We sailed on NCL Bliss on 14-day Western Caribbean cruises out of NYC so on Feb 2, 2020s. The ship visited Cape Canaveral. Great Stirrup Bay in Bahamas, Ochorios in Jamaica, George Town in Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize, Maya coast and Cozumel Mexico. Great cruise and good staff. We had a standard balcony cabin 12722 on deck 12 with plenty of room for the two of us. Nice ship with lots specialty restaurants good. Buffet was great - better quality food than the general dining (hotter, more variety, very nicely prepared and presented. The only 'complaint' is that there is too much salt added to food throughout. We don't use salt at home, so really notice it We didn't participate in any of the 'activities' like bingo or quiz shows but they had some good entertainment. the 'Beatles' group was standing room only at every show - they needed a bigger venue! They had a rock/pop band who did a good job, and the 'Jersey Boys' was a great performance. Six Boleyn was also good musical described life of King Henry VIII through his 6 wives. There was live music in moist lounges (District Brew House, Mojito bar, atrium and observation lounge). The observation lounge was a great place to get a comfy chair and snack, I spent my days there reading the book, “SEA OF POPPIES” by Amitav Ghosh describing the story of Opium production and trade by the British India company. ON 2nd day Sea day we had cruise critic meet and Greet met the GM of the ship. Sharon complained about lack of body lotion in the bathroom. He took our cabin number and instructed our room attended to supply steady supply of Bulgari body lotion. Afterwards I mentioned him today is Sharon’s birthday. After we came back from lunch our cabin was decorated with Happy birthday sign, Streamers and balloons. He also sent some specialty Chocolate, a bottle of wine. Sharon, her cousin and Aunt enjoyed the wine. I was not happy with luncheon menu at the main dining room. I complained to the Maître Dee. He said I should eat at taste of India. I looked up the Executive Chef Sreekanth Sundram and spoke to him. He informed me Breakfast, lunch and dinner are available for vegetarians at the” Taste of India”. Next morning to my surprise I had an excellent breakfast with Vada, Uthappam, Sambar, Chutney, poori, Potato, with Masala Chai. I also met Rohith Gokulakrishnan Executive Sous Chef from Chennai, Chef Balappan. Everyday I had a feast for breakfast, lunch and dinner We went on Shore excursion on Airboat and crocodile farm in Florida, tour of countryside of Jamaica, Roatan tour to see mangrove reserve, shipwreck and to a beach to watch a local show. Next day we visited the Maya ruins and spice farm in Belize. 9th we visited Mayan coast to see Mayan temple. At Cozumel we visited Mayan Chocolate Farms to learn about history of Chocolates use by Mayans and how Spaniards modified to fit the western taste. Then we visited Mayan Honeybee farm amid the forest. I learned there is no pure Mayan blood descendant, most of them descent of Mayan and Spanish descendants, the last Mayan died in 1850 Overall this cruise is excellent on a new ship with 4,000 capacity. May be less than 10% were people under 40 years old. Most of the guests were seniors, some on walking with Canes, others cruising around on their scooters which took most of the space on the elevators. We were on Deck 12. Most of the entertainments and dining rooms are on Deck 6-8. The Garden Café is deck 16 and lounge is on Deck 15. It is really a struggle to get into the elevators during breakfast, lunch and dinner time. There are 16 elevators for 4,000 peoples which is a handicap. Sometimes I used stairs with huffing and puffing. WE returned on Sunday the 16th after dropping Sharon’s aunt and cousin at the airport for their onward journey to the frozen tundra of Saskatchewan Read Less

I have taken 6 Carnival cruises since 2011. My wife is a platinum member so our embarkation and debarkation were fast and nice. Our room was average, the room stewards were friendly. We found an unopened yogurt in our fridge. Our neighbors found dirty underwear in their cabin. The buffets never seemed to be open and the free restaurants always had a long lines. The carnival app never worked right. You need this to schedule ship activities including dinner reservations. The dining room always seemed to be a 2 hour experience. BTW you have to make reservations, no more anytime dining. And if the app was down "which was most of the time" you had to go to deck 5, stand in a long line and make reservations, then go back down to deck 3, stand in another long line to eat in the dining room. The service in the dining room lacked greatly. Very slow service and substandard food most nights. Forget about ordering any side sauces or anther drink, you will never get it. Many times the waiter would tell me " oh sorry, all my help is downstairs". This means NO you can not have that. The buffets were also lacking. Long lines and Cold food. The meats had a chemical taste. The Guys Pig and anchor BBQ was great. I had it twice. The Bonsai Sushi restaurant was good but, you had to pay for it. The taco, burrito and burger spots always had long lines. The room service was nonexistent and laughable at best! The menu was MOSTLY paid items. We tried to order twice and none would ever even pick up the phone. Why not just not have any room service? The mixed drinks on the ship tasted very good and most were moderately priced. We were totally surprised to find out Carnival quit carying Coca Cola and Red Bull in lieu of Pepsi and Monster. WHY???? Because it's cheaper!! The shows were laughable and unwatchable. First we sat thru a show call Flick. Honestly I would rather sit thru a Tony Robbins lecture on insurance policies for time shares. I sat thru the "Rock" show painfully. The bingo, photos, food, and other shopping in the shops were expensive. The movie theater is not a real movie theater. Very limited showing of substandard movies and Yes, you have to pay extra for it. The photos that Carnival's employees take of you as you wander around the ship cost as well. And they are NOT cheap! The digital download of each photo is $15. This is EACH. The Carnival cruises we have taken in the past were for the most part ALL-INCLUSIVE. They are not anymore.You have to pay for everything! Everything is an extra upcharge. We paid for 3 internet packages at $300. "that were either very slow or not working" and we still had to pay an extra $5. each to be able to text each other. The dining room menu had a lot of items you have to pay "extra" for. We tried to schedual a behind the scene tour of the ship, it was $95. per person. This is just wrong. So after this cruise we are probably done with Carnival. Sad we used to really enjoy it. Read Less

We picked the NatGeo Explorer/Lindblad cruise to go to Antarctica because we figured we would get more than just a tour of Antarctica and it truly went above and beyond our expectations! The price tag was more than worth it and we couldn't recommend this trip more - our only regret was not going for a room with a full window instead of a porthole. Our expedition leader (Lucho) did an amazing job planning the whole trip and we were lucky enough to cross the Antarctic Circle! When we weren't out on Zodiacs, hiking, kayaking, or polar plunging the naturalists (Doug, Andy, Javier, Eric) and guest speaker (Ted Scampos) kept us busy with interesting lectures about the Antarctic animals, climate change, glaciology, and their own work/research. We also got great photography tips from a NatGeo photography (Andy Coleman) and Lindblad photo instructor (Nathan). The service and food on the ship was enough to make us want to travel with Lindblad again. The entire ship crew (Randy, Gabriel, Rosalie, Renato, and everyone) was incredibly friendly and accomodating. The whole operation was very smooth and even the Drake's Passage was surprisingly calm on the way back. The captain and crew were experts at navigating through the sea ice, getting us close to the animals, and answering all our questions about the ship (there is an open bridge policy that we all really took advantage of). The only bad experience during our whole time on the National Geographic Explorer was when we crossed the Drake's Passage on the way to Antarctica and our seasickness medication wore off. Luckily the ship's doctor had some better medication available onboard! Read Less

Horrible staff. Horrible Rules. Horrible Ship. 1. 1. Don't expect to drink any water on board without paying. We found one, YES 1, free tap water on the entire ship. Located on deck 8 in the buffet area. But you aren't allowed to leave the buffet area with any food or drinks to any time you are thirsty plan on hiking up to deck 8, guzzling as much water as you can, and hope you aren't thirsty for another 5 hours. Anywhere else on the ship will charge you over $4 for water. And don't expect to ever see ice on this ship. 2. Bad staff. It's probably not all their fault, I would blame the management for the horrible rules they have. One day at sea we were trying to enjoy ourselves and play a little cards, we got kicked out of 5 different places on the ship before we gave up. These were open areas at bars, the gelateria, etc. that had decent tables we could sit at. The staff was rude and told us we couldn't plat cards and told us to leave but never gave us any suggestions on where we might be able to play. 3. FOOD. This ship is anti food. They say they want to conserve waste but that is just a cover up to save money. You have a 15 minute window each evening to be seated in the dining area. We should up 10 minutes late one night and were turned away. The buffet is only open for 90 minutes for dinner. If you miss these time windows, tough crap, don't expect to eat until breakfast. 4. Exercise. They have a wonderful exercise facility. Just don't expect to use it. The facility doesn't open till 8am. Most ships are 24 hours. Not this one. Most of our ports were around 7 to 8 am. So we were off the ship before they would even allow you in to exercise. HORRIBLE. 5. Entertainment. If you are American and only speak English....don't come on this ship for the entertainment. Not a single English Speaking show, and the few shows that translated to English, don't expect to understand the translations with the bad accents. 6. Finally, at the end of our Cruise our ship was quarantined for 16 hours while a passenger was checked for a virus. This is very understandable, safety precautions need to be take, however, the crew and staff were horrible to work with during this experience. No special accommodations were made to help make the 2000+ passengers that were supposed to disembark that day. We were all kicked out of our staterooms and told to sit in a bar area while things were figured out. No water was available without charge. We simply sat in a very crowded area with our luggage for 16 hours. The crew and staff did nothing to inform us of the situation. We got our information from the news cameras outside the ship. Never, Never, Never sail with Costa. Read Less

I chose this ship to be my first ever cruise, and I certainly was not disappointed. I was on this cruise with 3 other friends whom 2 of them been on carnival at least a few times prior, and the other was also their first. It was a 7 cruise. The food in the buffet was absolutely fantastic, they definitely had variety as time went on in the week, and remained extremely consistent in the taste. The quality and atmosphere of the ship was breathtaking and was exactly the style I wanted /loved. The crew was extremely respectful in my opinion, and very hardworking. I didn't once see trash or something gross anywhere I was on the ship, because the workers were so on point, I was blown away. I thanked them often and tipped extra because of how hard they worked. My only complaint is that they keep the pools and spas open later for us adults, past 8pm for outside and 10pm for inside. 8 and 10 is just too early to close! Also, not sure if it was our cabin cleaner, but they came in a couple times with our DND on while we were away to clean. However, those are not negative enough to bring the review below 4 atars. I would definitely cruise on this ship / line again. Thank-you MSC for showing me the time of my life. I was borderline depressed when the cruise was over as I was walking off the ship, God bless you all. Read Less

I just returned from a cruise on the Carnival Horizon and had an amazing time! It absolutely exceeded my expectations and I can't wait to book another! Embarkation can be hectic as you are carrying your luggage and the attendants want you to keep moving since, of course, there are so many people to board. Once you get on and get settled, its amazing! Public Areas: There are so many places to lounge, indoor or outdoor enjoying a drink or soaking in the sun. There are staff around constantly cleaning and making tables or chairs available for you. Entertainment: There is so much freakin stuff to do on this ship!! Of course the waterslides, sky ride, ropes course, clubhouse, basketball, mini golf, spa, but also the shows and music around the ship was 10/10. The acoustic guy in the Artrium was great, the band that played in the ocean plaza- GREAT, Country band in the Pig Anchor - AWESOME, and the violinist in the Atrium OFF THE HOOK! They hired extremely talented people that I didn't think would be on a cruise ship. The comedian Chris Wiles was OK to me, probably hilarious to others, but not really my type of funny. There is always something to do. Moreover there are seminars for every interest all day long. On the 6 day long cruise, we didn't even get to do everything available on board! And dancing everywhere! So much fun. Dining: The lido buffet is just abut always open with pretty good food. The main dining room is also free and the sea brunch was good too!! Delicious fresh squeezed juice and the chia pudding was my favorite. The lox also tasted good. But, really, the Pig n Anchor BBQ spot was soo good. I can't say enough. Its a great size portion and only $8 for a meal. We also ate at Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse, another delicious dinner and superb service. It is on par with Alexanders steakhouse, and better than Flemings or Mortons. You are treated like royalty. There is so much food on this ship, of every kind. Any kind of food you can think of - its offered. Room: The Havana Premium Balcony room is huge, and balcony even better and spacious. It comes with lounge chairs and gorgeous views. The stateroom steward, Muh, was the most friendly person I have ever met! You immediately feel like best friends with him. He remembered our names the first time. He also knew my BF's birthday and sang a little song; and I did not tell Muh that it was my BF's bday! He just knew and remembered. He took care of us and provided everything we needed for our room. I also loved the towel animals that were in our stateroom every day. Excursions: Unfortunately 2 of our excursions were cancelled (glass boat tour in Grand Cayman and Blue Hole in Jamaica) due to weather/ rain and uncontrollable reasons. I believe we will be getting our money back for those. However we still had an enjoyable time, or came back to the ship early to do more FUN STUFF. Cruises seems like an affordable way to vacation and see new places. I can't wait to do another. Overall Carnival exceeded my expectations and I really felt did a 10 out of 10 in every aspect. I would absolutely choose Carnival AGAIN! Read Less

My BF and I were short on time but desperate to get away so the 5-day Western Caribbean itinerary to Belize and Mexico was perfect for us. We booked just prior to Christmas and got a great price. Food: We generally ate in the buffet in the morning because we wanted to control our portions and wanted lots of choice. The aft outdoor location (Great Outdoors) was perfect and since we were up and at it early, it generally wasn't busy. This opened at 7:30 but sometimes we would grab specific items on the inside location and just take our plates outside. Overall the food would get a 3.5 - 4 out of five. We are super fussy, however I always found something to enjoy and generally was very pleased. My only complaint is watching people feel the need to carry two stacked plates at a time. We ate in Le Bistro at additional charge and it was well worth it. It ran about $100 CDN for two, gratuities included for three good courses. Cagney's was fully booked so we didn't get a chance to experience it. Indigo was very good and the atmosphere was much nicer for us than the main dining room (Summer Palace). If you do the buffet for lunch, don't miss the Indian/Indonesian food station. Some of the better butter chicken I've had, made very well and super fresh. Entertainment: For me, I would give the entertainment 5/5. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the performers and shows. Big kudos to Orly Penate and Alex Ortiz as well as the NCL person responsible for booking them. Absolutely fabulous! The final evening we took in the Legends in Concert show in the Stardust Theater. Great acoustics and lovely set up, comfortable seats. This show also wowed me in the quality. Don't miss it! Staff: Overall, the staff was very good. I think when some people think they are poor quality, they don't understand that for some, there is a bit of a language barrier and their job is incredibly hard. Eight months on, two months off is a tough gig. I wonder if NCL should consider different options or opportunities if they can find a cost-effective way to manage. Activities: If you can't find something to do that interests you on this ship... it's you, not them. I was disappointed in some of the guests and their need to do nothing but sloth by the pool, drinking too much. However, we found a great location every day and very much enjoyed the sun. We also signed up (at extra cost) to have full access to all of the classes at the fitness centre. Big shout out to Jared and Suynesh (sp?) for their attention, professionalism and knowledge. We very much enjoyed our interactions with both and it was worth the extra cost. Shore Excursions: For me, this is the chink in the armor on this trip. I found both ports to be pretty much a waste of time because I like to experience the authentic side of a country. They are overly commercial and a bit of a money grab. We did enjoy both beaches however and in Costa Maya we took a taxi to Mahahual where we found a great stand for empanadas and sopas. We ended up going back to the ship early and very much enjoyed how quiet it was on board lol. Overall a very nice experience with great people. Read Less

I decided to surprise my adult son with a cruise and spent months planning the trip. We were very excited about the trip and had excursions booked but couldn't decide about a specialty dining package so we chose to wait until onboard. I've cruised before so knew what to expect but it was my son's first so it was important to leave a good impression. Embarking was quick and easy, despite waiting for over two hours at Enterprise for a shuttle. Our cabin was inside no window and incredibly small. We made it work but only had one electric port and our steward would not allow anything to remain plugged in while we were out of the cabin which was most of the time. (Make sure you have good batteries for whatever you are using for pictures!) We had the free drink package and headed to a smoking area H20 to grab our first drink. We ordered and were told no I'm not making that I will make you this, and were handed drinks! Not the best way to start off but we blew it off as a communication barrier or maybe he misheard us, and our second drinks were what we requested. Btw, they use some pretty awful drink mixes and a pina colada tastes horrid. There are only two smoking areas on the entire ship besides a small area within the casino, and they fill up fast. Standing room only if you don't get a seat. One is half of a side of a back deck called H20 and then a box of sorts on the 15th deck by the pool. We vape and felt like second class people stuffed into a noisy chatbot as if we were in time out. H20 played football on a large screen alot so if your not into the sports bar scene...good luck. No drink runners to be found any of the times I was in the casino and extremely tight slots. Bartenders so rude at poolside we ended up getting managers involved. Waited about 10 mins to be served and even though the bartenders were making eye contact, they kept helping others. It got so obvious we were being ignored that a group of other people were literally yelling at the staff to assist us!! Bartenders just looked at us and walked away!! We just stood there a bit dumbfounded but got taken care of by the supervisors after we said something. I hate to make complaints..I'm on vacation and nobody has time for that!! Cleaning staff was friendly and the staff at the buffet entrance were awesome. Room steward was punctual..cleaned twice a day and knew our schedule right off as well as our names. No cute towel animals the entire trip though. Missed two ports for weather-so they said. All inclusive days at the private island appear to be hard to come by if you read other reviews. Missed Costa Maya. We were refunded 12 dollars and change for those port misses. Lots of hidden charges on this ship. Drinks are taxed while in US port....and we had some random charge for seeing a comedy show in the theater but by the time this cruise was done and we reviewed our bill, we decided not to bother because the lines to everything were long and staff just wasn't all that friendly. The food was fair...some days really good, other days not so much. Big on handwashing but food was cooler than should be allowed and the seafood was usually undercooked with a strong fishy taste. I'm a huge seafood lover so that was also disappointing. Met a few people that got food poisoning right at the start of the cruise. We were only able to get one reservation for specialty dining so I'm glad we didn't buy the package. We went to LeBistro which was amazing!! Top notch food and service, a highlight for our trip really. Book things as early as you can, shows, tenders, etc or you won't get in or will have to wait in large crowds. Very disorganized. Elevators constantly full and hard to come by. Pool area incredibly small and chair savers made sure no room to lounge. Ship pretty much shuts down at 10pm unless you like nightclubs with the you get crowd. Pot smokers in the smokers box with staff right there. No one did a thing about it. Pot smokers in H20...no one batted an eye. The end of our trip was the straw that broke the camel's back. Our last night we pulled put everything to pack and decided to head to dinner before the packing began. We put on the do not disturb light so our steward wouldn't stroke out on the mess we made and headed out. We had been very diligent utilizing our safe for valuables up to this point but felt safe with our light on knowing we wouldn't be too long. WRONG!!! We came back to find that someone had placed our shore bought liquor in the room and we were missing a kindle tablet and sunglasses that were on our desk before we left!! My son went to guest services about the sunglasses but we knew for a fact the kindle was there because I was going to plug it in and decided against it last minute. I was pretty much in shock knowing that someone breached our security despite the do not disturb light on and failed to make a claim until we got home the day after disembarking. After making a claim I emailed the VP of guest services Paula and was told an investigation would be done. Was later told it was our steward who brought the liquor, and that the security cameras showed him opening our door and placing things inside but that he didn't go in. HA!! Our bottles were in next to our desk...where the missing kindle was placed ....and unless his arms are 8 feet long, he DID absolutely go inside!! After a back and forth with her I realized nothing would come of it (obviously lied to me about not entering the room) and even though things were taken, the biggest issue as far as I'm concerned was that someone came in with a do not disturb light on!! What if I had been in the shower, or worse???? Worst guest service ever!! Will never, ever book again with this cruise line. Save your money!! The service is barely rateable and it appears to be a crooked company with the crap I encountered. Despite it all...our vacation was fun but NCL won't be getting another red cent from our family!! Read Less

Visiting New Zealand was on my bucket list. The trip was a way to celebrate my retirement. I was impressed by the beauty and cleanliness of the ship. Every room had an outside balcony. The food was made from fresh ingredients and beautifully prepared! I went to the spa often and felt renewed each time. The staff were friendly, competent, and available. I enjoyed the presentations from the historians and the beautiful music from the musicians. Even though the Orion was at capacity, the ship never felt crowded. There were lots of cozy places to relax and visit. I participated in the Kitchen Table experience, meeting a chef and preparing a delicious meal. I loved both the included and extra excursions that I participated in. Handing out water to us each time we left the ship was helpful . As a nurse, I also appreciated the emphasis on washing hands when entering the restaurants. A fabulous experience!! Read Less

Overrated., oversold..dated ship.. staff unprofessional... unorganized.. not a luxury ship at all. From the moment we boarded the ship( had to carry our carryon ourselves) we sensed something was not right. Although the weather stopped us from going to most of our ports, the crew certainly did not make up for what was lost. Finally got us to Dominican Republic( not planned) and they planned excursion only for 40 people ( ship held (295). So many of us wanted to finally get off the ship as we could not because if the weather. We asked the director to help us find another excursion and they simply would not help us. We had to find our own and transportation too Excuse was they could not get connect with any hotels or taxi service. In a manner of minutes we set everything up! It was bizarre. They just did not care. It just lacked in luxury as was advertised and sold. Compared to other ship lines we have been on Silverseas is really not top notch at all. The food was average. Service in the restaurants was very poor and communication with the staff was difficult. We had one server out of all, Jerry who was a professional and we tried to find him throughout the ship when we dined.. A wine tasting was planned one day at 11:15am? Why? Makes no sense. We even paid extra for La Dame restaurant which is highly overrated. No future trips will be planned with Silverseas. Read Less

Very hard-working crew but simply too many people on the ship. At capacity of 3,700 guests, queues remained way too long for food, activities and tendering. Two small, cold pools (one adult only) completely insufficient for number on board and space outdoors and undercover are scarce. Kids/Teens clubs were inaccessible and poor. Visible signs of recent renovation were not obvious – still looked like an older, tired ship with incredibly gaudy, outdated décor catering to an American market. Continued hard sell (on spa, wellbeing packages, photography, alcohol) throughout the trip and unending pestering on guest surveys in the final days. This was our first time on a cruise and we were so disappointed by the experience of the crowds and feeling jammed in like sardines. Perhaps a common cruise experience out there however was definitely unexpected and therefore unpleasant. We will sadly and clearly be telling our family and friends not to ever book a holiday with Carnival. Read Less

We chose this cruise on the recommendation of friends. With only 200+ passengers, it was an exceptionally friendly/personal cruise among the passengers. Since there’s no elevators, there was no worry about being hit by electric wheelchairs or walkers. The food is outstanding and served 5 times each day Service by the waiters, cabin stewards, etc., was of highest quality The ports visited often required anchorage due to visiting less frequented places that offered excellent water sports, beaches and shopping opportunities in areas of shallow waters. It is a square rigged sailing ship with the majority of its passengers returning from previous experiences on the same Royal Clipper. The staff is available, personable, and very professional. The cabins are well decorated with mahogany and brass with more than adequate storage. The beds are comfortable and well dressed. The dress code is relaxed and only in the evening is “business casual” the standard. Snorkeling, scuba, kayaking, swimming are offered from a sports platform with equipment supplied ate no cost. Evening entertainment often provided by local performers, no faux broadway type. Selecting this cruise is reserved for able bodied adventurous passengers. Read Less

We chose this cruise because we had not visited most of these ports yet and Princess is our primary cruise line. We also wanted to experience Sky Princess, since it's the newest ship we have ever cruised. We enjoyed it greatly. It's a beautiful ship. We had hired Victor Rosales of Mahahaul EcoTours for a day of birding in Costa Maya. We went to several different areas and saw some colorful species that were new to us. Victor also included a delicious lunch at a little beach-side cafe in Mahahual. He is well-trained, educated and experienced and speaks fluent English as well as his native Spanish. He also does other types of tours as well, specializing in small groups. I would be happy to use Victor again anytime. While in Cozumel, we took the Princess excursion to Tulum. Our tour guide, Marco Polo, was great and quite informative. While in Roatan, we contacted Jensen Wesley and he drove us to the Carambola Gardens as well as Sandy Bay where I was able to do some great snorkeling. We enjoyed being off the beaten track there so it was not crowded with people. Jensen was very helpful and we were lucky to connect with him. Sky Princess is a bit larger ship than we usually book but it did not feel crowded most of the time. However, anytime dining did have long waits if one went to dinner after about 6:00pm, which we usually do. Food in all venues was excellent. We did not use the specialty restaurants. Our balcony stateroom was super and even though quite forward, ship motion was very minimal. Captain Tuvo of Sky Princess is a real treat too. The fitness room is well equipped. The casino is good and has a computerized Texas Holdem table that made for some good poker games. The Medallion system worked well on board although we did not download the app for use on our phones. The ship's internet was the fastest we have ever used on a cruise. Read Less

This was a cruise that my wife and I took. We had been on the Oasis of the Sea in 2019. The infinity was nice but quite a bit smaller than we were use to. There was limited things to do on the ship compared to the Oasis and the open areas where small. The food was ok and selection was small. The staff were very professional but not super friendly. I think we were spoiled last year. On the Oasis our cabin staff, our dining staff and our pool staff where all our friends by the time we finished our week. On infinity they kind of left you alone. Some people might like that. We had the consigner room but not sure what that really meant. Never met anyone who explain what the difference was? Probably try something new next time. Wife and I did spin class with Stephen and he made it enjoyable. Read Less

Selected cruise for its Hawaiian ports and warm weather plus sailing on the Grand via San Francisco. Amazing cruise, amazing service by Grand Princess staff, and beautiful islands. Highly recommend Grand Princess for its world class service, wonderful and warm staff, and clean ship. Though it's an older ship, staff work hard to maintain the Grand Princess, and officers and staff were present throughout the ship 24/7. Had an excellent cabin steward and professional and wonderful dining room wait staff. Amazing trip onboard the beautiful Grand Princess! Like our waiter, Jonel Bola said, "The Grand Princess is known for #1 service out of its entire fleet of 18 vessels." The entire dining room staff was amazing and wonderful to all its dining passengers. The food was good, plenty of desserts to choose from, and staff are generous with service, extras/portions, drinks, and smiles! All staff throughout the ship were kind, courteous, warm, and provided consistent service and were very hard working. Service throughout the ship was consistent and amazing! Ship Captain, JP Bryant, was very nice and courteous and always greeted passengers pleasantly. This was a 16-day cruise! Have done shorter and longer cruises, but a 16-day is a perfect amount of time for a winter getaway! I highly recommend the beautiful Grand Princess! Others might be concerned that it's an older ship but I find it to be quaint, comfortable, has character, beautiful, has internet service, and has excellent and consistent customer service. I've sailed on the Grand 6 times and each time I've experienced consistent customer service! And, if something wasn't right, staff will work quickly and very hard to make the problem right! No complaints when I'm on the Grand! Read Less

I didn't choose this ship I accidentally ended up being there and it's the best my friend bought the tickets and decided not to go so he gave them to me and my wife as year end gift. I'm 51years old and I have never been on a vacation before this was my very first time on a ship my wife also this experience was the best I have ever had the food was great The staff are well trained I never knew what it is to take a vacation cruise my only complaint is that it was too short (I will be back ) for a second time this time I will come with my whole family all 11 of us embarkation was fast and easy The entertainment is great .The party was good I am an early night sleeper so I was in by 9:00 pm the gym totally great I must say thanks to jeovah God creator of heaven and earth for giving me this opportunity thanks to all the staff onboard for everything. Read Less

I have never been on a cruise before and, I have to admit that I will never forget this experience. The embarkation and disembarkation went very smoothly. Our mini-suite room was great: comfortable bed, air-conditioned, safe box, minibar, movies on demand and the ensuite bathroom that was small but pleasant. Anytime dining was just amazing. Lots of quality food options were available - Mexican, Italian, French, vegetarian. My favorite place was BAKERY :) The room service is so quick and there were no separate charges. It was a 12-nights on the cruise and has no boring moments because the cruise has a wide range of entertainment programmes throughout the day. Also, it was so big that you will find a new place every day when you explore it. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The events organized by cruise were fabulous :) Fully recommended this ship to all age group of people. Read Less

We we're looking forward to a fun, relaxing cruise. Instead we got 5 days on a B-level floating mini mall. Let's discuss 'refurbished'. There is nothing new about this ship. Our rooms were dated, musty and stained. Likewise with the corridors, and facilities. We encountered mould problems in the bathroom, rock hard beds, and stained... everything. Some how the rooms are the highlight of the ship. The food was completely industrial, greasy, plastic, nasty, reheated. We mainly ate at the Windjammer, the main dining hall, where a heavy grease hung in the air due to poor ventilation. There was a respectful amount of reheated food to gorge yourself and try to salvage the trip. If the food, and rooms haven't scared you off, I'd invite you to the promenade. A boring and outdated bridge/entertainment area. Get ready for shopping at Michael Kors, boring pop/rock music from cover bands, and a selection of shows that where inspired by high school variety nights. We now arrive to the conclusion... For the price of our cruise, the never ending overinflated add-ons (resto's, internet, drinks, wine at dinner, arcade, shows, etc...), it's clear that Royal Caribbean is more interested in nickel and diming customers rather than providing a quality product. Full speed ahead away from this cruise. Read Less

It wasn't our first choice, but I am soo happy with this cruise and the experiences we shared. Leaving and coming back to Sydney Harbour was like night and day. Leaving the port was smooth as the seas beneath us. The ship is magnificent and should be explored in great detail. The cabins are adequate and will serve you well. The food is delicious, not one desire was left unfulfilled. Entertainment was amazing, such a wide selection of shows, movies, and games. If you are strong, turn off your phone and allow the captain to take you on your journey. You will find all the answers you seek if you aren't afraid to follow your pain. If you are reading Captain Nicholas, please employ a maître d' for the disco, the DJ's need all the help they can get. Thank you so very much Celebrity Solstice, till we meet again. Read Less

This cruise was a last minute decision and I was skeptical of the low fare, but booked the 10 day cruise out of Ft Lauderdale and traveled with 10 friends. I have traveled the last two years with Viking and had 3 previous cruses with different lines and I have to admit that my experience with Costa on the Luminosa exceeded my expectations. Was it perfect? No. But I have very little to complain about. I don’t understand the food complaints. The dining room food was as good or better than Viking. The service was a little slow, but we had 11 at our table and there were few mistakes. The buffet on deck 9 was equally good...both breakfast and lunch. The pizza was good and always available. Wonderful fruit and pastries. There was a full selection of onboard activities. My group participated in the 4 dance classes offered most days. The show each night was entertaining and no problem getting seating . There was live music in numerous locations and plenty of dance floor. My cabin was the largest I’ve had on a cruise; elevators were quick; and I thought the decor was uniquely Italian...beautiful. Language no problem. Cons: only two electrical outlets in cabin; one in bath and one across from bed...non on headboard wall. No free wi-fi. Two of the excursions were more about selling you merchandise than anything else. IAll-in-all, very pleased and will cruise with them again. Read Less

This was a Christmas cruise and did not disappoint. The ship is in fine condition, the gym is new and excellent, food was great, but most of all, the entertainment was the best we've ever seen on a cruise. Every single bit was outstanding - the magician, the comedian, the acrobat, and most of all, the dancers. They use a live band and these dancers are so good, so professional and so entertaining that I actually LIKED watching them ... and I'm not usually into watching such things. How they worked the magician into the "Elements" show was just superb, and he's just a guest entertainer. Wow! As for the food, we enjoyed Teppanyaki enough to do it twice but discovered that Cagney's is actually better food. The service on this cruise was also first rate; unfortunately we had to call in a complaint about our next-door neighbor smoking on the balcony after putting up with it for the first two days ... his smoke would blow right into our balcony and our room. NCL spoke to him twice before he finally quit ... or we just didn't notice it anymore. Read Less

This year my family and I decided to take a cruise to celebrate the Christmas holiday. We took the 7 day our of Puerto Rico. We had a total of 12 people (6 Adults and 6 Children). Here is the review. Check in: Be aware that this takes time. The road to the cruise terminal is a two lane street. Prepare yourself that it takes about an hour before you get on the ship. Once you get to the terminal, its fast. Food: The food was great as always. Really enjoyed the complementary restaurants as well as the specialty restaurants. Whats awesome about the Epic is the Chinese restaurant is included. Very nice. The Manhattan room was our favorite in terms of atmosphere. French is our favorite for the specialty restaurant. Beverage: The open bar feature is the best at sea. Almost all call brands are included, and they allow you to get 2 drinks at a time. Plenty of options and service is fast. Best value at sea. Cabin: Our cabin was an inside room with plenty of room for two people. Three or Four maybe a little tight. Everything worked and it was very clean. The beds are very comfortable. Service: This is really one of the best part of our trip. The service was excellent. Everyone was in a great spirit. The hotel director (Nelson) was always interacting with guests and making sure everyone was having a good vacation. Bartenders and Servers went above and beyond your expectations. Entertainment: The kids loved the watersides and the bowling alley. Kids club kept them occupied and they met some new friends. The Shows are great and are similar quality of what you find on Broadway. Ports: This was a very heavy port focused cruise. We enjoyed all of the islands and was nice to see islands that we normally wouldn't go to. Overall, we all had a great time. Very nice to be on the boat during the holiday season. The cruise line made a big effort to spread the holiday cheer. Will do it again. Read Less

We chose this cruise while on another Viking ocean cruise. We received several perks (cruise credits for current & future cruise, Silver beverage package & discounts) for immediate booking. We were elated with the entire experience from start to finish! Our Viking agent helped with air transportation and notified us of any airline scheduling changes made after initial booking. The transfer from airport to ship was seamless & comfortable. We explored Valparaíso by taking the optional Artists Tour, and again we were enthralled by the kindness, quality and craft of the talented artists. Embarkation was seamless for us. Our room was ready. Our Cabin Stewards, Danica and Jeremy greeted us and introduced us to our new surroundings. They were a team that worked well together & were able to help us address minor cabin maintenance issues with immediate follow up. The Viking Jupiter is new. It is beautiful. Though we had a couple days of rough waters on the Pacific my motion-sickness prone companion did not become ill. Executive decisions were made to not complete the passage around Cape Horn and we recognized their buy in to safety first. It was appreciated by us. Whether dining at the Restaurant buffet, Mamsen’s or reserving with Manfredi’s or the Chef’s Table, our dining experiences were 5-Star. Wine sommeliers Daniel, Valaria, & Omega we’re indeed extraordinary in their descriptions of wine profiles and food matches to entice our palates. The food prep, temperature and spices were just right. Playing was beautiful. Salads were consistently fresh, flavorful and if dressed, the dressing was adequate. I personally enjoyed immensely the educational seminars by our invited educators and the historian in residence. I learned so very much about culture, economy, topography, government and their current issues. For me, this was a highlight. I’m not much into shows but I loved the classical duets and piano pieces played in the atrium. We made at least one shore excursion at every port. I appreciated the learning, though some local guides were clearly better than others. We ventured out some on our own as well, and that too made for a great cultural experience. We also tried the Nordic bathing ritual. In that hands of the Scandinavian professional, Elena (?) we learned how to relax and clean deeply. Unfortunately, the non-Scandinavian hair dresser did not know what she was doing. Her massages caused pain for some of us, and in fact one older gentleman yelped and added, “That hurt!” . It was our only “miss”. We have now signed up for 2 more Viking cruises as a result of our largely terrific experiences. Read Less

The cruise was a good value overall but the experience goes downhill when they start to charge $1.50 for a milkshake, spin-class charges, ice cream is given out like it was gold. Ticky tack charges. Carnival has unlimited ice cream and Guy’s burgers on Carnival which is the best. My daughter did not like the heavy sauced foods at seated dinning so I ask for a steak which is standard on Carnival for sit down dinner. When I asked the waiter he gave me a menu with a $25 up charge. Carnival is Supposed to be the lesser ship but in my family’s opinion carnival is the better ship. More stuff to do for kids, better live shows at night and just all-around more fun. All the shows were smutty knowing that children were on board during Christmas vacation. Every show had some sort of innuendo about sex and other non-kid friendly stuff. Crew was great as in all the cruises I have ever been on. The first night we didn’t get to our seated dinner till 530 so we were a half hour late and was chastised by the waiter that we should be there at 5 o’clock but I did not get my bags until 515. Pizza and hotdogs for junkies is the best but all other food is no better than any other cruise line I have been on. We were not able to get off the boat for Kauai because of bad weather. They gave us a apology from the captain and were given $8 per person back. Cheap cheap, you would think they might give something more than $8 port fee returned and a apology. Free photo, drinks, etc.. So hold on to your wallet because Princess will try to pick it! Also stains all over my carpet and the boat looks tired. In between ports the smell of paint as the crew was painting the boat to hide the rust. I would rather have a clean carpet. Read Less

This was our first cruise while we are world travelers. This cruise was beyond our expectation in every way you could imagine. An amazing organization from the start to the end with impeccable staff & all you need to enjoy in 10 days. From the entertainment including great shows, comedy, singers and dancers, then the fitness center with spa, hair & nail salon, relaxation, tanning on the deck, watching top movies, for food, several dining rooms & buffet with variation in taste & freshly prepared meals, & many more to keep every one happy on the cruise. The 4 Mexican ports the ship stopped were really worth visiting. Anything you needed was at your disposal with great services & front desk as your guide. The Captain was always anouncing the big events & keeping us informed of the weather & sailing condition. Thanks to the entire crew. We highly recommend the Grand Princess. Read Less