As with all our cruises we believe there is nobody to blame for a bad cruise except yourself. The cruiselines, the crew and the staff do nothing but do whatever they can to make it a memorable experience for each and every cruiser. Sure there are inconvinences and occasional errors but somethings you simply need to overlook. We had a fabulous time resting and relaxing which is our goal on all our cruises. We are now planning our next Norwegian cruise in May on the Norwegian Pearl.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Long 1.5 hour standing on multiple lines before finally getting test results then back to Pier 88 and on the boat in 20 minutes.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The food was well prepared and wonderfully served everywhere we ate on the ship. We were a bit disappointed with the menu in the Bistro but what we ate was delicious.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The onboard activities for us is eating and and enjoying our Aft-Penthouse Suite w/Large Balcony which we did when the weather was agreeable.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
We only attended one stand-up comedy act and a scale of 1-10 we should have stayed on our balcony. We just never got to the shows in the theater.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The crew and staff were phenominal throughout the cruise. Always working diligently to present the best side of Norwegian Cruise Line. Our Room Steward, Arnold and Butler, Rogin were always exceeding our expectations by going above and beyond our needs.
The wait staff in the restaurants stayed busy at all time caring for the patron. In Ocean Blue we were serviced by no less than 8 different staff member from seating, beverage selection, dining selection, clearing the table, refilling water glasses, etc. Believe me we were not treated special. Everyone was getting the same excellent attention.
To be sure when the ship sails at 100% capacity it will have to change but for us it was fabulous.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
We are not all that familiar with the big ships having only sailed on one previously but we were able to navigate and find everything we were looking for with no difficulty. As has been said in the reviews of others the ship is kept spotless with crew and staff continuously cleaning.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The Haven Aft-Facing Penthouse Suite with Large Balcony is fabulous. Separate Bedroom with a 40" TV, lots of storage space, comfortable bed, 2 bathrooms in the suite. The couch that converts to a bed is not all that comfortable but certainly met the need. Another large TV in the common space. The large balcony is really nice. Unfortunately the wet weather limited our enjoyment of it.
Ship tip
If you want to see the stuff going on in the Atrium and there is always something dancing lessons, games, etc. get there early. People get there and plant themselves for the day. We never did get "close to the action" relegated to the chairs @ Starbucks.
As is our common practice when cruising out of New York City we stay in the city the night before and/or after our cruise. This time we stayed both times. We stayed in the theater district on W49th Street and explored Times Square AGAIN. Always an enjoyable time. Even saw the Naked Cowboy AGAIN! We ate at Frankie & Johnnie's Steak House on W46th Street. The steaks were wonderfully prepared and the service was supurb.
Because the high winds an narrow channel into the harbor we did not dock in Bermuda until Friday. We do no do excursions in Bermuda after the many visits over the years. However whenever at the Shipyard we do shop the Mall and buy a pound or two of fudge at the Bermuda Fudge Company Kiosk behind the Visitor Center. Makes for an enjoyable cruise back to NYC. Eating a piece as I write this review.
Awesome. Thanks for posting this. I would have to agree with your opening comment regarding the need to be flexible and roll with things. Makes for a more enjoyable cruise. As saying goes, “don’t sweat the small stuff”.
Absolutely agree with your summary. I've had aspects of some cruises that didn't go according to plan, but they basically amounted to temporary inconveniences. Overall I've never met a cruise I didn't like.
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