We were surprised at how quickly the days passed. There was always plenty to do. There were several movies shown with Oscar nominated performances that we simply did not have the time to go see. Food quality was better than our previous Princess cruise, approaching what we've come to expect from a typical Royal Caribbean Cruise. We prefer account access through the cabin TV (as in major hotels and RCCL). For a 15 day cruise, we felt the planning of the ships activities was outstanding.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Very smooth. There was no traffic on Embarcadero at 12:30 PM. It was a very fast check in. The line to check baggage was the only snag - and even then it wasn't much of a wait (15 min.)
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
I dined in the Dining Room 14 of the 15 evenings (missed one dinner due to illness). There were 4 very good dinners and 10 outstanding meals. The Dining Room service staff was excellent through out the cruise. Service in the Buffet was spotty, sometimes after waiting over ten minutes, we gave up on the drink service and walked over to get our own drinks. Seating in the Buffet was always a problem during normal meal times. Breakfast and lunch in the Dining Room was a very relaxing experience. The complementary lunches in Sabatini's (Pizza - outstanding) and the Bayou Café (English Pub Lunch) were a nice change of pace. We did not dine at any specialty restaurants for dinner.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Our initial concern about having enough things to do on a 15 day cruise, on a mid-sized ship, was not an issue. As evidence, the supply of crossword puzzles I brought along was not used until day 12 - the day I got sick and took it easy the whole day. We participated in a couple of dance classes, attended port / shopping talks, participated in several trivia contests (even won one), basketball contests, played Bingo a few times (won one small game), and used the Fitness Center one day (but found running on the Promenade deck a much better experience - 2.8 laps per mile, not very crowded before 9 AM),
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Overall, entertainment was excellent. There were three ways to watch movies - Under the stars on the pool deck (too cold at night and hard to see during the day), Princess Theatre (very good) and Universe Lounge (poor resolution and sound), and cabin TV. We saw three movies in the main theaters (including Best Picture Oscar nominated "The Shape of Water" and "Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri"). There were many films with Oscar nominated performances, and with the Oscar Program shown just weeks before sailing, many were fresh on our minds. Showroom entertainment was very good to excellent through out the cruise.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Dining Room service was consistently outstanding. Buffet drink service was spotty. Room steward service was generally very good, but there were a few days when morning room service was delayed until close to noon.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Older ship is holding up very well. The Universe Lounge is unique and the Bayou Show it was designed for was an innovative experience. The Promenade Deck is the only un-obstructive path (2.8 laps / mile) for running. If the wood surface gets wet, traction is iffy. Several walkers were unhappy with runners / joggers passing them. Walkers with headphones / ear buds were unaware of their surroundings and made passing them difficult. Internet access is terrible and expensive (typical of cruise ships).
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Bed position, with the window at the headboard, made looking out the window very difficult. Toilet overflowed one night , but did not flow into the main cabin.
Ship tip
Seating in the Buffet was always a problem during normal meals times. Breakfast and lunch in the Dining Room was a much more relaxing experience. Pizza for lunch at Sabatini's (complementary) was outstanding.
We've been to Cabo several times so we did not do an excursion. The port area is very touristy with many restaurants looking out on the pier. We did spend some time shopping.
We took an excursion to a ranch on Lake Nicaragua and the town of Rivas. Winds slowed the Tenders so our excursion departure was delayed. However the tour itself was very relaxing and the guide (Rudolfo) was very good.
We took an excursion to a coffee plantation and Cart factory. The tour guide (Oscar) was excellent and the coffee plantation tour was excellent, the cart factory tour was very good..
With a 5 AM arrival in Panama City to start, we missed this part of the transit and the travel through the first set of locks. Travel through the canal and locks was very entertaining - it's hard to believe the canal was built over 100 years ago. The ship lecturer's commentary through out the transit was very entertaining and informative.
We took an excursion of the city that included the fort overlooking the bay. We were disappointed to learn that "Romancing the Stone", which supposedly took place in Colombia and specifically Cartagena, was filmed in Mexico. However, the Fort was a fascinating tour - the rest of the tour was OK. The tour guide (Herbert) was very good.
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