Though we did not get the cruise we originally signed up for and still feel like we paid a premium to sail to not so premium places, we made the best of a family cruise (6 couples) and enjoyed the time we spent together
Embarkation
5 out of 5
we arrived right at our embarkation window 11-11:30 had no trouble getting in and through security, maybe waited 5 minutes for them to call our boarding number and then we were on board
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We had breakfast and dinner in the dining room so can't rate the buffet. I will say for late diners (8:15) we were looking for better lunch options around 2:30-3:00. The only thing available then was Guy's burgers which is good but not for every day. Blue Iguana closes at 2:30 so we only had a chance to get it one time. The deli in the buffet is open with pre made sandwiches but line moved slow. Had one dinner experience that most in our party thought was meh, but all of the other nights we enjoyed. Was thoroughly impressed with how hot the food came out considering how many guests they are preparing meals for.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We mostly did Serenity deck during the day. Was surprised at how we always found a place to sit.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
We did the late shows after dinner and then the adult comedy. The comedy was raunchy at times but we knew that going in. The shows were ok, by no means broadway caliber but entertaining. We also loved the magician who came around at dinner and then performed our last day at sea.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
we loved our wait staff and our room steward. It was a little hit or miss the first day to meet our room steward and get ice on schedule but once we did it was all smooth sailing
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Everything looked like it was well kept up. I liked that there were paper towel dispensers at all the doors in the restrooms to use when opening doors. I don't think the hand sanitizing stations were very prominent though at food venues. I carry hand sanitizing wipes and was sure to use them after handling the tongs and such at the condiment stations at Guy's.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
I think this was the perfect size for the two of us. I had brought extra hangers with me otherwise we would have run short, though I am sure we could have gotten extra if I asked. The bed was the MOST comfortable. I didn't want to go back to mine at home it was that good. Plenty of storage in bathroom.
Ship tip
I would say book in the middle of the ship for easy access to places you need to get to. We were on Empress Deck (deck 7) and used the stairs when we headed to breakfast and dinner on deck 4, when headed up to lido (deck 10). Rarely used the elevators. We also had staterooms above and below us so no early morning or late night noises. We never felt like the ship was really crowded.
There were 3 large ships in port on embarkation and debarkation (us, Disney Fantasy, and Norwegian Epic) and I thought they did a good job of managing traffic flow. We did stay and cruise package with hotel and took hotel shuttle to and from the port)
We just stayed in the port area as none of the excursions interested us. We were thrilled to have a balcony to witness as we neared this beautiful island which is so lush and mountainous. The pool area and swim up bar were nice. Umbrellas were $20 for the day which we needed. My brother in law made the mistake of scooping ice from beer bucket into his drink and was sick for 2 days after
Can't really rate this as wind conditions did not allow for us to dock. This makes 3 of our original booked ports we didn't get to make (San Juan and St. Thomas being the other two)
This was beautiful. I suggest walking past the pirate ship bar to get to less crowded areas of the beach. The food was so-so, the drink prices were pretty high and those of us with Cheers were not pleased that it could not be used here.
I am surprised that I scored this a 4 as I was really not thrilled to be going back here. There were 4 ships in port so I am thankful that we decided to book a Catamaran sail and snorkel that other members in our party booked. We were led to the boat from the dock outside the ship, took maybe 30-45 minutes to be on the boat and headed out. We ended up at a beautiful reef with many beautiful fish. Then they let us off the boat in town so we have to go through the shopping areas. I was worried about being harassed at the straw market but maybe because it was later in the day and so many people had come through before us, they were tired out and tamer than our last visit.
Oh yeah, you definitely can't drink the water (or ice!) in the Dominican Republic. I spent a week there a few years ago and we weren't even supposed to brush our teeth with it.
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