Too many undisciplined children

Good things:

Illusionarium dinner and show were wonderful

Comedians – open was bad, but the other 2 were really good

Million $ Quartet

Gumbalimba Park

Burn the Floor show

Bob Marley tribute

Battle of the Sexes

Oldies/Motown tribute

Howlin’ at the Moon

Great ruins & spice farm in Belize, but meal should have been included

Secret River excursion, but a lot of hurry up and wait on this trip

Bad things:

Strike 1:  On Embarkation, 3 NCL people looked at our paperwork and we were still directed to the incorrect line. When we got to the front of the line, 45 minutes later, we found out from another passenger, that there was a referred line for gold members.

Strike 2:  After finally getting on the ship, we met up with our friends who had been directed to the correct line.  They had already made lunch reservations at O’Sheehans just a short time before we arr’d and when I went up to the receptionist to add 2 more to the list, I was told that that was not possible and that we had to eat on our own and that it would be a 20 minute wait.  After waiting, what I thought was 20 minutes, I went up to the receptionist after seeing people just walking up and getting seated. After being rudely told that I had only waited 15 minutes, she told me that she had been trying to page me. I showed her the beeper that was NOT blinking. She grabbed the beeper, returned it to its place and she told me to go get my husband and she would seat me. Whew, I needed my winter coat with her tone of voice.

Strike 3:  Got to our room and luggage still not there.  This is the longest we’ve waited for luggage.  No sign of out cabin steward and out lounge chairs on the balcony were filthy dirty and didn’t get cleaned till Tuesday. This was my 19th cruise and the first time that I never met my cabin steward the entire time I was on the cruise.  We had to leave a note to get our body lotion replaced as an empty spot didn’t trigger a replacement.  The last day on the ship, we went to breakfast before disembarking, leaving our carry-on luggage in our room.  We got back to the room around 7:30 and found our door open with our carry-on luggage in plain view of anyone passing and the assistant to the cabin steward making up the bed.  He actually asked us to wait a few minutes so that he could finish what he was doing.  Are you kidding me???  We were on an excursion at 7:40 and needed to freshen up and use the bathroom.  Needless to say, we showed him to the door and none too kindly.

And most of that was on Day 1.

The lifeboat drill was entirely toooooo long.  You get close to 5000 in one area and you expect total silence.  Who are you trying to kid?  And to go on and on about the dangers of the Samsung 7, unless people have had their head in the sand, that’s old news. Parents with small children were having a heck of a time controlling their kids.

A la carte prices on the menus in the main dining areas?  When did that start?  Why don’t you just leave those selections off the menu.  And whatever happened to lobster night (Royal Caribbean still does it) or the chocolate fountain or the midnight buffet???

We were supposed to go on the Catamaran tour in Costa Maya.  We donned our suits and right before getting off the ship, checked with the shore excursions desk to make sure it was still running as we had seen the rough water.  We were assured that it was and upon getting to the pier and queuing up for the trip, found out it was cancelled due to high seas.  Imagine that.

On the last day, we took the everglades tour that would have been great if it was 70 and sunny, but alas it was 50 and pouring rain.  Should that tour have been cancelled?  Would anyone in a management position at NCL like to be out in the pouring rain on an airboat going 20 mph?

And last, but certainly not least, were the unruly children on this boat.  This is one of the main reasons we would never go back.  I couldn’t believe that nothing was said to the hoards of children, some under 10 years of age, that were allowed to run free with no parents in sight and nothing being said to them by NCL personnel.  I actually saw a few children sitting on their parents’ laps in the casino pressing the buttons with NCL personnel nearby.  Casino control would love that.

Along with the misbehaving children, came the misbehaving drunk millennials, as they called themselves.  We couldn’t even hear our waiter talking to us in one of the restaurants because they were so loud!  And was anything said to them, same as the children, absolutely NOT!

We went into this trip as gold members and came off the ship platinum members.  We used to recommend NCL to all of our friends and family.  We don’t anymore.  We would never sail on the Getaway again.