We had been to all of the ports on previous occassions, so we didn't feel like there was anything special we wanted to do other than go to a nice beach. Weather made that difficult, so we spent most of our time on the ship. We felt the entertainment was wonderful & most of the food we tried was very good. We loved the fact we could go to 3 different dining rooms & have the same food, and since there were only 2 of us, we rarely had to wait more than a few minutes for a table.
We loved the fact that the photographers weren't in your face all the time. They simply waited for you to approach them.
Spice H2O (adults area) and the promenade (Waterfront) on 8 were the only areas we could usually find a quiet spot to read. Around the pools they only had deck chairs which aren't as comfortable as a regular chair to sit & read.
There seemed to be an excessive amount of specialty dining options (20 or so) all offering food you paid extra for. They certainly weren't necessary & often just wasted space during the day.
Many of the games (trivia, bingo, Deal or No Deal) were held in the atrium, which had comfortable seating for maybe a hundred people at the most. We didn't spend much time there as we couldn't always get a seat & didn't want to stand. Seating for shows in the theatre was also limited, so you needed to be there early to get a seat.
So many of the things offered on the ship (i.e ropes course, water park, rock climbing wall, arcade, spa) were not interesting to us, so probably a smaller ship would have been a better choice.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Embarkation went smoothly with minimum wait times.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We didn't try any specialty restaurants. The food & service in the main dining rooms & buffets was very good. O'Sheehans was good for a quick bite, too. We were not too impressed with the noodle bar, though.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We took a dip in a hot tub to cool off one day, but never felt the need to go in a pool. We did mini-golf a few times & bingo twice, but otherwise didn't find any other activities we felt the need to participate in.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Million Dollar Quartet & Burn the Floor were terrific! The comedy club shows we saw were fun, too, but the venues were pretty small so seating was limited. For the most part, the music was very good, especially the band in Syd Norman's Pour House.
Children's Programs
We don't have small children.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
No complaints at all. Service with a smile was the norm.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
We liked the layout for the most part, particularly the way they grouped most bars & restaurants on just a few decks. However, we felt the pool area on 15 was poorly designed. There was no large open area for a deck party or activity; just tons of deck chairs whereever you went.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The cabin was fine. We opted for oceanview instead of a balcony & loved the convenience & quiet. However, the only place to sit was on a bed, so it wasn't terribly confortable to sit in our cabin and read. Loved the large closet space (though it would have been nice to have a drawer somewhere) and the bathroom was a bit larger than most ships we have been on.
Ship tip
Check out Spice H2O on deck 16. The adults area was a perfect place to get some sun & quiet (at least until they started setting up chairs for evening events)
Since we had a late flight, we took the city tour that ended at the airport. It was nice to see so much of New Orleans & kill time on a bus, but since it was raining all day, we didn't get off the bus except once in 3 hours. The tour guide was excellent & we learned a lot about the history of the area.
We visited the animal exhibit, rented kayaks & stayed mostly around the pool. There was lots to do until the rain & wind hit. Note: best to wear water shoes since the sand was coarse & uncomfortable to walk on in bare feet.
Since it rained the entire time we were there, it's hard to give it high ratings. We did go on an excursion to Turquoise Bay & it probably would have been beautiful if the sun had shown. However, we spent most of the 4 hours under the large palapa. Food & drinks were good.
Due to weather, our excursion was cancelled & the ship had to anchor at an alternative spot. Since we had been there many times before, we opted to stay on the ship.
We have been here before & didn't really enjoy the experience, but decided to do the "Day at the beach" excursion. The beach was very narrow so we could only get a beach chair in the trees, which might have been nice if it had been hot, but it wasn't & after getting wet it was a little cold. The portion of the water you could use without hitting large rocks wasn't very large, but if you squatted down a bit, you could get everything wet.
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