The trip was excellent from getting on the ship to disembarking. This company knows how to move a lot of people through dinners, shows, buffets. Staff are professional and courteous beyond belief. They do everything in their power to accommodate your wishes. Asked for extra towels and couple wine glasses so my wife and I could have a glass on the balcony, was done in minutes. Cabin attendant was funny and greeted you with a smile or joke every time you saw him. Rooms where immaculate always. The waiters in the dining room where as good as any 5 star restaurant. We brought our 18 and 16 year old sons. The staff were courteous with them whether we where around or not. The food is wonderful with selection for any palate. You always knew exactly what was going on because you receive an itinerary every night for the next day. The tv channel also kept you informed. Lots of shows for every taste. The layout of the ship had places for children, adults who wanted to party by the pool and areas for adults only that wanted a quiet place to relax. This is definitely not as cheap as an all inclusive resort but worth every penny. The only Con we had was the Flowrider. It is fun when the guest get to try it and the viewing area cheers and laughs when you fall. When the "Pros" show up and make it into an Olympic sport it ruins it for everyone. The worst is when the old guys from the diamond club get to walk on anytime they want ahead of you. My sons where laughing at them because they where so embarrassed that they though anyone was impressed. Read Less

I have been reading reviews of the NCL Bliss and am a little shocked at what I'm reading. I haven't written a review on this site but thought it was important. I'm assuming the bad reviews are from people who need every little whim taken care of and can't do anything for themselves. Let me say the ship itself was beautiful. I have been on a few cruises before and this was by far the best one. I went with my two daughters (10 and 14), husband, another family with two kids and my sister and brother-in-law. We all had balcony rooms, which for 4 were small but they always are unless you want to pay a lot more. Rooms were spotless and everything we needed our steward got us ASAP. The decor on the ship is classy and beautiful. Nothing tacky here. As far as things to do there was never a dull moment, unless you wanted it. They had containt stuff going on until at least midnight and after that a few bars stayed open. I couldn't do everything I want to! Adults saw Jersey Boys and it was amazing!! We saw Havana as a family and it was great! We all also saw the family comedians, Beatles show and many other bands and "game shows" around the ship. My kids loved them all. The younger kids went to the kids club quite a bit and really enjoyed it. The teens enjoyed their club but actually ended up hanging out with us a lot. The food was very good. Something for everyone! Although, I will admit it sucks that some of the best restaurants you had to pay for. We stuck mainly to the free restaurants and buffet and only went to one speciality dinner. Also, I never had a hard time getting a drink. Maybe I had to wait a minute or two at the very busy bars but nothing crazy. Get the free drink package if it's offered! It is well worth it. We met some people that didn't and their bar bill was insane. We drank everyday, all day (very slowly) and never had to pay for a drink once. It includes pretty much every drink you could want, most were perfect - more strong than weak. *Go to The District, look for Carlo, best waiter ever!!!!* Getting on and off the ship at the ports was a breeze! So was debarking the ship at the end of our cruise. Couldn't have asked for better. The last thing I have to say is about the staff. I can't believe people have any thing negative to say about them. They work their asses off. 7 days a week, 10-14 hours a day for 8 months straight! They are always upbeat and smiling and seem to be willing to help in anyway. If you had a problem with them you might want to take a look at yourself! This was an expensive cruise but for what we got along with the incredible memories I'm so glad we did it! Read Less

We took this cruise because of the special two-night deal. Outstanding experience. The musical shows were dynamite. The beds very comfortable. Staff friendly and helpful. Food excellent. Well-organized, well run. Ship and all amenities very clean and maintained well throughout the cruise. Lots of activities to pursue aboard ship. All events were held on time and stuck strictly to the time allotted. Ate at Yellow Elder. Outstanding food, service, and atmosphere. The only fly in the ointment was when we returned and were disembarking. We filled out the online passport papers, which gave us an edge on early debarking; however, as I was leaving, I was told to speak to the information desk. Long lines to wait for my turn, while my companions were ashore waiting for me. Finally, got to the counter only to be told that everything on my account was okay and I was free to leave. That was totally unnecessary. Other than that, thoroughly wonderful experience that we will do again in the future. Couldn't find any comment cards to fill out before we disembarked. Read Less

The cruise was so much fun! There was a big group of family and the staff was very accommodating! We had so much fun! Harold my room attendant was so nice and helpful!! Hong our waiter was funny and very sweet to us! Definitely made my vacation so awesome ! I will never forget this great experience! Room was clean and ship ride was smooth!! I would definitely do this again!!!! This was my first cruise and I was very happy with the whole experience. My family and I had such a great time spending the time together. The food was awesome!! Couldnt get eneough of the guys burgers!!! Everything was delicious!!! Rooms were stocked with towels and the animals made out of towels were a fun touch! Slept really well on the comfy beds!! Asked for extra pillows and got them! Me and my family are definitely considering another cruise vacation in the future! Read Less

Restaurants: Food was horrible. The Buffet(s) was closed almost every time I went to it (5:15pm, 7:15am, 6pm, normal times) The Guy's burgers were good but the rest sucked. I ate soft ice cream with a fork, got served a warm coke with 4 ice cubes, I had a flat iron steak that was as tough and tasted like a boot sole, the service was atrocious and I waited well over an hour in the dinning room for pasta which tasted like it was prepared 2 weeks earlier from a can. Bars: they close early so there's no way to get 15 drinks from you Cheers Package, there's not enough time in the day. You have an 18% gratuity included but if you don't tip, they aren't coming back. The Casino Bar stays open late but it's tiny and the only bar open so it takes even longer to get a drink. Shows: I'm not big on shows but most people we talked to liked them generally. Princess Cays, Nice, beautiful, same crew as the ship so service was bad and we had to pay for all drinks and tips and the lunch was long line and dry hamburger (1). Ship: Nice weather and smooth till we headed home and with a 60 mph wind we go tossed around. Boarding and Debarkation was fairly easy. I will never, ever, never set foot on the Carnival Ecstasy again, Read Less

We selected this cruise because we love royal Caribbean cruise line and we need a quick vacation to give us a break from the cold. I’ll keep it short. Pro’s Great food Excellent staff Clean ship Beautiful areas to stop in for excursions or just leaving the ship Organized staff and services Cons Not much to do, not enough ship activities Old, old ship. Everyone was saying how outdated the ship and rooms were The coco cat water park was not open yet and we were under the impression it was by all the pics online, very disappointing I will for sure travel Caribbean again but never on the enchantment. Many times during the four day stay I was bored and so were my kids. They had late dinner start times and many times that the adventure oceans kids area wasn’t open. Each day we spent many hours hanging out in our room waiting for something to open or to start. The pool area is old with no slides or much to do so you can only spend so much time there. This wasn’t a win for us. Skip this cruise. Read Less

Had 2 cabins took 2 of my grandchildren noise from Centrum until late night and people dragging furniture all hours above me did not make my cabin comfortable .The ship is in desperate need of an overhaul everything looks worn and dated or rusted .I don't think they every cleaned any windows on any deck and them taking 2 days to get a chair replacement that my handicapped wife needed only came when I went to Guess Services and made the suggestion "why not take one out of an empty cabin" ,within an hour it arrived .Food it fair ,although I give the crew high marks for their friendliness. I also had another incident in regard to my wife's handicappedness and this is second time with RCL ,another in September on the Oasis which has left a bad taste for me . I finalized a 15 day Panama cruise in December and you bet it is not with RCL. Read Less

Cunard oozes tradition at every turn; and the 'best of British' but is it suitable for families and kids ? Well we just arrived in Melbourne after a 6 night cruise from Fremantle with a 7 year old boy for my mother's 80th birthday present. We probably would not normally have chosen Cunard with a child but my mother had a lifetime dream which we wanted to fulfill of traveling aboard the QEII so this was our best option. Embarkation in Fremantle was a little 'hit-and-miss' with the requested wheel chair for mum nowhere to be found and her walker arriving just before the 4:15pm safety briefing. The staff were all very accommodating but this really wasn't the best start given our previous wonderful experiences with P&O departing out of Fremantle. Yes, there is a kids-club with ages separated into 2yrs to 8yrs and 8yrs to 14yrs. The staff were delightful and so attentive to the 12 children travelling. You can rest assured that the kids will have plenty to do with the club open from 10am -12noon, 2pm - 5pm and then 6pm - 11pm on sea days. While there are no fancy water slides or fun character shows or bumper cars there are the traditional shuffleboard, bowls, tennis and a wonderful library and card room with plenty of board ganmes to borrow. This is traditional cruising the way it use to be with none of the frills and excitement that family orientated ships now include. So come prepared for the occasional 'I'm board' because there is not 24/7 entertainment - kids have to make up their own fun for a change ! The age profile is very much slanted to the older end of the spectrum which means plenty of adopted grannies and pas around who are mostly young at heart and only too delighted to engage with young, well mannered little people. However, it's a bit like visiting Grandma's home where there are rules to obey. The ship's decor is all in a magnificent Art Deco style with plush interiors and carpets. So running through the atrium in a bathing suit with an icecream is absoultutely NOT OK !! The food options more than cater for kids with free flowing icecream, fish and chips, plenty of delicious choices and the chef will even adapt to various food alergies if required. Somehow the needs of both old and young are often very similar ! The rooms are all wonderfuly comfortable and cater for famileles of up to 4 in a room. The room stewards are all very helpful and room service is free for those nights when you just want a pizza and a movie in bed. Cunard would not be our first choice for young children as there is a need to really encourage a slightly older approach to cruising that relies on children being able to makeup their own fun and not be constantly entertained. Having said this, that's not necessarily a bad thing but parents will need to be ever present. We had the most wonderful 'multi-generational' cruise and 6 nights was the perfect length. Having done 8 cruises now as a family we were fairly well prepared for this type of holiday but it's not for everyone and you need to do your research. Thank you Cunard and Her Majesty QE for a most delightful and charming walk back in time to an eara of gracious opulance when kids were well behaved and had to use their own imgination to have fun ! Read Less

I'll break this review into two parts, (1) the good, and (2) the criticism: The good: - Service. The service and staff were amazing. Friendly, engaging, great with our children, and overall professionals. - Camp Ocean. The camp ocean children servoces were great. We feel bad about placing our children in these types of settings; however, after their first visit -- they wanted to go back. The staff were friendly, professional, and great with our 5 and 9 year old daughters. - Food. The food in the Main dining areas was incredible. We all tried exotic foods we'd never order in a restaurant (e.g., rabbit, escargot). The food was well prepared and the presentation was high end. - Disembarking. The Disembarking process was organized and speedy. - Cruise director and selling. The cruise director, Marty, was great. Unlike some of our other cruise experiences, there was little selling pressure. We enjoyed the freedom from pressure to buy or provide extra tips during the trip. Now for the criticism. To be clear, I'm trying to be fair given the age of the ship and factors in and out of the crew's control. - The ship. This is a nearly 30 year old ship, which obviously has undergone some upgrades over the years. Nevertheless, she's pretty worn. The dining areas are out of the late 1980s. There are areas of weather wear and corrosion. The outside areas are small and offer limited water space (e.g., spa, pool) given the passenger load. The port. This ships sails out of Mobile, AL. Embarkation was a nightmare. The parking area is at the end of a traffic funnel, situated on the far side of active railroad tracks. This made for wild traffic (nearly 2 hours). Entertainment. The venues on this ship are akin to a holiday inn meeting room. They're just not modern. The acts offered were well done, however. I'd like more variety, but it wasn't enough to really complain about. Smoking. This was the worst aspect of this ship. The casino and adjoining bar are mid ship, near the mid ship stairway and elevator bank. The ventilation is poor or non exisitant, making the entirety of the center of the ship a smelly, smoke-filled space (from deck 4 through to deck 9. For a family friendly ship, this was a major drawback. There was no escape from the smoke. Here are a few more obtuse items that the crew really couldn't control... But big carnaval could have done better. The arriving passengers were delayed a few hours due to fog. This delayed our boarding from 12pm to 6pm. The fog also delayed our embarkation ~24 hours. Interestingly, during the warmest and clearest part of the following day... we did not embark. Fantasy embarked closer to 3pm.... after the fog rolled back in heavy (heavier than the previous day and night). It was interesting we could leave the port in this heavy fog... but we did. In the end, our boarding was delayed half a day and we lost a port of call. Carnival refunded shore excursions and port fees. This was an unfortunate and frustrating experience. The passengers. Cruises tend to yield a good cross section of America and, inevitably, some drunks and jokers. For those more conservative parents, these aren't attractive attributes in close quarters. This was certainly true of this cruise. There were a fair share of drunks exposing a bit too much, dancing in what I believe they percieved as sexy, and throwing their children in the one pool everyone shared. Some of this was driven by games hosted by the cruise (e.g., hair chest competition... Where contestants had their chest hair pulled, naked torso smelled, and butt slapped by three lady strangers on stage). I'd sail Carnaval again... But not from Mobile or on Fantasy. Read Less

Going to list the overall cruise in sections: 1. Day 1 (Disembark) – Cruise launch was great no complaints. 2. Day 2 (Fun At Sea) – Nothing to say about this day. 3. Day 3 (Half Moon Cape) - I woke up by a loud banging and power drill noise from Deck 0 where the ship crew stay around 7 – 7:30 AM in the morning and continued throughout the day. Dismissed it because we had a good time Half-Moon Cape. Went to the service desk kiosk to check our sail & sign cards balance for our cabin and found a unannounced “Gratitude” fee for each person in the room which came out to $108 dollars. Talked with the service desk crew in this order: 1. First person we talked to mentioned that we had to pay this because the whole crew gets this tip (not true) for services rendered. 2. Second and last person helped us remove the charge entirely from our cabin. This shouldn’t take two attempts to remove this charge including if you’re already tipping the crew via cash already. 4. Day 4 (Nassau) – My wife and myself were both woke up by the loud bagging around 6:30 AM and I was not happy with this. Called room service about it and they said they will investigate it. Within a couple of minutes, I hear the intercom go off about two or three times for only the crew to hear without waking up all the guests on the ship and the noise stopped. Few minutes after that the room service manager came to the door wanted to investigate the room for the noise, told her that it already stopped and asked her if she called somebody about it because after a few minutes I got off the phone with her the noise stopped. She didn’t answer my question and said “Sir, it’s impossible for the crew to be working at 6:30 AM because they start working at 8 AM” and left which made me very not happy. Some time in the afternoon she called us back and said she was sorry about what we went through and gave us six $10 coupons for buying drinks which was nice, so we let it go. Nassau was a big disappointment since it’s all about shopping here or going to the amusement water park so didn’t have much relaxation or fun on this one. 5. Day 5 (Miami) – At 5:45 AM we got the loud noise once again which woke us up yet again. My wife was very angry and started stomping on the floor to make them stop which they did for a bit, but they started again in short multiple bursts so we couldn’t sleep at all. Got off the ship very tired. Overall – It was fun for a couple of days up to the Half Moon Cape but after that it was poor experience. Also, Randy Rose (Director of Entertainment) really needs to not reuse the same songs\ dancing routines in the Disembark Party & Nassau - Mega party…FYI…CHANGE IT UP. Another advise Randy, don’t dance in front of the guests while they’re getting off the ship on the last day from the long trip, the rest of the crew is maintaining a professional atmosphere saying goodbye to everyone except for yourself. COME ON! Read Less