A very good time. Lots to do. Cute layout. Not an overwhelming ship in terms of size, which we enjoyed. Great staff. My husband said the casino is a little tight, so leave if/when you are ahead.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Quick and easy. There was a waiting period, but it was air conditioned and we just waited in our seats. They spaced out the boarding well so we were able to walk right on instead of standing in a long line outside of the gangway.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The MDR has a lot of shrimp on the menu now, which my husband cannot do. However, there was plenty to choose from and we enjoyed all our choices. The brunch was good, but definitely go earlier rather than later. We went later on the second sea day and all the food we were served seemed obscenely old. Like, days old. We didn't have that problem on the first sea day when we went early. Guy's Burgers was awesome as always. Hot dogs were great at deli. Blue Iguana had dry meats.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
The water slides were a huge hit with our kids. We also enjoyed the pool when the deck was calm. We didn't get to enjoy games in the library because they use it for all their private events, and it was closed for private events for about 90% of this cruise.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The rock show was great, and they took pictures with audience members after while still in costume. We didn't take our phones so we couldn't get one, but it was cool. Also, they had a Coffee with the Cast the next day, which we went to and enjoyed getting to chat with some of them.
Deal or no Deal was great! We saw someone win a free 5 day cruise! Next time we will pay to play along instead of just watch.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
The kids did one hour of kids club the first day, and hated it. My son said the games were baby games and the Playstations they had were too slow to actually use. My daughter felt like they speaking down to her like she was a "little little" kid (she's seven). The build-a-bear was a hit with the kids. They made a penguin and a kangaroo that has a baby in its pouch. The Dr. Seuss breakfast was very disappointing for a meal that is an extra charge. There was no communication to let people know what was included in the fee, and there was a miscommunication where I ordered the "birthday cake" from the menu and the waiter thought (for some reason) it was both of my children's birthdays. The host came over and tried to make a big deal of their birthdays. I explained that it was no one's birthday. They insisted on knowing whose birthday it was, so I shrugged and said, "I don't know. Thing One and Thing Two?" The cake on the the menu was Thing One and Thing Two's Birthday cake. Then they apologized for the confusion and brought the cake. The room was also very dark and it was hard to see anything. And they told people not to take their own pictures, which I could understand if we didn't pay an extra $50 already to be there.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
They worked hard and tried very hard to be accommodating.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
I enjoy the small ship and the older look. I love the wood look inside a ship. I am glad this ship has not been made super modern, as I'm sure it will eventually be dry docked and updated. But I hope they keep the rustic charm. It was very clean and seemed well-maintained.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
It was a cozy cabin. With the bed pushed together and both bunks down, it was definitely.....cozy. But, we enjoyed it. It was warm, but we brought fans that kept the air moving and made the stuffiness non-existent. The bathroom would get a slight stench if we left the toilet open. When the toilet was closed, the smell was contained. Some of the USB ports were very worn out and loose, but with a little help, they worked most of the time.
Ship tip
If leaving out of Jacksonville, go to decks 11-12 to get a great view of under the bridge as it leaves. And coming back, if you go on deck around 5:30 a.m. you can see it again with the ship all lit up.
We stayed about 40 minutes away on Amelia Island, ate at a beachside restaurant, played in the water, and the morning of the cruise we drove along the coast through a couple of state parks. It was lovely.
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