Read this Review - I Promise It is Worth Your Time

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 41

Review summary

We just returned from our cruise. This will likely be an overview of everything you wanted to know. Invest the time to read it; I think you'll find it was worth it. For the sake of brevity, i'll break it into categories so you can easily follow along. As a preface, we booked in the Concierge Class, Room 8058; more about those two things later. FOOD Overall, the food on the ship was good, but after a week, you may find it to become a bit hard to stomach the same dishes offered on repeat. There a few options for meals, but you'll likely either eat at Cosmopolitan (their sit down main, included restaurant (located on Decks 4 and 5) and the Oceanview (Deck 10), which is a buffet. It is enormous and you'll likely find something you like. The variety also rotates, to a degree, so if you have a wide palate, you may be satisfied and not become bored. You can also get food, which is included, at the pool bar on Deck 10 but that is limited largely to hamburgers and hot dogs (and fries). If you have extra money, there are specialty restaurants. At least two of which that I know of are per person priced, not per item (however, Sushi on Five is per item). Those two are Tuscan Grille and Qsine. Tuscan Grille was 45/person. It was worth it and here's why: multiple filet mignons. As in, order 2 of them, they don't care. We did not go to Qsine as it did not seem worth the price - as other reviews have noted, it has a hokey premise but it still standard items ordered via Ipads. FOOD TIPS Here are the things you may find helpful. Room service is included and a menu is in your room. There is also a premium room service, menu also in your room. I ordered the filet mignon from the premium room service for $20. It was worth it, no question. All of the other included room service items are your standard fare and are edible - they can also be ordered late if you don't feel like putting on the required dress to go to a restaurant. Yes, they require either smart casual or evening chic and will state which on your daily program. You can also order room service (and check you account balance) via your interactive tv. It works pretty well. THE DRINK PACKAGE - There is an unnecessary air of mystery around what is included and what is not. We chose the classic drink package as one of our two perks from Cheap Caribbean because math. I believe the classic drink package has a value of $300+ and the others (wifi and gratuities) do not. Because you also will probably have the classic drink package, you'll want to know what is included. While I don't have the full list (the Sky Lounge, which is what Revelations on Deck 11 becomes at night did have a full break down), here are the highlights: Heineken, Corona, and Bud Light are covered. Mixed drinks totaling $9 or less are covered. If the total of the drink is over, you'll simply pay the difference. They have a generic brand of bottled water that is covered, but premium brands like Evian are not. Sparkling water is not covered. Red Bull is not covered. All sodas, etc. are covered. Coffees, and most notably those as Cafe Bacio, are covered up to $9, of course. As a general note, drinks from certain locations are not covered, even though they would be covered at other locations. Like, for example, a martini that would be under $9 and thus covered, from any other bar, would not be covered at Martini Crush and other "specialty" bars, on the ship; I know, it's ridiculous. Also, if you are going to order a drink in Oceanview (the buffet), and don't like to wait for 5-10 minutes for it, simple walk up to the beverage counter near one of the entrances and ask for it. It is much quicker and will save your patience. If you like coffee, go to Cafe Bacio. The coffee is good (caramel macchiato can't let you down), and the service is good. The pastries are complementary. If you like gelato ( and who doesn't), there is a gelato stand across from the cafe that is open from 11 am to 11 pm. You may have to get someone from the cafe to serve you over there as it is often unmanned. It is amazing and well worth the ~$5 for two scoops. Regarding the Cosmopolitan sit-down restaurant, we had flexible dining and ate when we wanted on Deck 4 of the restaurant. There are two lines that lead to the same result : a pager. Concierge and Suites have their own line which should be quicker, but it is shared with all guests with a reservation, so sometimes it isn't. If it is longer than the line for guests without a reservation, simply go to that line. ENTERTAINMENT The entertainment on the ship is somewhat what you make of it. There are shows, trivia, two cold salt water pools, one warm saltwater pool for 18+ indoors, and several hot tubs. There is also the casino and a small "arcade." A few things to note: the arcade is a room with about 6 machines and also works with your Seapass - everything on the ship does. Lock your wallet in your room safe, you won't need it. You can use your on-board credit to buy game credits if you'd like; you can also use that credit at the casino. The comics on-board were funny and are worth seeing. The musical shows may or may not be your speed. If you are young, you may be bored on the ship. The ship itself clearly caters to those 50+ and once you're on-board, you'll see why. Now, if you're in your 30s and your wife is pregnant (like us), you may not want water slides or rock climbing walls that newer ships have so it may not be an issue. But, if you crave an assortment of different activities, you may be bored by the ship. The ship was built 15+ years ago and its age shows in some places - entertainment is one of those places. ENTERTAINMENT TIPS Don't buy anything from the shops if you value money. As a whole, I found things to be overpriced and it seems they are counting on you not being able to price-check on Google. Also, avoid the art auctions as a bidder. However, if you enjoy watching items not sell, take a seat and enjoy the show. If you search Google for cruise ships and art auctions, you'll find hair-raising articles. Wifi on the ship is basically a trap. It is horrifyingly overpriced. Instead of purchasing it, contact your carrier about international add-ons. For example, AT&T has a $10/day plan that allows you to use your plan in Bermuda just as you would in the US. What that means is from about 2 hours until you reach Bermuda until about 2 hours after you leave Bermuda, you will likely be connected to the land-based carrier on the island. The carrier was called "One." This equates to about 2-3 days of internet for $30. SERVICE The staff is excellent. There really is no other way to say it. Everyone will go out of their way to make you happy. THE ROOM The Concierge Class rooms are spacious for a cruise ship and comfortable. They are cleaned twice a day, I believe and the staff, again, does a great job. ROOM TIPS You can find online a map of which rooms have an obstructed view. Mine was unobstructed and fantastic.

Embarkation

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

Onboard Activities

Entertainment

Service and Staff

Ship Quality

Cabin / Stateroom

Ports of call

Cape Liberty (Bayonne), New Jersey

King's Wharf, Bermuda

Disembarkation

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