This cruise was practically perfect in every way. It was fun, adventurous, educational, and luxurious. As much as we did on this cruise, I still came off the ship feeling relaxed. You can watch my video on YouTube, if you would like a more thorough review. https://youtu.be/UmoH0MOGzoM
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We arrived early and only had to wait a few minutes before the line started to move. It was very efficient, and afterwards we had a lounge to wait in before we went on the ship. Our cabin was ready when we walked in.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The first night was chaotic at dinner, and my dish wasn't very good, but every single meal afterwards was stellar. Excellent friendly service in the MDR, buffet, lounge, and in the pool area. We did not eat at a specialty restaurant.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The pool was nice, but they showed movies during the day on the pool deck, and I didn't find that very relaxing. We took steel pan lessons on the ship (bucketlist!), and there were always excellent performances in the atrium.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
There were two main shows: Fiera and Bravo. I was most looking forward to Bravo, as I love opera, but I think Fiera was a much better production. We loved the steel pan musician so much we bought his album.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
We had a very clean cabin that was thoughtfully cared for, although there was a lack of towel animals, which isn't that important to me. Our waiter and assistant waiter were extremely efficient with lots of excellent recommendations.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The one big complaint that I heard was that there was no forward public area of the ship to enjoy. While this was true, we had a forward facing balcony, so I had it all to myself. It was very clean, very polished, and classy.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
It was perfect. It was roomy with a good sized closet and a couch and desk area. Our balcony was massive. We could have had a party on that balcony.
Ship tip
There's a great Bellagio-style water show on the pool deck of the ship on some nights. On at-sea days for lunch there is a great Fish & Chips pub meal on the 7th deck. Also, a portion of the buffet is turned into a special upcharge restaurant some nights. One night it was the Crab Shack for $20.
We did the Everglades tour, which we found to be amazing. We took an airboat tour in the rain and saw several alligators, birds, and reptiles. Afterwards we saw a very funny alligator wrestling show.
While I liked Holland America's Half Moon Cay better, this was a beautiful private island with a nice buffet and excellent snorkeling around the little dock on the left hand side of the island.
I heard a lot of negative things about Jamaica from anyone who had ever been before. "It's beautiful, BUT..." So I was very cautious and aware of our surroundings. We did the Martha Brae bamboo raft tour. It was absolutely beautiful. It took my breath away. We saw some pushy salespeople who waded out into the river to try to sell us trinkets, but it wasn't anything too intrusive. I never felt uncomfortable. Our raft captain Clive was very informative and showed us things in nature that I had never seen before. Afterwards they dropped us off for a very quick stop at a shopping area, and we bought a Red Stripe and a meat pie that was knock-your-socks-off good. Back at the port we did some shopping, which was very relaxed and felt safe. I hated to leave. I'd like to come back here and spend a week.
We did the Stingray City and snorkel excursion. This was a cattle boat, meaning they crammed a hundred people on a boat and dropped us off in the ocean. I was expecting as much due to the inexpensive price, but we still really enjoyed it. I got extremely sea sick and the guys on the boat gave me Dramamine, but it was too late. I fed the fishes. Afterwards we stopped at Margaritaville and had cheeseburgers (and I felt a WHOLE lot better)!
We spent very little time in Cozumel, and instead did an excursion to Chichen Itza, a big bucketlist dream of mine. While it is far away, and we didn't get to spend much time at the ruins, it was still worth going. It took ALL DAY. We had to take a ferry over to the mainland. Then we got on a bus and drove for hours. While on the bus, they provided a little sandwich, chips, cookies, and a tiny bottle of water. Think: Kindergarten lunch. We were starving. Once there you have to walk a little ways to get to the site. Our guide was hard to understand, and I was very glad for all the years I spent watching the history channel because I gave up on the guide and started explaining things to my husband so he could appreciate what he was seeing. We did not have enough time to tour the cenote. Before you get back on the bus, try to buy some snacks because it was a very long trip back to the ship with zero stops and zero food provided. We were starving. Once we made it back to the ship we went to the anytime dining room and ate and ate and ate. It was worth the effort to see one of the 7 Wonders of the Modern World. But really folks, eat when you can.
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