We chose this cruise because we've seen the ship before and wanted to try out all the fun stuff. My favorite things were the zip line, mini golf, water slides, Aqua Theater Show, and Ice Skating Shows. Plus, we had an inward-facing balcony for the first time, which was very cool.
For being such a big ship with SO many passengers, I still didn't feel like it was overly crowded. We want to cruise this one again, or another ship in this same class.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation went smooth, for as many people as there were.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We were pleasantly surprised with the food selection onboard. We enjoyed the Park Cafe up on Deck 8 in Central Park - fast breakfast options, and delicious roast beef sandwich and salad bar for lunch. Pizza was yummy, as usual. I found some really tasty Indian food on the buffet at the Windjammer for lunch. Dinners in the Main Dining Room were good, as expected. My Time Dining option was a bit confusing at first, but then I figured out that I had to make a set "reservation" time for each night. The hosts did a great job seating everyone in a timely manner.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We had a blast on the water slides! I LOVED the zipline on the ship!! And mini golf - so fun! My husband did the FlowRider, and appreciated that there were two on this ship. The purple "dry" slides are cool looking, but they made me dizzy when I slid down.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Entertainment: "Hiro" at the Aqua Theater was unique. Don't miss it. Those swimmers / dancers / divers are SO talented!
"Flight" at the big theater in front was interesting. Some songs were very nicely done.
"1977" Ice Skating Show and "ISkate 2.0" were both awesome! The costumes are beautiful and the skating is superb!
Children's Programs
We did not have any children with us.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Service was wonderful, as usual.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
We really enjoyed the Boardwalk area in the aft, and also the gardens of the Central Park area in the mid. It was easy to find your way around the ship. Some places were crowded at times, but never overwhelmingly so. You could always find a place to yourself somewhere.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Room (Deck 12 Inward-facing Balcony) Facing the Boardwalk - we could see the Aqua Theater, zip line, purple slides, carousel, and Johnny Rockets.
There was a lot of "white noise" coming from that Boardwalk area during the day because of everything going on out there - but it didn't bother us at all. I would sit out and watch people zip across on the zip line. We could also see the "Hiro" performers practicing for their shows, which was very interesting.
Spacious inside - lots of good storage space for two people. Comfy bed!
** There was one early morning (2 - 5am) that we could hear a beat, like music playing nearby / underneath us at the Boardwalk. Maybe coming from the Sports Bar?! Not sure...maybe from the basketball court across from us.
Ship tip
We liked all the action of our Boardwalk-facing balcony room. But it's not for everyone. If you want more peace and quiet, I would think the Central Park-facing balcony would be better.
Independent Excursion: Billy Bones Boat Charter
All-day speed boat tour around the island with snorkeling and lunch included. AWESOME day!! Good snorkeling spot at Creole Rock, nice beach at Tintamare Island, delicious bbq lunch at Grand Case. We even saw a small airplane land right over the top of us at Grand Case (not Maho Beach), which was unexpected.
Boat was a blast, bouncing across the waves. Crew was excellent. * Would highly recommend *
Independent Excursion: Virgin Islands Eco Tours
Cas Cay Kayak, Hike, Snorkel
- Took a taxi to the Kayak place. Very pretty area in the mangroves. Clear water. Great guide. Fun tour.
* We Recommend *
Nice beaches - we snorkeled at Chill Beach, and then hung out and relaxed on South Beach. Water was pretty, but not as clear as I would have thought.
Ate lunch at Chill Grill (buffet): It was nothing special - bland bbq chicken, corn, fries. Cookies were good.
Snack Shack: Got the Crispy Chicken Sandwich - YUM!!!
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