Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Melissa Egland
Email: melissaegland@hotmail.com
Age: 30
Occupation: Research
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Seaward
SailingDate: August 29, 1999
Itinerary: Cancun, Cozumel, Roatan
Cabin: 7207/D
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 100
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall:
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 07 Sep 1999
Time: 22:42:32
Remote Name: dialup-131.ksni.net
Remote User:

Comments

This was our first cruise with our son (13 months old). My husband and I had really enjoyed our previous cruises (2
Carnival, 1 Norwegian, 1 Royal Caribbean) and decided to try cruising with a child. We were absolutely delighted with
the outcome.

Port of Houston-The airport was easy to get out of and the bus ride was approximately 55 minutes to the ship. Being
Latitude members, we were able to board the ship by 12:00 and the line was very short. Our friends, who were not
Latitude members, were able to board early with us.

Cancun-We had read previous opinions on Cancun so we were not expecting much. When you get off the tender,
beware of the maze of local vendors you have to navigate to get to a taxi. We went to the shopping center
recommended by NCL. The taxi ride was $6 for all 6 of us. There are plenty of shops to pick up t-shirts and souvenirs.
The shopping center was located right on the beach so we swam after we shopped. Next time I would probably catch a
taxi to a nice beach at a resort.

Cozumel-We hit the shopping first. Geoff, the NCL Latitudes Representative, recommended that we walk to the
farthest shop on the strip (about 15 minutes) and work our way back. This was great advice. It was an hour before we
got to any stores that were really busy. We shopped for a couple of hours, got some great stuff, and headed back to
the ship. We ate then grabbed a cab to the Chankanaab Park. It was a $8 ride for all 6 of us and $7 to get into the
park. Previous suggestions to go to this park are most appreciated! We enjoyed the beach, the snorkeling, the
iguanas, and the food. They also have the opportunity to swim with the dolphins. The park also had a little protected
cove area that is perfect for kids. Thumbs up to Chankanaab.

Roatan-Our busboy, Armando, recommended we rent a Jeep for the day. Great advice. It was $45 with minimum
paperwork. The roads are hard on the backside, with the exception of the paved main road. We went to the West End
(the Jeep rental guy gave us a good map), snorkeled for awhile then headed to the other side of the island to Fantasy
Island. Great snorkeling, nice beach with chairs, and you can see Honduras in the distance. Remember the bug spray,
please. We used Bath & Body Works Sunscreen with Bug Spray. It works very well, but you have to put it on your
whole body. I forgot to put it on my back and I became flea bait. The bites disappeared overnight and didn't itch. The
shopping was crowded, but better than expected.

The Dining-Our waiter, Dindo, rocked! He was so good to us and really went out of his way to make sure our son was
spoiled. I really can't say enough about him. Our busboy, Armando, was also very attentive. This was also the first
cruise that we had a lot of interaction with the Maitre de. He was friendly and enjoyable to talk with. The food was
great, but the service made it awesome.

Entertainment-We went to all but one of the evening shows in the Cabaret Lounge. They were very enjoyable and the
seating was good. Timing worked out perfect, our son fell asleep while we were waiting for the show to start and he
slept through the whole thing. Needless to say, we weren't up to too many midnight buffets. I did get up and camcord
the Chocoholic and Gala buffets.

Our Room-The cabin steward, Cory, was seldom seen, but the room was always taken care of. She was very nice and
did a great job. The public areas were well kept. Yes, some areas looked a little worn, but we knew it was not a new
ship when we booked it.

The Pool Area-The kids pool was ideal. We never had a problem getting chairs by the pool. Our son enjoyed the huge
shallow end-it provided hours of entertainment. There weren't many kids on this cruise so the pool was not crowded.
The Big Apple Cafe was close and great for snack time. The bar service was also convenient. They were available, but
not pushy. We enjoyed our days at sea.

Pictures-We had several casual and formal picture opportunities. The photographers took their time on the formal
pictures. We appreciated this and our pictures turned out well. One photographer even went out of his way to help me
fix my camera lens. I was very thankful for his help.

Overall-Any doubts I had about taking a toddler on a cruise have been dismissed. He was great, the whole staff was
great to him, and we will definitely cruise with him, and probably NCL again. I just wish we could have stayed on a few
more days. Good times!

Name: Allison Stresing
Email: astresing@yahoo.com
Age: 34
Occupation: Computer Programmer
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: Yes
Ship: NCL-Seaward
SailingDate: 9/5/99
Itinerary: Western Caribean
Cabin: 6048 Category E
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 79
FoodRoomService: 83
CruiseStaff: 89
CabinAmenities: 78
FoodLidoDeck: 75
DiningRoomService: 91
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 91
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 89
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland: 0
GoodForFamilies: 88
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 70
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff: 85
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess: 0
ExerciseFacilities: 84
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon: 75
EntertainmentPoolside: 79
CruiseActivities: 93
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram: 0
MedicalFacilities: 0
ShipCleanliness: 89
EmbarkDisembark: 78
DiscoNightclubs: 0
DeckSpace: 88
Stabilization: 91
ShopsOnBoard: 87
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 14 Sep 1999
Time: 16:22:56
Remote Name: proxy.txdps.state.tx.us
Remote User:

Comments

First of all, I just want to say that we had a great time, and can't wait to go again. Before we left I read every cruise
review I could get my hands on and it really helped take the mystery and guess work out of my first cruise experience.

Despite all my reading, embarkation was still a little confusing. We arrived by car about 2:00 p.m. on purpose to avoid
any long lines, which worked out great. The confusing part was the directions to the Port, which said to go 3 miles
down Barbours Cutoff. We watched the odometer instead of the signs and promptly proceeded to get lost. We were
not the only ones, because we saw other people looking similarly confused.

We checked in pretty quick, got on the ship, and went to our room to drop off our carry-on bags. I read that the rooms
were small, and now I know it was no exageration. We had a Category E room on the Promonade Deck, and it was
really small. I wouldn't plan on staying in a room that small for a week unless you really like your roommate. The
shower was about the size of a shower in a RV. Don't plan on shaving your legs in there. Overall, the room was pretty
beat up. It literally had smashed in holes in the closet doors, and the door frame near the shower was rusting out. NCL
needs to seriously considering doing some renovations. This ship is way over due. On the flip side, there was always
plenty of hot water, we had a great view from our cabin window, and the beds were surprisingly comfortable. Plus,
even though the room was small, there was plenty of storage, even for our 6 suitcases (we over-packed a little).

The service and food in the Four Seasons dining room was great. We had main seating with dinner at 6 p.m. The bad
part about main seating is that breakfast is a 0-dark-thirty, so we ate breakfast in the Big Apple Cafe most mornings.
The food and the service in the cafe was barely adequate. It's buffet style, and the flow of the buffet is not good. Once
you've waited in line for the food, you have to get into a separate line for the coffee and drinks. I was always jumping
up and down to go back for all the things I forgot. My husband, however, loved the made to order omelets, which was
probably the one thing that kept us coming back.

We ordered room service one morning, because we had to leave early for an excursion. Room service was pretty
good even though they were about 15 minutes late in delivering our order. They did at least call to say they were
running late, which I thought was nice.

The pools are filled with salt water and are emptied and refilled nightly. This pretty much kept me out of the water, that
and the fact that the pools were usually pretty crowded. There were plenty of deck chairs though, both in the sun and
the shade, and whenever I had free time I went there to read. I actually didn't get many opportunities to read, because
we were always busy. There is a suprising number of things to do on a cruise ship. We want to go again just so we can
do the things we missed out on the first time.

The shows were very good, but the seating in the Caberet Lounge isn't like an auditorium and it's very difficult to see
the stage even if you have good seats. Drink are very expensive, but good. Try the Cool Runnings. We aren't big
drinkers, and if I had to complain about one thing it would be the way the bar waiters were always pushing the alcholic
beverages. I know they get a better tip, because those drinks cost more, but I still thought they were incredibly pushy
at times. I'd hate to see some people's bar bills. Alcholics Anonymous meets on the ship, and I can see why.

One of my favorite activities on the ship was the Sports Afloat Program. Everytime you go to a sports activity you get a
ticket. When you have 10 tickets you get a free t-shirt. I'm not desperate for t-shirts, but the incentive was enough to
get me and my husband exercising. We didn't gain any weight, and we ate dessert at every meal. The sports program
offers power walking, stetching, yoga, water aerobics, step class, shuffle board, horseshoes and the list goes on and
on. The sports coordinator was one of my favority crew members. All the crew was really nice, but Carolyn, the sport
coordinator, and Paul, the dive-in instructor were my favorites.

I thought the excursions were overpriced, but not having anything to compare them to, I might be wrong. There were
no excursions in Cancun that we wanted to do, so we took the tender in to shore and did some shopping. We didn't
realize it at the time, but everything in Cancun is overpriced, save your shopping for Cozumel, it's a lot better. We
loved Cozumel and Roatan, but I wish NCL would consider going to Beliz instead of Cancun. Unless you have a
burning desire to see Cancun, I'd just stay on the ship, you'll probably have more fun. No matter where you decide to
go, do yourself a favor and break all your $20's on the ship. Get lots of $5's and $1's. In Mexico most of the stores
won't give you change back in dollars even if they have some to give.

We went snorkeling and shopping in Cozumel, and we also went snorkeling in at Tabianna Beach in Roatan. The
snorkeling in Roatan was outstanding. We took some great pictures. We'll definitely go back to Roatan again.

Overall, I thought the service of the crew and staff was what made this ship such a pleasant experience. The ship itself
was disappointing in a lot of ways, but impressive in size none the less. When it was all said and done, I definitely felt
like I got my moneys worth.

Disembarking was a breeze. We were one of the last ones off the ship, but that suited us just fine. We finally got to
read and relax on the pool deck, which was the perfect ending to a perfect week.

Name: Jack Badali
Email: jack@satdish2000.com
Age: 60
Occupation: self employed
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Seaward
SailingDate: 9/19/99
Itinerary: cancun-cozumel-roatan
Cabin: 4205
FoodDiningRoom: 91
CruiseDirector: 50
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 82
CabinSteward: 83
ShoreExcVariety: 75
FoodVariety: 91
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 70
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 86
CruiseActivities: 84
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 81
EmbarkDisembark: 88
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 89
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 81
SpaceRatio: 87
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 28 Sep 1999
Time: 19:47:15
Remote Name: dial029.entech.com
Remote User:

Comments

This was the first cruise for my wife and fifth for myself. The comments are from both of us and reflect our collective
feelings. We are from the Houston area so getting to the port was only a 40 minute drive for us. Curbside check in
was a snap and the baggage handlers were polite and courteous and quite effecient. From the time we were
dropped off till we got through the short line and showed our documentation was less than 10 minutes. I was
amazed. We were greeted and escorted to our room and found it to be on the small side but adequate. I am 6 feet 5
inches tall and thought I would have a problem but Antonio our room steward pushed the beds together and it made
it quite comfortable for us. Storage space was more than adequate. Shower was tiny and I must say I had a difficult
time in there. The hair dryer that is provided is horrible and they should be replaced. It is less than adequated The
dining room was a treat. We had late seating in the dining room and had the pleasure of having Marlon wait on us.
He provided service above and beyond the call of duty. The food was excellent with one exception and that was
bread and rolls. The coulud have been fresher and have had some variety to them. They were always the same
and the croisants were always stale. Variety of food left us wanting for naught. My wife had a tendancy to want to try
everything and was very pleased with the quality and quantity served.

Entertainment exceeded our expectations.
The dance crew performed three shows and they were fantastic and their rendition of Grease was hilarious. Lots of
talent in that group. Singer Karen was a smash. Comedian Sam Greasebaum was hilarious and provided fresh
material and a great delivery. He looked like Hoss Cartright of Bonanza fame. Likewise the magician was terrific.
Nolw for the cruise director - Shannon Mckee. She was horrible. She introduced most of the shows and had very
silly comments and inuendos to make. When introducing the comedian she actually told 5 very trite jokes of her own
before he came on and tried to steal his thunder. At once performance she wasn't happy with the crowds welcome
and actually chastised them and went off stage and demanded a standing ovation for the orchester when she
re-entered . She made fools out of the guests. Many many guests were complaining about her. Her assitant Paul
did a wonderful job and NCL should seriously consider swaping these two. Her whinny voice was enough to drive
you crazy..This was a significant disapointment to an otherwise perfect cruise. Ports of call - Cancun has had too
many tourists for too long and it shows. There was nothing to see other than shops that charged outrageous prices.
Cozumel is a little better and easier to get around. We were rained out for a snorkeling trip so no comment on that.
The next stop was Roatan island and it was a pleasure.

It is pretty much unspoiled by tourists and we had a ball..
Previous comments we read here recommended a taxi driver named Margo. As fate would have it we found her and
she was a delight. Took us to the West End which was like a little tropical village out of South Pacific where were
made to feel welcome. We snorkeled and got to see a beautiful reef teeming with fish. A real treat. By the way the
taxi drive for 4 of us was $40.00 or $10.00 each and she had a van which was quite comfortable for us all. She
returned at 2 pm to pick us up and said not to pay her until the return trip. On the dot of two she was there and
treated us to a little sight seeing on the way back. We tipped her accordingly. This was the finest of our three stops.
Trip back was smooth sailing. I might add that the entire trip was as smooth as you can possibly imagine. Overall it
was a great cruise and highly recommended. We will definately do it again. Kudos to NCL.

Name: Lana Scully
Email: Lana@lonestarstorklines.com\
Age: 30
Occupation: Stay at home mom, entrepreneur
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Seaward
SailingDate: 9/5/99
Itinerary: Texaribbean
Cabin: 4225
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 70
FoodRoomService: 25
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 72
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 40
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 75
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities:
Casino: 80
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 80
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 01 Oct 1999
Time: 05:03:37
Remote Name: spider-tk012.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

Finding the port and embarkation went smoothly. Once on the ship, we found our way to our cabin and almost
immediately, some of our baggage arrived. Our cabin was on deck 4 just behind the shore excursion desk. This is a
GREAT location. I'd prefer it over anywhere else on the ship. We made our way to the Big Apple Cafe and had a
bite of lunch. Food in the Big Apple Cafe reminded me a lot of the food at Memorial Cafeteria on the Baylor campus.
It was okay, but nothing fantastic. Not a lot of selection and they didn't seem to rotate new items in, pretty much the
same ole stuff for the whole week.

We went up on deck to waive goodbye when we were shoving off. There wasn't much of a party type of atmosphere
going on, and I thought there should have been. My husband and I were kind of disappointed in the fact that it
wasn't much different than when you see a bus full of kids leaving for camp. I expected the regae type of music to
be playing and the waitors to be serving up pretty drinks with colorful umbrellas, so much for that, we just had a
beer.

PORTS OF CALL: We enjoyed the ports of call on this itinerary. Both of us had been to Cancun before, and knew it
was pretty much a big drunk fest with an overpriced marketplace where everyone wants to braid your hair. We
tendered over at about 2:30 and I went parasailing. That was a blast! It was $35 for about 15 minutes up and I'd say
it was well worth it. After that, we hung out with some friends that we'd made on the ship (Howdy to the Lucas's of
Victoria). We ended up getting back to the ship around 9:30.

The next day we were in Cozumel. We both really liked this place. We went to Chakankankankankanaaaab Park. It
was an $8 cab ride and $7 per person to enter the park. While we were there, there were also 2 CCL ships in port,
the Sensation, and the Ecstasy. Most of the people in the park that day were from the CCL ships. If you go to this
park, please take cash, because they don't take anything but cash for snorkel gear rental and a couple of the little
snack huts only took cash, too. There was some good snorkeling there and we had fun watching the people do the
dolphin experience. It was too pricey for us. I think it was around $135 to do that. There is also a neat botanical park
with iguanas roaming around.

On to Roatan. Of course, we agree with all other reviews that this was by far our favorite place. The people there
are so nice and they don't hassle you like in Mexico. We took our only boat sponsored excursion this day. We went
to Tabyana beach and went snorkeling. This was very fun and a good value for the money. It was $48 per person,
lunch included. The dive in instructor, Paul, is so funny! Be sure if you go on this to take one of his guided snorkel
tours of the coral reef.

FOOD: If you need a good laugh, order roomservice. There is a whopping 3 things to choose from. We ordered
sandwiches from roomservice one day and thought we were on candid camera. They delivered some smooshed
white bread w/ the crusts cut off and they had a piece of sandwich meat on it and nothing else. VERY PLAIN AND
SIMPLE. Guess that's why they don't charge extra for it. Well, the food on this ship isn't all that great (desserts are
terrible), but we met some of the nicest people at our dinner table. (Hey Scott and Susan!)We had so much fun at
dinner, it didn't really matter if the food wasn't any better than the Olive Garden or Red Lobster. We had heard
about Le BIstro, but we had so much fun with our tablemates that we didn't want to miss any good conversation in
the dining room. The last night, we got all of our tablemates (there were 6 of us) to go up and experience Le BIstro,
then the plan was to go to the dining room to have coffee and tip our waitors/busboys, etc. Well, the food in Le
Bistro is AWESOME. Get ready to get fat if you eat up there. There salad was actually fresh and didn't have that
same ole nasty mayonaise tasting dressing like in the dining room. Everything up in Le Bistro was very tasty. The
desserts were too much to pass up, too. We hadn't had food like this all week. It was really a nice way to end up the
trip.

We decided that if we ever do this ship/sailing again, that we will blow off our dining room assignment and just dine
in Le Bistro every night. We really didn't enjoy the food in the dining room except for 2 nights, Lobster night, and
Caribbean night. On Caribbean night, I highly recommend the Jerk Pork Roast. It doesn't sound that great, but it's
good! Skip dessert, don't waste your calories. Desserts in the dining room were really bad. Because we like to eat,
we were disappointed in NCL's quality of food. I have sailed on CCL Fascination and their food is sooooo much
better.

CABIN STUFF: Our cabin was small, as all are on this ship, but cozy. Our cabin steward was Leon. He did a great
job and we rewarded him for it. I still keep hoping he's going to show up at my house and help me out, but he hasn't
yet. He was very attentive to our needs, even those we didn't know we had. I think his former job was with the
psychic hotline - he is very good at anticipating people's needs. We liked the location of our cabin, on the 4th deck.
It was nice being on the same floor as the dining rooms, beauty shop, and purser desks.

All in all, this was a great trip. For the money, we really can't complain about the food. We couldn't expect to be
wined and dined like if we had paid to be on a Seabourn or Silversea ship. Our theory is that no matter what
happens, we're gonna make it fun! I don't know that I'll return to NCL (unless it is another deal that is too good to
pass up), we're planning on going back on CCL in 2000. I'd also like to try Princess when they launch the Ocean
Princess.

Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions about this trip, I love to talk about cruising!

Name: Lisa Carter
Email: lisa.carter@eds.com
Age: 38
Occupation: Marketing Manager
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Seaward
SailingDate: 10/3/1999
Itinerary: Cancun/Cozumel/Honduras
Cabin: 2013/Outside
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 70
CabinComfort: 75
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 70
CabinAmenities: 70
FoodLidoDeck: 60
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 70
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 75
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 85
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 60
CruiseActivities:
Casino: 80
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 80
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 80
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 11 Oct 1999
Time: 16:23:52
Remote Name: edslink6.eds.com
Remote User:

Comments

I'm one of those people who thought that a cruise sounded like the most boring way to spend a vacation possible.
Well, this was my third cruise in 11 months, so I guess you could call me a convert. There were many aspects of this
trip that were very good. However, after sailing on the Celebrity Century and Crystal Harmony, I found some of the
amenities not quite as good. For fairness of review, I compared the NCL Sea to Celebrity for all categories (my
cruise on the Crystal Harmony was a chartered sales award with only 250 people aboard, so of course the
experience was not comparable):

Food-Dining Room: The food was good, but not spectacular (don't order the T-Bone on Tuesday night. Our entire
table ordered it, and we all sent it back). However, the lobster on Thursday was incredible! The most disappointing
were the desserts. They tended to be on the dry side (there is a good side to marginal desserts… you won't gain
the usual five pounds!).

Food in LeBistro: I added this category because the food was incredible. LeBistro is a small (very intimate) dining
room on deck 10. There is a recommended $5 gratuity per person, but it was worth every penny. For dessert, ask
for the cherries jubilee (it's not on the menu, but most nights they have it.) If I had this cruise to do over, I would eat
there every night.

Food-Lido Deck: Every breakfast and lunch buffet had rather long lines. The layout of the food service area was a
bit crowded, and there wasn't a good flow from one station to the other. However, if you live at the pool the way I do,
its much more convenient to get a burger from the buffet than to dress and go to the dining room.

Food-Variety: Variety was very good. There was a fish/chicken/beef selection each night, and after the T-Bone
experience, we asked our waiter for recommendations. His choices were always great.

Overall Ports of Call: We didn't get to stop in Cancun. The water was rough and there was a chance that the ship
would damage the coral reef, so we went on to Cozumel (where we stayed for two days). For most excursions, we
booked them off the ship (they are usually much less expensive, and they go to the same place). However, the trip
to Chichen Itza (an incredible Mayan ruin) is best booked through the ship. Since the trip involved a ferry to the
mainland, and then a bus ride (the whole trip lasts 11 hours) it was safer to book through the ship rather than risk
not getting back in time.

Disco/Nightclubs: The disco was great after midnight and they would stay open as long as people were dancing
(around 3am most nights).

Shops On Board: The shops were great. Bought perfume for about 50% of what it would be in the states, and some
of the jewelry was very nice.

Cruise Director: She wasn't spectacular. The Director on the Celebrity much more polished and good at organizing
large groups of people for games, etc.

Cruise Staff: This was another area where the Celebrity far outshines the NCL Sea. The cruise staff, with two very
notable exceptions, either ignored us, or in one case, was even rude. Norman was one exception; he serves drinks
at the pool bar, loved his job, and it showed.

Dining Room Service: The other exception was Mario, our waiter (always friendly, singing, telling jokes)

Ship Cleanliness: In general yes. However, there were several places where the carpet was coming loose in the
stairwell, and it was like that all week.

Deck Space: This is one area where NCL beat Celebrity. There were always plenty of chairs (and since I'm a sun
person, this was important.) On Celebrity, you would have to stake out a chair by 9am or not get one at the main
pool. Space Ratio: The interiors felt crowded because most of the ceilings were low. Even in the main dining rooms,
the ceilings were only 8 ft. tall. Compared to the Century, which had 2-story ceilings and a winding staircase in the
main dining room, the public areas were not as elegant.

Cabin Quietness: The cabin was noisy, but since I booked 3 days before sailing, all that was left was a cabin on the
2nd deck (I was right above the laundry from the sound of it).

Entertainment-Poolside: Almost non-existent compared to Celebrity. A band played most afternoons, but they
played the same 10 songs over, and over, and over……

Overall Cruise Value: From what I've written, you would think I had a terrible vacation. However, that's not at all the
case. We had a wonderful vacation (and from talking to several 'first-timers' they were in vacation heaven). I just
believe that by choosing Celebrity for my first cruise, it's going to be a hard experience to beat. And of course,
there's much more I could write (I write for a living, so it's hard to get me to be brief), but if you have any specific
questions, please feel free to send me an email.

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