Sea Cruiser vlog decided to have a group cruise and we had to join and this was the ship. Embarkation was fast and smooth except for security accidently hitting my wife in the mouth. Departing port at 7pm gave us a ton of time to explore the ship and participate in group activities which were a blast. The buffet was excellent with fantastic service and never seemed too crowded. (Hint, the further you get towards the stern the better it became) and the words "washy washy" will forever be a joke in our house. Lol The layout of the ship is easy to understand and get around, the pool deck crowded and not enough sun exposure for the children's side. Rope course was a blast, water slides fun and the basketball court was awesome except it was being used by the various children's programs all the time so actually getting a constant workout for my basketball player was impossible. The mini putt was fun and the arcade very enjoyable.
We ate at three up charge restaurants. Tepanyaki was amazing! 10 out of 10 and hindsight I wish we had done it three times. Moderno was good, eating outside was very enjoyable and service was great. Le Bistro, was horrible, the only redeeming factor being wait service and the desert. In all dining locations service staff refused to combine tables to accommodate our group of 20, separating us and even serving us at different times, understandable in Tepanyaki but unacceptable in the other locations. Little comment here about the "patio" dining at Le Bistro, being right below the casino I hope you like cigarette smoke with your food.
The ports were great, we did our own thing at all three and enjoyed it. Coki beach in St Thomas was busy but the snorkeling was incredible and just a taxi away. Tortola tour of the island was fun and beautiful and exploring Nassau and the straw market on foot was a blast. In all cases getting off the ship was easy and getting on the ship a blast. Little note here, how Norwegian staff handles getting back on the ship is something all cruise lines should adopt. Covered sitting area, ice water and washcloths waiting for use and the party outside the ship was a blast.
You know your in trouble when you see a golf tee holding up trim to the balcony door. For a ship that is a year old I was very suprised at the condition of our cabin. It was very clean but falling apart with the laminate coming off the desk as well. Cabin was on the small side. I did love have the ability of locking the balcony door open which we did at night.
Embarkation was smooth and uncrowded, started at 10:30
Waiting for taxi to fill will always be my largest complaint
Wow, very busy port and the shopping area was right there, everything within walking distance
Easy to get in and out, shopping was slim.