This first cruise was a good gauge for our future cruise plans.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
The online check-in clearly explained the embarkation procedures. This being our first cruise, we were told by cruiser friends that embarking would be crowded. It was, but the process was very organized and really only took about 45 minutes to get 3000 people onboard!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
I’m giving this an Ok rating mainly because several times, depending on what we wanted to eat, there was an additional up-charge varying from $3.00 to 20.00. So that was disappointing. A 4.00 up-charge for a half filled hard crusty bread bowl of New England clam chowder I thought was ridiculous. The main dining room staff was great! But throughout the cruise, we did encounter language barriers that resulted in errors with our orders. Rather than sending the food back and waiting for a correction, we just accepted the mistake and enjoyed the food. We did not particularly like room service though. Although there was plenty to eat it was not warm when it arrived. Lastly, on the last full day of the cruise , we were highly disappointed by receiving alcoholic beverages that contained no alcohol, just mixer, paying full price . A staff member even advised my husband at the time of purchase that he gave us a double shots in the beverage when there was none. This happened 3 times with our orders as well with the friends we were traveling with.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We really didn’t partake in many activities. Just people watching, and it appeared they were all enjoying their activities!😁
Entertainment
1 out of 5
We attended the late night comedy show after the formal dinner and it was great! We also enjoyed the band playing near the casino in the evening. I unfortunately can’t recall the name of the band but they were awesome. They played music of the 70’s and were spot on!
Children's Programs
We were not traveling with children.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
All staff were very helpful and knowledgeable. Our steward was great, we also were pleased with the valet service we received. A jacket pressing on formal dinner day was handled perfectly and quickly! I gave a four star rating due to previously addressed issues in the review.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Our first cruise....
It was fun, but the ship seemed dated.
It appeared clean most of the time with one single exception. As we were passing through one of the eateries early in the day, we noticed a window that seemed to have been covered in someone’s over indulgence that ruined the beautiful view of the ocean!
The layout of the ship was good and easy to get around. Maintenance needed attention in my opinion as I noticed rust damaged mainly on the outside walls of the ship. I noticed broken posts and outside wall barriers hinges due to rust accumulation.
Cabin / Stateroom
1 out of 5
Again, as this was our first cruise we were very happy with our stateroom!
We have heard stories of how small some can be! There was plenty of storage for our luggage and clothes. The balcony was a good size to enjoy quiet time and views! The bed was cozy and comfortable. There were plenty of hangers, a safe and drawer storage as well.
Ship tip
Overall we really did enjoy our first cruise! Any advise I would give? Be sure to learn everything you can about the everything the cruise has to offer. One thing we encountered ourselves was all the excitement we experienced once getting onboard, we missed some important details. Your television will be a huge source of information at the beginning of your trip. There is so much to do and see it is overwhelming for a first timer! We didn’t go on any excursions so when we stopped at each port we really only saw restaurants/bars and souvenir shops. Next time we will enjoy and excursion to be able to see more of each port of call.
I’ve been to Key West before but not near the port. We had a short stop there and mainly just saw eateries and souvenir shops. Looking back I wish we would have taken the trolly to see more of the town that I remembered from a previous working trip years ago. Key West is so cool!
Again just eating and shopping. We did take a taxi to Senor Frogs restaurant about a 10 min drive into town. Great food! The Taxi ride was a white knuckler! Plan an excursion here to see the sights as this was an 8 hour stop!
Also be aware of the ship time more so than Cozumel time so you don’t miss the boat!😁
Crowded but smooth! Be sure to make your purchases ( pictures, souvenirs) and review your account expenses nigh before. Review the disembarkation procedures from your tv so as not to miss important details as we did!
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