A great short cruise. I would recommend it if you don't want to travel far. Be aware that it takes about 45 minutes to take a ferry from LA to Catalina Island, but we had an entire sea day in between leaving the port and arriving at the island, so just went in circles up and down the coast.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
I couldn't believe how fast it went. They really have embarkation down. So much better than in years past when we had to wait in line for up to three hours. From the time we hit the port to the time we were on the ship was about 10 minutes!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The food was better than our last cruise, but not as good as pre-pandemic.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
The slides were a blast. The hot tubs were always full because the weather was a bit cool. My son loves Adventure Ocean, and looks forward to going to it every day.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
We loved the ice skating show, and only caught one entertainer, but enjoyed it very much.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
My son loves Adventure Ocean, and even convinced the son of our table mates to join him. The staff are very attentive and responsive to the needs of the children.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The staff are always friendly, helpful, and excellent. I loved the welcome person to the Windjammer who was always singing about washing our hands.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
It's very clean and easy to find your way around. The entrance to Adventure Ocean isn't where the signs say it is, however. It's down a back hallway, opposite the direction the arrow points, and the entrance door says "staff only", which is a bit confusing.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Very nice size, clean, and loved the floor to ceiling windows. The only issue is that our fridge didn't work, and had to be replaced on the first day. On the third day, our water temperature regulator went out in the shower and had to be replaced, then maintenance forgot to turn the cold water back on, leading to a burning hot shower the next morning. Luckily our room steward was all over getting it fixed quickly.
Ship tip
Make sure to hit the slides on the first day. The lines get really long once everyone is on board.
I'm glad we brought a jacket, as it was chilly! We rented a golf cart, which was a great way to see the scenic loop. The botanical garden is nice, but small, and won't take much time to visit.
Everyone should see La Bufadora at least once, but be aware of the "flea market", which is really about a half mile of vendors trying to sell cheap merchandise. Every single one of them will try to sell you the same things. Beware the ones offering samples of adult drinks, you can get drunk on just those on your way to and from the blowhole. We didn't sample the food as we'd just eaten on the ship, but it smelled wonderful.
Appreciate your detailed and informative review. Happy to hear the food is improving, hopefully it will continue to do so. Glad you enjoyed your cruise.
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