Glad to be back cruising. We are going on NCL again in January 2022 on a back-2-back out of San Juan Puerto Rico on the Norwegian Epic.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Covid testing and on-boarding went quickly. Since the ship hasn't had passengers in 19 months, we were able to go to our cabins immediately to drop off our carry-ons. Our luggage arrived at our door earlier than ever thanks to the 50 percent passenger count.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Generally excellent, but was disappointed in our Teppanyaki experience. Our table chef was late adding about 45 minutes to our dinner schedule.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We loved the fact that there was plenty of open seating on all decks. Very few crowded locations due to the low passenger count mandated by NCL Covid protocols.
Entertainment
We avoided the theater as a part of social distancing.
Children's Programs
We brought no children. With NCL's 100 percent vaccination requirement, there were no kids under 12 on board and we saw very few adolescents.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Excellent service, especially from our cabin steward, Jerome. The only glitch was in the one specialty restaurant mentioned above.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
NCL's cleaning protocols were top-notch, the crew worked hard to keep a clean environment.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Loved, loved, loved the large bathroom and double sink. the slightly larger cabin than we are used to, was also a treat. I am afraid that we are now spoiled and will be selecting these mini-suites from now on.
Ship tip
The major complaint I heard was from smokers. The smoking area on deck 17 has only 20 chairs and no tables to set drinks. We are not smokers, but one of our family members who also cruised with us is a smoker. There were times that there were over 40 people crammed into the area and spilling over outside. They were not allowed to sit in the adjacent bar area. With the ship at about 50 percent capacity, if I were a smoker, I would hate to have to deal with a full ship with a larger number of smokers on-board.
I love Puerto Vallarta. This was our third visit there. We chose the Discover Puerto Vallarta excursion. We were unimpressed. The 5 stars is for the port, if I were to rate the excursion, it would be 1 star at best. Other than the shoreline and the church, we were shepherded into shopping venues clearly designed to make the tour company a commission.
We've spent many weeks over the years in Mazatlan and are familiar with the city. We opted for the Shrimp Fest excursion. I would rate that excursion a 4 out of 5. It featured a buffet style lunch featuring several types of shrimp.
It lasted maybe an hour longer than necessary, but the venue has a beautiful view overlooking the city and that gorgeous cathedral.
At another port we've visited on other cruises, we opted for glass blowing demonstration and a boat excursion to visit El Arco. I'd rate that excursion a 5.
We walked off to a customs line where there were only 5 customs agents to manage the disembarkation of about 2000 guests. It meant for a long wait in line. We used an NCL transfer shuttle to the airport. There was a longer wait than we usually experience for a shuttle. Luckily we had a later flight so we arrived in plenty of time for our flight home. I'm glad we didn't have an early flight out or we might have been concerned that we would miss our flight.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
