As a first time experience we had a blast , so fun.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
First time cruise so it was a lot less stressful than I expected
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Windjammer buffet selection, availability, and quality were excellent - we never had anything to compare to so it was all great.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Forward pool area was great - except the music was sometimes too loud for too long. So we would go to the rear pool which was more quiet. The loudness was not a major issue since it appeared folks were having a really good time. The gym, walking track and amenities were excellent and offered more than I was able to participate in. The front pool music and giant screen TV offerings were varied and excellent.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Mostly very good. The one "cabaret night" was weak and the last night comedian kinda boring. The musicians were outstanding - tops. I thought a decent offering and variety.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
We would have zero bad to say - they were excellent and friendly and attentive!! On a few occasions english accents were a bit difficult to understand as they came from over 50 countries. The daily reports from the Captain and the Communication Manager were hard to understand over the ship system were kinda muffled - he is Italian and she is English
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
We were kinda wowed on our first cruise. The stateroom was very adequate and comfortable. The overall was pretty luxurious to us. Other folks talked of bigger ships with more stuff, but I'm sure we would not be comfortable in the bigger ships. This was terrific.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Loved having a window to watch the ocean go by. Storage was excellent. Nice little bathroom clean. Comfy couch. Bed was nice and firm (I did hear some folks say it was too hard) but we like it firm. Very adequate for the experience. The cabin steward did a nice job at keeping house for us :)
Ship tip
For us keep an eye out for when the rear pool is open to the sky (it has a sliding roof) and not too busy - a great place to relax in a more quiet place.
We had a good experience to the rainforest. Depressed economy is obvious but our guides did a good job and we had a fun time. The tour provided an adequate light lunch and drinks.
We just took a cab to to a local shopping mall - the area around the port was like a 3rd world war zone (busted, burned, wires hanging out of buildings, trash). The mall was interesting and enjoyable typical normal folks shopping experience. We did not feel like a longer more strenuous excursion
We went to the National Aviary which was very enjoyable - we love birding and got to see a lot of unique birds. Was interesting to see some of the countryside in the area. The little bird park and tourist center at the port was amazing. We did not get a chance to go into town for normal shops so only had the port shops.
Economy appears depressed but we had a fun excursion to the mangroves and beach. Was real hot and "deserty" so come prepared with sunblock and water. The tour did provide some water. Enjoyed walking around shopping.
We had an excellent underwater viewing boat excursion on the coral reef and the guides did a great job. Was so interesting. Walking around and shopping was fun. Enjoyed the time ashore.
Welcome to the wonderful world of cruising. Appreciate your detailed and informative review. Glad you enjoyed your first cruise. Wishing you many more.
*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.
