This was a birthday cruise for my wife and we always have a good time and a good time we had. Lots of great food, drinks and entertainment.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation went very smooth and quick.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The food was top notch and nothing to complain about at all.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
I couldn’t give this 5 stars because of the ship. The outdoor activities were great however wished the pools and rope course stayed open later. As far as the different trivia’s, or activities there just wasn’t enough room in the venues. This ship was huge however the theater and comedy club were small in comparison. You had to make reservations to guarantee a seat. This is fine but we like to go to as much as possible and 2 nights the times we reserved conflicted with other things. If it was like most ships and had larger areas this would not have been a problem.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Everything was great!
Children's Programs
We don’t have kids.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
All the NCL crew members we met were extremely polite and professional. Always asked us how we were doing and how our day was. Asking if the food was good or if we needed anything. Really exceptional crew.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The ship was extremely clean but for such a large ship the layout was not my favorite. I understand that cruise lines want to make as much money as possible but the design of this ship actually made us spend more time in our room than normal. Tons of bars and all very busy. This ship did not have a traditional atrium which was disappointing for its size. What they called the atrium was where a stage and the guest services was and just not one more floor above which was a restaurant/pub that overlooked the big screen down below. This is were most trivia games and most game shows were. This small area filled up quick and more people were standing than sitting for these shows and trivia games. The casino small horribly of smoke and it didn’t appear to have any ventilation which is so beyond me why they don’t design this in the ship. This was my 8 cruise and was not a fan of this ship at all. Don’t get me wrong we still had a blast and really enjoyed it but compared to the other ships I’ve been on I prefer those.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The room was a good size with a very comfortable bed. The couch was comfortable as well. Plenty of closet space and a pretty large bathroom. The balcony was standard in size and we enjoyed it very much. My only complaint is I don’t get why newer ships are pulling the balcony’s away from the edge of the ship. Almost every balcony on the ship overlooked the main deck so at night you saw lights from that main deck instead of a dark water filled view. Again the room itself was amazing but the balcony not extending to the edge of the ship was not.
Ship tip
Just because it’s a new ship doesn’t make it the best. Based on what you like or want out of a cruise research and make a pros and cons list. Also this ship offers a behind the scenes tour which I recommend if you have never been on one before.
The port was under construction which didn’t bother us. We went to the wildlife refuge and learned about the history of the island and got to see up close large iguanas and scarlet macaws. We even had 2 land on our shoulders. We also got to see monkey’s and they jumped on us as well and got great pictures of them. Would definitely do this again.
I’m not a fan of private islands. I go on cruises to explore not stay on a private island doing things I can do at home. So we did a spice farm tour which was a 30 min boat ride to the mainland then another 30 mins on a bus. This tour was so educational about how spices are grown. They drove you around the farm and explained every spice they grow and how long it takes and to harvest. They also stop at almost every spice and let you smell the different leaves or seeds. I had grandparents that were farmers so I really enjoyed this. They also sell all the spices they grow and we bought a lot. We even got some free spices just for checking in on Facebook. They were very friendly and answered all questions. They also ship to the US so we will be ordering what spices we can from them.
Wasn’t a huge fan of the port. Lots of the same ole shops and restaurants and bars. The water was extremely clear. We chose to do ATV through the jungle. We had around 40 in our group and they drove us there on old army trucks which was advertised as air conditioned but where open air which didn’t bother us. The atv tour started with a safety lesson for beginners and then we were off. Down the gravel road and into the jungle which I would exactly calm it that. We drive down a rocky road turned around and came back then drive down a smooth road along the sea then turned skeins and came back. It was a very short excursion. It was fun but not exactly advertised truthfully. Also business had broken glass and trash everywhere. So really wouldn’t recommend this one to anyone.
We did the Snuba adventure and didn’t know what to expect. We snorkel all the time so this was new to us. Had a safety briefing explaining how it worked then in the water we went. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys looking under water. You tank that is a a raft and attacked is a 20 foot hose and you breathe air and can stayed underwater the whole time. They have an instructor with you the entire time and if you have any problems they fix on the spot. For me I had a hard time staying underwater. So he added more weight to me underwater to help me. We saw so many colorful fish an eel and the clearest water that you see a long way. I have never scuba dived before so I can’t compare it to that but it definitely beats snorkeling. I most definitely recommend doing this. This was a a restaurant/ resort and we spent more time out of the water waiting for the ride back than seeing fish but still I recommend this.
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