SUPER ALASKA CRUISE
D. Staterooms on the Norwegian Wind
The staterooms on the Norwegian Wind
The staterooms on the Norwegian Wind are modern and roomy. Most staterooms in classes A through G are identical in size and configuration except categories C, D and E have port holes instead of picture windows. Category P1 staterooms are the same as the A-G staterooms except they have a sliding glass door and a little balcony. The sofa the lady is sitting on (in the picture below) folds out to a single bed. Also, the bed (which has a single mattress when in queen configuration rather than two mattresses put together) may be configured as two single beds. Behind the camera is a dressing desk with bright lighting, a two-section closet and the bathroom. One half of the closet has a bar for hanging stuff, large shelves, and a safe (you set the combination) the size of a small microwave oven. The other half of the closet has another bar for hanging stuff (full length) and shelves every 1.5 feet from the bottom to the top of the closet on the side. There is plenty of room under the bed to store empty suitcases. The curtain behind the bed can be used to divide the stateroom. There is a thermostat located on the side of the closet (near the top) to control the AC/Heat.
This picture was identical to my stateroom, even down to the furnishing colors
except there was also a round ottoman and the view was
different.
Here is a picture of a the same class stateroom (Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom)
set up with two single
beds.
Here is a picture of a Superior Deluxe Penthouse balcony stateroom. (Same
size as stateroom
above.)
I was in a category G stateroom on the Norway deck (8th floor). It was designated a fully obstructed view stateroom which means that there was a lifeboat in front of the stateroom. Since the lifeboat only obstructed the bottom half of the window, my view was pretty good, better than staterooms with portholes on lower decks.
Here is a picture I took of the view from my
window.
Things to pay attention to when making stateroom
reservations.
When you make your reservation on most cruise ships you will usually be able to pick an individual stateroom. Avoid staterooms looking out onto promenade decks or any decks open to all passengers (on the Norwegian Wind: any stateroom on the Promenade deck 7 and the forward facing staterooms on decks 8, 9 and 10). People could be standing in front of your stateroom at any time, blocking your view, and even though it has windows with one-way glass, people can see in any time a light or the TV is on. There are electrical outlets in the stateroom (near the dressing table and in the bathroom); some accept US plugs and some accept a foreign type plug. I don’t think an electrical alarm clock will work because of differences between the ship’s generator and a land based power station. Bring a battery operated alarm clock and an extra battery. I don’t know about the inside stateroom categories and I am not sure if they have safes.
Bathroom
Unless you are a very large person, the bathrooms are ok. You have to step up about 7 inches to enter the bathroom. There is a small sink with hot and cold running water. There is an electric hair dryer (one less thing you need to bring). The shower stall is slightly larger than a phone booth, has a curtain, and the nozzle can be removed for all over washing. Luckily there are drains in both the shower area and in the floor under the sink so you do not have to worry about flooding your stateroom. There are 3 or 4 glass shelves for storing stuff and a towel rack. NCL provides the standard hotel toiletry supplies (shampoo, soaps, lotion, shower cap, bath gel, little sewing kit). The stateroom steward/ess will put out new supplies when they are used up. The toilet warrants a separate paragraph.
Toilet
Toilets on a ship are not like those on land because toilet waste goes to different holding tanks in the bowels of the ship (no pun intended) than other wastewater. The toilets are vacuum operated which means that the lid must be down for effective operation. If you are sitting on it and you make too tight a seal, and flush it, serious bodily harm could result. They accept toilet tissue, but bigger stuff must be thrown in the garbage (bags are provided for modesty). At times when lots of people are using the bathroom within a short period (such as after a show or after the lifeboat drill) the toilet may not work because the vacuum must be reestablished in the ship’s plumbing system. Don’t worry. It may flush itself after a few minutes, or you may have to flush later.
Cabin Stewards/Stewardesses
Unlike in your typical Hilton/Marriott/Motel 6/Hyatt/Super 8/Radisson maid, cabin stewards/esses live on the premises. Therefore they enter your staterooms for cleaning at least twice a day. In the morning they make your bed, change your towels, clean the bathroom, and straighten up the room. In the evening (usually when you are at dinner) they will take off your bedspread, turn down your bed, put a chocolate on your pillow, and clean your bathroom/change towels if you used them. Also, during each visit your ice bucket will be filled with fresh ice. You will have to tip your steward/stewardess. I will outline that in the tipping section. In your stateroom two bottles of spring water are provided. They are not free. There should be notes attached to them explaining their cost (plus gratuity). Unless you want to pay for them just leave them alone.
Room Service
On the Norwegian Wind room service is available. Some items are no charge, except for a gratuity; others will cost you plus gratuity. It is available 24 hours a day. Since I did not use room service, I am not familiar with the details. For more details on tipping, see my section on tipping.
Television
The Television in my stateroom was a 13-inch model with a swivel base and a remote control. The channels vary depending on the ship’s location.
Channels always operating:
- A camera mounted on the front of the ship showing where it is going. (Note: When the ship was in Glacier Bay the sound on this channel was the park guide’s announcements also being broadcast on the ship’s public address system, but not audible in the staterooms.)
- An electronic navigation display showing a real time map where the ship is.
- Several channels running (over and over again) video taped presentations made earlier by the ships staff. Subjects included shore excursions, adventure shore excursions, shopping and sightseeing opportunities at each port of call, other cruises available through NCL, and departure information.
- A movie channel.
- CNN (regular, not Headline News)
Other channels sometimes operating.
- A channel with video explanations of the excursions available at all ports (over and over again).
- A channel showing old National Geographic videos on Alaska (changes each day) (over and over again).
- ESPN
- Local television stations (only when at or near port).
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