Fantastic First Cruise for the Whole Family!

Windjammer Marketplace

Windjammer was most-visited by the rest of my family. I personally didn't care for it that much, but I'm not a very big fan of buffets in general. We all agreed that a fair number of the desserts were kind of bland and not really showing off the flavor we'd expect (e.g., the "chocolate bar" cake had almost no chocolate flavor to speak of, and the lemon cupcakes often served with lunch were similarly lacking any real lemon flavor or even particular sweetness). Averaging our opinions on this area to 3 stars.

Sabor Mexican Restaurant

This was the only specialty dining we tried, and it was for a late lunch when they were about to close. We weren't terribly hungry, so all we ordered were a couple of the small plates: bacon-wrapped chicken-stuffed jalapeños, and the beef empanadas. The empanadas were only so-so, but the other small plate was fantastic! We were fighting over who would get the last bites from that one! And of course, we had the guacamole. I have to be honest, my daughter has made fresh guac many a time at home, I honestly feel that what she makes was better than what we had in our visit. Not that the guac on board was *bad*, mind you, it just wasn't the "holy cow this is the best guac I've ever tasted" experience that I've heard is common when dining at Sabor. Might have just been seasoned more lightly than we do it at home, might have been that we got it on our last sea day and the avocados were getting old, or could have been because we arrived late and got some of the last available before the dinner prep started. Service overall was good, although our waiter forgot the margarita I'd ordered until he came by with the check. But he also gave us a 20% discount on our entire order since all we'd gotten were the small plates and no entrees or desserts, which I thought was a great gesture and not at all required. Overall good experience, and I wouldn't object to doing it again.

Main Dining Room

Main dining room was great. We had the late traditional dining slot at 8 PM and it actually worked great for us. Left us plenty of time on port days to get back to the ship at all-aboard time and take our time to enjoy sail-away, clean up, and get changed. All meals were fantastic, and I only had one time where I thought the preparation was lacking (a fish entree that came out dry and a bit tough). Great opportunity to try new dishes, and we never left feeling like the meal was a disappointment. Our waiter Jigger and assistant waiter Danny were both super-attentive and quickly learned our likes and dislikes. Jigger even made a point of finding some extra escargots for my one daughter and me on a night when it wasn't on the menu, after we'd had it every day prior! We also used the MDR for breakfast just about every day, and some of us ate there for lunch on sea days as well. Here also, food was really good and we never had a complaint with the preparation or the service.

Vintages

Really good wine selection here, and a better set of reds on offer than I was expecting. I had some of the standard Zinfandels that I often drink at home, and they also had some absolutely fantastic Tuscans and Sangioveses that I've since found and bought after getting home. "La Volte" in particular is stellar! Since I had the drink package, I only had to pay the few dollars in overage per glass for those more expensive options, which made trying these out and discovering some new favorites really easy.

Day Spa and Fitness Center

My wife got a Swedish massage and added the hot stones to it for only $20. Said it was fantastic and she was really glad she'd booked it. She also used the gym regularly and never had a problem finding a treadmill or elliptical to work on. The staff there are also really attentive to guests accidentally leaving things behind. My wife left our old iPad there one time by mistake, and the staff quickly saw it and locked it in the desk by the entrance. When I went up to ask for it back, they asked me to unlock it there to show that I was really the owner. Definitely exceeded my expectations in that regard!

Logo Souvenir Shop

Took advantage of this on the sale days and got some t-shirts, a hoodie, a Christmas ornament, and a couple of other things. Happy with all of it, service was fine and the crowds on the sale days seemed to be better than the horror stories I've read; no pushing or shoving, people being patient while the line moved along, etc.

Rock Climbing Wall

My daughter did this one and really liked it, said it was a lot harder than it looks. Came close to reaching the bell each time, but didn't quite make it before she had to give up. Staff was good with making sure everyone had signed the waivers beforehand, and also making sure everyone was securely in their harnesses and that lines were managed decently.

Casino Royale

Casino was OK, disappointing that it only had one craps table and that it only offered single odds unless you wagered $25 or more a throw. Smoky as expected, after only 30 minutes in there I'd have to change my clothes when I went back to my cabin. Slots are ridiculously tight, don't waste your money on them. Just play whatever table games you're comfortable with and enjoy, your money will last longer and you'll have more fun.