A relaxing week, but not the experience we wanted.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Port Canaveral was very efficient, friendly, and got us on the ship earlier than expected. A very smooth experience from parking to entering the ship and everywhere in between.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
The food on the ship was overall very bland and disappointing. The marketplace buffet was constantly overrun from being the only option on the ship during most of the day, was stocked with the same food every day with only one station changing, and most of the food was very boring. The included main dining restaurant had exceptional service, but again, the food was hit or miss and overall lack luster compared to our previous experiences on other lines. The specialty dining had attractive options, but they weren't open enough hours to accommodate the demand, and we weren't able to experience any of them without starting dinner at 9:30PM, and the only options were on the last few days of the cruise. Overall, the food was a major disappointment, and the lack of options available was even more disappointing.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
The pools were mostly well done. The adult only pool was a great place to relax, but it was directly connected to the kids section of the ship, and therefore was only somewhat "adult only". The bamboo pool was very unique and very well done. The pool itself was slightly small for a crowd, but the room was inviting and different from the typical pool area. The fitness center was well done with good options for equipment in such a small space.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The Broadway Theatre shows were, without a doubt, the best part of the experience on the ship. The performers did a wonderful job, the shows were fun to watch, and the space was comfortable and easy to be in. We didn't attend any of the paid lounge options, both due to timing and additional cost.
Children's Programs
We don't have any children.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our room steward, Selvin, was great. He was there for anything we needed, always with a smile on his face, wanting to help however he could. Our dining room server was also very good. Jenny did a great job taking care of us in a friendly manner, and made us feel welcome and appreciated.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The cleanliness of the ship was very good. No matter what time of day or where we were there was someone cleaning and making sure the ship was well cared for. However, the layout was far from perfect in my opinion. The main atrium at decks 5-7 was a nice space, but it was not a "wow" experience even when we boarded. The shops and restaurants on deck 6 were located well and made for a nice "town" feel, but we grew tired of having to commute from the common space on the lower decks up to the rest of the community space starting on deck 15 and going up. There were 12 elevators mid-ship, but it seemed nearly impossible to get one to move as needed, and when one of them would finally stop at the required floor it was often already full, causing the process to start again or taking the stairs 9 decks at a time. There was also no outdoor space below deck 15 unless it was a cabin balcony. Very disappointing when trying to get some fresh air, especially when the upper decks were always congested due to the number of passengers and unnecessarily limited community space.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The cabin was overall good. It was clean, the size was good, and the balcony was a nice option. It wasn't without its issues though. The beds seemed old and cheap, although the size was bigger than expected. The single major issue with the cabin was the bathroom, specifically the shower door. The design was new and modern, but horribly dysfunctional. The shower "door" was a glass door that swung open for easier access, which was nice. However, it stopped short of being able to keep the water in the shower and led to more of a camper experience where everything in the room ended up wet. Outside this one issue we were pleased with our room.
Ship tip
If you have any interest at all in the specialty dining options, book them immediately and commit to your time. Planning shows through the MSC for Me app was very useful, especially thanks to the personal agenda feature showing your daily schedule. Take full advantage of the app, it's one of the things they got absolutely right. Be prepared for the same food daily unless you choose to spend plenty of extra cash. Our ticket prices were better than any of the other competing lines, but that comes with a severely hampered experience for that price.
We walked from the port into town just to explore instead of booking a paid excursion. The port itself was as expected, very commercialized and overpriced to say the least, however there were some local vendors that were more reasonable, and the buildings and streets were very cool to walk.
This was a fantastic stop. The island was incredibly well kept as expected, and even though there was construction going on, we didn't hear or see any of it to be a nuisance. There were plenty of facilities and options to grab food, and the scenery was world class.
This port was hard for most of the ship since we were anchored out 5 miles from shore and had to take ferry boats for a 25 minute ride in. The 25 minutes wasn't bad at all, but it was very delayed in getting on the ferries even though they had 8 good sized boats for us. This alone cost us our ability to go outside the port itself. However, the port was fantastic, full of local shops and vendors that gave great options for local items at very reasonable prices compared to the more commercial vendors that all carried the same items for multiples of the prices. Belize City is known to be unsightly and not somewhere to spend time, but our limited time at the port was a great experience.
The port at Costa Maya is a resort all of its own. There were a pair of ships all flooding the port and it was crowded for a good portion of it, but the port itself is beautiful. The dolphin pool, bird habitats, and main pool were a great experience. We did walk a while out of the port and the cleanliness faded quickly by the block, but we never felt unsafe outside the secured gates. This port was also very different to the others, mostly covered in trees, and had a unique feel to it.
Trying to get more than 5,000 people off of one ship is daunting task, especially when there are added factors of luggage and customs involved. All in all, the process went smoothly and we were able to get back to our car without any mishaps.
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