Love NCL, the quality of service, entertainment, food and beverage are always fantastic. A few issues with the ship design that I think are major. Loved the ports of call even after the change forced by hurricane damage.
Very hard to beat the package offered by NCL and will always look to cruise with them as my first choice.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Arrived at Port Miami by 11am and we were sipping cocktails by 12.30. Easy boarding
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Superb main dining in Manhattan, Taste & Savor. The consistency of quality is commendable. We liked the choices (very similar in all three restaurants) something for everyone. Service was great, a bit slow at times but who cares we like to take time over our dinner. Amazed that they allow diners in Cagney's looking like tramps. Shorts & T shirts in a beautiful upscale restaurant is incredible. I know its freestyle, I know its relaxed but having restaurants where people can dress a bit nicer should be what NCL want. Let the idiots who have no clue about dress or how to behave and respect whats being offered dine in the buffet. If there is a dress code, enforce it or do away with it and let people in with swim shorts.
Mixx Bar
5 out of 5
The best drinks on board. Well worth arriving early before you dine if you want a drink made properly.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Pool was just way to small to enjoy. Found our little slice of heaven in other areas.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The Rat Pack and After Midnight were as all shows we have seen on NCL were superb. Fantastic quality and a great bonus to our vacation. Do not miss if you love showtime.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
When you consider the amount of people on board the service was very good.My one main complaint is not the way staff treat the customer its the was the customer treats the staff. The majority nationality were so rude. I never heard please can I get, all I heard was 'Pina Colada and a beer' no thank you, nothing. I never heard 'excuse me' or 'you go before me' very rude and if they realized that the nicer you are the better they are with you ten times over. The other thing I struggle with is the sheer gluttony of certain cruisers. Piles and piles of food left on plates. If your one of these greedy cruisers, shame on you. Take what you need then go back. I did feel specifically on Escape that the staff where under lots of pressure mainly applied by the demands of the client. I hope this was just a one off and did not affect our cruise.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Loved the ship with three exceptions.
1. The main pool and bar is incredibly small and a massive mistake IMO. It seems that the Haven area has been maximized and the main pool are minimized. Don't even bother on sea days, towels on beds by 8 am and a suffocating amount of people around the pool.
2. H20 adult area. Such a shame that this area has no pool, just a grotto! All beds again reserved by 8 am and sorry to say but the worst bar on board. Drinks made by bar tenders who@s one aim was to get it in and get to the next one, we had Pina Coladas that were undrinkable. Why have NCL taken to pre-making the most popular cocktails i.e Rebellious Fish, Bahamamama's and Pain Killers? More quality control please.
3. NO NIGHT CLUB, what manager decided that they would call Skyliners a club!!! a bar tagged onto the casino the size of a postage stamp and a DJ playing banging rap even if the main clients were over 30. Not even close to Bliss on Epic or Spinnaker on Jade. Serious mistake and one they need to address.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Great stateroom for 2 people, plenty of room. Fantastic comfy bed and a superb sized bathroom.
Took a cab to Blue Water beach, $20 per person and $10 entry to the beach club, great dj nice Jerk Chicken and a super sandy, clean and safe beach only 10 minutes from the port.
Took a ship tour to Blue lagoon at $70, fantastic day trip. Beautiful boat to the lagoon. You could swim with Dolphins for an extra charge. Safe for kids and loads to do,
The only downside was trying to get an elevator as it seems that everyone is getting off at the same time. Always choose the walk off with our luggage option.
Pretty much the same all over. On sea days you needed to get up early to get a sunbed. Go up 2 levels from the main pool heading forward on the opposite side to Vibe. Great little area with hot tub, bar and steam. Well worth getting up early for. Just dont tell anyone..hahah
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