This was my first cruise. Lots of great things and some which I would have changed. The staff was excellent, food mediocre, tours were ok, ship entertainment was surprisingly good. Casino too smoky. It was a nice change from the type of travel I am used to. I prefer to indulge more in the local culture but it was nice to be on the ship, disconnected from the world! A restful and fun vacation. Only wish it was longer.....
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We arrived on our own around 1:30 and we never stopped or lined up the entire embarkation process. Probably would be worse if you arrived with a bus load of people
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We choose to Dine at your own time. I really enjoyed the flexibility of not having a set time. This gave the freedom to eat when we wanted based on the evening's activity line up. Dinner portions were small but the men at the table ordered 2 appetizers or 2 entrees with no issues. Explore the Monet restaurant for sit down breakfast. The buffet breakfast lines were long and food mediocre. The breakfast at the Mexican stand before the buffet was quite good.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Spa was great. The pools were small but lots of lounge chairs for relaxing. Find the Serenity area or the pool at the aft of the ship for a quieter time. If you like the noise stay at the mid pool.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Mat, Cruise Director, was excellent! Lots to do. Attended a few evening shows which were better than we expected. The lido deck party was fun. The extra activities - trivia, jenga and Yahtzee were fun as well. Comedy club is a must do. The piano bar was a disappointment - the piano player was not the best choice for a sing-a-long bar!
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Everyone was super friendly! Mat, Cruise director, is super high energy. Up at dawn for daily announcement and at night for activities. The guy doesn't sleep! Daniel (Romania) in the dining room was fantastic! Did everything he could to make sure we were taken care of. The magician at dinner was fantastic!
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Common areas were clean.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
Bed was comfortable. Lots of storage room. The room couch was well worn though. I tried to clean it but it was so worn it just looked dirty. I had to use a towel to sit on it.
Ship tip
a room on the 9th floor will make for easy access to the pool, restaurants and deck chairs.
We hired a taxi upon arrival for a short "tour". There are a ton of cabs trying to sell a 2.5 hour package including 30 min at the straw market (which you can walk to from the ship!). Personally, I'd do some reading ahead of time and just wander around town or go to junkaroo beach.
Fine but too many people for the chairs provided. Should have gotten of the ship on the first boat heading to the island. No need to rent a house/cabana.
Went to Ocean World with the group I was with. I knew this was a mistake before I even went. Maybe ok with kids. Wish I had toured the city and island. I don't feel I can say I was in the DR since I saw nothing. This was my own fault for agreeing to this tour
The set times were running behind. My luggage was to have been at "21" but after searching for a while I found it at 15??? Long long long lines to get through customs. Tip - hire a porter and you go right to the front of the line. Well worth a few buck tip!!!!!
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