Great cruise - gave us everything we were looking for and more. Boat was big, but never felt crowded. Lots to do onboard - only quibble is that you get nickel-and-dimed to death at times. Unlimited Drink package doesn't include Bottled Water??? Odd. But a minor quibble.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Literally no wait - would recommend getting on in Rome if you have a choice - far fewer passengers get on there so really easy.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Cagneys - Ok but not great, Teppanyaki - best meal on the ship - you gotta try it; Moderno - excellent - LOTS of meat; O'Shea's - fun, noisy, lots of energy - don't go there if you are looking for a quiet meal; Buffet - tons of choice both for breakfast and dinner; Manhattans - very nice, well appointed, great menus.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Pools are always crowded (expected for a ship) Only quibble is that the gym is complimentary, but a basic sauna is not - you have to pay to get into the "Thermal Suite" Missed having a good sweat while I was on board.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Incredible. Priscilla - very fun but definitely not appropriate for the under 16 crowd; Burn the Floor - good; Cirque Dream/Spiegeltent - incredible, but do yourself a favour and get the premium seating - the standard seating blocks you out of seeing quite a bit of the show; Howl at the Moon - the best on the ship and was free - we went three times. The performers were amazing.
Children's Programs
Not travelling with kids
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Every time we passed a Cabin Steward we were met with a smile and a Good Morning. Our own Cabin Steward was like a ninja - don't know how she kept the room clean, but it always seemed to be spotless. Only had to go to the main desk once and had a very good experience - overall excellent
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Minor quibble - you are forced to go through the Casino a LOT. Not a fan of the smoke. Big ship - we had to walk a lot, but we expected that. No problems getting elevators at all.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Lots of Room - I guess some would have an issue with the way the shower, sink and Toilet are separated, but we didn't. Impeccably clean, tons of storage. Could use a couple more TV channels (although you really aren't there to watch TV are you?) Balcony was nice and large - no complaints about the cabin at all.
Ship tip
If you don't like to walk, book a mid-ship cabin - this is a BIG ship and if you are Forward or Aft, you can have a lot of walking.
Amazing, Big, Busy - So much to do. Vatican, Coliseum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon not to be missed. It's really, really HOT though. If you can sail in June or September/October it would be advisable. Not an option for us.
Favourite port of the trip. Florence is stunning/breathtaking. Pisa is nice - an hour is all you need to visit the Tower. Booked a tour through Tuscanybus - was perfect.
Heard others use this expression "nickel and dimed". Goodness knows what that is supposed to be as in our extensive NCL experience nobody has ever tried to get us to buy anything we're not interested in...
Why the "bottled water not being included in the UBP" is such an issue? Water is free on board. Everywhere. If you wanna have water always "on hand", just bring a sport bottle or a yeti cup. Every UBP, of every cruise line, is different. Can't have everything.
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