This was a really good cruise from a ports-of-call perspective, and NCL did a nice job with many of the onboard experiences. The worst thing (and NCL is not the only cruise line guilty of this) are the misleading offers that are served up when purchasing the cruise. "Free wifi" is a gross overstatement, for example. It's a limited number of minutes and is "by cabin" instead of "by person." In the end, both of us had to upgrade to the unlimited plan at a notable cost ... truly no savings from the promotion at all.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Similar to other cruises; though this time the on-site Covid test added a twist, but it was handled efficiently and with courtesy.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
I don't think this was the best shipboard food I've ever had. And I don't feel like it was consistent from meal to meal. One one hand, having some of the food, even at buffets, plated was a pleasant surprise (for example, fresh fruits or salads). It's much nicer than when giant bowls of food are presented for passengers to choose from. I suspect this is a Covid-related enhancement, but it should be permanent. In dining rooms and specialty restaurants, portions were quite good. But in the Asian cuisine restaurant, seasonings and flavor were not what you might expect in a "real" restaurant.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Fitness center was nicely equipped, though while masks were required onboard ship, for some reason they were optional in the gym. This is counterintuitive since the gym has a low ceiling with sealed windows.
The shows onboard were very enjoyable, especially the largest production, which felt like it had the kind of scale expected on a cruise.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Performances were generally good, and the main show (the largest one) was particularly enjoyable and of a proper scale for a cruise ship.
I like that NCL recognizes that some passengers will simply want to disembark at their leisure, in a completely independent way, with their own luggage in tow. This works best for us, and NCL handled this option beautifully.
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