We were not satisfied with this BJ's agent, and we will ask for another agent in the future. She was very nice, but very unaccessible. Never does she answer the telephone. And, frequently we had to call back to leave another message, because she did not call us back in a timely fashion. We booked 3 rooms, and all of us had the same experience. Other than booking the cruise, she provided us with no other information or help, with such things as excursions, restaurants, entertainment, general procedures, etc.
Embarkation
1 out of 5
Terrible. Miami port was closed due to inclement winds and seas (not the fault of NCL). 4000 passengers cramped in their terminal with 2 bathrooms in this large room. Got the text on its closure as we arrived for our 10:30 embarkation. Should've been told earlier. Embarkation times eliminated for a free-for-all process. A tumultuous, tortuous procedure. This is NCL's fault, and they need to review and revise their emergency procedures.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Very good
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
Not enough pools for 4000 passengers. The water slide was frequently out of service. I do not believe this boat was outfitted properly for a Caribbean voyage. It appears to be appropriate for an Alaska voyage, where you do not swim often. Racing cars, virtual reality, etc. had limited hours, and even closed for lunch! The Virtual Reality room had limited access to the activities as several were out of order and some had extra upcharges from the $29 admittance charge.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The "Choir of Man", Beatles tribute, comedians, karaoke, bands, individual musicians, dancing lessons were excellent. The Atrium had continuous, enjoyable activities.
Children's Programs
3 out of 5
The kids club, Splash Academy, is very good for young children. The Teen Lounge is very good for 13-17 year olds. The NCL Encore needs something for intermediate aged children. The Academy for these children is inadequate and inept.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
The waiters, room stewards, and general personnel were excellent. The disembarkation personnel for those taking their own luggage were very, very poor. No help and no communication.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship's layout is pretty much the same as the other NCL boats we have traveled on. It is very good. The layout of the pools are lacking for such a large boat, as they do not have enough pools for the general population, especially the kids. This boat is appropriate for an Alaska cruise, where less people use the pools.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Our Steward was wonderful. Our cabin was very clean and nicely designed.
Ship tip
If you and your family plan to spend a lot of time in the pool, or want to use the slide, find another boat.
We were a party of 10. 2 of us spent time at Lazy River at the Port, and it was fabulous! 8 of us went on the ATV, waterfalls and monkeys excursion. The excursion was very good, but it lasted about 8 hours. They missed breakfast due to the early departure, and there was no lunch provided. They went all day without eating, and were famished when they returned. This excursion needs to be make sure there is access to lunch.
We went on the boating/snorkling/beach excursion. It was okay. The personnel were very nice, but there were almost no fish and certainly no turtles to be seen.
Our time was limited at this port, as we had to return at 12:30 for a 1:00 departure. Excursions started around 6:15 am, which is too early. The island looks beautiful, but NCL spends too little time there to make it worthwhile. The port was okay. Our kids tried out their native food and enjoyed it.
This was our biggest disappointment. We rented a cabana, but never made it there due to rough waters for the tenders. Apparently, there have been a lot of cancellations with other cruises also. We have done this before and totally enjoyed it. We spent another day at sea, which was disappointing. The activities were sparse and redundant.
We carried down our own luggage and had the first disembarkation time. It was so crowded, we could not get out of the elevator for a long while. For some reason, we were stuck in a standstill for a long time. There were few staff there, who offered no guidance. Tempers soared from a few passengers. This process was unacceptable and should be evaluated and rescoped by NCL.
Book yourself with what ever cruise line you choose. Or, go to a reputable Travel Agent in your area to book. Discount booking services can be hit or miss.
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