Overall great cruise and we will definitely cruise with NCL again as the good out weighed the not so good. This was our first time with NCL and only our second cruise total our first was on RCCL Mariner of the Seas in 2008, oh how things change! We'll be back next year hopefully.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was very quick and easy, from the time we entered the terminal until we stepped onto the ship was less than 45 minutes
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We ate in the mahattan room, los lobos, teppanyaki, la cucina, the local, and the garden cafe. Food for the most part was good overall, teppanyaki was excellent, the best of the cruise.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Go Karts were fun but be sure to reserve when you first get on the ship or you may have to wait. The ladies did Bingo and had fun but that was it for scheduled activities. There is a lot going on so no one should be bored.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The only show we attended was the Beatles set in the Cavern. They were great but only played one set so it was short. We were scheduled for Jersey Boys but missed it due to a late dinner.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The service on this ship was top notch although some stood out more than others as it is anywhere you go. A few to mention, our cabin steward, Clinton Dias, bartenders, Rossi at the Vibe bar and Cavern Club, Satya and Danny at the Skyline bar, and the two bartenders at Sugarcane (I can't recall their names but they were great entertainers). They all were very accomodating and provided excellent service, it was great talking to them and listening to their stories.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Beautiful ship and staff worked very hard to maintain cleanliness which is very difficult with 4000 guests onboard a lot of which do not have respect enough to pick up after themselves!
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
This cabin was perfect for two of us and is located next to a angled balcony (11856) so you get an unobstructed view toward the stern of the ship, without looking passed/through the balcony next to you, more privacy.
Ship tip
It's a beautiful ship with a great, hardworking staff who will do their best to accomodate your needs. Treat them with respect and realize there are 4000 other people on board with you so things take time. You're on vacation, so relax, don't be rude, and be realistic. If you get onboard with this attitude and maintain it I believe you will have a great trip. Enjoy!
We flew in from Portland, Maine the day before and stayed at Embassy Suites to be sure we would not miss the ship, never know with Maine weather! Hotel was great with an evening reception from 5-7pm with drinks and apps and a full breakfast the next morning. They arranged transportation to the port for us and everything went very smooth. Although there are a lot of people the terminal was fairly easy to navigate, just pay attention to where you are supposed to be. We did not do any excursions
This port is still recovering from hurrican Irma. The pier area has been rebuilt with all the shops but you can still see a lot of damage. We took a 2 hour island tour that was offered at the pier and the devistation remaining was unbelievable, so much damage words cannot describe it. Our driver/guide did an excellent job narrating all the areas we visited so we were able to get a sense of his experience through the hurricane first hand.
For a first time visit it was good to see but I would not choose to go back again. Too many people all concentrated in one main area with what appeared to be hundreds of shops. Unless you take an island excursion all there is to do is travel the shops, which if that's your thing then you should enjoy it.
A couple points here to be aware of in advance. I purchased ground transportation through the ship because we had a late flight out of Miami so we were in no hurry. The guest services attendant stated our color, Brown, would be called around 945 so we were good with that thinking it would give us a little more time on the ship. That changed the morning of when our cabin steward knocked at 820 telling us we had to be out by 9am so he could clean the room, understandable but not what we were told. Once out our color was called at just about 9am to disembark so we proceeded to the theater to work our way off. This process went very smooth as they are using facial recognition as you leave. That was the end of the "quick" experience. Once in the terminal we had to search for our luggage which was daunting considering so was everyone else. Once we found it we had a porter bring it out to where we thought we could get our transportation to the airport. Once outside, the unexpected amount of people waiting was almost overwhelming. There must have been a mix up somewhere with the transportation company because there were hundreds of people waiting in line. So be prepared if you use this service.
Thanks for the review. Going on her Saturday...you are spot on with the attitude you go on board with and how you can treat the crew with respect... after all it is their home...we love cruising...🙃🙃🙃
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