Quiet and relaxing but still enjoyable overall. This ship had some unique gems like the Spinnakers Lounge and Windjammer whiskey bar which really made the experience for us. The smaller ship did not feel crowded by the pool and most other areas, aside from the small buffet. We love NCL and will continue to sail with them every year!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
This was the fastest embarkation we have ever been through - quick and painless!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Food was overall good on this cruise, however we found that there was not really a lot of variety on the menus in the main dining rooms at breakfast and dinner (lots of repeat items day after day which was unlike our experience on pervious NCL ships). Buffet was slightly disappointing at lunch time with the crowded buffet lines and lack of variety. The speciality dining restaurants were amazing and well worth the perk if you can get it - 5 stars across the board for taste and service!
Drinks were strong and tasty throughout the ship.
Le Bistro
4 out of 5
Food is delicious; venue is stunning; service was a little slow.
Teppanyaki
5 out of 5
Such a fun dining experience!
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
This was definitely a quieter cruise which certainly has its positives, however it would have been great if they pumped up the energy every now and then - particularly at the pool during the day where upbeat poolside music was often lacking. The on-board comedian was funny and the magician was a good performer.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Everyone is so nice and cheery. You can really tell they take pride in their work. We enjoyed getting to know several of the servers and bartenders throughout the week. The only thing I could say is that the main dining room service seemed quite slow during some breakfast and dinner hours, in comparison to previous cruises with NCL.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Our porthole cabin was bright and roomy. The updated decor is really nice. The only thing we did not like was the curtain shower closure - really not pleasant to have a wet curtain brush up against you while you shower in the tight area. Previous ships we have been on have plastic/glass door enclosures which are much nicer.
Our room steward was fantastic as always with NCL.
Ship tip
Check out the tequila bar in Los Lobos for delicious pre-dinner drinks that you cannot find elsewhere! The Spinnakers Lounge is a great place to take in the sunrise and/or sunset, as well as to watch the ports fade away during sail always!
Unfortunately due to the wavy sea conditions, the captain evacuated the island early the day we were there so we only got to enjoy about 30 minutes before we were told we would have to wait in line to take the tender back to the ship. We are looking forward to returning and getting to spend a full day there - it’s truly a beautiful island with white sandy beaches and aqua blue water!
The port is gorgeous but you cannot walk 2 steps without having shop owners in your face with their products/services, which can get tiresome and takes away from the experience. We went to the public beach about a 5 minute drive from the port which was nice enough for a dip. We took a taxi ($4 a person) from the end of the port ourselves rather than paying the high prices advertised by the excursion reps at the beginning of the port, however the taxi will herd you right to a beach-front restaurant where you are expected to buy food or drink to use their facilities (chairs, umbrellas) and there really is not much place to just lay down your own towels if you would prefer not to. Overall it was a decent beach day in the sun and the water was nice and warm.
Unless you have an excursion planned, the port area itself did not have much to offer asides from shopping in replicas of the same stores street after street.
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