Chose cruise for stops. Excellent time crew excellent travel during Coronavirus craziness endless cleaning on ship they really made us feel safe. Captain made decisions not to port in port Rico due to uncertainty! Sailed up to Cape Canaveral embarkation was fairly smothered considering circumstances!! provided transport to air port and we were not charged anything extra for extra days at sea!!! Excellent job NCL!!! We will definitely cruise NCL again !! Epic is a good ship for multiple stops not best ship for sea days no enough outside venues!! We have been on getaway multiple time and enjoyed the water front part of ship !! NCL is a fun cruise line for me and my wife they have good entertainment and a great staff most bar tenders on board made great drinks!! We’re a little picky we don’t like extra sweat mixers in our drinks and most time they adjusted to our taste!! Also food was great no complaints there Read Less

We chose this cruise on 2/6/20 based on the itinerary and low price that went even lower after we booked. We flew into Puerto Rico on Friday, 3/6 and satyed3at the Caribe Hilton (amazing) while enjoying the forts, Old San Juan, some great restaurants and an excursion to El Yunque rainforest. EMBARKATION Arrived around 1:00, got tested for temperature, checked in on priority (Platinum), filled out some paperwork, got our key cards and were on the ship within 15 minutes of our temp check. DISEMBARKATION Not as smooth, but once we figured out what line to get in, we waited about 45 minutes and then were about the first 100 or so people let off. Going through customs was easy (no paperwork or questions) just held our passport by our face and walked right through. DINING Ate a 5 of the specialty restaurants and enjoyed each except for La Cucina where it took us 1.5 hours just to get served 2 courses. We ate mainly in Taste for breakfast but for a couple of early morning meals at the Garden Cafe. BARBADOS Did NCL Excursion with bus transport to Carlisle Bay Beach (beautiful) that included a welcome drink, lounge chairs and an umbrella. ST. LUCIA Did NCL Excursion for Soufriere by Land/Sea that was phenomenal. Our tour guide, Cindy, was fantastic and knowledgeable about the island and its history during our journey via small bus along the numerous twists/turns and elevated changes with a few stops to see the Pitons and amazing water views below, with our final journey via catamaran to view the Pitons and scenic coastline. ANTIGUA We booked our own excursion to Blue Waters Resort for $65 pp that included use of resort facilities (pools, beaches, water sports) but no food or drink. If you want the all inclusive the cost is $150 pp. NCL charges $349 pp (includes transportation) but we only spent $18 total for the 15-minute ride via cab from the port. You need to book this via phone directly with this beautiful and luxurious resort. TORTOLA/BVI We booked an excursion on our own via Kuralu Too for a small group (we were 2 of 20) that included 2 great snorkel spots and then almost 4 hours at Jost Van Dyke where we enjoyed the food & drinks at The Soggy Dollar Bar, the beautiful beach and warm water. ST. THOMAS We did the skyride that is but a short walk from the cruise pier that provides a quick, enclosed gondola ride to the top, while providing some amazing views at the top. Afterwards, we took an open air cab ($8 pp) to Magen'd Bay Beach to soak up some last minute beachtime at this Top 10 rated beach. ENTERTAINMENT Howl at the Moon - 5 stars! Burn the Floor - 5 stars! Epic Beatles - 4 stars SERVICE 5 Stars across the board but for a brief service glitch while eating at La Cucina. Our room steward, Irwin, was fantastic, pleasant and did a great job. We received greetings duiring our long walks in the room hallways from everyone each time we passed them. We secured POSH passes and got more than our $ worth ($59 pp) especially as our cruise was extended 2 extra days. INTERNET 1 star as I truly hope NCL addresses this really bad system they use. This was never more under the spotlight than when we were told at 6:30 AM on the day we were to leave Puerto Rico on Sunday, 3/15 through Tuesday, 3/17 where trying to make a call or change a flight via the internet were next to impossible. The extra 60 minutes were a nice gesture but were virtually useless when needed. PUERTO RICO A beautiful island that provides a rich Caribbean history, great restaurants, bars and our hotel (Caribe Hilton) was a resort we will go to again. We were upset that our ship was turned away on 3/15, and felt especially sad for the many PR People that were so close to being home, yet wre turned away like rest of us. NCL Thank you for a great cruise, wonderful service and getting us safely to Port Canaveral (no extra costs). We look forward to cruising again on NCL! Read Less

My BF and I just got back from our first Norwegian Cruise which was also the last that sailed before Corona Virus stopped cruise lines from continuing their cruises. I just have to say that Norwegian stepped up to the plate to make sure all the passengers on board were always safe from infection. There were extra precautions put in place with sanitation throughout the Joy and instructions for everyone to “washy washy” their hands as frequently as possible. There were hand sanitizer stations everywhere. Crew members were on the ready to spritz hands with sanitizer after washing as well. You couldn’t touch a railing or a wall where there wasn’t a crew member sanitizing it right behind you. Yes, some of the steps they took to keep passengers safe seemed like an inconvenience to some but we appreciated all the efforts. We enjoyed our vacation with Norwegian so much! Throughout all this chaos going on they never failed to make sure service was still on point. The food was absolutely delish all over the ship as well. The District Tap and Brew house quickly became our favorite little spot to go hang out, play some cards or listen to Zoe Jackson perform at her piano. Such fun. We will DEFINITELY be cruising with Norwegian in the future when all this stuff blows over. Hopefully that is soon. I already mis it. Read Less

Initially we had an Asian destination cruise with Norwegian, that was canceled. We were able to secure the Bahamas cruise, departing in Miami. Everything about this cruise was great. The crew managed the increasing corona virus concerns well, and passengers were generally patient and understood. With the exception of two adult passenger tantrums we witnessed, that I must say were handled very well by crew who were clearly working above and beyond their everyday responsibilities, things flowed well for the passengers. I’m sure behind the scenes it was a very busy and stressful time for all of the crew, especially considering whilst we were cruising, the orders came that all cruises were canceled, so crew were faced with the prospect of being without income for an unknown amount of time once our journey ended. Not once did any of the crew complain or make comment about this. They continued to work hard, showed grace and humour and managed their roles well. The ports were great, and our hearts are worried about the impact the cancelations will have on the beautiful people we met on the ship and in port. We loved the entertainment, the shopping guides with Dan & Dan, the wait staff in the restaurants, the bar tenders...all of the staff were fantastic! We will be booking another cruise as soon as we can. Read Less

Due to having to use tenders, one port was canceled. At the other two, it took hours to re-board. The cruise director did a TERRIBLE job of communicating in Cozumel. Yes, there were a lot of ships which I understand makes it more congested. However, they refused to communicate over the loudspeakers as to how we were to disembark on the tenders, leading to mass confusion. It took us 4 hours to get off the ship. We were told they were going to make sure we got there for the excursion, but that time came and went. Then they said the excursions would wait, but when we finally got ashore we were told they left without us. We had a grand total of 2 hours at the port before we stood in line another 2 hours to get back on the boat. I completely blame the cruise director and the crew for their terrible communication and organization. They made an already difficult situation 10 times worse and ruined our vacation. I used to love Norwegian but I will never sail with them again after this. Learn how to make proper announcements so people can plan accordingly and disembark in an organized manner. The dining was actually good, especially Ocean Blue. Many of the cruise staff were amazing through everything, but several were really obnoxious. We missed our first port because of choppy waters, but Jamaica and Grand Cayman were awesome. I highly recommend the ATV excursion in Jamaica and checking out Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman. The parties on the ship were lackluster at best, and we really missed the white party which they normally have on Norwegian but didn't this time. Syd Norman Pour House was cool for music but usually too crowded to enjoy. Same thing for the pool. The shows were great as well. We loved Six! All in all, I would not go on another huge ship like the Breakaway again. Q Read Less

1st time cruise Waited in extreme long lines to tender off and on the ship,Over 2 hours each way. I feel we should have been compensated because lf lack of enough tenders to get us off the Ship. Leaving us with little time in each port It was my understanding with the price we paid we would get Steak and lobster .. The lobster was a additional charge /same for crab legs. Most places to eat charged extra, even with specialty dining package. Did not make the first port (Bahamas) due to rough seas. Most music was bad. we seen as little as 25 people watching a show The Champagne Catamaran excursion should have been canceled as well. That was a joke trying to get people on and off their boat without falling in Was made to wear a lifejacket when snorkeling ( I don't think they understand you must go underwater to snorkel. another joke ) They have a Bar called Bar 21 worst bar for service. There were video poker machines at each seat at the bar . Some worked some won't If you sat at a broken one they wouldn't take your drink order You were told to move to another machine .All bartenders ignored you. I guess they thought we should be paying for each drink Never again Read Less

We chose this cruise for a 65 birthday occasion, and for snorkelling. This is our 10th cruise (all but one Norwegian) and we’re looking forward to it. Paid extra for Vibe, and then suffered from lack of service. First two days closed (but that was the weather). I understand th ere is “no refunds for weather” but really, when you pay over $400 that is too much for like max 6 hours use. Also the bartender (s) spent too much time at the outsid bar, three times we had to go there to be served. Paid for the spa upgrade and for 2 days there was no hot tub and no water/tea Fruit. Food was ok, esp in specialty restaurants, and manhattan room. Six was great! Took too long for tenders on Cozumel. And it seemed “groups” were given priority, not platinum level members or ncl booked shore excursions. So out three snorkelling trips turned out to be one half excursion. Not enough trivia! Read Less

We had a fabulous time on board the Breakaway. The ship is beautiful. There is so much to do. Great shows, comedy club, live bands, games, movies, pub, dining. And lots of daily activities to participate in, if you choose. We loved the Manhatten Room, Ocean Blue and La Cucina for dinners. The stateroom was great! Comfy beds and pillows. The wait staff were terrific. Our cabin steward was awesome. All of the staff we encountered were friendly and so accommodating. And very hard working. Always a smile for us. We got off on each of the islands, except for Stirrup Cay. Due to rough water and wind we were unable to tender to it. Can't wait for our next cruise. It will be with Norwegian!! We were the last cruise due to the Covid-19 virus. We were very happy with the precautionary measures Norwegian took to help keep everyone safe. Great job! Read Less

I have sailed with many other cruise lines and even NCL prior to this multiple times. The experience back then was a great experience. It appears to me that NCL has made some changes not for the good over time. The service was horrible, people unfriendly, no servers on the pool deck, hour waits to get a drink, embarkation was more than painful, etc. This was a complete waste of hard earned money for our honeymoon and I truly wish I would have spent my money elsewhere. I never write reviews and have never in my 42 years written a review about a cruise experience until this moment. The poor review is warranted. I would not recommend this ship to anybody. I will say one exception to the horrible service was the Assistant Cruise Director and an amazing life guard who was quite friendly. As for the server staff, the breakfast crew was a bit more helpful but as the day went on, good luck! Read Less

Just returned home from this 7-day western Caribbean itinerary on Norwegian Pearl. It was just my boyfriend and I (both in our early-mid 30s). I have previously been on 2 Princess cruises, on Norwegian Escape twice and the Dawn last year. My boyfriend has also been on the Epic. Used NCL arranged airfare and transfers and flew into Miami from Maine on day of the cruise. This is the first time I have used NCL airfare and transfers and all went as expected without any issues. We usually fly in the day before but due to prior commitments we were unable to do this. Very pleased with the flight arrangements made by NCL. We arrived in Miami around 1:15 pm and there were NCL staff at baggage claim directing their cruisers to the transfer shuttle. We arrived to the port within 30 minutes of landing and made it through check-in at the port pretty quickly without any long waits. Our luggage was at our room by 5pm even though we checked in on the later side. The Ship Smaller ship but still has plenty of dining and bar options. Very clean and updated. Does have digital tough screens in a few areas like some of the newer NCL ships, but most of them weren't working properly. You don't need to prebook shows so we didn't really need to use these much. Cabin We had a 10th floor midship balcony cabin (10612) and were very pleased with our room. We don't spend much time in our room other than for sleeping and getting ready, but it is really great to have a balcony to sit and have a drink or room service breakfast. Bathroom was very similar to the Dawn but has a door to the toilet area. Shower also has a door. Bed was comfortable. Room was clean and our cabin steward was great. He was very attentive. I had him clear out the mini bar and put a mattress pad on the bed on the first day and otherwise we didn't need to have him do anything else other than the basic tidying up. Dining We had a specialty dining package for 3 meals. We tried Cagneys Steakhouse (filet mignon and cheesecake were amazing), La Cucina (Italian) and all our dishes were great. We went to Tepanyaki (hibachi) for our last meal and this was also very good. Typical hibachi experience but the steak and shrimp were so delicious. Main buffet was typical for NCL ships. Food was ok. It was even smaller than the Garden Cafe on the Dawn with fewer options. Always crowded. We have learned to avoid the buffet at all costs except for afternoon snacks. There was another buffet in the Great Outdoors area on the back of the ship which had the basic food items. Again, we only stopped for snacks. O'Sheehans: Same menu as on other NCL ships. We like the wings, nachos and Caesar salads for a quick snack or lunch once returning from port. We usually stop here for a sit down breakfast most mornings to avoid the buffet lines. They have decent omelets and some other basic breakfast options. Can usually get in and out quickly. They also agree to fill our water bottles which is nice so we don't have to make a stop in the cafe to do this. Main Dining Rooms: We only ate at Indigo as their dress code isn't as strict as Summer Palace. They allowed men to wear shorts and I saw a lot of casual outfits on both men and women. We had 3-4 dinners at Indigo and all were very good. Can usually get through the meal in about an hour for 2 people and be on your way to a show. We discovered that you can order room service (preorder the night before) and have pastries/fruit/coffee/juice delivered to your room so we did this twice. Was great to sit out on the balcony and enjoy a coffee and not have to worry about going anywhere. We did this on sea days as we don't usually need to get an early start. Bars Best drinks came from Maltings Whiskey Bar and Sugarcane Mojito bar. The service was quite slow, however. Happy to find out they have Bon & Viv and Truly seltzers at the main bars now. Entertainment Not as many options as other NCL ships. Duo Contessance was awesome (couple that does aerial acrobatics). Legends was good but geared toward older crowd. A lot of 60-70s themed music, again geared toward older crowd. Pool band was ok. The DJ was overall fine. We didn't listen to any of the lounge music. Pedro, the cruise director was pretty absent throughout the day compared to the cruise directors I've seen on the Dawn and Escape. He was never by the pool or getting the crowd pumped up. Usually the cruise directors communicate the daily/weekly shows or activities and give details. None of that from Pedro aside from at the main evening show. I never saw the assistant CD, Guido, at all. We happened to wander into some shows that turned out to be pretty good but would not have otherwise known what they were about unless we showed up. We spent an hour or so in the Casino. Pretty typical for a cruise ship casino. Lots of smoking. Not overly crowded. Rock wall had very limited hours and was closed due to wind at times. Service Overall very good. Our cabin steward was great. Wait staff were all pretty average throughout the ship. No one really stood out to me as being exceptional. Pool bar staff were doing their jobs but didn't appear to be having much fun doing it. Usually we have one that we get along with and call our own for the week, but they were all pretty stoic. Guest services staff were all pretty good. Pool 2 main pools and 4 hot tubs in the main pool area. We did discover a water feature on one of the sun decks but no other pools or hot tubs. One of the main pools and 2 hot tubs were adult only which was nice. No issues with kids playing or splashing. Last day was super windy so 1 pool was drained and they were doing pool maintenance. Not much of an issue getting a lounger on the pool deck on this cruise. A little more so on sea days but there was a pool attendant actually watching empty chairs and moving stuff if people were away for >30min which I appreciated as they never seem to do this. Fitness Center We did go to the gym on our first sea day and it was packed. Was able to get a treadmill pretty quickly and ran a few miles but it was difficult as you are looking out at the waves. Was also very hot and humid in the gym which made it hard to get a good workout in. Has all the basics for cardio and weightlifting. Ports Overall a good itinerary. Enjoyed all ports. Roatan, Honduras: Booked Jolly Roger Catamaran and Snorkel through NCL. This was a great excursion. Good food and rum punch included. Not much instruction or education as far as explaining what fish or coral we were looking at. Harvest Caye, Belize: My least favorite port. Very commercialized. Waited in line for nearly 2 hours for tender to shore. I guess they were doing maintenance on the pier and we were unable to dock as initially planned. Several ships in that day and there were not enough tenders to keep up with everyone trying to get to shore. Once there, everything was fine. Beach was ok. Water was not clear and couldn't do much snorkeling. HUGE pool with swim up bar. We spent most of the day at the pool. They have restaurants and bar stands throughout the area. There are also shops. Good and affordable coconut drinks. Costa Maya, Mexico: I liked this stop the best. Very cultural area. People were friendly and helpful. Took a shuttle to YaYa Beach in Mahahual and had a wonderful beach day. Booked this through shoreexcursioneer.com without any issues. Beach was calm and beautiful. Drinks and food included. Cab/shuttle fare was $4 each per person one way and I felt safe using these services. Cozumel, Mexico: Been here before and rented scooters and rode around the island. This time wanted to do something different. Booked an all inclusive package at Mr. Sanchos and had a great day! All food and drinks included and it was all delicious. My glass was never empty as Julio the bartender kept it topped off at all times. They have a beach, pools and other activities. Booked through shoreexcursioneer.com beforehand as they tend to sell out months in advance. 100% would go here again. More of a party atmosphere but people of all ages there. Took a cab to and from the port for $20 each way. Cab drivers were trying to charge more and I believe the typical cab rate is $17 but we didn't argue. We did not travel with children and can't comment on any of the kid's activities. We did not visit the spa, purchase photos/art/other items. Read Less

Good itinerary, but this ship design is bad. My husband's feet hung off the bed by about 6 inches. No other Norwegian ship has been like this! The room is cramped, with no real bathroom, just a cubicle for shower, cubicle for toilet and the sink is out in the open, waking everyone up when you wash your hands if you get up in the middle of the night. No shampoo, conditioner or body lotion. Only two main staircases fore and aft, instead of 3. This is worrying for this size of ship. The buffet is all the same items repeated 5 times along the center and both sides. There is no quiet place to eat outside from the buffet. All the outside railings have plexiglass so you have to peer between the panes to see clearly. The food and drinks were good quality, but we found ourselves defending Norwegian to quite a few first time cruisers with them, trying to tell them this ship was not 'normal' compared to the rest of the fleet. The staff were all lovely. Read Less

This is my second NCL cruise, and like the first one embarkation & disembarkation was the smoothest of all the cruises I’ve been on. (Been on Carnival and Royal Caribbean, 15 cruises in total) This ship never really felt crowed, except a few times in the Garden Cafe - When people are breathing down you back to get an extra piece of bacon (I’m positive they didn’t run out of bacon). I thought all the bartenders were very attentive, specialty dinning was awesome, especially Moderno. My ATV excursion was cancelled the day before we arrived in St. Kitts - So we walked around, and that was a disaster. I’ll preface it by adding that we did that last year, and enjoyed the shopping area, and ventured into the town - and completely enjoyed it. However, this year we were bombarded by taxi drivers, monkey handlers, and hair braiders. And when I left the tourist shopping area, I become very concerned of suspect people watching and eyeballing my wife and me - So we immediately left and got back on the ship. Room service was very good, but my mini-suite was not worth the money. Very narrow, and the toilet and shower were situated separately, in which I would call a “pod”. Very strange!!!! And the deck for a mini-suite was on the small size. (I’ve had mini-suites on multiple ships and cruise lines, and this was the worst. Overall, we love cruises, and we’ll be on Breakaway in May with the entire family. Read Less

The Epic is a wonderful ship. We will certainly consider sailing on it again, if it's going where we want to go. The public areas are well-done. We loved Cirque and Burn the Floor. My only complaint regarding entertainment is that they need more performances for things like the comedy club and the Beatles so that more people can actually attend them (very limited seating in the Cavern Club). It was easy finding seats at places like Maltings and Shakers, even when live music was playing. We did all of our shore excursions through NCL. We especially loved ziplining in the rainforest of St. Kitts. Some of the boat/snorkeling trips were too crowded (especially the one in St. Lucia). The Thermal Spa is wonderful. We spent at least an hour a day in there. For dining, we had breakfast at the buffet, which was fine. We had one lunch at the buffet, which wasn't as good as breakfast, and didn't go for lunch there again. Most of our lunches were at O'Sheehans or one of the MDRs, when not eating on an excursion. For dinner, we went to Taste and the Manhattan Room once each and did signature dining the other nights. Thoughts on those: Manhattan Room and Taste: The food was delicious. We liked the smaller portions as it meant we actually had room for dessert! Moderno: Brazilian style meat place. The "salad" bar is amazing with the basic salads, shrimp salad, an antipasto section, cheeses, and much more. They do the typical green side up when you want more meat and red side up when you don't want any. The dessert was incredible. Cirque: Entertainment and wonderful food. This is a fixed menu: prosciutto with cheese and greens, filet mignon with onion straws, and trio of desserts plate. La Cucino: The scenery is incredible, as you are at the front of the ship, looking over the water. Loved the bread. The food was upscale, with fine touches. I had the shrimp ravioli with lobster sauce. Yum! Teppanyaki: Japanese Hibachi grill. Our grillmaster was very entertaining, singing back and forth with grillmasters at other grills. The food was perfecto! Cagney's: This was our only truly disappointing meal all week. My steak was tough and uneatable. I ate about half of it. The french onion soup was good, though... Read Less

My wife and I were celebrating our 20th anniversary so we decided we'd try NCL booking the Haven. Well worth it at the price point we got. Service was great...priority embarkation/debarkation was terrific! Made the whole thing worth it right there! The entertainment was great. We really enjoyed The Million Dollar Quartet, the actors were excellent. Burn the Floor was quite a show, too. We did pay to see Cirque Steam, I'd recommend it. Dining was also enjoyable. We had dinner at two of the specialty restaurants...Cagneys and Le Bistro. Out of the two, Le Bistro was the better. We had reservations at Ocean Blue for a 9:30 reservation on the last night of the cruise, but we pooped out. Entertainment at the Atrium lodge was fun. Lots of trivia, game shows, musical entertainment and informational presentations. All the drinks we had were quite tasty. We did have the premium drink package, so anything up to $15 was free. My wife made full use of it! For the most part, everything was great. We really enjoyed the Haven experience and will probably try to book it again. A standard balcony cabin would be good, too... Read Less

NCL Joy was a very nice ship. Food in specialty restaurants was wonderful. We tried Cagney’s, le bistro, Q smokehouse, Ocean Blue, and la cucina but main dining Manhattan room was just ok. Don’t eat all day before going to Q smokehouse it was a lot of food. My husband and I did not like the Local. Atmosphere was noisy and poor food. Also too many high top tables. We enjoy O’Sheehans much better. Entertainment was great. Our room 14780 was great but wasn’t expecting a tub which wasn’t good with a hurt foot. We had concierge service but never saw him again after first day. Room steward did an excellent job. Slow bar service in casino but casino was kind to us. Elevators are super slow but with a bad foot stairs were out of the question. Only bad thing was getting on and off the ship. Port of San Pedro was the worse anywhere. 2 hours for us to get on but I heard people waited 4 hours. Getting off was almost as bad. Will never go out of this port again. Read Less

We chose to do an eastern Caribbean cruise on the Norwegian Encore because of the destinations. We were quite unhappy with multiple aspects of the cruise starting with the 2 hour boarding process. The rooms seemed significantly smaller than the Carnival cruise. We even booked a more expensive balcony room but still preferred our basic Carnival room. This ship is new to the water and we were not impressed at all with the amount of motion the ship had. Granted we did have rough weather, we have had rough weather on other cruises and never felt it as much as this. The entire trip had a lot of unappreciated motion even by my standards (I am a sport fisherman). The cost structure is designed to give the bare minimum and charge additional for most commodities. Im sorry, but if I buy a drink package I would like to be able to get a bottle of water without paying $5 for it. The pool was closed at times because it was a liability with the amount of sway of the ship. We spend approx. $5500 in cruise and airfare fees and were not even allowed to do our main destination (Bahamas) because the tender boats could not get to the ship. However right next to us there were (2) Royal Carribbean ships that had a dock on their private island and were able to disembark. No compensation was given. Their lack of infrastructure on their private Grand Stirrup Cay made us spend a day on a rough sea instead of the prime destination. I would say about half of the usable deck space on the ship was reserved for an even higher cost package which limited the majority of the ship to (1) adult pool. Lounge chairs, chairs, and even pool deck seating was next to impossible unless you went out at 7am to reserve a spot. The food was also much better on Carnival. Our specialty dining package allowed us into (3) restaurants of our choosing with caveats. Reservations to some places needed to be made months before even boarding the ship. In addition to that multiple menu items had additional costs above and beyond buying the premium dining package. All in all we were quite disappointed with this ship and will not use it or potentially Norwegian again. Read Less

NCL Encore - room 12605. 3/2020 Embarkation - showed up at 10:30. By 10:45 we were seated in a huge airport-like waiting area, checked in and ready for them to start boarding. With so many people, even on a day that was 60 degrees outdoors, the area warmed up pretty fast. Cool water and unclean restrooms available. Group 9. Started calling #s at 11:08 am with people who required special assistance and priority boarding. 11:25 we were called and were on board in no time! Vibe club pass: Rushed to purchase vibe passes. We were #92 & 93. The cost of the vibe beach club for 7 days was $209 per person. The fee is non-refundable and you are warned of inclement weather closing of the entire area which may include rain or high winds. There is no pool. Only a misting station. On sea days there is extremely high winds. So much so, that 1 jacuzzi was closed off and even tho the sunning area on that side of the club was open, there was no-one who could stand the strong winds enough to hang out there. Fortunately, they did not close the entire area, but most logical adults could reason that unattended belongings would fly away if left in the high winds. They do give you clip-on, removable, brightly-colored wrist bracelets to wear in the club area. The attendants will ask you to put it on if you forget and will escort any non-wearing, non-paying guests out of the club area on the 1st days as they get to know everyone by name after only a day or 2. The area includes shade umbrellas but, as we quickly discovered, they are rarely put out for use. The winds are pretty intense on the top decks where the club is located and so they have a few issues. Even while in port, in Miami, they had to take the umbrellas down as they started toppling with the high winds. Jacuzzis fit about 8 people comfortably. There are no bubbles. Just warm (not hot) water. No drinks allowed in jacuzzi. The explanations was that drinks have toppled into the jacuzzi which then take 2+ hours to empty, clean, and refill the tub. On the plus side, if you bring your yeti cup, bartenders seem to be nice enough to fill those with your drink of choice or fresh water or alcoholic concoction throughout the day. I also saw them bring out pitchers of citrus flavored water to small groups with plastic cups to go with it. On the sea day towards the Bahamas, they were able to open a few umbrellas and played some soothing jazz music. Enjoyable weather and good times. Muster drill @ 3:30 in indoor air-conditioned area. Lasted 15 mins total. As always, if you would like seats, show up 30 mins before. If you’re ok standing for 15 mins, then wait for the alarm to ring then walk towards your muster station to have your card swiped for check-in. They demonstrate the exits and how to put on a life vest. And then the bars re-open. Taste of India and taste of China in buffet area towards back after you pass all the American fare. The food has been an excellent surprise in the buffet as the tastes and spiciness have been just right with absolutely no complaints for the buffet variety and seasonings. Ice cream cups and cones served during lunch with an options of 10+ flavors including rocky road. Also available towards the bow at the buffet is soft serve ice cream cones. On sea day, taco bar served towards the back area as well. Extra charges: $9.95 per device per week for unlimited text messaging with other passengers who purchase the plan. Make sure you bring your yeti cup, etc. water is not included on the beverage package and they charge $5 per paper bottle. (Non-refillable) Using clean glassware, you can refill your water bottle at the water & tea dispensing areas in the buffet area. Observation lounge still smells brand new. Like a new construction site. Huge living room type spaces for your small or large party of people. Cold cuts, sandwiches, fruits, and dessert varieties are served throughout the area up until dinner time when all food and drinks disappear. Beverages can be purchased at the bar or self-serve areas dispense lemonade, tea, and various flavored waters. The times we went to the lounge, it was very quiet library-like ambiance except the people hanging out at the bar. No music streaming. No piano playing. Very serene. People napping here and there. Except the unexpected cold sea day. The observation lounge on that day quickly filled with loud families and teens finding somewhere to hide from the cold winds. Brew house seats still smell of new leather. For your Latin music fix, hang out at the indoor & outdoor mojito bar area with comfy couches in the shade. Latin music plays when bar opens around 11:30 am at a pretty low volume with a variety of songs sprinkled around throughout the day until the live music takes over with the usual English music cruise ship sing alongs and requests in the evening. Entertainment throughout the ship consists of karaoke-type bands with a few instruments playing over the pre-arrangement along with a singer. Good for entertaining the masses but no great stand-outs overall. The encore theater has cooling fans at the back of every seat. Makes it a very comfortable temperature. As others have reported, shortly after 9:00 am, the running/walking track disappears under a sea of chairs. Deck 8 has “the waterfront” which includes a wooden floor all the way around the ship. Some people use this as a walking exercise area. No jogging possible as intermittent window walls are strewn about. Fun morning dance for sea days includes Zumba! Drinks are pretty good, varied, and strong. You can substitute tequilas, rums, etc in your favorite concoction to your liking. No frozen mojitos or margaritas available at most bars as bartenders inform us they do not have blenders at all the bars. Frozen sangria and frozen red wine blend available at the vibe as they have a slushy machine that dispenses those 2 drinks & an array of pina coladas, daqueries, and the infamous Miami vice. Paper straws provided for frozen drinks only - which quickly get soggy and give you that wet paper after taste every time you sip. So bring your own plastic ones if it takes you a while to get thru your drink or if you prefer to straw sip you beverages. BBQ smokehouse is the country dance place to be at night for all those country music fans. The food is ok. Plates served are much smaller than that of a usuals “authentic” Texas bbq place. But taste was good. Service was slow. They play 45 min sets from 8:30pm until way after midnight. Feel free to bring your boots and join everyone in the dance floor or just sit back in the bar and sing along! The NCL app is great but you still have to rely on the daily planner for the details on what the shows and activities are about. Also, you need to book your entertainment activities for future days at the screens around the ship as they don’t show up until 24 hours before the event on the app. And, unlike other cruise apps, other people in your contacts or room reservation cannot see what activities you like or plan to attend. Nor can you see the dinner menus at the public or reserved restaurants for the ability to weigh your options in the app. You can only see them posted at the restaurants or ask for a menu at each restaurant. Also, unlike other cruise lines, you cannot map your way to the next venue from the touchscreens around the ship. So a very useful navigational tool for these 1st few days is very much missing. In PR- walgreens & CVS store right by the pier. Needed some water bottles for the day & to take back onboard as empties for water storage for our beach day next day. Great shops with lots of souvenirs, travel size amenities & last minute gadgets. St. Thomas - do your research. Pick a beach and take a taxi from the beach. There will always be a taxi near any popular beach to take you back at whatever time you need. Usually about $10 per person each way. Most beaches have amenities with bars and restaurants nearby. Then take a stroll thru the shops at the pier. Remember that all jewelry purchases are negotiable. Tortola - we did the cruise line’s escape to Jost Van Dike. They pick you up at 8:00 am. Drop you off at 9:00 am at the soggy dollar beach area. Then pick you up at 12:15 for the 45 min boat run back to the ship. Because of the early departure, there was no time to do anything else as far as shopping or sight seeing. Made it back just in time to re-board. Bahamas - great stirrup cay was completely skipped because of the high waves and wind conditions. Many months ago when we booked this cruise, we were ok with only 3 stops with Tortola being a long day as we figured we would enjoy the warm weather and hot sunny days on each island. We were not excited when the itinerary was changed just 2 months before the sail date to shorten the Tortola stop and include a Bahamas stop instead. As frequent cruisers, we know about the weather conditions in March in the Bahamas. And sure enough, it was not beach weather at the beginning of March. The outside temp was in the 60s. So maybe not a bad thing we skipped the cold beach water. Made the vibe beach pass even more worth the purchase! More activities were added to the daily planner such as Latin Cardio Dance class and more open times at the “for purchase” activities onboard. All excursions were reimbursed. Pool area was empty. Jacuzzi were full. NCL announces on its daily planner that you can access cruisecritic.com free of charge with no internet package to buy to post reviews. I have not found that to be the case. The main page comes up on my smart phone but once you click “boards” or “reviews” it freezes. Inside stateroom #12605: overall smaller than most ships we have been on. The location was fabulous! Right next to the elevators. There are only 2 main elevator areas on the ship - forward and aft. That’s it. The down side to having our room so close to the elevators was we could hear the kids running the hallways at night and the nighttime entertainment seemed to be funneled into the elevator shafts and dispersed into the hallways. Nice if you’re at the party. Awful if you need to get rest for a very early excursion next day. The neighbors across the hall taped paper decorations to their door (non-magnetic) and were allowed to keep them up the whole voyage. But not very many people did that. Suction cup hangers work on the inside windows of your shower stall but not the walls. Lots of hangers provided. You also have just enough storage space for 2 people. (Don’t think 4 could do it.) apart from the closet with a long upper shelf and 4 smaller side shelves inside the closet (one which is occupied by the in-room safe), you also have 2 small shelves next to the mini-fridge, shelving under the bathroom sink, shelving next to toilet area, and 2 night time shelves next to the bed. Along with a place for small, trivial accessories above the headboard. Disembarkation: The ship arrived super early at the pier because of the missed Bahamas stop. Arrival on all paperwork we had seen was 10:00 am. We were there well before 5:00 am. On the app’s “farewell” screen, they had a screen for information on disembarkation, immigration & customs, and final day info. None of those worked. Message was “oops. Content not found”. So had a hard time deciphering if they would let us leave early or what the status was. We took our luggage with us and made our way to the 7th floor gangway. They make us line up along the casino area. As much as they try not to let the smoke penetrate outside the smokers lounge, it still does & will affect those with sensitivity to smoke. Lines were long but moved quickly. We lined up at 7:15. We were allowed off the boat at 7:35. Out thru customs at 7:50. Read Less

This was our(two of us) 3rd cruise with Norwegian (Escape & Getaway prior) and we did enjoy the crown jewel. There were many things we missed and many things that made us scratch our heads. Check in/embarkation was fast and simple as usual with NCL, though we were a tad confused as to why we were ushered to the waiting area for the Pearl and unable to hear the announcements for Encore boarding. After boarding we were in awe of how beautiful the interior was decorated and how large each of the areas were, enough space for many people with ample elbow room. Making our way to what we thought was going to be the only smoking section on the ship, other than the enclosed casino area, we were told there was an outside smoking section on Deck 16. Bravo NCL for accommodating the "outcast" we truly appreciated it. Though I do understand that some whom do not smoke still complained and I agree it could have been in a better ventilated area, but being close to the bar was huge plus. The weather could, of course, been better but that is not NCL's fault. it was very windy and the water was rough for most of the cruise, we have learned our lesson and will wait to later in the year to cruise again. Ports of call were great and un-boarding and boarding were simple as always. San Juan we took the Bacardi distillery tour (1/2 star for this one) was very boring. Not sure what we were expecting but this was not it. St. Thomas ( 5 stars) this is my favorite place on the planet and was very much looking forward to the this port once again. We did the helmet dive at Coral Park, it was little windy but the warmer weather helped beat the chill. The experience was amazing and the instructors were awesome. After we hung out at Cokie beach the water was so blue and so clear it was truly a much needed relaxing area. Tortola was the warmest day of the cruise, we took the "un"Speedy boat over to the Baths and spent about 2 hours swimming and exploring all the nooks and crannies. Due to the weather we were unable to stop at Great Stirrup Cay, which I kinda figured was going to happen once I stepped out on the balcony and saw the clouds and how choppy the water was. We made the best of the extra sea day and it turned out to be lucrative in the casino $$$. The food was outstanding, and coming from me who only eats once a day, that's saying something. Ocean Blue was by far the best sea bass I have ever had. Manhattan Room was so much fun (if you have a chance to have Franklin as your server, you will not be disappointed) Taste or was it Savior, whichever, server could not be bothered and was very rude, however the steak was very good. The Garden Cafe was very good and seemed larger on the Encore compared to the others, though partner says it wasn't. The things we missed; Spice H2O, this is just a great space on the other ships allowing only adults and is a welcome space to escape (no pun intended) from the family drama on the pool deck(s). We also missed the Irish Pub (who by the way was open 24 hours, unlike the Local which claims to be) food was better than the Local. Why we scratched our heads; All the up charges, talk about being nickle and dimed to death..good grief. We were also bewildered as to why some bars closed so early, this made no sense to us, with as many people that are on this ship and as many bars that are on it, no one should have to wait at an over crowded bar. Overall we were very glad we took this ship, though we will not cruise it again, we will step back down to either the Escape, Bliss or Joy. Thanks Norwegian for another great cruise. Read Less

We have been on 18 cruises since 2000 with 9 of those cruises being NCL. The wind, Majesty, Sky twice, Pride of America, Pearl, Epic and Bliss. Last March we went on the Bliss and it was great. In December we went on the Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas and it to was a great experience. I don't know where to start on the break away but the first issues was the microscopic balcony, almost unusable due to being so narrow. The room layout was not very well thought out with the closet being parallel with the bed. Also, very limited storage for a mini-suite. The shower is nice with full closing doors. The main dinning room is way to small and there is always a wait. The specialty restaurants, small but having great food are hard to get reservations. The pool floor is a joke with a bad lay out and design. The main out door pool area should be much bigger for a ship that carries 4000 people. The Up town Bar and Grill hamburger joint on 16 is a waste of space and should be redesigned. The casino layout is the worst of any ship I have been on except for the Epic. Having the Casino located at the atrium makes the ship a lot more smokey. The worst part of the cruise, even though it was better than being at work, was the food in the Manhattan Restaurant was maybe a few points better than a Golden Corral restaurant. The Garden Cafe was also just a lot of cheap food even though their Omelettes were great and the milk, ice cold. Aboard the Symphony of the Seas the fresh squeezed OJ was included with the drink package, $3.00 of Breakaway. Also RCCL has lobster night, not NCL. I think NCL needs to rethink Free Style Cruising and stop cheapening it out . It's a great idea but they need better quality food, ships that can accommodate the amount of guest on board with more common areas and not just more rooms. Read Less

The food was cold at every station, even the fine dining. Cold and served raw hamburger. I was quarantined from gastroenteritis complications. Symptoms of hot and cold runny nose soar throat brain fog muscle break down fever loss of appetite cough diarrhea, vomiting. I was so sick the ship hospital cost me 4K. So I paid for something that ship infected me with! I was also treated with disrespect at a time when I could not defend myself. The cabin smelled like diesel fuel and I could not get fresh air. Smoking on the ship was everywhere. There was no relief, even in the non smoking section people would light up. Every little thing cost money. Bingo for example the best deal was $69. US. Ridiculous. The entertainment was limited and clearly cheap. The administrators had problems with technical equipment. It felt has if the workers had zero experience. I could not wait to get off that damn ship. It was a horrible experience! Read Less

This is my first cruise, and honeymoon. I spent a good amount of money on the room with the specialty dining package, drink package, and excursions. From what I’ve been told the food is really good and drinks plentiful, I guess we will see. Day 1: Onboarding Arrived at Tampa Port via Uber, nice lady, she was distraught by the law enforcements persona, the way they “directed” her. Exiting the vehicle freshly married and ready for our destination we were hustled by our luggage carrier, in the middle of a fleet of incoming traffic, we were ridiculed by one worker while I halted a bus to allow our passage to the line. Little distraught, we marched toward our destination. On board and only 3 hours of sleep, I had a blast, lots of booze, and old people, more than I expected. The room with the balcony was very nice for an upgraded cabin. Food was decent. We had Bamboo this night, it was very good. ***Breaking News**** Extra precaution is taken for citizens onboarding the Norwegian Dawn: Fact: There was only a paper survey filled out and no temperatures were taken upon boarding this ship. This will be referenced later… Day 2: Sailing Woke up after an amazing night of sleep in the comfortable bed, the swaying of the sea knocked me out. Unfortunately, the next morning after a bunch of celebratory booze and the sway, the Vancian was super warm and in the back of the ship where I was not a happy camper after receiving my eggs. After taking some motion sickness pills and touring the spa, which they wanted more money for and walking a few rounds around the deck, I was able to get some real food, so we headed to the Irish Pub – the wings were breaded and not enough blue cheese , drinks were on point the entire trip, corn beef reuben could have been better. Dinner was at Aqua, my steak was served with French fries. Mashed potatoes and gravy would have been nice, maybe some broccoli and cheese. There was a nice couple from Montreal sitting next to us, and when they were replaced with another couple, the man was clearly sick. Red face, coughing and sneezing in his table napkin. Thankfully we were wrapping up desert, and we notified the staff. Day 3: Costa Maya All day trip to the ruins of Kohunlich and Dzibanche. Our guide was very informative, but the drive there and back was about 2.5 hours. Pretty sketchy on the way, but once we arrived, it was worth the trip. If you are not comfortable going on walks through the woods, you will not like this. I suggest good walking shoes, and something lite to wear so you don’t get too hot. Almost forgot to mention, the guys sitting next to us at dinner the night before, he is in a stretcher getting off the boat the next morning as we were getting off the ship. Day 4: Belize – Norwegian private island I grew up working in a seafood restaurant, I know how to cook and love great food, so my opinion may not always be the same as others regarding food: Finally, good food, even though I had to pay for it. The fish taco’s and plantains on the island were amazing. Bought a bunch of overpriced drinks and hung out in the big pool, the pool on the Dawn is easily overrun. Another ship ran into the dock (it a Norwegian island) and we had to take a tender boat to shore, it was hot and uncomfortable. The group that escorted us parasailing was on point, this was our first time. We have this specialty dining package, and little to my knowledge, getting a reservation to one of these places is tough. One of the staff was clearly put off by the fact I did not understand this reservation thing. I mean how do you reserve the WHOLE restaurant. When I asked to be put on the waiting list, she said she would call my room... I’m like… I’m not staying in my room, waiting for you to call, have you heard of a paging system… Even when I wanted to go to the bar and eat, I was told only chips and dip at the Mexican place. The places do not open until 5:30pm, and most places we could not get seated until at least 6:30 I typically eat my heaviest meal at around 3-4, that is how my body works… So, the “freesytle” theory did not work with me. I was pretty pissed this night; we went to the Venetian for dinner and the food was disappointing. The comedian performing in the theatre came through though and had me in tears. Day 5: Honduras – Rotan Rotan is a very beautiful island; we went to the west side of the island where we enjoyed local beers $2.50 and amazing views. Our excursion included a ride on this part sub-boat, where you can see the coral reef and all the fish, I strongly suggest this tour for families. We ended up using one of the specialty dining packages for sushi at Bamboo back on the ship. I was very impressed with the sushi. Day 6: Cozumel – Playa del Carmen – Xcaret The water was very rough, and we took this Jetferry to Playa del Carmen. I have been looking forward to this stop since I booked the trip. The Xcaret Park is a must do for the family. There is some walking, but nothing extreme. I would bring water shoes for this day. The park is mainly shaded with areas of direct or dappled sun. Our authentic Mexican meal and views from the park was grand. Back on the boat: 2nd Specialty dining at the Italian place – The seabass and snapper was good, I expected some noodles being in an Italian place, but the service and atmosphere was great. We were seated just outside the restaurant where we could still enjoy the live music from the champagne bar. Day 7: Rough day at Sea home Since it is the last day, people were out having a great time. The weather was super windy and cold though. The “Elements” show was good. 3rd Specialty dining at the Mexican place – I’ve been looking forward to this place, because I love Mexican food. The food was okay. Day 8: Back in Tampa The Aquarium was nice, we were able to check our bags in and tour the park and surrounding area since we had a late flight. The food at the park was good, I loved the live music and amount of family’s having a good time. Summary: The food is okay – don’t do all reservations for your specialty dining, if you sell it, you should be able to support it. Fix the coffee machines in the buffet area, it is way too strong with no options for good coffee. Most of the people on the boat were friendly, but some were not. People may not remember what you say, but they always remember how you make them feel. Good job having people with sanitizing hand wash everywhere, but you should have been taking temperatures. As a first time cruiser, I thought it may just not be for me, I like the stops, but the boat should be just as enjoyable. Read Less

This was our 1st cruise and it didn't disappoint. The ship looked great. Layout a little confusing at first but after day 1 no problems. We had a balcony cabin and we liked sitting out there is the morning drinking our coffee. We didnt like the garden cafe so we ate in the main dining rooms mostly. We did do the Japanese steak house, must do again, Brazilian steak house, go hungry, and the French restaurant, our waitress was fantastic! We loved all the entertainment, we went to all of it. The comedian was so funny and we got to talk with him after the show. All of our service was outstanding, very friendly and willing to help. Shout out to Angelo and Vladimir you both made the trip. All shore excursions were great. We will be coming back. We got 2 vouchers for our next cruise. Now have to decide where to go! Read Less

I have gone on 6 cruises mostly with RC. After this experience I will never go with the Norwegian Epic ever! We just got back. Traveled end of Feb 2020. I will give you the pros and cons of our experience Pros -Food was great, Loved the crepe station in the buffet -lots of dinning options,  -ship/room decor was nice,  -entertainment was good. (best comedians ever!) Cons -The ship has no idea how to control 4000 people!  Never have I ever seen such lines! -The line ups to get on and off the ship at each port was about an hr long wait! No Joke,  IT WAS RIDICULOUS! Good luck if you booked a private excursion!   -Ship was late leaving ports and late arriving!  No one was happy with arriving late at the port when we only have a couple of hrs there .-The itinerary wasn't good. We left Aruba and sat at sea circling Aruba for a day then arrived at the island right beside in Curacao, very disappointed we didn't get longer at the port, wish I had noticed the terrible port times before I booked!  I should have paid attention, arriving in Curacao at 6am then leaving at noon is terrible.  (In the past RC Cruise lines offered full days at each port) -line ups in the Buffet was crazy long in the morning especially for the omeletts -The theatre was so small we had to make reservations and when we found out we needed reservations several days before the show they were already sold out.  We have never had to make reservations on any ships before, so we had no idea! -the Ship was very under staffed!  Dinner service in the dining room was over 2 hrs!  most nights it took forever for any food to come! -Ship was so under staffed that they didn't even open any waterslides on the sea day. I asked why it wasn't open and staff said because it was windy but the following day it was finally opened and it was very windy that day, I assumed because of staffing issues? -They had a Cirque du Soleil show, they were charging an extra $25 per person to see the show!  We shouldn't have to pay extra to watch entertainment! -We love sitting with other couples at dinner to visit, but on this ship if you want to sit with someone you have to make arrangements in advance then make a dinner reservations.  Most of the dining room was couples tables.  We never did get to sit with anyone.  -The layout of the ship is terrible, no open areas to walk across, had to constantly walk around casino tables and dinner tables, too crowded to walk anywhere!   -Lineups for elevators was crazy!  We took it once and never again!  people squished on like sardines probably because it took so long. -the room had a stupid layout.  The toilet was right beside the bed!  I can sit on the toilet and touch my bed!  not very romantic to me! - NCL doesn't offer any towel animals on their ships, they said to cut down on laundry. Read Less

We chose this cruise for the itinerary and ship size (not too big but amenities of a larger ship). The itinerary was excellent, although we missed a port (Bonaire) and were annoyed with “after final payment” changes. Tip: We flew into San Juan a day early and stayed right in the Airport Hotel. Sooooo convenient and only needed 1 taxi ride directly to the port the next day. It was clean and had an excellent complimentary breakfast, and hotel staff/manager was great help. Embarkation and Debarkation were better than any other cruise we’ve been on. No lines at all. Ship: I found the layout fine. The casino was huge but we could avoid it by taking a different floor. The smoke wasn’t ridiculous but it would be better if the casino was more contained since it does open up to the center of the ship. The ship was clean and well maintained. Deck space on sea days is definitely an issue. There is not enough space for 4,000 people. We dealt with this by booking the Thermal Spa for the week. Worth every penny. Great amenities including saunas overlooking the ocean, jetted pool, and a private outdoor lounge area. Tip: booking the Thermal Suite cost less than upgrading to a regular balcony. By booking an interior and the Thermal Suite, we had outdoor space that was quiet and great amenities to stay relaxed plus an uncrowded heated pool. Cabin: we actually really loved the inside cabin set up. I was worried that they would be too small, but there was ample storage. I liked a separate shower and toilet. The shower was the biggest I’ve ever had at sea. Only problem was the lighting is WAY too dark. It was difficult to see to put on makeup. Dining: very pleased with the dining options. Only bad meal was in the main dining room for lunch. All specialty dining was excellent, main dining dinner was good, and breakfast and lunch in the buffet was great. The service was excellent. Smiles from everyone, even when we could tell they were under staffed and working hard. Activities and Entertainment: lots to do. The funnel slide was super fun although it was busy so we only did it on embarkation without a wait. Rock climbing wall was good size and sport court was nice. We even played shuffle board and ping pong. The theatre shows were very good but not for the easily offended. Unfortunately we could not see some of the other shows because the venue space was way too small. There were lots of trivia and game shows we enjoyed. Plus dance classes and a fun escape room that all was free. No need to pay for entertainment to keep busy. Shore Excursions: Aruba took excursion with a local company called ABC Excursions. Excellent company and great price. saw EVERYTHING in one day and included lunch. Curacao ship excursion to the Hato Caves and City Tour. Professional and comfortable. Caves were interesting. We would have liked more time to shop in town but they did the best they could with time constraints. It is a beautiful city to explore walking distance from the port. St. Lucia best excursion with the ship! Took a catamaran cruise “between the Pitons”. Got to snorkel, take pictures, and dance on the boat. Clean bathrooms too! Highlight was that this was a late port so we got to see the sunset on the way back to port. Gorgeous island views. Definitely recommend. St. Kitts taxis are easily organized and accessible so no need to book a beach excursion through the ship for double the cost! We like snorkeling, so we went to Regae Beach Bar on Cockleshell Beach ($14 pp taxi ride + $20 for 2 beach chairs and an umbrella). Felt very authentic Caribbean and had good snorkeling. We saw star fish and a huge sting ray. Left time for shopping. San Juan we booked ship excursion to the Rainforest that included the airport transfer. It was a long drive but absolutely beautiful with great views. Norwegian did a great job with picking excursion companies. Read Less

On off the ship the fastest we have ever had .the ship is very large with many thing to to.the casino is very big they have a lot of table games .they could use a upgrade on there slots.food in all dining venues was very good and always hot. Had only one problem the breakfast in taste was really bad.pool areas nice .I wish the Beatles tribute band played in the main theater more cause the cavern club is way to small.for smokers out there they have two spots one buy the main pool.the other in spice h 2 o on side smoking with a bar and 20 to 25 table s with umbrellas the other side non smoking with food..we had no problem with water like so many others did..with all that said enjoy the ship cause we had a lot of fun .and remember you are on vacation in the Caribbean so have fun. Read Less