We enjoyed the cruise, but we have been on better. The service was excellent, but I can't stress enough that the help wears way too much cologne!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
I don't know how the general embarkation was, but we were lucky enough to have a suite, and there was special checkin for us, and got on the ship very quickly.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Chops Grill food and service is amazing. Giovannis service was good at times and poor at others, with the food being good, and Izumi, we never tried, but I noticed there were very few people eating there. We only ate in the my time dining room on the 5 nights we didn't go to a specialty, and the food there is what I would call OK for todays cruises. There were a few times that the main courses were way overcooked... such as the fish. They were always happy to serve something else to make us happy though. The night with lobster, and prime rib was very good.
Windjammer Marketplace
4 out of 5
The food was very good for a ships buffet. We only ate there for breakfast and lunch, but always found something we liked. I appreciated the fact that there was always a salad bar area, and veggies for every meal. It is always busy at popular times, but we always managed to find a table , or one being vacated, and they were quick to come and clean them so we didn't need to wait.
Champagne Bar
5 out of 5
This was our favorite bar and lounge. It was rarely too crowded, and it was often calm and relaxing. 2 of the bartenders that were usually there, and could fix anything you wanted were Louie and Stevan. They were so friendly and personable and after being there a couple of times, they remembered our (and a lot of others) names and favorite drinks, and treated us like old friends.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The pool area was nice, although one side of the deck allows smoking. The fitness center is very nice, with very modern equipment.
Casino Royale
1 out of 5
We never could play in the casino because the smoke was so bad.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
This is the 1st time on a ship that there were very few shows that we were interested in. There was a good comedian and a couple of good singers, but for the most part the quality of the shows were not the best quality.
Children's Programs
we have no children
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our room steward, Renato was excellent. On the 3rd day in my time dining we had Rogerio and Lalu as our waiters, and requested their table every other night. They were excellent at their jobs, and very personable. We really enjoyed getting to know them. Nancy at the pool bar was great. But our favorites, as far as service were Louie and Stevan in the champagne bar. They were excellent bartenders, and friendly to everyone. We have never enjoyed anyones service at a bar more. One thing I would like to see change is that so many of the male servers, stewards and others of the help wear cologne. Some of it is overpowering and it can be smelled long after they are gone. I am allergic to most male colognes and my husband is very sensitive to it also, and many other people are too. People that are in the service industry should not wear anything that could possibly cause illness or discomfort to people that they are serving.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The cleanliness everywhere was excellent. But the design at times were poor. The smoke from the casino made it impossible to play if you are sensitive to smoke. Also, you have to go through the casino to get to the theater and your clothes smell from smoke. Also, the ladies room outside the theater ( I don't know about the mens room) is for one person only. There is the theater, and restaurants, and the casino in that area, and a bathroom for one person at a time? That is ridiculous, and I heard MANY complaints.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The Grand suites are very nice, with sufficient storage, and our cabin steward kept it very clean. My complaint is the sheets on the bed made up as a king size. They use a pad on top and a top sheet over it as a bottom sheet. Being unfitted, it was constantly coming off and getting crumpled, and we wound up laying on the rough pad. Also there was a moldy odor in the bathroom, but when I asked for a new shower Curtain around the bathtub, that was quickly corrected.
It is in much better shape since we were there a year ago. They have really cleaned it up since the the last hurricane. We went to the Orient Beach area, and there are now restaurants and restrooms at two of the beaches, along with a lot of water sports.
Again, we were fortunate enough to be in a suite, and be escorted off the ship and to the front of the lines, so the wait was very short. We quickly got a taxi to the airport.
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