Despite the very rough beginning of our cruise with insanely incompetent handling at embarkation, the cruise turned out to be really quite nice. We were in the Haven for the first time and now we are totally spoiled. It is so nice to be able to get away from the masses; it was almost like being on our own little ship with just a few other people on board. The staff was wonderful.
Embarkation
1 out of 5
Embarkation was awful. We waited first at the United baggage claim area and then out on the curb for two hours before a bus came to take us to the ship. There were over sixty people waiting, with more coming every time a plane landed. There was limited seating and people with handicaps were left to stand the whole time. This was our first experience with Norwegian and at that point we thought, "Never again!"
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We were in the Haven and used the Haven restaurant for all breakfasts and most dinners. The Haven food was excellent and the wait staff was superb. The specialty restaurants were excellent as well. We ate at Cagney's once, LeBistro twice, and Q's twice. The buffet was okay. The hot food was often not hot. They serve the same thing at several different stations, so even though the buffet area itself is quite large, there are limited options to choose from. Food in the main dining rooms was usually very good. We ate at Savor, Taste, and Manhattan. The veggies were never over-cooked, the food was tasty, the meat was tender and flavorful. Desserts were really good. Wait staff was exceptional. One serious flaw was the volume and selection of music in the restaurants. Disco music in never appropriate in a fine dining restaurant, and yet we had disco music even in the Haven at times.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
There is a wide variety of active things to do. We preferred to rest and relax and found the music that is piped in everywhere you go to be rather annoying. We much preferred to hear the waves splashing against the sides of the ship, or enjoy quiet conversation with each other or our friends who were also on the ship. Thanks to the ever-present speakers, there was constant noise in the background. Norwegian needs to take noise pollution more seriously.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
We saw Footloose and Elements. Both were well-presented.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Everyone was wonderful. The Haven staff especially took special care of us. Everyone was friendly, cheerful, competent, and professional.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The ship was kept clean. I wish there was less noise pollution in the outside public areas, for example in the sitting and walking areas on the Waterfront. The Freestyle Daily says the Waterfront on Deck 8 is a quiet zone, but it is not quiet; there is always recorded noise coming through the speakers in the background.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The cabin was very nice. The bed was comfortable with lots of soft fluffy pillows. There were comfortable places to sit not on the bed. The bathroom had plenty of room for toiletries on the shelf above the sink. There was ample shelf storage for clothes in the closet area. Lots of room under the bed for storing empty suitcases. It was a very pleasant room, and well-maintained.
Ship tip
Take yourself to the ship. Use a taxi or Uber or friends who live nearby or anything else you can find. Do not rely on Norwegian for port transfer from the airport.
The person who yelled instructions to us from the front of the bus did not make it clear what we were supposed to do with our luggage. The porters who handled our luggage from the bus to the ship were rude. There was inadequate signage at the pier.
We went on the electric bikes excursion. We paid for the excursion through Norwegian, yet at every point the people who took us said they didn't get paid unless we tipped them: bus drivers, bike staff, lunch providers, etc.
The ship provided great coverage about what we were doing. The closed-circuit TV showed the view from the front of the ship so we didn't miss anything even when we were in our room.
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