We had a wonderful cruise. We will cruise Norwegian again, but on a different itinerary, to the Eastern Caribbean, or the Panama Canal.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
We arrived early. There were lot of people disembarking from the previous cruise, and the waiting lines seemed to overlap. But our line to board went quickly.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
At the buffet, breakfast was always excellent, except the last day. Turkey sausage did not seem cooked through. Supper was hit or miss. Ate salad mostly, with lots of goodies mixed in. Good selection of side dishes. Desserts were average. Loved the Indian food. Lunch at O'Sheehans, Fish and Chips, and wings were excellent.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Enjoyed the Thermal Spa, although people saving lounge chairs and never being at them was somewhat rude. Staff needs to monitor closer. Upstairs pools are too small for the amount of people. Did not use them. Attended several demonstrations and activities in the Atrium. It fills up fast. Get there early if you want a seat.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Enjoyed the Cirque de Soleil dinner show and Burn the Floor. Loved the Rock of Ages show. All were very talented performers. Stood inside Syd Normans a few times, but it was too crowded. The venue needs to be larger. And relocate the arcade area by the Atrium to a different area. It creates a lot of noise, making it hard to hear the presentations.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
All the staff were helpful. Room steward did an excellent job. Some bar locations were slower than other. Mostly used the one outside Syd Norman's. Those 3 guys were awesome, and have been with the ship for a long time. Very enjoyable talking with them!
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
I like the ship design, except for the smoking areas. They need to move them away from the heavily populated areas, and provide better ventilation. I smoke, but I don't like to offend anyone, but I also don't want to be quarantined in a smoke filled room. Create an indoor/outdoor bar, that is isolated enough that non-smokers are not offended. Even I could barely stand to be in the Casino.
It was easy to find everything. Used the touch screens a few times at the beginning. With those and the signage by the elevators it was very simple.
Ship was very clean. Only other passengers leaving dishes in or by the elevators, but that is not the ships fault.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Cabin size was good. Was not our first cruise, so we knew what to expect. We were directly over Syd Norman's so it was noisy at night, but it didn't bother us, in fact I enjoyed it. But if you're a light sleeper it's not the room for you. The balcony is small, but it's enough for 2 people to sit out and watch the sunrise/set, or entering/leaving port, which we enjoy.
Ship tip
When going from one end of the ship to the other, don't use the crowded floors, 6, 7, 8.
Loved New Orleans. Spent 2 days before the cruise, and a tour on the day we returned. It was Mardi Gras, and crazy, but it made me want to go back and see more.
Was disappointed that our original tour choice of the hot sauce factory was cancelled. One of hubbys favorite hot sauces, and he was really looking forward to that. We then opted for a short tour of the local towns. It was interesting, but not what we originally signed up for. The bay itself was beautiful.
Did not do an excursion. Walked around the area and found the Fish Spa, so we had our feet nibbled by little fish! That was fun! This port had the most beautiful blue/green water, and the man playing the harp on the walk back was cool.
We schedule a New Orleans tour so we were given special luggage tags, and met in the theater, and were then escorted off separately to waiting tour buses. Worked out great.
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