It was great to be back on the ocean cruising. Overall we had a great time. Masking up indoors makes walking up 6 flights of stairs more of a challenge. The staff is wonderful. Sailing at reduced capacity sure makes a difference. No lines anywhere. The bar staff was great. The vibe was great. Most people were happy to be cruising again. Look forward to April and the next one.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Everything should be prefaced with we sailed at about 67% capacity.
Embarkation from curb to ship was about 15 minutes. The longest stoppage was getting screened at security and waiting for people to have the things they shouldn't be bringing onboard taken away. We showed up on time (11:00) and never stopped moving until we walked on the ship.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The food was hit and miss. The non MDR food was all good whether it was Guy's, Blue Iguana, the Deli, BBQ or pizza. The MDR food was definitely up and down. The portions were noticeably small. I know you can order more, but when it wasn't great there is no reason to order more. How many different variations of breaded chicken cutlets can you squeeze into a week? A lot on this menu. Or how many nights of pasta can you eat? A lot on this menu. The brisket night one was awful. Three 1" pieces. That's an average appetizer. We ate in the steakhouse and it was terribly disappointing. The staff on the other hand was amazing. No complaints about service.
Emerald Room Steakhouse
2 out of 5
We do the steakhouse on every ship and this was the most disappointed we have been with a steakhouse dinner. The ribeye was tough. And I mean tough. The sides were a tablespoon each. The filet with the surf and turf was dry, even at medium rare. I'm not a chef and I would have been disappointed if I made that steak for myself. It didn't help we were stuck back in a dark corner next to the table the wait staff used to store clean glasses. The cheesecake was huge and amazing. The rest of dinner was a stage to below average.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
There are always events whether you want to play bingo, do trivia, gamble or chill.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The shows were good. We missed one show because the ship was rocking. Always entertaining. Getaway Island was fun. The Latin show was interesting.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The staff all around the ship were fantastic. The staff made up for some of the other shortfalls of this pandemic cruise.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship was fine. I never looked at any venue and thought it was dirty or in need of repair.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We chose this because of the unique room and balcony. Loved the room and balcony
Ship tip
It still felt crowded due to less chairs around the pools. There were no lines for anything except the deli at times. Be ready to mask up indoors. It was good to be back cruising.
We got in Saturday and walked around the French Quarter and the riverwalk. Had beignets from Cafe Du Monde. Love the architecture, vibe and amazing food found in New Orleans
It rained like crazy and all we did was take the tender in to shop a little. As soon as we stepped off it started pouring again. We hopped back on the next tender and took the rainy ride back to the ship.
We went to Nachi Cocom for the day. So easy to grab a cab as head there. 15 minute ride. Cost $18 to get there for the two of us. The beach doesn't disappoint. We had Felipe bring us whatever drinks we wanted and authentic food. We enjoy this because it's more quiet than Mr Sanchos.
We took a late ticket to get off between 9:30-10 because our flight wasn't unit 3:00. They called for all guests to depart the ship at 8:30. Food venues were to be open until 9 and by 8:30 everything was wrapped up. I get it but felt a little rushed off.
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