Great boat! Good ports overall - Cabo is the best. Good facilities. Get the unlimited beverage package. Get up and off the boat early for ports of call. Okay service overall.
Embarkation
1 out of 5
We left out of Long Beach/Los Angeles. The port is nice and the facility was nice as well. Parking was expensive. It is well worth the $20 to have an attendant tag your bags and take them for you vs standing in a long line.
We stood in line for 2 hours just to check-in. My advice would be to get there very early to avoid the lines. We were starving because our boarding time was 11:30 and we did not get on the ship until almost 2pm.
Security was very fast.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The main dining room had excellent staff. Great food and very attentive to allergies. The closer you sit to the back of the dining room in Versailles, the more you feel the boat rock while you eat.
Aqua serves the same as Versailles but it is casual and there are LOTS of children. Not a very quiet experience but the staff is good.
The complimentary Asian restaurant has great food even some gluten free options. I recommend getting there right at 5:30pm when it opens because it fills up. The service was just okay.
O'Shehans was awful - the breakfast and lunch service was horrendous. They forgot our food for half the table. You can get the same breakfast in the buffet. The lunch was good, but again - bad service.
The buffet was good/decent, per usual.
Topsiders is the BEST for lunch! Fresh burgers and hot dogs.
Versailles Main Dining Room
5 out of 5
Amazing service!! Good food and you don't have to wait long for a table. If you have a large party, try to let the host know the first day - they remember you and try to hold a table at the same time for you.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Pool was nice - if it's warm, get out early or it will be hard to find a chair by the pool. If you don't mind where you lay, then the front of the boat is quiet and there are plenty of chairs and a secluded hot tub. The pool is chilly and there are two slides and 3 hot tubs in the main pool area.
The fitness center is nice and plenty of machines. Get there early - not at 11am.
Casino is great! Many games to choose from.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
All show performers are so talented. The shows are just okay but some are a bit provocative. Band on the Run is a must see. The acrobats are amazing - a must see!The magician is cool to see because it's something different. There was a hypnotist on our cruise and it was awful. Many people got up and left because it was such a bad show on the last night of the cruise, people wanted to do something else. So I would pass on that. The comedian is good!
Children's Programs
No children in party
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Overall I felt like all staff was annoyed with every request you had. The only exception is the staff in the 5'o clock Somewhere bar, the Versailles dining room and the stewards who were all very nice and helpful.
The stewards were all SO friendly and nice.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Loved the bars and restaurants; good themes. Very clean boat. Well decorated. We went for New Years and it was decorated and everything. I liked that there were themed bars and restaurants.
The elevators are horribly slow; you're better off taking the stairs.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Very clean. Decent size bathroom with walk-in shower with a glass door. The room is small but great for only two. Not a lot of room for your luggage so you will have to unpack and then store you luggage under the beds.
There is a bed that pulls out from the two main beds and then there is a bed that pulls down off the wall.
There is decent cabinet and closet space.
Ship tip
They don't really tell you that you need to book reservations for the specialty restaurants ASAP. My family got the upgraded dining package and this was their first time on Norwegian. They didn't know you need to literally book your specialty reservations as soon as you book your cruise if you got the specialty dining.
My family thought you could make reservations on the boat right when you embark and EVERY time and EVERY restaurant was booked for EVERY day. The front desk people pretty much told my family 'too bad so sad' and did not allow them to switch their 'Free at Sea' choice. Once you board the ship you cannot change your "Free at Sea"
ALSO - I would get the unlimited beverage package for your "Free at Sea" choice. By far the best value ($800 for one week)
On this ship, only one person per two people really needs the unlimited beverage package. They will give one person with the unlimited beverage package 2 drinks at a time without a problem.
If you are going to take cabs/taxis bring small bills because the drivers will NOT make change.
The port is a little boring, there is nothing you can walk to. You have to get transportation from the boat to get to resorts or beaches.
We did the Vallarta Tours and took the snorkeling boat that later took us to Yalapa, where you could walk to a waterfall and explore the town. If you don't want to snorkel you can kayak. They serve lunch and drinks. Very great crew.
There is not much to do in this city. We went to the cathedral and it was very pretty. The market there was cool to see and you can get some nice souvenirs.
If you are going to take cabs/taxis bring small bills because the drivers will NOT make change.
We walked to the ocean where the cliff divers are. There are so many people selling stuff in this area. The walk seemed safe but you can take a cab. The walk was about 15 minutes (6 blocks).
The ocean is beautiful and it seems to be a little bit safer near the coast. We took cabs from the ocean back to the boat.
I could have skipped this port - wish we would have stopped somewhere else.
Very Americanized. Great food! Many things to do. Beautiful beaches and ocean. Definitely take a boat to Land's End. We took a boat to Land's End and then took us snorkeling. Such a great tour. The guides we knowledgeable and fun. They serve snacks and drinks on the boat.
The snorkeling location is stunning.
While riding the boat we saw humpback whales breaching. It was amazing to see. We probably saw 15 breaches! The captain would follow the whales and stop so you could see.
By far the best port.
You have to take tender boats from the cruise ship to land because there is nowhere for the cruise ship to dock. If you have a booked tour you can get off the cruise ship sooner than those who do not have anything booked. My advice - book an excursion so you can get off the boat because that is the shortest day.
very slow process; not much organization. The earlier you try to get off the better. You will exit by the Stardust theater so walk that way and not to the Atrium where you embarked or you will be cut in line.
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