Great, fun cruise with minor issues here and there.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
This was seamless. It was our first time leaving from Port Liberty and there were no issues. It was quick, easy, and lines kept moving. We drove and planned for traffic (which there was none) so were there like an hour early and they didn't care about the boarding time. They didn't ask and didn't check and just said go right ahead.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
So the main dining room has two set times for dinner. One is insanely early (5:00 pm) and the other was later and would interfere with any shows that you'd like to see (which were great) so we utilized the buffet more than the dining room. Those or a quick stop for very thin pizza (still tasty but more of a snack then a meal) are essentially you're only two options that don't cost extra though. It's kind of crazy to me that there aren't more dining options that would be included. There are for lunch like the burrito/quesadilla place and the hot dog stand but nothing else for dinner. And the drinks are just exorbitantly priced. It hit kinda hard since I'm used to all-inclusive resorts. Not like half-inclusive like the ship. Wonderland was a pretty cool experience but you don't really understand what you're ordering and you don't pick your own appetizer. So while it was cool to experience, if you're with a picky eater, you'll likely need to make an additional dinner stop for pizza or buffet.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Lots of times in the crazy crowded pools but the "sports pool" only did pool volleyball once for the whole trip. Would think there would be more activities/sports in the sports pool but there was not. The water slides were fun and the lines moved relatively quickly and the Abyss slides were pretty fun. Zip lining is great to do on one of the days that others are off the ship. Then you can go very quickly and multiple times.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
I had no idea the production value on the ships would be so high. Seriously top notch performances on all the shows. Hairspray was Broadway quality and the ice skaters were all obviously professional and the divers from the Hiro show looked like they were plucked from the Olympics. Amazing shows really blew me away.
Children's Programs
4 out of 5
Our 5 year old loved the carousel and rode it tons of times. The lines were never long which was nice and for one of the rainy days there was a nice and cozy little theater where we saw "Wonka" and "Wish". She liked the kids club to play with other kids but not sure how much they did there. Other than they told her they'd do a "minion" face paint the next day but there was no face painting the next day. Overall good though.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Overall it was good. Other than at Wonderland where we waited close to 30 minutes for someone to seat us. After about 10 minutes, the upstairs bartender told us to wait but never got anyone for us or alerted anyone we were there so we finally went downstairs and they said their reservation book had us for another time even though my app was showing the correct time. Also our Room Steward only made us towel animals when we left a $20 tip. If we left a $5 or a $10 we got nothing. I mean come on. My daughter came back disappointed when there wasn't something.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Overall great, but the most annoying thing is the lack of trash cans. If you have a bit of trash, you're stuck with it unless you're outside of the elevators. That's the only place with trash cans. I guess they don't want to worry about the maintenance and cleanliness of trashcans but it's very annoying.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
I read that it was an obstructed view which upset me but it was not. It was a lovely view. The room was what you would expect from a cruise ship so not super big but again, that's expected. My only downgrading is because the bathroom is a little tight for the toilet. I found myself going to the public bathrooms with a stall if I had to sit because i didn't have space for my legs (i'm a bigger guy). Other than that, the bed wasn't super comfy and neither was the sofa bed according to my daughter. There was also a huge red stain on the carpet when we got there but I'm assuming that wouldn't come out so had likely been there for awhile. We did hide a duck for the next guest so hopefully the cleaner left it.
Ship tip
Bring ducks to hide and find. We hid 12 and my daughter found 18. "Duck Hunting" was one of her favorite activities. Just walking around the ship. Bring laced shoes and socks for the zipline and pants if you want to ice-skate. Also don't worry about the main dining room and prioritize the shows. The shows are great and the buffet follows the same themes as the main dining room. While they don't have all the options, they have the main things and you can get in and out much quicker. For breakfast, it's a bloodbath getting a table around 8:30 am-9:00 am though so good luck with that.
We've been to the Bahamas and there really isn't much there other than Atlantis (which costs an arm and a leg). This was the day to do all the things you wanted to on the ship. Zip lining, water slides, riding the Abyss, etc. The lines are minimal so this is the time where you can do all of those things and not wait in ridiculous lines the whole time.
I didn't try the water park because i had a knee energy and wouldn't be able to handle the steps (but the cost was ridiculous). The Oasis pool was cool and has underwater speakers but the swim up bar was like a frat party with people doing beer bongs and such. The beaches were nice an my daughter loved the big splash pad. Around 2:30 or 3:00, a huge storm rolled in so we got soaked getting back to the boat but overall Coco Cay was nice.
We did our own luggage (which means you need to do the 7:00 leave time, no matter what time you picked). However, it was smooth and easy, we got out of there quick and were able to leave the port very easily as well. it was smooth.
Appreciate your detailed review. Sorry you were unable to use the dining room for your evening meals and attend the shows. Glad you still enjoyed your cruise.
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