It was a fun cruise with the friends and family. I didn't like the casino is a smoking area. Some people would just plop down next to you at a slot machine and not play but smoke up the area. That was gross. The ship was fun, the pools nice, and the bartenders were awesome. I would do this cruise again if they gave us another day at CocoCay instead of going to Nassau. We didn't get off as we've been before and not missing anything.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Fast, security has it down to a science.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The first night, the food was just ok. The french onion soup came out cold, the escargot had inconsistent sauce, some of us got sick. The service was impeccable though. The servers were nice, fast, and very helpful. The drink package is well worth it as most of the drinks are $12 and up. If you purchase well ahead of your cruise on their site, you can get a deal. The soda package was great for the kids. They loved being able to put the cup under the spout and choosing their own flavors. We did the chef's table the last night and it was the best experience of the whole cruise. We sampled 6 different wines with a 5 course meal. I highly recommend it.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We visited the pools, the hot tubs, the fitness center. Very nice. It's a trick to stow your carry on when you first arrive, when you can go to the gym and use the lockers. They fit a nice size bag until your cabin is ready.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
We did the balloon drop which was so much fun, but one strand of quick release balloons didn't release, so we helped it. We did the Quest show which was hilarious and not recommended for anyone under 18. I did the belly flop contest and came in 2nd. That was great fun.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
My 10 yr old went to the Adventure Ocean club and she enjoyed it.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Very friendly people considering they serve lots of people day in and day out. I can't imagine how they keep their patience. Some of the cruisers on my 9th deck were inconsiderate sloppy drunks and left glasses, plates, etc in the halls as if they had personal maids. The stewards were fantastic.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The women's restrooms were nasty according to my wife. Cruisers just leave their manners at home and weren't flushing, urinating all over the seat and floors, leaving garbage everywhere. The maint. were heroes trying to keep up but by the end of the night, some bathrooms were just gross. The main ship was clean, they tidied up very well around 2 am when most cruisers were in bed.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
The comfort was great, the size fit our family of three and the cleanliness was good because of the steward Anthony. However, for undergoing a 115 million dollar reno, they really just changed out the carpet and linens. The light fixtures were old and missing decorative screw covers, the pictures were very 80's and the bathrooms had not seen upgrades in years. They spent that 115 on the outside but not in the cabins.
Ship tip
Buy the drink package and remember to put a credit card on file as on debarkation day, they will call your name to go down to guest services and settle your bill along with 200 other people in line. Make sure they don't charge you for towels!
I loved the swim up bar but would not recommend anyone under 18 to go. Things got rowdy. I paid for my wife and daughter to go to the water park and they rode two slides, cost me 100. Not worth it. They say on their site that there are trams every so often and that is a lie. We saw one tram and it never came back so we had to walk a good quarter to half a mile with our kids, bags etc in the scorching heat to get to the swim up bar. I would recommend you to ask for a tram to make sure they get you one if you can't walk.
Even though we had put a credit card on file, they still called my name and I had to go down and wait 30 min in line to tell them it was ok to charge my drinks and casino charges. They also charged me 175 for pool towels which I had them take off. They swipe your seapass card when you get them but evidently when you return them, they don't at some towel returns. Make sure you check your bill.
Glad you enjoyed your vacation.
Refurbished ships are always going to be the mechanical refit, public areas and amenities. That's where the bulk of the money is spent. Cabins get new carpeting and furnishings as needed. My upcoming cruise will actually be in one of the new cabins just installed during it's refurbishment. A new ship costs over $1.2B but for 1/10 that amount you get a nice renovation.
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