Overall we had a great time on our cruise. Next time, we will likely book a cabin with a window or a balcony to have some natural light, look for a larger ship, and avoid the Bahamas.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We purchased the Faster to the Fun and it definitely saved us some time getting onto the ship. We picked a pretty early time to board and our luggage was to our room by 1pm or so.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We didn't eat at the buffet at all but the other dining options were great. We ate in the dining room each night and a couple times for breakfast. The service was on the slow side on elegant nights, but that's to be expected. The food in the dining room was good with a fair amount of options. The Blue Iguana and Guy's Burger Joint didn't disappoint either. We ordered room service for breakfast a couple of times as well, good amount of options and delivered on time.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We went to the pool daily. This ship only had one pool but it never seemed over crowded. There was always plenty of space in the pool and hot tubs as well as plenty of chairs in the pool area. We also played mini golf and shuffleboard. There were ping pong tables and other options as well. At the back of the boat, there is a small splash pad type of area for kids and a couple small waterslides.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
We were excited to see the comedians but we weren't very impressed by the two who were sailing with us. The stage shows were great, especially the Love and Marriage Show (of course). The live music around the ship was nice and the karaoke was a lot of fun.
Children's Programs
We didn't have our children with us so we didn't take advantage of any of the children's programs.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Service was great but slow at times. Our room was cleaned daily at the same time. No complaints!
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
This ship was much smaller than the last ship my husband and I were on and we found ourselves comparing quite often. The layout seemed a bit crowded and some of the lounges weren't laid out well unless you needed an area for a dance floor. For example, trivia and karaoke were in the Romeo and Julliet Lounge where there is no seating directly in front of the stage so you end up not facing the stage in most of the seats. Also the Cole Porter lounge (where the comedy shows are done) had folding chairs in the middle to fill in where the dance floor is. The dance floor space was used for the actual event during Carnival Quest though.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We upgraded two days before the cruise from an interior cabin to a balcony suite on the empress level. I'd definitely recommend a balcony if you have the money to spend. Being able to step out anytime was nice and having the natural light was great. There was a weird orange staining that kept showing up on my hands/arms - I believe it was from the railing.. just something to be aware of.
We visited this port last cruise and knew what to expect this visit. After walking through the "market" area.. think "lady, hair braiding" and lots of "no thanks", we walked to Junkanoo Beach (15-20 minute walk probably). It's a free beach so it is a bit crowded. There are a few bars with reasonably priced drinks. We spent maybe an hour there to enjoy the water and headed back to the ship. We didn't do any excursions.
This port was very nice. There are plenty of shopping opportunities, some with free wi-fi which is always a plus. There is also a huge pool and two water slides that were free to enjoy. We spent most of our time in the pool because it was very very hot when we were there. The water slides were nice and there were a lot of lounge chairs around. There is no beach in the port area, believe you would have to book an excursion to visit one. We didn't do any excursions.
My husband and I really enjoyed this port. There is a beach area, large pool, and shopping. There are chairs that are free to use if you don't mind not being in the first couple of rows by the ocean. The beach area was quite large and didn't feel crowded. The water was clear and absolutely beautiful. Shopping was nice. We didn't use the pool area because we didn't realize it was there until we were heading back to the ship.
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