Overall the cruise was OK, but the ship is older and I would think twice about going on an over full Christmas cruise again. The service was below the standards on either Royal Caribbean or Holland but it could have a combination of the ship or the time of year. We are willing to give NCL another shot but hope for a better experience next time.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
The embarkation was smooth and seamless. The luggage showed up by 4pm and everything went well.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The buffet was OK although sometimes the food was warm and not hot. O’Sheehans was very good but because the ship was full often the service and food was slow. Cagney’s was only OK suffering from the same slowdown that was prevalent ship wide. The main dining room food was OK but VERY slow. Drink service was good.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
The pools were small and crowded. I did not go to either the fitness room or the spa. Other facilities were OK
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The shows were OK but were repetitive. The main female singer was very good.
Children's Programs
We have no children
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Relative to other cruise lines, the service was only OK for us. Because the ship was so crowded, little personal touches seemed absent
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship was clean and well maintained for an older vessel
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The cabin was a decent size and laid out well. The bathroom was well done. Our cabin was cleaned and well maintained. The cabin steward was very friendly and responsive when we needed something.
Ship tip
I wanted to love a Christmas cruise, but in reality it was so crowded that every port call was difficult to disembark and embark. Because we went to so many ports, we didn’t have long to explore at any port
Miami is a great port, however the disembarkation procedure was the worst we have ever had. We sat in the line for 2 1/2 hours with very little updates. When we reached customs, there where 9 lanes but only 2 lanes were open.
This is tender port. The tender procedure was slow and irritating. We did a Stingray excursion and it was very good and possibly the highlight of the trip.
The port was ok. We did the Makani Beach club excursion. It was basically a boat trip and a pool. Definitely stay away! Not worth the expense… do something else …
Yes it was only a partial transit but well worth it. My wife did a zip line adventure and she loved it. I did the ferry canal excursion and it was very good and informative. The was another tender port. Beautiful area
The port was ok. My wife did a jungle kayaking adventure which she said was amazing. I did a vintage train tour and felt I learned a lot about the area. The bus ride was chaotic however.
The port was ok. We did the Fury Catamaran excursion. This was the absolute highlight of the trip. The crew was amazing and the snorkeling was great. The private beach and toys were big fun! Would do this again!!
Could not have been worse. We stood in the disembarkation line for almost 3 hours because there were only 2 customs agents. Norwegian was not much help as we weren’t given regular updates. Since there were 2 NCL ships disembarking at the same time the whole thing was ridiculous.
We really like NCL. The included dining options are a good bonus. We went on a Royal cruise last year for New Years, and it was the worst cruise we had very been on due to being overcrowded. So I think holidays may not be the best time to sail.
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