Although I've only done NCL, I am very happy with everything and have booked trips all the way to 2020.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
The Miami terminal s very efficient and big enough to handle the crowd. The wait in line was less than 5 minutes.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The specialty restaurants are all top notch! The buffet is amazing, plenty of choices. If I could offer any suggestions, maybe have attendants make sure all lines are going in the same direction and people stay in line. One person, usually a kid cuts in and makes others come in from the other way and then no one can get to a specific item. Seemed to happen at french fries and pizza stations.
Cagney's Steakhouse
5 out of 5
All of the restaurants have amazing service, but my steak dinner at Cagneys was a highlight of my trip. I hesitated a getting a 16oz ribeye, because I didn't want to leave any, but I did manage to finish all but 3 or 4 bites. It was one of the best steaks I've ever had. I will always make Cagneys one of my cruise stops.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
There are so many things to do, I wore myself out going from deck to deck to watch the kids running around. I'm more of an atrium attendant, I enjoy all of the different "shows" especially the trivia games. I would like to suggest during the "off" times, when there is more than a few minutes before a show, that they turn on the camera from one of the other decks, so we can watch one of the other events too. There are so many people on the ship that sometimes there is no place to sit, so you can't stay if you cant stand for a long period.I know it is done for a couple of events. I have been in the atrium for over an hour sometimes with the same 2 minute NCL video running over and over.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The shows I was able to book online before the trip were great, but the other comedy shows that you had to book once you get on the ship were booked within hours of boarding. Maybe adding more show times, or since they are complementary, they can be seen in the atrium at the same time?
Children's Programs
I came solo.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
I can't single out just one person, everyone made me feel like I was important. I didn't see one person who was not smiling and didn't wish me a good morning!
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship is so big, I needed to go to the layout by the elevators several times a day. Please add more signage to the studio cabin hallways. Many of the doors to the elevators don't even have a sign on them. There are some doors that say "emergency exit" on them. In the US, you never want to open a door with that signage unless you want to set off the fire alarm! I found myself doing laps trying to get out!
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
I loved my solo cabin!
Ship tip
The biggest complaint on the ship has to be the pool chairs. I have seen towels on chairs at 7 am. Even though there are notices that they will confiscate items left after an hour, everyone knows it's not enforced. The suggestion to build cubbies for towels and shoes was excellent. No more saving chairs, if you are not in one, its free for another. I hope they implement it!
I understand the ports need the tourist money, but on all our ports, there were multiple ships docked. You can't really see anything, it's like Disneyland in the summer. I was supposed to do one of the beaches, but when I saw how far I was going to have to walk, I decided not to go. Some of the ports have shuttles, like the one in Nassau, but it is not advertised, I was told about it by another passenger. I did go into the port to look around and use the wifi.
Another amazing port that was way too crowded. There are so many people going to so many different places, it is very difficult to even find your group. There were 2 different NCL ships and a Carnival ship, and maybe 100 different events.
The most picturesque port, but also crowded, and I didn't find out till later that there were beach chairs farther away but were also farther away from the food, bars, and bathrooms. The buffet was a great touch, and the live DJ at the main bar was great!
I am crushing the Escape for the first time in a couple weeks and really want to book the comedy shows you mentioned fill up fast. Any tips for where or how to do this ASAP once on board??
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