A good cruise to interesting places we had not seen. Great dining options with allowances for casual dining attire. Some improvements can be made in the buffet, drink package, and over-crowded bars as described above.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
The embarkation process was organized and the personnel friendly. However, perhaps because everyone arrived at the same time, the process was a long line that took over an hour.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The specialty and main dining rooms were excellent, with wonderful options and very friendly staff. On the other hand, the buffet was not up to par with other cruises we have taken, and the wine options on the ultimate drink package were limited.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Entertainment
4 out of 5
In general, the entertainment, particularly the hypnotist and comedy group were great. The bar entertainment was ok, but there needed to be at least one location where you could listen to some quiet piano music.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our room steward, room service staff, and wait staff were very attentive and friendly.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship was clean and well maintained. However, it seemed to be overcrowded, particularly in the buffet and bars and common areas.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Our mini-suite balcony was great, especially the shower/tub. The only improvements could have been a little bigger balcony and a coffee table by the couch.
Ship tip
Use the dining rooms and specialty restaurants to the max.
We toured on our own. The wonderful weather made this stop very enjoyable. We enjoyed the maritime museum, a walk to the citadel, shopping, lunch and walking the harbor. A stop at the Stubborn Goat beer garden was a relaxing break with great views of the harbor.
We toured on our own and found the shopping, food, drink, and sight-seeing good. If the timing and weather would have been right, a trip outside the town to view the reversing rapids would have been desired. Go to the farmer's market for a lobster roll.
Bar Harbor was the stop I most looked forward to. The fact that we had to go through an on board customs process first thing in the morning was not enjoyable, although necessary. We also needed to tender to land, so getting going took some time. We booked our own Ollie's Trolly 4 hour tour of Acadia National Park. Although the overcast day put some damper on things, it was a wonderful way to get a flavor of the park. After lunch it poured rain, so our planned shopping the streets of Bar Harbor was cut short.
Portland was a wonderful experience. The weather was great, and we enjoyed a morning stroll around the harbor area, shopping, site seeing, and enjoying lunch at Gilbert's Chowder House (best lobster roll of the trip). We then took an excursion bus to Kennebunkport. In Kennebunkport we boarded a boat for an hour cruise along the coast where we observed the Bush compound and stopped to retrieve a lobster from a trap. There was more time for shopping in town before boarding our bus for the informative ride back to the ship. I recommend this excursion.
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