natefish95

I really wanted a drink, but I was also starving, so I went to the Lido Buffet first.

Let's talk about buffet food. It was not good. This was the saddest spread of food I had ever seen. There was not much selection and the buffet areas themselves are quite small, which limits what can be put out. Towards the center of the buffet were salad and dessert stations, but the main entree areas was sad. Here was my plate of sad food.

I got a little bit of almost everything just to try and I'd go back for round two and get what I liked best. The only thing I really liked was the potato salad, but that's not a meal, so I went to Guy's Burger instead.

Now that's what I'm talking about

I love burgers. They're one of my favorite foods. Was this the best burger ever? No. Was it delicious? Absolutely. I think it's better than NCL burgers because their patties are always on the brink of being burnt. Plus, the toppings bar at Guy's is great. The chipotle mayo was amazing.

Afterwards, I went exploring this little ship.

Above the lido buffet is the Waterworks area.

Below the lido buffet and behind the Puttin' on the Ritz lounge is the Serenity adults only area

There was a good amount of loungers and some chairs further back in the shade. I spent a lot of time here. There was a towel station where you can check out a yellow Serenity towel, but I didn't think they were any better than the normal blue towels you're given. There are supposedly public bathrooms a flight of stairs down from Serenity, but they were always locked, so the closest restrooms are through the Ritz lounge and in the elevator lobby area.

Putting on the Ritz lounge where the comedy shows were held and some movies

The cruise begins!!

Day 1

I woke up, showered for like the 20th time since I've been in San Juan (it's hot, y'all), and got ready. I'm pretty sure my check-in time was at like 1:30, but I decided to just head to the port anyways and see what happens. The Fascination docks at the port in Old San Juan (I did see the Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas at the other port across the bay).

Uber was fast and affordable like always.

My first glimpse of the Fascination in person!

Outside the terminal building there are porters taking luggage like every other cruise port in the world. They check your ID's and cruise docs like normal, and then you walk down this covered walkway into the building. This building was like a maze. Let me explain.

You go up an escalator and you're at the embarkation photo station. No thanks. I look like a hot mess already and posing alone is awkward. You then the corner and that's check-in. I got there around 11:30 and it was EMPTY! I walked right up and was checked in in five minutes. Fastest ever. You then walk around a wall (photos are on the other side) down some hallway and through security. It was weird doing that after checking in... You then go down another hallway, turn, down another hallway, down an escalator, across the baggage claim area, outside and then you enter the ship on Deck 3. Thankfully people were directing us.

Entering the ship in 3...2...1...

I am finally onboard the Carnival Fascination, my first Carnival cruise in basically forever and I was stoked! Honestly, one of my first thoughts was that this carpet is hella gaudy. It's like purple and gold, but I don't care. I want food and a drink and maybe not in that order. They had a lunch express elevator up the lido.

Looking down into the lobby

Lido deck. Looks inviting, huh?

Blue Iguana Tequila Bar

Guy's Burgers menu

We're leaving Saturday morning for San Juan, sailing this same itinerary next week! Also, size is important, but it's what you do with it...

 

Sent from my SM-G960U using Forums mobile app

One without the other is fine, but both together is far better. Piloting a dingy is fine, but being the captain of a cruise ship makes many people happy. ;)

He suggested we go to a place called Lote 23 (Lot 23). This is basically a vacant lot that has been turned into a mini food vendor area. Think of a food hall with different small restaurants of all different kinds of food. There was a good amount of seating and there was a huge variety of food available. There was a stage towards the back that has live music later on in the evening. We walked around a bit, but decided to go somewhere else for dinner. He wanted to show me something more authentic instead of fusion type food. Everything I saw looked delicious and reasonably priced too. This is definitely a local hangout and off the beaten path a bit. Highly recommend if you want something a bit different. Just google "Lot 23 San Juan" and you'll be able to get directions. It was also easy to take an Uber there.

Lote 23

My friend suggested we go to a very authentic Puerto Rican place called Bebo's. I have no idea where it's located, but it's popular and should be easy to find. I would recommend an Uber because the parking lot was extremely tight! We waited about 15 minutes for a table and then were seated.

Menu pics

We started with some empanadas

For my meal I got a mofongo relleno (stuffed mofongo) with Ropa Vieja. So Ropa Vieja is more Cuban, but it looked delicious anyways. Mofongos are super Puerto Rican, so don't get upset. A mofongo is somewhat like mashed potatoes but with fried plantains and some other stuff. I should really start a food blog with that descriptive description. Bottom line it was DELICIOUS!

We then decided to drive around a little bit and my friend showed me the business district and some outer areas. I was shocked by how dark it was in many places. Either the light posts were blown away during the hurricane and not replaced or they were replaced, but no electricity to power them. We were on a major road and it was pitch black in some parts. If you're going to drive at night in San Juan, be careful. This was further out from Old San Juan and not around the normal touristy areas.

Went back to the AirBnB took what was probably my third shower, packed, and went to bed dreaming of what a boat built in 1994 (note-that's older than me) has in store for me.

More exploring El Morro

Just kidding about the earlier picture. This is actually the one I put on Instagram. I was not kidding about getting lots of likes.

I probably spent about an hour walking around and exploring. It was very fun to explore the different areas and read the history about the fort. I then began the short walk down to San Cristobal. This next photo is shortly after leaving El Morro. You can see San Cristobal in the distance. Definitely doable.

It's gorgeous.

By the time I reached San Cristobal, I was just too tired and too short on time to explore it. I easily grabbed an Uber and went back to my AirBnB to shower and freshen up. One of my good friends lives in San Juan and we had plans to meet for dinner.

Alright, y'all! I'm back! Sorry for the break. I'm in the middle of a move and coordinating everything associated has been super fun. (sarcasm) But I'm back and ready to crank this out. I left off somewhere with my AirBnB. Long story short, it was great and a very cost effective way to stay somewhere. I'm honestly more of a hotel type of guy and like building loyalty. AirBnB is definitely my fallback plan if prices are too high, but if you want an inexpensive option and want to go off the beaten path a bit and interact more with locals, go with an AirBnB. Just make sure to do your research and find a place that suits your needs best.

I knew that I wanted to go to El Morro, so I grabbed an Uber and headed over that way. It was less then $10 and I had a great driver with lots of tips and info about San Juan. Once I got there, I was struck by how beautiful it was. I'll shut up and let the pictures talk.

I walked up the long pathway towards the fort admiring the views. To actually go inside the fort and explore its $7, which I thought was a good price especially because it also included entry into San Cristobal fort (which I didn't get to).

Aerial shot

I put this one on Instagram to make everyone back home jealous. It got a lot of likes.

Thank you for taking the time to do a review of your cruise on Fascination. We've done this itinerary twice, rather recently, on Valor (2013) and again on Liberty (2015) and hoping to do it again on Fascination, but no cruises booked. This is, hands down, my favorite itinerary and I love reading reviews to get new ideas for the "next time" and also to relive our cruises to these beautiful islands. Antigua will be a "bonus". I'm looking forward to following around for the rest. Great start!

This is an itinerary that you could do 10 times and have a different experience each time. I'm already thinking about when I can do a similar itinerary next.

Go Jackets!! :)

 

Enjoying your report and looking for more. (Class of '65)

Time to get this show back on the road! THWg!

Only 7 days until we board!! Hoping to read the rest of your review before we leave. Thanks!

I'm going to hopefully knock this out quickly. Lots of stuff came up and didn't have time to write this, but I do now! Stay tuned ad ask as many questions as you'd like.

I'm definitively following!!

 

 

I got to say I love your writing style. Unfortunately I have no Carnival cruises pending (not for lack of wanting). And while I sailed on that ship and itinerary (sans Antigua), I always like to relive my experience through other people's words and pictures. I'm hoping I get to squeeze a sailing on the Fascination again before my 2020 Epic sailing from San Juan.

The Epic is going to be amazing out of San Juan. I love that ship and I'm tentatively planning to do the Epic at the end of 2019. Great ship combined with a great itinerary will be awesome.

I am doing the Eco Cave tour in Barbados. Excited to see your thoughts.

I abandoned this review but now I'm back! The Eco Adventure tour was amazing, but it was strenuous! Be prepared to throw away your entire outfit (including shoes) or bring plastic bags to put your shoes in.

I was on Fascination in April. It was a great cruise. My cruise went to 5 ports instead of the 6 on your cruise. It was a great cruise and I look forward to reading your review. Thank you for taking the time to do the review.:cool:

Going to get back into this review now! 6 ports was very exhausting, but I would do this itinerary again in a heartbeat.

So sorry this happened to you, but I'm glad you enjoyed the rest of your cruise. I thank your husband for his service and I hope you have a Blessed Eid.

Thanks for the answer, Bob. I'm planning on doing the Adventure to Labadee next year instead of NCL, so this is good to know.

Just wondering...why can't you just go to Labadee and enjoy the beach, lunch, and sun and leave the wifi on the ship???

Just wondering...why can't you just go to a thread and respond yes/no and leave the judgement to yourself??

Day 0-traveling to San Juan and exploring the city

I'm very lucky to live within walking distance of MARTA (our local transit system), so I set out at 6:30am to catch the train down to the airport. MARTA doesn't go many useful places, but it does go to the airport. At 6:30am, you would think people would be quiet and keep to themselves. Wrong. People are stupid at every hour of the day. There was one person blasting music and another Face-Timing her baby daddy. Why, God, why??? I closed my eyes and tried to tune them out.

Soon enough we got to the airport and it was swamped. I had to check a bag ($25 on Delta) and the line was super long, but it moved quickly. Next came my favorite part, security. I'm not even being sarcastic now. let me give y'all a tip. I HIGHLY recommend investing in a CLEAR membership. CLEAR is a biometric security scan that helps you bypass the line. It is $179 for a year or $99 if you're a Delta SkyMiles member or $79 if you're a Delta gold SkyMiles credit card holder. I got a three month free trial from an aviation vlogger I follow, but I'll definitely pay for it when my trial ends.

You enroll by scanning your fingerprints and irises. To use CLEAR, you walk up to a kiosk, scan your fingerprints and boarding pass, and then the CLEAR agents escort you to just after the TSA agent checking boarding passes. You then go through security like normal. In most airports there are special locations for those with CLEAR and TSA PreCheck. I don't have PreCheck (yet), so I had to remove my shoes like everyone else. The horror. All in all, security took a grand total of 5 minutes. The line looked pretty long too. CLEAR is not available at all airports though, but definitely check it out if you fly often. It's a huge time saver and worth every penny in my opinion. You can also add family members to your account at a discounted rate.

Did my preflight ritual of getting Chick Fil-A. Their entire system crashed so they could only take cash. People were going crazy. It's too early for this cluster****. I got my biscuit and ran away from that mess. Not today, Satan!!!

Boarded on time, put on some music and settled in for the uneventful flight.

(let me know if that picture comes across fine)

Landed in SJU on time around 1:30. Bags took a little while to arrive, but they arrived and that's what matters, right? I couldn't check into my AirBnB until 3:00, so I aimlessly walked around and eventually found a sandwich shop upstairs from baggage claim by the check-in counters. I can't remember the name, but it's across from American Airlines had a wide variety of sandwiches. It was average airport food. Nothing spectacular, but nothing awful and little pricey.

It was interesting hearing nothing but Spanish. I'm conversational in Spanish, so never had any issues. I think I encountered less than 5 people who spoke no English at all. I encourage everyone to learn at least a few useful words in Spanish.

After a late lunch, I headed downstairs to just outside baggage claim to get a taxi. Uber does exist in Puerto Rico, but it cannot pick you up from the airport. Taxis from the airport are regulated. Here are the prices:

I was going to the Miramar area and plus the baggage and fuel surcharge, it ended up being around $20-super reasonable. I had an entire 12 passenger van to myself, which was a little weird, but didn't care. I pulled up the address and used my phone to direct the driver. Super easy.

Now about AirBnB. I don't know if you can advertise specific AirBnB's on here (Cruise Critic has so many random rules), but I'll say this. When you're going to San Juan and want to do an AirBnB, you may not want to stay in a white house, but I would recommend staying in a "yellow house". Pull up AirBnB, search the Miramar area and you'll probably see what I mean.

The house was beautiful! I met the host and he gave me a quick tour. The house was built in the 50's, but has been kept up very well. I had a private room with a shared bathroom and a small private terrace. They also had a super cute dog that seemed to love naps as much as I do. The host gave me a run down of the property, pointed out some local bars and restaurants, and left me to it.

Random shot in the house (I think I was trying to be artsy-I'm not).

Ok, let's get this show back on the road. So I like I mentioned earlier, I didn't book this cruise until early March. I was in my last semester of grad school, so I didn't spend much time planning, which I really should have. I knew I wanted to fly in the day before the cruise left so I could explore San Juan a bit and not be stressed out by potentially missing the ship.

In St. Thomas I knew I wasn't doing anything and just wanted to relax on the ship. In Antigua I planned to go to Darkwood Beach after suggestions on our FB page and 10 minutes of research. In Barbados I booked the Harrisons' Cave Eco-Adventure through Carnival. In St. Lucia I booked the Spencer Ambrose Land and Sea Tour after reading about it on here. In St. Kitts I planned to take a ferry over to Nevis and spend the day at Sunshine's Beach bar. And finally in St. Maarten I planned to go to Maho beach and plane spot (I'm a big aviation geek). Y'all know things don't go as planned and things did not go as planned in St. Kitts and Antigua (for two different reasons).

In San Juan I reached out to a friend who lives there and he said he'd be around, so we made plans for dinner, but during the day I planned to go to El Morro and San Cristobal.

I found decent direct flights on Delta from ATL-SJU (it's so convenient living in Atlanta). Flights were booked. Excursions semi-planned. Gratuities pre-paid. What's next? Oh yeah, lets talk alcohol, y'all! So I've been spoiled on NCL with their Free at Sea promotions where you can get the Unlimited Beverage Package for only about $100 in gratuities. I decided to pre-purchase the CHEERS package because I wanted to do a little experiment to see if it would be worth it in the future. You'll find out if I did or not.

Another thing I decided to pre-purchase was the social media package. I'm like totes a millennial and can't let my streaks end on Snapchat! But actually though, since I'm traveling alone, I wanted to stay in contact with my friends and post pictures on Instagram to make them jealous. It was $7 a day I believe, which is a steal compared to NCL's, which was $12.50 per day.

Regarding hotels, I'm loyal to the Hilton brand, but prices were just outrageous. I looked into AirBnB, which I have used only once before. I researched this aspect more than any other thing. I'm very picky and didn't want to end up staying in a crack house. Thankfully, I found a place with a lot of good reviews in a good location for about $75 total for the night. I contacted the host and he was super nice, so I booked that. All that was left is to finish out my classes, graduate, go on my NCL cruise, do laundry, and repack.

Graduation came and went. My NCL cruise flew by. I got back home, did laundry, and started counting down the hours until I leave for the airport. The night before (Friday night), I did not get any sleep. I procrastinated packing and wanted to finish my Getaway review before I left. At 5:30am, I finished that review and started getting ready. The time had finally come to embark on my next adventure.

Hello everyone! My name is Nate and I just got off the Carnival Fascination on Sunday. This my first cruise on Carnival in many years and also my first solo cruise on Carnival. I just graduated from grad school (Go Jackets!! THWg!!) and this was part two of my graduation present to myself. Part 1 was a cruise on the NCL Getaway, which I have had booked, changed and booked again for nearly a year. Check out the NCL boards for that review. I think it's a pretty good read.

About this Review-

I'm a very detailed person, but I'm also not a crazy person. You're going to hear a lot of details, but it's (hopefully) not going to be too detailed to where you miss important info. I'll be honest and mention the highlights and positive moments, but I'm also going to talk about the low parts and any negative aspects I encountered. I'm also very sarcastic with a dry sense of humor, so sit there and laugh at my jokes dangit. You can't curse on here can you?

Best of all, I'll have photos!! I'm in the process of getting my pictures uploaded to PhotoBucket right now. I took plenty of pictures of menus, Fun Times, food, scenery, the ship, Sometimes I forgot to get menu or food pictures, but you can google enough and find menu pictures.

About me-

Like I said, I just graduated from grad school and this was a present to myself. I currently live in Atlanta, but I'm moving up to DC soon. I'll be close to the port of Baltimore, so I think I see the Pride somewhere in my future... I usually cruise for the ship and have pretty much only done the new mega ships of Norwegian. Size does matter. Ok then, Nate, so why did you pick a cruise on a ship built in 1994 that isn't even 100,000 tons? So glad you asked. First, this cruise was the cheapest 7 day I have ever seen and will probably ever see. I cruised solo, and despite paying 100% solo rate, it still came out to be a very reasonable price. Second, this was a simply incredible itinerary. It was as follows

Sunday-May 27th: Embark in San Juan

Monday-May 28th: St. Thomas

Tuesday-May 29th: Antigua

Wednesday-May 30th: Barbados

Thursday-May 31st: St. Lucia

Friday-June 1st: St. Kitts

Saturday-June 2nd: St. Maarten

Sunday-June 3rd: Get dragged off kicking and screaming in San Juan

Pre-Cruise

So part 2, or what I'll call, the unplanned part of my graduation present to myself began earlier this year. Sometime around March I was procrastinating writing a paper and looking at cruises. I had 6 weeks to play with between graduation and when I move. One of those weeks was my NCL cruise, but I really wanted to do another cruise since I had so much free time. I was mainly looking at 3-5 day cruises since they're the cheapest. I decided to check out 7 day cruises and came across this hidden gem of a 7 day cruise out of San Juan that was less than some of the 3-5 day cruises I was considering. I thought about it for a few days, consulted my bank account, and decided to do it. I've worked hard the past 5 years in school and have 2 degrees with time to spare. I live by "treat yo'self", so pulled the trigger and booked myself on the Carnival Fascination leaving May 27th.

Alright, my laptop is dying and I left my charger at home. I'll continue in a little bit with my pre-cruise planning and my initial comparisons between Carnival and NCL. Hope y'all stick around! I suck at starting reviews, but I promise it will get interesting!

We were on the Escape a year ago and Getaway a week ago. The differences our group noticed was the staff. In general they were professional and friendly on the Getaway. On the Escape, we felt they were professional, friendly and fun-loving. They joked, laughed and made even sanitizing fun! Our group felt that this up-beat mentality carried down to the general public. The weather was a little better on the Escape trip and I'm trying to be honest, but even the general public seemed more pleasant.

I totally agree. I have never encountered a "bad" crew member on any cruise, but the Escape staff really seemed to go the extra mile and were generally more engaging. I found that in the Atrium bartenders on Getaway, but not much else. Like I mentioned earlier, I think the bad management of the Getaway has trickled down and affected the staff. Just my thoughts on the matter.

I'm looking at that 9 day repositioning cruise too! I live in Boston so its super convenient. Not sure how I feel about the smaller ships though tbh.

 

I'm also looking at Jan 20-27th on the Getaway. I love that week because I take 1 less day of PTO (MLK day) and the Australian Open is on the TVs when I'm stumbling back to my studio cabin at 3am :).

I like the way you think! I'm really, really considering it now after enjoying the ports so much on my Carnival cruise. The Carnival ship was small (the Dawn is still bigger) and really enjoyed being on a small ship. I wish I would have come more prepared with books and podcasts. Since the smaller ships don't have the crazy amenities of bigger ships, you have to come prepared to fill your time. As much as I love drinking at bars, drinking alone on the Carnival ship got old pretty fast.

THWG! Congrats on getting out from a Tech wife and mom (daughter just finished first year and is currently studying abroad)!!!

 

We are sailing 6/3 for out second time on the Getaway. Thanks for your funny and great review! I love that, like many Tech students, you are a nerd in a variety of fields!

THWg! I'm sure you're daughter is having a blast! Studying abroad was one of the best things I ever did. Hope y'all are having a great trip right now!

Thanks so much for a great and entertaining review! We will be on the Getaway in three weeks and are definitely looking forward to it! ��

Thanks again for such a great review! I think I was holding my breath through the debark part - holy cow. Our flight the week earlier wasn't until 1pm and that still would have had me stressing out!!!

 

Have fun on your Carnival cruise... will have to visit that board just for your review. :)

It was crazy, but just another travel story to tell now! I'll start my Carnival review later today. It was very different than this cruise. Hope you check it out!

Yes, and that is because you are docked and the jurisdiction treats the ship like a land based bar in that regard. The amount is very small and hardly worth being upset about.

Thanks for your review! We are on the Getaway now, loved both comedians (different than your two though), thought Million Dollar Quartet was amazing, and having a great time. Rather than blame NCL for your flight issues, I hope you learned in the future not to book such an early flight. Disembarkation often gets delayed for various reasons, and you essentially cut the line yourself. I do agree with your thoughts on Vibe on the Getaway, and we wouldn't get it again, especially for such a port intensive week. But we are having a blast and so sad to be getting off tomorrow.

I don't recall ever blaming NCL for my flight issues. I said they communicated the delay very poorly and did little to help control the growing crowds. In my however many cruises, this is the only time I've experienced a delay, so I don't think "often" is very accurate. Furthermore, I did cut the line in the terminal, but on the ship I stayed in the line I had been waited and respected those who had been waiting before me. I ran ahead in the terminal after being told to do so by an NCL rep.

Congrats on your graduation and thanks for the funny review - I keep laughing thinking about you wiping out while running to get the vibe pass. Good times!

Every time I look down and see the faint scars, I'm reminded of it and think to myself what an idiot I am lol.

My younger cousin and a bunch of her friends just got back from the Southern Caribbean on the Fascination. They loved their trip and had a blast on the ship! It was a great itinerary... Enjoy!

 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Forums mobile app

I just got back and loved it! Carnival is very different from NCL and each have their own pros and cons. Definitely want to do that itinerary again though!

Thank you for the great review and enjoy your next vacation! As it was for you, my Getaway trip is a graduation gift to myself (nursing school grad) although my husband and one of my 4 kids are also coming. It's nice to have something relaxing to look forward to after all the hard work! I've always wanted to sail out of PR, and I do love Carnival as well, so I will look for your next review!

Congratulations! Thinking about this trip definitely helped me get through the last few rough nights and papers. I'll be starting that review later today hopefully.

Thanks for your review! Cruising solo on Getaway on December. Been 3 times solo on Epic and liked it a lot so hopefully Getaway will deliver as well.

 

Did you check out the thermal spa? Am considering either pass for Vibe or thermal spa and probably will purchase the latter on.

You're going to have so much fun. I did not check out the thermal spa, but I knew of several people who did have thermal spa passes and they seemed to really enjoy themselves. Both are good choices it just depends on whether you want to spend more time in the sun or relaxing in the thermal spa.

Great honest review. Will be on the Getaway on June 10th. What you said about the Vibe goes with what I’ve been reading lately and is so disappointing. Rommel and the crew on Escape are incredible and while it might be the ‘higher ups’, it must be the higher ups on board as if you follow Rommel on Facebook you’ll know it’s still Shot O’clock every day.

 

Enjoy your Carnival trip.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I do follow Rommel on FB and love seeing their pictures! I think the Getaway is definitely a poorly managed ship right now. I don't know where that poor management lies along the chain of command though.

Nate,

Loving your review!!! Yes, we were on the cruise with you. One of many MA cruisers. Love the pix. I am not !!! tech savy so mine will not come close to yours but glad you had a great cruise as did we.

Glad y'all had a great time as well!

Nice reveiw! Sailing on this ship again in 6 weeks. Price was outstanding due to Casino At Sea offer! We paid $446.00 each with $75 OBC each, Drink Card for Casino and chose UDP.

 

Enjoy your trip to PR!

I met many people with similar great CAS offers as well. I'm not much of a gambler, but I might have to start after hearing about their great offers.

Awesome review! I leave tomorrow on my first one! Hopefully weather holds out.

 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Forums mobile app

Hope you had a great time! I got back late last night, so I'm catching up on this thread before I start my next review.

Enjoy the Southern Caribbean and the Fascination! Appreciate all the info and your sense of humor. Most enjoyable. 3 cheers...:)

I just got back late last night and had an amazing time. I'm catching up on this thread before I start that review.

Final Summary Post

Overall, I had a great time this week. I love NCL and I"m loyal to them because I've had consistently good service and I love the freestyle experience. Plus, there is not argument that they're the best line for solo travelers.

I feel like many areas of this cruise were not up to NCL standards.

• The solo experience left much to be desired.
  
• The Vibe experience was nothing close to what I experienced on the Escape.
  
• Million Dollar Quartet and Burn the Floor are just not interesting (to me at least)
  
• I never once met my cabin steward and had dirty sheets.
  
• The way debarkation was handled was simply unacceptable.
  
• An apology email would have been nice regarding debarkation. I know people have experienced worse, but NCL knows it was a mess and many have reported that it was just nasty. I'll take a generic stock email. Just something to show they recognize the issue and apologize. I did fill out the survey they send out though.
  

There were numerous high points

• Food was all-around delicious. I never ate something was just awful (other than the wretched minted berry tiramisu, but I did that to myself)
  
• Variety of activities throughout the day
  
• Cruise Director Zach and his staff (especially Sandra) were incredible and I saw them all over the ship
  
• Bar service was great. Despite most having the drink package, I never had to wait very long. The atrium bartenders and Sunset bartenders were the best.
  
• The social media package worked great! I had zero issues all week.
  
• Messaging via the iConcierge app worked well too. Numerous improvements need to be made, but it's functional and does the basic function well (viewing your account, viewing the daily activities, messaging, etc.)
  

Will I cruise NCL again? Definitely.

Would I go on the Getaway again? Yes.

Am I itching to get back on immediately? No. I think there are numerous high level management issues (especially with bars and housekeeping) that trickle down and affect the guest experience. That's my hypothesis at least.

I was very honest about all aspects, so please don't feel like I'm being nit picky. I always see the best in a situation, but I'm not going to completely ignore it. I hope you all enjoyed this review. Feel free to ask any questions and I'll respond whenever I get a chance.

It is now 5:15am and I have to leave for the airport in an hour. I'm flying down to Puerto Rico to begin part 2 of my graduation celebration. When I get back I'll do a similar review on the Carnival boards, so please pop over there and follow my travels to the Southern Caribbean on the Carnival Fascination.

I did purchase two CruiseNext certificates and now I'm trying to plan our how to use them. I have deposits for Bliss and Encore for February 2019 and February 2020, but there is a 9 day repo cruise on the Dawn later this year that looks enticing.

I'm thinking maybe the 9 day on the Dawn later this year and then perhaps the Encore inaugural transatlantic late next year?

Now that I'm not in school full-time and have a normal work schedule, I hope to be more active on here. I'm looking forward to chatting with you and hope you all have a great weekend! Happy Cruising!

Am I the only one who can't see the pictures?

I just scrolled back up and I can't see them now either-just blank spaced where picture should be. Not sure what the issue is, but Photobucket hasn't been working properly today, so maybe they'll magically appear when Photobucket starts working? Sorry about that.