Overall it was a fun family vacation. We are not experienced cruisers and are easy to please, so we went with the flow and enjoyed the experience that happened.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
It would've been nice to be sure beforehand how strict the ship would be regarding food. The information said "no food" but they allowed snacks and candy and water bottles.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
It was confusing to know what food would be available when and where. The "buffet" rotated around to all the of the different stations. So one part of the buffet would be open at all times, but it was hard to know where. The other free stations were also kind of difficult to pin down. For example, there was sometimes free pizza. And there were sometimes hamburgers available.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
There was lots to do. All the dancing classes and zumba activities were great. Free yoga would be nice. It was disappointing, though understandable, that teens could not participate in "adult" activities like volleyball or the fusbol tournaments. They had their own activities. It would've been VERY nice if volleyball had its own location and was always available. There was also no shuffleboard. The two pools were VERY small--not near enough for adults or kids to actually swim in and there weren't nearly enough hot tubs either. A water feature, like a couple of water slides, would've been very nice. There also should've been a few more teen get-togethers, and not so LATE. Most of the activities didn't start until midnight.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The shows became very entertaining because of how randomly strange they were. I don't know if it was because it was in Italian, but we often didn't understand the connections.
Children's Programs
3 out of 5
More kids activities for 8-12 would've been nice.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
We had balcony cabins for three, and they were very spacious.
Ship tip
The Italian/international aspect was the best feature of this ship. It was so fun to hear all the different accents.
We went to Taino Beach with 12 people. The taxis aren't negotiable. We paid $6 per person for a round trip. The beach was beautiful. You do not need to pay the "resort" fee to get to the beach. Just walk around the building to the public beach.
The weather wasn't great, but the water was extremely warm. The beach was clean but the water was also a little dirty and it smelled like oil/gas. Not much to do but go to the beach which would've been great if the weather had been better.
The weather was great. The port is made by the cruise line, and is open for the cruise ship, so it's not an "authentic" experience at all unless you take a taxi into town which we did not do. There is enough to keep you busy at Amber Cove however. There are shops with FREE wifi! The pool area and bathrooms were free. The zip line was $20 but you could go as many times as you'd like. The water slide is also free. There was a sand volleyball pit and basketball that were free.
This was the most authentic port. We walked through town to the public beach. It took about 20 minutes at a leisurely pace, shopping at a couple places and getting some ice cream.
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