This ship was HUGE! It was also very crowded. There were over 4,000 passengers plus 1,600 crew members. If you suffer any crowd anxiety, this is not the cruise for you. Prepare to have some sort of wait no matter what you wish to do on the ship.
The kids program was FANTASTIC! Run professionally, very clean, plus plenty of activities to keep the kids happy. They even did a kid's program on the last day.
The food wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible either. The 3 main restaurants (Tropicana, Taste & Savor) all serve the same food. Exactly the same food. Pick your favorite setting and enjoy the nice environment. Garden Cafe Buffet had an excellent variety, but tended to stay very busy and overcrowded, especially on Sea Day.
The pool was tiny, considering the size of the ship and the number of people on board. Every time we walked by it was full of people, and the hot tubs were too. (There were only 4 in the main pool area.) We never even jumped in. We also didn't get to do any of the water slides, the ropes course, or the climbing wall. (None of us like big crowds, or long lines.) Plus, the ropes course and climbing walls were only available for a few hours each day. Those needed to be open all day in my opinion.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The 3 main restaurants (Tropicana, Savor & Taste) all serve the exact same menu. The buffet was extremely crowded. The noodle bar, Shanghai, was tasty. Our favorite ended up being O'Sheehans, which was less crowded and had very tasty menu options. All the other restaurants have a cover charge, so we didn't do that. If you really want to enjoy the food, get one of the dining packages.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Most activities seemed geared towards spending money. Not enough free activities available. Had we known ahead of time, we could have planned accordingly.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
There needed to be more free shows. Legally Blonde was fantastic, but only 2 performances the entire cruise. Burn the Floor only had two performances as well, and we were unable to get reservations.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
FANTASTIC!!! Very clean and well organized. The staff was very friendly, and by the 2nd day most new my daughter's name with out a name tag. They recognized her good behavior, and let us know each day how she did. It was nice to have someone else recognize the good, and not just bad, moments.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our steward, Bagus, was great. Helped us out with extra kleenex, and any other little things we needed. Our family was split into 3 different areas, and one group had Jobi. He was fantastic too. Overall, the crew was great! Every crew member I saw and spoke to was friendly and was great at keeping everyone happy.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Over all, the ship was beautiful and well maintained. There was hand sanitizer everywhere, and sign to wash hands and stay clean. The public restrooms weren't always clean, especially on the 1st Sea Day. There often bathrooms that were dirty, and hadn't been checked off in over 4 hours. With such a busy ship, that is one area that really needed to be better.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Very comfortable cabin, with plenty of space for 3. Under bed storage was nice for putting the suitcases. There was a hair dryer in the room too, which would have been nice to know prior to travelling. Our steward was fantastic too! Having the balcony was great for getting some fresh air, taking photos as we were near ports, etc.
Ship tip
For every show you will need reservations prior to getting on the ship, otherwise you risk the chance of seeing nothing. Even then, some shows can't be reserved until you are on board. Do it ASAP, either by waiting in line at the reservation desk or doing it through your TV in the stateroom.
Make sure to have cash for tips, souvenirs, etc. They accept USD pretty much everywhere. You'll get better prices if you have cash. Also, stick with a referenced tour group. We chose jamaicatours.com and had a great experience with climbing the Falls & tubing. Don't get sucked in by the sales at the Falls, some have reasonable prices, but many of the stores by the port have the same "hand-crafted" items for less.
Have cash for tips and souvenirs. Also, there was a great city tour available once you were off the ship. Took us to the turtle farm, dolphin bay, Tortuga Rum cakes, and the town of Hell. Cost @ $20 plus tip.
Take cash for better deals. There are street vendors outside every store who will make good deals for cash. Credit cards are good for more expensive expenditures.
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