We booked this cruise because of Tortola, due to the hurricane the itinerary was changed. We were never given the option to change our itinerary, which was a disappointment. We have done the Western Caribbean itinerary many times and it is our least favorite so we would never have originally booked this one. I feel like NCL should have at least given us the option to postpone our cruise until the ports reopened or offered us switching to another ship, We normally cruise with another couple but this cruise it was just the two of us,
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was so easy. From the time we arrived at the port, walking into the terminal, checking in at the counter and then sitting waiting for our group to be called was approximately 15 minutes. Fastest checkin of all of our cruises.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The food was okay. We found the selection in the dining rooms and buffets were lacking for lunch and dinner, breakfast was fine. Desserts were hit or miss. The food in the specialty restaurants was excellent. We went to the "spectacular seafood buffet" one evening to find shrimp and mussels, even though we were told there would be crablegs and other seafood. We went to O'Sheehans for their rib special, the ribs on the photo looked like baby back, they were country style and all fat, didn't even eat them. LaCucina, Teppanyaki and Cagneys were Outstanding. The Supper Club was a great time. In the Manhattan Room the entertainment was so loud you could not hear the waiter and when my meal came, the veal was so over cooked. Drinks were good.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We loved that you were able to walk the length of the Waterfront which we did several times a day. The Grotto was a nice surprise. We are not sunbathers so we did not sit by the pool. There were plenty of couches and chairs along the waterfront to enjoy the ocean sailing by. It was a good gathering spot to meet new friends,
Entertainment
3 out of 5
We found the entertainment to be lacking. The "broadway shows" had no pizazz. Did not have a nightly "piano man" to sit and sing along.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Service was great in all areas. We were greeted each time by staff with a smile on their face from the officers down to the crew cleaning the ship. Each time our cabin steward saw us he addressed us by our names, He was very attentive.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship is very easy to navigate and was clean and well maintained during our week. The atrium design is horrible. This appears to be the hub of the ship, The problem is that it is SOOOOO loud, it is difficult to talk to the staff at the guest services/next cruise area. Everything is held there from bingo, to movies, to bands playing. On all other ships we have been on, bingo was in the theater, bands would perform in lounges, trivia would be held in a lounge, movies would either be in the theater or outside not in the center of the ship, I'm not sure how the bartenders at the Atrium Bar could even hear the passengers when they were requesting a drink. People would also just stop walking in the middle of the walkway to see what was going on, which was a problem.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Our cabin had the bed in front of the balcony and the couch in front of the closet. This was a terrible design. Because the edge of the couch was so close to the closet you had to step in sideways to actually open the closet door to get your things. I think if the couch was smaller it would have at least give enough space to move in. There are also no drawers to put clothes in just shelves. We found out later about the drawer under the couch but only one side is available because the linens, etc. are kept in the other side, There are no outlets in the bathroom. The coffee maker is a nice addition. We did like having the buttons to press to "Make Up Room" "Do Not Disturb" "At Home" rather than hanging a sign on the door. Our cabin was always clean and our cabin steward was very attentive to our needs.
Ship tip
Don't overpack (which we did not). Because of the dress code, you don't need to have formal clothes for dinners even in the specialty restaurants. Don't go on board expecting amazing shows, because you won't find them.
We flew into Miami the day before the cruise and spent the night in a hotel, we walked to Lincoln Road Mall. We have stayed in Miami before so there was no need to tour.
We have been to Grand Cayman several times, not happy about having to tender in. We have visited before when we docked. Again only went into town to get off ship for awhile.
We did the self-assist disembarkation and it was great. From the time we got into the line and it started to move we were thru customs in about 20 minutes.
We had cruise itineraries amended too... it is irritating but well within the company’s rights. In our opinion having done the Escape on both Western & Eastern Caribbean ships (and others ships on both too), the two itineraries are much of a muchness.. and at least those itineraries fall within the same climatic region. Regarding the dining, we agreed that the food used to be better. We’re not buffet fans and only use O’Sheehans for snack type food. Completely agree that the theatre shows are dull. The dance show is way too long, and the Elvis, Johnny Cash thing is just plain bad... Surprised the Howl on the Moon wasn’t operating, it was really good on the Escape in Sept (albeit terrible on the Getaway last month).. Never seen bingo in the Atrium on our trips.
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