This was the largest ship I've been on, and it was almost too large. Our experience was a mix of good and bad. The best I can say is that service was inconsistent. I would almost say that the ship was too large, and I was not able to experience everything it had to offer. Still have not gotten to the flow rider or the zipline on this ship. We were only able to go to one show because all of them were full before we were able to get make reservations (not a fan of the pre- reserving tickets). My partner is not a person that likes to pre-plan, because he is not sure he will be in a mood for one thing or another, so the reserving of shows prior did not suite us any. Either have a better system, adjust what they have, or offer more showings (Which I know would be hard on the performers, but with 6000+ guests, you would need to anticipate the demand). 2 of the ports I've been to previously, and Nassau was new, and I was not impressed. There were some shining moments and excellent individual crew members that made the experience better. I ended up getting an ultimate package under the assumption that "Specialty coffee" included the Starbucks per the sales person on the phone that was helping me, but come to find out, it does not. I would have stayed with the premium package had I known. All in all, still nothing like a cruise, whether you are doing an excursion every port, or exploring on your own and relaxing by the pool.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Food in the windjamer was okay, and the coke machines seemed to be out of a lot of drinks constantly. The main dining room had good food, but desserts were lack luster with options. We did eat at the tequila bar/restaurant and the table-side guacamole was delicious! Options were not huge as far as what to eat for main meal though.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
There were more activities on the last 2 sea days, and wish they were more spread out, but there was plenty to do it seemed
Entertainment
3 out of 5
We were only able to go to one show (blue planet) and it was good. Wish we could have seen the other shows, but they filled up months before the cruise.
Children's Programs
3 out of 5
Did not use any, but seemed like the kids were running around rampid all the time.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our original servers were not the best. We tried giving them a chance, but they were not as attentive to our table as others and were missing simple things along the way. We spoke with the manager and had a phenomenal experience the next day, but they were working hard to make up our bad experience in a short amount of time. Courney our room attendant was great! Made friends with a bartender we visited every day. Some experiences were not as great
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Very big and everything was tip top shape. I enjoyed the rising tide bar, although it was small and could be cramped at times, but there were more than enough bars and hang outs to go to.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
The balcony was not anything special. Was a bit disappointed we did not have a love seat/couch like we did on our last cruise, but it is always nice to have the option of a balcony, especially on port days.
Ship tip
Do not make the mistake we did, and reserve your shows early! With a big ship, prime slots fill up quick and the stand by option can be a pain an unorganized.
I would highly recommend getting a hotel the night before the cruise, it will make your life so much easier. Did not do much of an excursion, but went downtown Saturday night and was VERY crowded.
Unless you have the time at port and the money to spend on Atlantis, I would stay on the ship. There was not much to see close to the port, and walking down the streets and by the straw market is like going through a gauntlet.
If going to Maho beach, check to see how many ships are in port. The "Beach" is very tiny. We were the only ship in port (but a very large one) and it was pretty crowded. Was an experience that I think all should experience. Leave plenty of time for the cab back to the ship though, traffic can be rough after the Air France plane, as everyone is leaving at once.
It is an acquired taste because it is not a "standard" cruise experience. My BF prefers it as he feels that the movement in the ocean, he will not feel. It was really fun and we are going to the sister ship soon as well!
Thanks for the insight on a Mega ship. I read reviews and a lot of people liked it. I was leaning more to what you wrote. Its to large with to many people. I also have no desire to make reservations well in advance for restaurants or shows I have no clue to what they are about.
I agree with you about Nassau. It's not my favorite port. St. Thomas & St. Maarten are great. I've been to Maho Beach twice. The first time was very crowded & I couldn't get directly behind the runway. The second time was better. Air France didn't come in that day, but we got the KLM 747.
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