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Positives:
Room Steward - Putu was top notch, always smiling and friendly
Wait Staff - Winston, Montree and Peter were friendly, efficient and cheerful. Their Boss, Manuel from Costa Rica, was friendly in both the Main Dining Room and on the Lido Deck
Entertainment - Jo Jo from NY, NY was top notch, organized and informative. Her compatriot from Australia was also friendly and helpful, too.
Lido Deck covered pool - Warm and uncrowded, especially on port days
Negatives:
Serenity - The "Adult Only" area was constantly occupied by children. It may not have been the parents fault, as the signs from the Lido Dining area stating "Adults Only" were small and almost invisible. A suggestion was made both to the "officer" who was in charge and the main "customer service" desk about larger signs, but it was obviously dismissed out of hand.
Hot Tubs - somebody forgot that hot tubs need heat, there was no need for a 15 minute limit as you got too cold to stay in without moving.
Cruise Director - I saw him on the TV and at one show on stage on the Taj Mahal. Guess I was spoiled by Jorge on the Glory in May 2010, who actually was always around and outgoing.
Ass't. Cruise Director and most of the entertainment staff - If you were over 50, they seemed to give you short shrift.
Passengers who had cruised other lines before - What a collection of stuffed shirts. You get what you pay for, so I don't want to hear about how there was no bowling alley on the ship, nor do I want to hear about how much better the food was (admittedly for $ 400 a person, I could have eaten better as well, but not very much)
Ports of Call - Freeport and Canaveral had nothing much within walking distance. Not going to Half Moon Cay (it wasn't on the itinerary) wiped out the only possible free beach day.
The Pride - This ship had interesting, though defaced, artwork and at-sea maintenance activities were visible. All-in-all though, the ship appeared "tired", with minor flaws visible in many places such as the 'S' missing from the Serenity sign, the ice dispensers on the Lido deck sluggish or out of order, and the balcony decking looking worn and weathered.
Summary:
The cruise was a bargain for the overall cost and there were some very great people trying to make the overall experience a happy and memorable one, but I probably will not be cruising out of Baltimore again on that ship or to those ports.
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