Although our seas were a bit rocky, we still had a very enjoyable experience. Sadly, of my three NCL cruises, this one was our least favorite. The staffing issues and hit or miss food options soured some of our experience.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was the smoothest and quickest we’ve ever seen. We thought it’d take a while due to the coronavirus, but it wasn’t. There were 2 health forms to fill out, the standard one and one specifically related to Chinese travel. Both very short. They did double check passports a bit harder. Overall, Port Canaveral was quick and easy to get in.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The food was very hit or miss on this trip. All complimentary establishments are very slow and the service is, again, hit or miss. Some of our food arrived lukewarm or cold. Some of our beef was very overdone.
The Manhattan Room is beautiful and the ambience is great. However, nearly every night we were underwhelmed by both the food and the service. An exception to this was Melvin, who was sweet, polite, and personable.
Taste was our preferred option. The food was better and the service was much better. Specifically, Patrick and Dina in Taste, were outstanding!
The variation was lacking, which seems to be a common complaint. I have noticed a decline in both quality and variety of food, as well as service, in the past 2 years.
Cagney's Steakhouse
5 out of 5
This was my second time in Cagney’s and I was not disappointed. Servers go above and beyond to make sure your experience is perfection. I had the 8oz filet with Mac and cheese. The filet was so tender and juicy. The maitre’d butter sauce was superb. The Mac and cheese was buttery, cheesy, heaven! The boyfriend had the slow roasted prime rib band it was excellent! It was tender and melted in your mouth! The sun jus was phenomenal as well. The Prime Meridian bar makes great old fashioned as well. We didn’t have a dining package, so our total came to $95 with two appetizers, two entrees, and a shared large chocolate cake (divine!) Well worth three money!
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
One of our biggest complaints about NCL is their lack of pool space. The main pool is always way too crowded. I also don’t care for the fact that it’s 6 feet deep. The hot tubs are usually shut down in both the main pool deck and on Spice H2O between 9-10pm.
Mini-Golf was fun though. There was always a party or a fun activity going on and the cruise director Paquito, was awesome and high energy!
Entertainment
5 out of 5
We saw three shows while onboard, Six, Burn the Floor, and Howl at Sea.
Six was the musical Broadway show about the six wives of Henry VIII. It was a high energy pop musical that was fun, clever, and very funny! It’s certainly geared towards a younger and female audience, but my boyfriend and several other young men also enjoyed it. The ladies were phenomenal and so talented! If you have a chance to see it, go!
Burn the Floor was the dance show. It was also high energy and was a great time! The dancers are incredibly talented and the costumes were great! A must see if you can! They also occasionally perform in the Manhattan Room bits of their main show!
Howl at Sea is Howl at the Moon, but while at sea! This show was hilarious! The three performers are funny, talented, and raunchy! Don’t bring your kids after 11! Also, bring some cash to make requests for songs you’d like to hear! A lot of the time it is standing room only, so get there early!
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
For the most part, the crew goes above and beyond for you! From the washy washy attendants and songs, to the bar and wait staff, and the room stewards, they all work so very hard. Please remember to tip them all!
That being said, the ship seemed woefully understaffed. On embarkation day, only one bar was open on the whole ship, with 2 bartenders working. It was a disaster. This was a pretty common issue. During sea days only 2-3 bars would be open and again only 1-2 bartenders at each. They all busted their humps to serve us, but NCL needs to remedy this problem to create less stress for their employees and their customers.
Our favorite bartender was Val at the public Vibes bar. He was so fun and personable. His drinks were the best and he always insisted on floating rum on top of your drink!
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Never had an issue with cleanliness. Staff were always cleaning and wiping up. It’s a sister ship to the Getaway with small differences.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
This was our first balcony and we loved it! It was quite roomy for the 2 of us. Lots of storage and closet space. This was a family mini-suite. Bathroom and shower were standard for a cruise.
Ship tip
Find your sailing group on Facebook! You’ll meet so many amazing people!
We went on the Kennedy Space Center excursion through NCL. It was with Sunward Tours and our guide was Doug and our driver was Raphael. They were fun and entertaining.
The excursion was wonderful! We got to see all the highlights and had a very personal and informative tour. So much to see and we would love to spend a full day there next time! At the end of the tour they dropped us off at the Orlando Airport.
It was $150 a person but worth it for the tour, luggage storage, and transportation!
Fell in love with this city and plan on coming back here next year for a few days. It’s a beautiful city with so much rich history and stunning architecture.
We found a tour bus outside of port called San Juan Happy Tours. We paid about $25 a person for a 3 hour tour. Our tour guide, Nelson, gave us great background and tips.
We are a local dish, mofungo, at a place called Restaurante Boriken. Delicious! Try a sampler platter there as well!
What a beautiful island this is! Pictures will not do this place justice! We went on a 3-4 hour tour on a bus that was at the port. They took us around the island and then had 2 hours at Long Bay Beach. The tour was $25 a person.
Be warned that the roads are narrow and steep. There were times I was in panic! But the views are truly worth it.
Right outside of port is a food truck called Island Tacos. They make great tacos, burritos, and quesadillas!
The port is also beautiful. Great shops and wonderful views. The Coconut Lounge made yummy painkillers and had beautiful views. That’s the Spirit liquor shop had some great local rums, including Callwood Distillery. They also had $1 shots/tastings!
While the island is beautiful and there’s a lot to do, see, and eat while there, it’s far too crowded when more than one ship is docked there.
The sea was calm, warm, and beautiful. Sadly, it’s a tender port so a lot of ships are unable to go, so if this is important to you, just keep that in mind.
It was quick and easy. We had an excursion planned. We met in the theatre at 7:45 and we’re on the bus and on our way by 8:30. Customs was literally just a scan of our faces and out the door we went! Our luggage was in one central location and easy to grab and go!
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