The 15 day Panama Canal cruise we highly recommend! The clientele are older fun group with many international cruisers. We had a great time.
Embarkation
2 out of 5
We left during a horrible storm. Pretty sure it wasn’t NCLs fault. I will give them the benefit of the doubt and hold Port Authority to blame for this one. We were like drowned rats by the time we boarded. NCL needs their own terminal here.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Overall the food was amazing! I was worried it would get old on a 15 day cruise but it was wonderful! The dining rooms are the way to go for a nice sit down meal. The buffet omelet bar was great for early morning excursions.
Cagney’s was very good.
La Cucina was delicious and the service great!
Le Bistro was amazing! The food, the service, the vibe was 5 star!!!
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Virtual reality arcade was a blast!
Water slide was fun.
We didn’t go on the go carts because it was so hot and the thought of wearing the same helmet as someone else even with a liner 🤢. Sorry…I’m a germaphobe.
Husband enjoyed the fitness center…I loved walking on the Boardwalk.
Spice H2O was fun and has a nice smoking area…husband is a cigar smoker and said the cigar lounge needs better ventilation.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The shows were good! We saw Footloose and Elements…both good!
The hypnotist was very good!
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Our steward, Jose, was wonderful! Always busy and going out of his way to make sure everything is as you would like.
Most waiters were very good. We had a couple that needed more training but overall they were great!
All staff was very friendly.
There was one bartender in Spice H2O that did not serve women as they should. Serving men before women who were there first… I don’t know if it was a cultural thing. I will give him the benefit of the doubt and hope he gets more training. Otherwise, we had a wonderful time in Spice H2O… the servers made a point to know peoples names and remember what they like to drink.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
I love this class of ship. I have been on the Bliss and the Joy.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The room was nice even though it is a bit tight between the foot of the bed and the wall. The bathroom was good. Bed comfortable. Balcony was so nice on the canal transit!
Ship tip
Book everything early! Specialty dining, excursions and shows!!!
We have been to this port several times and we always love it. Favorite excursion here is Stingray City. Go to this if you can… it’s truly a great experience! This cruise we just walked around town and explored as I had caught the “Cruise Cough “ by then. We ate at Snapper’s in port and their red snapper tacos were excellent!
We loved Guatemala! We did the Coffee Plantation excursion. The tour was very good and informative. We got to see plenty of the area and the locals were very friendly. Beautiful place!
This was a bucket list item for me. We booked the old canal excursion the day before our transit as the Joy goes through the new canal. So glad we did this. It was so informative and you really got to experience the old canal up close.
I was surprised at the beautiful architecture of old Cartagena!!! What a stunning place. We booked the city tour and we absolutely loved it! Gorgeous city!
We have been here several times. This trip the whales put on a great show as we came in to port! Beautiful! Cabo is not my favorite as I like tropical instead of desert. We went with first timers so we just walked around and of course went to Cabo Wabo. Did not book any excursions.
Appreciate your detailed and informative review. Also like your attitude and humor (who to blame for the storm). Usually, longer cruises tend to have older crowds because that’s who can take that much time and have enough money to afford them. Not a bad thing. Glad you enjoyed your your transit.
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