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Embarkation and Debarkation- We got to the pier before 1:00 and waited in line for about 50 minutes to check in. Everyone was friendly and the process was good. At the completion of the trip, getting off the ship and getting to the airport was as smooth as we have ever experience.
Cabin - We had a balcony on Emerald deck (mid-ship). No major problems, but the shower hardware was loose (there must be some water damage behind the wall) and there was a fair amount of rust on the balcony walls and rail. Out cabin stewardess was Christina and she did fine, although nothing exceptional.
Food - We are not "foodies" but thought the quality was only fair. There was a lot of fat on the meat several nights and a lot of the food was very salty. Often the pastries in the buffet seemed stale. We did not try the specialty restaurants on this trip. On previous cruises we thought the Italian restaurant was great and the steakhouse was OK.
Service - The waitstaff made mistakes at many of the meals (forgetting a food item, promising to get something and not following through). We did the flexible dining so maybe not having a "permanent" waiter was part of the problem. Everyone was friendly; they were just careless.
Entertainment - Our evaluation is mixed. The mentalist, the comic, and the female singer were excellent. The magician was fair and we were not impressed with the in-house singers and dancers.
Shore Excursions - In Aruba we did the Jeep trip and thought it was great. In Cartagena we did a private tour and weren't particularly impressed. In the Panama Canal we took the ferry through the Pacific locks and would highly recommend that to everyone. In Costa Rica we did the banana plantation, the 45 minute train ride, and the boat ride through a canal and found it very enjoyable. In Jamaica, we went ziplining and believe that everyone should try that activity once.
The Ship - At the completion of our trip the ship sailed to Nassau for two weeks in drydock. It needed it.
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