I was looking forward to being on such a large ship with so many amenities, but apparently so were 5,000 of our closest friends (according to a couple of crew members). NCL needs to reduce the number of cabins and expand the common areas. I know that's not good for profit margins, but it would make the cruise a lot more enjoyable. I will never go on a large NCL ship again. I did notice that the next line of ships will have fewer passengers though a bit larger. Maybe they learned their lesson.
Were it not for the horrendous crowds and inability to see shows, it was a great ship and port.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We were fortunate to get priority boarding, so we were on within about 20 minutes. The lines for regular boarding were outrageous.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
As usual, since the advent of specialty restaurants and the ever-present upcharge, the food in the main dining rooms was mediocre. Cagneys, Moderno, and Teppanyaki were excellent as always. Buffet was OK. It's ridiculous that they are now adding charges for some food at the specialty restaurants if you have the dining package.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Great activities but way too crowded. They said they had almost 5,000 people crammed onto the ship, but their common areas are no where big enough to accommodate numbers like that. They do shows and games in the atrium, but they had to keep bringing folding chairs and people were sitting on the floor. Couldn't get into any shows because they all sold out and there was no room. It's great to have a big ship, but then they cram as many cabins into it as possible and don't design enough infrastructure and common areas to handle everybody.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The shows we did see in the main theater were good, especially Choir of Man. DJs were good. The escape room was fun.
Children's Programs
2 out of 5
In the 10-12 age group alone, there were over 50 kids crammed into a small, hot room. Our kids gave up after the 2nd day, as did many others. Again, they are unable to handle that many people and keep them entertained.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Our room steward, Rod, and a few others were friendly, but most of the employees never smiled and consistently seemed stressed and frustrated, which is understandable considering the volume of people they had to serve.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Clean and well-maintained, but again insufficient common areas.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Small and tight, but decent sized bathroom and plenty of storage. Overall, well designed.
Ship tip
Plan your entire week ahead of time and reserve everything, which detracts from the "free style" concept.
We have been on 4 NCL sailings. The larger ships is EXACTLY the reason we have decided to give a chance to another cruise line. The whole reservation nonsense overrides the NCL signature "free style cruising" . We are very very glad NCL didn't order anymore New ships Breakaway or Breakaway Plus class And have decided to downsize with Leonardo fleet. Jewel class ships are the most Ideal ships for freestyle cruising and there is plenty do to. If RCII wants to convert aircraft carriers for their cruise ships , then let them but Freestyle cruising and reservations don't fit together. WE GAVE NCL 3 chances until we gave up. Got to try something new. No worries, we still love you NCL
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