We were testing out a cruise with our 5 year old. He enjoyed his time at the Splash Academy, but the hours were entirely too short and the activities were wholly contained on the Academy premises. A couple of the Port Calls were poorly planned by NCL and made the time in port wholly unsatisfying. For these two reasons, we will not cruise NCL again with a young child or repeat this itinerary.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Went quickly and smoothly, including having our 5 year old tested before boarding.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Food was pretty good. Steakhouse was great, Seafood (Ocean Blue) was okay.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
Too cold most days for the pool. Fitness center had plenty of machines, but was poorly staffed at times and only opened at 6am. We opted for the Thermal Spa pass and really enjoyed it. Nice place to unwind without children....
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Jersey Boys, Six, and the Beatles shows were great.
Children's Programs
1 out of 5
Splash Academy only open 31 hours over 7 day cruise. Had to wait in line 30 minutes each time to drop off son, with only 55 slots available per session. Not optimal for a cruise with a 5 year old. Spent whole cruise planning around 2 short sessions per day. Will not cruise again with a child unless the Splash Academy fully opens up.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Everyone was very happy to have us there.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Nothing special. Everything seemed pretty clean.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Nice club balcony. Enough room to have a 5 year old and his toys splayed everywhere. Free laundry bag service was very nice.
This seems like a nice town, but the ship was there well before any stores opened. Most places not right on the dock opened at 10 or 11am and we had to be back on the ship shortly thereafter. The town could make a lot of money if they opened their shops at 9 or so....
Worst port call EVER! NCL apparently bought Ward Cove which is about 2 miles from town. They only run the shuttles one way and stop going into town at 9am. We got to the dock around 9:20 and had to Uber to town. Very nice town, but waited over 1 1/2 hours in line to get back to the ship. Totally unsatisfactory. We will not cruise NCL if this port is included in the future unless they fix this mess. Other cruise ships were in port right in town. NCL dropped the ball on this.
Did not go ashore since we arrived at 8pm and were departing at midnight. Heard it is a nice town, but NCL and the other cruise lines only stop there to make it an "International" sailing thereby easing staffing concerns from only the U.S.
Our experiences with young children were great at a land based resort. It just felt bigger and safer with more to do. Aside from a big family reunion cruise, we started cruising with them around age 10. We never used children’s programs in either place but rather saw it as a chance to spend family time without the distractions of work and housekeeping. They are among our best memories.
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