I have never been on a cruise with so many children. Our family did not let their children run around unattended. But, believe me, this was crazy at times. Teens running the halls, loud and disrespectful. It was the opinion of the families cruising with us that there should be more security in the hallways when there are so many children on board. At times, it was very disruptive. But, all in all, we have a wonderful time and will definitely cruise with Norwegian again but not when we know that school is out!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Much easier than previous experiences in NYC, Miami, and Tampa.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We enjoyed all of the food. The younger people in our party were a little more critical for various reasons: children, vegetarians, and food snobs.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Pools, rock climbing, daily puzzles, etc. Most activities that you pay for are way too expensive for what you get so do not participate as a rule. The children enjoyed basketball, soccer, ping-pong, and the arcade (also expensive). The 40ish crowd were disappointed that there was not much for them. They are not sun bathers.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The ship's regular performing group was, in our opinion, the best we have seen on 11 cruises. The other entertainers were enjoyable as well.
Children's Programs
3 out of 5
The kids loved the entertainment but did not take part in the Kid's clubs.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Everyone was polite and efficient. The only thing I found disappointing was no towel animals or chocolates. My niece was told somewhere along the line that we had to ask for those if we wanted them. I didn't think it was necessary so didn't make a fuss. But it seems the cruise line is "cutting back" and that is not a good trend. We never got to meet our room steward because he had two halls to clean.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
When are they going to stop the smoking inside the ship? The casino smelled disgusting so they lost our business! Unfortunately, they located the casino in the middle of one floor. to get to the other side, you had to walk through it or go to another floor. The rest of the ship was in good shape and very clean. I have never worried about becoming sick on a Norwegian Cruise.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Much to our surprise, this was an excellent room. There was very little foot traffic outside in the corridor so it was very quiet. Lots of storage space for luggage and clothing. We were very satisfied. Very comfortable.
Ship tip
Bring a good book or two and relax. Plenty of deck chairs, a quiet library, and a board game room. It's not necessary to spend a ton of money to enjoy a cruise.
Bermuda was wonderful. Just not enough time. I would have preferred 2 whole days instead of 1. August was very hot and humid so it did limit what we did with our time. We did the Sail and Snorkel, the Crystal Caves and Fort Hamilton. Our whole day was spent at Rosewood Beach Resort as part of our family was staying there. The waters in Bermuda are amazingly beautiful! The pink sand is not quite what you might expect but it surely is different.
I just returned from Bermuda on NCL Escape. I echo your comments about kids. I had thought kids were back in school after Labor Day, but I was wrong. Bermuda is beautiful, and I found Escape very clean despite having to clean up after 5000 passengers. Bliss has contained the smoking area in the casino, and all the others should look at the same idea, but the cruise lines depend on casino revenue, so they stuff them right in the middle of everything.
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