Overall not a bad cruise. The ship seemed a bit crowded. It is a fairly large ship, but with 4600+ passengers, the space was quickly taken up. The Cruise Director said with double occupancy or more, they could accommodate over 4800 passengers.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
For non-suite guests, the arrival and embarkation process seemed a little difficult to maneuver and involved a few hours of waiting around.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The food was typical cruise line food. The specialty restaurants were good (Ocean Blue, Tappenyaki, and Cagney's). We had the "premium beverage package" which covered most alcoholic drinks and soft drinks at bars and restaurants. The problem we encountered was lines at every open bar resulting in a wait of 5 - 10 minutes in many cases.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We did not use the pools or other activities. On several occasions, we went out onto the open deck areas to sit. However, the available seating was very limited and generally in direct sunlight (vice one of the shaded areas).
Entertainment
4 out of 5
There were about three main shows; one named "Velvet" involved a dinner (extra cost). We went to the other main shows (Burn the Floor, Rock of Ages) and have mixed reviews. The dancers were good, but some of the singing was a little "off."
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The staff was friendly and attentive. Waiters in the specialty restaurants went above and beyond. We did not use the main dining rooms.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship was clean and the layout was easy to understand after the first day or so. The decor was nothing special, functional, but it seemed plain compared to other ships we've been on. There were several designated smoking areas, but not in the casino as far as I saw walking through. There was an area around decks 6/7/8 mid-ship near the atrium that smelled of cigarettes for some reason.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The Steward did a good job keeping the room clean and stocked with fresh towels. We had a concern with plumbing drainage. The shower drained very slowly, but did not overflow onto the bathroom floor. One morning, toilets in our area of the ship would not flush. The front desk said there was a clog somewhere and it was being worked. After an hour or so, everything was working again. On day 6 we noticed a plumber working on a neighboring cabin.
Ship tip
Don't overlook the size and maximum capacity of this or any ship before booking. According to the Cruise Director, there were over 4600 passengers and almost 1700 crew on the ship. The ship is large, but it seemed overly crowded in most common areas, bar areas, and at the buffet lines, etc. Pack a bottle of patience if you go!
Harvest Caye was a typical beach stop. My advice is take bottled water off for visiting the beach area. Drinks and food at the beach is expensive. The menu has several types of beer and other drinks. However, many were not available, or out of stock. I paid $8.60 for what was supposed to be 12 ounces of local ale in a clear plastic cup. We went back to the ship for lunch, then returned to the beach.
This was probably the port we enjoyed most. We booked an excursion (off ship) through a local company called Native Choice. The excursion took small groups of about 12 people to Mayan ruins and then to visit a current day Mayan village. Our tour guide (Erick) is a Mayan and the village is where he was born and grew up. Can't say enough about Erick's knowledge and ability to keep the information interesting. He mentioned his education is in Mayan history and he spent a few years teaching at a University in North Carolina. The ruins were interesting, but the visit to the Mayan village was great. We were taken to a family-run location where we had a home-cooked meal and were given the opportunity to make tortillas by hand. Upon arrival at the port, we had about a 15 minute walk to the tour pickup location outside the port. The ride to the ruins was about 50 minutes and then another 20 minutes or so to the village for lunch. Then another hour back to the port. Yes, it was hot and humid, but well worth the 15 minute walk outside the port area to get to the tour company's office.
We booked an excursion through the ship to go to the "Secret River" inside caves. The tour started with a ferry ride from the pier (very close to the ship) over to Playa Del Carmen, about 40 minutes away. At the pier in Playa Del Carmen, the tour guides met the group and led us through the port area shopping district. We were divided into groups of about 10 people and loaded onto buses. The bus took us to "Rio Secreto" which was off paved roads for about the last 15 miles. Once at the location, we were given lockers, wetsuits, water shoes, flotation vests, and a helmet with a light on it. We were asked to get dressed into bathing suits and do a quick fresh water rinse/shower before suiting up. Once dressed, we had the option to take a long a walking stick and several from the group grabbed them. Looking back, the walking stick was no help and more of a hindrance once in the cave. The walk in the cave was mostly in water, at times over our heads (but we floated) and the surface underneath was rough, rocky, and slippery. Note: Great excursion, but there is also a great potential for cuts, scrapes, falling while walking in the water, etc. The tour group was led through the cavern and a photographer followed along. Cameras, phones, electronics, etc are not allowed into the cave. They sell photo packages after the tour, but to be honest, I don't see how we tourists could do the excursion with a camera or phone etc. This is not an easy stroll and your full attention needs to be on where you are stepping and watching what to avoid. Not to mention being in water for 99% of the walk, sometimes over your head. Great excursion, but if you have difficulty with balance or walking, etc it may not be where you want to go.
Disembarkation was typical cattle-rush. We did the port to airport transfer. Although not terrible, I'd probably do it myself next time with no bus, etc.
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