This is a very good cruise which gives a good balance of sea days and shore days. Every staff member we interacted with was impeccable. The ship was clean and attractive. For people traveling with children, there are plenty of activities to keep the little ones occupied. People without children have a good selection of activities, as well.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We had an embarkation time of 1 pm, but we arrived early. We had to wait in a long line, but it went quickly and we were able to embark by 11 am.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We did not go to any of the specialty restaurants. Our dining experience in the main dining room was great. Since I have food sensitivities, the head waiter brought the next day's menu each evening after dinner so that I could pick foods to prepare ahead of time that would not cause me problems. The selection at the Windjammer buffet was good, but we usually had trouble finding seating. It helps a lot to reserve dining when making the cruise reservation, as people without reserved dining have to wait in line for a table at any of the main dining rooms.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We enjoyed walking around the ship. I did participate in a Sudoku challenge and trivia game, which were fun. We also participated in a veteran's tribute. Some activities did not appeal to us, and others conflicted with activities we had already decided to attend.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The live musicians were good. We wanted to attend the stage show, "Grease", but there were no seats available. Apparently, these seats should be reserved before the cruise.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
All of the staff we interacted with were polite and very responsive to our needs.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship was very clean!
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The size of the cabin was good, comparable to a regular hotel room. Since our purpose was not to stay in our cabin, but to explore, this was perfect for our needs. Our room attendant did a very nice job of maintaining our room and sometimes left towel animals for our amusement.
Ship tip
Make sure to check the cruise activities as far in advance as possible and make reservations for shows you might want to watch. Otherwise, you will be disappointed as we were when we couldn't watch Grease. Also, if you select a specialty dining package, make your restaurant reservations well in advance of the cruise date. Also, if you are prone to seasickness, make sure to have a supply of medication on hand. Even on this big boat, the waves can be strong enough in bad weather to cause motion sickness.
We took a tour that included a visit to a wildlife sanctuary and a glass-bottom boat ride. At the sanctuary, we had the opportunity to hold a baby sloth (they are MUCH cuter in real life than in photos) and interact with very playful young Capuchin monkeys. We received a very interesting education about the barrier reef during the boat ride. Make sure to take anti-seasickness medication before taking such a tour!
We wanted to see some pyramids, and we saw several! The tour guide gave a very good explanation of the uses of different pyramids, and how they were built according to astronomical principles so that they could be used to predict equinoxes and solstices.
We visited Tulum, which we had already visited 18 years ago. A lot more of the site has been excavated and several shops and restaurants have sprung up near the site in those 18 years. The tour guide did not provide as much information about Tulum as our guide 18 years ago did, but we still learned some new facts about Tulum and the Mayan culture. We also visited a park with several cenotes (Mayan sinkholes) that people were encouraged to swim in. We did not swim, but walked around the park and took pictures.
The process went very smoothly. We packed our suitcases the night before and put them outside of our cabin door as instructed. We shoved the rest of our stuff, like toiletries that we needed in the morning, into shopping bags. We had plenty of time to go to breakfast and then go wait in the designated area. Our group had an estimated departure time of 8:30 am, and we did leave around that time. We found our luggage easily in the terminal, since it was all sorted by debarkation number. The worst part about the debarkation was walking back to the parking lot in 47 degree weather.
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