This was my first cruise with Norwegian, will likely be the last for a while.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Organized but slow. Spent approximately 1 hour in line to check in. Once we got to front of line, our check in took approximately 5 minutes, others were taking up to 30. Assume this is the fault of other passengers, not cruise line or employees.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Food 3 stars
Drinks 1/2 star
All meals were at buffet or MDR, no specialty (a la carte) restaurants. Quality of buffet food was better overall than those on other ships. MDR was equivalent or slightly better than meals on previous ships.
Drinks overall were very disappointing, especially the service. We had premium plus beverage package as we enjoy top shelf cocktails. Whenever calling a top shelf liquor, staff acted as if this was a burden and we were told several times that we would be charged extra if ordering a certain brand, even with top level drink package (we never were in the end). Quality of some drinks left much to be desired as well, especially if not on their standard menu. I ordered 2 Manhattans in the MDR, 1 each of the first 2 nights, both with Whistle pig- a rye whiskey. First night, I did not get the whiskey requested, tasted like Jim Beam and something else was off too- but could not put my finger on it. The second night they got the whiskey correct, but again something was off - found later there was no vermouth and they were using campari. Having top shelf liquor is only half, you need the top shelf mixers and garnishes to go with them. Bartending skill and attitude across all of ship left much to be desired.
The one place where the employees were exceptional was the Starbucks. They did a great job and were very friendly every day
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Pools and hot tubs were popular but never over-crowded. There were chairs available on upper deck throughout day, chair-hogs seen on other ships did not seem to be an issue.
Service and Staff
2 out of 5
Overall staff seemed distant and did not seem as friendly as those on other ships.
Bartenders need additional training on making cocktails other than those on their standard menu.
Exception again is the Starbucks, where the baristas were fantastic.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Older ship, design didn't flow well, understandable considering age.
Everything was kept clean and saw no maintenance issues. When we arrived there was a musty odor in hallway outside our room, but staff had blowers out to dry whatever cause was and did not notice odor again.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Inside cabin, small but more than adequate. Had no water for about 30 minutes early (~6AM) one morning - a minor inconvenience.
Ship tip
When on the private island (Great Stirrup Cay) go to the right when coming off the tenders and find a chair by the Patron bar. The beach is sand there, other areas are more rocky.
Rented clamshell $30 for day, suggest over by Patron bar- beach is sandiest there. Had planned to Zipline, but was told it would be down for maintenance, it wasn't but glad I didn't anyway. Watched others and it was apparent that segments are very short and they keep speeds very slow.
Self guided walking tour- Fort Fincastle, Queen's Staircase, government house, rum distillery and a brewery. Easy enough to do, ~4 miles walking. 4 other ships also in port.
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