My spouse is deaf so internet connection is vital for communication. I think the fact that our internet didn't work (after we paid over $200) and the fact that we were charged $210 in gratuities that we weren't expecting soured our experience. My spouse made me promise that we would never go on another cruise.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Easy to get on board and find stateroom.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
At dinner the food and service was exceptional. At breakfast and lunch the service and food was mediocre at best. The evening Maitre D' was very accommodating.
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
Too many people in the pools!
Entertainment
None of the shows appealed to us.
Children's Programs
no kids
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Evening Maitre D' and waiters were very helpful. Breakfast and lunch service was slow and cheerless. The room steward was attentive, but he would rehang our wet towels in the morning instead of getting fresh towels. The IT staff came to the room to fix our internet hotspot, but they couldn't make it work. They promised us a refund, but we haven't see that yet. The customer service desk was unhelpful.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
We liked the fact that it was a smaller ship. It's layout was easy to navigate.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The state-room was a good size and we spent a lot of time on the balcony. The bed was comfortable. If the internet had worked (and we were paying over $50 a day for three devices), the room would have been ideal.
Ship tip
Read the fine print. We could afford to pay the required "gratuities" of $29 a day, but I can imagine the horror on the face of some of the old couples who had saved all their lives for the cruise, paid up front, only to find out that they still owed $210. To bury that in the small print is a deceptive practice. If it had been included in our original bill, we would have paid it gladly. But as it was hidden until we were held way through the cruise, we felt we had been scammed.
We went to the beach in San Juan and enjoyed it. Taxi drivers were friendly and honest. But while we were checking in for our flight home a 5.9 point earthquake struck sending everyone in a panic.
We had a great tour of the north of the island. The tour was just long enough and the tour guide made us all feel at home. Fort-de-France itself looked like it had endured decades of neglect, but it was still fun to peruse French bookstores and buy fresh pain au chocolat.
Sorry you didn’t enjoy some of it. Sounds like a little more research ahead of time may have made for a better . The internet is rarely reliable on most cruise ships. As far as “hidden” expenses, the gratuities are mentioned in every document I have ever agreed to when booking a cruise. It’s always important to read and understand all documents when agreeing to anything. That said, if the gratuity charges cause someone a major financial hardship, they probably shouldn’t have taken the cruise.
Glad I never had those experiences on a cruise. It's what u make of it I guess. Maybe on your next vacation you just find a Starbucks and hang out there. They have pretty good internet and it's free 👍
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
