I would highly recommend you shop this cruise aggressively. It's great if you can get if for a value price, but don't expect much in the way of food quality or service on board. The stops are great and the ship offers a lot of entertainment options.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Very fast and efficient.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
Both the main dining rooms and the specialty restaurants were a disappointment. If you don't get free, included meals at the specialty restaurants, don't waste your money.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Great water slides, ropes course, fun golf, etc.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The shows were very good to great. The best show was Million Dollar Quartet. Also the Cirque show was excellent. The comedians were feast or famine. Jim Gaffigan is very funny. Jim McDonald may have lost his touch.
Children's Programs
We did not use this service.
Service and Staff
2 out of 5
Our room steward never even bothered to introduce himself. Staff answering phones were not helpful. Most restaurant staff was below average, unlike past NCL sailings. One bright spot was the manager for Le Bistro who was exceptional.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Very good.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
It's what you expect on a cruise. Nothing more or less. Cramped, but very functional.
Ship tip
Don't pay for speciality restaurants and argue about the 20% required gratuity. Employees need to earn that, not expect it.
Really improved since my last visit 15 years ago. Lots of fun using the Beach buggy's and the animal sanctuary we visited. Got to hold a sloth and a Capuchin Monkey.
Just be cautious. This is NCL's private island and is designed to be a profit maker. Your on-board food and drink credits don't count here. Also, shops are way over-priced. We tried to buy a statue here and they quoted $245. The same statue in Costa Maya was $45 after bargaining. Glad we waited to buy it. Be careful paddle boarding too. Lots of fun, but not for novices. There is coral and jellyfish everywhere and you can't risk falling in.
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