Though weather related setbacks and delays are acceptable, the number of issues encountered during this trip are not acceptable. We were disappointed with this cruise and future NCL trips are in question for us!!!!
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Okay, pretty standard
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Same types of food every day. No creativity; after a few days, it was routine and not always great.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Pools were very crowded, and not always comfortable. We spent most of our time in deck eight and the Observation lounge.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
There was one show that was very good; Elements, we were not impressed by Footloose! Musicians were okay, but nothing out of the ordinary.
Children's Programs
We did not have any children
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The waiters were great, helpful and pleasant. Our steward was very nice and polite. In general, all the staff were great, best attribute of the ship.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The layout of the ship was fine. We had been on sister ships Escape and Bliss before, so we knew what to expect. The Norwegian ships we have sailed on tend to be very clean and well maintained. It was odd to see windows washed but not wiped/squeegeed afterwards.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
It was fine. No major complaints. We were surprised to find out that they no longer provided evening service for the room. They also cut back on other small but nice to have offerings! It was not what is expected from a Club Balcony Suite!
Ship tip
There needs to be better food variety and improved entertainment. Everyday game shows at the Atrium doesn’t cut it.
We had an excursion scheduled that was cancelled due to late arrival. This was a total joke as the captain announced a day before that they had to do some routine maintenance on one of the four engines. This slowed the ship by a couple of hours. Who does routine engine maintenance while sailing; this is an effort that is addressed while in port. We were reimbursed but our day was basically wasted. We wound up going to Bonita beach. We had previously done some research on this beach and knew that it had heavy waves, but it was not very far from the ship. It was okay!
This was another bust! First off, the ship was due to arrive at 1.30 PM; a very unusual time. We had been there several times before and had planned to go to Eagle beach. We knew it would be kind of late but figured we can spend a few hours there. We then received a message from the captain that we would be delayed due to high winds encountered. We arrived about an hour and a half later. All the excursions were delayed and priority was given to those who had plans to go visit some locations. It took about an hour and a half to get these people off the ship. We got off about 4.30 PM, no point to go to a beach. We walked around the port area and went to a local restaurant for dinner.
We had no excursions here, but had planned to go to Kokomo beach. It was a nice day there. The only drawback there are the rocky parts of it as you enter the water. But the water was nice and clean.
Another change in plans here!!! Before we arrived we were informed that there was a ship that damaged the dock in Puerto Plata and that we would proceed to Amber Cove. We then were told that our 10 AM excursion would be moved to 7.30 AM. We were not ready to do that and we cancelled our tour. Another disappointment!
Appreciate your detailed and informative review. Sorry you were so disappointed. Don’t let one cruise ruin your thoughts on the whole line. Sorry you were disappointed. Hope the next one is much better.
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