Any cruise is better than not cruising, however, this was just an ok experience for me.
Embarkation
2 out of 5
The Miami embarkation was poorly organized. Why bother to select a boarding time if you’re going to have wait a couple of hours after you checkin to get on board. The communication from the terminal staff was non existent. When they finally started the boarding process you couldn’t hear the groups being called . However, the terminal was equipped with large screen monitors that have easily posted the information for everyone to see. Even after our group it took an additional 45 minutes to get scanned onto the ship. The line moved slowly and the handicap wheelchair bound were intermingled with everyone else. There definitely should have been an elevator to accommodate them. Although they were pushed pass the other passengers on the ramp it also contributed delaying the boarding process. Norwegian needs to find a more efficient way to handle the embarkation process.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
For the most part I enjoyed the food, especially the soups. The ship offers a variety of restaurant selections which should meet most people’s taste. I was not impressed with how the beef was cooked. I ordered 2 different steak options medium well and both were tuff and rubbery. We had paid for one specialty restaurant and tried to book it online and it wouldn’t allow me to. The second day on we when to book our choice and was told it had been booked for the entire cruise. That’s when we learned that Ocean Blue restaurant only handled 127 -157 guests a night. I’m not sure which. With 4,000+ guests your chances of booking your 1st choice after day one is limited. The other specialty restaurants also have limited availability so book early. We ended up going to the Smoking BBQ restaurant. We ordered the sampler which is a big waste of food. One platter is more than enough to feed 2 people. The platter included 2 - link sausages, half a chicken, 1 rib and couple slices of brisket. Sides were sweet potato and corn on the cob, with coleslaw and baked beans. Dessert were huge. Since couldn’t finish my dinner I took my dessert to the stateroom.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
I really didn’t engage in any activities onboard except the casino.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The shows, comedians, musicians and trivia games were all ok, but after over 25+ cruises I can say I’ve seen better.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Some staff were very accommodating and helpful. Others were just doing the minimum. It was almost impossible to get a drink in the casino.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship is large and requires a lot of walking. However, most of the public areas are well maintained. The smoking area in the casino had ashtrays over running with cigarette butts. There was very little cleaning in there.
Cabin / Stateroom
2 out of 5
Overall the cabin was well maintained, however,the location of the cabin was the worst. We were located near a water waste room that ran all night. There was a constant knocking noise and loud sounds in the walls. Whatever you do don’t book this stateroom. I’m not sure if the is case for all the staterooms in this location on all decks.
Ship tip
Book your specialty restaurant as soon as you get on the ship.
Interesting critique of your cruise. Specialty restaurants have a tendency to fill up fast, especially when the alternative may be the buffet (not that it’s bad, it’s just buffet food). We learned after our first cruise to book ahead. This applies to shore excursions as well. We have recently started only booking Haven rooms, but before that, we found it pretty easy to see any room in a YouTube video and get the pro’s and con’s. There are 10’s of thousands of bloggers that video their rooms and share their experiences. Just takes a little research, but have never been disappointed with our room selection.
I agree that embarkation day is rough, no matter what category you choose. We used to also pay the extra fee for priority boarding, so that helped speed up the process. Embarkation day is also debarkation day for 4000 people leaving the ship, and is also turn around day for the entire ship. Staff changes, total ship clean up including rooms, pumping stations going, trash being removed, pallets of food and stores coming on. The miracle is it actually happens in half a day. So yeah, say one sucks and may require waiting, but it’s not different on any other cruise line. If you set your expectations for this, bring a book or an iPad, you will be less frustrated and more excited about getting onboard.
Day one for everyone is the same… traveled for at least a day, tired, sick of dragging you luggage, and you just want to get to the room and relax. I have and still do feel that way after dozens of cruises. Your review is spot on, but try to make the best of it. We actually met our best friends in the waiting area and have been friends for over 20 years now. Find the good and enjoy the memories of a cruise you paid your hard earned money to get! 😀😀
Just an FYI. You are not selecting a boarding time when you do online check-in. You are selecting an arrival at the cruise terminal. The purpose of having people pick an arrival time is to spread out the arrival of 4000 plus guests to the terminal in an attempt to reduce crowding and the length of lines. Boarding usually starts between eleven and twelve o'clock.
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