Overall, I wasn't sure what to expect since this was our first cruise but it was great. We had 8 kids in our group and it was easy to let them roam around on their own without worrying about them. Food was always available and there was always something to do for every age group.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Quick, smooth and painless even though I didn't print luggage tags before travelling.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We had a scheduled dinner at 5pm every day and it was fantastic. Our group (14 of us) could all show up whenever we wanted (within the window) instead of having to all congregate at the entrance before being seated. The food was always great. The buffets were equally good but it was difficult to get seating for our entire group together.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
There were so many that I can't remember them all. I particularly enjoyed the hot tubs, fitness center and fitness dance classes that were instructor-led and super fun
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The music was great all over the ship and we really loved the adult comedy show and Hiro.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
All of the kids enjoyed both the Living Room (for teens) and the Ocean Adventurers Club (for smaller kids). I liked that bigger kids at the Ocean Adventurers Club were able to go in and out freely (with parental permission) instead of needing to be checked in and out by an adult every time.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
I can't say enough about the service and staff on the cruise. I would give them 10-stars if I could. From the room stewards (Lily, Adrian and Rifai) to the waitstaff (Iwayan and Arsana), it seemed like everyone had a permanent smile and a skip to their step. Their attention to detail (remembering our names and preferences from the first day) was impressive and made us feel like we were among friends. One of the adults in our group was even walking towards the rooms where most of our kids were and someone from the room staff actually stopped him to say "I think you might be in the wrong hallway" (in a kind but inquiring way) because he hadn't visited there before. I took that as a real interest in who belongs where and made me feel extra comfortable that the crew didn't just go about their duties without making note of everyone's comings and goings for safety, especially since we had so many kids in our group.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The layout and design seemed good to me. Once I figured out where the major areas were it was relatively easy to navigate and the onboard touchscreen maps were invaluable and, luckily, conveniently placed around the ship. Common areas were always clean and well-maintained and there was never a time, day or night, that I didn't see crew members taking care of something.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
This was our first cruise so it felt a little tight for 4 of us but was definitely manageable. When the trundle bed was pulled out for the 4th person to sleep, no one could really get to the bathroom without stepping on that bed so it was inconvenient to leave it out all the time but also a bit difficult to move it in and out every day (because it was a heavy).
Ship tip
Try to get to everything! It might be almost impossible because this ship is humongous and everything is so enjoyable that you want to keep doing the same things over and over, but the ship really does have so much to offer.
We went to a beach within walking distance of the port and it was quite rough instead of having nice soft sand. It was a convenient place to shop for souvenirs though.
This island was amazing! We visited a couple of the beaches here and the convenience of having all the chairs and umbrellas laid out, food and beverages readily available, soft sandy beaches and large pools was fantastic. The only reason I didn't give it a 5-star rating was because the staff on the island had very different attitudes than the staff on the ship and I actually had issues with them when I needed help.
I expected this to be slow and annoying but it moved along pretty well. We put our luggage out the night before and were worried that it would be difficult to find/gather on our way out but it was really easy. I would just recommend making sure you keep your SeaPass handy because that is what you use to scan out faster. You can use your ID too but the SeaPass is faster.
Kids roaming around on their own, unsupervised, is one of the biggest complaints you will see on this site! Glad you enjoyed your cruise. Hope others were able to.
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