travelbug2fun

This was a fabulous review! Thank you very much! You answered several of my questions/concerns and we are super glad to have all the info you provided! I think I will head over to your pics and take a gander! Loved all of the details! (us gals love details ya know! LOL!)

I am sorry for not being traditional with pictures. I know as much as anyone that picture reviews are superior! I had planned to go back and insert them into my posts but didn't realize you can't edit your posts after a short time period. Here is a Google photo album of everything I have- it is very random so don't get too excited. Let me know if there are issues viewing it.

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/mtoXXJSFwBRceUPh7

 

To break down my thoughts on different aspects of the vacation....

 

Food

Most important after all ;). I was very pleased with almost everything I ate on the ship, free or upcharge. The dining room food was actually pretty good for "banquet mass prepared" and my food always arrived hot and plated elegantly. Out of the 3 (I guess 4 if you count Margaritaville) specialty restaurants we ate at, Le Bistro was my favorite for the overall atmosphere, but both Cagneys and La Cucina were very strong contenders as well! O'Sheehans was just OK, but served it's purpose for late night food/snacks. The buffet food seemed OK (but wasn't hot), but it was just too hectic for us to want to go there for meals. The dining room for breakfast (if you make it lol) was very good and not slow! I think you could be in and out of there pretty quickly. I also know Margaritaville does a smaller scale buffet that is apparently empty, but we never bothered. Room service was hot and worth the charge once or twice for the convenience (if it comes in time- don't count on it as your wakeup alarm).

 

Drink

I'm a bit of a cocktail (and food) snob. MOST of the drink service was good on the ship. However, I was disappointed how many mixed drinks were premixed/made. I mean I get it, 4000 people to serve and all that, but almost all the mojitos at the mojito bar were premixed and just tasted way too sweet/not fresh to me. Same with the grass clippings. I can't really do sweet drinks though, so after one day of curiously trying various drinks I had heard about I went back to vodka sodas or wine/prosecco. The wine list was better than I was expecting (especially if OK paying a bit extra), the beer list was pretty bad. They have a decent whiskey selection, but it'll cost you extra if you like the good stuff.

 

I am also a water snob (wow I sound snobby lol), and had pre ordered the overpriced Aquafina bottles for our room-which we definitely drank. However, the free tap water served everywhere tasted good. We also occasionally paid $6 for a large bottle of Pellegrino with our dinner. We are sparkling water fiends. I would often ask for soda water at the bar (included with the beverage package) just wish it wasn't high in sodium.

 

I am not a huge coffee drinker- the dining room coffee was acceptable with some cream. Our room had a coffee maker I think we used once. J went to the coffee shop a few times, I never even walked by it lol. I wish the beverage package was more inclusive of non alcoholic drinks.

 

The ship itself

As you can see in my signature I have mainly been on older, smaller ships. When I was on the Jade in Europe it was Hawaiian themed lol. I had become accustomed to that kind of style. This ship's decor blew me away due to my low expectations. I guess I would use the comparison of old Vegas vs new Vegas (gaudy/old vs shiny and sleek). I thought most of the ship was very tastefully decorated and elegant. It was also very clean and in good shape.

 

I had all kinds of plans to do so much on the ship which of course went out the window once I got into vacation mode. I never even made it to parts of the ship (like Spice H20. No idea what it looks like). Didn't do the water slides. Didn't even drink at the Atrium Bar (only walked by a few times).

 

I agree with everyone it is stupid they do so many activities/entertainment in the atrium. I tried watching a game show from O'Sheehans one time and could barely see. There is no space. Why they don't utilize their giant nice theater more, I have no idea.

 

I was warned by a friend who took this cruise a few weeks before me how crowded it was. I purposely researched to avoid the crowds (ie Vibe). However, I realized the things we are mostly interested in (eating, drinking and gambling) don't involve the masses. The one time I walked through the pool deck/the buffet experiences lead me to believe about 70% the ship must have been around there at all times. The stuff we went to was never busy and I never had to wait very long for a drink (except for the few times I was ignored like I mentioned). It amazed me how we were all on the same vacation together but everyone was having entirely different experiences based on what they chose to do.

 

Vibe- worth it or not?

I only wound up going 3 times. J only went once. I think if it wasn't forward or had better wind protection I would have enjoyed it more (the service and comfort of it was very nice), but the wind was a big deal breaker and you just never knew when that was going to start up. I actually wish we had gone for a cabana because I think we would have gone more- the cabanas looked pretty protected from the wind.

 

I honestly preferred the waterfront which is free- for what I wanted- I am not a huge lay out in the sun/hot tub person. Only you can decide if it is worth it for you, but I probably wouldn't go to the trouble and expense of getting it again. Considering we had to show up super early and wait for hours (like 4 hours) for it, plus the cost of $125/pp, if I redid this, I would have slept in and taken my time getting to the port and just walked onto the ship immediately. I can see the value for people who don't mind the wind and like to lay out/use hot tubs though. The private bar was cool, but honestly none of the bars were that busy (I dunno about the pool deck though). The Sugarcane outdoor portion of the bar never had more than 2 people sitting at it at a time and it had a great view.

 

Our room 8124

I'm basically just repeating myself, but it was awesome. We didn't use the balcony as much as I had hoped (wind/humidity) but having the large bathroom and the location was perfect. We were just down the hall from the waterfront/bars and steps to the casino and shows. This may also be a reason we avoided the chaos of the pool/buffet area- since it was further away we were less motivated to venture up vs stick around the lower decks.

 

Service

For the most part service was good, but it wasn't as warm as smaller ships. Guessing it is the overworked aspect. Our steward occasionally smiled at me when I walked by but never introduced himself. The bartenders and waiters were friendly but most of them didn't stand out/want to talk a lot. We talked mostly with the casino staff but even a few of them were pretty cold/one was even flat out rude. None of it really bothered me though (except the rude casino guy), it just felt weird since on smaller ships I got used to becoming friendly with various staff/seeing them everywhere.

 

Entertainment

As I said in my daily reports, it was VERY good. The shows were amazing. I didn't participate in the game shows, but the comedy was decent and Howl at the Moon was really fun. I just wish they would make that lounge more comfy instead of hard wooden chairs.

 

"Up charges"

I know this is just part of cruising, but some of it was REALLY annoying. Having my naps interrupted by constant announcements to the whole ship about the "amazing" art auctions starting, "spa seminars" ie sales pitches, playing at the casino and having lottery tickets for sale shoved in my face constantly. Very very obnoxious and honestly I avoid all of this stuff almost out of principle.

 

Ports

As stated before, I am fortunate to be well traveled and have been to various countries with different economic situations. I know what real sketchy and dangerous looks like, and I promise none of these islands are that! Don't be afraid to explore on your own/book private tours or drivers. I enjoyed all the ports we went to (and honestly can always have a good time no matter where I go). I am glad we got off Harvest Cay but can see maybe next time just making it a stay on the ship day. I could see doing a land vacation in Roatan or Cozumel-both were very beautiful islands with a lot to see.

 

I think that is all- if I think of any other thoughts/points I'll chime in again. Feel free to ask me any questions! Thanks for reading my first review :)