Not what I was expecting from NCL, this was more like a Costa cruise, not sure what caused the issues. I'm thinking a combination of it being an older ship, going out of unsupported ports (not local to NCL, with less logistical support) and lack of a full or health staff was the cause of our disappointment with this cruise.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Was a bit slower than normal, had to stand out in the cold for over 30 minutes even though we were on time (at least it was not raining!). Once inside it went fairly quick, just no "welcoming" we are glad to see you feeling.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
Main dining rooms were surprisingly good, they had some service issues but were working hard to correct them it seemed, but food tasted good and well prepared. Specialty restaurants, we try and go to at least all on each cruise, but even Cagney's on this one was a disappointment, service was slow, unfriendly and food prep was bad. They also seemed to have a wine shortage on the ship in all restaurants, reds and whites were limited to just a few selections and not what was on the menu, if you wanted those by glass you had to by the whole bottle (even though they had by the glass options).
The Italian ristorante was just plain awful, main courses were inedible (way over cooked and no flavor). The others were just ok, but nothing "special". The Garden Buffet as many have said is way too small and overcrowded, had to fight your way in kind of feeling (is that what they mean by free style dinning?) The Sports Bar is good, but you can never get in, also too small, bad hours.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
very few and not that interesting
Entertainment
1 out of 5
Very, very disappointing with this (we heard this a lot). Something was wrong but the staff would n0t tell us the truth, several shows we canceled, with reasons like technical issues or safety issues (no rough seas those nights). We all suspected that they were sick, but the crew would not say. The fill in entertainment was a violinist, he was good but not good enough for five nights!
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Overall good, but you could tell that they were not happy. The room stewards were complaining several times about the increased workloads, going from 15 rooms to now 23 rooms and staff cutbacks.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The Sun is showing its age, many things were in rough shape or out of order. Non-flushing toilets and interesting smells were common throughout the cruise.
Cabin / Stateroom
2 out of 5
Size was ok, bed was bad, needs to be replaced, very uncomfortable, major sag, no support.
Shower low pressure, sink broken. Old smell like it was not clean.
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