NickandAshley

My husband and I just returned from the 5 day sailing out of New Orleans. This was our first cruise during the "peak season" (other sailings have been in early spring). The ship was very clean, the staff very friendly and helpful, and the shows were great. The food in the MDR was really good every evening and sea day brunch is not to be missed. Our wait staff in the MDR was fantastic! We had a lobster roll from the Seafood Shack and it was just ok- not really worth the $30 it cost for 2, but we can say we tried it! We didn't have anything on the ship that we wouldn't eat again. All of the food was very good! We stayed in a balcony stateroom on the Panorama deck. The room was very clean and comfortable- plenty of storage for clothing and other necessities. Our room steward kept ice in the room for us and was always available if we needed anything. This was our first time to not be in a suite, so it was a bit shocking to see how small the room was, but we never felt cramped. I would definitely stay in this room again! The only downside to this sailing (again, we've never been on a "sold out" ship) was the lines! I guess I just wasn't expecting that- there were 50-60 people in line for the burgers, Blue Iguana, buffet, pizza, the wok, and drink stations at any given time..... it was off-putting. It didn't seem to bother anyone else, so I guess this is the norm for a summer or holiday sailing. I'd say that we did feel a bit crowded on sea days, but it isn't anything that we would venture to "complain" about. We will probably just book our next cruise during the wave or shoulder season, if possible. For the benefit of anyone reading this review for a first sailing, just know that the pools are "people soup" if you're expecting any pool time- we don't cruise for the pools so it didn't bother us a bit. We can't say enough about the the onboard staff- from guest services, bartenders, wait staff, housekeeping- they were all excellent. They've definitely got customer service down to a science. It still amazes me that they all remember you by name 😁- I'd love for them to share that secret! Now for the BAD- relatively speaking. The photographers are everywhere and take literally tens of thousands of photos. Good luck finding them. This is a system that could be improved immensely! By the end of the cruise, there are hundreds of cruisers thumbing through thousands of photos in close quarters and it's a clusterflock. My husband and I were photographed about 30 times and we found 4 of them. 3 of the 4 were found on Day 2- the other on day 3. We purchased them all. It wasn't worth the trouble to dig through the piles, but we did try. My advice is to carry along your phone or camera and ask a fellow cruiser to snap a few pics for you and you'll be sure to have your keepsake photos! TIP your room steward, TIP your servers, TIP your bartenders! They work so very hard to make your vacation special and they do not earn near what they deserve for the long hours they put in for months at a time away from their families. Pre-pay your gratuities when you book your cruise and also take along several small denomination bills to tip on top of the added gratuities. Return the kindness that is shown to you! Happy Sailing!!