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A good cruise by
A Traveler from Colorado Springs, CO Sailing date: Jul 2012Pros: Gorgeous scenery, tours, food. Cons: Constant hawking of additional costs, entertainment of Second City/comedian, debarkation chaos in Juneau Overall, the cruise was good. It could have been greatly improved by better organization, more knowledgeable personnel, debarkation procedures to enhance order, better entertainment, eliminating charges once on board unless special services required them, less photography to avoid delays and congestion. At times, it appeared as if this was the first cruise ever experienced by the cruise personnel. However, outstanding were servers in dining rooms, scenery and selected tours, food, and calm seas! Ship Quality
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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   Average, casual dining was nice. by
Dick and Donna from Twin Cities, MN Sailing date: Mar 2011Pros: Buffet, shows Cons: Felt very rushed, It was our second cruise. Everything was average, nothing exceptional. The price was affordable, but of course everything was extra (normal for cruises). Ship Quality
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Belize City, BelizeDid the tubing through the caves. It was fun for me, but my husband could not make the hike up, so he was left out. The city is dirty, trash everywhere. Tethering off the ship was a nightmare, as our tour was very early.
Costa Maya (Mahahual), MexicoThe swim with the dolphins was very sad, as the dolphines were in a very confined area with too many people. Lots of drinking in the port town, but take a golf cart and go out of town to a private beach for the afternoon like we did, it was pleasant.
Key West, FloridaUnbelieveable hustle and bustle...visit Sloppy Joe's. Lots of drinking here.
Roatan (Isla Roatan), Bay Islands, HondurasPenny was great (our tour guide). Ziplining was awesome. The mangrove tour was less than fair, the country was beautiful.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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It's ok, but I am done with NCL....... by
Alex V from Boston, Mass Sailing date: Dec 2010Pros: Clean ship, some atcivites here and there Cons: Too crowded, too many kids, medicare food, lousy crew, bad disembarkation process The ship itself is fine, but the food, crapy night life, the uhappy misreable crew, the embarkation and worst of all the disembarkation process, places you visit (Samana, is a dump! St. thomas is allright, tortola it's ok and the prviate island is nothing to brag about), surrounded by tons and tons of kids (Good luck trying to use any jacusi during your trip., unless you want to spend additonal $100.00 dollars for less crowded jacusi) and it's not exactly you thought it would be............... By the way I am not picky person at all and very easy going NCL pride itself as free style, all that really means is you don;t have a set time for main dining room that's all and nothing else! Comparing this with Celebrity cruises or Royal Caribean, and well you set yourself up for dissapointment., Ship Qualityhip itself is laid out well. No compalin about that. very collor full and nicely decorated. over all looked very clean
Dining/FoodMain bufffet is mediocare to say the least!! there is nothing there that makes you want to go there! no exotic fruit or pastries, always out of crossants, afternoon buffet is even worst (all you can get is hot dog and hamburger bascially!) bunch of resturants all requiring reservation and payments from $10 to $25 dollars per person.
(After you have coughed up 2500 dollars excluding air fare, you are not exactly lin a mood to pay additional money for food.......................
Main dining room is good but very limited selections, Le bistro resturant is good, but at $25.00 dollar per person, well it ain't exactly a bargain. Stateroom Qualitydecoration is basic but fine, size of a room is a typical of any cruise ships. Beds are exceptionaly comfportable. T.V is very small. Majority of channels are dedicated to NCL advertising. The only channels you could get were : ESPN2, CNBC and E and that's about it! No pay per view option, NO DVD.
Ship Staff Quality
Pittyfull! with an exception of some people here and there, the crew looked misreable, not exactly there to help you or even pretend. For get about any one of them going an extra mile for you. Just about the worst part is the disembarkation process! instead oif having people situated in different locations directing traffic, they had one short girl standing at the door trying to answer questions.
Hint: Check as late as possible! no point chekcing out early because it will take you some time any way. Entertainment & ActivitiesGood entertianments pretty much has a cost associated with it (Wine tasting, beer tasting,pub crwaling, etc) lot's of seminars to seperate you from your money (buying craps that you don't really need), bliss lounge which acts as a night club plays meiocare music and despite signs for 18+ audiance, it was full of teenagers and kids.
By the way instead of having multiple tenders ready after another to take you to an island, they will only use two, which will take you some time before you get on them, unless you want to wake up early and be first in line.
Children's Programs
For kids this is probably good cruise but other than that for two adults there are better otions out there.
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Road Town, Tortola, B.V.I.It's ok, may be better if you had more time.
Don't Miss: N/A Great Stirrup Cay (Cruiseline Private Island), BahamasVery small (reminds of you some of small beaches in New England)
Don't Miss: Nothing to miss Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.Nice island but you probably need more time to enjoy it.
Don't Miss: N/A Samana, Dominican RepublicPoor, poor place! the water fall is ok but I won;t go crazy over it, beaches are full of people traying to sell you crap
Don't Miss: Nothing 9 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
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on a scale of 10 this cruise was a 5 by
A Traveler from Seattle, WA Sailing date: Feb 2010Pros: we didn't sink Cons: nickle and diming The staff was not very friendly and had a difficult time communicating - especially on the phone. It seemed lke they were constantly selling something rather than affording us to have a relaxing time. The excursions that we went on were not worth the $ and were really rushed. The food was very average compared to Holland America. Ship Quality
Dining/Foodspecialty restaurants are not worth the $. One of the 2 that we visited charged an extra $10/person and promised a free marguarita which turned out to be an oversized shot glass filled with ice and some liquid. This was an out and out lie on their part. Stateroom Qualitythe stateroom was smaller than the bathroom and the beds were not comfortable. Ship Staff Qualitymost could barely speak English and didn't seem to care alot about their jobs. Entertainment & Activitieswith the exception of a singing group and a comedian the shows were mediocre versions of Las Vegas performances. 7 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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wonderful cruise by
beverly bond from aurora co 80011 Sailing date: Jun 2009Pros: staff was wonderful Cons: smelly bathroom and smoky smelling room alway had to look for ice,and beg forcoffee,creamer, sugar we enjoyed the cruise very much. the only concerns we had were the 2 suites we booked both were very strong smelling of smoke and the bathrooms were very smelly/unclean of which we asked them to clean but that only happened if we asked. we do enjoy and early morning coffee and like to sent on the balcony and drink coffee but the 1 packet was not enough and it seemed like i always having to look for someone and beg for more coffee, creamer and sugar. i also asked for another blanket and i would get one then when they came in and cleaned they would take it so then i would have to find someone again and get another so a little unnerving . Ship Qualityvery nice other than above info Dining/Foodwould liked to have had flavored creamer for coffee that was a big bummer plus a little more selection in the dining rooms would have been great also, Stateroom Qualitythey were great Ship Staff Qualitywe went to eat pretty much the same dining room and tried to sit in the lea's area she was great. Entertainment & Activitiesi didn't find a lot of entertainment on board for seniors 4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Not a spectacular cruise by
b.s. from miami, FLorida Sailing date: Dec 2008Pros: very nice staff Cons: not enough activities and food We recently sailed on the Norweigen Pearl to the Cozumel,Belize, Honduras and Bahamas. We were traveling with our two year old son. The ship had a central buffet restaurant, two outside buffets that were ok. The food didn't change much everyday. After a while it becomes routine like a cafeteria. You have burgers, pizza, pasta, the same fruits and hardly any seafood.
They also have two more formal restaurants that are free. Those were nice and had a little bit more variety. There are also some nice restaurants you can choos to eat at like a sushi bar. french restaurant and bistro. Those are really nice but you have to pay a $10 to $15 cover charge to get in plus a automatic gratuity.
This holiday cruise was overpriced for what we got. Ship QualityThe ship is smaller than other cruise lines so you can feel the constant movement. Be also prepared to pay for ship excursions from $35 to $150 per person. Overall if you like a casual ship this would be perfect. There is no formal night and dont look for luxury.
They were very clean n public areas and you get yours hand sanitized whereever you go. Dining/Food
Stateroom QualityThe stateroom was really comfortable and room for plenty of storage. But if you are going to book a stateroom without a window please keep in mind you will get confused if it is day or night. The rooms are pitch black. Ship Staff QualityThe staff were very nice Entertainment & ActivitiesThe ships entertainment consisted of one main theater, and ship activities like bingo and swimming, rockclimbing etc. Don't try the bowling alleys. Just think about the constant moving and bowling. They have bumpers so at least the ball will hit some pins. Also the poll is not heated. Children's ProgramsThe only area for toddlers to play is an upstairs toddler pool and also day care. Unfortunately, if your child doesnt get along with some kids or just don't want to be left by their parents there is no other playground. Adults are not allowed to stay at the daycare and watch the activities. Children are also placed in group according to their age. Sometimes seemed big for some age groups. For example try sticking 12 kids 2-3 years together and see if they get along.
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Belize City, Belizetake a tour of the island I got one of the local tour guides. It was a small van and I got to see more and got a local perspective.
Don't Miss: city tour Cozumel, MexicoTaste the local tequila
Don't Miss: Taste the local tequila Great Stirrup Cay (Cruiseline Private Island), Bahamasall there is to do is watersports
Roatan (Isla Roatan), Bay Islands, HondurasThere was alot of poverty the only thing to see is the ruins or swimming. It wil cost from $45 or more per person to take a tour. Also shop right outside the gate of the terminal its cheaper.
Don't Miss: ruins 7 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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a decent time by
A Traveler from Arizona Sailing date: Dec 2008Pros: the ports Cons: the tender The ship wasn't as new as I expected, and the food was not nearly as good or as large of portions as I had experienced on other cruse lines. The ports were good, but shore excursions should not be booked thru the cruise line because they are way more expensive. Great Stirrup Cay is not something to be excited about, poor snorkeling there. Overall it was decent and the price was right, but you pay for what you get. Ship Qualitydecor seemed a bit old. Dining/Foodfood was decent but nothing to exciting Stateroom Quality
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Belize City, Belize
Cozumel, Mexico
Great Stirrup Cay (Cruiseline Private Island), Bahamas
Roatan (Isla Roatan), Bay Islands, Hondurasget a tour to the beach it's wonderful!
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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A Great Cruise, Too Crowded! by
A Traveler from Cape Cod, MA Sailing date: Dec 2008Pros: The entertainment, beauty of the ship, fabulous ports! Cons: Crowds , lines, trying to get food from the buffet along with dozens of other cruisers. Beautiful ship! The staff was very attentive and always looking to help. The food was great, but gratuity added to EVERYTHING. $30.00 for a six pack of beer. Service charges added per person, per day. The sip gets smaller as time goes on. Not many places to go and be alone and have a private conversation. Loved the entertainment!! The staterooms are beautifully done!! OUr balcony was a must. It's exciting to wake up in a new port and pull the blinds to see the beauty of a new country! Ship Quality
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Children's ProgramsNo activities for teens at all. "Teen room" was very small and not interesting to my teen.
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Belize City, BelizeRiver rafting and Mayan ruins were great!! River ride a bit too long at 25 miles!!
Cozumel, MexicoShopping is excellent!! We didn't get to dive due to very windy, rough seas. Island is very plane on the dock side.
Roatan (Isla Roatan), Bay Islands, HondurasBeautiful island!! Great snorkeling and trip into the jungle!!
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Good points and bad by
Mary F. from Riverside, CA Sailing date: Sep 2008Pros: Clean and new Cons: Food was often cold Fresh and clean. Didn't feel crowded. Lots of different areas to lounge in. Staff was overly solicitous, got annoying over time. Too many sales presentations, pushing product. Would have preferred more informational seminars on the lands that we were traveling through. Comedy shows were un-funny and often tasteless. Constant pushing of alcohol. Music in the lounges was good. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodFree-style dining (whenever, no assigned seating) was perfect. But food in the restaurants (other than the buffet) was often cold and had to go back for reheating. Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff QualityToo much of a good thing. Overly solicitous. International staff (mostly Asian) were sometimes hard to understand because of accent. Entertainment & ActivitiesToo many sales pitches promoted as activities.
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Juneau, AlaskaA significant amount of time in port was after sunset.
Ketchikan, AlaskaCreek Street is billed as a 'must see' but is nothing but souvenier shops along a raised wooden walkway.
Skagway, AlaskaThe White Pass railway is billed as a 'must-see' but is not worth the $112 for a three hour train ride. The views are wonderful, but there is no opportunity to get out and walk about. Just sitting while the train goes up, then back down to the town.
Victoria, British ColumbiaPoor only because NCL cancelled the port stop - just 10 days before the cruise - due to some mechanical problem with the ship. Offered to allow for cancellation without penalty but it was too late for that. NCL refused to provide any compensation for cutting the cruise from four port stops to three.
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Great Cruise Experience by
Thomas R. from Park City, Utah Sailing date: Jun 2013Pros: The ship, professional staff and excursions Cons: Cruise ended too soon Modern and updated. Very good staff, dining experience and scheduling. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodFree style dining is a great way to meet individual schedules. Very good quality and variety. Cagneys specialty restaurant is excellent. Stateroom QualityKept very cean. Good attention to detail. Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & ActivitiesVery good variety of entertainment. Tp notch talent. 0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
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