I found an incredible deal on a 4 day cruise so I took my sister with me and got on board. The boarding process was quick and easy with plenty of smiles to go around. Only 4 days means you can carry everything on so you can avoid the whole checked bag system that is often a nightmare. The ship itself (Liberty) is fairly small, which can be an advantage, and never felt overcrowded except once on sea day when it was 65 degrees outside and most people were trying to stay inside. The room attendants all appeared to be happy and friendly, saying good morning to everyone that passed by them. The room was kept tidy and I liked the towels. The layout of this room, non-converting twins, was roomy and spacious for sisters not wanting to sleep three inches apart or in bunk beds. So, that was the good. The bad was a little more extensive and the meh is even more so. Our cabin, 2201, was freezing, with the AC stuck to full on. Did I mention it was in the 60s on this cruise? So inside the cabin was probably in the low 40s. We kept on shoes and jackets and propped the door open a little. Once we ran the shower on hot for 10 minutes to heat the room so we could change our clothes. When we reported it we were met with “how cold exactly?” Like we carry a thermometer... the next day, water started pouring out of the light fixture above one of the beds. The cabin steward acted fast and drug the mattress off the bed and put a trash can there, calling for an emergency maintenance crew. They had the leak fixed in about 4 hours and we were allowed back into our room. We were glad to get to put in our bathing suits finally so we could find a hot tub- our air was still cranking out at super-freeze temps- but right when we made it to the hot tub on our at sea day, I was told I couldn’t get in because they were about to close them. Now the two by the main pool were full of the 8-10 year old crowd, and one in the Serenity adult area was roped off and taken apart- the whole cruise. So, no hot tub for us... Cold in the room wasn’t all bad though, because I keep my medication refrigerated and the “cooler” in the room was warm. Not like upper 60s warm, like 78 warm. We reported it and were told “it’s not a refrigerator, it’s a cooler” by everyone we told. So, we hunkered down for another freezing cold night in the room after reporting once again (4 times total) that it was too cold and we couldn’t get the cold air to stop. The next day, we came back from breakfast and a walk into our port location to find workmen in our room with the ceiling taken apart. All good signs, but we had already been kept out of our room the day before. One guy said 15 minutes. We came back a few times over the next 5+ hours as they installed a new AC fan unit and finally at 4:30, they had our room vacuumed up and blessedly the same temp as the hallway! So much for not doing a tour so we could get a nap in. That takes us to the end of our second full day (day three they call it) and we are now able to use our room. Our cooler still isn’t cool. Day four in the room is uneventful. The horrid pink trim still clashes with the burgundy and gold carpet (which was only squishy wet until we woke up on day 3 from the previous day’s flood), the ceiling was still scratched and rusty, and an entire wall was just a big empty, plastic wallpapered ugliness. Mixed with the old dim lighting fixtures, it is pretty grim despite the lovely layout. The meh is all the service. We stumbled upon a few crew members that were smiling and friendly, but for the most part, outside of the cabin stewards who all seemed very friendly, they walked around doing a resting-*itch-face impression. The food was OK. The portions were way too big, the service was slow and sort of polite- at best. They take your entire order, including dessert and drinks all at once, stack up old dishes-including scraping old food into one big pile- right next to your table and leave it there for your whole meal. Yuk. There is always a line of an hour or more for customer service, the library is not well stocked at all, and the cakes they put out at snack time were frozen solid so the servers couldn’t even cut many of them for hours. There were dozens more of the meh variety but this is getting long, so suffice it to say, the service wasn’t the end of the world, but it wasn’t good. In the end, what did they give me for not having a good or working or accessible cabin for well over half the cruise? A $20 meal upgrade in the main dining room and a drink. Just one drink. Read Less

I am not sure where I should begin. When we got into the room, my son looked behind the chair in the corner and found a dirty pair of underwear rolled up in a ball. Then at 3am on one of the nights I heard a huge crashing noise. Turns out a man jumped off the 11th floor balcony and landed right next to my window on the 6th floor. We had to do a detour to Miami so we could get him to the hospital since he was still alive. Then they spend the next several hours cleaning up the deck where he landed. When we arrived to Coco Cay we figured we would go to the beach first and then go to the water park. When we tried to go to the water park we were told they were sold out for the day. They have 2 boats at this port at the same time and this is just too many people obviously. The bathrooms on this private island are dirty and the toilets in some of the restrooms do not flush. In the eating areas there were ice machines and ice cream machines down. I was not able to get an ice cream cone due to the enormous lines. The food overall was so so. We figured the day we were leaving we would eat in the dining room. That was a mistake. The service was terrible. They brought out warm milk with the cereal, no syrup for the pancakes, no drink for my son and no bacon with my eggs. When I complained, the server told me "we will do better next time" This whole cruise is a cattle call. They try to get as many people on this boat as possible sacrificing service. Read Less

We sailed on Mariner of the Seas over the Thanksgiving holiday. We are a family of four, with kids ages 6 and 9. We had perfectly fabulous time. We really enjoy cruising and have been on several cruise lines, but we really prefer RCI. I’ve read some pretty bad reviews of Mariner; I really think those folks are grumpy. We sailed on Mariner 13 years ago. She is a little older, but still in great shape and provided a great cruise for us. I would be happy to sail on her again. We downloaded the app and checked in online before the cruise. We used Park Port Canaveral. We had to wait about 15 minutes for the bus, which was very unusual. I would be happy to use them again. If you make reservations online before, there are usually coupons. Checking in at the port was very easy since all the documents were already ready. We were on board within minutes. We arrived around 11:30 and went straight to the Windjammer for lunch. Yes, it was crowded, but we just go with the flow and don’t let it bother us. My husband just raved about the seafood stew in the Windjammer on the first day. There were huge chunks of lobster. Plenty of variety for everyone on the first day. We set off to explore the ship and find our stateroom. Great fun in the afternoon. Service in General: We thought the service was really great all over the ship. Dining room, windjammer, stateroom attendant, in the casino, on coco cay, in other lounges… we never had an issue. Not sure waiters are “enthusiastic,” (as the survey asks) but provide great service overall. Someone was ill and needed to evacuate to the ER, so the ship went into the Miami port for a bit the morning of our day at sea. We thought this was great service for whomever was ill and it was a beautiful port to visit. We enjoyed it and hope whoever was sick is well. Ship Activities: The kids loved the hammocks, climbing-thing, and Sky Jump on Deck 12, aft. We spent a lot of time out there. Our son did the water rides and didn’t rave about them ...which we kind of expected. We did the same water ride on the Harmony and it was very slow and actually kind of boring. Nothing can compare with the AqauDuck on the Disney Dream. If I was not so cheap, I would book another Disney Dream cruise, just to ride the AquaDuck. RCI needs to step it up with water rides on the boat, but this is a very, very picky complaint. Our son liked the rock climbing wall. If you can catch these things when they first open, the lines are a lot shorter. The hot dog stand should not be missed!!! Main Dining Room: We like RCI food and are always happy with the meals. The french onion soup is better than neighborhood cafes. There was also a special menu for Thanksgiving. We ordered one of everything and passed around family style. It was great! The main dining room also has a delicious buffet every morning (except the last morning) in addition to table service. We much prefer the MDR buffet to the crazy Windjammer. We were able to visit the MDR for one lunch and were happy the Tutti Salads were back. And, it included a delicious buffet. Just skip the Windjammer when you can! Casino: The Cruise Compass has $3 Blackjack in the casino once a day. I had to miss a bit of dinner to make sure I was able to play. One day I showed up to play for $3 and there was not a table open. I explained to the pit boss the Cruise Compass showed low limits and they were very happy to open a table. Great service. They had a whole table full in no time and it was very fun. If you play less than $10 on the $3 table, you must play $2 and the $1 side bet. When the side bet hit, it was nice… just didn’t happen too often. My husband hates the side bets, but I was just happy to play for low! The craps pit opened around 7 or 8pm, but did not start hopping until 9:30pm or so. The minimum was $10. Very fun and I did well at the craps pit. Diamond Lounge: Fabulous service, great drinks, and it was nice no one gave us a hard time that we were exiting out the “emergency door” to keep an eye on our kids. The menus were wrong each night… but that is very, very picky. Thank you for the great service. Spa: The prices were not so awful and there were specials every day. There are also slight discounts offered on Port Days before 11am, I think. I would wait to book until you get on board so you can get a better deal. Photos: Much improved with the addition of touch screens. We were able to see our photos easily without having to search or evens speak to a human. Shows: The Headliner Show (Art Themed) was just ok. My son and husband left early and didn’t care for it. But, after you’ve seen the RCI show Columbus and Beauty/Beast on Disney, nothing else can compare. The ice skating show was pretty good. It was a little long for the kids. The juggler was terrific! Nassau: I think I’ve been to Nassau at least 15 times in my life. Even though it is not a great port, there is always something to do… you just have to look. This time, with the kids, we wanted to keep it low-key. So, we made arrangements for a Day Pass to the Hilton British Colonial right there, by the port. I’m not sure I would recommend this hotel/day pass. If you have low expectations and are ok with a bit of construction next door (it was not that bad), then you may want to check it out. The pool is nice, the grounds are nice, and the beach is pretty good for being so close to the port. Our kids had a blast with the kayak, even though we could not go very far. With the Day Pass, you get access to most everything and $40 per adult in food/drink credit and $20 per kid. The only problem was…. It took FOREVER to get a drink or service, or food. In fact, we didn’t get our food. We had a fabulous morning, but were still waiting after an hour and 10 for Kalik and food. So, we asked the front desk if we could just bail. They were kind enough to credit us back the food credit, which we thought was very fair. Then, we hightailed it back to the windjammer for a great late lunch. In all, it worked out for us, but I won’t be going back. Coco Cay: We have also been going to Coco Cay once/twice a year, for about 15 years. We loved Coco Cay back when there was nothing… but what RCI has done is truly magnificent. Coco Cay blows the two other islands (Castaway Cay with Disney and Norwegian’s island) completely out of the water… there is no comparison. Coco Cay is clean, easy to navigate, not too much walking, and super fun. We could not get over how big the pool was (I think I heard the biggest pool in the Caribbean). The pool was unbelievable. The food and drinks on Coco Cay were also the best we had the whole cruise. I think I ate about five small ribeye steak sandwiches. There is also plenty to do that was “free.” We didn’t buy the water park passes because our daughter is not tall enough. But the water park looked very fun. Yes, there were long, long lines. I would guess going first thing in the morning at 8am, would be best to avoid the lines. But, even without the park pass, the kids enjoyed the huge pool, the beach, the splash pit, and the pirate ship. There were always plenty of places to sit and we found a lot of shade too. I wish there were slightly cheaper options for cabanas. I was watching them online and I just can’t stomach paying over $600 for a cabana. Two years ago, we got a cabana for about $200 and it made for a lovely day. But, this option does not exist anymore (or maybe not yet again). I’m glad we did it when we had the chance. We have even planned our next cruise itinerary around going back to Coco Cay… it's that great! The Beach Club opens in Jan 2020 and I can’t wait to see what that is, because it's located on the nicest part of the island IMH opinion. You may also want to snag a map of Coco Cay on board the ship to get the lay-of-the-land before getting onto Coco Cay. But, there are also plenty of workers in yellow and red shirts to help you around. Can’t wait to go back! Disembarking: Was the best we’ve ever seen it. And, we have waited, and waited, and waited in some very, very, very long lines. The line was shorter, kept moving the whole time, and the facial recognition/passport procedure is life-changing. Thank you for speeding this up!! I always dread the disembarkation line, but it was a pleasure! Now I don’t have to dread that line anymore! In all, it was a great cruise and I would highly recommend RCI and Mariner of the Seas. We can’t wait for our next RCI cruise. Hope this was helpful and thanks for reading. Read Less

I have loved cruising with Royal Caribbean and this is the 4th ship I have been on, but what a different experience! The ship itself is nice, the cabins were clean and there are a lot of areas to find things to explore. However, from the first day we experienced so many issues. Our luggage did not arrive to the room properly and there was a problem in communication and where to get it. The main dining room was great and the staff there was amazing; Windjammer was fine, however there was a hot dog restaurant/stand on the pool level that was not good. It looked fun at first but the food was not. We found much of the staff to be very moody and not friendly, even rude at times. Guest Services made several mistakes on our cards and it took 4 trips back to clear things up. There was a considerable lack of activities in the evening. On other ships we often found so many entertaining shows and things to attend. They did not offer enough activities for older teens or adults. The shows were just ok and nothing compared to what we have seen on previous ships. Coco Cay was a highlight and probably the best day of the cruise. The island is beautiful and we enjoyed it just relaxing and having drinks by the beach. Lastly, they did not take our luggage which was placed outside our room the last night at the correct time and even overcharged us for returned towels. Overall, this ship was a huge disappointment! Read Less

We have exclusively sailed Disney Cruise Line. We wanted to sail during Thanksgiving week and DCL was very expensive for the same itinerary and ports (minus Grand Bahama). NCL was for the right price and decided to give it a try. It seems that NCL's schtick is Free at Sea. We booked a balcony cabin which allowed you to choose all Free at Sea offers. This meant we would receive (for 1st and 2nd guests only) a beverage package, 100 minutes internet (1st guest only), $50 shore excursion credit (1st guest only), and dining package (1 meal for 1st and 2nd guest). We booked early. We didn't realize that prices go down closer to sailing. DCL only goes up. We were following the DCL pricing model. We didn't book excursions ahead of time because if you book online, they have to be pre-paid. That wasn't an issue. Everything we wanted to do was available to book on the ship. We prepaid the service charges before our cruise. The free beverage package isn't truly free because you have to prepay the gratuities for it at the time of booking. Plus, depending on your port, you may pay taxes on the drinks. At that point, we were good. We paid everything and prepared for our trip. One last-minute change was room. I upgraded from a balcony to a mini-suite. When all was said it done, I only paid $60 extra for the upgrade. Embarkation: As we pull in, we follow the road signs directing us to Terminal 5. The person directing traffic points us to the proper parking deck marking the last occasion we’d get information on how to embark. We park the car, follow some folks towards a terminal. There are no signs welcoming you, no signs informing you where to drop bags off or check in, and no signs even indicating you’re here for an NCL cruise. We make our way to the top floor of the terminal with bags still in tow and are greeted by an NCL agent who sees us and says right this way to pass security and check in. Ok, maybe they take our bags after security, again we only know DCL. Next, we are greeted by another NCL agent prior to security who directs us to the security queue. We pass through security and are greeted by another agent who sees we still have our bags but directs us to check in. We wait in line for a few minutes when we meet our check in agent. She starts checking us in (she was very nice and helpful) and we finally ask “when do you take our bags?” She responds with “oh no, another one? They should have told you to take them to the porters”. Mr. NCL manager made his way over and confirmed that we need to exit through security and take our luggage down the escalators to the porters then come back through security again. Once we had that taken care of, we waited about 20 minutes to board the ship. That process was surprisingly smooth. Ship: The sun artwork on the hull is very nice. I really like this aspect of Norwegian ships. For the most part, everything was clean. Rust could be seen in a few areas and the windows were always dirty on the outside. There was never a clear window outside except for our stateroom. The tables were not bussed in a timely manner or there was some trash in the common areas. The ship was easy to navigate and we never had any issues getting around. Dining: All the food bordered on terrible.There are a ton of options, but the quality just wasn't there. The MDR team was slow and we honestly felt the couldn't have cared less. The best item I had was potato salad in Moderno on the first day of the cruise. Entertainment - NCL wants you in the casino. I believe they purposely have nothing past 8 pm to give you no other choice for entertainment. Dance parties were happening, but I would rather have activities over dancing. The cruise director, Jeimy, just needs to go. I know no one can compare to #tonyfromspain, but she came across as completely fake. She hosted a few of the activities, but was hardly seen. One specific game show, which was being filmed, the audience didn't respond to her introduction the way she preferred. She made them introduce her again. The cruise team staff, however, were pretty good. Paul Newman and Mark from the Philippines and Tina from Argentina did well and tried to really make sure the guests were having a great time. The pool and pool deck were the general hub of activity during the day. There were games and live music. The techs need to work on the volume. The music of the live bands was so loud that it made it being on deck uncomfortable. A couple of surprising things about the pool were that it was saltwater and there was only one lifeguard. There was absolutely NO WAY he could watch two pools at once. However, each lifeguard (during each shift) would make sure the little kids had adults watching them, and if they didn't, he wouldn't let them in the pool. Activities - There were a lot of things to do and plenty of activities to keep one busy, but that really ended around 8 pm. Service - Well, this one is tricky. The MDR dining team wasn't great. Our stateroom host was fine and kept the room clean. The bar team was excellent. The bars were hopping about 90% of time and the bartenders kept the drinks and crowds moving. They are definitely worth the service charge on the drink package. They were as good or better than DCL. Ports and Shore Excursions - It was easy to reserve shore excursions. We went to the shore excursion desk. The agent was very helpful. We docked at Nassau and did the seahorse snorkel. The catamaran was packed. Probably around 50 people. Imagine that number on two separate catamarans and put all of those guests in one small reef to snorkel. The only fish we really saw was when a guest vomited over the side in the snorkel area. The fish took care of it. On Great Stirrup Cay, we chose the Swimming with Pigs excursion. Keep in mind, you will not actually swim with pigs, but this was still a great excursion. It was fun and the number of cruisers to pig ratio was low. There were tiny piglets and giant pigs. The guides were great and we had a ton of fun. The island itself was fine. Both the Sun and Sky tendered, so it was a little crowded. The water was nice and it was a fabulous day of weather. Disney's Castaway Cay is better by a long shot. No tendering needed with DCL. If you needed to go back to the ship for something with NCL, it could take you an hour. We traveled with our 17-year-old. She didn't partake in the kids club for her age. She went to the shows and activities we attended. She said she had a good time. There were not many little children on this cruise. Maybe this is normal. We only know DCL in comparison. Debarkation - Well, NCL one upped themselves. We happened to be awake as we approached Port Canaveral. It quickly became apparent that we were docking at a different terminal than where we embarked. What’s the big deal you say? Well our parking deck was now at least a quarter mile away across the port with no way to walk to it. We eat breakfast and then head to guest services to inquire about shuttle service. I asked if there would be a shuttle to terminal in which we were directed to park for embarkation. The NCL agent looked at me funny and said “Why did you even park there when we are docking here?” I informed her that we were directed to park there since it was attached to the terminal we left from. She said oh no, you should have parked over here and taken a shuttle over. I reiterate that we were directed by NCL agents to park there and now want to know if they will have a shuttle. She makes a call and learns that they have several shuttles waiting for us to take us back to our parking deck. She ends her conversation with “you will take one of those shuttles like you should have before the cruise.” After all that is sorted out, debarkation was a breeze. You pass through customs on the ship and they use face recognition (DCL does not). Time from exiting the ship to exiting the parking garage was about 40 minutes. Bottom line: Would we do this again? It would have to be a great deal with the free at sea options. The food was terrible, all of the common areas on the inside smelled of smoke and the service (minus the bar team) just wasn't there. We definitely learned that you get what you pay for when it comes to cruising. There were only a couple of things that NCL did better than DCL. The internet is by minute and not megabyte and the bar service team. Read Less

This was our first cruise and had heard amazing things about Disney. It didn’t disappoint as far as being surround by all things Disney related. We knew to expect tight space in the cabin (5184 - Verandah Room) so while yes it’s crowded the room met all our expectations and we did enjoy having the balcony to sit out on at times. The Positive: The shows very amazing and being able to see different shows across the cruise was great. Seeing current movies out In the theater was also a great plus. Staff - everyone we encountered was friendly and very helpful. A few who stood out: Tat - Guest Services Cameron - Pool/Slide Area Kim - Deck Area for Night time show. Brydon - Kids Club Kids Club - they do a great job all the staff keeping kids entertained and time for adults to have a little R&R. Mixology Class: Lots of fun and you get 5 drinks in 1 hour for $25. Great time and amazing deal. Highly recommend. The just Ok: Castaway Cay - this just wasn’t our thing. It was extremely crowded. People were packed in and while we got lucky finding a few lounge chairs under an umbrella others were searching for spots. Food: Cabanas - I thought the buffet was very limited in selection and repetitive for each meal. We have visited over 20 All Inclusive Resorts and there buffet puts Disney’s to shame. Dinner - the food was banquet dining good. We had some items that were better then others but they seemed to use the same brown sauce/gravy on everything. The appetizers and Salads/Soups were always the highlight of the meal. The wait staff were great. We enjoyed David and Don and having them know our preferences night to night was very impressive. The disappointing: Room Service: Disappointed that it wasn’t offered for breakfast. Otherwise the beverages we ordered were there quickly. Pools: We knew they would be small but I don’t know how they call them pools they were just squares holding water and kids floating in one spot. You can’t swim in them as the amount of kids in each was terrifying to me as a parent. Not relaxing at all. Pool Deck: Again limited spots and chairs stacked in tight rows with not shade options. Just not our thing. We are use to nice spaced out lounge seating. Overall we had a nice time and will consider another Disney cruise as the expression on our daughters face seeing all the characters was priceless. But it did affirm that we are more resort people then cruise people. The masses of people every where was just not fun. Read Less

All amenities were awesome . The service was excellent .very attentive and helpful staff . The dining staff were especially sensitive to our needs . My mother is a vegetarian and the dining staff went out of the way to accommodate her needs . Special mention to Muqtadir in the wind jammer dining room . The cuisine was so extensive that all of us could ding something we loved from super healthy to the yummy desserts ! The perfect day at the island was pretty good except that you ha e to be there early to find a beach chair . We got there early but were waiting for an hr for my son to do the zip line , by the time we were finished , all the beach chairs were taken , so were the cabanas . But we enjoyed the everything else on the island . The show on the ice is world class ! Please don’t miss it at any cost ! Overall , this is a short but sweet experience!!!! Read Less

I chose this cruise because of the perks and the price. The perks were nice, but as for the food, it was definitely below my cruise standards. The specialty restaurants- The Cagney Steak House burnt my lamb chop, and the sides were sub par. The Moderno Brazilian Restaurant was excellent and should not be missed. The buffet was very limited and very poor selections. My dininig rooms selections were nothing special either. The taste of the food was nothing special. MSC, Holland America or Royal Caribbean would be MUCH better choices. Activities were lame. Evening entertainment for 5 nights was generally poor 3 out of the 5 nights, with a fair to poor comedian 2 of the 5 nights. The perk for the shore excursion came in handy but had they not discounted them, it would have been cheaper to book them yourself. If you are a first time cruiser, you will probably love the experience. If you are an experienced cruiser, forget this cruise line More info: The ship- Not huge so fairly easy to get around. It is clean and well taken care of. The Cabin- plenty of room for items but notch people room. Dining- In main dining room service was fast and efficient even though food wasn't. Entertainment- A couple of good 45 minute shows. A couple of bad comedian shows for the 5 nights. Service- Reasonably good. Ports- Bahamians want your $. Their entire economy is based on them making money from tourism. Shore excursions- see above Would I go again? I love being on the ocean, so almost a maybe, but probably not! Read Less

Point off for this eval format, the smell in the room, and the room steward. Is this what Norwegian is doing now instead of a REAL eval of your cruise paid for by your hard-earned money?? That's so cheap, and very low on the customer service side of things. Makes me want to decrease my rating. The cabin was great, room 9078, it's Aft facing. It has a coffee pot and bathtub. Had two robes and two pair of slippers ( I think you get those with a mini-suite). I think it now only has one robe. ; ) Room steward wasn't the best, didn't see him until the second day. This was cruise number 19('ish), most of them with Norwegian. The past stewards have always made an appearance on the first day and asked if we need anything. Ours never asked the few times we saw him on day two, and we rarely saw him the rest of the week. He did turn-down and cleaned though. :) No towel animals all week, which is ok with me although it is kind of cute perk of cruising. And what about the people in the room next to us, did they not get that all week too? It was their first cruise, that's supposed to be part of the cruise experience. I feel sad for them if they didn't get that. Hey NCL, if you're listening, the outlet plug inside the cabin door doesn't work. It's the one next to the mirror, kind of unhandy to not be working. On day one I noticed the bathroom had a sewer smell and there was hardly any water in the toilet. I mentioned it to the room steward on the 2nd day when I saw him. He said he would take care of it. Nothing happened until the 3rd day when I went to the Customer Service desk and complained about the smell. They sent a plumber almost right away to eval the issue. He came back later and the problem was fixed. NCL needs to put a door stop in the room because the door to the bathroom is closes automatically and to bathroom area gets hot. Have to prop the door open to cool off. The toilet closet is big enough, I think it needs a small shelf in the corner or get fancy and do a small shelf and a magazine rack, the room is big enough. So, the room steward got his full tip because they are pre-paid and he did a so-so job all week. The Customer Service desk followed up to make sure the problem was solved. Kudos to them. Dining was great. Beware if you dine at the rear of the boat in the main dining. There were only two chairs for people to sit in to wait. We ate at Cagney's and the Mexican Restaurant, both were fantastic! This cruise was supposed to go to Cuba but didn't so NCL gave us those two dinners as compensation. We could have picked any restaurant. We would like to see a taco stand on the back of the boat in addition to burgers. Last cruise on Carnival had a Guy Fierie's Burger ( OMG :) ). Are you getting this NCL?? The tacos on their private island were the BOMB! We like the private island. The lunch was good, tacos great, and liked not having to haggle over the price of a clamshell. You pay for those on the boat and when you get to the island they tender you in and you find an empty clamshell and someone will set it up for you if you don't beat them to it or if you don't mind doing it yourself. You get tendered in, each tender holds up to 450 people so it goes fast. Had a nice relaxing day on the island. We would have like to see interactive TV like on the Epic. Would like to have that to check our account and check dining reservations, etc. I have the app but not everyone has a cell phone or wants to use it constantly ( you listening NCL?) Didn't do any shore excursions, got a lot of other perks because our itinerary changed three times because of hurricanes and politics. I'm certainly not going to ding them on that. Had a nice cruise despite a few bumps ( you out there NCL?) I'll cruise with NCL again. Enjoy your cruise, no matter who you chose! Read Less

Friends asked if we would travel with them Positives...parking, check-in, security and boarding are very easy. Terminal is set up well for those who need assistance. Our spacious ocean view cabin(8532) gave us plenty of room, even with my wife's scooter. Slept like a baby. Entertainment was good....not great. Negatives.....not a fan of larger ships. Very few quiet places to sit on board. Sea days are crowded( pools, promenade, dining rooms). The Windjammer reminded me of a feed trough on a farm(crowded, lack of seating, presentation poor). Food quality in all venues was worse than my local diner. The service is also better in my diner. The best food was the roast tenderloin in the dining room and the wings at Playmakers. We were asked if we needed anything in or cabin. I requested water and ice. After two days I asked again and our steward told me to call room service. The cabin only had two electrical outlets, both were on the vanity. There were no USB ports. My wife needed to charge her scooter and oxygen concentrator along with two phones. The "refrigerator" was marked cooler. Not cold and no ice. I asked if there were lids for coffee cups and was told to go "go over there" by the staff. Over there, was 100 feet away where I stood in line to get them. Water was one item that we expected not to pay for..not so. Coco Cay? That was the best day to sit by the adult pool. This was our third RCL cruise, each worse than the previous. We have traveled on six other cruises with two other lines. Total of nine cruises = 98 nights. We will probably not travel with RCL in the future. Read Less

Loyal to Royal.. We are Diamonds. I have to give RCCL high marks for their help with people with disabilities. We traveled with our friends with one having MS. The room they had was perfect. RCCL put lots of thought in this room so a physically handicap person had ease in usage especially in the bathroom. I would tell anyone who is in a wheel chair or motorized chair not to hesitate to take a cruise with RCCL. As we were going back aboard in Nassau, the ramp was very steep, but as we started towards the ramp there was a RCCL employee right there to assist him up the ramp. After saying all this I feel compelled to mention a few things that need attention. The group that we traveled with all felt the crew was tired. From the room attendant, the wait staff and bartenders, they all seemed to be overworked and tired. Next on the list of disappointments was the dining room food or should I say the lack of it. The portion size has gotten so small that it is getting to be comical One night most of us ordered chicken parm. My wife had one piece of chicken the size a small chicken tender and mine was the laugh of the table. After we brought this to the head waiters attention, he went to the kitchen and brought back a nice amount of chicken to be shared with us all. The service in the main dining room was slow but we feel it is due to the lack of support staff. The bar service was not what we were used to. Slow, drinks wrong, bills messed up, lack of attention to orders when made. Our room attendant never introduced herself, did the bare minimum for us. She definitely appeared to be the most overworked. We will continue to use RCCL for our cruises, but fell if RCCL continues to make cut backs in the help as well as the food, their reputation may be in jeopardy of being not the cruise line of choice. I understand about profit but when you diminish the service as well as the food you just might start losing customers. Read Less

The price was right. It was a good start for my friends first cruise. The service was very very good and the food was excellent. Especially enjoyed the Silver dining room where there was an excellent variety of food choices. Fortunately we had good weather and enjoyed the sun bathing and the pools. Nightly entertainment was average at best. We were totally disappointed with the full day Atlantis tour at 195.99 in Nassau. A total waste of money. We could have taken a 5.00 cab ride there and seen the same things for the same amount of time spent there. We walked 10,000 steps trying to figure out what to see and do. That’s a lot for two seniors.The aquarium was very disappointing as were the lunch passes we received. Many of the lunch option locations were closed. We got a wrap, drink and chips for our 195.99. Freeport was pleasant where we experienced the local vendors and a beer at Senor Frogs where the entertainment was fun. Read Less

This was my first cruise. My wife booked this to celebrate our 35th anniversary. I was expecting an upscale experience from Norwegian compared to the lower cost lines. Our first experience was a thirty minute wait to get a drink. I assumed that this was early crowds just arriving but the wait times didn't really get much better. We spent some time in the pool area but left because the sound system was turned up too loud. I suspect the live entertainment was good but we couldn't enjoy it with the volume turned up that loud. The cafeteria was never very busy. There were plenty of seats. The food was OK, not great. The sit down restaurants were better although the meat portions were small and over cooked. The Italian Restaurant was pricey but excellent. The private island was nice. The barbecue was OK, not great. The music was turned up really loud there as well. We found some seats at the opposite end of the beach from the DJ. Snorkel rental wasn't worth it. The equipment was of poor quality and there wasn't much to see. The last night, the ride was really rough so we didn't get much sleep. On our way out, I left behind a toiletries kit with an expensive shaver in the state room. You can't go back to get it once you depart the ship so we relied on the lost and found system. I'm sure it was found by our steward but not turned in so it's gone. It was my fault that I left this behind but it should have been turned in none the less. Read Less

We had been cruising with Carnival and wanted to try a different line thinking higher price = better experience. The ship was smaller than I expected and that is on me, I should have read the reviews before booking. The complimentary food was not as good as Carnival but the specialty dining was pretty good, just pricey. The free drinks were amazing of course, but you better get them before midnight because everything closes down at midnight except the sports bar and they aren’t too happy to see you when you come in. We chose swimming with the pigs as our excursion and it was pretty cool, but the whole time we were on Great Stirrup Cay we were covering Royal Caribbean’s private island. It looked like it had a lot more to do on the island. If I were to ever choose Norwegian again, it will be on a much larger/newer boat. Really glad this was not my first cruise or I probably wouldn’t cruise again. Read Less

Had issues on day one and they just haunted my girlfriend and I throughout our trip. A paid for drink package, that we had ample proof of.( email from NCL and our itemized reservation.) Couldn’t get it on our room card at the check in, computer issues were blamed and we were told to see Guest Services once onboard the ship. Here’s where it starts to unravel, gentleman we dealt with was virtually a recording. He disputed the email, from NCL Sr. VP Passenger Services. As our itemized reservation wasn’t enough proof of our claims. Finally after having all his ridiculous and vague questions answered, we got the “We can do nothing on the ship, it must come from the office” on a loop from him. Literally his response to us for the next 5 minutes. We decide to purchase the package AGAIN to avoid paying exorbitant prices for beverages on our vacation. After wasting 4 hours waiting to hear from “The Office”. We head back to Guest Services and miraculously our package was already on our reservation! A Christmas miracle! The attendant asked us why we purchased onboard, a package we already had... we had to tell the ridiculous story for a third time since check in at port. We thought the worst was behind us and we began to enjoy our vacation. Until we were greeted by some of the worst bar staff I’ve ever encountered. I don’t think they served me what I ordered until the third different bar we visited. The language barrier was ridiculous for any guest service position. It’s very frustrating to get blank stares and “ok sure” after simple questions. 2 different areas we visited failed to open at posted hours. The response we were given was, “It open when it open” in the worst broken accent you can think up. All in all, there were some great crew members who salvaged my vacation. However, they’re far outnumbered by staff who are either poorly trained or just don’t care. That’s a good overview of the negatives, I’d like to touch now on some of the positives. We found the food offerings truly awesome, dinners were fantastic, the buffet was wonderful! Our room was quite spacious and had a great view. The people watching on a 4 day “booze cruise” is some of the best entertainment you’ll find aboard. Great stirrup cay is just Ok in my opinion. It’s crowded and was like any other weekend at the beach. This was my first cruise and my GF’s fourth. Neither of us want to get back on the sun! Read Less

My husband and me were celebrating my 70th birthday and it was an awesome experience. We are loyal RC cruisers, and this cruise was super special. Starting with embarkation, it was excellent, very fast and friendly staff. The first day we went to the ice show which was spectacular. The second night the show at the Royal Theater was very good. At the MDR, the service was excellent and the food was the best! Cabin Steward's went beyond their ways to make us feel like royalty. Activities by the cruise director were very entertaining. Kudos to him! Coco Cay is a gigantic water park for all ages. We enjoyed the beach, Oasis Bay with the gigantic pool so relaxing. The kiosks for the food are very organized and clean, great selection of food. Mexican, Caribbean, American, Italian food was offered. For dessert, they had the ice cream stand and brownies. All in all, this cruise was excellent! Read Less

We had the best time with the music entertainment Rubber Duck and Hot Brass. They were amazing! Kelli and Matthew front singers were awesome. We got to know them a bit more personally as we followed them to all of their performances. I will most definitely try to follow them to the location of their next contract!! YES that is how good they are!! Both beach stays were awesome. Cabbage beach is our favorite in Nassau. Princess cays was beautiful and fun to swim and snorkel. We rented chairs at cabbage beach. We are both professional chefs so food was important but we feel that the quality could use some work and giving a couple of more simpler dishes and also make portions are slightly larger. Drinks were great and late at night when hungry couldn’t find much to eat. There is pizza but it takes forever to get it. What happened to the ‘midnight buffet’????? Read Less

This was our first cruise with Carnival, so I don't know if our experience was typical of Carnival or just this ship. We had heard that the Carnival line caters to a younger crowd than other lines we sail on, and we found that to be true. (More strollers, fewer walkers.) I'm used to being pampered on a cruise, and I definitely felt less pampered on this sailing than any I've ever taken. The ship also seemed older than it is. It was built in 2005, but was refurbished in 2016. It reminded me of an aging Vegas casino (think Caesar's Palace.) Mind you, nothing was in disrepair or falling apart; the ship seemed well maintained. But things like dirty windows obstructing views gave a less than stellar impression. I realize sea mist makes windows salty and clouded quickly, but the windows in the dining areas had rust stains running down them, contributing to the overall feeling of an older ship. There were some things we liked. They have a dedicated comedy club with a variety of shows, some family friendly and some adult later in the evenings. The Punchline Club was a great addition. The entertainment overall was first rate. Some of the shows were not my cup of tea, but all were exceptional and entertaining. The ship offers an downloadable app called Carnival Hub, whick contains ship information, activities, opening times, and most importantly, a chat feature so you can communicate and coordinate with other members in your party. This was the most impressive thing this cruise offered. Also, embarkation and debarkation was easier than we've ever experienced. It was fast and orderly, and we were on the ship and in our cabin (with our luggage) in a little over an hour after we arrived at the port. But then came the muster drill. We were made to stand in crowded rows on the deck for over half an hour. This is the first time I've had to stand on deck for muster since my first cruise 27 years ago. I have foot and back problems, which left me in agony and almost in tears for the rest of that evening. This was by far the worst part of the trip, and tainted everything else for me. I understand that this is required by law, but it doesn't have to be done standing on the deck. On other cruises it is done in a lounge or dining area (with seating). Overall, the crew looked tired. These people work long days seven days a week. I guess it's a wonder they don't look exhausted on every cruise. But many of the crew looked like they had been run ragged. We even overheard one crew member say "Five more to go!" after that unmitigated disaster that was muster call. We were definitely feeling her pain. Our cabin steward Hamidi was a bright spot. He was extremely helpful and always called us by name after introducing himself. He kept our cabin neat and tidy and always stocked. Another thing that concerned us was the lack of emphasis on cleanliness. On previous cruises there have always been crew members stationed at the entrance to dining areas encouraging people to wash their hands, and areas provided to do so. On this cruise, not only was it never mentioned, but the "washing station" did not work and the hand sanitizer dispenser at the beginning of the buffet line was empty for at least one day. The buffet seemed very limited compared to other cruises we've taken. One buffet line that fed from both sides, compared to six different lines on our previous cruise, all containing a variety of international dishes and a dedicated dessert buffet. And at least half the restaurants were an additional charge. For that matter, many of the activities were an additional charge as well. All cruises offer these premium activities, but I would say at least half of what we wanted to do had an upcharge. I can't speak to the food in the dining room, as we didn't eat there at all (we rarely do because of schedule conflicts). But overall, the food was unimpressive. Nothing you can't find at your local buffet restaurant. The excursions were what you would expect - shopping, snorkeling, glass bottom boats and beach games. One notable standout was the Sting Ray Encounter on Eleuthera. This was amazing and educational, but we also had access to this island and this excursion through the Princess cruise we took to the US Virgin Islands in March. So you might be better served to sail that itenerary if you want to see this amazing excursion. Perhaps this ship, or the Carnival line for that matter, offers exactly what young families need (like the very popular Guy's burger joint). But this cruise had very limited appeal for my husband and me, and we have likely taken our last Carnival cruise. This cruise was booked last minute as a quick getaway before the Christmas rush, so we thought we'd give this line a try. It was by no means awful (except for that muster drill), but we will probably not be sailing with them again. Read Less

PROS: ENTERTAINMENT/ACTIVITIES: enough to cater to all tastes, from funny and wild dancing on the Lido Deck to calm, piano or violin music in the lobby and walking areas on Deck 5. The comedy club was great, loved the ambiance and lounge atmosphere. The shows we saw were entertaining with the America Rocks show being our favorite. We missed the Love and Marriage Show, but we were told this was a must-see, as the passengers said they laughed and laughed. The Cruise Director (Donkey) was funny and seemed to really enjoy his job and interacting with the passengers at all of the events. CLEANLINESS: We never noticed any area as being dirty and staff were constantly cleaning everywhere. HUB APP: It is free and was very helpful in getting information about anything you needed. GUY’S BURGERS: very fresh and cooked within minutes of when you get it. This place really makes up for what the buffet lacks. You can go here and get exactly what you expect for taste, quality and convenience. PASSENGERS: All were on vacay mode and everyone was friendly and happy. Very relaxed dress code, but not so relaxed that you think you are in Walmart lol. DIVE IN MOVIES: located on the pool deck-volume was loud enough to hear but not too loud, they provided popcorn and blankets for each movie. The movies were current and good, clear screen. SMOKING: Smoking allowed on one side of Deck 10 overlooking the pool/movie area where you can still enjoy watching the activities and movies. Smoking area on Deck 3 just off the Lobby is perfect for a nice, quiet area to smoke and enjoy the ocean sounds and just relax. There is a smoking area in the casino also, on one side of the bar furthest from the open walking area. FOOD: buffet, Mexican, Mongolian grill, Pizza Pirate, steakhouse (upcharge of $30/person), main dining room, unlimited tea/coffee/juices/lemonade. STAFF: all very friendly, helpful and speak to you when you pass. They truly seem happy to be there and not just putting on an act. CABIN: we were on Deck 2 in an interior cabin with portholes. Not as small and cramped as we thought, the shampoo and body wash was surprisingly good quality and smelled really good. Cabin steward was always on time, kept the room very clean morning and night and delivered cute towel animals each day PORTS: The ports on this cruise were Nassau and Princess Cays. Nassau is definitely a tourist area with lots of shopping and Junkanoo beach is not far away (about a 15 minute walk from the ship). The beach was clean, water clear and blue, plenty of food and drink to choose from for a fee that wasn’t too outrageous. A little bit of selling at the entrance of the beach, but not annoying and we were pretty much left alone to enjoy a day on the beach. DRINKING/BARS: Lots of choices of drinks and very tasty. Bartenders were working their butts off the whole time, trying to get to each customer quickly. CONS (my very subjective review): ENTERTAINMENT/ACTIVITIES: So many to choose from! The ship does a great job of letting you know what is offered and times; however, you can’t possibly see them all, so choose wisely and get there at least 30 minutes early to ensure you have a seat. They fill up fast. The shows in the Venetian (Flick and America Rocks) were good. Don’t expect a full-on Broadway show with top, seasoned performers. They were good and put on a good show, but you can tell some still needed time to perfect their voices. I can’t carry a tune, so who am I to judge lol. CLEANLINESS: Not really a cleanliness issue per se, but there was a strong smell of sewage on the 2nd level hallway that just would not go away the whole trip. Seemed like the higher the floor, the less the smell. Choose a higher deck if you get sick on your stomach easily. We were in the very front of the ship and it was a VERY LONG walk from the elevator to get to the room. If we rode a bike down the hall, it would have taken us about 2 minutes to get there, it is THAT LONG! You can feel the ship rocking way more in the front. One night is was choppy waters and we could hear the waves hitting against the ship, which woke us up and sounded like really hard rocks hitting the ship hard. Scary if you aren’t expecting it. HUB APP: If they had a GPS on the app to help you find your way around this huge ship, that would save a lot of walking and sore muscles for us out of shape old folks with bad hips and feet! The ship is HUGE and there is a LOT of walking involved to get where you want to go. There are maps at the elevators that show you where things are located, but most of the time we didn’t know if we were near the front or back of the ship. PASSENGERS: We were entertained people-watching; however, if you are looking for a more calm, sophisticated crowd, you may want to consider another cruise line. There’s lots of drinking, loud dance music (we liked it, but some people don’t) and lots of younger women who liked to flaunt their bodies (fine for them, not so much for kids, etc if you are more conservative). CABIN: The only noticeable thing that could have been better was the mini fridge was not really cold. The sewage smell on Deck 2 where we stayed was very strong and was there the entire cruise. FOOD: Don’t expect to be able to eat what you want at all hours. The buffets, Guy’s Burgers and other food areas are NOT open 24 hours. Pizza Pirate is only good for a quick meal if you are hungry-it is open 24 hours but since the other areas aren’t open, there is a LONG line and the pizza is not what you’re used to when ordering from the name brand pizza places. The buffets will suffice when you are hungry, but they don’t have a huge amount of veggie choices and limited meat choices. Breakfast bar has the instant scrambled eggs, which I can usually eat at other restaurants, but I found these yucky, so I opted for omelettes made with the real eggs instead. The omelette outlet has a line, so be prepared to wait for it. Other food outlets looked to be better quality food/taste, but there is an upcharge for them (sushi, steakhouse, etc). The Blue Iguana Cantina looked yummy (tortillas, taco salads, salsa bar, etc), but every time we went they were either closed or closing. PORTS: Nassau is HEAVILY a tourist area and the people selling are VERY pushy, will get in your face at times trying to sell you this or that, following you as you walk. There were TONS of taxis lined up where you first enter the sidewalks and every other seller seemed to be yelling at us to either use their cab or buy their wares. If you aren’t firm with a “No, thank you” they will hound you a little bit. We walked to Junkanoo Beach, which was about 15 minutes from the ship. After a few minutes of walking and getting hounded, we got really annoyed by all of it. Princess Cays: we chose not to go because we heard it was very rocky and you can’t get to it unless you take a water taxi provided by the ship, so we chose not to go. Other passengers that went said they saw a lot of neat fish and sting rays when swimming and snorkeling, and all of them said it was really rocky to walk without water shoes. DRINKING/BARS: DO NOT BUY THE SIGNATURE DRINK THEY PASS AROUND AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CRUISE! We got two tumblers of Rum Punch and were charged $58 (our fault for not asking the price or looking at the receipt we signed)! The itemized cost was 1) the punch itself, 2) the tumbler, 3) the lid (yes, the lid!) and 4) a $7 fee for the tip for the little guy that gave it to us! We planned to get a little smashed on the trip but it never happened. I do not drink mixed drinks, but I decided to get some on this trip expecting to have one or two as my limit since I am a lightweight. I NEVER felt buzzed at all. I began suspecting the liquor was watered down somehow. I watched the bartenders as they poured the correct amount into each drink I ordered, too. Beers are $7 each and up and mixed drinks that we ordered were $9 and up. That is BEFORE the automatic tip (18%) is added to your bill, each time you order. PREPAID GRATUITIES: These are NOT including bar tips, so be prepared for that. CUSTOMER SERVICES: LONG lines and a wait each time we went, especially on embarkation day and disembarking to settle your account the night before or the day of. The staff did come around to the line and try to help the passengers in advance of reaching the desk, which was great. SELF SERVICE KIOSKS: Both kiosks on Deck 3 and Deck 5 were not working the first day. Usually there’s a line to use them, so be prepared to wait a bit. ATMS: $6 fee to get cash, so get your cash before you board if you don’t want to pay that fee. OVERALL IMPRESSION: We went to relax, escape and disconnect and weren’t disappointed. The cons served as a learning experience for us as new cruisers and were things we learned to expect when we cruise again. We will adjust our choices to allow for those, but none of the cons were so much that it would stop us from cruising on the Liberty again. We learned that the drink package is a must if you are a drinker, even if you don’t plan on drinking 15/day, the tips will get you even if you are buying less than 15/day and are on a budget. THINGS WE WILL DO DIFFERENTLY ON OUR NEXT CRUISE: 1) Pack lighter and only bring a few clothing changes. You really don’t need as many clothes as you think you will. I heard this advice many times before our trip but didn’t listen. I will next time. We will be bringing carry-on luggage only on our next trip just for the convenience and ease of moving around with it. 2) Bring a sweater, hoodie, or something to allow for the slightly windy evenings on the deck. 3) Buy the drink package 4) Get to shows about 15-30 minutes before they start to get a good seat and/or not be turned away because they are full (particularly true for the comedy show). 5) Bring a lanyard for the Sail and Sign card. You need it for practically everywhere you go and it saves you time digging it out. 6) Bring a power strip for the room so you have more plug ins for charging phones. 7) Book a room close to mid-ship/elevators to cut down on long walks and easier access to the action. Book a room on a higher deck to escape the sewage smell. 8) Learn the layout of the ship prior to boarding to save time wandering around looking for things. 9) Learn the open hours of each food station to avoid getting there and seeing they are closed. 10) Study the activity schedule more closely and plan ahead for what we want to do so that we don’t miss out on things we would have enjoyed. Read Less

I chose this ship, because it is one of the best in class for service and friendless. (there are only two in class: The Sky & The Sun). The better dance choice is The NCL Sun, if you like live music and great dance floors, it is better on the Sun than on the Sky. The Latin band, 440 duo, is an excellent band, I cruised three times over the last two months just to go back and party with them, their contract is up in January so hurry. The new High Five band is incredible as well. The staff on the Sun know how to pick entertainment for this ship. The food service in the MDRs, service taste and temperature was perfect. I will give the buffet 8 to 9 out of a 10 for their meals and service. Now for the not so good, my cabin upon arrival was reeking of vomit, I don't know how they could have released this cabin into service for the next guest in this condition. All I can say is that the poor cabin steward is over worked and was afraid to not clear this cabin; it should have been condemned until a proper clean out could have been performed by the right members of the crew. I complained but there was a little bit of nonchalant about the way the handled the situation. Believe me, they did try to rectify, but they fell short. Of course I got sick, vomiting like Linda Blair in the Exorcist. I had to visit the hospital; $1800 and two hours later, I was sent on my way. Do you think I got an apology, maybe roses? I got nothing. The crew members I knew went all out to to help, with cut green apples from the Manager at Cagney's Steakhouse, to the Bar Manager in the Atrium sending me ginger ale. Those are the little people who make you feel special, not the big bosses who ignored my hospital visit and their lack of a clean cabin. With all that I still have not lost hope in NCL. They, the bosses, did as little as possible to rectify, but in the end, it was the little people of NCL that came to the rescue. That is what keeps me coming back. But YOUR experience will differ so don't get on the ship looking for negative, have fun and put in writing to the GM on board your troubles and then get back to the fun, letting the proper people handle your complaint. Happy cruising to all! Read Less

The food was horrible, service was not great, front desk was no help at all. The boat was rocking more than any boat I ever been on the first and last night. When I went to the front desk in the middle of the night to get water because my girlfriend was throwing up from all the rocking they sent me to the back of the ship. Not to mention water isn't included on your all you can drink package, it cost about $7 a bottle. The ship went to their private island and then decided to cancel it last moment and we skipped on stop. I don't know if tips were paid before attending the cruise is the reason all the staffs were slow and not friendly at all, I would much rather they earn their tips. on the 4th day when we went to their private island my drink package did not work and when I asked why they said its not activated go back to the ship to see why its not working there is nothing we can do. Because you have to take a boat back to the ship and it would've took probably over an hour to do that we decided not to drink. When we went to the front desk after we boarded back on they said "there is nothing wrong with your card I don't know why it didn't work." They really didn't seem to care, didn't apologize, I wasn't compensated or anything. Overall probably one of the worst cruises I have been to. Read Less

When I saw the advertisement for $199 for the 5 day Bahama cruise, I couldn't pass it up. We booked it about two weeks prior to departure, chose the drink package and two specialty dining meals. Getting on and off the ship at the beginning and end of the cruise was a breeze. We were checked in promptly and offered water to drink while waiting. For debarkation, we elected to walk off, and since we timed it between platinum and special guests, we didn't have a long line. Customs was on the ship deck with a facial recognition camera and a quick look at the passport. On board, the only drawback was the music choices and hours. During this cruise, we had no classical or instrumental entertainment other than the piano in the Windjammer. I get tired of the oldies music (even though I'm 53). The evening show was the usual cruise ship venue, but on the last night the cruise director introduced all the managers and many department supervisors, so we were able to thank them with applause. I thought this was nice. Our cabin could only be reached from the bow of the ship. See cabin review below. Fitness: We like to walk on the promenade in the mornings but two mornings on our trip it was partially blocked for maintenance. No big deal, just reverse and go the other way until you get back to the barrier, but it seemed like they could've blocked just a portion of the deck instead of the entire deck section. I have to appreciate that NCL takes safety seriously. The food was good. We had the buffet every morning for breakfast and usually went to the aft Great Outdoors buffet for lunch. Dinner at Cagneys was delicious and filling. No problems ordering or waiting at the Four Seasons. The last night, we had dinner at the sushi bar. The staff was exceptionally courteous. Overall, the sushi menu is rather limited but the entire meal was well prepared, fresh and delicious. The chef even made my husband a typical California roll that wasn't on the menu at all, and gave us an additional plate of sashimi and nigeri beyond what our meal package included. We easily ate $80 worth of sushi and sashimi, in addition to our edamame appetizer and sake (two kinds available) and were stuffed. All was included in our meal and beverage packages. So the sushi bar, for us, was a great added value. Shore excursions: We couldn't stop at Great Stirrup Cay the first day because the waves were too rough for tendering. So we puttered over to Nassau a day early. My husband and I didn't get off the ship as we've been there before. In Freeport, we took an NCL offered excursion for the Luxury Day Sail and had a good time. Drinks, a bento-sandwich lunch and snorkeling was included. We didn't go very far off shore and my only complaint was that it was too short. The guides were friendly and attentive. The last port was Great Stirrup Cay again, and that's always fun. We just get chairs and stay by the beach but some seniors next to us said they had a great time on the zipline. My only complaint about the Cay is the barbecue offerings. Hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza and fried chicken are your choices. I was hoping for a fish option, but they had salads, too. I've traveled on the Sun twice before and like the ship because of its small size. The staff remember you and the ship is well kept. I would go on it again. Read Less

This was my husband's and my first cruise and we enjoyed it. Norwegian offered a great deal on the cruise with many added perks. Expect to spend an additional $200-300 each in other charges and on board purchases. We even had $150 on board spending credits and $100 in spa credits, and no booked excursions. We had a balcony cabin on deck 10 and loved our room. It was plenty room for the two of us. Outlets were sparse and the blow dryer was not very good...strange setup. Take your own if you need one. We had breakfast delivered to the cabin every morning versus going to the buffet. The buffet and dining room meals were average and nothing special to write about, but I'm a good snob, foodie. We had specialty dining available for two nights of the cruise and had pretty good meals and great dining experiences those two evenings (Tepanyaki and Mexican food). Our cruise included the drink package and the drinks were good. The entertainment on the ships was great and there were plenty of activities going on around the ship. Andre the piano guy was incredible. We watched and listened to him several nights. The last night he played the organ versus the piano, which was very disappointing, and took away from his incredible talent. we went to Darans comedy show twice, one family friendly, the other not. Both were very good. We ported at Nassau, Grand Bahama Island and Great Stirrup Key, which was by far the best port. Nassau and Grand Bahama were both very ghetto and we didn't like the locals trying to lure us into buying little trinkets, then made to feel guilty when we politely declined. We didn't book any excursions and instead went to the beach on Grand Bahama...the shuttle company (not NCL) who taxied us to the beach again was very ghetto. We went to Taino Beach, which had an entrance fee and fees to use beach chairs and umbrellas. Don't waste your money on the drinks in cut coconuts or pineapples. we decided that if we take another cruise to the Bahamas, we will definitely book excursions. The weird excitement of the trip was when a drink girl jumped overboard on the 4th night of the cruise after fighting with her boyfriend, and we witnessed her rescue (she survived) and we heard the next day that she was escorted off the ship in the middle of the night. Day one and day five were very choppy and several passengers experienced seasickness, including myself. The staff were very helpful and offered me motion sickness RX from customer services. We booked massages and pedicures on the ship and were very satisfied, aside from their attempt to upsell us into purchasing products and to book more services. All in all, it was a great mini vacation for us. Read Less

We chose a short 5 day cruise with 2 beach stops to relax after a 6 month chemo. Treatment. We chose an inside cabin which we only did once before( and never again ) to keep costs down. Embarkation was smooth but not the seas that first night. To quote george costanza "the seas were angry my friend", rocking and rolling. This added to the pleasure of an inside cabin. Our first beach day was scrubbed due to high seas not condusive for a tender operation, instead we headed to nassau bahamas for an overnight stay. Our sea day was cancelled and replaced with a stay in freeport bahamas. The main dining was adequate, nothing special, however the brazilian stekhouse, and le bistro were excellent. The buffet area is small and there is additional buffet dining at the rear of the ship. On two occasions we found hairs embedded in our food, which was a turnoff. We found some of the higher level staff lacking in courtesies when asked about certain conditions. The entertainment on board was excellent. We loved the high energy dance group and their production shows were top notch. Duran howard the comedian was excellent with humorous situational comedy that was very creative. We saw both his regular show and his adult only show. Both top shelf. WE HAD A RELAXING TIME AND HAVING NO EXPECTATIONS, WE WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED, AS SENIORS THAT CRUISE AND STILL LIKE TO HAVE FUN Read Less

We chose this cruise because we were looking for a cheap weekend getaway, preferably out of Port Canaveral as we drive down from metro Atlanta. The old adage you get what you pay for should have been popping into my head. We tried Carnival because I had sailed to Cozumel many years ago on Sensation and remembered it fondly. After this sailing it all makes sense why. When I sailed on the Sensation, I was in my early 20’s and enjoyed partaking of the wild and crazy party atmosphere, not so much in my late 30’s with my 11 year old daughter. The ship is definitely showing her age, especially in the cabins. Worn, lumpy mattresses and dingy carpet. The colors are borderline offensive to the eye and there were several places on the ship where the smell could only be compared to a port-o-John, including the bathroom in our cabin. The food in the MDR was decent and both of our servers, Warren and Elmer(they switched our table after the first night) were great. The food elsewhere was ok when it was available (we came back to the ship from Nassau at 6:30 PM and most dining was closed) but there was always an extensive line. We were really hoping for a good experience but in hindsight, I wish I had spent a couple hundred more to sail on Mariner of the Seas instead. Read Less