Not the cruise for you if you are looking for nightlife and excitement. Very much the cruise for you if you are seeking peace, solitude and entertainment that is geared toward a more mature audience.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
They cancelled a port of call due to a maintenance issue, so we had an extra day in San Diego. No need to rush through a cattle call, so we took our time boarding.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Food solid, bar missing some of our favorites. Dining service excellent, but not so much with the lido deck staff.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Really more of an older crowd (65+) vibe. Sidewalks generally rolled up after the 9pm show. Headlining and Lincoln Center acts were very good, but a steep drop off after that.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Really more of an older crowd vibe. Sidewalks generally rolled up after the 9pm show. Headlining and Lincoln Center acts were very good, but a steep drop off after that.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
As you would expect, outstanding service at dinner and from the room stewards. Service dropped off considerably at the lido deck dining room and poolside. Rare that dishes/glasses were cleared without a request and in a few instances, multiple requests.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
As expected. Only ding was for a pervasive sewage smell that was present regularly throughout the ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Decent size room with a very large veranda. The veranda size was in place of the plexiglass view that other verandas had. You needed to stand to see the ocean because the wall was part of the logo design and not clear.
Ship tip
If you are looking for a lively crowd and lots of things to do during days at sea, skip this cruise. If you are looking to unwind and unplug, this could be for you. The Exploration Deck was OUTSTANDING. Quiet jazz in a coffee bar/regular bar/library with the best view ever!
Took a nice whale watching excursion, and were joined by dolphins on the ride back. Because we were in port for 8 hours, we complimented this with a stroll down the Malecon and a few streets over took in a night time parade celebrating the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Really cool!
REALLY disappointed that the cruise line cancelled this port. They had a propeller issue that needed to be fixed, so we stayed an extra day in San Diego. Paltry $100 ship board credit to offset the loss of 1/3 of our port visits. Not a good experience for our first time on HAL.
Pretty much what you would expect from a cruise line port. Commercialized and you got hammered with vendors every 2 minutes on the beach. Nice glass bottom boat tour to the end of the earth, but wish we had stayed on lovers beach instead of the one they dropped us off at on the mainland.
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