To be honest, we just wanted to hop on a cruise that was close to home. With Tampa not having the newest megaships and having mostly old, smaller ships, our expectations weren't very high. We just wanted a relaxing, quiet vacation. We were pleasantly surprised by how good the food was. Probably the best we have had post-COVID cutbacks that a lot of the lines are doing now. We enjoyed the music/entertainment/ship activities. The service was superb and the crew was outstanding. The casino staff was also very nice/attentive. The ship is older but she's a lot of fun and easy to get around. We prefer smaller ships over the megas if we can help it. We would sail on this ship again.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
We always do Valet parking at this port. It's convenience and easy. Unfortunately, the Valet locked our keys in the car. After about 2 hours of being on the ship, our names were called over the loud speaker many times. We were met with a Hillsborough County Sheriff. That was enough to freak us out. LOL! He was very nice and the valet folks were extremely apologetic. Thankfully we had a spare on us and they were able to move our car. We had the Key (we got a really good Black Friday deal). The lunch was nice and it was relaxing to just sit and chat.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We enjoyed the food very much. Splurged and did the Chef's Table. It was AWESOME and worth it. MDR food was very good. We were pleasantly surprised. The buffet was good to OK. There were many choices. I am just not a huge fan of buffets.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We enjoyed the many trivia games and won about 4-5 times.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Went to the juggling show. We thought it was very good and the guy was funny. We also watched a few bands play in the atrium on a few evenings that were enjoyable to watch.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
All wait staff was excellent. We got stuck with anytime dining because we booked just a few months before the cruise. We HATED the table for two that were literally on top of each other. It's pretty pointless. We wound up going to the buffet the first night because the people we sat next to were clearly annoyed that they sat us next to them and made the experience so bad, that we left. We met a lovely couple the next day and they invited us to sit at their table for the rest of the cruise. One of the maître d's set it up in the system for us very easily. The only other hiccup was the brunch. We stood in line for close to 40 minutes. We thought about leaving but nothing was open unless we wanted pizza or room service so we stuck it out. Large groups of people (8 or more) seemed to be in abundance at this time. We finally got seated and sat with a group of super nice folks. A little hint: If you don't mind sharing a table, do that. You may get seated sooner.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The size of the ship is nice. It is an older ship but appears to be maintained. There are some areas that are a bit dated but not in bad shape. We went to the Diamond lounge a few times. It's nice but it's a weird setup. You overlook the Viking Crown Lounge. You go up a ramp and then a few steps up, buzz in and you're in! It's just all open. I'm not complaining but it just seemed a little odd. We only had one afternoon where it was completely crowded and nowhere to sit.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The cabin in a Jr Suite all the way aft. The size was plenty for the two of us. It was well cleaned. We had a great steward, Shananna. The balcony is a great size. We highly recommend doing an aft cabin. The views are spectacular. The downside to this cabin was we could hear music from the lounge below us. It wasn't deafening or anything but we could still hear it and feel the vibrations. Thankfully it wasn't every night and it never went past 9-10pm. We would also smell food smells from somewhere. It wasn't overpowering but it was constant in the evening and at night. Lastly, the balcony as mentioned was great BUT the people above you can see down into your space. Not the whole space but most of it. Not a huge deal as we just sit and read a book or stand out there, watching the waves or the port. Overall, we could deal with those things.
Ship tip
Go to the Spotlight Lounge, all the way aft. There's an area to the right of the entrance that nobody really goes to when it's not in use. It's a nice place to read or play a quite game.
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