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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Benjamin Smith
Email: benjs@ix.netcom.com
Age: 39
Occupation: Desktop publishing/web pages
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Leeward
SailingDate: February 12
Itinerary: Key West, Private Island
FoodDiningRoom: 88
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 45
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 65
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 98
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 90
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 80
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 98
CruiseActivities: 98
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 65
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs: 99
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 75
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 16 Feb 1999
Time: 21:00:41
Remote Name: 209.109.229.180
Remote User:
Comments
My wife and I were first booked on this cruise Jan 15th of this year. Unfortunately,
inclement weather in NYC
around this time canceled most flights out of NYC and we were unable to board a subsequent
flight. This time all
went well, although no thanks to the buffoons that work in NCL's reservation department.
These incompetents
put my TA and myself through a lot, getting our air tickets to us about a week before the
cruise, which, while not
ideal, is not terrible. But, what is terrible is that they got our cruise documents to us
the DAY BEFORE our cruise.
They told my agent all sorts of stories who is, needless to say, not too pleased with
NCL's reservation staff, to
put it mildly.
We chose to do a getaway cruise, a short cruise fix, if you will, before our Alaska trip,
planned for June 25th of
this year. Our last cruise was late August aboard Holland America's (HAL) Veendam so this
3 night cruise serves
as a cruise fix in between. We had the choice of some large Carnival ships, the mid sized
Royal Caribbean (RCI)
Nordic Empress, the large RCI Sovereign of the Seas, or, by today's standard, a small
ship, the Norwegian
Cruise Line's Leeward. We have heard good things about activities and entertainment on
NCL, mixed reviews of
the food and cleanliness and maintenance aboard their fleet. Overall, we thought this
would be the best bet and
we liked the itinerary best for this ship. It did the 3 day weekend, Friday to Sunday and
disembarks on Mondays,
and goes from Miami to Key West where it spends most of day 2, to NCL's private island on
day 3, and then back
to Miami to disembark in the morning of the following day.
Flight to Miami: We had an indirect flight with a 1 hr layover. We flew Delta from NYC to
Orlando which connected
to an Orlando to Ft. Lauderdale short flight where we would meet an NCL rep at the Ft.
Lauderdale airport. This
went well. Both flights left on time, were smooth, especially the first flight on a 757.
Weather was clear with no
turbulence aboard the flight to speak of. We had an added bonus of flying first class on
the first flight. Everything
went according to schedule. We met the NCL rep at the airport and were driven to Miami in
about 30 minutes in a
new deluxe air conditioned bus. Embarkation was extremely smooth, we waited on a short
line, showed a few
documents, went through customs and boarded the MS Leeward. The whole process took all of
about 20
minutes.
The ship: We have many ship videos of most of the major lines and even some of the smaller
lines that give
viewers tours of ships. We are very interested in ship decor, this plays a big role in our
choice of ships to sail
aboard. If we dislike the decor of a ship line we will not sail on any of the fleet's
ships even if all other aspects of
the cruise are flawless. For this reason my wife and I will not sail on Carnival ships
because we find their decor
too busy, flashy and not to our liking. We didn't have a video of the Leeward, none is
available, but we have a
video of the Dreamward/Windward and Norway and based NCL's decor style on these videos. We
have videos of
many RCL ships including the Monarch, Nordic Empress, Sovereign, Splendour and Grandeur
(of the Seas
where applicable). Overall we like NCL's style more. Less hotel like, not a big emphasis
on the atrium, and, for
us, a more pleasing combination of textures, colors and patterns. The level and quality of
appointments seem
similar and RCI and NCL are very much similar in their passenger age range, types and
level of amenities, and
both use a similar international crew. The Leeward is, as I mentioned, a small ship at
about 25,000 tons. For
many the ship's exterior is unattractive due to its truncated slanted stern and rear
section. My wife and I like its
looks. We like its sun visor like treatment toward the top of the front area and think it
is a nice looking, almost
yacht like ship.
Decor and ship condition: The decor is marvelous. It is art deco inspired. There are many
public rooms in the
ship, intimately sized, but by no means too small.The ship has very nice rooms with nice
lighting, atmosphere and
ambiance. There is a very good description of the decor at
http://www.traveltrade.com/cruisetrade/ships/sp_951201.html . I think this review
describes the decor very well.
Nice touches are the huge glass elevators in the center/aft section of the ship. They were
larger (wider) than
elevators that I've seen on any ship. There are very nice paintings all over the ship. The
ship contains most
rooms that larger ships have except for a movie theater and library. If I were to change
one thing about the
rooms on the ship I would do away with one of the three small conference rooms and put a
small library where
one is presently located. The ship uses lilac colored walls near the stairwells and
elevators, and rose colored
surfaces in many rooms but the casino is striking in using primarily black backgrounds
with bright pink table
surfaces and purple patterns in the carpet. Also a scaled Duesenberg is situated atop of a
few slot machines in
one area and pictures of high society women, art deco style, adorn the walls. NO neon
glitz in this casino.
Unfortunately, NCL does not maintain this ship to very high standards. To tell the truth,
ship cleanliness and the
condition of fabrics and carpets is marginal at best. I don't know how representative of
NCL the Leeward is, but
the Leeward was not up to par in this area. Many areas of many sections of carpeting are
soiled and discolored,
spills are not completely cleaned and evidence of this is everywhere on the ship. Some
floors are dirty and
overall, the Leeward is such an attractive ship, with such nice decor, that she deserves
much better treatment
than NCL is presently giving her. The interior designers did such an impressive job with
this ship that even
though her upkeep is marginal, her rooms are still enjoyable places to spend time. Still,
if the rooms were
cleaner, the brass polished and not dull and scratched, the carpets clean, the ship would
have had a nice lustre
and would have sparkled. NCL gets a C- to D for cleanliness for the Leeward. I've been
aboard the Celebrity
Zenith for a tour, a ship a similar age as the Leeward, and the Leeward is not anywhere in
the Zenith's league in
terms of cleanliness and apparent wear of furnishings.
Cruise aspects: A few problems here although, overall, my wife and I had a wonderful time.
The overall
passenger age of this cruise was very young. Many families, children, teenagers, and lots
of 25-45 year old
folks. Holland America's Veendam had an overwhelming majority of over 65 year old
passengers and only a few
in the 25-45 age range. This cruise had lots of different ethnic groups also, very nice
proportion of mixtures of
people. Ship was full, and fairly densely populated, but there are many quiet areas of the
ship. The most popular
areas of the ship on this cruise were the disco area, the casino, and the sports bar. All
three were lively areas
and even a bit boisterous at times. There were plenty teenagers aboard enjoying the
activities and dressing well,
meeting each other, dancing, and playing basketball. There were lots of kids, sometimes
getting in the way and
making noise, but they were not overbearing. I think the high amount of teenagers and
children aboard was due
to the holiday weekend and families planning their getaways around this holiday. I really
enjoyed the Karaoke,
some of the passengers performed great. Everyone had fun here.
Entertainment seemed standard ship fair. None of the performers struck me as outstanding
or poor. Most were
good or very good. I found the duo in the Tradewinds lounge, a singing/impersonation act,
only fair. I enjoyed the
calypso band most. On today's ships, most musicians use electronic keyboards which
simulate acoustic
instruments such as steel drums or vibraphones. They also have various rhythm machines.
They work well and
enable fewer musicians to produce a variety of sounds and layered rhythms. The activities
were also standard
ship fair, art auctions, bingo, casino, shopping, quiz games, etc. All were well attended
and well hosted. The
bingo host was particularly humorous. There were somewhat more activities on this ship
than on the Veendam,
and these were geared towards all ages and covered a wider variety of tastes.
Food and service: both improved after the first night. The waiters seemed tentative the
first night and kind of by
the numbers. This changed after the first night, I guess after the ice was broken, and
both my waiter and busboy
were personable. The maitre d was a wonderful schmoozer and proved to be a fine dancer
during the traditional
baked Alaska waiter's presentation on the final night. On this night one of the waiters
danced with one of the
passengers nearby and the whole dining room was festive as some waiters had bottles of
champagne on their
heads, others had the flaming baked Alaska on their heads, and all were singing and
dancing and the occasion
was festive. The food was fair to good. Nothing struck me as excellent and seemed more
like fine diner food to
me than the near gourmet food served aboard Holland America's Veendam. Presentation was
OK, flavor of the
dining room food was good. However, breakfast revealed some cost cutting measures by NCL.
Again, I don't
know how representative the Leeward is of NCL but the breakfast did not have much variety.
Forget about the
sports bar, which NCL uses as a lido area. Not much variety and the food was not warm. In
the dining room the
food is better. However my wife thought the scrambled eggs were egg beaters. The orange
juice was watery. The
fried eggs and bacon were good and the coffee was potent. Always. Overall, not as much
variety in breakfast
choices as other lines, at least on the Leeward.
Buffets: not a big production. I saw the chocoholic treats which looked good but
chocoholic night was on the day
of rough seas (which I'll get to later), so not many attended. There were plenty of
chocolate treats for chocolate
fans to enjoy but I did not try any of them. The midnight buffet of day 3 had very tasty
international food with fine
presentation. A nice touch were the dark and white covered strawberries with a Happy
Valentine's card in our
room on Valentine's evening night. NCL also baked a heart shape chocolate cake. They
decorated the dining
room in hearts and Happy Valentine signs on Valentine's day.
I sensed more pushing of drinks on this ship than I did on the Veendam, especially the
first day. I guess it has
become customary to offer tropical drinks served in souvenir glasses on the first day of
voyages on most major
lines. It was not overbearing on the Leeward but was certainly noticeable. Announcements
were moderate, I think
the pitching of activities that encouraged passengers to spend was moderate and not
overbearing but more of it
than there was aboard the Veendam.
Rough seas: Weather in Miami was hot with calm conditions when sailing off for the first
day. So there were many
deck activities sailing from Miami to Key West. A cold front moved through sometime in the
morning and the
weather in Key West was cool and quite windy. This front may have something to do with the
17-20 foot
estimated seas that were experienced between the sailing from Key West towards NCL's
private Island in the
Bahamas easterly across the Atlantic. The seas became really rough after around 9:30 which
caused the
Leeward to pitch noticeable and sometimes shudder, creak and rattle strongly. NCL did not
do a good job at all
of reassuring passengers of the sea conditions or what to expect. Since this is a 3 day
itinerary which is fairly
inexpensive, this was the first cruise for many. Measures that could have been made to
reassure the passengers
that conditions were under control aboard the ship would be to first warn the passengers
of the high seas and
inform them of what 'normal' ship reactions are in these types of seas as some had near
panic attacks. They also
could have slowed the ship more to reduce the pronounced shudder the ship experienced when
it encountered
very large waves. The Leeward rode decently, she did not rock too much side to side, but
she is not a very long
ship, and I think this causes her to have a pronounced pitch. I found the taller Veendam,
however, to feel tippier
and somewhat rockier in rough seas than the Leeward.
Stateroom: beautiful. I booked a superior deluxe outside stateroom. This one was towards
the aft of the ship on
deck 4. The room has pleasant decor, 2 nice sized mirrors, a desk, a good amount of
cabinet space, a queen
sized bed and a large couch near the window. Unfortunately the varnish on the wood was
bubbleing and peeling
in some areas and the couch had stains on some areas. Nothing major, just small things
that detracted from the
overall appearance of the room. The bathroom was bright and pleasant. It was small and had
the typical ship butt
hugging shower curtain, but quite nice. There is a problem, however, with this particular
room. We were in room
4229. For some reason there is a strong vibration and a constant chugging noise in this
room. There was also
an intermittent rattle coming from an area of the closet. At first it bothered me but
after awhile I got used to it. If
one is sensitive to noise this would be very unsatisfactory or even unacceptable. What I
never got used to was
that the room was kept very cool. It had a climate control which we set to warmest, but it
was nowhere warm
enough. Many complained about the cabin temperature being too cool. I think bringing a
good robe or warm
pajamas is a good idea when going on a ship, the room in the Veendam was also quite cool.
The toilet in our
cabin briefly was out of order one day, but it seemed to fix itself and only was out for
about 15 minutes.
Smoking conditions: Not too much of a problem. The casino would get smoky from time to
time, and the sports
bar was very smoky from time to time. Most public areas seem to allow smoking except for
the three restaurants,
which were completely non-smoking. Staterooms are non smoking on the port side of the
ship. My room was
located on the starboard side, a smoking room, but I did not sense any smoke odor in the
room, which is a credit
to the room steward.
Ship personnel: I really enjoyed the cruise director, Susette Atkins. I enjoyed, also, the
assistant cruise director
and most of the hosts. The service staff of NCL is completely international. Our room
steward was very good, he
was accommodating and gregarious. Our Filipino waiter was a bit hard to understand. But he
was very pleasant
and was great at small talk with us. He did request that we give him a good rating in the
comment sheet. This is
another aspect of NCL that is not part of the HAL experience.
Other ships sighted: We sailed alongside the Carnival Jubilee on our way out of Miami for
around 30 minutes.
We also watched the Jubilee and the Ecstasy sail out of Miami port and we sailed away
leaving the large
Sovereign of the Seas at the port. On our way back from Miami we sailed alongside what was
probably the
Sovereign for hours. We also saw the Big Red Boat anchored off of Freeport.
Disembarkation: We filled out customs cards before embarkation. Disembarkation was very
easy and standard.
Colored tickets, based on flight departure times, were placed near the reception desk for
passengers to place on
their baggage. Suitcases had to be out in the corridors by 1:00 AM. On disembarkation day
passengers waited in
lounges as the colors of the tags were called. This process began at 9:00 and took, in
all, less than one hour.
Very efficient.
Overall I have a positive impression of NCL. This is a solid 4 star line. It has good
food, fine service, excellent
diversity of passengers and activities, fun activities that are physical and cerebral,
elegant attractive public
areas, comfortably furnished staterooms. All in all Holland America offered a more formal
cruise and a more
'upscale' experience. I found ship cleanliness to be of a much higher standard on HAL's
Veendam than I did on
the Leeward and I think that was the biggest disappointment and I rate the Veendam as 5
star plus. However,
largely due to the passengers and youthful and friendly crew, the Leeward was a more
lively and somewhat more
engaging experience than the Veendam. I will sail aboard NCL again and probably will
become a latitudes
member.
Ports: Key West: nice, small island. It has a fairly Caribbean feel to it for an American
city. We visited the
aquarium, Hemingway's house with the 6 toed cats, and took the trolley tour. It was very
nice although Key West
was breezy and cool that day. I highly recommend the aquarium. Lots of tropical fish,
different shelled fish,
sharks and sea turtles. I saw part of a tour and petted a held shark that the tour guide
pulled out of the water. It
felt strange, like very mild sandpaper.
Freeport: a clean island with nice, well kept homes. Port area is very industrial and cabs
are waiting by to bring
people into Port Lucaya. Not much interesting there. Pretty much a generic tourist area
with generic shops. The
dolphin excursion was fully booked. This interested my wife and me most. We went to a
beach which was hit hard
by the last hurricane. Still, the turquoise water is beautiful and we saw a boat with
jumping dolphins beside it.
There were hawkers and hair braiders but only a moderate amount of them and all of them
were very polite to
the visiting tourists.
Name: Ramona Hopkins
Email: ramona_hopkins@scudder.com
Age: 40
Occupation: Admin. Assistant
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Leeward
SailingDate: 2/15
Itinerary: Cozumel, Mexico; Key West, FL
FoodDiningRoom: 89
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService: 79
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 80
FoodMidnightBuffets: 75
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 100
FoodVariety: 89
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 100
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 79
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 80
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs: 79
DeckSpace: 79
Stabilization: 75
ShopsOnBoard: 79
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 01 Mar 1999
Time: 10:02:07
Remote Name: 4.17.136.2
Remote User:
Comments
I sailed on the Leeward as a single. The itinerary, as I knew it, was Cozumel and Key
West. This was my first time
travelling alone on a cruise and I recommend it. Although I paid $599 for the five day
trip (without port charges
and air fare), it was worth it. I flew to Miami from Boston on TWA which was ok, but not
having a direct flight was a
drag (I booked late). Embarking was fine, but we were the last group to board and missed
the safety drill. I didn't
have a cabin assignment until that day, but was pleased with a 3rd deck, inside, two twin
bed (on the floor - not
one above the other) cabin. I had plenty of room for myself but would have found it very
crowded with a partner. I
did miss having a porthole, however, because it was difficult to tell whether it was day
or night, or raining or
sunny. I also had to get a table assignment my first day and talked to the maitre de. I
was placed at the Captain's
Table for late seating in the dining room on the 4th deck.
I did go to both dining rooms to look at the seating
chart to see which was a better fit for me travelling alone. My table seated 16 and was a
good fit for me as it
wasn't all couples or all singles. I would recommend sitting at a large table for singles
(it felt like Thanksgiving
every night!). The ship is nice but not elegant. I had been on another cruise and found
all the schedules and
activities were (ie bingo, crafts, scheduled exercise activities, captain's party, etc.)
similar. I knew what to expect
day to day and enjoyed picking and choosing my activities more this time around versus
feeling like I had to do
everything the first time I cruised. There was great confusion on my part about which
ports we were going to.
There is conflicting literature from NCL on where the ship sails to. I thought I was going
to Cozumel and Key
West, but my itinerary from NCL that I got with my tickets said Cancun and Key West.
As I hadn't been to either
Cozumel or Cancun, it didn't matter to me where we ended up. I did call my travel agent
who wasn't much help on
the itinerary but did tell me that 70% of the time when cruising you end up where you are
supposed to go but the
remainign 30% of the time can be spent elsewhere (ie sometimes NCL goes to their private
island in the
Bahamas). This is good to remember when cruising. Weather has a lot to do with where you
end up. I was glad I
knew this before hand as some passengers were disappointed when, due to weather, we didn't
go to Cancun but
Cozumel instead. Personally, I was disappointed to miss the ruins in Cozumel but hope to
get there one day.
Many passengers also wanted to go to Cancun rather than Cozumel because there is more to
do there. One
thing to keep in mind also, is that if the ship changes ports, you are delayed by the hour
or two it takes to go to a
new port - thus less time in the new port.
The departure time from the port of call does not changed to give you
more time there. We didn't go to Cancun because we couldn't tender (large ferrys that take
to you the docks
when the ship can't dock at a pier). There were 6 to 8 ft swells on this particular rainy
morning. The tender ride
would have been 30-40 minutes and people would have definately been sick. The weather the
rest of the time
was excellent. You will be happy to know that the shore excursion desk did refund me my
$65 for the cancelled
ruin tour. No problem mon. I'm sure you'll want to know more about the rough water. The
Leeward is a little
unstable. A lot of people thought that a ship that size should be able to handle 6 to 8
ft. swells. Having been on a
larger ship in the past, I did find this smaller ship swaying more. I personally don't
think the weather was as much
of a factor in stability as the ship itself. I feel this way because after we left
Cozumel, the weather had cleared and
we began to sail towards Key West. Once again, the ship started to sway. I did spend one
night in my cabin (with
room service) feeling sea sick. Took Dramamine and was fine. It seemed to me that the ship
either could not
handle the Gulf of Mexico well or actually was less stable when moving faster (trying to
get us to Key West on
time). Once we got out of the Gulf and to the Keys, things were much more stable. I
personally loved Key West,
but we didn't spend enough time there. Some of the shore excursions (snorkelling) were
cancelled due to squall
warnings. Although the weather was clear, the water was still a little rough from the
previous day's rain and
visibility in the water was poor (sand was churned up).
If you are planning on snorkelling or scuba diving, please
remember that you are dependent upon the weather and its a good idea to have a back-up
plan. If the water
excursions are cancelled you may not be able to sign up for other excursions if they are
sold out. The shore
excursion desk did try to add more excursions when this happened. They were great and very
flexible
considering they had to reschedule activities in two ports! People I sailed with were also
disappointed about not
snorkelling or scuba diving in either Cancun (but could in Cozumel) or Key West. I met
some folks who enjoyed
the Wave Runners in Key West. I signed up for the sunset clipper ship cruise in Key West
which was excellent.
The sunset was beautiful and they had a great bar-b-que buffet from the Hard Rock Cafe.
The reggae/calypso
due that performed on the clipper ship was excellent. And yes, they even had a bar! One of
my dinner guests
liked the bicycle tour of Key West and I wished I had time to do that. Alas, a lot of the
port time is spent shopping!
There are good deals though. If you go to the port talks given by one of the cruise
employees, its mostly about
shopping. If you want more cultural information, you should do your own research. (P.S.
when we got to Key
West we docked at 2:00 (no tenders), I thought we would be able to disembark then. It took
another 45 minutes
for the ship to clear customs. We finally got off the ship closer to 3:00. This also, cut
short the time in port). As
for other amenities, the food was good (not excellent), but there's plenty of it and
something for everyone. I
particularly liked the oriental soup buffet at lunch in the sports bar. I had room service
for breasfast most days
and lunch at the sports bar. I only went to the formal dinning room at dinner. There was a
tv in my cabin and I
was able to watch some movies when not feeling well. I didn't really meet too many
singles, but had I spent more
than one night in the disco I would have. I went to relax not really to socialize (or meet
a man) although I was
socialize and relax. People were very friendly and very curious about how my trip was
going as a single. I think
some of them wished they were me! There was no singles night, but most all singles hang
out at the disco at
night. If you want to meet someone of the opposite sex, the disco is the place to be. All
of the ship's personnel
were wonderful. They are getting paid to be nice, but I think they are anyway. My cabin
steward was particularly
nice as he checked up on me when he knew I wasn't feeling well.
Disembarking in Miami was a breeze. We
arrived around 8:00 am and was off the ship (and through customs) by 9:30 am. I was happy
about this as it
gave me enough time to get to the airport to go stand-by on an earlier flight home. I
think I will cruise again, but
now for awhile. I will definately take my seven-year old son on a cruise too. There were a
lot of families on the
ship and the kids wer having a blast. For you sports fans, the Leeward has a basketball
net and small court on
one of the decks. They also have ESPN sports 24 hours a day. Some teenagers I met thought
that teen activities
were lame, but they enjoyed the ports. (At my dinner table were 14 and 16 year old girls
who wished they were
snowboarding instead!). We even had a 5-1/2 month old baby whose mom was at my dinner
table. The baby was
adorable and got lots of attention. He even came to dinner and we loved having him there.
(When he slept his
Mom put him under the table in his carrier!). I know I'm rambling now, but yes, there were
groups, but they
weren't a problem. It was a very mixed crowd overall and I liked that. Finally, I was told
by a passenger that the
Leeward is a leased ship and the lease expires this year ('99). I got the impression from
the passenger that NCL
was not going to renew the lease. This, of course, is a rumor and is meant to taken as
such. Go cruisin' -- I
recommend it!
Name: Beth Ford
Email: Mylovz4dcf@aol.com
Age: 29
Occupation: Homemaker
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Leeward
SailingDate: March 15, 1999
Itinerary: Miami to Cancun, Mexico & return
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 99
CabinComfort: 65
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 70
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 100
FoodVariety: 70
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 100
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 99
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 99
CruiseActivities: 97
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 60
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 75
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 19 Apr 1999
Time: 22:14:21
Remote Name: spider-wb043.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
We sailed on the Leeward with our four children March 15 to Cancun from Miami. It was
fortunate that they were excited to
be on their first cruise and that they had no previous cruise experiences to compare with
this voyage. As for my husband
and I, our hearts sank when we opened our cabin door. We paid nearly five thousand dollars
for the six of us, including
airfare, only to find out our 'ocean view' rooms that the travel agent had 'upgraded' us
to for 'no charge' were perfect views
of orange life rafts. The front desk informed us that no other rooms were available. To
see a picture of our cabins, we had
requested a catalog of the ship from NCL six weeks prior to sailing but received it five
weeks after our return. Three weeks
prior to the voyage, I phoned the NCL toll free number and confirmed that our rooms were
'ocean view' rooms. Our rooms
were 6022 and 6023. We recommend that you book your voyage with a reputable travel agent
that knows the cruise lines
and their ships. The food was satisfactory but very limited for vegetarians. We had been
spoiled with Carnival's veggie
burgers and cheese pizza that was available twenty-four hours each day. We occasionally
found ourselves ordering with the
children from the kids menu in the formal dining room. The waiters and Maitre D' were more
than accommodating and even
felt like old friends. Ask for Oliver Walter's table. He was more than kind to our
sometimes demanding children. Oliver's
busboy, Herman Ramirez, always did his best to satisfy our entire family. One of our best
memories from the Leeward was
when the Maitre D', Lapez I believe, danced with my six year old daughter on Caribbean
night. The cruise director, Rich, was
better than any other that we had met. He had a very likable personality and did not seem
hypocritical. I would give the cabin
stewardess a one hundred for kindness but she was not available for questions or immediate
help. She had,
understandably, stayed in her cabin the first day like many other passengers that were
seasick. On other occasions I had to
call the front desk to ask where I might find her. We were spoiled by other cruise line
cabin stewards who folded our towels
into animal shapes while we were dining. The Leeward's cabin stewardess did, however,
leave mints on our pillows. The
entertainment was 'The Pirates of Penzance' and a tribute to the Copa Cabana. The pirates
thrilled our six year old son and
daughter, who sat on the front row, especially when the pirates slid down from the balcony
over the children's heads onto
the stage. It is worth arriving at the shows a half hour early to have front row seats.
The comedian kept us rolling with
laughter and the entertainment was far better than other cruise lines that we had seen.
The shore excursions were very
entertaining and the whole family was glad that we had chose to take them. It was truly
beautiful on the glass bottom boat in
Cancun. One the reef, the captain allows you to sit in the glass bottom of the catamaran's
hull. The trolley tour of Key West
kept our family's interest and was very educational. For the economical price, this is
ideal for families. Our young teens
enjoyed the programs that included crafts, wacky olympic games and other activities. They
loved the karaoke, shows and
the new friends that they still write. Our two six year olds begged to be part of the 'NCL
Kids Crew', which was the younger
children's programs. They proudly wear their Kids Crew tee-shirts. The Kids Crew director,
Sabrina, was well loved by the
kids. Without her, our kids would have been climbing the cabin walls. Because of her small
size, the Leeward was not very
stable. On second day, the dining room was very empty because many were seasick. Looking
out the back windows of the
dining room, the Atlantic Ocean would completely disappear and then reappear as the ship
rocked up and down. I would
never take a small ship such as this without non-drowsy Dramamine. If you take a voyage on
the Leeward, be sure to eat in
the dining room the morning that you disembark. There is adequate time if you dine by 8
a.m. The sports bar only offered
muffins, coffee and water that had, at one time, been orange juice. We knew they had to
get rid of us and be ready for the
next voyage hours later, but that made us leave the ship feeling very dissatisfied. We
passed the Royal Caribbean and the
Sovereign of the Seas while in port at Miami and Cancun. Next voyage we will try one of
these cruise lines or return to
Carnival.
Name: monica smith
Email: msmith3@tampabay.rr.com
Age: 42
Occupation: management
NumberOfCruises: 9
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Leeward
SailingDate: 7may99
Itinerary: key west and private island
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 92
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 92
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 75
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 11 May 1999
Time: 12:08:01
Remote Name: dt0f0n3e.tampabay.rr.com
Remote User:
Comments
As you can tell by the average of my scores, this trip turned out to be a pretty darned
good sailing-there were a few
hit and misses though, but the over-all cruise experience was met with high reviews!
We had planned this week-end getaway as a 20th wedding anniversary celebration. Our
accomodations were a
category S-1 suite and were we happy that we did. The suite was very spacious, amenities
consisting of a loofah
sponge, shampoos,conditioners,lotions, bathrobes, flowers, wine, canape tray--all part of
the suite experience.
Nightly we received a different snack tray from the cruise line--smoked salmon to
chocolate covered strawberries.
Needless to say, my scores for the trip may be a little scewed, but I thank NCL for that.
The overall condition of the ship was pretty good. Carpeting needed some cleaning here and
there and just a little
refurbishment in some areas, but for the price we definitely got our $$$'s worth.
The entertainment was excellent, the casino didn't give us a break, but then we didn't
have to keep giving them our
money either. Drinks were plentiful and the food was fine.
We thoroughly enjoyed Key West and the private island was a beautiful experience. Coconut
palms, crystal clear
water, blue skies, good food and a reggae band. What more does one want out of life than
these few things?
Will we go back-you betcha! Suite again you ask-you betcha! Would I recommend this
trip-you betcha! For a quick
week-ender this is the way to go!
Name: Debbie W.
Email: peppers@cyberport.net
Age: 28
Occupation: Accountant
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Leeward
SailingDate: 10-12-98
Itinerary: Miami-Key West -Cancun-Cozumel
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety:
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 80
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 21 May 1999
Time: 20:02:34
Remote Name: 208.168.121.119
Remote User:
Comments
I know I am very late in my comments, but I did write it all down right when I got back -
so here goes...
Oct 12, 1998 Drove to Miami and took awhile to figure out exactly where to go to find our
ship in amongst all the
others. Not very good directions in the packet that comes from the TA/cruise line. They
actually had pretty good
parking for that many people. There was a long line, but moved very quickly. We were on
the ship by 1:00pm. We
only had 1 carry on for each of us, so we carried it on ourselves. Our room was very nice,
large single window (not
port), two twins beds that we quickly pushed together and two bunk beds that fold down off
the walls (we tried out -
they seems sturdy). Fairly large room with TV, Fridge, lots of closets, vanity. The toilet
was extremely noisy,
because of the vacuum suction - the vaccum scared me to death everytime I flushed. Took a
bunch of pictures of
room...note to self: Use flash next time. I was thirsty and grabbed a glass of water out
of sink - YUCKO - there was a
bottle of water in the room ($3 each) well worth the money...note to self: next time bring
your own. Unpacked and
headed to dining room, Four Seasons dining room, for lunch. We both had some very good
Cuban sandwiches.
After lunch checked out the rest of the ship ran across the casino and did a little
gambling, previewed some art, got
the famous souvenier glasses with fancy drinks. We had main or early seating for dinner.
For dinner we has sushi,
grilled salmon penne, cornish game hen, and of course dessert. We shared the table with a
lovely couple in their
70's from Barcelona, Spain - and yes they don't speak English. The ship has the menu
written in two versions
English and Spanish. We would point at food and ask questions - they would speak in
Spanish...it was definately a
challenge but tons of fun. The other two tablemates was a mother/daughter pair. They were
very nice and knew a
little spanish, so we all tried our best to communicate.
Our waiter was Kim (oriental) and busboy was Mervent (Jamician). We went to the art
auction but didn't bid on
anything. There was one print we wanted but not up for sale yet. Went and played Bingo -
lost. Played in casino we
won $280 and 7 souvener coins. Note to self: next cruise play the casino early by end of
trip the machines tighten
up. Went to Cigar bar for awhile - dead - off to 70's bar..watched a group of ladies
cutting the rug - hilarious...Didn't
make it to the midnight buffet - too many people in line, not that hungry and too tired.
Went to room, and bed had
been turned down with mints on pillow. Rafeal was in charge of our room..hardly ever saw
him tho.
Oct 13, 1999 Key West our first stop. Got up at 6:30 and went to breakfast, bacon, eggs,
sausage, etc. Headed into
Key West at 8am. None of the stores opened until 9am tho...Spent a ton of money on
t-shirts, souveniers. Back to
boat at 12:30.
You could have breakfast in your room, for example: Juices, cold cereals, preserves,
yogurts, fruits, pastry, muffins,
rolls, toast, coffee, tea, milk, hot chocolate, postum, decaf coffee.
Formal night tonight. We had escargot, smoked salmon/cream cheese, Mahi Mahi, pasta tubes
stuffed with spinach
& ricotta cheese covered with sun-dried tomato sauce and provolone cheese, Guava
cheesecake & Prauline cookie
for dessert. If you can't already tell the food was one of my favorite parts...and
delicious. We had stuff we would
never ordinarly order for fear we wouldn't like and have wasted the money on it - on the
cruise this isn't a problem.
Eat or don't eat - its free. Off to the "Sea legs at the Copa" show - not good,
not bad pretty out of sync...but it was
their first time as a group performing this time. Off to gamble some more.
Oct 14, 1999 Got up at 8 and ate breakfast...off to art auction. Gambled a bit more,
visited our money we'd donated
you know....
Lunchtime (YEAH) Deepfried Mozzarella sticks, BLT, Chicken & Tuna salad. Not the most
exciting lunch - oh well we
got two orders of Mozzarella sticks that helped.
Cancun got cancelled due to 'technical upgrades and improvements' whatever that means -
they gave everyone a
onboard credit of like $50 each - Headed into Cozumel. I won't speak on Cozumel - It
wasn't what I had expected -
very poor and dirty. We were back on boat at 9:30 we missed dinner in dining room. ROOM
SERVICE - they don't
have that good of room service - sandwiches, soup, chicken ceaser salad. They don't have
24 food service on
board except room service tho.
Oct 15, 1999 Full day at Sea. This is really the only day we relaxed. We laid by the pool
and listed to the Mind,
Body, & Soul band playing caribbean style music. Very nice. They had a mixology
(making drinks) demonstration -
where they dance all around with platters of drinks and mixers on their heads...riot. Had
lasagne for lunch. Found a
trapshooting contest off the rear of the ship - just hubbys game...they had 2 rounds of
ten shots each with these
crappy guns - most of the guys had practiced on the previous day - we didn't know about it
- not on the schedule
nor announced...anyway hubby won 3rd place - got a bottle of Norwegian Leeward Private
Reserve Champagne..
we will save that for the memory..
Dinner time. Lobster - yum yum...hubby had 2 of them. Also got baked Alaskan for dessert.
All the waiters lit the
dessert on fire and danced up and down the isles to music with it on their heads - what a
riot - and I didn't have my
camera. Note to self: Carry your camera everywhere - even to dinner. Went to hot tub and
met another young
couple - had a lovely time visiting with them for about an hour. Hubby smoked a cuban
cigar, note those are
expensive $18-35 for ONE of them in Cozumel. Gotta smoke on ship before getting back to
states. Went to Pirates
of the Penzance show - pretty bad. Oh well. Skipped buffet again too tired...
Oct 16, 1999 HOME bummer. It was way too short. Note to self: Next cruise must be at least
7 days long. We
packed, napped and headed off the ship.
Couple of side notes. If you want a pack of NCL logo playing cards - you can buy for like
$4 in giftshop or just ask at
purser's desk and they give to you free. Photos taken occasionally - I actually liked
this. We have some excellent
pictures of us and reasonably priced. Had 2 movie channels with various new movies playing
no charge. Examples
include: Wag the dog, Good will hunting, As good as it gets, The wedding singer, and a
perfect murder. They run
8am to Midnight.
Disappointments: They close the pool at like 8pm - why??? What are those poor kids suppose
to do? There was two
hot tubs on board - but only one was operational - they never did fill the other one. They
didn't even fill the pool until
day 2 - I don't get that.... I felt bingo was too expensive, and not enough prizes.
Feel free to email if you have any questions....
Name: Lynda Rosenstein
Email: lyndammr@mediaone.net
Age: 36
Occupation: homemaker
NumberOfCruises: 11
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Leeward
SailingDate: May 31, 1999
Itinerary: Cancun/Key West
FoodDiningRoom: 87
CruiseDirector: 89
CabinComfort: 89
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 87
CabinAmenities: 89
FoodLidoDeck: 75
DiningRoomService: 89
CabinQuietness: 97
FoodMidnightBuffets: 87
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 83
FoodVariety: 89
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 82
GoodForHoneymoon: 82
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 87
LoungeService: 89
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 78
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 82
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 84
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 88
CruiseActivities: 83
Casino: 87
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness:
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 82
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 87
ShopsOnBoard: 82
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 06 Jun 1999
Time: 10:37:56
Remote Name: surf997.pompano.net
Remote User:
Comments
This was my first cruise on NCL. I would cruise NCL again even though I have found quite a
bit of faults
aboard the Leeward. After I had paid for this cruise I found out that the Leeward is
leased by NCL and the
Leeward will be given back to her owner this October. The Leeward was last refurbished
four years ago
and it shows that she really is in need for renovations! The carpets were all worn, there
were stains on the
carpeting and the ship needed serious renovations. The Seven Seas dining room was so
dreary.....the
decor color was aqua green which reminded me of a cafeteria in a hospital. I did not like
that dining room
at all, as a result, we ate at the Le Bistro each evening for dinner which you must do at
least one evening.
There is a fee of $5.00 per person to dine there.
Breakfast in the dining room was very good and consisted of an open seating between
8:00-10:00. Lunch
was good and dinner was very good.
Soups were very good, salads were always crisp and fresh. Entrees were always made the way
I had
ordered them. Vegetables were very good as so were the desserts.
I did not like the food at the Sports Bar and Grill for a number of reasons. It was a
small room and always
crowded. There were limited amount of tables and chairs, and it was always warm. The food
there was OK,
breakfast was better than lunch, but very limited and fair. Lunch there were hot dogs,
hamburgers with
french fries, sometimes another dish, and a "gourmet pizza". I highly suggest to
dine in the dining room,
the food was much better!
Midnight buffets were good. There were always two to four hot dishes along with cold
dishes and desserts.
To sum this up, I do not suggest cruising aboard the Leeward. She is in need for
renovations but this won't
take place since she will no longer be aquired by NCL as of October. As far as NCL....the
food is very
good, the entertainment was enjoyable and service was very good.
If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me anytime. I will be boarding the
Norway in August, I
am so much looking forward to cruising on this lady!! I have heard that the Norway serves
the finest food
and has the best entertainment out of all of NCL's fleet.
Name: Wendy Morton
Email: MsMeower@aol.com
Age: 34
Occupation: veterinarian
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Leeward
SailingDate: 6/7/99
Itinerary: Cancun/Key West
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 99
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 92
CabinSteward: 80
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 99
TenderService: 70
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 89
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 75
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 97
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 70
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 15 Jun 1999
Time: 20:11:06
Remote Name: spider-wl031.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
From the moment I saw the Leeward, I was in love. My husband Bryant and I had left our
veterinary
hospital in the capable hands of our associate, and had driven from North Carolina to
Miami with our
friends Jimmy and Faith. I had done my homework before we left, and read every review I
could find about
the Leeward on this site and others. I was prepared for the shabby carpet, the stains in
the furniture, the
watery orange juice, the mediocre food, the swaying of the relatively small ship. (Yes,
the carpet was
shabby in places, there were some stains, the orange juice wasn't great, but it was
drinkable. We all found
the food to be outstanding-none of us had anything bad, and the ship was smooth sailing
all the way!)
After some confusion at the Miami port about where to park and unload, we were soon
smiling for our
sailaway photo, and up the escalators for a very simple check-in process. Starting with
the check-in staff, I
was amazed at their enthusiasm. All of the Leeward employees from the room stewards to the
entertainers
to the drink and food servers, were always smiling and seemed to be excited about the
cruise. I knew they
had all done this many times. Most employees stay on the ship for 10 months straight
before they are
allowed a 'vacation!' They did a great job of making us think this cruise was as important
to them as it was
to the passengers! This was the first cruise for Bryant and I, and I couldn't hide my
excitement as we
walked along the hallway to board the ship. It is a sleek, shiny vessel with lots of
windows and more
character than most of the bigger ships I had seen. The reception area was sparkling and
full of
excitement. The first thing we did was get in a long, hot line for our seating
arrangement. The wait was
tempered by the cheese, crackers and fruit sitting nearby, with an impressive display of
wines, and by the
waiters inviting everyone several times to take a frozen drink off their tray in a
souvenier glass, and sign
their onboard credit slip for the first time! The drinks were refreshing, but melted. The
line ran along the
restrooms, and the odor coming from them was almost unbearable. Aside from the toilet in
our room, these
were the only restrooms on the ship that I found smelled bad. By the time we got to the
maitre d', his little
table maps were full. We insisted on sitting all four together, and after erasing and
rearranging, he found
us a wonderful table for four in the Seven Seas dining room with a view out the back and
starboard sides
of the ship. Despite the heat and stress we knew he was under, he smiled and joked with
us. Meanwhile,
Jimmy and Bryant turned in the information for our onboard credit, and took our carry-ons
to the rooms.
On our trip to our cabin, I scrutinized the carpet and brass to see exactly how bad it
was. I had to laugh.
For a ship that had been in constant use for years, I thought the interior design was
refreshing and not as
run down as others before me had made it sound. During the four day cruise, I noticed many
employees
polishing brass, cleaning the carpets and sweeping up trash. Our room was nice...but the
bedspread
looked ancient and the bed was indented where past cruisers had slept. (I found the bed
very
uncomfortable, and I woke up most mornings with a back-ache, but I am used to a Select
Comfort mattress
set on the softest setting! Neither Bryant nor the other couple complained about the
beds). My biggest
complaint of the cruise was that our bathroom smelled very bad. Bryant and I used up a
bottle of perfume
trying to overcome the smell in four days!! Jimmy and Faith said theirs had an air
freshener in it and didn't
smell bad. I would recommend anyone going on a cruise to pack a small air freshener just
in case! We
were in 7219, an ocean deluxe suite, and it was nice...queen bed, TV, refridge, good view,
dressing table
and closet.Our room stewardess introduced herself and asked if we were main or late
seating for dinner,
presumeably to know when to turn down our beds. She was pleasant but I didn't think she
was very
attentive...she never asked if we needed anything and never offered to explain room
service, etc...of
course we never asked either! We went to the emergency drill-that's where you take your
oversized life
jacket to your emergency station and stand in the heat for 20 minutes waiting for 200
other people to join
you. Then you put your life jacket on and stand there getting even hotter for a few
minutes. There was no
explanation of how to get in the life boat or what to do once you were in there! After the
drill, we headed
for the reception area again for a tour of the ship. We turned out to be the only people
there for the tour
out of 900 passengers! A very nice entertainer took us on a quick tour by ourselves, and
then we were
officially on our vacation! We went to the dining room and were treated to our first ship
food experience.
What a delight!! All four of us had different food, and it was all excellent. If you like
ice cream, I recommend
the chilled cream of fruit soups they offer daily. Yum! As the ship left port, we went to
the sailaway party
around the pool. Spirits were high and the Jamaican band was really good. A small rain
sent everyone
scurrying for cover for a few minutes, but when it stopped, everyone came back out to the
pool and
danced and shimmied. That was the only rain on the trip! Once the ship got going, there
was a rumbling
like a small earthquake in parts of the ship, but very little side to side motion. We were
blessed with good
weather and shallow waves, though. There was no vibrating or loud noises in our room,
which was high up
and mid-ship. We never heard or felt the anchor drop, and couldn't even tell when the ship
was stopping,
starting or turning. Instead of going day by day, I will just highlight some of the
features of the cruise:
Dining: We ate all of our meals except for one in the dining room. Our Jamaican waiter
Bryan Gary, and
Carlos our busboy were absolutely fantastic. They made excellent recommendations, brought
us anything
we asked for, smiled and joked, and made dining the highlight of the trip. Donovan the
wine steward was
also wonderful. Not the least bit haughty, and very personable. Although the ship doesn't
recommend
tipping the wine steward (they receive a percent of sales), we tipped him because he was
so attentive and
pleasant. All of the food was really good. The desserts were incredible. Bryant gained 7
pounds on the trip
and Jimmy gained 9!!! (I was smart and didn't weigh myself before or after!) The buffets
were very well put
together and had a lot of variety. The chocolate buffet was a dream come true (although I
didn't think the
waiters were coming around fast enough with water while we ate!).The flaming dessert
dances at two of
the dinners were really entertaining. How DO they balance those cakes on their heads????
We had
breakfast one morning in the sports bar and it was good but not great. Because the doors
to the deck
were open, it was hot inside, and didn't smell very good.
Entertainment: The entertainment staff was small, but the two shows were well put
together. Corny, yes,
but the costumes were wonderful and the small group did a great job of making us feel like
the crew was
much larger. The activities during the day were varied. Bryant did step aerobics one
morning and said he
felt like he was going to have a heart attack! We played bingo almost every day. It was
entertaining, but
expensive. There were 4 games per day and we didn't think the jackpots were big enough for
as many
people as were playing. Speaking of gambling, the casino was small but busy and well
maintained. We
talked to quite a few people who said they had won money, but it seemed nobody really came
out ahead!
The decor in the casino was flashy and exciting but not obnoxious. I was dissappointed to
see that many of
the mirrors were cracked and not replaced. We went to several art auctions. The prints
were mostly
gorgeous, and all limited editions or artist proofs. Mark the auctioneer was informative
and entertaining.
For the most part it wasn't really an auction. Mark would set the opening bid. If there
was more than one
copy of the print available, he'd let everyone who wanted it buy it for the opening bid.
We didn't see much
bidding back and forth...most people got what they wanted for the opening bid. The print
has to go
through the Miami warehouse before they ship it to you, and shipping can be expensive. I
think art
collectors would really benefit from these! The comedians (two nights) were both good, but
very similar.
Both wore black suits and did funny magic tricks.
Disco: We walked through it the first night, and some staff were dressed up in 70's style.
The place was
really hopping!! We were there for about an hour on kareoke night. It was packed and there
were a lot of
youngsters and drunk teens. The kareoke song list was pitiful! Not even one Garth Brooks
song!!! We sat
for a while and watched the drunk teens, and watched water from some pipe above drip onto
the dance
floor, then we got tired of the smoke and noise and left!
Piano/Cigar Bar: Daniel the pianist was exceptional. We sat in the bar one night after a
good meal and
watched the sun set over the ocean outside the huge windows. The synthesizer-type music
hit the spot!
Poolside: It seemed there was always some activity going on here....contests and drink
mixing
demonstrations, etc. There were plenty of chairs and towels, even though the deck was
usually very
crowded. Servers kept drinks coming all the time. The fruit smoothies were great(even non-
alcoholic!)!!!
On our day at sea, one passenger (a man in his 40s or so) got very high blood pressure.
The captain
came on the loudspeaker and asked everyone to clear the pool deck for the Navy helicopter
to come lift
him to a hospital in Key West. The crew quickly cleared everyone and cleaned the deck. We
watched the
helicopter hover over the ship and drop 2 Navy Seals onto the deck. We were very impressed
at how
caring the doctor and nurse, and the Navy guys seemed to the man and his family. They
strapped the
poor man to a stretcher and lifted him up into the helicopter. (We were sure his blood
pressure was much
higher after that!). The captain had turned the ship around to shorten the helicopter's
trip, and so we were
late into port the next day, but noone minded.
Bridge Tour: I would highly recommend this! You are taken onto the bridge and one of the
captain's staff
answers everyone's questions and shows you everything on the bridge.
Gift Shop: I was surprised at the variety and relatively low prices here. They made it
real easy to buy
things because you could use your ship credit here!! Sneaky!
Cancun: One word: Yuck. Overpriced, hot, smelly, obnoxious, bad fo
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