Review of the Norwegian Sky: A 5-Day Caribbean Cruise from Miami to Cozumel & Great Stirrup Cay

In November 2022, my husband and I took our 3rd cruise: A 5-day trip from Miami to Cozumel and Great Stirrup Cay on the Norwegian Sky.

It's crazy to think about the fact that before October 2021, I had never been on a cruise before... and in July 2023, I'll take my 4th one! That's how much we love cruising.

We ended up booking this cruise less than 2 weeks before embarkation day. Once my husband realized that cruise ship prices often drop as embarkation day approaches, he started keeping an eye on potential itineraries. 

When he realized that there was a cruise leaving from Miami at a time we'd be in Florida, we decided to go ahead and book it. Because if there's one thing that the pandemic taught me (and then 2022 in general confirmed), it was to not take time for granted.

So with 2 weeks to go, we booked a 5-day cruise to Cozumel (in Mexico) and Great Stirrup Cay (Norwegian's private island in the Bahamas) on the Norwegian Sky!

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tips + general info
  • Thoughts on the ship + itinerary: We'd previously sailed around the Greek islands on the Norwegian Jade in October 2021 and then around Alaska on the Norwegian Encore in May 2022. 

    The Sky (built in 1995 and refurbished in 2019) is noticeably older than the Jade (built in 2005 and refurbished in 2017) and the Encore (built in 2019). And the shorter itinerary didn't quite measure up to seeing multiple Greek islands or cities in Alaska. However, I was really looking forward to swimming with the pigs and seeing Norwegian's private island in the Bahamas. And not only is it always nice not to have to cook and do dishes for 5 days, we love just being on a cruise ship in general, so we were happy to have two Sea Days.
  • The NCL app: NCL has an app that you can use on board, and it comes with a messaging app. The ship also provides a daily newsletter with helpful info about each port, including weather expectations.
  • Swimming with the pigs! I was all about this excursion, but I did have some concerns (I read other reviews that said it can be pretty gross, since the pigs are obviously wild and will go to the bathroom anywhere, and potentially painful, if the pigs trod on your feet). So I packed an older and cheaper swimsuit to wear with the pigs and bought water shoes in advance to try to protect my feet just in case. Also: As with any wild animal, there is a risk. I go into more detail below about how to avoid injuring yourself or the pigs!
  • Grand Stirrup Cay: Several of the larger cruise lines have their own private island in the Bahamas, and Grand Stirrup Cay is Norwegian's. As a result, your food and drink package carries over to the island, since everything is prepared and served by Norwegian. With our package, we didn't have to pay for anything on the island. The food is similar to what you'd get in the complimentary buffet, though nothing too fancy.
Somehow I always forget to take a photo of the room before my husband and I drop all our luggage!
  • The room: This was definitely the smallest balcony cabin we've had on our 3 cruises, but since this ship was built years before the others, we somewhat expected that.
The door to our balcony — my husband didn't like it as much as the sliding doors on our previous cruises, but I thought it was fun and whimsical!

food + drink

Like other Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) ships, the Sky offered freestyle dining, which means "you can dine when and where you want, with no fixed dining times or pre-assigned seating." I'm a huge fan of this because I like snacking all day long and never know what time I'll be ready to eat real meals, based on wake-up/exercise/excursions!

We always get the food and drink package that includes at least one specialty dining and all beverages $15 and under. This means when we're on the ship, we don't have to pay for any drinks unless they exceed $15 (and then we pay the difference — so, for example, if a drink is $17, I would have $2 and associated gratuities charged to my onboard account). 

The Norwegian Sky offers several complimentary dining options (including two main dining rooms at the Crossings and palace; a buffet in the Garden Café; and casual/on-the-go dining), as well as specialty dining that you can pay to add on to your food and drink package or pay à la carte.

A late night snack at the Local Bar & Grill. I ordered a Mudslide, which is made with SKYY vodka, Maloney’s Irish Cream, Kahlúa, and chocolate. Tastes very much like a milkshake!

The specialty dining options include Cagney's Steakhouse; the Italian restaurant La Cucina; the French restaurant Le Bistro; and Pinnacle Lounge and Sushi Bar.

Le Bistro is our favorite and we have used one of our specialty dining reservations there on every single one of our cruises!

Dinner at Le Bistro! I always get the escargot as my appetizer, and on this cruise I also got the cream of mushroom soup



My dessert: Marquise au Chocolat (check out the Le Bistro sample menu here)

And of course, there are bars around the ship!

The menu at Topsiders Bar and Grill on the pool deck

activities + entertainment

The Sky has a casino, theater, spa, fitness center, and basketball/volleyball court on it, as well as some lounges and some sort of area for children and for teenager (since I don't have kids, I'm not sure what all this area consists of).


I was less active on this cruise than we have been on previous ones, mostly because I was trying to get some work done (with a view!) instead of rushing around trying every activity. However, my husband attended several shows, and we did fit in time for more Harry Potter trivia... which we ended up winning this time!


what i packed

I am an extreme over-packer. I always want to bring my whole closet. But I figured this cruise was an excuse to wear some of my more extra outfits! So here's what I packed:

As per usual, I definitely did not need all the clothing I packed... so there were definitely a few days I changed outfits multiple times just to get the most out of it!

itinerary

Embarkation Day: Miami

View of Miami from our room

We were on board the ship by 12noon and straight to the pool deck and Topsiders Bar & Grill for drinks by the pool! Then we took some time to explore the ship, including the jogging track... I wanted to make the most of the warm weather!

We ate dinner in one of the Main Dining Rooms that night, and then my husband headed to bed early while I walked along the outside deck listening to the waves and people-watching.

Day 1: Sea Day

View within the complimentary dining room Crossings

A very lazy day! We did some work, enjoyed the pool, used the jogging track, and ate at the complimentary restaurants.

Day 2: Cozumel


We spent most of the day on the ship, enjoying having it at less capacity than the previous days. However, in the afternoon, we changed our mind not to see Cozumel at all and decided to venture off the ship just to get in some quick sight-seeing.

However, there didn't seem to be much to see right at the NCL pier. But it looks like the offered NCL excursions for Cozumel include ATV riding, swimming with dolphins, and learning to salsa, among others! (The Mesoamerican reef, which includes the Cozumel reef, is the second largest reef system in the world.)

Before we decided we'd stay on the ship, I'd searched to see what folks suggested at this port — and it came very highly praised! Here were the most popular recommendations:
  • Nachi Cocom Cozumel Beach Club & Water Sport Center (an all-inclusive beach club — there is a fee per person to get in and making reservations in advance is recommended)
  • Chankanaab Beach Adventure Park (a water park with a lagoon for snorkeling, diving, and swimming with dolphins)
  • A tiki bar called Wet Wendys (walking distance from the port)
  • Paradise Beach Cozumel (an all-inclusive beach club — there is a fee per person to get in)
  • Mr. Sanchos (a beach club — there is a fee per person to get in and reservations are recommended)
  • Punta Sur Eco Beach Park
  • Passion Island
  • A food tour like Chocolate Factory, Mayan Culture, Flavored Tequila & Tacos on Viator (affiliate link)

Day 3: Sea Day

Dressed for the ship's white-out party on the pool deck

A very similar day to our first Sea Day! However, we ended this day by using our specialty dining reservation at Le Bistro. Just like our previous 2 times dining at Le Bistro, we greatly enjoyed the food and the ambiance.

Day 4: Great Stirrup Cay


This was definitely the day we were most excited about! My husband was excited to spend the day on a ~private island~ while I was excited to swim with pigs and find the infamous swing set in the water.

And it was just what we wanted! If you're expecting an experience like you'd receive at a 5-star all-inclusive luxury resort, I don't think it's quite that, but if you're just looking to hang out by the beach, grab drinks, and relax in the sun overlooking gorgeous water, it's perfect for that.

Of course, there are other things to do besides swim with the pigs or lie back in one of the many lounge chairs! You can rent snorkel gear, standup paddleboards (SUPs), and kayaks, and there are also beach games like volleyball. Not to mention other excursions like zip-lining and parasailing!

Lastly, I believe you can also book spa treatments on the island (as opposed to on the Sky) and rent luxury villas for the day.

Day 5: to Miami (Disembarkation Day)

We were off the ship by 9am and ready to head back to Naples, Florida, to see my parents!

photo diary

day 1: miami

Outfit to board the ship!
Tank top: Banana Republic | Shorts: BLANK NYC | Sneakers: Brooks (affiliate link)



day 2: sea day

Nail polish: Essie in blanc (affiliate links here and here)


Earrings: Red Dress Boutique | Jean jacket: Old Navy | Romper: Goodnight Macaroon

day 3: cozumel


The water at Cozumel was so pretty.

The pier at Cozumel. There didn't seem to be much to do in the area right off the ship, but we never really planned on getting off the ship (we wanted to take advantage of the empty ship), so we didn't look at the excursions.




Sunglasses: Ray Ban in green mirror (affiliate link, also available here) | Earrings: Gifted | Top: Express (old) | Skirt: Lulus (affiliate link) | Sandals: Steve Madden (affiliate link)

... can you tell my husband is an Astros fan...?

day 4: sea day

Changed outfits for dinner at Le Bistro :)
Earrings: Red Dress Boutique | Dress: Lulus (affiliate link) | Purse: Tory Burch

The ship had a white-out party later that night!

Earrings: Red Dress Boutique | Dress: Red Dress Boutique (affiliate link)

day 5: great stirrup cay

Since the water around Great Stirrup Cay is shallow, we got onto a smaller boat (the "tender") to make our way to Great Stirrup Cay!

Straw hat: Nordstrom (affiliate link) | Sunglasses: Kate Spade (affiliate link) | Swimsuit: Amazon (affiliate link)

The tender arriving on Great Stirrup Cay


Huge fan of this entrance :)

One thing I noticed was that there were beach-friendly wheelchairs available.

Our excursion passes for swimming with the pigs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This excursion is actually on nearby Treasure Island, so we took a quick boat ride over.

So these are obviously wild animals, but they can be bribed with apples on skewers. The staff would hold the skewer over you and the pig would jump on your back to get to it. We were later given our own skewers and apple slices to feed them directly down in the water.

As you can surmise, they will do anything for food.

The staff repeatedly emphasized that you have to be careful with the skewers and apple slices for both the pigs' sake and for your own. 

Depending on how you are holding your skewer or the apple slices, the pig could potentially chomp at your fingers in its attempt to get the apple slice. (One staff member missing a finger claimed that's how he'd lost the finger.) 

And if you're holding the skewer at the wrong angle, you risk the pig accidentally stabbing itself on the skewer when it goes for the apple slice.

You can see the skewer in this photo.

I didn't want to wear a new or expensive swim suit in case the pigs ruined it, so I wore this Amazon suit, and I bought water shoes to try to protect my toes from the pigs' hooves.

Sunglasses: Illesteva (affiliate link) | Swimsuit: Amazon (affiliate link) | Shorts: Abercrombie (affiliate link) | Water shoes: Amazon (affiliate link) 


We stayed in this little area with the pigs. It's not so much "swimming" with the pigs as it is wading in shallow water with them (which maybe everyone else but me knew/expected, haha!). So it was not as gross as I was afraid it would be... and the baby piglets were so freaking cute!


Can you see the zip line?


After our pigs excursion, I changed into a different swim suit... so time for a photoshoot, haha!

Bandana: Amazon (affiliate link) | Sunglasses: Illesteva (affiliate link) | Swim suit: Summersalt (affiliate link, although I think my design has since sold out)

Straw hat: Nordstrom (affiliate link) | Swim suit: Summersalt (affiliate link)








Bandana: Amazon (affiliate link) | Sunglasses: Kate Spade (affiliate link) | Swim suit: Summersalt (affiliate link) | Shorts: Abercrombie (affiliate link) | Straw hat: Nordstrom (affiliate link) | Lanyard: Amazon (affiliate link) | Sandals: Tory Burch (affiliate link)


Back on the ship early to grab a spot by the pool... and a cocktail!




If you've read my other reviews, you'll likely notice we weren't as active on this cruise as on our previous ones. That was definitely by choice, as I really just wanted to relax on this trip.

So all in all, this cruise was exactly what we were looking for when we booked it — 5 days to relax out on the water; eat and drink without having to cook or do dishes; and swim with the pigs!

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