I had higher hopes for this cruise. There was no one thing that ruined it for me but it also wasn't the fantastic vacation I was hoping for. The room was nice and the drink package was great (better than expected selection that we definitely took advantage of) but the mediocre service, long waits for everything, hit-or-miss daycare and skipping the private island really diminished what should have been a fantastic trip. I have travelled with NCL multiple times before but I doubt I will cruise with Norwegian again.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
The line to check in was not as bad as I expected but the time it took for the agent to actually get us checked in and print our key cards took longer than it should have.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
The quality of the food was above average (but not exceptional) but the time it took for meals to be served was too long. Travelling with two children (5 & 7) I don't have 2 hours to dedicate to each meal. Even breakfast could not be served in under 90 minutes. There was usually a wait to get into the restaurants as well and reservations don't seem to mean anything. The buffet food was good but the buffet was a zoo and tables were extremely hard to come by. The fastest meal we had was breakfast before disembarkation when they were motivated to move you along.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Pools and hot tubs got very crowded but the waterslides were fun. Mini golf was also nice. The rope course would have been but it was too windy when we wanted to do it so it was closed.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The shows were good I just wish there were more of them.
Children's Programs
2 out of 5
Cruise is kid friendly in the sense they have day care. We tried to do some of the child-oriented family activities but there were too few and they were over crowded. I would have like to take my kids to a show but there were no shows for kids. Even the kids movies were past my children's bedtime.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Everyone is very friendly and pleasant but I didn't feel like the level of service was up to the levels I've experienced on previous cruises. I think this is partly due to the pooled gratuities and the open seating - no one is working for a tip from you, they will just get a share of the auto-tip at the end of the cruise.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
I found the ship to be very clean and looked fairly up to date even though I later found out this ship will be going in for a complete overhaul after this tour is complete.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Cabin was nice. It was as big as I expected and the kids loved the pull-down-from-the-ceiling bunk bed. The shower was almost large enough to have fit a bathtub in the same space (an unexpected surprise) and the bathroom was equally large. There was more storage than I expected. The large balcony was also a good size.
Ship tip
If you drink even a little, get the alcohol package when they offer it as a freebie. You will pay the taxes (or "gratuities" I forget which) but the ~$100 they charge for the "free" package is well worth it. You will pay this much over the course of a week just having one glass of wine a day.
You will not walk anywhere getting off the boat here. Ground transportation, either as part of an excursion or an independent activity, is a must. I'd suggest just staying on the boat and enjoying the quiet time while everyone else if off the boat.
We skipped this stop - not me personally but the whole boat skipped it. There was a chop to the water and it was too much for the tenders to get people from the ship to the island. 33% of the stops missed because of waves. Before they decided we couldn't go, they tried to get people off the ship so in addition to missing our beach day we also sat in their auditorium for 90 minutes waiting to get on a tender. What I learned was even though we were in boarding group C, once they start calling boarding groups just go because they don't check and they don't care, they just line you up and make you wait. This was very dissatisfying before they called off the stop and even more disappointing when they did!
I really like Nassau. You can walk to tourist stuff right off the boat or catch a reasonably priced taxi or water shuttle to the Atlantis hotel (though they charge you for most of the activities there - you can book this through the cruise or save some money and do it independently).
Either be the first one off or take your time getting off the boat. Again, they have everyone line up and wait to get off the boat and through customs. Unless you are trying to catch a flight, I suggest finding someplace to wait it out and be one of the last people off.
Seriously with how long it's taking you to get your meal? Are you sitting there timing it? We have never had to wait to get our meals and most nites and mornings our whole meal takes at least an hour. Always arrives hot and if there is a problem it is taken care of quickly. Yes, the buffet is always going to be busy and crowded, but that's because most passengers prefer to eat and head out to their activities. Much more relaxing to eat in the MDR or O ' Sheenans.
Great Debarkation advice. Sounds like your experience would be typical on any cruise line though. I don't know if a different line would be faster in the dining room. Tables in the buffet are always hard to find at peak meal times. I just get my tray and start walking till I find a table. I like eating outside anyway.
All cruiselines have auto-tip now. You would definitely find better kids programs on Disney but at a huge cost.
Staff service is hit or miss on the same ship even.
It's great to try different lines though but some things are just not great one any ship. If you find better, let us know!
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