Once on board, the experience is good. Variety of entertainment, good food, and a lot of fun. The ship claimed to be sold out, which is believable because sea days were extremely crowded. Hard to get tables at the buffet, hard to get chairs on deck, etc.
Embarkation
1 out of 5
More than two hours in line, waiting, to get through the processes and enter ship.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Really good food. The beverage package is convenient but the drinks are really, really thin.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
The steakhouse (specialty dining) was outstanding, as good a meal as we've had in a long time.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Casino is crowded and includes only one roulette wheel and one craps table. Ships are notoriously bad places to gamble — much applies here, although we left slightly to the good.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Housekeeping and most areas are top notch — very clean ship. Not many smiles, but efficient staff. A few minor details: at O'Sheehan's our waiter never offered dessert and at Aqua a waiter never delivered a requested drink. Otherwise, a most pleasant cruise experience.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Extremely clean ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
No complaints at all. Very clean room, comfortable bed, good storage. A design flaw is the tiny bathroom, and the unneeded sliding glass wall that connects toilet and sink. Every additional space is needed, and the wall should be removed.
Ship tip
Biggest tip: use a port other than Tampa. The ship staff say the problem is the port, not the ship/staff. I believe them. But you're looking at a long line getting in and a long, frustrating time getting out.
Though tired of Mexican stops, we did the Salsa and Salsa excursion and had a great time. Made six sauces plus guac, made margaritas, and enjoyed unlimited drinks, then demos on dancing the salsa. A lot of fun.
Whether the ship or the port or both, there's no explanation for the delays in getting people on and off the ship....first day and last day are a nightmare.
Glad you had a good trip and appreciate the review. We're considering the Dawn for next year. Different ports of call, but feedback on the ship is helpful.
Awesome. Glad you're having a great cruise. The days at sea do tend to feel a bit "close" with other passengers. That's the reason why private balconies are growing on me. 😉 For sea day retreating only. Enjoy!
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