Writer Eric Amrine based this independent review on his 7-night Bermuda cruise departing from Philadelphia.

Once called Crown Odyssey, Orient Lines’s prestigious vessel that sailed around-the-world voyages, Norwegian Crown now brings her 1,200 passengers to three historic ports in Bermuda in the summer and South American and Caribbean destinations in the winter. This 18-year-old ship is the smallest and oldest in the Norwegian fleet. Crown packs in at least a semblance of the amenities familiar to cruisers aboard larger ships. There’s alternative gourmet and informal dining, a spa, and a casino. But don’t expect flourishes or vast choices. On this excursion, it’s more about the abundant exotica found on the history-drenched island of Bermuda.

Why Norwegian Crown?

• Manageable size: You cannot get lost on this ship, and it takes but a minute or so to stroll the deck end to end. Everything from shops, restaurants, to hot tubs stays within reach no matter where you happen to be.
• Freestyle dining: Norwegian Cruise Line’s tag line attracts the faithfully informal crowd that favors flexible dinner schedules and a new mix of tablemates each night.
• Nostalgia and convenience: Many of the ship’s former passengers from her glory days traveling the seven seas return for the shorter journey to Bermuda, just a short drive for her many East Coast passengers.

Who should go
Crown appeals to almost-retired and senior travelers who create their own good times; she’s a smaller ship with few amenities. Crown cruises are more about itineraries than deck parties, which rarely last more than a few dance medleys. Many passengers come from the Philadelphia and New York areas, especially during Bermuda cruises.

Who shouldn’t go
Don’t choose Crown if you need lots of organized activity to have a great time, endless restaurant options, personalized service, or consistently first-rate cuisine. With three days at sea on Bermuda cruises and even more on South America itineraries, those desiring a different port stop most days may want to find another ship and itinerary.

Heard on the deck: “I used to fly to Bermuda when I was a young girl, and it took about two hours. But taking this way there makes so much more sense.”

Hits and misses

• Don’t miss: The vast and sumptuous Chocoholic Buffet occurs at a respectable 3 PM, making it much easier for grazers to attend than at midnight, when most cruise ships schedule their version of desserts to die for.
• Best part of the ship: For a small ship, Crown provides abundant deck real estate for sunning and schmoozing in the tiered aft sections, poolside, and midship.
• Best experience: NCL’s flexible dining plan leaves guests with the freedom to dine when, where, and with whom they please.
• Best shipboard activities: For early risers, sunrise yoga classes ($10 per person), aerobics, and free lessons on how to tone up “abs, bums, and tums” help the body adjust to vacation-sized indulgences at meal time.
• Needs improvement: The dark side of freestyle dining sometimes means sacrificing service, since no server necessarily works for you all week. Even the reception desk, always a nerve center for passenger Q&A, was sometimes staffed with curt and sullen employees.
• Activities to skip: Every ticket pack includes two coupons to redeem for a free spin on a special slot machine. Most passengers who did show up for the free spins waited 20 minutes past the time provided until a staffer appeared to run it.

How to meet the captain
On a ship this size, it’s not uncommon to spy the captain strolling the decks or public areas. To ensure some qualified face time with the most senior officer, don’t miss the Captain’s Champagne Party. It’s held on the optional formal night, so you’ll be dressed for the occasion, and can dance to live music by the ship’s orchestra.

Crown’s freestyle dining simply means no passenger has to follow predetermined dinner times or stay assigned to the same tables each night. It’s not a perfect system, and you’ll hear some chatter among older passengers about more traditional dining room arrangements, but it fits the relaxed style of most passengers.

Seven Seas Restaurant
Flanked on two sides with large picture windows, the Seven Seas Restaurant serves up breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the latter loosely planned to follow a 6 and 8:30 PM launch. The food, while inconsistent, remarkably and pleasantly impresses when it’s a hit, thereby offsetting any penalties. Entrées are nothing if not ambitious. Selections include canard à l’orange, butterflied tenderloin with crimini mushrooms, and a lean sautéed veal chop. Vegetarians have few choices, but some, such as the curry with papadam, are quite tasty by any standard. Staff is courteous, but not completely informed. One server insisted a glass he served was rose when it was clearly merlot or cabernet. The passenger tried to debate the issue, and after several verbal volleys, another waiter brought the correct glass of wine.

Yacht Club
The name reeks of haute couture and aristocracy, and it would be a more apt name for the main dining room, but getting past that name is the only hurdle at the ship’s popular buffet. Every lunch and dinner, staff lays out at least one selection from each of the four food groups: pork, chicken, seafood, and beef -- both in hot and cold recipes. Barbecue ribs, fresh vegetable salads, roast suckling pig, and fresh fruit entice and delight. The lightly sautéed Caribbean grouper was bathed in a lively and tasty sauce with some bite. A separate serving station serves up vegetarian fare, and occasional Indian specialties like chick pea daal palak or musaman eggplant curry, each easily as rich, savory, and spicy as it ever should be. Pastry chefs also do very well with classic pies, tarts, mousse, chocolate decadent cakes, and traditional cheesecakes.

The Bistro
One of NCL’s signature alternative boutique dining rooms, the Bistro café attracts anyone looking for respite from mass produced banquet food in the form of French Mediterranean fare. Strangely, Bistro suffered from extremely slow service in a room that was at less than half capacity. That attention deficit came without any explanation, until one was requested, but it still did not detract from the pleasure of a heaping lobster and filet mignon combo. The spinach salad, topped with warm goat cheese, popped with succulent flavor and freshness, making you wonder how they keep salad leaves so fresh after days at sea. The tenderloin of beef passed all the right tests. Cut it with a fork, or cut it with a spoon; tender, it is. Other worthy options include the mille-feuille of sea bass with tomato concassé, salmon à l’oseille, and sautéed chicken breast filled with tiger prawn mousse. The Bistro charges each passenger a $15 fee, not including wine or soft drinks. Reservations are required.

Other dining options

• ChopSticks: Along with your Indonesian gado gado or Thai satay, order up some sake and Asian beer to accompany the meal. Reservations required.
• Pasta Café: By following your nose to the ship’s garlic gulch, you’re sure to find this bastion of Italian cuisine. Every entrée features pasta or gnocchi, with bolognese, virgin olive oil and garlic, marinara, and pesto sauces always available. Reservations required.
• Café Italia: Weather permitting, this outdoor buffet by the hot tubs serves up slices of pizza in the evenings.
• Late-night snacks: Stay up late in the smoky casino or slightly less smoky Top of the Crown Lounge and help yourself to satays, mini sandwiches on croissants, cookies, and fresh pastries.

Best dining

• Dish: Miraculously appearing twice during the week, the Yacht Club‘s chick pea based daal palak went largely ignored. Hands down, this creative rendition of lentil soup impressed the most with its earthy flavors of India and two-star heat. Thickened with huge swaths of fresh spinach, it was a huge meal in a bowl.
• Dessert: In each venue, the basic New York cheesecake rose up strong time after time, never too creamy or foamy, and always appropriately dry and flaky with each bite.
• Restaurant: Even a violent, off-season storm failed to keep many diners away from the Bistro, where chefs take extra care to prepare gourmet meals made to order.
• Food Seminar: The ship caters to the impulses of chocolate lovers in paradise with two seminars about chocolate: One on sampling and tasting, and another more botanically oriented presentation.

How to…

• Get a table for two: Tables for two usually appear in groups of three side by side, resembling a table for six. Ask at the dining room entrance if there are any left.
• Celebrate a birthday or anniversary: Even if you have not purchased a celebration package, servers will bring a special slice of cake and break into song if you give them a little advance notice.
• Change seating: On Crown, you change seating every night unless you show up early to request a certain table. No one usually sits at the same table twice.
• Dress for formal night: On formal night, passengers have the option of wearing dark suits or cocktail dresses. On this cruise, tuxedos stayed in the closet.
• Dress for casual night: Even on formal night, dining rooms do not refuse entry to anyone as long as they’re not wearing jeans, shorts, T shirts, or beach wear. Still, the maître d’ had to ask at least two passengers to change into appropriate attire.

Tips:

• When dining at the Yacht Club, if you see a dessert you love, snatch it up before you finish dinner, or even before you sit down. Often, supplies do not reappear and you’ll lose the chance to pad on more glorious calories.
• The Bistro, ChopSticks, and Pasta Café all require reservations, and slots fill up quickly. If one is filled, ask about waiting lists, as vacationers change plans and cancel reservations often.
• Every meal includes a more healthful, low-calorie option, frequently the vegetarian or fish entrée from the main menu. Consider arranging your special dietary requirements in advance of your cruise to prevent disappointment.

Basic oceanview cabins have portholes or picture windows that let in ample light. Some built-in cabin fixtures do not allow reconfiguring the standard twin beds into a queen size. Storage consists of several high and narrow closet spaces for hanging suits or coats, a few dresser draws, a desk and chair, and the in-room safe. Some art adorns the walls, but the minimal décor neither inspires nor offends. Bathroom amenities are meager: Liquid soap and shampoo in dispensers only, plus some hand-softening lotion. Don’t stretch in the shower unless punching walls and bruising elbows sounds like fun. The light switches, cabin speaker volume controller, and music programming buttons built into the night table add a nice retro touch. However, most buttons were out of service. Only premium cabins boast balconies; from above they seem deep and wide.

Cabins for guests with disabilities
Crown reserves some cabins with wider doorways and bathrooms to accommodate wheelchairs, while other cabins include special lights and under-pillow vibrating alarms for hearing-impaired guests. NCL permits guide dogs on all ships. Still, some public area entrances require pushing or pulling of wheelchairs over high door jams, especially near the outside decks.

Tip: Avoid booking cabins on Deck 3. You’ll share the deck with crew quarters and the medical center, and the hallways are thick with storage carts and aromas of machine oil and fuel.

At first glance, Crown does well to mirror the variety of public spaces found on much larger ships. In the atrium near the reception and shore excursions desks, comfy chairs and sofas provide a decent place to catch your breath or watch foot traffic. There’s a small shopping strip, photo desk, Internet café, cozy library, and adjacent card room, and a well-designed main theater with decent sound and sightlines, but limited space requires most public areas to be small. One highlight is the stretch of hallway housing an enviable collection of statuettes, jewelry, and busts from ancient civilizations, all lining the walls in protective glass cases.

Bars, lounges, and casino
Top of the Crown represents the literal and figurative height of the ship’s watering holes, but do not expect anything wild. The dance floor is the quite small, and lit by 1960s-style rotating stage lights. No lasers, no big sound, not much fun, save for the 180-degree views from here during daylight. That said, karaoke has a large fan base, and crowds turn out for that. In the theater’s Rendezvous Bar passengers can order drinks and catch a show at the same time, since sightlines allow decent views from the back. The small casino features tables for blackjack, poker, and craps, and it easily has enough slot machines to meet the need, but nonsmokers beware: Ventilation needs improvemen.

Swimming pools
Crown’s small pool does well to attract crowds both inside and in surrounding deck chairs. Finding an empty chair poolside poses a small challenge on warm, cloudless days at sea, but passengers always find tiny nooks and crannies to park their chairs on the tiered view decks overhead, or midship on Sun Deck where it’s always quiet. Two hot tubs (three decks up and on the opposite end of the ship) round out the soaking options. Teak bins stash fresh beach towels everywhere, the plush and large kind perfect for covering deck chairs -- or bodies under threat of sunburn.

Heard on the deck (on day 2): “My vacation doesn’t officially start until I can lie out on the deck without feeling cold.”

Shows
On this ship, the “Piano Man” is a woman, and she entertains casino bar patrons with pop tunes belted out in a strong and husky voice. But for the main attraction, head to the Stardust Theater for Broadway- and Vegas-style productions. Standup comedy, operatic male vocals, vaudevillian song and dance -- each bear down on the captive audience with all they’ve got, usually to loud cheers and applause. One guest comic mined her rich Irish heritage for engaging humor and peppered her set with sweetly lilting Irish melodies, accompanying herself on guitar. Most of the house singers and dancers seemed a little green, something their enthusiastic performances make up for.

Heard on the deck: “I couldn’t care less about the frequent costume changes and missed notes. I’m totally impressed with the singing and dancing because I can appreciate the performers’ obvious enthusiasm for what they do.”

Shore excursions
The cruise line makes online booking available for some tours, but not all. Crown staff permits onboard booking or canceling a trip almost any time the day before the port call. However, in order to get a refund, canceling a pre-booked tour must occur 48 hours prior to arrival in port. S Staff did well to listen to passenger issues regarding shore trips, but were not exceptionally skilled at resolving conflicts in a timely fashion. In Bermuda, Crown offered a huge variety of sightseeing and recreational opportunities including boating, electric biking, snorkeling and diving, golfing, city tours, and guided historic walks in St. George’s, Hamilton, and King’s Wharf.

Weddings and vow renewals
Champagne and flowers, wine and cheese, photo ops, and more are all available as part of the assortment of wedding and vow renewal packages. The captain won’t officiate, but you can design the affair by choosing from an online à la carte list that includes spa and salon visits, special floral arrangements, videos, and more. Time and location get decided three weeks before the occasion. Menus for receptions are vast and tempting to peruse online. For more information, future passengers should contact an Expedia Cruise Specialist.

Looking for…

• Quietest spot: Fittingly, the library keeps noise down even better than its next door neighbors: The card room and the Internet café.
• Liveliest spot: Top of the Crown Lounge may not rock heavy, but the music’s usually got a beat and it’s where the cruise director works the audience after hours. Who can refuse a little ’70s and ’80s music karaoke now and then?
• Most popular spot: The Yacht Club sounds exclusive, but it’s clearly the people’s choice for buffet chow at least three times a day.
• Best view: Catch the best views from any spot by the port or starboard railing on the top deck. If you’ve booked a Bermuda cruise, be here just past dawn during the passage through the narrow “town cut” entrance to the bay outside of St. George.
• Best show: The audience loved the zany vaudeville comedy of Mario almost as much as they roared for Irish multi-talent, Geraldine Boyle. If these guest performers are on your cruise, don’t miss their acts.
• Best drink: More orders of the six-pack–filled helmet fly by than any other drink, but the hat tips to anything ordered at the Martini Club, which meets daily at 5 PM.

Tip: Ask the rep at the Shore Excursion desk a day beforehand if the excursion you’ve reserved is still a go. Staff will cancel some tours if only a few people sign up.

Crown attracts only so many families with children, so limited space is used for the kids’ facilities. The area boasts wild designs and explosive colors on the walls and floor. The Kid’s Crew handles kids ages 2-17, and no one under 13 may sign themselves out. Staff will not change diapers, but will page parents to come and do so. Activities range from teddy bear picnics, face painting, pajama parties, and ice cream treats for 2- to 5-year-olds; pizza making, Survivor Night, arts and crafts, and bingo for 6- to 12-year-olds; and scavenger hunts, movies, Twister, Cranium, PlayStation games, hot tub parties, and discos for teens.

Spa and salon
Crown has little space for pampering passengers with exotic spa treatments, and it offers no saunas or steam baths, complementary or otherwise. The appointment and waiting area at the Mandara Spa consists of a small desk at the end of a hallway, plus a cushioned bench for guests. Still, the spa menu lists competitive prices for most of the programs found on larger ships (still higher than what’s often found onshore). The staff reflect the high level of professionalism one would expect in any spa, which often includes training for the hard sell of exorbitantly priced body lotions and salves that will cure what ails ye.

Fitness areas
Sign up in advance for group aerobics, Pilates, strength and core conditioning, and sunrise yoga classes (relax, the latter starts at 9 AM, not dawn). Some cost nothing; others require a $10 charge. Alternatively, the tiny gym stocks a bare minimum of treadmills, climbers, and weights you can use to work off newly gained calories.

Heard on the deck: “After that meal at the Bistro I don’t think I can even fit on the massage table tomorrow morning.”

Tip: Look for specials in the hairstyling salon for formal nights, and keep eyes peeled for makeover packages at reduced prices. Find the flyers inserted in your daily newsletter.

For the non-shopper, small is indeed beautiful, because there’s just not enough room onboard to make shopping on the ship a priority. Even the often besieged duty-free liquor store (really more of a canteen counter, and one lacking in experienced help) could fit in no more than two customers at a time, as long as they synchronized their movements. Other small shops sell NCL logo merchandise, Colombian emeralds, tanzanite, and watches. The ship also takes orders for $100 packages of shade grown Costa Rican coffee, on a mail-order basis with free shipping.

Tip: Onboard sales presentations about shopping in Bermuda may be something to consider since all prices on the island are steep. Follow instructions about where the deals are, or where ship passengers may find a discount. As the largest city in Bermuda, Hamilton is the best bet for bargains, relatively speaking of course.

Norwegian Crown sails roundtrip to Bermuda from Philadelphia weekly through October. After a cruise through the Caribbean, she heads to South America for the winter, making two-week runs between Valparaiso and Buenos Aires. In April, she resumes her Bermuda sailings, first from Philadelphia and later from New York City.

• Year entered service - 1988
• Cruise line - Norwegian
• Passenger capacity - 1,104
• Decks - 10
• Total cabins - 527
• Total crew - 525
• Ship length - 614
• Tonnage - 34,242
• Former name - Crown Odyssey