You’ve decided to sail with NCL on the Norwegian Spirit. But what stateroom do you choose? Our first time sailing with an interior stateroom was on the Norwegian Spirit, so I wanted to share information and photos to help other cruisers pick the best stateroom for their needs. We’ve laid out the features of the mid-ship inside stateroom including the bathroom, storage options, and some personal insights.
NCL Cruise: Norwegian Spirit Mid-Ship Inside Stateroom 10565 Review
Our mid-ship inside room #10565 was approximately 149 sq ft located on deck 10 and suitable for up to 4 guests. While we weren’t able to choose our preferred room category of a balcony on a higher floor, we were able to at least get a stateroom on a higher floor, located mid-ship and not have a room underneath the pool deck or near the theatre.
New to cruising? See more information on picking the best stateroom for your cruise. We explain stateroom categories, locations, views and more.
The stateroom was in need of an update. There were some large gouges and scrapes on the storage cabinet and the overall look of the room cried out for modernization. Occasionally we smelled smoke in the room, but couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. However, the room was clean and had lots of storage space. Storage is particularly important when you have 4 people sharing one relatively small room for 10 nights.
Along the back wall, there were 2 single beds that pushed together, converting to a queen-size bed, a pullman, and one single bed that stayed tucked under the double bed during the day. Our 3 suitcases slid underneath the other side of the double bed. It was definitely tight when all the beds were out, fully taking up one side of the room. There wasn’t a space to get out on the sides of the beds, so we had to scoot on and off from the bottom. However, everyone had plenty of space to sleep and the bedding and pillows were clean and comfortable.
Our stateroom attendant was friendly and did a great job cleaning our room. Most days, the room was made up and turned down as soon as we left for breakfast or dinner.
The biggest negative about the stateroom was the level of the “reading” lamps above the bed right at pillow height. I’m not sure why these haven’t been moved. You literally sleep with your pillow on the lamp. Someone made a serious mistake with that design. Derrick hit his head on the lamp on multiple occasions and we met another cruiser with a large cut on his (bald) head. He said that he cut it on the lamp. Hopefully the removal or relocation of those lamps will be a priority when the ship goes into dry dock.
Walking into the room, there was a large closet storage unit along the left wall. We found the closet space to be adequate with just enough hangers. However, if you need more than 12 hangers, you may want to bring a few of your own. Inside the closet were 4 deep shelves to store other clothes. This is also where the life jackets and pullman ladder are stored as well as a small safe.
Continuing down the unit was an area of the TV, mini fridge and 4 drawers. Next to the unit was a small desk with mirror and a chair. We placed the majority of our items in the closet either hanging or on the shelves. All our undergarments went into the drawers. Each family member had their own drawer and shelf. To keep things simple, Derrick had the top shelf and drawer while Lucy had the bottom. We were able to keep our shoes in the bottom of the closet along with our laundry bag.
Our electronics charged on the desk next to the stateroom phone, but left little space for placing other items. The phone itself only worked part of the time. Maintenance attempted to fix it, but the problem was never solved. Not always being able to retrieve messages was an issue, as we used the phone as a way for K to check-in (he’d leave messages at a specific time).
Probably my favorite feature of the entire stateroom was the larger shower. We’ve been on ships with tiny little corner showers with plastic shower curtains that stick to your bum. This shower was wide, had a sliding glass door and an adjustable shower head that could easily accommodate taller guests. Plus the water pressure was fantastic! The shower had a pullout line to hang wet clothes and a peg to hang clothes or, in our case, swim goggles. There were also 3 pegs on the outside of the shower door perfect for hanging towels or wet bathing suits.
The hair dryer was ancient with an old-fashioned flexible hose. It worked well enough for K’s hair, but I’d recommend bringing your own if you blow dry your’s. Just note that there isn’t another outlet in the bathroom and the American outlet by the desk specifically stated “no hairdryer.” The UK and European outlets should work fine, though.
The vanity was fairly large with a decent amount of storage. There were 4 small shelves beside the mirror and a long shelf under the sink. That amount of storage, in addition to my hanging toiletry bag, was plenty of space for my family to keep our personal care items.
An arm chair finished off the furniture in the room with 2 hooks on the wall next to the thermostat. We used the hooks primarily for hanging sweaters and Lucy’s lanyard in the evening. When cruising it’s particularly important that everything have it’s place!
As previously mentioned, our mid-ship inside stateroom (IA) has approximately 149 sq ft. There were family inside rooms that ranged in size from 153 – 281 sq ft. I would have loved the extra space as every sq ft counts on a cruise ship; however, I didn’t like the location of the remaining family rooms. I wanted to be on a higher floor and I wasn’t too keen on a room next to the stairs. However, other cruisers reported that noise wasn’t an issue.
While I would have loved more space and a balcony, the mid-ship inside room was suitable for our needs. Especially since we booked the cruise 90 days before sailing and there weren’t a lot of stateroom choices available. If you also have older children, I would suggest trying out one of the family inside rooms. Things start getting a bit squishy once teenagers get involved.
*The decorations were part of a media benefit and won’t be in your stateroom unless pre-ordered.
Have you cruised on the Norwegian Spirit in an inside room? Share your cruise Norwegian Spirit thoughts.
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