We love cruising and have been on a variety of brands. This was our 4th Norwegian. It will probably be our last. The magnificence of cruising was lacking on this ship. If I wanted a Las Vegas feeling, I’d go there.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
All went smoothly.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Being chased out of the buffet seating area so they could “fog” it was lousy. We never found out what the “ fogging” was but it reopened in an hour or so. Food was pretty good but we enjoyed room service food more. Los Lobos and Cagney’s were very good. Savor and Taste were good but the variety of offerings seemed less than other ships. The restaurant and buffet times never adjusted with the port embarkation times. So, you might go into port or on excursion and when you came back on board, the Local was the only food available.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We did not participate in many activities onboard. It’s hard to rate them.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The shows and programs we saw were enjoyable. The music at the pool was quite loud and we were 6 decks away and heard it in our room. However, it did not usually go late at night.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Housekeeper, waiters, and all personnel we encountered were friendly, helpful and knowledgable.
Ship Quality
2 out of 5
We did not like the layout or design. It was cold and impersonal. No grand entry area. Poor holiday decor. Shopping was not presented in a way that created a desire to visit the shops. The area with the chandelier had no gathering place. Common restrooms were not stocked or cleaned to the standard we have seen on other ships. Service workers picked up dirty dishes and glasses regularly but few wiped off the tables, more of a swipe if at all. The area by the buffet outside on deck 16 starboard smelled like sewer every day ( next to the bar).
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Our housekeeper was wonderful. He did an excellent job maintaining our room and knowing our likes and schedule. The bathroom and shower were excellent! The balcony seemed a bit smaller, not as deep as some ships we’ve been on. The tv program on ports to visit had the cruise in reverse order of ports. Attention to detail was poor. The map that showed the journey as we travelled showed us going from Miami to Cartagena then a loop to Kingston, Jamaica then back to the Panama Canal. It was never fixed. It would appear no staff looks at what’s playing on the Norwegian channels. (The Daily wasn’t very informational either, no port disembarkation information, most of the info in the Daily never changed). Every day the Tip of the Day was to take your passport when leaving.
Tender information was unclear. We had a reservation but then they announced if you’re ready just go. Very confusing. The tender crew passed a tip jar. Not cool.
The lines to get baggage (after the group color was called) were awful. We waited over an hour standing in lines to get to our bags. Then the horrible line to go through customs was said to be about 2 hours. We would miss our flight so we paid a porter to get us out. Also, you are required to vacate your room by 8:30am but all food and drink is closed at 8:30 am, so many people did not get to eat before standing in line. If everyone went to the buffet or Savor between 6 & 8:30, they were full. When they forced everyone out of the eating areas there were few places to sit and wait.
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