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BACKGROUND
* DH, DW, 2 DS (12 & 7) from South Jersey
* traveling with friends & family ages 5-55
* lots of previous cruise experience
PRE-CRUISE HOTEL
La Quinta Inn & Suites – Miami Airport East
+ clean & inexpensive hotel with comfortable bedding
+ FREE airport & pier shuttles
+ FREE breakfast with lots of choices
+ Bennigan’s within walking distance
~ 2 double beds were small
~ noisy from planes & HVAC
~ temperature changes from A/C cycling
~ lines/waits for FREE pier shuttle so we took $24 taxi instead
EMBARKATION
Terminal C at Port of Miami
+ NO wait at x-rays or check-in upon 10:30am arrival
+ seated waiting area with water & OJ offered
+ no boarding #s but seated according to arrival time
+ boarding promptly started at NOON
~ 2 possible terminals B or C depending on your cabin location/deck
~ usual welcome-aboard glass of champagne not offered
CABINS
Family Balcony 14077 (cat. B1)
+ great location near Kids Crew, Buffet, Pool, Spa/Gym, Elevators/Stairs
+ lots of room for storage esp. 2 very deep drawers under the sofabed
+ 2 beds pushed together seemed even larger than normal
+ lots of fluffy pillows & comfortable bedding
+ standard balcony seemed deeper than on other ships
+ had connecting int. door & balcony partition door also opened
+ roomy showers & excellent water pressure/temperature
+ tiny magnets on curtains ensured no early AM light
+ large flat screen with interactive iTV to see acct, book shows, view shorex, etc.
+ full-sized hair dryer & large medicine cabinet w/ mirror
+ large basket under sink kept wet towels out of the way
~ very hard to maneuver around cabin with 4 people
~ ceiling pullman bunk bed had sharp corners where kids hit their heads
~ sink was indeed small so remember to not turn water up too much
~ toilets were loud esp. in the middle of the night
~ shower area caused a problem when someone was at the door
~ door clings we brought for privacy didn’t stick to the frosted shower/toilet doors
~ lighting was dim & some switches were hidden so look under cabinets
~ our interior connecting door eliminated a section of possible storage space
RESTAURANTS
Garden Buffet
+ action stations reduced lines
+ so many options incl. Indian & Chinese
+ 8 different ice cream/sherbet flavors to choose from
+ also had soft-serve in addition to regular ice cream
+ plenty of seating esp. in the front of the ship so walk around
+ lots of omelet stations to reduce wait time
~ some items repetitive but there were still lots of options
~ breakfast items were the same every day
~ required cover-up so don’t wear your swimsuit in
Great Outdoors Buffet
+ great location for access while at pool
+ soft-serve ice cream easily accessible here
+ lots of outdoor seating some shaded & was close to pool action
+ 2 locations to get drinks were close to the pool too
~ 2 buffets usually had pizzas/calzones, sandwiches & salads
~ could have used some variety
O’Sheehan’s (24/7)
+ burgers were excellent here
+ great for late night munchies
+ plenty of seating always available
+ eat & bowl here at the same time
+ watch big screen in atrium while eating here too
+ could request take-out to bring back to cabin
~ limited hi-top seating with views of big screen
~ wings were a little soggy & not very crispy
~ could use more options on the menu
Manhattan Room (MDR)
+ usually had availability even if walking in w/o reservation
+ rotating menu choices were pretty good
+ loved having 2 different types of lamb here
+ Tues. night lobster was excellent
+ dancing was offered here with a band during dinner
~ steak was average
~ could only make reservations up to 6:30 & after 8:30
Taste (MDR)
+ smaller & more intimate
+ menus were similar to Manhattan Room MDR
~ harder to get a reservation but walk-ins were available
~ could only make reservations up to 6:30 & after 8:30
Moderno Brazilian Steakhouse ($18)
+ nice location next to Cagney’s & above Manhattan Room
+ 8-10 different types of meats served tableside
+ extensive salad bar w/ an excellent chowder
+ served with 4 different sides
+ dessert choices were light & complimented well
~ 2 sauces offered needed more seasoning
~ meats also lacked seasoning but were good
Le Bistro French ($20)
+ french onion soup, escargot, scallops, bouillabaisse were all great
+ same great Le Bistro consistency as on other ships
ENTERTAINMENT
Blue Man Group
+ 7pm show on embarkation day was pretty empty
+ excellent show for kids young & old
+ 1st couple of rows were given ponchos just “in case”
+ kids loved the ponchos, show, music … everything
+ hey … it’s FREE
~ some parts a little slow … but still awesome
Cirque Dreams Dinner ($20/$30)
+ premium seating buys you possible audience participation
+ excellent show for kids young & old
+ so much action it was hard to watch everything
+ optional kids menu of chicken fingers was appreciated
+ unbelievable talent esp. on ship that’s moving
~ set menu with little deviation but it was adequate
Murder Mystery Lunch ($20)
+ Second City performance was good
+ éclair desserts were tasty
~ chicken was bland but extra marsala sauce made it better
~ not as much audience interaction/participation as before
~ not really for kids
~ would probably skip this next time
Nickelodeon at Sea
+ Slime Time LIVE show was enjoyable for entire family
+ get there early to be possibly get picked?
+ Nick LIVE Poolside was also enjoyable
+ Nickelodean Arts & Crafts included coloring Spongebob bandana
+ lots of Nickelodeon shows on TV in cabin but were repetitious
Second City Comedy
+ lots of shows on various nights at 7, 9 & 11 pm
+ late-night adult show was the best
+ you may reserve more than 1 night while onboard
~ improv shows were only as good as audience suggestions
Howl at the Moon Dueling Pianos
+ 3 pianists were all awesome
+ rotated into 2 pianos along with 1 drum set
+ no reservations … first-come first-serve seating … so get there early
~ shared venue w/ Second City but we could have listened to them every night
Fat Cats Blues Bar
+ Roadside Louie & the Dusters were very good
+ no reservations … first-come first-serve seating
+ plenty of seating & never overly crowded
+ some space for dancing if you are so inclined
~ only 1 blues band
ACTIVITIES
Pool - Waterslides
+ 4 jacuzzis in the main pool area were accommodating
+ 2 separate smallish pools in main pool area (one w/ kids 2” splash area)
+ starboard side was smoke-free (as noted on tables) … not sure about port side
+ start with purple slide which is short but entirely dark
+ green slide is longer with a portion dark & a portion open
+ 2-3 baby pools some in shade next to main pool area
~ toilet-bowl slide requires raft p/u at bottom of slide & carrying it up
Spice H20 (adult only)
+ jacuzzi & a small pool in aft of ship
+ large TV screen was huge
+ food & drinks available here
+ water always available at the side of the bar
~ crowded during sea days
~ hot with little shade
Kids Crew Program
+ great location near family balconies deck 14 forward
+ entry from either side of elevator banks
+ open continuously from 9am-1:30am every sea day
~ check-in/out process was chaotic & sometimes disorganized
~ actual activity rooms for each age group were small & cramped
Fitness Center
+ 8:45am spinning $20/class or $45/all 3 on sea days was great
+ plenty of new equipment w/ personal TV screens attached
~ most classes were an add’l fee
~ free classes were just ok
~ only 1 access thru spa at aft elevator banks on deck 14
Casino
+ lots of tables & games available
+ dealers were very friendly
~ parts of casino were in the main walkway on deck 6
Other Activities
+ bowling $5/game in Bliss or O’Sheehan’s
+ rock climbing w/ 3 difficulty levels were fun
+ rappelling included climbing up a long enclosed ladder first
+ extreme climbing up the rappelling wall was intense & very difficult
+ 2 chess tables in Bliss
+ 2 ping pong tables deck 15 aft
Cruise Consultant - Latitudes Party
+ 2 cruise consultants onboard
+ Juan was extremely friendly & nice
+ wine & usual drinks offered but could request anything from open bar
~ latitudes reception for silver & up members on Wed. night
~ reception in Fat Cats was crowded so get there early for seating
Cruise Director
+ Paul Scally was very personable & energetic
+ entertainment director Julie (a former CD) was awesome
~ CD was not as visible b/c the ship is so darn big
PORTS – SHORE EXCURSIONS
COSTA MAYA - Chacchoben Mayan Ruins
+ informative Mayan guide on 1 hr A/C bus ride
+ soda & water offered
~ very MUDDY when caught in a downpour … yuck!
~ fairly small site & could not climb up on any of the ruins
~ guide tried to sell us on too many souvenirs
* FREE pool at port looked nice with some shopping/bars too at docked pier
ROATAN - Mayan Reef Clear Kayak & Beach Snorkel
+ short 20 min A/C bus ride to Gumbalimba Park
+ extensive guided 2-person clear kayaking in beautifully calm ocean
+ extensive guided snorkeling off beach saw lots of fish, coral, etc…
+ extra time at small beach and/or pool for remainder of day
+ could return to ship at our leisure on continuously running shuttles
+ could add wildlife park for add’l $10
~ didn’t see anything in clear kayaks b/c we avoided the reefs
~ beers & food were fairly expensive
~ lots of little no-see-em gnats at the beach … got bit a lot
* some shopping/bars at docked pier
COZUMEL - Dune Buggy & Beach Snorkel
+ 4-person manual dune buggies right at the pier
+ drove on roads along the water with very little traffic
+ saw a good part of the island
+ beach stop included lunch w/ empanadas, nachos, taquitos … all mostly fried
+ large margaritas/drinks were only $6 & very tasty
~ did not go off-road at all
~ no snorkeling due to rough surf
* lots of shopping/bars inside & outside docked pier area within walking distance
DISEMBARKATION
Easy Walk-Off
+ all ship services were extended due to anticipated late arrival into MIA
+ woke up late & had a late buffet breakfast without feeling rushed
+ final statement was fine esp. with periodically checking iTV
+ 2 deck 6 mid-ship (Terminal C) or forward (Terminal B) gangways
+ easy walk-off was one of the first ones called
+ TVs in all public areas showed the groups/colors called
+ easily carried/wheeled off all our luggage with no waits at all
+ customs/immigration lines moved quickly
+ lots of taxis waiting outside for $24 ride to MIA airport from pier
OTHER TIPS
* bring a swimsuit to use the pool/waterslides right after embarkation … there are no lines and the pool area is pretty empty
* check out the Bridge Viewing Room on the starboard side of deck 13 forward
* big screen in atrium with comfy chairs was great for movies & football games … you can even get FREE popcorn & coffee … but seating is limited
* tickets for reserved shows are on your keycard … keycards will be scanned upon entry to shows
* complete the liability release for yourself & kids only once when it’s not crowded … and then use your keycard for continued access to rock climbing/rappelling, giant spider web, epic bounce, etc… but you’ll need to have your keycard to participate
* first sea day was crowded at pools … get your loungers early … or walk around to the sides toward aft or go up to deck 16
* no access to deck 5 from aft elevator banks
* no access to Epic Theater on deck 5 … must use deck 6
* only access to sports deck is via pair of aft stairs above Spice H20 bar
SUMMARY
New ship cruising with family & friends for 7 days … what’s not to like?
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