Overall, my husband and I enjoyed our first cruise, experiencing some pros and cons. We will definitely cruise again...but will be selective of the number of people on board and the time of year we travel. We will continue to weigh all the additional costs involved and compare them to other means of travel.
The service and entertainment were outstanding!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
All went very smoothly. I was surprised at the organization and how quickly it flowed. Our SetSail pass said check-in time was 10:30am to 3:00pm. We went early, just before 10:30...there was no congestion. The wait was not too long and while we waited purchased a dinner upgrade for 3 nights.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The Windjammer buffet was so crowded with many unsupervised children. The food was acceptable. Whenever time allowed we ate our meals in the sit-down dining rooms. Limited times for the dining rooms were posted each day in the Compass. The food in all of these dining rooms was excellent and there was no additional charge. The two speciality restaurants we dined in were excellent...both food and service. These came at an extra charge, in the 3 day dining pkg we purchased.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We attended a few interesting presentations such as shopping guidelines at ports, chatting with the captain, trivia contests, Alaska informational presentation, a small amount of time in the casino. My husband used the fitness center daily, which had top of the line equipment. There were a few other activities we might have tried but they came with additional charges, such as bingo, group exercise classes. We did not use the pool area due to the crowds.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The ship's stage shows were OUTSTANDING!! We enjoyed each one...I don't think we missed any of them. The bands, DJ, etc were very nice.
Children's Programs
We were not traveling with children.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our room steward, Joseph, took excellent care of us. Any request or question we had he was quick to assist. At our first time to meet Joseph he greeted us by name! Impressive young man!
Our waiters each night at dinner, Cameron and TingTing, became like family! Their service was impeccable, and we looked forward to seeing them each evening. They were very personable, sharing their lives and dreams!
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
All was fine with the ship's layout and everything was clean.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Our cabin was fine and we were certainly glad to have booked a room with a balcony. The speakers did not work in our room or outside on the balcony so we missed most announcements, unless we jumped into the hall fast enough to catch them
Ship tip
This was our first cruise and overall it was positive, however we were bothered by a few things. Areas of the ship were very crowded, with some unruly children. Also, it felt like there were so many additional charges for things, that the bargain trip we thought we were taking turned out to be more than other trips we usually take to specific destinations. First-time cruisers should know about additional charges for upgraded restaurants, drinks, phone/internet services, bingo, Starbucks coffee, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, exercise group classes, cooking classes, ship tours, etc. while some of these are advertised, their costs are high and can add a hefty amount to the cost of your trip.
We did not do an excursion here, but rather shopped and enjoyed a good meal. Cozumel was fine with many very eager salespeople trying to sell to you their jewelry and other wares.
This port was not well organized as compared to the others. The people in charge of lining up/organizing the tours were not helpful or respectful. Perhaps we just had a couple of tired, unwelcoming people...not a good first impression.
Our bus tour of Grand Cayman was very nice, as was our guide and driver.
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