This was our first time on NCL and also sailing out of NYC. We enjoyed the 14 day cruise in the early February time frame and would definitely look to do a similar cruise again. We were, in general, happy with NCL. If you like to get into the water in the Caribbean beaches, keep in mind that at this time of year the water might be a little cooler than you're expecting but still refreshing. After all, its still winter. Happy cruising....!!
Embarkation
3 out of 5
I believe we were told that ~4000 guests had booked the cruise that we were on. The sheer number of passengers on this ship poses lots of logistical challenges. We selected an embarkation port arrival time and arrived to the port a little earlier than what we had scheduled. We had to wait quite a long time beyond our scheduled boarding time to get on to the ship. We also had to wait for our rooms because the cabins were also not ready. The wait wasn't a big deal for us, however, NCL should continue to work on the efficiency of the boarding process for this ship and port in order to make the embarkation process more pleasant.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The buffet areas were excellent and offered food and drink options to fit everyone's taste. Everything was quite tasty and restraint was necessary to keep the weight gain in check. The main dining room menu options were mediocre and you don't have to worry about gaining any weight with the portions provided.
The Manhattan Room offered live entertainment and dancing during dinner and so the atmosphere made up for the food to a certain degree. We didn't try the specialty restaurants, however, other guests that we spoke to who had dined in them thought they were pretty good. Drinks were pricey and not distinctive. I would probably rate this 3.5 stars but the buffets were good enough to not make me feel bad about the four star rating.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Lots of on board activities to choose from depending on what you like or want to do.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The entertainment was pretty good and they also had some cruise renditions of Broadway plays.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Staff was very courteous and service oriented.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The ship was very clean and had something fro everyone, however, the public bathrooms were not kept as clean as I've seen on other ships and cruise lines.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Our cabin was quite roomy as compared to other inside cabins that we've had on other ship. We were pleasantly surprised.
Ship tip
The lowest cabin deck is 5 and the buffet is on deck 15. My wife and I have a no elevator rule on days that are not check-in or check-out days. The stair climb multiple times each day is a great workout. If you have mobility needs, the ship was also very accommodating of people having mobility devices.
We enjoyed all the ports (New York, Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, St. Kitts, Martinique and St. Lucia). The islands are relatively small and so activities available may be limited depending on your expectations.
The Disembarkation posed similar issues but to a slightly lesser degree as the Embarkation. Lots of logistical challenges. We got off the ship about 30 minutes later than we had planned. NCL needs to continue to work on this.
We love NCL. We always get the seven nights specialty dining. Entertainment has always been memorable.
I have never sailed from New York, could the embarkation and debarkation problems, be a New York problem. We have been on Getaway, similar ship from Miami. Embarkation and debarkation were a breeze.
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