WE DID IT! Six of us sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Lisbon to Maderia to Bermuda to NYC. We are all so proud, and it was our 1st Transatlantic & 1st Repositioning cruise! (But just in case, do plan for seasickness.) We actually liked the sea days (and an extra 2 because we missed 2 ports due to the weather.) No rush, just relax. Wifi wasn't great but hey - we are in the middle of the ocean. Glad we brought our binoculars- excited to see some other ships, some seaweed, and when docked you could see cable cars, statues, nature, etc.
** Loved our balcony, seeing the port lights at night, sitting outside and reading or sipping wine. We got a bottle of champagne & free laundry halfway through the cruise.
Embarkation
1 out of 5
There were 3 ships at the Lisbon Port, so it was organized chaos. The MSC was 3 hours late, and they put NCl and MCL in the same extremely long line. Luckily it wasn't raining, or we would have been drenched. Better signage where passengers first embark would have been extremely helpful.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Food in buffet was good, specialties were good too great, main dining room was ok and then better on other days.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Enjoyed Bingo, Slots, Orgami, Wine Pairing, Hot Tubs, Cake Decorating, Fruit Carving, Wellness workshops. BUT would have liked to see a lecture on each port of call.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Christopher Watkins (violinist) and his pianist were EXCELLENT!!! The Elton Men were good and the Elements (last show) was fantastic. That is all we saw.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Room steward (Reu) was great, waiters in the MDR for breakfast sometimes were slow. Christopher the wine specialist was great. (But they cancelled the last tasting because he had covid; but we were not notified but others were. Not happy about that)
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Ship was very clean!! It is an older ship, so I know it is sometimes harder to find things. They did start painting some areas and it really smelled. WE MISSED THE FISH IN THE HALLWAYS!! Please bring them back to make it easier to find your way. Also, as you get off the elevators - for us it says 11. It would be so helpful to put 11-P (port side) and 11-S (starboard); when you come off the elevators. I and many others would do the side to side dance until we found our way!!!!! Please Please Please check this simple adjustment out.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Cabin was amazing! The big closet seemed to be in a weird spot, but it all worked out. And we knew it was an older ship. The Portside Balcony by the midship elevators was perfect - we got to see so many things! And it was a "sheltered" balcony - so no rain or sun blasting right in.
Ship tip
Do NOT fly in the day of your cruise, bring a bottle of wine with you, bring little hooks for the walls to hang stuff.
Much better than the Embarkation. Lines not long at all. Someone told us that the transfer from the NYC Manhattan Terminal to Newark Airport would be an hour, but it was only 30 minutes. Here is an idea: Add a transfer back to Philadelphia!!
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