Overall, pleasantly surprised for our first cruise.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Parking was a little slow, but once we dropped our bags, the process was smooth. Show SeaPass card on phone, go through security, show passport, and get on the boat. Took 15 minutes.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The main dining room was too stuffy and formal, and most of the food could be found on the buffet. We only ate in the dining room once on our trip - the first night - and then didn't bother going back. The servers were nice, though could be a little slow. The buffet offered a good selection, and most of what I ate was good. Jamie's Italian was the best specialty restaurant we ate at, with fresh pasta, delicious appetizers, and generous servings. Find a sale before the trip and get lunch, it's worth it. Izumi was fun and food was good as well, our chef and service was outstanding.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The adults-only pool was nice and much quieter than the main deck. No music blaring or TV playing. The weather wasn't the best, but the pool was nice to dip in for a bit. The whirlpools were usually busy, but easy to access. We did trivia and had a lot of fun, and all of the classes we saw but didn't participate in, looked fun for the guests. They weren't our thing, but it was nice there was a large variety of things to do. Fitness center was nice, though we only used it for one day.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The comedian was funny, though he seemed to be holding back a little, since there were children in the show; would like to have had an adults-only show. It seemed weird to have the orchestra and dancers before the comedian, but it was short and they were good, just didn't really fit in with the show. The musicians we saw were all talented and fun, and the DJ/ship played a good mix of new songs and older songs.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
All of the staff is super friendly, most greeting you as you walk by. The waiters were attentive, filling water and getting orders in quickly. Our room attendant was polite and cleaned the room quickly.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
I liked the smaller ship - it was easy to navigate once you got a hang of it. There were directional signs in a lot of places, which was helpful. Everything seemed quite clean, with staff cleaning as they went.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The size was great for two people. We had a panoramic window at the front of the ship, which was great to sit by and watch the water. The bed was a little stiff, but not the worst. The bathroom is tiny, but was usable. The hallway to get in the room was a little narrow if you had a backpack or anything with you. There was a small couch, two seats by the window, a seat at the vanity and a bed to lounge, so worked out great for us.
Ship tip
Don't bother with the Main Dining Room. It's a waste of time, the food isn't that great, and you can get many of the same things at the buffet. Get at least one specialty restaurant to get a nicer table-service experience.
The shopping center at the end of the dock is a nightmare to navigate - so much so that our excursion gave us a map on how to get out of it. It was still confusing, but we managed to make it into the city. We did an excursion to Chacchoban, the Mayan ruins, and it was excellent. It took about an hour to get there, but we drove through some small neighborhoods and a lot of scenic areas. The ruins were amazing, especially the end, and our tour guide was knowledgable. The little gift shop at the front has a lot of items to choose from, as well as food and drinks for purchase.
There are a lot of touristy bars when you first get off the ship, but if you leave the shopping area, you can get a better feel of the city. We did a Local Cantina tour, and had a private tour guide that drove us across the entire island, stopping at 5 different cantinas for drinks and food. It was great, except for the rain! But since we had a driver and tour guide, it worked out well. The stops were all fun, we got to see some beautiful views of the coast, and the drinks and food were all delicious.
Was easy to disembark. Wait for your number, get in line, get off the boat. Didn't even need to show your passport again, because they had face scanners. We were off the boat within 15 minutes.
I remember the Costa Maya ‘shopping center’. Lots of exits that the passengers were not allowed to use, you had to run the gauntlet of max exposure to the vendors. I liked their detailed review.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
