It was a fun time, although not quite what we expected.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Very efficient
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The food was good and plentiful. I would like to see the buffet offer non-dairy options for milk for cereal. Not everyone can tolerate dairy.
The Gold Pearl Restaurant
5 out of 5
The restaurant is lovely, and the service by Manuel (table 432) was excellent. he was friendly and efficient, and made sure we were accommodated. Jan, at Tea Time, was also an exceptional waiter, very elegant.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We used the fitness center, the Casino and the Jacuzzi. We were disappointed that so many of the activities were designed to sell us something, rather than just be entertaining. The other ones (balloon toss, paper airplane race, bean bag toss) were ridiculous- more like for a family picnic.
Fitness Center / Aerobics
5 out of 5
Milos was a fantastic Pilates instructor! His routine was acceptable for many levels of fitness, and he was kind and helpful. He made the sessions very enjoyable and peaceful.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
We didn't find the comedian to be funny. The musicians around the ship sounded good, but they looked like they were miserable. Oh, and please tell MarQ that the word is "disembarkation" not "debarkation".
The Art Room
3 out of 5
We went to an art auction, and didn't realize that it would be such a hard- sell. Lots of pressure to buy right then! Also, most of the art is priced way too high.
Children's Programs
We had no small children with us, and we had no idea there would be so many of them, unsupervised, on the ship. We had to call security once from our cabin, as there were unattended young girls locked out of their cabin, with no parents around.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The staff and their service were the most enjoyable part of the cruise! From our cabin steward, BJ (Bjorn), who greeted us upon boarding and ensured we were comfortable always, to Milos at the fitness center (see previous comments), to Shanta in the shops (she was sweet, helpful and fast. She was kind and patient with everyone. Adored her!) Next were the lifeguards, Pllumb and Dejan, who always had a friendly hello for us and were very helpful. They were also very attentive to their jobs of watching the people, pools and jacuzzis but they always had time to say hello. Both Manuel and Jan from the Gold Pearl Room are mentioned above.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The layout was a little confusing until we became used to it, but it would be nice to know when we can pass all the way through a deck, or needed to take an exterior route, or weren't able to cut through at all. We wished there was a pool exclusively for adults. The common areas were very clean with one exception: the windows in the dining areas were always smeared with hand prints. Mostly it was the buffet area, but also outside on the Lido deck.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
We were comfortable in the cabin, but could have used another electrical outlet. Also, the hair dryers are almost unusable, as they are plugged inside the drawer, making the cords very short. And they don't have much power. The bed was comfortable and BJ, our room steward, tidied it up nicely and quickly for us. We purchased the social media wi-fi and it was super slow and not worth the expense.
Ship tip
Ask how many kids will be on board! We didn't know there would be so many. They would run up and down the hallway outside our cabin late at night until we asked them (nicely) to be quiet. They had no idea that people could hear them, I think, and their parents were nowhere. The teens on board seemed very board, resorting to entertaining themselves with wheelchairs in the common areas, which could have been a safety hazard.
Lots of fun, found a great restaurant and made our way to a glass blowing factory. It was very expensive, though. Just like Southern California. A map of the area would've helped.
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