This was our first time on NCL and the laid back feeling the line has was great and very evident on board. Because everyone doesn't have to be in one place at any one time, it never felt overly crowded, even on the pool deck and on our day at the private island. The ship itself was very clean and in good repair, the staff was friendly, and the mixed drinks were strong.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The food was very average. Better in the sit down dining rooms, and great at Le Bistro. Good wine selection. Loved that we didn't have to sit with strangers. For the buffet meals, we took as many as possible at the "Great Outdoor Cafe," which was less crowded and had a wonderful outdoor seating area.
Entertainment
1 out of 5
If you like to party, this ship is ready for you. We are a little more laid back, so the options seemed somewhat more limited. The music on the pool deck was extremely loud, but the live band that performed at sail away each day was really good.
Children's Programs
3 out of 5
We didn't have kids with us, but I did notice groups of unsupervised kids all over the ship. It seemed like they must have less of a children's program than the other ships I have been on.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Everyone from our cabin steward to the bar tenders was excellent. Wait staff in one dining room was less helpful, but everyone else was wonderful.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
They did some kind of work on the ship everyday, and it was in good shape. The one strange thing was that the bathrooms were difficult to find, there weren't many easily accessible to the pool deck, and they weren't well marked.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
Our stateroom was small (ocean view) but had the most well designed bathroom we've had on a cruise ship. The shower was great - good water pressure, which is somewhat of a miracle. Unrelated to our stateroom, but more to the ship's amenities -- for some reason they ran out of fresh beach towels every day were were on board.
We took a cab over to Atlantis and then walked to Cabbage Beach (the public beach next to Atlantis). The beach is beautiful, the water is clear, and there is a little beach bar right there where you can get daiquiris and local beer.
We had a great day at GSC. Highly recommend renting the clamshell for shade - $30 well spent. The facility is well appointed if a little weathered. You can see that they were the first line to have an island - you can tell this one has been around a while by the age of the structures, but they also know how to do it right - there are tons of beach loungers, chairs in lovely stands of shade trees, hammocks, snorkel gear and floats to rent, and a nice area away from all the hubbub if you like a quieter day at the beach. The BBQ lunch that day left a bit to be desired, but overall we had a great day.
Frankly, I wish I had known to just stay on the ship this day. Freeport was pretty run down and a lot of the businesses in the marketplace area were closed.
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