Great entertainment but noticed a definite decline in quality of food offered in main dining room

Item: Navigator of the Seas
Rating: 3.7
Author: rogeroelk

Navigator of the Seas Cruise Review to Mexico

rogeroelk

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 9

Overall rating:

3.7 out of 5

Verified Review

4 Night Ensenada (Los Angeles Roundtrip)

Sail date: September 25, 2023

Ship: Navigator of the Seas

Cabin number: GTY

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 8 months ago

Review summary

Nice little getaway trip but as veteran cruisers, we noticed that management is starting to operate like the airlines--everything that used to set this mode of vacation apart from the competition now has an extra price tag. Examples: No ice carving demos or cooking demonstrations, cheap cuts of meat in the dining room, ship tours (once free of charge and delightful) now cost an outrageous $124 PER PERSON, etc.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Well organized, considering over 3000 passengers to handle

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Main dining room menu was much lower than previous cruise experiences (about 20 of them). Buffets were good with lots of options. Too many "specialty restaurants' in an obvious attempt to compensate for degradation of food in main dining room.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

All were well maintained

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Stage shows and other performers were terrific, as was the cruise directors and musicians

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

1 out of 5

We were originally placed in a cabin above the Star Lounge and sound from music below us was unbearable. Guest Services told us the music was for first night only and would stop at 9:45 pm, but at 11:00 pm, another group played until midnight and was even louder than the first group. Called Guest Services again and agent apologized for the error but emphatically reassured us a second time that such music was scheduled only for the Welcome Day. On Day 2, we checked schedule and saw the same noisy band was scheduled to play yet again for 2 and a half hours, well past midnight. A third call to Guest Services resulted in a cabin change which, once accomplished, was satisfactory and quiet. Packing up and moving again killed the whole morning of Day 2-- not to mention the frustrations of false reassurances and disrupted sleep on Day 1.

Ship tip

It's cumbersome to handle luggage and still keep passports handy when boarding the ship, so we recommend purchasing passport holders which can be hung around your neck for easy access during the boarding process.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Ensenada, Mexico Did not visit port

Safety concerns

Thumbs Up 0

Disembarkation

5 out of 5

Smooth flow and went especially self disembarkation worked flawlessly

6 Comments

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