This was a wonderful, relaxing cruise. The crowd is older than for a lot of cruises and this definitely is not a family oriented ship. There were very few children on the ship. The pool areas were fine, but not the large, central focus areas typical of more family-style cruises.
This was a "relax and enjoy" cruise rather than a high-energy cruise.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Although documents said not to come till after 11AM, we arrived shortly after 11 and the waiting area was nearly completely filled by passengers who had already checked in.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Main meals were excellent. The specialty restaurants were great experiences. We did not go to the Sel de Mer as it was a la carte and the items were quite expensive considering that dinner was already paid for.
The sandwiches at the New York Deli on deck 10 were fantastic.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Fitness center was more than adequate to provide for guests. Never had to wait for equipment.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The "World Stage" graphics effects were outstanding. Some of the other entertainment in the main theater was mediocre. The smaller venues, though, had excellent rock and blues bands playing till late.
The "America's Test Kitchen" demonstrations on sea days were surprisingly entertaining.
Children's Programs
No children travelling with us
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Pleasant, efficient, unobtrusive staff. The dining room staff made meals more enjoyable.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
This is the only ship I've ever been on where there were no bottlenecks in the flow of passengers. My only real criticism is that to get to the main theater entrance on the third deck we had to walk through the casino which is sort of an obstacle course and allows smoking.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
We actually upgraded to a signature suite after realizing how small the "Vista Suite" actually is. Calling the "Vista Suite" a suite is misleading. They are as small or smaller than regular cabins on other ships. The Signature Suite, though was roomy and met our needs.
The bathroom was large. There was a tub in the bathroom, though, which took up much of the space across from the sink area and left room for only a tiny shower typical of the smallest cabins.
Signature and Vista suites, though, have no suite benefits.
Ship tip
Order a sandwich at the New York Deli. Corned beef and pastrami are particularly good. There is a wait after ordering, but it is close to the buffet and it is easy to get a nosh while waiting. I tended to grab some sushi.
We actually stayed on Hollywood Beach, close to the airport, which is a much quieter experience than Ft. Lauderdale, more like old Florida. Hotels and restaurants are actually on the beach walk rather than across a busy highway like in FLL.
St. Lucia is a great Island, probably more like what most people would expect of a tropical island with jungles and sugar cane. The Pitons are beautiful. Unfortunately, it was raining hard on our day there.
Bridgetown itself is not particularly a good visit, but we love the island. We took a private tour. Excursions seem to ignore Welchman Hall Gulley and Hunte's Gardens. These are well worth a visit.
This town is a dump. Really not worth getting off the ship. We did not do an excursion. It was pretty to look out over the island from the ship, though
Took a walking excursion into town. One of the worst excursions we've taken. Not much to see. Reminded us of the "J Peterman Reality Tour" on Seinfield.
The Holland America port was much better than where we've been in the past. Not a bad walk into town. Charlotte Amalie was interesting to visit and had attractive shop-lined alleys to see.
Wonder why the. “ Signature Suite and the vista Suites “ are called suites but don’t have any goodies to go with it?
Maybe they should change the names to Signature and Vista Balcony. Hummmmmm. So simple .
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