Had far better for much less. When it comes to cruising, the devils in the details. We had cruised Celebrity a few years before and enjoyed the experience but If this cruise experience is endemic of a cruise line industry that is "cheapening up" to save dollars in goods and service, then they will surely pay a price in lost customers who will look for vacation packages in other areas that give them a greater reward for their hard earned dollars.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
The boarding process was very smooth and professional but as soon as we came aboard, we were inundated by aggressive sales people trying to "upsell" us on drink and dining packages and tours. We felt like we were running a gauntlet.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
The buffet was basically the same limited menu everyday for 11 days. There were no quality food items like shrimp or roast beef ever available the fare was mostly chicken and cheap cuts of beef dishes in sauces that were so dry you could barely swallow it. No hot sandwiches or any hot food available on the buffet after 10 at night except cardboard pizza. Breakfast was usually cold and the people behind the serving counters acted unfriendly. Of the many cruises we've been on we found this buffet to be very disappointing in their limited, poor quality offering. I watched a girl serving ice cream, openly sneeze and never wash her hands.
The main dining room, on the other hand, was superb. The food was excellent, always delicious, well presented and prepared and the servers were above grade in their attention and professionalism. We ate most meals of our meals there and we were never disappointed. a big Five Stars to the dining room.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
There are limited activities aboard this ship. It seems to be geared more for the geriatric crowd. The "glass blowing" show was a front line winner and the theater offered an entertaining show every night. It says something about the ships entertainment when they fire the cruise director in the middle of the trip. They should have fired the buffet manager as well. There were no on-deck movies at night or late night buffet celebrations or even a late night grill where you could get a hot hamburger The ship was basically deserted on deck after 10 P.M
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Good shows but the theater had limited seating for the 2900 people it hosted. Entertaining musicians played different styles of music all over the ship.
Children's Programs
Don't have kids
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Waiters in the main dining room were excellent. The room steward had an attitude.He grumbled that it was his last cruise on the contract, was not friendly and acted like he expected us to comply with his schedule. he had a habit of just walking in to the room unexpectedly and walked in on my wife coming out of the shower naked. Don't expect any cute towel animals on your bed on this ship, they're pretty "bare bones" in the service area. The bed spread smelled like sweat and made us wonder when it was last laundered.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The motif is early 1960's with a lot of pastel yellow, blues and abundance of chrome. There are no bright colors and the whole ship seems dated which is a shame because it's a beautiful ship. Everything is "surface" clean and wiped down but when you look closely you realize that the the whole ship could use a good deep cleaning... but with the busy schedule of this vessel you know it isn't going to happen anytime soon.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
Small cabin. By the time 2 people get luggage and clothing for an 11 day cruise, you don't have enough room to turn around and this cabin is designed to hold 4 people. It must look like a clown car with 4 people in it. The glass on the veranda was so dirty that it obscured the view. The bed was very comfortable and the television reception was excellent. The room safe was easy to use.
Ship tip
Find another cruise that gives you more "bang for your buck". This ship seems geared mostly for first time cruisers and geriatrics who have had no experience with other cruise ships and no expectations of quality. I rate this particular cruise below most Carnival cruises I've taken (and I've taken many)
The people are cautiously friendly but this is a typical third world port. Walk down the sidewalks carefully, there are open sewers, broken or missing chunks of the extremely narrow sidewalks that disappear completely the further you get from the dock
A fun port. Take the side trip to the small fishing villages and have a drink at the top of the hill run by a delightful lady who will dance to the Caribbean music with you
Went to Curacao instead because of the hurricane. Was a delightful port with shady courtyard cafes, great shopping and wonderful people. This port should be a regular on the itenary
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
