www.CRUISESHIPODYSSEY.com
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All text and photographs (unless stated otherwise) © Paul Timmerman NCL has made several alterations in the lay-out of the decks, but retained the design made by interior architect Tillberg, the firm that was originally appointed by Costa. When building the Seaward, one of NCL's earlier vessels (1988), and also when the Dreamward and Windward (1992-3) were introduced, NCL claimed to have "listened" to their passengers as many comment forms indicated that most guests preferred informal and intimate dining rooms, and not a two or three deck high dining room. Following this policy, Norwegian Sky has three separate dining rooms located on the same deck (Atlantic Deck), two of which are fairly large, the Four Seasons Dining Room midships and the Seven Seas Dining Room aft at the far end of the same deck. In between is the small Horizons restaurant which kind of `connects` both other restaurants as it has the shape of a corridor, running along the starboard side of the vessel.
Of the above mentioned dining-rooms, Four Seasons and Seven Seas each seat appr. 600 guests, while Horizons is the most intimate restaurant accommodating just 84 and features tables for two or four. Large windows offer picturesque views. Before the entrance of the Seven Seas Dining Room, a small atrium is located, called Neptune´s Court which is decorated according to the theme of the ancient Greek underwater city of Atlantis. Other facilities aboard the Norwegian Sky..... An endless variety of bars and lounges are available: Checkers Cabaret on Promenade deck which offers live music and is claimed to be the largest cabaret bar (whatever that may be...) at sea, seating 309 passengers. Also on Promenade deck are the Windjammer Bar, Churchill's Cigar Club and the lower level of the two deck high main show lounge the Stardust Lounge. One deck up, on International deck, we find the Atrium Bar, Coffee Bar and Casino Bar. On Pool Deck the the Topsiders Bar, Sports Bar, and Garden Cafe are situated, on Sports deck finally the last watering hole, the Gatsby's Wine Bar invites you.... In total the Norwegian Sky offers 12 bars and lounges, 8 restaurants, 5 jacuzzi's , 2 swimming pools, a fitness center/ spa. As NCL themselves put it: "the Sky is the limit". It is obvious that NCL has tried to create a number of smaller public spaces aboard, in order to keep a vessel of this size more intimate. Several bars and lounges have a capacity of 50 - 100 guests. Of course Norwegian Sky has ample deck space, and on the vessels' top deck, the Sports deck, a kids pool and a jacuzzi are placed forward. Must be a great view from this jacuzzi.....
Horizons Restaurant, Atlantic deck Staterooms are available in every size one can imagine, ranging from grade AA Owners Suite to grade N inside stateroom. All have a TV, refrigerator, safe etc. Suites and Penthouses feature floor-to-ceiling glass doors and a balcony. Those who are fortunate enough to be able to afford the owners suite will enjoy butler/ concierge service. Freestyle Cruising , a concept invented by NCL was introduced on the Norwegian Sky. Onboard this ship NCL offers passengers this concept of free choice when and where to dine, and to dress up only if passengers feel like it, to name some aspects of Freestyle Cruising. Freestyle Cruising was such an immediate succes when it was introduced , that several competing cruise lines have copied parts of it. Other lines stick to offering a traditional cruise with formal nights, dress code and fixed seatings with fixed table arrangements for dinner. Norwegian Sky was NCL´s first ship where Freestyle Cruising was implemented on May 28, 2000, after the new concept had been tested for two months and had been very positively received by her passengers. Again, NCL had contributed an important innovation to the cruise industry. On Norwegian Sky, an Internet Cafe is available to passengers. Today present on most ships, even the older ships have one, where passengers can send or receive e-mail and surf the net. The Sky was the first cruise ship ever to have an internet cafe, hers is located within the ships Coffee Bar on International Deck. Additionally, Norwegian Sky became the first NCL ship to offer in-stateroom connections to the Internet.
Why not surf to NCL's website on the internet www.ncl.com, where it is possible to select one of the ships of the NCL fleet which all have bridge cams, video camera's showing the view from the bridge over the ships bows every minute or so. In this way, after these shots have been downloaded to the site it is possible to see where the ships are sailing at the time. Starting October 2004, after refurbishment , Norwegian Sky will become part of Project America, when she will start sailing in Hawaiian waters as Pride of Aloha. In Project America, several of NCL´s ships will sail in US waters with an American crew. She will be joined by Pride of America, currently under construction in Germany, which will start cruising in Hawaii in the spring of 2004. Probably the recently acquired United States and the Independence, two famous classic passenger ships will join Project America also.
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