First, get the negative out of the way, none of which was NCL's fault. Easter came early this year, so it didn't occur to me when I booked this cruise that it would start on Easter Sunday. This meant that there were a lot of families with children sharing a cabin, so the ship's capacity at double occupancy is 4,004, but had over 4,800 passengers. It's been rare that I've had to wait for a meal on NCL, and when I did it was never more than 10 minutes. On this cruise, I had to wait as long as 30 minutes, and the service was slow. From the time we got to the main dining room until we left was often two hours. In spite of the extra work, the waiters were all cheerful and gave good service. This was also the shortest cruise I've been on (five days) and for me, there just wasn't enough time to enjoy all that the ship had to offer. In spite of all this, we had a good time. A bad day cruising is better than. . .I don't know, I never had a bad day cruising.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation went quickly. This was my first cruise after reaching Platinum status, so it was also my first cruise with the priority embarkation. I don't know if it would be different without priority.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
I've always had great dining on NCL. We had three specialty restaurants. First was Ocean Blue, the seafood restaurant. I had the cioppino, my bride had sea bass, both were very good. Second was Teppanyaki. The main attraction was the show as the food is prepared in front of you, it was quite entertaining. The food was good too. Last was Cagney's, excellent as always.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
With the ship being so crowded, it was difficult to do some of the activities. I tried to make reservations for the go karts early in the morning on the second day and they were already filled. It was a bit cold to use the pools. The casino staff were helpful and did a good job. I managed to get to the final table in the blackjack tournament.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The main show was Jersey Boys. We'd been on the Bliss in October 2023 and saw it, it was good enough for a repeat.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
In spite of the ship being so overcrowded, every crew member I delt with was cheerful and helpful in spite of the extra work.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship is kept perfectly clean. I know that steel and sea water don't play well together, but I'd defy anyone to find a spot of rust on this or any NCL ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
I had originally booked a standard balcony. When the price dropped, I called and was changed to a Club Balcony Suite. The room is the same as the standard balcony, but the bathroom is larger, with a bathtub/shower and double sink. The cabin also comes with some goodies. We got a plate of chocolate covered fruit, cookies, and more drinking water than we were able to use. As usual, the room steward kept the room spotless for us.
Ship tip
There is a laundry special on every NCL cruise that's five days or longer. Anything you can stuff in the laundry bag will be cleaned, folded and returned to your cabin for a flat fee, I believe it was $35. This special is some time in the middle of the cruise. The stateroom hallways have fish on the carpet and the swim towards the bow, making it easier to find your way to your cabin.
It's San Francisco, a beautiful city. It took a long time before we could disembark, we got to the port at 2:00 pm and didn't disembark until 3:30. I had a 6:00 shore excursion, so was disappointed that I was unable to go to either the aquarium or Maritime National Park, which I was looking forward to one of them. We did the San Francisco at Night tour, which we both enjoyed.
Victoria is a beautiful city, which we also visited on our last cruise. We did the Secret Garden and Teahouse tour. The garden is small, but I've never seen a more stunning garden. We were there in the spring, so it was probably the best time to see it.
I'm glad you had a good time.
That is one thing people have to remember that they are traveling at such a very busy time, such as spring break!!!
I hope everyone has a good time crusing!!!
Thanks so much for sharing.
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