The countdown to the end of this 9-day cruise on the Norwegian Sky is on, and we’re spending the day at sea as we sail to our final port of call, Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas, Norwegian Cruise Line’s private island.
Sea days are typically bustling with activity around the pool deck. It’s common to see early risers playing the role of “chair hog,” claiming their favorite loungers by draping towels over them, only for those towels to sit there until the sun sets. However, as I mentioned in the Day 2 report, the chair hogs have been notably absent on this cruise, and there has been no shortage of space to lay out both around the pool and on the open decks.
Today was no different. Throughout the morning and afternoon, I kept checking to see how crowded the pool area would get, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it never reached capacity. There was always plenty of room, a rarity on most cruises.
Older ships like the Norwegian Sky prioritize outdoor space, understanding that most guests want to spend their time enjoying the Caribbean sun. As ships have grown in size over the years, outdoor space has often been sacrificed in favor of more revenue-generating venues like up-charge dining options, additional bars, and retail kiosks. Promenade decks, once a staple for walkers and joggers, have been converted into private lanais for staterooms commanding higher prices.
The Sky, however, retains its ample open deck space, perfect for sun worshipers, and features a full wrap-around Promenade deck for those looking to burn off some of those cruise calories. Unfortunately, unlike older Holland America Line ships that still have steamer chairs lining their decks, the Sky’s Promenade deck lacks seating despite its generous width.
Since there’s not too much to report on during a sea day, let’s dive into the casino experience!
Tour the Casino on Norwegian Sky
Norwegian Cruise Line’s casino player’s club is known as Casinos at Sea, extending across the company’s three brands: Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Joining is as simple as playing with your stateroom key card. Points accumulate as you play slots and table games, with every $5 cycled through a slot machine earning 1 point. This is a bit higher compared to Carnival’s Player’s Club, where you earn 1 point for every $2.50 cycled.
For table games, you’re rated at the table, while video poker earns 1 point for every $10. Points accumulate from cruise to cruise, allowing you to ascend through different tiers, similar to land-based casinos. Currently, there are four levels:
- Pearl – 4,000 points
- Sapphire – 15,000 points
- Ruby – 35,000 points
- Elite – 100,000 points
These levels are based on annual play between April 1 and March 31, with points resetting to 0 on April 1. So, if you aim to maintain Elite status, be prepared to sail and spend accordingly during this period!
Points can be redeemed for a variety of perks, including specialty dining, spa treatments, slot play, or dollars off your final bill. Points redeemed on one ship can be transferred and redeemed on another, and benefits extend across all three of Norwegian’s brands. Thus, your Player Club tier perks are honored on NCL, Regent, and Oceania.
A noteworthy point: if you add money to a slot machine via your stateroom key card, a 3% fee applies unless you’re Sapphire level or above, at which point the fee may be reduced or waived based on your tier. One convenient feature is the ability to transfer your casino cash balance directly to your onboard account without having to cash out at the cage and then visit customer service to have the cash applied. After a recent win, I immediately applied my proceeds to my balance, which was very efficient.
Now, on to dinner. I had one more specialty dining credit to use since I didn’t use the fourth one at the ship’s sushi restaurant. If you’ve been following along, I planned to dine there last night, but the restaurant was brightly lit, empty, and didn’t offer many options for “cooked” sushi, so I skipped it.
My remaining choices were the Italian restaurant, La Cucina, Cagney’s Steakhouse, or the French restaurant, Le Bistro. The French option won out.
Without a reservation, I walked into Le Bistro and was pleasantly surprised to be seated immediately. I started with the Steak Tartare, which was again fantastic. Following that, I had the goat cheese croquettes and beet salad. Despite not being a beet fan, I found it quite palatable.
For the main course, based on my server’s recommendation, I chose the 14oz pork chop. Cooked to a perfect medium rare, it was tender, flavorful, and mouth-watering. Finally, for dessert, I opted for the Fortified Wine Poached Pear with ice cream. Though pears aren’t my favorite fruit, this dessert was refreshing and enjoyable.
The service was impeccable, not rushed, mirroring my previous experience here. While some might think French cuisine is too “foo foo,” I recommend pushing that notion aside and trying Le Bistro on any Norwegian ship. I’m confident you’ll be as delighted as I was on both occasions.
After dinner, I headed to the Pinnacle Lounge, the ship’s observation lounge, for a goodnight cocktail. This beautiful space offers commanding views during the day, piano music in the early evening, and turns into a karaoke lounge after 9:30 pm. Unfortunately, this change transforms an enjoyable space into one overrun by people who simply can’t sing. I feel for the bartenders, servers, and cruise staff who endure this nightly ordeal. How people can enjoy off-key, drunken singing baffles me.
Well, there’s one day to go! In tomorrow’s final report, I’ll provide details about our stop at Great Stirrup Cay and offer an overall review of this cruise, including whether Norwegian Cruise Line will become a regular in my rotation of cruise lines.
Norwegian Sky Daily Programs
The daily programs can be viewed or downloaded in PDF format by clicking on each below.