This cruise is still worth a look because of the ability to stop through multiple Greek islands that could be expensive to travel to. It's nice to have almost daily excursion stops. Otherwise, the cruise experience itself is fairly average and not as engaging as some of the entertainment on other routes. The dining is also just OK since it's freestyle based.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Other than a longer line for adding bag tags prior to embarkation, the check-in line was pretty smooth.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The food was just okay, it was not great or special compared to other cruises. The food does not feel top of the line, and it can feel a bit cheap. We did not try specialty restaurants so we can't rate that.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Fitness center was good, but treadmills don't face the sea like other ships.
Pool was fine, there were multiple hot tubs which is what adults generally prefer.
Everything else is hard to say.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The 70's show at the beginning of the week wasn't that great, but the Las Vegas show was a lot better at the end of the week. The magician show was entertaining. The musicians at the pool deck were good.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Generally, the service & staff were good and delivered, but the quality of service did not feel on par. Part of this comes from running a budget-like cruise.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The room was good, adding the balcony helped and having a couch helped with storing some things. The room is not big but it can work for a couple.
Ship tip
This is a mid-size ship and does not meet the expectations of great cruises from other providers like Royal Carribean.
The cruise could not promise a stop in Kotor this year, even though everyone is selling this port as a stop, so this is essentially a sea day. I refuse to select 'did not visit' port as it's important for people to know that NCL can't promise this stop. Refunds are given as on-board credit.
The cable car line to the top can take a while. It's hard to judge Santorini because we could not find the blue domes and gold crosses that everyone looks for.
Delos tour is worth doing if you like historical sites. Walking around Little Venice and the windmills are nice and picturesque. There is not too much to do on this island.
Kefalonia is huge, so you'll probably want to book an excursion to see the main tourist sites of the island. If you do a taxi excursion, I recommend trying to travel to some of the sites that are advertised on the tourist information brochure as they don't have as many tourists and look nice.
Probably the best stop in the trip. Very historical, amazing to see how Dubvronik could survive through diplomacy between civilizations. Unfortunately, this stop is only for 4-6 hours by tender and occurs in the morning, so you don't have a full day to spend here.
I'm sure you are right about the food etc. not being as great as some other cruise lines sailing Greece. Being that NCL is probably the least expensive option, I wouldn't expect anything more than the least expensive food options. There are some high end lines doing that tour. You will probably find those to be exceptional. Of course you will pay several times the cost.
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