Overall, I loved that we got time with family and friends and were forced to disconnect from social media for a week. It was neat to see some places we'd never been but I was disappointed with the cruise because of all the cigarette smoke smell. Also, I would've liked it better if there had been some way for my 19 year old to connect with other kids his age.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Embarkation was a little stressful but I think that is normal
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The specialty restaurants were good but the dining room and buffets were very low quality food. Wait in the dining room was also not good and we received a couple of meals that were undercooked.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Onboard activities were good but the entire inside of the ship smelled like cigarette smoke and was irritating to some of us so we did not get to participate in a lot of the indoor activities we would've liked to. Smoking was only allowed in the casino but it permeated throughout the whole ship. I don't know if this is normal or was a ventilation issue because this was our 1st cruise but this alone has made me rethink the possibility of cruising again. It was like living in a smoker's house all week.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Again, we did not get to participate in most of these due to the smokiness inside the ship but we loved the one family comedy show we attended.
Children's Programs
3 out of 5
There needs to be something for 18-20 year olds. We had a 19 year old with us who was not allowed to go in with his teenage sister and friend and felt a little left out on the ship not really wanting to hang out with the adults but knowing any other kids his age. Also, the area for our youngest child was right next to the casino in the smokiest part of the ship. We were not thrilled with that at all.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
We LOVED the young lady who cared for our room, Li Lu. We also loved Marina, who was our server in the dining room one night. Most of the workers were very friendly.
Ship Quality
1 out of 5
This rating is due to the fact that smoking is allowed in the hull of the ship in the casino on the 5th floor which is opened up to the 3rd, 4th, and above. Because of poor ventilation I guess, the smoke permeated through the whole ship. It is a poor design. If you are going to allow smoking at all, it should be at the highest level so the smoke doesn't permeate through the floors above. And the best solution would be for smoker's to have a section outside at the back of the ship where it doesn't bother anyone who isn't smoking. Our room on the 6th floor even smelled like cigarette smoke. It was awful! The Triumph is being dry docked and refurbished soon so maybe they will fix this problem.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Size and comfort was great. Our cabin was newly remodeled. My only complaint here is that the cigarette smoke smell came into our cabin.
Ship tip
Don't go if you aren't a smoker and can't stand to be around smoke. The only place for you will be outside.
Beautiful port. We were disappointed in the ocean because it had been stormy I guess and the water was not clear at the beach. It was very nice though. We did an excursion where we were able to snorkel and visit Playa Mia and have a buffet lunch. It was a lot of fun.
We were expecting to get some good deals in Mexico but learned that prices are marked up on cruise day so there weren't a lot of deals to be had. The people in Progreso were nice though. We didn't do an excursion because we got off of the ship a little late and were afraid we might not have time to get back when we wanted. We will next time.
I completely agree about Carnival. Celebrity casino is smoke free.
There are designated areas, one is on the pool deck. Just avoid this side when going to the buffet.
We can only hope that cruise lines will begin to listen to the majority, which is non smokers, and make cruise ships smoke free. Although it was tried in the past (the Paradise), times have changed, and so has people’s acceptance of having to endure second hand smoke. You mark my words, ships will become smoke free in the future. I don’t know how long it will take for that to happen, but it will. It is a well known fact that second hand smoke is hazardous. Granted, you are not exposed long term when cruising to cause any chronic illness, but it can be fatal to those with compromised health and a current lung disorder. Cruise lines need to wake up to this fact.
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