We love to cruise and are cruising all cruise lines to determine our favorite. We love to ask other guests their opinions. Norwegian has a great loyalty program. We didn't realize that some of the shows are duplicates on different ships with different itineraries. If you have preteen/teen children, this ship offers many things to do, most at an additional charge. The ship was new and beautiful. I would certainly give the whole experience a 4 star, with the entertainment being the lowest.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Lines moved quickly and no issues
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The specialty restaurants were very good. We chose Cagney's and the Japanese Steak House. The breakfast buffet was good. The other buffets were average at best. We chose to eat primarily at the Local. They ran out of several drinks and other offerings on about day 7.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
There were never any chairs available around the pool as they were reserved early in the morning. The hot tubs had cold water after day 2. We didn't use the fitness center or race track area this cruise.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
We cruised Norwegian earlier in the year on another ship and the music shows in Syd's were exactly the same but we enjoyed the shows on both cruises. Syd's has a standing room only capacity within 5 minutes after the doors are opened. You need to arrive at least an hour before and wait in the hall. These shows are very good and would be great in the theater where more could enjoy them. The other musicians were average and we didn't stay long at any of those shows. The musicians in the atrium area were tucked under and not enjoyable from other floors as they typically are on other ships. The Broadway shows were both very good and 1 of the comedians was very good, the other not so much.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
We had great service. Our cabin steward Bernie was the best that we have had on any cruise/ any cruise line.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship was new and beautiful, always clean and well maintained. We were able to find a lounge chair even if it was not where we would have preferred. We stayed onboard on the private island day as we had been there before and were able to enjoy some of the couch and swing type loungers. However, the only 2 hot tubs were not functioning for most of the cruise. Norwegian has also converted more areas into additional charge areas.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Our cabin was in a perfect location. We could take the stairs easily to dine and outdoor access. We only needed to take the elevator if we were going to the pool or the buffet. The cabin was spacious and beautiful. The balcony was larger with more comfortable chairs than the Norwegian Getaway. Our Cabin Steward, Bernie, was the best we've encountered while cruising.
Ship tip
Make sure to make all of your reservations either prior to or as soon as you board, especially if your party is more than 2.
We were unable to visit this port due to propulsion issues with the ship. It was one that we had not visited before and were looking forward to it. Maybe next time.
We did the river tubing excursion and had great tour guides. Our river tour guide was very entertaining. The only negative was the drive to and from the river was over an hour, which I have found typical on many cruise excursions. Our bus guide was very knowledgeable and gave us lots of information during the drive. We finished at the Bamboo Beach Resort in a relaxing atmosphere with lunch.
We chose to stay onboard to enjoy some of the things not available while all guests are on board. We had visited this port earlier in the year and did the zipline and rope tower.
We were surprised how quickly we were able to disembark. Many of the guests were extremely rude to those trying to get the luggage ready for pickup as we were off the ship before it was ready. We waited less than 15 minutes for the luggage to be ready.
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