The ship appeals
to guests of all ages who want a casual and relaxing vacation.
Cabins
There are 15 categories with staterooms featuring
two lower beds that convert to queen, small bathroom with
shower, hairdryer, cabin-controlled thermostat, duvet,
TV, and radio. Inside cabins measure
140 sq. ft.; standard outside cabins
are 152 sq. ft; superior deluxe suites
are 176 sq. ft. Owner's Suites feature
a living room, separate bedroom, picture windows, refrigerator,
stereo with CD library, and tub and shower -those on Sun
Deck have balconies. Penthouse suites
have a sitting area, refrigerator and balconies. All suite
guests enjoy concierge services. Important notes: all
cabins on the port side of the ship are non-smoking. Staterooms
on Promenade Deck open to the jogging
track. Some people may wish to steer clear of forward
cabins on Star Deck and International
Deck as guests need to go through a dining room
or the show lounge to get to other public areas. Some
cabins have fully obstructed views and some with partially
obstructed views so choose carefully.
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Dining
The food is fine, service is good, but the views are the best
-- the three main restaurants all offer panoramic vistas.
Tables for
two, four, six and eight are featured. Freestyle Cruising
is in full swing onboard and dining rooms are open from 5:30pm until
midnight but you must be seated by 10pm. The Sun Terraces
(234 diners) is the nicest, most intimate restaurant, followed by
The Terraces (308 seats). Both have terraced seating
and floor-to-ceiling windows opening up to the ship's tiered aft decks.
The Four Seasons (452 seats) has great tables next
to glass walls on each side. Dining rooms offer open seating breakfast;
lunch is open seating in port so guests can try all three main restaurants.
As part of an alliance with Cooking Light, menus
feature more than 160 of the magazine's delicious recipes. Le
Bistro, a reservations-only, 78-seat alternative restaurant,
serves Italian fare for an additional fee. There is no official Lido
restaurant: the Four Seasons offers buffet breakfast
at sea; and the Sports Bar features buffet breakfast,
lunch, teatime snacks and fresh popcorn, but it is a very small space
for this number of passengers. There is a poolside snack bar/pizzeria,
ice cream bar and a small coffee lounge. The lavish Chocoholic
buffet is the most popular of the midnight snacks. Room service
is available 24 hours.
Entertainment
NCL excels in nighttime entertainment. Smokey Joe's Cafe
is a production featuring 50s and 60s hits such as "Hound Dog"
and "On Broadway", Dazzles Disco is a popular
dancing spot, Sports Bar & Grill broadcasts major
sports events, and the Monte Carlo Casino has six
blackjack tables, one roulette, one dice, one Caribbean Stud Poker,
one Let it Ride table and 158 slots.
Fitness & Recreation
The spa on Sports Deck
has seven rooms for European-style treatments, sauna and a 24-hour
gym with state-of-the-art exercise equipment including five bikes,
four treadmills and four stairsteppers. The main pool has a multi-level
sun deck area that is sheltered from the wind. Additionally, there
is a second outdoor pool, twin Jacuzzis, a basketball/volleyball court,
jogging track, golf-driving net, and Ping-Pong.
Public Areas
Interiors have a contemporary ambiance
with lots of glass walls that afford views of the sea and ports. As
a result of the stretching, the Four Seasons Restaurant
was expanded to encompass the entire width of the ship, so guests
in 86 cabins situated forward of the Four Seasons
have to walk through the dining room to get to the Rendezvous
Bar and other public spaces on their deck. Similarly, on
Star Deck, passengers on forward cabins need to go
through the Stardust Lounge (which may be closed
for shows or rehearsals) or use another deck to get across. The two-level
Stardust Lounge features a stage for revues including
the Sea Legs Circus at Sea, starring Olympians from
around the world. Views are good from most seats. Lucky's,
a horseshoe-shaped piano bar with a dance floor is one of the most
popular lounges on board for a drink after the show. The Observatory
Lounge with its floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides is
a great perch for watching the Alaska wilderness or Caribbean sunsets.;
For people watching, the Rendezvous Lounge
is best. The 24-hour Internet Cafe is equipped with
four computer terminals (cost is 75 cents per minute). This facility,
however, took away the space that had been devoted to a library, which
now consists of several bookshelves on the walls leading to the Internet
Cafe. There is no self-service launderette; laundry and dry
cleaning are available for a fee.
Kids
Young sailors enjoy a playroom and
youth center with video games, jukebox and 45-inch TV. Supervised
activities are offered for ages 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 and 13-17. Eight children's
menus are featured. Baby-sitting (individual or group) is available
for a fee ($8 per hour, individual; $4 per hour for group sessions
for first child, $2 for each additional child in the same family)
between noon and 2am. Arrangements must be made at the Information
Desk 24 hours in advance. A backpack package including souvenir
cup and unlimited sodas is $39.50; the soda package can be purchased
separately for $16. Expectant mothers must present a medical certificate
establishing due date and fitness to travel. NCL will not accept passengers
in their 24th week of pregnancy by the time their travel with the
line concludes.
Expert Norwegian Wind reviews are edited by Michelle, and provided by Ian and Cruise Critic.com,
an award-winning cruise community. This objective information can
help you choose just the right ship for your next cruise vacation.
Check Dates & Prices
for cruises to Alaska, Caribbean, and Panama
Canal.
Norwegian Wind cruise reviews
Cruise
Ship Inspection Report
All passenger cruise ships arriving at US ports are subject to unannounced
CDC inspection. Norwegian Wind
Score: 97
Cruise
Critic: Norwegian Wind
The Cruise Critic gives NCL's Norwegian Wind a 3-ribbon rating.
Web links
NCL
Cruises
Request a brochure, or find a travel agent who represents Norwegian
Cruise Line at the company's official Web site.
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