This cruise looked very good on paper with all of the amenities included, however it seemed that many passengers were overserved alcohol and servers were insufficient at most points of service. It was the noisiest, least organized cruise I have ever taken.
Embarkation
2 out of 5
Once we got to the ship it was fine. The port was total chaos. Horrendous traffic jam.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The buffet was too crowded at peak meal times. Main dining rooms were very good, but reservations were all booked. There were very long wait times, and dress codes were not enforced in the dining rooms.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Too crowded. Very few places to escape the noisy crowds. Activities were very nice if you could get to them.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Quality of entertainment was good, but the reservations were not honored and all venues were overcrowded.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Our steward, Anthony, was the best ever. Staff at the Martini Bar was outstanding. All others were too crowded and understaffed.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Would be 5 stars except for overcrowded elevators.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Would be 5 stars except insufficient electrical outlets for charging devices and using personal grooming appliances.
Ship tip
Do not sail out of San Juan. Port has limited access roads causing massive snarl at boarding time.
Elevators were insufficient. 10-20 people waiting all morning creating a lot of discontent among those waiting. Very unpleasant experience. Stairs were a better option if capable.
No way cruisingramma. The port in San Juan is a logistical nightmare exacerbated by the port workers having no clue how to do their jobs - same as when we cruised from there in 2019. The ship blows soot all over the top deck that looks like people spit chewing tobacco everywhere. Our shower was broken and holes in our club balcony suite were covered with tape. The crowd on our New Years cruise was massive, rude, and half of them did nothing other than eat food and drink. The only way to avoid them was to do something that was an extra cost. They wanted nothing to do with that. Hibachi was a mess because nobody would bring the chef plates and they didn’t seat us until 45 minutes after our reservation time. They switched to all Spanish in bingo so we had no idea what the jokes were about. The bartenders on the pool deck ignored me unless I literally yelled at them. Our steward (Edmundo) was great. We were so disgusted with this cruise that we didn’t book the 2024 one with NCL as we intended, and cancelled one in Europe for this year and replaced it with one on RCL. The cruise was horrible and the reviews I’ve seen afterward show it was not isolated to just ours. It’s a problem with that ship, that port, and that crowd. Shame on NCL for being complicit.
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