Great 1st time cruise, would return on this ship again and recommend to others as way to get the cruise fever!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Went very quickly for us. Be sure you have a bar code printed on your papers or you will be delayed.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Steakhouse food was great, as were dining areas and buffets. Prime rib on 2nd day was not as I would have expected. As for beverages... they really need to change something. Just charge everyone the extra for non-alcoholic beverages and provide all guests access to unlimited drinks.
as for the alcoholic ones, I would not take another cruise without buying the package. Being charged a $15 'corkage' fee when we bring a bottle of wine to dinner that WE twisted off and poured... just plain wrong.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
only used adult pool areas. Some of the staff will enforce rules more strictly than others. Be prepared for that. Did a couples massage which was great and priced nicely, however plan on being upsold for more than the cost of the massage.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
a WIDE variety of entertainment all around. 70's & 80's acts were fantastic. Country music selections were great as well. You should have no problem finding something to enjoy on this ship.
Children's Programs
did not travel with kids
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Rating a 4 because of one bad apple. Iguana bar, headed that way, watched bartender leave front and go around back, but a server was off to the side and acknowledge me at the bar (I was the ONLY guest there). She walked around from behind and another guest came to my left. When server came to front of bar, she greated other guest and took their order, ignoring me. How can you 'forget' something so quickly?
On the positive side, Yakub was our room steward, who greeted me BY NAME, each time he would see me in the hallway. Even though I was in an interior room (lowest price), he made me feel special and did excellent job of keeping our room looking great.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
several floors you cannot get from one end of the ship to the other... this made for lots of back tracking. each time I thought I had it down.. I found myself having to climb stairs and try again.
Everything else was good.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
being our first cruise, and an interior room, I dreaded the thought of being in a shoebox for several days. I was surprised to find a good sized room with ample space for us to unpack our 3 suitcases and keep them out of sight. Plenty of storage with drawers and closets. A nice sitting area with chair, and the bathroom was large enough for the 2 of us to use at same time. Pleasantly surprised.
The TV has a channel where you can see the front ship camera, some suggested leaving it on at night (with sound muted) and when you wake, you will see sunshine from the front of ship.
NOTE... ship announcements do NOT always play inside cabin. You will need to open door to hear them.
Ship tip
in my opinion, this is a great entry level cruise to get your feet wet. although it was only 5 days, by the last sea day, I felt like I had been there much longer.
MOTION - if you think you might be effected, get the patch. we DID feel the boat moving in our room, day and night. I did not use the patch, but my wife did take dramamine once. there were MANY people wearing patches.
AFTER CRUISE - plan to 'feel the seas' for a couple days after!
we booked excursion to Nachi Cocum. taxi for 6 was $36 each way. all drinks included, and they were potent enough to make some guests realize they had too much! the beach resort is limited to number of guests so it was not overcrowded or noisy. Meal provided was adequate and it was a very relaxing and enjoyable experience.
we took the $9 'tour' of city which was nice, open bus (HOLD YOUR HATS!!) and you got to see the town. However the pier shops and the bus station shops... plan to be RETAIL RAPED! They will harass and harass you to buy! We couldn't take it and got back to the ship without getting anything.
Could not for the life of me determine why disembark at ports went so quickly, while find was so long. Once you even get your luggage, it seemed to take a LONG time to get through the lines.
REMEMBER - you don't need to fill customs form unless you purchased over $800 in goods. But you will have to pay taxes to Texas on any alcohol you return with.
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