This is the worst cruise of the 10 (or so) we have ever been on. This ship and this itinerary are not worth your money. And the cruise line will not work with you for unsatisfactory and unsanitary conditions (yes there was waste in the toilet) their disrepair/age caused.
Embarkation
2 out of 5
Embarkation was quick and easy, but checking in at a folding table on the pier was not exactly a good way to start. Bagage was delivered to stateroom in reasonable time.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Breakfast Lunch and dinner were all good in the main dining room. The menu selections were limited to three entrees at dinner which were good but not great. The hors doeuvres during cocktail hour were disappointing Sam's Club style frozen and reheated stuff. The all day coffee service was unattended and was frequently boiled away and burnt in the pots. Dining room service staff were all very good, we sat at several different servers.
Midship Lounge
1 out of 5
This lounge had a couple tables in it and some shelves. It was used by the ships crew nearly the entire cruise as an additional office.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
Port briefs were okay and interesting, but inadequate with regard to shops and items the port was known for. They were mainly limited to tender/disembarkation and time of departure. The other entertainment (band, guest speaker) was just disappointing. One speaker (Rachel) was informative and interesting and covered several different sessions. She's the only reason this is not ranked terrible. There were several nights dedicated to puzzle or boards games which was just substandard for an expensive cruise..
Entertainment
1 out of 5
Entertainment was only provided a couple nights and it wasn't good at all. We didn't stay through any of them due to the quality.
Service and Staff
1 out of 5
I want to rank this higher for the dining staff, but they did not make up for the rest. The crew seemed to dislike their roles. They were pleasant, but there was an air of embarrassment or distaste for what they had to present or the many complaints they had to receive due to ship condition and understaffing. One corporate employee (Bill) was on the ship and was serving as acting hotel manager, restaurant manager, and bartender. I believe the Cruise Director (Sandra) was also a corporate employee covering for someone else. The Cabin Steward was timely, but the ship's laundry was not working properly and they couldn't provide a full towel set after turnover. They eventually delivered a full set the next day while in our first port. Biggest complaint is the engineering staff as they were unable to respond to a toilet that wouldn't flush for over eight hours and the repair didn't last long. We went without a toilet in our stateroom the last two days of the cruise.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The ship was clean, but definitely showed its age. The decor was unimpressive. There were no window treatments except for blinds. There was no art except for cruise line advertisements. Common areas were clean, but the lounge was not staffed or reset very often. Coffee was burnt in the pots. Trash and dirty dishes would accumulate, but eventually removed. Exterior windows were dirty with sea-spray and hazy from the salt. A freshwater wash down should be done on turnarounds. Ship bow and aft thrusters were very noisy and unpleasant. The thrusters were not used often, but when they were you did not want to be in the lounge or dining room.
Cabin / Stateroom
2 out of 5
Cabin were large and comfortable. The stateroom balconies were functional but small. One could not get to the 2nd balcony chair without the first person standing up. Decor was unimpressive. The furniture drawers did not have latches or soft closures and opened and closed during rough seas. Our toilet did not work for the last two days of the cruise and the Cruise Line would not refund any of the fee. Customer Service (800 number) was not helpful. They did offer 30% off a future cruise, but that would be spending good money after bad. Would you pay for a hotel room that did not have a functioning toilet?
Portland airport was an easy arrival. No pre-cruise lodging was included even though it was advertised "on some itineraries". Be sure to ask so that you know what you get with your fee. Hotels are expensive in Maine. Portland shopping was great and waterfront dining options were numerous.
We did the Acadia National Park tour. It was a shuttle bus excursion with only two short stops in the Park (Summit and Blow Hole). But this was a disappointing way to see such a beautiful park. Other passengers reported that the Acadia Hiking tour was better. Shopping in Bar Harbor was plentiful, but a lot of stores were selling the same tourist t-shirts and junk. finding the occasional boutique, crafty, or unique store was a challenge, but was rewarding when found. We did have to tender in from the ship for this port.
This was a disappointing stop. The downtown dock was convenient, but the city itself is rather unimpressive. We joked that would make some t-shirts for sale that said "Bangor - nothing to write home about". It just didn't fit the Maine Coast and Harbors theme of the cruise. We did do a good excursion here called the Devils Half Acre which presented the History of Bangor through the eyes of a Brothel Madam.
This was the closest port to the theme of the cruise. The downtown area was quaint and the shops unique. We did the walking tour here and it was well done. We ate lunch off the ship at a waterfront restaurant which we enjoyed. The downgrade from 5 stars was due to the Bus Drive from Rockland for this "port" But I guess that's better than tendering in.
This port stop was cancelled after arrival. The wind was too strong and created waves that made the Tender very unpleasant. The first tender ashore did not make it and was recalled to the ship by the Captain. We left early and headed to Bath.
Even though we left BoothBay early and arrive in Bath early, the port stay was too short. We had a total of 5 hours off the ship and it took 15 minutes for the bus to get downtown. For some reason the itinerary had us returning to Portland early on Friday night. It did not appear to be due to the tides. Docking next to the shipyard was just not an attractive view.
This was the best part of the trip as we disembarked early because we didn't have a toilet. They discourage other passengers from leaving the ship even though they were pier side in Portland. Portland has a robust nightlife and should have been encouraged, but I guess they were worried about timely disembarkation the next morning.
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