New years cruise was packed which was expected. We spent most of our time in the thermal spa area to have quiet time. Plus you could always get a lounger. We were there every day to avoid the crowds. The spa passes were worth the money.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Passengers were still getting off the ship as we waited to get on. We had a 10-10:30 check in time. After we checked in we had to wait about 30 minutes. We had priority access so we were in some of the first groups called to board. We went straight to our muster station and then to Osheehans for lunch.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Overall food was good. Cocktails were mostly a miss. No moscato on this sailing.
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
This was a full sailing so it was hard to find seating at the venues. There seemed to not have many activities to choose from. I normally have to pick and choose what to do on other ships.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
Main shows were ok but not spectacular. I enjoyed them more than my husband. He would have rather skipped them. They were more geared towards women since they were all men performers except for one lady at Malevo.
Syd Normans Pour House was better than any of the performances but you had to get there over a hour before the start to get a seat. It was worth the wait.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Service was great.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Venues were too small and ship seemed choppy. The staff was always cleaning.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Nice room. Vanity area did not have any drawers.
Ship tip
Book excursions and specialty dining early. Get to activities early to get a seat.
The tender ride in was great but on the way back it was a little rough. Don’t forget your sea sickness medicine. The beach was great and sand very soft. I did not need water shoes just flip flops. We took our on snorkel mask which was enjoying. We saw rays and many fish.
I wish they had bar service like other private islands.
We did an island tour and then to Meagan’s Bay. The banana daiquiri at Mountain Top was not worth the trip. We had rain at the beach so it was not worth it plus there was a lot of people at Meagan’s Bay. It would not have been bad but the tour guide said that he would wait for all of us at the beach but he did not. He left and came back. This was not a NCL excursion. What we had booked through the ship was canceled a few weeks before departure but by this time there was not anything that we all wanted to do for a group of 5.
The ship excursion to the Baths was very organized. I wish I would had brought my snorkel mask because you have a little time to snorkel at the beaches. Going through the cave area did back up because they were tight spaces to squeeze through and a few ladders/steps to navigate. It is not an excursion for all.
We did 27 waterfalls booked through Viator. We were the first to get there which was great. When we left there was so many people waiting to start that it was hard to maneuver around. The hike took about 30 minutes but they allowed rest breaks.
We had priority and we meet at the pour house by 730 to be taken to the front of line to get off. We could have slept in a little later since we did not have to get in line to get off. This was our first time with priority access. Not sure if it was worth it since we are early risers and could have got in the line at 645 to be some of the first to get off.
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