The cruise was absolutely wonderful. The ship, itself, was a perfect size. The food and drinks couldn't have been better. And the staff - all of the employees (especially those mentioned earlier), and even the officers were friendly and always offering to help. A Perfect Cruise!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
No crowds, personnel were very helpful and friendly during the embarkation
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
There were ample choices and every choice we made provided fantastic tastes. The presentation of foods was also fantastic. Compliments to the chef and staff.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We used both pools but primarily the Lido Deck pool. We enjoyed the pool very much and used it fairly frequently since we had a Cabana for the entire trip. The Casino was another activity we used - usually everytime we were "at sea".
Entertainment
4 out of 5
We enjoyed the entertainment in BB King's and the Piano's next to the casino. We went to the first comedy show - the comedian wasn't very funny at all. We didn't go to any more comedies.
Children's Programs
We had no children with us.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
First, we had a cabana and it was serviced by Alex and Claude. They were excellent - we don't believe anyone could have provided us the service in a more friendly and enjoyable manner. They provided anything we asked for and brought treats without asking. They were TERRIFIC!. Peera kept an eye on our needs while in the Cabana when Alex/Claude were training or doing other ship duties. In the casino, Brighton was extremely helpful and friendly - frankly, I only wanted to play cards when he was overseeing the tables. Alfred should be mentioned also as the best dealer we encountered. Another great server was John in the Explorer's Lounge - very friendly, helpful, and introduced us to the Yeng Yeng drink. The room stewards were also excellent! Putu and Carlos were our stewards and, again, would be hard to be replaced with any better stewards. There were many other great encounters with the ship's staff but the aforementioned individuals were truly outstanding. One more mention - Chantel at the service desk was a great help to us. SWA lost one of our suitcases and she monitored it's return - we got the suitcase back at the Costa Rica stop.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship's layout worked very well with us. Cleanliness was never a problem. The only thing that could be a bit better is the sliding roof over the Lido Pool. While they opened/closed it appropriately, it definitely needs more lubrication. The squeal was very loud when the roof moved. Another suggestion would be to have some type of curtain that could be closed at times in the Cabana to block or darken the sunlight coming in. That's a minor thing, but it's something that we discussed and mentioned to the staff.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The room size and amenities were great! Putu and Carlos did a great job in keeping the ice filled, the room clean, the towels (etc) stocked. We enjoyed the balcony as the size was more than sufficient for the two of us.
Ship tip
Rent a Cabana for the entire trip! We did, and enjoyed it every day. Especially, with Alex and Claude seeing over our every need.
We took the city tour of Cartagena and learned a lot about the history. Our guide was very knowledgeable, can't recall his name. The tour was very good. He took us to a jewelry store and I wanted to buy my wife a pair of earrings she liked. $104. I offered them $100 since I only had a $100 bills, and they refused to sell without the additional $4. We did not buy. Disappointing.
We observed the crossing from several areas of the ship. This was the second best (for me) part of the cruise. Very unique and interesting. The cruise director, Valerie, was very informative as we passed through the locks.
We did the zipline in Costa Rica. A problem with slowing the descent when coming into a station. The walking paths were difficult and unsafe - huge steps at times. This excursion was much more physical than we anticipated.
Nicaragua was canceled and replaced by a "sea day". Not sure why that happened but we had an excursion booked and needed to cancel. Very Disappointing!
Antigua Tour – Took the city tour and, luckily, saw the Good Friday processions. While we probably wouldn’t have booked the excursion for just the processions, it was awesome seeing it.
Originally booked snorkeling, but it was canceled. We took a boat tour which was fun and stopped at a beach. While staying in the water near the boat was enjoyable, getting close to the shore and fighting the waves, not so much.
Walked into Manzanillo. The town was unkept and fairly dirty. Not much to do within walking distance. Did go to a "restaurant" and had a couple drinks - went back to the ship.
We had a Hot Springs tour booked - it was canceled. We took the jeep tour and Tequila factory visit. Driving the jeep was fun but it advertised going into mountains - we did not. It also advertised going to the beach. It was a public beach with a long walk to the area of safe swimming. The beach event was a bust.
We've been to Cabo many times. WE love Cabo! This trip we booked a fishing boat (Crazy Bird) that we used previously. I caught a 140 pound Marlin - definitely a "bucket list" item fulfilled.
Perfect with one exception. A suitcase belonging to our friends was taken by another passenger. So, we had to contact that person, wait for her to return our friend's luggage.
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