Low-key, quiet, too long, GREAT destinations, reasonable price. (Why did the ship go 16 MPH across the Atlantic? Would have been better to have fewer sea days.)
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation at Southampton was flawless. Walked in, went to the counter, got our cruise card, boarded the ship.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
There was a noticeable difference between the food in the buffets and the main dining rooms. Quality in main dining rooms was better, by far. Selection on buffet was less than earlier days. Did not try specialty restaurants as these are now $29 per person per meal.
The kitchen cooking for the main dining room seemed to be having some difficulty. Sometimes food was way undercooked (as in really, really raw hamburger, fish). Ordering scrambled eggs 'soft' resulted in wonderful eggs one day, overcooked the next.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
Because this was a trans-Atlantic trip, the weather did not cooperate with sunning and swimming. I was surprised at the lack of age appropriate indoor activities. Movies on the TV (to be viewed in staterooms) were limited - I was not interested in children's films or teenage coming-of-age movies, nor in violent, sci fi movies. Wished there had been documentaries on Scotland, Iceland, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia geography and culture. Or geology - Iceland is a geologic wonder - certainly there are some shows about that? Would have loved to have the option of a DVD player with the TV with movies available to rent.
Would have loved to see talks on the ports of call that were not about where to shop. (I remember the day before going through the Panama Canal seeing David McCullough's Panama Canal documentary in a packed-to-capacity ship theater.) Certainly there could have been more educational, cultural offerings. Trivia, egg drops, lawn bowling have their place, but not as the main daytime activities. Perhaps the activities director could plan activities with the fact in mind that most people traveling during school months are educated, retired adults who had professions in medicine, law, education, journalism, and business, to name a few.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
See above.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
EVERYONE from dining room staff to room stewards to security people was friendly, helpful and caring. They truly tried to provide what we wanted. Service was prompt and friendly. Shop staff members were patient but seemed a bit less friendly.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Very clean everywhere. Thank you! Restrooms throughout the ship were sparkling - always.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
Typical interior stateroom - roomy enough to serve its purpose. Steward did a flawless job keeping it clean and well supplied. Outside of his control was the fact that my mattress sagged in the middle and I could not get comfortable on it without adding layers of blankets to fill in the sag. Although the bathroom was clean, it smelled STRONGLY of mildew. I saw no mildew but sure could smell it (behind the paneling??). If other cabins were like this, I think it's time to refurbish the ship.
Ship tip
If you smoke or vape, the area provided on deck 16 provides tables and chairs. Better than the corner on deck 7 (which they located on the deck where people who go walking for exercise; I'm sure they don't appreciate walking through smoke).
Hired a private cab driver for 3 hours in the morning (US$80) to take us to the city sites were absolutely had to see, then took the 1PM Grayline Golden Circle Express (6 hrs.) to take that tour.
Walked around on our own for 5 miles. Seafood Exchange restaurant, which everyone recommended for fresh lobster was overpriced (US$50 each with tax and tip) and just a little above average - recommend looking for a different place if you want fresh lobster.
Waterfront sites and shops and art were wonderful. We walked around on our own. If you need anything, there is a grocery/superstore within walking distance from the ship.
Entered NYC while it was still dark and sailed by the illuminated Statue of Liberty. A site not to be missed. Did not tour the city as we took the bus to the airport immediately upon disembarking.
Toted luggage to the front of the ship, waited 45 minutes, and then toted luggage to the very back of the ship. Line for customs was long but moved pretty well. What can I say - travel day is always hard.
Likely the speed required as calculated by the computer to make the journey. It takes an astronomical amount of fuel to run at top speed. There is a speed known to be most efficient. Every knot over that consumes more fuel per unit of distance traveled but it's not a linear scale. Top speed might consume 1.75x the fuel for a 1.3x increase in speed. There is no "pull over and top up" crossing the Atlantic. It's very likely if they ran at top speed all the way they wouldn't make it.
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