Still a great time. Next time (LORD willing), I'll do things differently, now that I know better.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
The staff were wonderful and kind--they saw my cane and immediately arranged for someone to bring me aboard in a wheelchair. GOD bless them for that!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Food was excellent, service was even better! Appreciated that Your Time Dining option, as I'm not always hungry at a set time of day. Worked out great!
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Not many options for the physically limited--unless you like to gamble, swim, play bingo, or answer trivia in a bar. I did enjoy the art auction, though, although most pieces were horribly overpriced ($12,000 for a pig sculpture??).
Entertainment
Did not attend any of the shows--not interested.
Children's Programs
Did not travel with children.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Every single person I ran into was amazing--right up until the very end. While waiting to debark, it was like a switch was flipped, and most of the onboard staff became rude, short, snippy, and unhelpful.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
I was always seeing someone cleaning something every time I was out. The ship was spotless (for the most part--cruisers can be slobs sometimes, and I know your staff can't be everywhere at once).
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
I should have known the photo on the website was taken to make it look larger than it really was. Thankfully, it was just me, so it was a perfect size, especially since I like to spread out and make myself at home! Very disappointed with the balcony, though--rust spots everywhere, dirty chairs with paint spots on them, and not as private as I had hoped--I could hear other cruisers chatting from several cabins down (and could smell cigarette smoke as well). I was hoping to spend time on the balcony reading, but I didn't expect the wind to be so bad while the ship was in motion, and when we were docked in the Bahamas, it was too hot to sit outside!
Ship tip
Don't overpack, bring your own laundry soap, bring lots of cash for tips and purchases on shore, don't bother paying extra for the balcony.
Did the dolphin experience. Lots of fun, but felt rushed. Not a lot of time with the dolphins, and it was all scripted. The website makes it look like you'll have more time with them, and it's not that structured. I understand it's in the best interest of the dolphins, but still.
The rest of Nassau was very disappointing. After the dolphin experience, we were shuttled directly to the "shopping district" (the folks on the shuttle boat were extremely nice). The main area was obviously staged, almost Disney-esque. And the area (where we had been encouraged by Noel, our [I don't even remember her title, but she gave a presentation on where to go shopping]) on the other side of the fence (which should have been a HUGE red flag) was downright dangerous. As an older woman walking (or rather, by then, struggling) alone, I didn't feel safe at all, but Noel said we had to visit certain shops in that area to get free "jewelry", which turned out to be cheaper and crappier than costume jewelry (one place boasted a free charm bracelet--the charm was their own logo!). During the aforementioned presentation, I Googled each merchant Noel praised so highly, and found nothing but negative reviews and warnings to stay away, which I did (for the most part--I wish I'd never gone on that wild goose chase for that garbage).
Lovely, charming, beautiful. Small enough for a family to enjoy, big enough to stretch out and just relax. Not a lot of excursion offers here (I signed up for the bike tour, but ended up not being able to do it because of bad knees, so they kindly refunded me). Bought some lovely souvenirs and just relaxed under a tree listening to the music. Only downside was having to pay for the sodas (they weren't included on my Bottomless Bubbles plan).
Very much enjoyed the swimming pigs excursion, although once again, it didn't match what the website depicted. Again, very structured and scripted--the poor pigs did all the swimming while we stood around and fed them apples on sticks. But again, I understand it's for the safety of the animals. I would have enjoyed more time with them, but that's just me--I love pigs, and it was the highlight of the trip for me! The bus ride to and from the beach was long but comfortable, and the bus driver made it entertaining and informative.
As I said before, everything was great up until the very end. I chose to debark during the last possible part (because I know I move slower than most folks), and was grateful they had the option to have my luggage picked up the night before and eventually taken to my car. I was just disappointed that, while waiting to disembark, everything shut down so soon--even the water! Thank GOD they had the presence of mind to keep it on in the toilets, but we couldn't even wash our hands or get anything to drink. The bars (where I got my sodas) closed earlier than when we were told, and the service people became surly and unhelpful. I get it--you're getting ready for another bunch of cruisers to come on later that day, and you're in a hurry--but they still could have been nicer, and maybe at least left the water on so we could drink something while waiting? When I got to the disembarkation point, I had to ask for a wheelchair even though I showed up with my cane (and more luggage than I expected), which they finally provided. The people who wheeled me off were very helpful, as was the porter who carted my luggage all the way across the parking lot to my car.
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