The most important thing about this cruise was the fabulous itinerary, but the timing of Bonaire and St. Lucia was off, and the ship's size and vast number of passengers made it a little less spectacular. Getting to bars and restaurants was difficult and unless you went to Deck 18 to lay out, it was always loud and crowded. (Now I understand why they have the Haven). It also felt like everything was extra, including the Ice Bar, bowling, the Arcade...it went on and on. Overall it was good, but not great.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
This was fairly straightforward and efficient, given the number of people who were beginning the process at the same time. They had enough customer service reps that there was little time waiting in line,and although there were literally thousands of people waiting to check in, the line moved quickly. However, just getting to the port, 2 miles away, took an hour due to the gridlocked and closed streets--understandably not Norwegian's problem but still frustrating.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
La Cucina and Cagney's had excellent food and service. The main dining rooms, Manhattan Room and Taste, were also good, although the lines were long. The buffets were extensive, but relatively tasteless and way too crowded all the time. Usually a line at Noodles as well.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Best fitness center of any ship we've been on. Pool slide, rock climbing wall were fun. Arcade, bowling alley were not complimentary.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Burn the Floor was excellent, Howl at the Moon and the comedians were good.
Children's Programs
No kids--but the Splash Academy did seem to keep a lot of the kids thankfully occupied.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
The service was adequate, but certainly not great. Although our room steward was efficient, we didn't feel like we had any relationship with him. Staff at the paid restaurants were much better, and to a certain extent the staff at the main DRs, but overall, no one seemed to want to go above and beyond like we've experienced on our other cruises--it was more like they were just doing a job.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Both the layout and design were fine, except for the fact that there were only two sets of stairs and banks of elevators, one at each end. For such a large ship, a middle set would have been helpful. The ship was clean, although again there were not staff obviously cleaing all the time like we've experienced on other ships.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
It was a standard balcony cabin, but nothing special. Ours was underneath the pool deck (14119) so it could be loud at times but it was not a deal breaker. Did not necessarily mind the shower/toilet set up, but I can see where others who are not related or married, might.It actually seemed like there was more room on the vanity since the sink was outside the toilet. Our steward kept the room very clean. The easy access to the fitness center was a plus.
Ship tip
If you are used to a smaller ship, this one may feel too large and crowded and you may want to reconsider.
Came in pre-cruise and did some exploring of Condado. When we returned the San Sebastian festival was in place so it basically shut down any ability to get to Old San Juan.
Beautiful. Had a private tour to do the volcano, sulphur springs, etc., but getting off the ship on this day was a veritable zoo--completely disorganized.
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